After institutions for people with disabilities close, graves are at risk of being forgottenVANCOUVER — Taylor Swift is preparing to hit the stage tonight at Vancouver's BC Place for the first of three shows to close out her marathon Eras Tour — but she's not the only one getting ready as T-minus-zero approaches. BC Place has put up the giant friendship bracelet symbolizing Swifties fandom on its exterior, a feature that has appeared in all Eras Tour stops since New Orleans in October. "A big thank you to our BFFs at Caesars Superdome for our new friendship bracelets, they're now here after having been swapped to Lucas Oil Stadium and Rogers Centre," said an online message from BC Place to venues in New Orleans, Indianapolis and Toronto that have featured the decoration during Swift's tour stops. Vancouver police posted a video message to incoming fans on social media with Swift's "Shake It Off" playing in the background, asking those going to the concert to plan ahead, while also offering to trade friendship bracelets. In the message, police say "hundreds" of officers will be deployed downtown over the weekend to ensure a "safe and memorable" experience for incoming Swifties. Barricades went up around the stadium at noon on Friday, cutting off some of the downtown core's busiest streets, including West Georgia, Smithe, Beatty and Robson, as the closures snarled traffic. An estimated 160,000 fans, many of them international visitors, will converge on the city's downtown for the performances that are the glittering climax to the 149-show, two-year tour that has shattered records around the world. Some will be hard to miss. Swift fan Lisa Daechsel was walking her dog, Lancey, near the stadium with a leash she had made in the style of a friendship bracelet. “Honestly, I saw somebody do it for Eras Tour in Toronto," Daechsel said. "They had a really cute photo of their dog with the friendship bracelet leash. So, I was like, I have to do that! So, I went out last minute and I decided to make one." The corgi and her leash became a magnet for Swifty selfies. "She has been so popular,” said Daechsel. Others may be even more visible. Brittany Hood from Orlando, Fla., will sport a blue velvet, star-studded jumpsuit that pays homage to an outfit Swift wore to the 2022 VMAs after-party. Hood, who is attending Saturday's show, spent months perfecting the look. "It wasn't supposed to be this sparkly but 25 hours later and I was still going," she said. "Where else can you wear a super-bedazzled outfit — I mean I probably would be the person who would wear it to the grocery store, but it just makes it a little bit more special for the moment." The shows are billed to start at 6:45 p.m. with opening act Gracie Abrams. Swift typically performs for about 3 1/2 hours, playing songs from across her discography as she moves through various "Eras," each marked by set and outfit changes that reflect the albums. For instance, she often wears a ball gown for the "Speak Now" section and a snake jumpsuit during her "Reputation" set. Sociologist Rebecca Yoshizawa said Swift's outfit choices are "really symbolic," noting how the singer-songwriter reclaimed snake imagery after a 2016 celebrity feud with Kim Kardashian, who had suggested Swift was a snake. "She is curating and encouraging our experience through her clothing," Yoshizawa said. "She knows people are watching and are also wanting to channel that." Swifties' costumes denote membership to the fandom. "It's very cathartic. It's an opportunity to kind of let loose, have fun and be free, and clothing really is central to identity — it's central to the expression of our identity," said Yoshizawa, a professor at Kwantlen Polytechnic University in Surrey, B.C. The Eras Tour, she said, had provided fans an opportunity to dress in ways they wouldn't normally and build a sense of connection with strangers. Jonica Tebo from Ogdensburg, N.Y., said that's why she has spent hours making her costume for Vancouver, a friendship bracelet fringe jacket. "I have every single Taylor song on the outfit, in the beaded fringe that is sewn on," she said. She also plans to wear pink boots and friendship bracelets to trade. Vancouver has embraced the singer, who performed six shows in Toronto last month. Eras Tour posters can be seen around almost every corner, businesses are hosting Swift-themed events and the city has put up light installations to encourage visitors to explore. Security is tight around the venue, with barricades surrounding BC Place, and ticketless fans being told not to gather outside for traditional "Taylgate" parties. That hasn't reduced the enthusiasm of fans like Hood, who says it's her first real trip out of the United States. She's already been to Eras Tour shows in Los Angeles and Tampa, Fla., dressing up in handmade outfits for both shows. But Vancouver will be special — a girls trip abroad and the end of the Eras Tour. "When the world's on fire, but we all get to kind of celebrate music and girlhood together — it's giving me chills," she said. Some fans, however, remain without tickets for the event but aren't giving up. Melissa Camp and her 15-year-old daughter from Vancouver Island were in tears outside BC Place today after failing to get tickets despite 14 months of trying, but Camp says they will keep trying to secure last-minute seats. Camp says she was almost scammed when she tried to buy tickets, but the effort is worth it for "making sweet memories" with her daughter. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 6, 2024. Brieanna Charlebois, The Canadian Press

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FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — The NFL removed New England Patriots safety Jabrill Peppers from the commissioner exempt list on Monday, making him eligible to participate in practice and play in the team’s games. Peppers missed seven games since being placed on the list on Oct. 9 after he was arrested and charged with shoving his girlfriend’s head into a wall and choking her. The league said its review is ongoing and is not affected by the change in Peppers’ roster status. Braintree, Massachusetts, police said they were called to a home for an altercation between two people on Oct. 7, and a woman told them Peppers choked her. Police said they found at the home a clear plastic bag containing a white powder, which later tested positive for cocaine. Peppers, 29, pleaded not guilty in Quincy District Court to charges of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and possession of a Class “B” substance believed to be cocaine. At a court appearance last week a trial date was set for Jan. 22. “Any act of domestic violence is unacceptable for us,” Patriots coach Jerod Mayo said after the arrest. “With that being said, I do think that Jabrill has to go through the system, has to continue to go through due process. We’ll see how that works out.” A 2017 first-round draft choice by Cleveland, Peppers spent two seasons with the Browns and three with the New York Giants before coming to New England in 2022. He was signed to an extension this summer. He played in the first four games of the season and missed one with a shoulder injury before going on the exempt list, which allows NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell to place a player on paid leave while reviewing his case. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

Butterball defends its practices after disturbing old video of turkeys goes viral

Warning: This article contains disturbing details of alleged animal abuse. People on social media are calling for a boycott of Butterball brand turkeys ahead of Thanksgiving after People for Ethical Treatment of Animals resurfaced an old video, causing confusion and disturbance. The video, posted to PETA’s Instagram account last week, highlighted disturbing allegations from an investigation at a Butterball plant that reportedly took place nearly 20 years ago. According to PETA’s website, the 2006 “undercover investigation” that allegedly took place at a Butterball slaughterhouse in Ozark, Arkansas, found workers physically and sexually abusing live turkeys. However, Butterball said these allegations took place before the company became privatized and certified by American Humane. The resurfaced video zeroes in on the alleged sexual abuse of the live turkeys. The caption on the video states, “Do you know what happened to your Butterball turkey before they were killed?” However, PETA did not specify that the content was from 18 years ago. Still, a majority of the comments encourage people to boycott Butterball ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday. Videos of other people on social media discussing PETA’s post have sparked confusion that there is a recall associated with it, but there are currently no active recalls for Butterball turkeys. Scripps News reached out to Butterball and its spokesperson provided the following statement: "We are aware of a video from nearly 20 years ago, which is being re-shared across social media. This video is not current and was taken prior to Butterball becoming a private company and prior to our engagement and certification through American Humane. Animal care and well-being is central to who we are as a company, and we are committed to the ethical and responsible care of our flocks. Eleven years ago, Butterball was the first, and remains the only, turkey company to be American Humane certified. That means we have yearly audits conducted by a third party to ensure compliance with our 200+ science-based standards of best practice for care of turkeys, well exceeding industry best practices. We are proud of this designation that no other turkey company can claim and have a zero-tolerance policy for animal mistreatment."The ‘Wicked’ Press Tour Was A Lot. I Miss It AlreadyKeurig Dr Pepper Inc. (NASDAQ:KDP) Shares Acquired by PNC Financial Services Group Inc.

Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Noah Hanifin will make his 700 th career NHL game when he takes the ice against the Philadelphia Flyers on Monday at Wells Fargo Center. Hanifin, in his first full season with the Golden Knights, scored 65 goals with 232 assists in his 10 NHL seasons. “He’s calm out there. He’s got good composure. He doesn’t get rattled and plays a lot of minutes for us. Plays in all situations. I think he knows what he is,’ Vegas coach Bruce Cassidy said. “He’s a guy that can really use his feet to help him in many areas of the game. ... He wants to initiate. I like that about Noah. Every play, he wants to be involved. He wants to make something happen. You got to be careful with that when your feet are that good that you don’t chase the game. He’s done a good job letting the game come to him most nights.” About the Flyers The Flyers come into the game off a 3-2 overtime victory on Nov. 23 against the Chicago Blackhawks. Philadelphia is 9-10-2 on the season. “They’re more grinder [team]. They work really hard,” Golden Knights forward Tomas Hertl said. “They don’t leave any pucks behind. It’ll definitely be a tough game. They’re more straightforward: forecheck hard and grind it.” The Flyers are a gritty team that will attempt to clog the shooting lanes and block shots. Cassidy said the team has to be aware of this and not get frustrated when shots are going through. “They’re a hard-working team. They’re a team that works hard to block shots. The preparation today is you got to create your shooting lanes,” Cassidy said. “You got to hang around the front of the net. There are going to be opportunities. You’re going to get frustrated because they do a good job.” Paul Delos Santos is the Las Vegas sports insider for Dice City Sports. Follow him on X at @PaulDelos_ . This article first appeared on Dice City Sports and was syndicated with permission.A Federal Court judge has dismissed an appeal by a “deeply religious” British Columbia health executive who said he was wrongfully denied employment insurance after being fired three years ago for refusing to get the COVID-19 vaccine. Darold Sturgeon was fired as executive director of medical affairs for Interior Health in November 2021 after refusing to get the vaccine based on his Christian beliefs. He applied for employment insurance benefits but was denied due to being fired for “misconduct,” with appeals to two levels of the Social Security Tribunal also failing, leading him to seek a judicial review in Federal Court in August 2023. The ruling says Sturgeon believed the tribunal should have examined his assertion under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms that the term “misconduct” did not apply to his case “because he was exercising his freedom of religion.” Justice William Pentney says “recent, abundant and unanimous case law” defined a specific and narrow role for the tribunal’s appeal divisions, focusing on an employee’s conduct, and not justification for and employer’s policies or compliance with the Charter. The ruling says Sturgeon’s appeal fell “outside the mandate” of the tribunal and he could have challenged Interior Health’s mandatory vaccine police “through other avenues.” These included advancing a Charter claim, lodging a wrongful dismissal suit or labour grievance, or complaining to the British Columbia Human Rights Commission. “The point is, there were other avenues available to pursue the Charter question; this decision does not cut off the only avenue of relief,” the ruling says. It added of Sturgeon, who represented himself, that “no one has doubted that he acted based on his understanding of his religious obligations,” and that he had “ably advanced his arguments.” “However, despite his sincere and thoughtful arguments, the binding jurisprudence requires that I find against him,” the ruling says.

Gaetz withdraws from attorney general consideration

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