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lodigame online casino State employees sent a deluge of comments asking lawmakers for higher pay to address high turnover and rising costs of living. The Change in Employee Compensation Committee on Dec. 20 received an overview of the more than 1,700 responses seeking comment as the group prepares to make a recommendation to the state’s budget writers. Human Resources Administrator Janelle White told members she recommends a 4% increase to employee salaries or a $1.25 an hour increase, with discretion given to agencies to decide to implement either the percentage increase or dollar amount. She recommended a 5.5% increase for IT/engineering employees, which has a turnover rate of nearly 26%. “When employees leave the state it has a profound and lasting impact on the bottom line in our ability to deliver services,” White said. “The hidden cost of turnover is frequently overlooked yet its consequences are very costly to the state.” Statewide, the average turnover rate was around 19% last year, White said. She estimated that it cost roughly $301 million to replace 19.2% of Idaho’s state employee workforce. In 2023, White presented the committee a report detailing how far behind Idaho’s compensation was in comparison to the public and private sector and recommended greater increases for public safety, IT/engineering, and nursing and health care staff pay. White recommended last week that lawmakers implement the IT/engineering salary structure improvement this coming session. She said that the average market salary for these positions is around $36,000 a year more than the average state salary. Primary state employees who don’t fall into specialized categories fall about $22,250 behind the average market salary. In fiscal year 2024, Idaho spent about 21% of the state budget on personnel at around $1.9 billion; the recommendation White provided would bring this to about $2.3 billion, she said. Alberto Gonzalez, head of the Office of Information Technology Services, told the committee that state IT employees created the “backbone of our cybersecurity infrastructure.” “I think not investing increases our chance of cyber attack,” he said. Idaho State Police Director Col. Bill Gardiner told lawmakers that several regions in the state faced particularly high turnover and vacancy rates, such as near Lewiston. The district has eight vacant patrol positions, which leaves 13 current troopers patrolling a 13,000-square-mile area, he said. Most of the public comment the committee received came from Idaho Transportation Department staff, with close to 350 respondents, as well as more than 150 responses each from Idaho State Police, the Department of Health and Welfare, and Boise State University. Many of the comments from ITD employees focused on high turnover and its impact on the workload of remaining employees, cost of living, and the safety concerns of working near high-speed traffic. One Idaho Falls-based employee said their compensation of $25.12 an hour allows them to “meet basic living expenses,” but it “is increasingly inadequate to keep pace with the growing costs of housing, fuel and groceries.” The employee also underscored the risk of working near traffic traveling 80 mph. A North Idaho state trooper who’s been with the agency for 15 years said they have seen the housing market skyrocket and the impact that has had on recruitment and retention in the area. “I’ve observed Troopers work long shifts covering crashes, arrests, pursuits, and other heinous acts which changes a person’s life, only to return to their small camper parked on someone else’s property because that’s all they could afford based off the provided wage,” the trooper wrote. The longtime officer asked lawmakers to consider existing employees when changing the structure to avoid pay compression — in which new hires in a competitive market end up making more than, or nearly as much as, longstanding employees. The state’s retirement and health plans are often touted as a recruitment tool, but aren’t as highly regarded, comments indicated. “While benefits are valued, employees feel they no longer sufficiently offset the low wages or the competitive advantage compared to private sector jobs,” legislative Budget and Policy Analyst Frances Lippitt said. Costs related to inflation came up on 381 of the responses, Lippitt said. A number of emailed comments mentioned the approximately $5,000 pay bump for legislators recommended by the Citizens’ Committee on Legislative Compensation in November, the Idaho Capital Sun reported. The citizens’ committee does not include legislators, but the Legislature may reject or reduce the recommended rates by concurrent resolution. “I advocate that all state employees get paid appropriately, to meet the cost of living,” one health department employee wrote. “... I also assert that if the state legislature wants a raise, that the same raise should apply to every state employee. Otherwise, if the legislators truly want to be leaders, they have no right to a raise until state staff meet the cost of living.” The committee did not make a decision and is scheduled to meet again Jan. 7 and Jan. 9.

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Dec 13 (Reuters) - Bangladesh's veteran all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan has been suspended from bowling in all competitions organised by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) for exceeding the maximum permitted elbow extension of 15 degrees. The 37-year-old's action was scrutinized by on-field umpires in his one-off appearance for Surrey in September - his first appearance in the County Championship since the 2010-11 season. Following umpires' suspicions, he was asked to do a test. "Shakib completed an independent assessment at Loughborough University earlier this month, which found that the elbow extension in his bowling action exceeded the 15-degree threshold as defined in the Regulations," the ECB said in a statement. "This suspension takes effect from the receipt of the independent assessment on Dec. 10, and follows the process set out in the ECB's Regulations for the Review of Bowlers Reported with a Suspected Illegal Bowling Action." Shakib, who is considered the greatest cricketer Bangladesh has produced, could not be immediately reached for comment. To overturn the ban, the left arm spinner will need to undergo a reassessment demonstrating a narrower elbow extension. Shakib, who has been surrounded by controversy of late due to political unrest in Bangladesh, retired from Twenty20 internationals in September and decided to not return home for a farewell test against South Africa in Mirpur in October. But the former captain will likely feature in next year's Champions Trophy. Shakib was a member of parliament for the Awami League led by Sheikh Hasina, whose 15-year rule as prime minister ended in August with her fleeing to India following deadly protests. In 2019, he received a two-year ban from playing after the International Cricket Council (ICC) found he had breached its anti-corruption code. Sign up here. Reporting by Suramya Kaushik in Bengaluru; Editing by Andrew Cawthorne Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. , opens new tabIt's that time again! "Mad Money" host Jim Cramer rings the lightning round bell, which means he's giving his answers to callers' stock questions at rapid speed. Symbotic : "This is a very hot sector. The good news here, this company does make money. And so, therefore, I am going to bless it as a buy." Tetra Tech : "...I didn't think the quarter was that bad. I actually am inclined to buy, not sell TTEK." Linde : "It is not a speculative stock, it is a very good company...Linde is a terrific company." Brookfield : "This stock has been pretty much straight up, and, you know what, it's not done." Sign up now for the CNBC Investing Club to follow Jim Cramer's every move in the market. Disclaimer The CNBC Investing Club Charitable Trust holds shares of Linde. Questions for Cramer? Call Cramer: 1-800-743-CNBC Want to take a deep dive into Cramer's world? Hit him up! Mad Money Twitter - Jim Cramer Twitter - Facebook - Instagram Questions, comments, suggestions for the "Mad Money" website? madcap@cnbc.comMiddle East latest: ICC issues warrant for Israel's Netanyahu as Gaza death toll soars past 44,000

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: If the 'One Nation, One Election' bill becomes a law and gets implemented in 2029, the year of the next Lok Sabha elections, the tenure of many state governments, including the one in Kerala, will be shortened. As recommended by the Ram Nath Kovind committee, the bill's implementation would lead to synchronized elections, affecting the terms of various state governments. States like Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Sikkim, and Arunachal Pradesh, which held Assembly elections alongside the Lok Sabha elections this year, will complete their full tenure. However, states like Haryana, Maharashtra, Jammu and Kashmir, and Jharkhand, with tenures ending in 2029, and Delhi, with a tenure ending in 2030, will witness a change in government approximately six months earlier. The next government in Kerala can rule for three years (Upcoming Assembly Elections and tenure of the next government) 2025: Bihar Can rule for 4 years will lose 1 year 2026: Kerala, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Puducherry Can rule for 3 years Will lose 2 years 2027: Uttar Pradesh, Goa, Punjab, Manipur, Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh Can rule for 2 years Will lose 3 years 2028: Karnataka, Telangana, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripura Can rule for 1 year 2 Options: Extend the government's tenure by one year Impose President's Rule for one year If govt faces early election If the government is forced to resign due to a hung assembly or a vote of no confidence, and an election has to be held, the term of the newly formed government will only last until the time of the general elections. Beneficial for exchequer and political parties 1. If elections are held together, the government's administrative expenses and political parties' campaign expenses will be reduced. 2. Utilizing human resources such as election observers, polling officials, and police collectively will save time and reduce workload. 3. Voters can avoid going to the polling booth multiple times. Migrant workers and those residing far away need to travel home only once in five years for this purpose, reducing the nationwide loss of human resources. Election Commission might seek more time Even if the political parties reach a consensus regarding the 'One Nation, One Election' system, the Election Commission is likely to seek more time for preparations. Although the Ram Nath Kovind committee has recommended implementing this system by 2029, the Election Commission considers it impractical. The Commission states that achieving political consensus and passing a bill in Parliament are only the beginning steps. The actual groundwork will commence only afterwards. Even if the bill is passed by late 2025 or early 2026, there will not be sufficient time to prepare. To conduct simultaneous elections, the number of voting machines would need to be doubled. The companies manufacturing these machines are not capable of producing such a large quantity within a short period. It would take up to three years to achieve this. Hence, implementing the reform by 2029 is deemed impractical.None

By CHRIS MEGERIAN and COLLEEN LONG WASHINGTON (AP) — In the two weeks since Donald Trump won the presidency, he’s tried to demonstrate his dominance by naming loyalists for top administration positions, even though many lack expertise and some face sexual misconduct accusations. It often seems like he’s daring Congress to oppose his decisions. But on Thursday, Trump’s attempt to act with impunity showed a crack as Matt Gaetz , his choice for attorney general, withdrew from consideration. Trump had named Gaetz, a Florida congressman, to be the country’s top law enforcement official even though he was widely disliked by his colleagues, has little legal experience and was accused of having sex with an underage girl, an allegation he denied. After being plagued by investigations during his first presidency, Trump wanted a devoted ally in charge of the Justice Department during his second. However, it was never obvious that Gaetz could win enough support from lawmakers to get confirmed as attorney general. Trump chose for a replacement Pam Bondi, a former Florida attorney general who defended him during his first impeachment trial and supported his false claims of voter fraud. Now the question is whether Gaetz was uniquely unpalatable, or if Trump’s other picks might exceed his party’s willingness to overlook concerns that would have sunk nominees in a prior political era. The next test will likely be Pete Hegseth, who Trump wants to lead the Pentagon despite an allegation of sexual assault that he’s denied. So far, Republicans are rallying around Hegseth , an Army veteran and former Fox News host. Sen. Thom Tillis, a North Carolina Republican who serves on the Senate Judiciary Committee, said the controversy over Gaetz would have little bearing on Trump’s other choices. He said they would be considered “one at a time.” Sen. Richard Blumenthal, a Connecticut Democrat, suggested otherwise, claiming “the dominoes are falling.” “The drip drip of evidence and truth is going to eventually doom some others,” he said. Trump’s election victory was a sign that there may not be many red lines left in American politics. He won the presidential race despite authoritarian, racist and misogynist rhetoric, not to mention years of lies about election fraud and his role in sparking the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. He was also criminally convicted of falsifying business records to pay hush money, and he was found liable for sexual abuse in a civil case. Empowered by voters who looked past his misconduct and saw him as a powerful agent of change, Trump has shown no deference to Washington norms while working to fill his second administration . The transition team hasn’t pursued federal background checks for Trump’s personnel choices. While some of his selections have extensive experience in the areas they’ve been chosen to lead, others are personal friends and Fox News personalities who have impressed and flattered Trump over the years. Several have faced allegations involving sexual misconduct . Hegseth is facing the most scrutiny after Gaetz. Once Trump announced Hegseth as his nominee for Pentagon chief, allegations emerged that he sexually assaulted a woman in California in 2017. The woman said he took her phone, blocked the door to the hotel room and refused to let her leave, according to a police report made public this week. Hegseth told police at the time that the encounter had been consensual and denied any wrongdoing, the report said. However, he paid the woman a confidential settlement in 2023. Hegseth’s lawyer said the payment was made to head off the threat of a baseless lawsuit. Trump’s choice for secretary of health and human Services, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., has faced allegations of misconduct too. A woman who babysat for him and his second wife told Vanity Fair magazine that Kennedy groped her in the late 1990s, when she was 23. Kennedy did not deny the allegation and texted an apology to the woman after the article was published. That isn’t the only hurdle for Kennedy; he’s spent years spreading misinformation and conspiracy theories about vaccines, raising fears about making him a top health official in the new administration. Linda McMahon, chosen by Trump to be education secretary, is fighting a lawsuit connected to her former company, World Wrestling Entertainment. She’s accused of knowingly enabling sexual exploitation of children by an employee as early as the 1980s, and she denies the allegations. Tulsi Gabbard is another person who could face a difficult confirmation battle, but for very different reasons. The former Democratic representative from Hawaii has been a vocal Trump ally, and he chose her to be national intelligence director. But there’s grave concern by lawmakers and national security officials over Gabbard’s history of echoing Russian propaganda. Critics said she would endanger relationships with U.S. allies. Gaetz was investigated by federal law enforcement for sex trafficking, but the case was closed without charges and Republicans have blocked the release of a related report from the House Ethics Committee. However, some allegations leaked out, including that Gaetz paid women for sex. One of the women testified to the committee that she saw Gaetz having sex with a 17-year-old girl, according to a lawyer for the woman. As Gaetz met with senators this week, it became clear that he would face stubborn resistance from lawmakers who were concerned about his behavior and believed he was unqualified to run the Justice Department. “While the momentum was strong, it is clear that my confirmation was unfairly becoming a distraction,” Gaetz wrote on social media when announcing his withdrawal. Sen. Mike Braun, an Indiana Republican, said he believed there were four to six members of the caucus who would have voted against Gaetz, likely dooming his nomination, and “the math got too hard.” He said some of the issues and allegations around Gaetz were “maybe beyond the pale.” “I think there were just too many things, it was like a leaky dike, and you know, it broke,” Braun said. Trump thanked Gaetz in a post on Truth Social, his social media website, without addressing the substance of the allegations against him. “He was doing very well but, at the same time, did not want to be a distraction for the Administration, for which he has much respect,” Trump wrote. Associated Press writers Mary Clare Jalonick, Stephen Groves and Lisa Macaro contributed from Washington. Jill Colvin in New York and Adriana Gomez Licon in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, also contributed.

NoneNoneBurton, Muntu score 18 as Western Michigan defeats Youngstown State 73-62

Pies feature in key moments in chef Richard Overbye’s life, from bakery pies eaten straight off the plane after returning Perth from travels (good) to post-hike pies he and fiance Grace ate after completing the Whistlepipe Gully trail in Forrestfield (not-so-good; the pies, that is, not the hike). “Grace made this throwaway comment saying, you could do better than this, and I thought, yeah, I can,” says Overbye. “I might have had a little bit too much coffee that morning, but that idea spitballed very, very quickly to become the basis of a business plan.” If everything goes as intended, that business plan fruits this summer as Angelwood, a cosy nostalgia-fuelled takeaway pie shop in Leederville. Overbye with business partner Patrick Wallis. Credit: Rachel Claire Overbye has chalked up time at some very demanding kitchens including Restaurant Amuse and Wildflower here in Perth, plus Oslo’s three-Michelin-starred Maaemo and Melbourne’s three-hatted fine-diner Amaru . While in Melbourne during the week, I bumped into Amaru owner Clinton McIver who, unprompted, told me what a key role Overbye had played in the evolution of the restaurant. So although Overbye’s medium of choice might be the humble pie, it’s safe to assume it will be informed by plenty of kitchen know-how. For now, the plan is to serve 10 different pies each day, most of them savoury. Some fillings will be familiar (mince pies, steak and mushroom, say). Some, such as apricot chicken, Korean-braised eggplant and Japanese-style golden curry will be more left of centre, not least because Overbye is committed to ensuring vegetarians get in on the action. Vegetarians such as Patrick Wallis, the former operations manager at Modus and Overbye’s business partner at Angelwood, who’ll be overseeing the shop’s back-end. Another of Overbye’s commitments will be “real ingredients”, from mushrooms grown by urban farmers The Mushroom Guys and thoughtfully raised meats to the butter – not margarine – he’ll use in pastry. Speaking of which, Angelwood’s pies will feature two different pastries: a shortcrust, sturdier pastry for the bases and a flakier laminated pastry for the lids: “the best of both worlds,” says Overbye. Sweet pie fillings might include cherry and pecan, while Overbye has hinted that trad Aussie bakery items such as vanilla slices may also make appearances. Sausages rolls are another item our man is looking forward to re-examining through the Angelwood lens. Although takeaway is the name of the game, the shop will feature a small counter for people to park up at while waiting for orders and coffees. The rest of the beverage range will follow the same new-meets-old spirit: expect Bundaberg ginger beer and chocolate milk sharing fridge space with small-batch sodas and kombucha from Margaret River’s Waves & Caves. Angelwood (18B 663 Newcastle Street, Leederville) will open Wednesday and Sunday and is due to open this summer. Start the day with a summary of the day’s most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter . Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. License this article Eat and drink Perth Perth Leederville Max Veenhuyzen is a journalist and photographer who has been writing about food, drink and travel for national and international publications for more than 20 years. He reviews restaurants for the Good Food Guide. Most Viewed in National LoadingHouse and Senate Democrats moved Monday to redirect more than half a billion dollars headed for the state’s long-term savings account and instead use it to close a budget gap and fund some additional spending. Lawmakers surfaced and quickly approved their final plan ( H 5132 ) for closing the state’s financial books on fiscal 2024, sending it to Gov. Maura Healey’s desk minutes before Beacon Hill budget-writers formally kicked off the process of planning for fiscal 2026. The newly approved “closeout” budget has a $701.2 million bottom line, with a projected net cost to the state of $133.6 million after federal reimbursements, according to a House Ways and Means Committee official. The proposed appropriations address accounts underfunded in the annual budget and fill a fiscal 2024 budget gap that materialized in part due to non-income surtax revenue collections that didn’t hit projections, leaving a shortfall of about $233 million. Legislative Democrats moved Monday to bridge the shortfall and fund some spending by using more than half a billion dollars that would have otherwise flowed into a state savings account. Each year, capital gains tax revenues above a certain level are split up with 90% deposited into the state’s “rainy day” stabilization fund, 5% used to fund pensions, and 5% used for other post-retirement benefits. The new spending bill would dramatically change that formula on a one-time basis. It would steer 85% of excess capital gains — about $502 million — to the general fund, and direct only 5% or $29.5 million to the stabilization fund, according to the House Ways and Means official. Pensions and other post-retirement benefits would each receive the same 5% as the traditional formula. That’s a shift from the approach the House and Senate first sought to take. The original House bill directed 47% of excess capital gains revenue to the General Fund and 43% to the stabilization fund. The original Senate bill sought to use 15% of excess capital gains revenue for the General Fund, and would have steered higher shares toward pensions and other post-retirement benefits. Healey proposed navigating the gap by using surtax collections that surpassed projections to backfill education- and transportation-related spending in fiscal 2024, freeing up originally appropriated dollars to plug the hole. But Healey also agreed to use capital gains tax collections as a similar type of backstop in the current cycle. The fiscal 2025 budget she signed in July allows the state to divert up to $375 million in excess capital gains tax revenue from the rainy-day pipeline and instead use it to balance the books for the cycle that runs from July 1, 2024 to June 30, 2025. After previously drawing scrutiny from ratings agencies for dipping into the rainy day fund, Beacon Hill in recent years has worked to build up a sizable nest egg and resisted calls to spend its more than $8 billion balance. A House Ways and Means committee official said the funding shuffle will also allow about $162 million to be swept into the Student Opportunity Act reserve fund, which helps pay for increases in K-12 state aid outlined in a 2019 law, bringing its balance to about $460 million. Spending in the bill would flow to a range of areas, including $7.3 million for the Residential Assistance for Families in Transition program, $8.7 million for the state’s universal school meals program, and $2.5 million to cover start-up costs for online Lottery games. The vast majority of the spending, about $565 million, would go to MassHealth. Senate Democrats previously estimated that line item would carry a $0 net cost to the state after federal reimbursements. Healey will get 10 days to review the bill. Lawmakers were once again weeks late on completing the closeout budget, at least according to deadlines written into statute. The state comptroller by law is supposed to file a key financial report by Oct. 31, but cannot do so until the governor signs into law a closeout budget. Lawmakers have made a habit in recent years of blowing past that date and delaying the comptroller’s work as a result. Michlewitz and Rodrigues have completed a closeout budget before Oct. 31 only once in their six cycles as Ways and Means Committee chairs. Alison Kuznitz and Sam Drysdale contributed reporting.

Daily Post Nigeria Chelsea, kar ku dauko Salah – William Gallas Home News Politics Metro Entertainment Sport Hausa Chelsea, kar ku dauko Salah – William Gallas Published on December 13, 2024 By Kabeer Bello Tsohon ɗan wasan Faransa, William Gallas, ya gargadi Chelsea da kada su ɗauki tauraron Liverpool, Mohamed Salah, koda kuwa zai kasance kyauta batare da kwantiragi ba. Salah da ya shiga watanni 12 na ƙarshen kwantiraginsa a Anfield, kuma a baya-bayan nan ya tabbatar da cewa ba ayi masa tayin tsawaita zamansa a ƙungiyar ba. Saboda haka akwai yiwuwar ya bar ƙungiyar maimakon ya ci gaba da zama. Sai dai Liverpool na sa ran yin wani yunkuri don ganin Salah ya sake sa hannu kan sabon kwantiragi, kuma akwai yiwuwar Salah mai shekara 32 ya karɓi tayin kuɗi mai tsoka daga ƙasar Saudiyya nan gaba a bazarar badi. A wata tattaunawa da Prime Casino, Gallas ya bayyana cewa zuwan Salah zai iya kawo cikas ga ƙungiyar ta Stamford Bridge. “Ina ganin Chelsea bai kamata ta karɓi Mohamed Salah a matsayin dan wasan da kwantaraginsa ta kare ba,’ inji Gallas ga Prime Casino. “Yan wasan ƙungiyar Chelsea a yanzu suna koyon wasa tare ne, kuma suna girma tare, kuma hakan yana aiki sosai ƙarƙashin Enzo Maresca. “Ina ganin kawo ɗan wasa kamar Salah ba zai yi wa ƙungiyar kyau ba, duk da irin bajintar da yake nunawa a gasar Premier.” Related Topics: Mo Salah Don't Miss Lakurawan: Rundunar soji ta aika dakaru na musamman zuwa jihohi 3 You may like EPL: Mark Lawrenson suggests winger Liverpool should sign as Mo Salah’s replacement EPL: Liverpool winger, Mo Salah now earning £1m per week EPL: Why Liverpool beat Manchester United 4-0 – Mo Salah Victor Osimhen equals Samuel Eto’o, Mo Salah, George Weah’s record Transfer news: What Messi told Barcelona about signing Mo Salah Champions League: Football fans around the world report Sergio Ramos to FIFA over Mo Salah’s injury Advertise About Us Contact Us Privacy-Policy Terms Copyright © Daily Post Media Ltd

Iconic Emmerdale couple faces split after colossal mistakeSome Educated Guesses About Trump’s Second Term

Joe Biden begins final White House holiday season with turkey pardons for 'Peach' and 'Blossom' WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden has kicked off his final holiday season at the White House, issuing the traditional reprieve to two turkeys who will bypass the Thanksgiving table to live out their days in Minnesota. The president welcomed 2,500 guests under sunny skies as he cracked jokes about the fates of “Peach” and “Blossom.” He also sounded wistful tones about the last weeks of his presidency. Later Monday, first lady Jill Biden will receive delivery of the official White House Christmas tree. And the Bidens will travel to New York to help serve a holiday meal at a Coast Guard station. Warren Buffett gives away another $1.1B and plans for distributing his $147B fortune after his death OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Investor Warren Buffett renewed his Thanksgiving tradition of giving by announcing plans Monday to hand more than $1.1 billion of Berkshire Hathaway stock to four of his family's foundations, and he offered new details about who will be handing out the rest of his fortune after his death. Buffett has said previously that his three kids will distribute his remaining $147.4 billion fortune in the 10 years after his death, but now he has also designated successors for them because it’s possible that Buffett’s children could die before giving it all away. Buffett said he has no regrets about his decision to start giving away his fortune in 2006. Bah, humbug! Vandal smashes Ebenezer Scrooge's tombstone used in 'A Christmas Carol' movie LONDON (AP) — If life imitates art, a vandal in the English countryside may be haunted by The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come. Police in the town of Shrewsbury are investigating how a tombstone at the fictional grave of Ebenezer Scrooge was destroyed. The movie prop used in the 1984 adaption of Charles Dickens' “A Christmas Carol” had become a tourist attraction. The film starred George C. Scott as the cold-hearted curmudgeon who is visited by three ghosts on Christmas Eve who show him what will become of his life if he doesn’t become a better person. West Mercia Police say the stone was vandalized in the past week. At the crossroads of news and opinion, 'Morning Joe' hosts grapple with aftermath of Trump meeting The reaction of those who defended “Morning Joe” hosts Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski for meeting with President-elect Trump sounds almost quaint in the days of opinionated journalism. Doesn't it makes sense, they said, for hosts of a political news show to meet with such an important figure? But given how “Morning Joe” has attacked Trump, its viewers felt insulted. Many reacted quickly by staying away. It all reflects the broader trend of opinion crowding out traditional journalist in today's marketplace, and the expectations that creates among consumers. By mid-week, the show's audience was less than two-thirds what it has typically been this year. Pop star Ed Sheeran apologizes to Man United boss Ruben Amorim for crashing interview MANCHESTER, England (AP) — British pop star Ed Sheeran has apologized to Ruben Amorim after inadvertently interrupting the new Manchester United head coach during a live television interview. Amorim was talking on Sky Sports after United’s 1-1 draw with Ipswich on Sunday when Sheeran walked up to embrace analyst Jamie Redknapp. The interview was paused before Redknapp told the pop star to “come and say hello in a minute.” Sheeran is a lifelong Ipswich fan and holds a minority stake in the club. He was pictured celebrating after Omari Hutchinson’s equalizing goal in the game at Portman Road. A desert oasis outside of Dubai draws a new caravan: A family of rodents from Argentina AL QUDRA LAKES, United Arab Emirates (AP) — A desert oasis hidden away in the dunes in the far reaches of skyscraper-studded Dubai has drawn a surprising new set of weary world travelers: a pack of Argentinian rodents. A number of Patagonian mara, a rabbit-like mammal with long legs, big ears and a body like a hoofed animal, now roam the grounds of Al Qudra Lakes, typically home to gazelle and other desert creatures of the United Arab Emirates. How they got there remains a mystery in the UAE, a country where exotic animals have ended up in the private homes and farms of the wealthy. But the pack appears to be thriving there and likely have survived several years already in a network of warrens among the dunes. New Zealanders save more than 30 stranded whales by lifting them on sheets WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — More than 30 pilot whales that stranded themselves on a beach in New Zealand have been safely returned to the ocean after conservation workers and residents helped to refloat them by lifting them on sheets. New Zealand’s conservation agency said four whales died. New Zealand is a whale stranding hotspot and pilot whales are especially prolific stranders. The agency praised as “incredible” the efforts made by hundreds of people to help save the foundering pod. A Māori cultural ceremony for the three adult whales and one calf that died in the stranding took place Monday. Rainbow-clad revelers hit Copacabana beach for Rio de Janeiro’s pride parade RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Thousands of revelers have gathered alongside Copacabana beach for Rio de Janeiro’s annual gay pride parade, many scantily dressed and covered in glitter. Rainbow-colored flags, towels and fans abounded among the crowd mostly made up of young revelers, who danced and sang along to music blaring from speakers. While the atmosphere was festive, some spoke of the threat of violence LGBTQ+ people face in Brazil. At least 230 LGBTQ+ Brazilians were victims of violent deaths in 2023, according to the umbrella watchdog group Observatory of LGBTQ+ deaths and violence in Brazil. Stolen shoe mystery solved at Japanese kindergarten when security camera catches weasel in the act TOKYO (AP) — Police thought a shoe thief was on the loose at a kindergarten in southwestern Japan, until a security camera caught the furry culprit in action. A weasel with a tiny shoe in its mouth was spotted on the video footage after police installed three cameras in the school in the prefecture of Fukuoka. “It’s great it turned out not to be a human being,” said Deputy Police Chief Hiroaki Inada. Teachers and parents had feared it could be a disturbed person with a shoe fetish. Japanese customarily take their shoes off before entering homes. The vanished shoes were all slip-ons the children wore indoors, stored in cubbyholes near the door. Social media sites call for Australia to delay its ban on children younger than 16 MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — An advocate for major social media platforms has told Australia's Parliament that a plan to ban children younger than 16 from the sites should be delayed rather than being rushed to approval this week. Sunita Bose is managing director of Digital Industry Group Inc. which is an advocate for the digital industry in Australia including X, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok. She was answering questions on Monday at a single-day Senate committee hearing into world-first legislation that was introduced into the Parliament last week. Bose said the Parliament should wait until the government-commissioned evaluation of age assurance technologies is completed next year.Someone might be looking at a ho-ho-whole lot of green on Christmas this year — and it won't be the Grinch. The Mega Millions jackpot hit $1 billion ahead of the drawing Tuesday night, according to the lottery's website. A winner who picks a lump sum option would receive less than half of that amount. Although, $448.8 million is still certain to fill up quite a few stockings. If someone does have a Mega Millions jackpot ticket, it would be the largest prize ever won in December. The drawing will take place at 11 p.m. ET on Christmas Eve, meaning some lucky winner will have an extra special Christmas Day. Some of the largest wins in Mega Millions history have occurred in the last few years. The largest prize was awarded last year to a single winner from Florida, whose ticket cashed in on a 1.6 billion jackpot.Article content Coincident with Donald Trump’s electoral victory, increasing numbers of America’s corporations are backing off their DEI — diversity, equity, inclusion — programs. Recommended Videos Trump’s opposition to DEI is clear and JD Vance’s bold opposition to this agenda was one of the reasons for his selection as Trump’s running mate. As the Trump transition team completes its work bringing in the new leadership that will run the American government, it’s clear that a priority is to uproot the woke rules, directives and institutions that Democrats have implanted in the federal government. Efforts will be made to de-woke the military, the defence department and other major government departments and agencies. The justice department will work to use existing law to challenge the prevalence of woke rules that have so widely taken over the governance and operation of our universities. Walmart, one of America’s largest companies, has just announced it will end the Center for Racial Equity it launched in 2020 with funding of $100 million. The website of this centre describes its mission as working to “foster equitable outcomes for people ... (and) to address the root causes of gaps in outcomes experienced by Black and African American people in education, health, finance and criminal justice systems.” Walmart also, according to The Wall Street Journal , will “stop allowing third-party sellers to offer some LGBTQ-themed items on Walmart.com.” Boeing Corporation, per the same report, has also announced a similar winding down of these efforts. Whereas we can understand how a political agenda can find its way into government institutions, how does this happen in the private sector? What motivated these corporations that operate in a free marketplace and are owned and controlled by private stockholders to incorporate a political agenda into their business and operating practices, and what is motivating them now to back off these programs? Has the management of these corporations changed their minds regarding the business efficacy of these programs? Or did they put them in place initially to curry favour with a political regime once in power and now they are backing off to curry favour with a new regime? Let’s recall, again, how profoundly our culture has changed. If there was a defining moment in the Civil Rights Movement, it was Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech in August 1963. And if there was a defining line in that speech, it was King’s declaration that “I have a dream that one day my four little children will live in a nation where they will not be judged by the colour of their skin but by the content of their character.” The Civil Rights Movement was, in the grand scheme of things, about right and wrong. About good and evil. The movement succeeded because it was rooted in these truths. As King argued in 1963, the problem was not our Constitution but its implementation by human beings who permitted evil to find its way into our culture. Unfortunately, rather than following through with the true biblical spirit of the Civil Rights Movement, the nation took the path of politics to implement justice, making our country less free, rather than turning to King’s appeal to the Bible to improve our freedom, in the spirit in which the Constitution was written. We might consider that moment, when politics took over, the birth of today’s woke movement. The result has been a vast politicization of our country and our culture. My hope is we learn and don’t trade one political regime for another. Yes, we need to go back to a culture of free markets and merit. But it all starts with the choices free individuals make and those choices must start with a conviction of good and evil as defined by the Bible that King had in mind when he spoke that day in Washington in August 1963. Star Parker is president of the Center for Urban Renewal and Education

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PARKER: To get rid of woke, understand how it got startedTHE 10 KG 99.99% PURE GOLD THE DANCE SCREEN (THE SCREAM TOO), A ONE-OF-A-KIND COIN FROM THE ROYAL CANADIAN MINT, SURPASSES $1.5 MILLION AT HEFFEL AUCTION