From Andrew Michael Hurley to Johanna Ekström: new books reviewed in short
Continued tensions within the Thornton Township Board led to the cancellation of two meetings with almost identical agendas this month due to a lack of quorum. Trustees Christopher Gonzalez and Carmen Carlisle, who have become sharp critics of Henyard’s administration in the years since her 2021 appointment, have raised concerns in about receiving little to no information about proposals up for vote, such as a “100% tax refund for all homeowners” and bonuses for all township employees. They released joint statements ahead of a Nov. 19 scheduled meeting and a special meeting Henyard called for Monday to explain their absences. “Unfortunately, this meeting’s agenda has not been properly vetted and includes items that are likely to provoke unnecessary conflict rather than create solutions,” the statement read. Gonzalez said last week the lack of information forces Carlisle and him to essentially vote blind on issues that could have a meaningful impact on residents’ lives. “The best analogy I’ve come up with is that it’s like a shell game, which is obviously not how things are supposed to be,” Gonzalez said. But a major stumbling block may be Henyard’s desire to appoint a new trustee, potentially taking away her opponents’ voting power ahead of the April 2025 election. Recent meeting agendas have included voting on Henyards pick to replace Gerald Jones, who resigned last month. “I would assume because she’s pushing it forward that she could get (the votes) either way — that’s why she’s so desperate to get this meeting going,” Gonzalez said Nov. 19. “We just want to get someone in there who’s neutral.” Because the board is one member short, votes have often been Gonzalez and Carlisle versus Henyard and Trustee Darlene Gray Everett. Gonzalez said when appointing a trustee, Township Clerk Loretta Wells will have a vote and could decide the outcome. Gonzalez said he instead hopes to wait and allow the decision to be up to residents, who will be given the opportunity to directly vote for a trustee at a town hall meeting if the doesn’t make an appointment by Dec. 7. “Either way, that’s going to change everything,” Gonzalez said. “Either (Henyard is) going to get everything she wants or we’re going to have someone who’s more objective and is going to look at these things a little more realistically.” Gonzalez later said if the new trustee votes against Henyard’s proposals, it will allow the board to focus on paying bills and keeping important township services going until the spring election, during which all trustees seats, the clerk and supervisor will be on the ballot. Thornton Township Trustee Chris Gonzalez walks out of a special board meeting Oct. 30, 2024, in South Holland. The meeting was ended with his departure because a lack of a quorum. (Terrence Antonio James/Chicago Tribune) ostevens@chicagotribune.com
Some Coalition MPs have cold feet on the social media ban. Dutton will stare them downMoney, Gun Violence, Hate Crimes: Poll Reveals Top Worries at the End of 2024
Caitlin Clark fans all say the same thing as she supports boyfriend Connor McCaffery at Butler READ MORE: Clark goes viral for her response to man asking her to sign his hat By ERIC BLUM Published: 17:57 GMT, 24 November 2024 | Updated: 18:10 GMT, 24 November 2024 e-mail View comments Caitlin Clark was in the crowd for Butler's men's basketball game on Friday against Merrimack College, with boyfriend Connor McCaffery on the Bulldogs' coaching staff as an assistant. Her fans all said she looked incredibly bored in the stands at Indianapolis' Hinkle Fieldhouse. The Fever star was talking to other people and constantly checking her phone instead of watching the action. In fairness, the game was a blowout, as the Bulldogs defeated the Warriors 78-39, with Merrimack scoring eight points in the game's final 21 minutes. Clark supporting her man is always admirable, even if she'd rather be elsewhere during the offseason. Her fans have not let Clark off the hook for not being more invested in her boyfriend's team. Clark's fans said she looked miserable during Butler's game against Merrimack on Friday Clark and McCaffery have been dating for nearly two years since both were athletes at Iowa Caitlin Clark is at the Butler game tonight repping Butler apparel again. pic.twitter.com/ilbWuWklft — ericaf455 (@ericaf455) November 23, 2024 'If Caitlin Clark is so bored watching Butler, Unrivaled still has 2 spots open,' one fan said on social media. 'She look miserable every time she's in that building.' 'She's literally only there to support her man because why is she always on her phone at these games?' 'The difference between this and Iowa is insane. She really does not give a f***.' A collection of social-media messages giving Caitlin Clark a hard time for looking miserable Clark has already declared she will not participate in the upcoming Unrivaled basketball league. After nearly a year straight of it being basketball season, the Fever star has taken it to heart to take it easy ahead of the start of her sophomore professional season. Clark still has five months or so to rest up before Indiana's season gets underway. Caitlin Clark Share or comment on this article: Caitlin Clark fans all say the same thing as she supports boyfriend Connor McCaffery at Butler e-mail Add comment
Dehradun: Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Sunday announced that the film ' The Sabarmati Report ' will be exempted from entertainment tax across the state. Uttarakhand is the seventh BJP-ruled state to have made the film tax-free after Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, and Gujarat. The film, directed by Dheeraj Saran, is based on the 2002 Godhra riots and was released in cinemas on November 15. It stars Vikrant Massey , Raashii Khanna and Ridhi Dogra in pivotal roles. Dhami watched the film with his cabinet colleagues, other MPs and MLAs. He said, "59 Ram devotees boarded the Sabarmati Express train from Ayodhya and it was set on fire at Godhra station. They all died untimely death. Back then, there was less investigation and more politics in the matter. The truth did not come out." He praised the film producer Ekta Kapoor and the entire team for bringing out the truth and said that back then the "urban naxal media propagated the incident as a lie". He further appealed to everyone to watch the film. HIG (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel )CROTON, N.Y. -- A federal judge on Wednesday threw out a defamation lawsuit against Fox News by a former Donald Trump supporter who said he received death threats when the network aired false conspiracy theories about his involvement in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol insurrection . Raymond Epps, a former Marine, was falsely accused by Fox of being a government agent causing trouble near the Capitol that day so that it would be blamed on Trump fans. U.S. District Judge Jennifer L. Hall in Delaware granted, without comment, Fox's motion to dismiss the case. Epps was the subject of a “60 Minutes” interview in 2023, shortly before filing his lawsuit. He claimed that he and his wife sold an Arizona ranch where they lived and moved because of the harassment they faced because of the reports. Epps had named Tucker Carlson, who was fired from Fox in April 2023 for reasons never fully explained, as being the most active promoter of the conspiracy theory. At the time, Carlson hosted Fox's most popular show. In a statement, Fox News on Wednesday cited two other defamation lawsuits against the company that were also recently dismissed. They involved former Biden administration disinformation expert Nina Jankowicz and Tony Bobulinski, one of Hunter Biden's former business partners. “Following the dismissals of the Jankowicz, Bobulinski and now Epps cases, Fox News is pleased with these back-to-back decisions from federal courts preserving the press freedoms of the First Amendment,” the network said.Global Times: People's Daily article says favorable conditions for China's economic development remain unchanged
Guwahati: Bypolls in five assembly constituencies of Assam emerged as a significant setback for the opposition parties, which failed to secure any victory. Congress's autonomous approach proved detrimental as the grand old party lacked direct support from other opposition parties united under the banner Asom Sanmilita Morcha (ASOM). Of the five constituencies, BJP secured victories in three — Samaguri, Behali, and Dholai, while its allies AGP and UPPL triumphed in Bongaigaon and Sidli. Five-time MLA from Samaguri Rakibul Hussain's son, Tanzil, was defeated by BJP's state general secretary Diplu Ranjan Sarmah by a substantial margin. Tanzil endeavoured to represent Samaguri as the third politician from their family, after father Rakibul and grandfather Nurul Hussain. Rakibul served as a prominent cabinet minister in the Tarun Gogoi-govt and secured successive assembly polls from Samaguri since 2001. Nurul Hussain contested from Congress (S) ticket in the 1983 election and joined Congress (I) after winning. He subsequently prevailed as Congress candidate in the 1991 assembly polls and became a state minister in the Hiteswar Saikia-govt. Deputy leader of Congress in the Lok Sabha and Jorhat MP Gaurav Gogoi's preferred candidate Jayanta Borah had to bite the dust in the Behali seat to BJP's Diganta Ghatowal. Congress remained unwilling to relinquish Behali for CPI-ML despite ASOM's recommendation, ultimately causing opposition disunity. Jayanta Borah, a BJP defector, procured Congress ticket even before formally joining the party. Maharashtra Jharkhand Maharashtra Alliance View i Party View Seats: 288 L + W Majority: 145 BJP+ 229 MVA 47 OTH 12 Leads + Wins : 288 / 288 BJP+ WON Jharkhand Alliance View i Party View Seats: 81 Results Majority: 41 INDIA 56 NDA 24 OTH 1 Results : 81 / 81 INDIA WON Source: PValue In the remaining constituencies, Congress leaders demonstrated comparatively diminished enthusiasm. ASOM leaders campaigned for CPI-ML candidate Lakhikanta Kurmi in Behali, while advocating for a "conscience vote" elsewhere. After poll results, Assam Pradesh Congress Committee President Bhupen Kumar Borah pledged door-to-door visits, emphasising unified opposition as crucial for challenging BJP in the 2026 assembly elections. ASOM president and MP Ajit Kumar Bhuyan and general secretary Lurinjyoti Gogoi expressed disappointment regarding Congress's failure to recognise opposition unity's importance, while affirming ASOM's commitment to unified political resistance against BJP. Akhil Gogoi, MLA and Raijor Dal leader, criticised both Himanta Biswa Sarma regarding the Jharkhand defeat and Congress's perceived "big brother" attitude. Gogoi challenged Sarma's "unstoppable" narrative, citing Jharkhand results. He endorsed Jharkhand's opposition model, contrasting it with Assam's fragmented opposition. Gogoi faulted Gaurav Gogoi for undermining opposition unity by denying Congress allies constituencies, particularly regarding CPI-ML in Behali.
Young people will be able to use government-backed to prove they are old enough to drink alcohol under legal changes to take effect next year. They will be able to sign up to digital ID companies that are certified against Government-set standards for security and reliability and then use the app on their smartphone to prove they are over 18 when visiting pubs, restaurants and shops. It is part of a to move more state functions online so that people can prove their identity for everything from paying taxes to opening a bank account using the government-backed app. It will use a “single sign-on”, rather than the two-step identity verification currently needed online, for all government services including applying for benefits. Although it is a step towards wider use of digital IDs, Sir Keir Starmer has ruled out ID cards and has insisted that it will not make digital ID mandatory despite to do so to combat illegal migration and black market working. The changes are being enacted through the Data (Use and Access) Bill currently before Parliament which means companies that provide digital identity services can seek independent certification against Government-set standards for security and reliability. If successful, the services will be able to join a Gov.uk register and display a trust mark. As part of that change, next year digital IDs from these trusted providers can be used to prove a holder’s age when buying alcohol in pubs, restaurants and shops. The first step will be to give landlords and retailers the ability to scan digital identities to verify a customer’s age without unnecessarily disclosing personal information such as their name or address, as is the case with driving licences. The change will involve a quick check – like scanning a QR code or using technology similar to contactless bank cards. It is likely to be integrated into supermarkets’ and shops’ check-out scanning systems which will end the delays for customers when they have to call over the attendant to physically confirm they are old enough to buy alcohol – even if they are pensioners. Providers that could be verified include Yoti, a digital ID app. It recently introduced a new student feature, which enables people with a physical student card to register it as a digital ID. A public register of products that meet government standards will be published on Gov.uk. Officials insist will not be compulsory and people will still be able to use paper documents such as passports and utility bills to prove their identity. As part of the drive to digitalise existing identity documents, the Government has recently unveiled plans to enable about 250,000 former service personnel to access digital veteran cards on their smartphones starting next year. The digital identification document will help veterans to prove their status and speed up access to services and support programmes.
No. 21 Arizona State on the rise in Kenny Dillingham's second season as coach2 dead, 3 more injured following mobile home fire in north Phoenix
TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) — Caleb McCullough was there for the dark times at Arizona State, when the losses piled up and the cloud of an NCAA investigation was hovering over the program. The senior linebacker opted to stick around, believing in coach Kenny Dillingham's vision for a better future. It came sooner than anyone outside the program expected. "I’m doing whatever I can to win,” McCullough said. “I’m not really a stat player. This is my last year of college and my main goal is just to win.” The Sun Devils are doing just that, becoming one of college football's biggest surprises along the way. Picked to finish last in its first Big 12 season, Arizona State (8-2, 5-2 Big 12) now controls its destiny for a spot in the conference title game. The 21st-ranked Sun Devils have already clinched their first bowl berth since 2021, the year they were last ranked in the AP Top 25 before this week. Arizona State has taken down two ranked teams this season, 27-19 over then-No. 16 Utah on Oct. 11 and 24-14 at then-No. 20 Kansas State last weekend. The Sun Devils will play their biggest home game in recent memory against No. 14 BYU on Saturday , the first home game between ranked teams in Tempe since 2014. Beat the Cougars and Arizona State can clinch a spot in the Big 12 Championship on Dec. 7 in Arlington, Texas, with a win over rival Arizona in the regular-season finale. “It means a lot to these guys to come in here with that chip on their shoulder and do something that really nobody thought we could do,” Dillingham said. Arizona State faced adversity on and off the field when Dillingham arrived in 2023. After winning eight games in 2021, the Sun Devils went 3-9 the following year while under investigation by the NCAA, a combination that led to the firing of Herm Edwards during his fifth season here. Dillingham had success as Oregon's offensive coordinator and brought the requisite enthusiasm of being a young — he was 32 at the time — first-time head coach returning to his alma mater. Despite rallying the community around the program, Dillingham fell into hard luck his first season in the desert. The Sun Devils were decimated by injuries, particularly at quarterback, and never recovered, finishing 3-9 for the second straight season. But Dillingham had the pieces in place. He proved to be adept at finding the right players through the transfer portal, landing former Sacramento State running back Cam Skattebo two years ago and former Michigan State quarterback Sam Leavitt prior to this season. The hard-running Skattebo has been one of the nation's best running backs and Leavitt has been a perfect fit for Arizona State's offense, making good decisions while extending plays with his legs. The portal success extends across Arizona State's roster and Dillingham has sprinkled in solid recruiting classes while convincing key players to remain, a combination that's meshed into a team that could crash the College Football Playoff if the pieces fall just right. “We were a three-win team twice,” Dillingham said. “We were under NCAA sanctions. Most head coaches, to be brutally honest, get fired if you take a job under sanctions. You don’t survive. You’re hired to be fired. That’s the nature of the beast and right now we’re sitting here at 8-2, and I couldn’t be prouder." Dillingham's vision for a better future, one the rest of the country didn't see coming, is here and now. AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.Runner's World: Top RBs take flight when Ravens entertain EaglesNone
