slot machine

WASHINGTON (AP) — A lead organization monitoring for food crises around the world withdrew a new report this week warning of imminent famine in north Gaza under what it called Israel's “near-total blockade,” after the U.S. asked for its retraction, U.S. officials told the Associated Press. The move follows public criticism of the report from the U.S. ambassador to Israel. The rare public dispute drew accusations from prominent aid and human-rights figures that the work of the U.S.-funded Famine Early Warning System Network , meant to reflect the data-driven analysis of unbiased international experts, has been tainted by politics. A declaration of famine would be a great embarrassment for Israel, which has insisted that its 15-month war in Gaza is aimed against the Hamas militant group and not against its civilian population. U.S. ambassador to Israel Jacob Lew earlier this week called the warning by the internationally recognized group inaccurate and “irresponsible ." Lew and the U.S. Agency for International Development, which funds the monitoring group, both said the findings failed to properly account for rapidly changing circumstances in north Gaza. Humanitarian and human rights officials expressed fear of U.S. political interference in the world's monitoring system for famines. The U.S. Embassy in Israel and the State Department declined comment. FEWS officials did not respond to questions. “We work day and night with the U.N. and our Israeli partners to meet humanitarian needs — which are great — and relying on inaccurate data is irresponsible,” Lew said Tuesday. USAID confirmed to the AP that it had asked the famine-monitoring organization to withdraw its stepped-up warning issued in a report dated Monday. The report did not appear among the top updates on the group's website Thursday, but the link to it remained active . The dispute points in part to the difficulty of assessing the extent of starvation in largely isolated northern Gaza. Thousands in recent weeks have fled an intensified Israeli military crackdown that aid groups say has allowed delivery of only a dozen trucks of food and water since roughly October. FEWS Net said in its withdrawn report that unless Israel changes its policy, it expects the number of people dying of starvation and related ailments in north Gaza to reach between two and 15 per day sometime between January and March. The internationally recognized mortality threshold for famine is two or more deaths a day per 10,000 people. FEWS was created by the U.S. development agency in the 1980s and is still funded by it. But it is intended to provide independent, neutral and data-driven assessments of hunger crises, including in war zones. Its findings help guide decisions on aid by the U.S. and other governments and agencies around the world. A spokesman for Israel's foreign ministry, Oren Marmorstein, welcomed the U.S. ambassador's public challenge of the famine warning. “FEWS NET - Stop spreading these lies!” Marmorstein said on X . In challenging the findings publicly, the U.S. ambassador "leveraged his political power to undermine the work of this expert agency,” said Scott Paul, a senior manager at the Oxfam America humanitarian nonprofit. Paul stressed that he was not weighing in on the accuracy of the data or methodology of the report. “The whole point of creating FEWS is to have a group of experts make assessments about imminent famine that are untainted by political considerations,” said Kenneth Roth, former executive director of Human Rights Watch and now a visiting professor in international affairs at Princeton University . “It sure looks like USAID is allowing political considerations -- the Biden administration’s worry about funding Israel’s starvation strategy -- to interfere." Israel says it has been operating in recent months against Hamas militants still active in northern Gaza. It says the vast majority of the area’s residents have fled and relocated to Gaza City, where most aid destined for the north is delivered. But some critics, including a former defense minister, have accused Israel of carrying out ethnic cleansing in Gaza’s far north, near the Israeli border. North Gaza has been one of the areas hardest-hit by fighting and Israel’s restrictions on aid throughout its war with Hamas militants. Global famine monitors and U.N. and U.S. officials have warned repeatedly of the imminent risk of malnutrition and deaths from starvation hitting famine levels. International officials say Israel last summer increased the amount of aid it was admitting there, under U.S. pressure. The U.S. and U.N. have said Gaza’s people as a whole need between 350 and 500 trucks a day of food and other vital needs. But the U.N. and aid groups say Israel recently has again blocked almost all aid to that part of Gaza. Cindy McCain , the American head of the U.N. World Food Program, called earlier this month for political pressure to get food flowing to Palestinians there. Israel says it places no restrictions on aid entering Gaza and that hundreds of truckloads of goods are piled up at Gaza’s crossings and accused international aid agencies of failing to deliver the supplies. The U.N. and other aid groups say Israeli restrictions, ongoing combat, looting and insufficient security by Israeli troops make it impossible to deliver aid effectively. Lew, the U.S. ambassador, said the famine warning was based on “outdated and inaccurate” data. He pointed to uncertainty over how many of the 65,000-75,000 people remaining in northern Gaza had fled in recent weeks, saying that skewed the findings. FEWS said in its report that its famine assessment holds even if as few as 10,000 people remain. USAID in its statement to AP said it had reviewed the report before it became public, and noted “discrepancies” in population estimates and some other data. The U.S. agency had asked the famine warning group to address those uncertainties and be clear in its final report to reflect how those uncertainties affected its predictions of famine, it said. “This was relayed before Ambassador Lew’s statement,” USAID said in a statement. “FEWS NET did not resolve any of these concerns and published in spite of these technical comments and a request for substantive engagement before publication. As such, USAID asked to retract the report.” Roth criticized the U.S. challenge of the report in light of the gravity of the crisis there. “This quibbling over the number of people desperate for food seems a politicized diversion from the fact that the Israeli government is blocking virtually all food from getting in,” he said, adding that “the Biden administration seems to be closing its eyes to that reality, but putting its head in the sand won’t feed anyone.” The U.S., Israel’s main backer, provided a record amount of military support in the first year of the war. At the same time, the Biden administration repeatedly urged Israel to allow more access to aid deliveries in Gaza overall, and warned that failing to do so could trigger U.S. restrictions on military support. The administration recently said Israel was making improvements and declined to carry out its threat of restrictions. Military support for Israel’s war in Gaza is politically charged in the U.S., with Republicans and some Democrats staunchly opposed any effort to limit U.S. support over the suffering of Palestinian civilians trapped in the conflict. The Biden administration’s reluctance to do more to press Israel for improved treatment of civilians undercut support for Democrats in last month’s elections. ___ Sam Mednick and Josef Federman in Jerusalem contributed to this report.Chandigarh: The CBI arrested an alleged middleman on Saturday in connection with a bribery case, in which an assistant director of the ED is under the scanner, officials said. The officer managed to give a slip to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) during a trap operation on Sunday (December 22) and is yet to join the investigation, while his brother has been arrested by the federal agency, the officials added. The CBI arrested “middleman” Neeraj on Saturday and produced him before a special court that sent him to the agency’s custody for a day, they said. The assistant director of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) posted at Shimla and his brother, a senior manager in the Punjab National Bank in Delhi, had allegedly gone to a location near Chandigarh to receive bribe money from a businessman, who is facing a case lodged under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), the officials said. The businessman filed a complaint with the CBI about alleged extortion, based on which the Chandigarh unit of the agency planned the trap operation where the complainant was asked to give a bribe of Rs 55 lakh in cash to the officer, with CBI sleuths keeping an eye, the officials said. The plan was that the CBI would nab the accused after the bribe was received by him, they said. The ED officer, who is on deputation from the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC), got alerted during the operation and allegedly fled, the officials said. The agency has been trying to locate him for six days. It has even launched technical surveillance to pin-point his location but to no avail. So far, cash amounting to around Rs 1 crore, including the bribe money, has been recovered during searches, the officials said. The CBI has arrested the officer’s brother, Vikas Deep, in connection with the case and produced him before a court, they added. The agency is questioning him regarding his alleged involvement in the case. Sources in the ED said the accused assistant director of its Shimla sub-zonal office and his supervisory officers — a deputy director and the joint director (based in Chandigarh) — have been transferred to Delhi following the case.

Can Americans regain their mojo? This month’s Gallup poll found only 19% of respondents satisfied with the way things are going in the U.S. Satisfaction hit bottom at 7% during the Great Recession of 2008. It marched irregularly higher through the Obama and Trump years, peaking at 45% in 2020 just before COVID hit. Here are a few wishes for 2025 that, if fulfilled, might make people more optimistic. • For the economy: continued growth • For wages: increases of inflation plus • For prices: a rollback • For the stock market: a three-peat of consecutive 20% gains • For the Federal Reserve Board and Chairman Jay Powell: a soft-landing victory lap • For tariffs on U.S. imports: bluster not action • For green energy and the planet: carbon taxes • For medical care: less bureaucracy, more treatment • For prescription drug prices: a plan to make foreigners pay more so the U.S. can pay less • For polio and other anti-vaxxers: a muzzle • For housing: affordability • For Bitcoin promoters: a Hall of Shame • For Bitcoin owners: a copy of “Extraordinary Popular Delusions” • For economic mercantilists: a copy of “The Wealth of Nations” • For social media: non-inflammatory algorithms • For Congress: a visit from Spenders Anonymous • For all of us: a healthy and Happy New Year. Jeffrey Scharf welcomes your comments. Contact him at jeffreyrscharf@gmail.com.LONDON — Olivia Hussey, the actor who starred as a teenage Juliet in the 1968 film "Romeo and Juliet," died, her family said on social media Saturday. She was 73. Hussey died Friday "peacefully at home surrounded by her loved ones," a statement posted to her Instagram account said. Hussey was 15 when director Franco Zeffirelli cast her in his adaptation of the William Shakespeare tragedy after spotting her onstage in the play "The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie," which also starred Vanessa Redgrave. "Romeo and Juliet" won two Oscars and Hussey won a Golden Globe for best new actress for her part as Juliet, opposite British actor Leonard Whiting, who was 16 at the time. "Romeo and Juliet" movie director Franco Zeffirelli, left, and actors Olivia Hussey, center, and Leonard Whiting are seen Sept. 25, 1968, in Paris after the Parisian premiere of the film. Decades later Hussey and Whiting brought a lawsuit against Paramount Pictures alleging sexual abuse, sexual harassment and fraud over nude scenes in the film. They alleged they were initially told they would wear flesh-colored undergarments in a bedroom scene, but on the day of the shoot Zeffirelli told the pair they would wear only body makeup and the camera would be positioned in a way that would not show nudity. They alleged they were filmed in the nude without their knowledge. The case was dismissed by a Los Angeles County judge in 2023, who found their depiction could not be considered child pornography and the pair filed their claim too late. Leonard Whiting, left, and Olivia Hussey arrive April 26, 2018, at the screening of "The Producers" at the 2018 TCM Classic Film Festival Opening Night at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles. Whiting was among those who paid tribute to Hussey on Saturday. "Rest now my beautiful Juliet no injustices can hurt you now," he wrote. "And the world will remember your beauty inside and out forever." Hussey was born April 17, 1951, in Bueno Aires, Argentina, and moved to London as a child. She studied at the Italia Conti Academy drama school. She also starred as Mary, the mother of Jesus, in the 1977 television series "Jesus of Nazareth," as well as the 1978 adaptation of Agatha Christie's "Death on the Nile" and horror movies "Black Christmas" and "Psycho IV: The Beginning." She is survived by her husband, David Glen Eisley, her three children and a grandson. Germany players celebrate after Andreas Brehme, left on ground, scores the winning goal in the World Cup soccer final match against Argentina, in the Olympic Stadium, in Rome, July 8, 1990. Andreas Brehme, who scored the only goal as West Germany beat Argentina to win the 1990 World Cup final, died Feb. 20, 2024. He was 63. Brian Mulroney, the former prime minister of Canada, listens during a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on the Canada-U.S.-Mexico relationship, Tuesday, Jan. 30, 2018, on Capitol Hill in Washington. Mulroney died at the age of 84 on Feb. 29, 2024. The Rev. James Lawson Jr. speaks Sept. 17, 2015, in Murfreesboro, Tenn. Lawson Jr., an apostle of nonviolent protest who schooled activists to withstand brutal reactions from white authorities as the Civil Rights Movement gained traction, has died, his family said Monday. He was 95. His family said Lawson died on Sunday after a short illness in Los Angeles, where he spent decades working as a pastor, labor movement organizer and university professor. Lawson was a close adviser to the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., who called him “the leading theorist and strategist of nonviolence in the world.” Lawson met King in 1957, after spending three years in India soaking up knowledge about Mohandas K. Gandhi’s independence movement. King would travel to India himself two years later, but at the time, he had only read about Gandhi in books. Basketball Hall of Fame inductee Jerry West, representing the 1960 USA Olympic Team, is seen Aug. 13, 2010, during the enshrinement news conference at the Hall of Fame Museum in Springfield, Mass. Jerry West, who was selected to the Basketball Hall of Fame three times in a storied career as a player and executive, and whose silhouette is considered to be the basis of the NBA logo, died June 12, the Los Angeles Clippers announced. He was 86. West, nicknamed “Mr. Clutch” for his late-game exploits as a player, was an NBA champion who went into the Hall of Fame as a player in 1980 and again as a member of the gold medal-winning 1960 U.S. Olympic Team in 2010. He will be enshrined for a third time later this year as a contributor, and NBA Commissioner Adam Silver called West “one of the greatest executives in sports history.” Actor and director Ron Simons, seen Jan. 23, 2011, during the 2011 Sundance Film Festival, died June 12. Simons turned into a formidable screen and stage producer, winning four Tony Awards and having several films selected at the Sundance Film Festival. He won Tonys for producing “Porgy and Bess,” “A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder,” “Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike,” and “Jitney.” He also co-produced “Hughie,” with Forest Whitaker, “The Gin Game,” starring Cicely Tyson and James Earl Jones, “Ain’t Too Proud: The Life and Times of The Temptations,” an all-Black production of “A Streetcar Named Desire,” the revival of "for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf" and the original work “Thoughts of a Colored Man.” He was in the films “27 Dresses” and “Mystery Team,” as well as on the small screen in “The Resident,” “Law & Order,” “Law & Order: Criminal Intent” and “Law & Order: SVU.” Bob Schul of West Milton, Ohio, hits the tape Oct. 18, 1964, to win the 5,000 meter run at the Olympic Games in Tokyo. Schul, the only American distance runner to win the 5,000 meters at the Olympics, died June 16. He was 86. His death was announced by Miami University in Ohio , where Schul shined on the track and was inducted into the school’s hall of fame in 1973. Schul predicted gold leading into the 1964 Tokyo Olympics and followed through with his promise. On a rainy day in Japan, he finished the final lap in a blistering 54.8 seconds to sprint to the win. His white shorts were covered in mud at the finish. He was inducted into the USA Track and Field Hall of Fame in 1991. He also helped write a book called “In the Long Run.” San Francisco Giants superstar Willie Mays poses for a photo during baseball spring training in 1972. Mays, the electrifying “Say Hey Kid” whose singular combination of talent, drive and exuberance made him one of baseball’s greatest and most beloved players, died June 18. He was 93. The center fielder, who began his professional career in the Negro Leagues in 1948, had been baseball’s oldest living Hall of Famer. He was voted into the Hall in 1979, his first year of eligibility, and in 1999 followed only Babe Ruth on The Sporting News’ list of the game’s top stars. The Giants retired his uniform number, 24, and set their AT&T Park in San Francisco on Willie Mays Plaza. Mays died two days before a game between the Giants and St. Louis Cardinals to honor the Negro Leagues at Rickwood Field in Birmingham , Alabama. Over 23 major league seasons, virtually all with the New York/San Francisco Giants but also including one in the Negro Leagues, Mays batted .301, hit 660 home runs, totaled 3,293 hits, scored more than 2,000 runs and won 12 Gold Gloves. He was Rookie of the Year in 1951, twice was named the Most Valuable Player and finished in the top 10 for the MVP 10 other times. His lightning sprint and over-the-shoulder grab of an apparent extra base hit in the 1954 World Series remains the most celebrated defensive play in baseball history. For millions in the 1950s and ’60s and after, the smiling ballplayer with the friendly, high-pitched voice was a signature athlete and showman during an era when baseball was still the signature pastime. Awarded the Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama in 2015, Mays left his fans with countless memories. But a single feat served to capture his magic — one so untoppable it was simply called “The Catch.” Actor Donald Sutherland appears Oct. 13, 2017, at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in Beverly Hills, Calif. Sutherland, the Canadian actor whose wry, arrestingly off-kilter screen presence spanned more than half a century of films from “M.A.S.H.” to “The Hunger Games,” died June 20. He was 88. Kiefer Sutherland said on X he believed his father was one of the most important actors in the history of film: “Never daunted by a role, good, bad or ugly. He loved what he did and did what he loved, and one can never ask for more than that.” The tall and gaunt Sutherland, who flashed a grin that could be sweet or diabolical, was known for offbeat characters like Hawkeye Pierce in Robert Altman's "M.A.S.H.," the hippie tank commander in "Kelly's Heroes" and the stoned professor in "Animal House." Before transitioning into a long career as a respected character actor, Sutherland epitomized the unpredictable, antiestablishment cinema of the 1970s. He never stopped working, appearing in nearly 200 films and series. Over the decades, Sutherland showed his range in more buttoned-down — but still eccentric — roles in Robert Redford's "Ordinary People" and Oliver Stone's "JFK." More, recently, he starred in the “Hunger Games” films. A memoir, “Made Up, But Still True,” is due out in November. Actor Bill Cobbs, a cast member in "Get Low," arrives July 27, 2010, at the premiere of the film in Beverly Hills, Calif. Cobbs, the veteran character actor who became a ubiquitous and sage screen presence as an older man, died June 25. He was 90. A Cleveland native, Cobbs acted in such films as “The Hudsucker Proxy,” “The Bodyguard” and “Night at the Museum.” He made his first big-screen appearance in a fleeting role in 1974's “The Taking of Pelham One Two Three." He became a lifelong actor with some 200 film and TV credits. The lion share of those came in his 50s, 60s, and 70s, as filmmakers and TV producers turned to him again and again to imbue small but pivotal parts with a wizened and worn soulfulness. Cobbs appeared on television shows including “The Sopranos," “The West Wing,” “Sesame Street” and “Good Times.” He was Whitney Houston's manager in “The Bodyguard” (1992), the mystical clock man of the Coen brothers' “The Hudsucker Proxy” (1994) and the doctor of John Sayles' “Sunshine State” (2002). He played the coach in “Air Bud” (1997), the security guard in “Night at the Museum” (2006) and the father on “The Gregory Hines Show." Cobbs rarely got the kinds of major parts that stand out and win awards. Instead, Cobbs was a familiar and memorable everyman who left an impression on audiences, regardless of screen time. He won a Daytime Emmy Award for outstanding limited performance in a daytime program for the series “Dino Dana” in 2020. Independent gubernatorial candidate Kinky Friedman speaks with the media Nov. 7, 2009, at his campaign headquarters in Austin, Texas. The singer, songwriter, satirist and novelist, who led the alt-country band Texas Jewboys, toured with Bob Dylan, sang with Willie Nelson, and dabbled in politics with campaigns for Texas governor and other statewide offices, died June 27. He was 79 and had suffered from Parkinson's disease. Often called “The Kinkster" and sporting sideburns, a thick mustache and cowboy hat, Friedman earned a cult following and reputation as a provocateur throughout his career across musical and literary genres. In the 1970s, his satirical country band Kinky Friedman and the Texas Jewboys wrote songs with titles such as “They Ain't Makin' Jews Like Jesus Anymore” and “Get Your Biscuits in the Oven and Your Buns in Bed.” Friedman joined part of Bob Dylan's Rolling Thunder Revue tour in 1976. By the 1980s, Friedman was writing crime novels that often included a version of himself, and he wrote a column for Texas Monthly magazine in the 2000s. Friedman's run at politics brought his brand of irreverence to the serious world of public policy. In 2006, Friedman ran for governor as an independent in a five-way race that included incumbent Republican Rick Perry. Friedman launched his campaign against the backdrop of the Alamo. Martin Mull participates in "The Cool Kids" panel during the Fox Television Critics Association Summer Press Tour on Aug. 2, 2018, at The Beverly Hilton hotel in Beverly Hills, Calif. Mull, whose droll, esoteric comedy and acting made him a hip sensation in the 1970s and later a beloved guest star on sitcoms including “Roseanne” and “Arrested Development,” died June 28. He was 80. Mull, who was also a guitarist and painter, came to national fame with a recurring role on the Norman Lear-created satirical soap opera “Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman,” and the starring role in its spinoff, “Fernwood Tonight." His first foray into show business was as a songwriter, penning the 1970 semi-hit “A Girl Named Johnny Cash” for singer Jane Morgan. He would combine music and comedy in an act that he brought to hip Hollywood clubs in the 1970s. Mull often played slightly sleazy, somewhat slimy and often smarmy characters as he did as Teri Garr's boss and Michael Keaton's foe in 1983's “Mr. Mom.” He played Colonel Mustard in the 1985 movie adaptation of the board game “Clue,” which, like many things Mull appeared in, has become a cult classic. The 1980s also brought what many thought was his best work, “A History of White People in America,” a mockumentary that first aired on Cinemax. Mull co-created the show and starred as a “60 Minutes” style investigative reporter investigating all things milquetoast and mundane. Willard was again a co-star. In the 1990s he was best known for his recurring role on several seasons on “Roseanne,” in which he played a warmer, less sleazy boss to the title character, an openly gay man whose partner was played by Willard, who died in 2020 . Mull would later play private eye Gene Parmesan on “Arrested Development,” a cult-classic character on a cult-classic show, and would be nominated for an Emmy, his first, in 2016 for a guest run on “Veep.” Screenwriter Robert Towne poses at The Regency Hotel, March 7, 2006, in New York. Towne, the Oscar-winning screenplay writer of "Shampoo," "The Last Detail" and other acclaimed films whose work on "Chinatown" became a model of the art form and helped define the jaded allure of his native Los Angeles, died Monday, July 1, 2024, surrounded by family at his home in Los Angeles, said publicist Carri McClure. She declined to comment on any cause of death. Vic Seixas of the United States backhands a volley from Denmark's Jurgen Ulrich in the first round of men's singles match at Wimbledon, England, June 27, 1967. Vic Seixas, a Wimbledon winner and tennis Hall of Famer who was the oldest living Grand Slam champion, has died July 5 at the age of 100. The International Tennis Hall of Fame announced Seixas’ death on Saturday July 6, 2024, based on confirmation from his daughter Tori. In this June 30, 2020, file photo, Sen. James Inhofe, R-Okla., speaks to reporters following a GOP policy meeting on Capitol Hill in Washington. Former Sen. Jim Inhofe of Oklahoma died July 9. He was 89. The family says in a statement that the Republican had a stroke during the July Fourth holiday and died Tuesday morning. Inhofe was a powerful fixture in state politics for decades. He doubted that climate change was caused by human activity, calling the theory “the greatest hoax ever perpetrated on the American people.” As Oklahoma’s senior U.S. senator, he was a staunch supporter of the state’s military installations. He was elected to a fifth Senate term in 2020 and stepped down in early 2023. The Oak Ridge Boys, from left, Joe Bonsall, Richard Sterban, Duane Allen and William Lee Golden hold their awards for Top Vocal Group and Best Album of the Year for "Ya'll Come Back Saloon", during the 14th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards in Los Angeles, Calif., May 3, 1979. Bonsall died on July 9, 2024, from complications of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis in Hendersonville, Tenn. He was 76. A Philadelphia native and resident of Hendersonville, Tennessee, Bonsall joined the Oak Ridge Boys in 1973, which originally formed in the 1940s. He saw the band through its golden period in the '80s and beyond, which included their signature 1981 song “Elvira.” The hit marked a massive crossover moment for the group, reaching No. 1 on the country chart and No. 5 on Billboard’s all-genre Hot 100. The group is also known for such hits as 1982’s “Bobbie Sue." Shelley Duvall poses for photographers at the 30th Cannes Film Festival in France, May 27, 1977. Duvall, whose wide-eyed, winsome presence was a mainstay in the films of Robert Altman and who co-starred in Stanley Kubrick's “The Shining,” died July 11. She was 75. Dr. Ruth Westheimer holds a copy of her book "Sex for Dummies" at the International Frankfurt Book Fair 'Frankfurter Buchmesse' in Frankfurt, Germany, Thursday, Oct. 11, 2007. Westheimer, the sex therapist who became a pop icon, media star and best-selling author through her frank talk about once-taboo bedroom topics, died on July 12, 2024. She was 96. Richard Simmons sits for a portrait in Los Angeles, June 23, 1982. Simmons, a fitness guru who urged the overweight to exercise and eat better, died July 13 at the age of 76. Simmons was a court jester of physical fitness who built a mini-empire in his trademark tank tops and short shorts by urging the overweight to exercise and eat better. Simmons was a former 268-pound teen who shared his hard-won weight loss tips as the host of the Emmy-winning daytime “Richard Simmons Show" and the “Sweatin' to the Oldies” line of exercise videos, which became a cultural phenomenon. Former NFL receiver Jacoby Jones died July 14 at age 40. Jones' 108-yard kickoff return in 2013 remains the longest touchdown in Super Bowl history. The Houston Texans were Jones’ team for the first five seasons of his career. They announced his death on Sunday. In a statement released by the NFL Players Association, his family said he died at his home in New Orleans. A cause of death was not given. Jones played from 2007-15 for the Texans, Baltimore Ravens, San Diego Chargers and Pittsburgh Steelers. He made several huge plays for the Ravens during their most recent Super Bowl title season, including that kick return. The "Beverly Hills, 90210" star whose life and career were roiled by tabloid stories, Shannen Doherty died July 13 at 53. Doherty's publicist said the actor died Saturday following years with breast cancer. Catapulted to fame as Brenda in “Beverly Hills, 90210,” she worked in big-screen films including "Mallrats" and "Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back" and in TV movies including "A Burning Passion: The Margaret Mitchell Story," in which she played the "Gone with the Wind" author. Doherty co-starred with Holly Marie Combs and Alyssa Milano in the series “Charmed” from 1998-2001; appeared in the “90210” sequel series seven years later and competed on “Dancing with the Stars” in 2010. Actor James Sikking poses for a photograph at the Los Angeles gala celebrating the 20th anniversary of the National Organization for Women, Dec. 1, 1986. Sikking, who starred as a hardened police lieutenant on “Hill Street Blues” and as the titular character's kindhearted dad on “Doogie Howser, M.D.,” died July 13 of complications from dementia, his publicist Cynthia Snyder said in a statement. He was 90. Pat Williams chats with media before the 2004 NBA draft in Orlando, Fla. Williams, a co-founder of the Orlando Magic and someone who spent more than a half-century working within the NBA, died July 17 from complications related to viral pneumonia. The team announced the death Wednesday. Williams was 84. He started his NBA career as business manager of the Philadelphia 76ers in 1968, then had stints as general manager of the Chicago Bulls, the Atlanta Hawks and the 76ers — helping that franchise win a title in 1983. Williams was later involved in starting the process of bringing an NBA team to Orlando. The league’s board of governors granted an expansion franchise in 1987, and the team began play in 1989. Lou Dobbs speaks Feb. 24, 2017, at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Oxon Hill, Md. Dobbs, the conservative political pundit and veteran cable TV host who was a founding anchor for CNN and later was a nightly presence on Fox Business Network for more than a decade, died July 18. He was 78. His death was announced in a post on his official X account, which called him a “fighter till the very end – fighting for what mattered to him the most, God, his family and the country.” He hosted “Lou Dobbs Tonight” on Fox from 2011 to 2021, following two separate stints at CNN. No cause of death was given. Bob Newhart, center, poses with members of the cast and crew of the "Bob Newhart Show," from top left, Marcia Wallace, Bill Daily, Jack Riley, and, Suzanne Pleshette, foreground left, and Dick Martin at TV Land's 35th anniversary tribute to "The Bob Newhart Show" on Sept. 5, 2007, in Beverly Hills, Calif. Newhart has died at age 94. Jerry Digney, Newhart’s publicist, says the actor died July 18 in Los Angeles after a series of short illnesses. The accountant-turned-comedian gained fame with a smash album and became one of the most popular TV stars of his time. Newhart was a Chicago psychologist in “The Bob Newhart Show” in the 1970s and a Vermont innkeeper on “Newhart” in the 1980s. Both shows featured a low-key Newhart surrounded by eccentric characters. The second had a twist ending in its final show — the whole series was revealed to have been a dream by the psychologist he played in the other show. Cheng Pei-pei, a Chinese-born martial arts film actor who starred in Ang Lee’s “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,” died July 17 at age 78. Her family says Cheng, who had been diagnosed with a rare illness with symptoms similar to Parkinson’s disease, passed away Wednesday at home surrounded by her loved ones. The Shanghai-born film star became a household name in Hong Kong, once dubbed the Hollywood of the Far East, for her performances in martial arts movies in the 1960s. She played Jade Fox, who uses poisoned needles, in “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,” which was released in 2000, grossed $128 million in North America and won four Oscars. Abdul “Duke” Fakir holds his life time achievement award backstage at the 51st Annual Grammy Awards on Feb. 8, 2009, in Los Angeles. The last surviving original member of the Four Tops died July 22. Abdul “Duke” Fakir was 88. He was a charter member of the Motown group along with lead singer Levi Stubbs, Renaldo “Obie" Benson and Lawrence Payton. Between 1964 and 1967, the Tops had 11 top 20 hits and two No. 1′s: “I Can’t Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch)” and the operatic classic “Reach Out I’ll Be There.” Other songs, often stories of romantic pain and longing, included “Baby I Need Your Loving,” “Standing in the Shadows of Love,” “Bernadette” and “Just Ask the Lonely.” Sculptress Elizabeth Catlett, left, then-Washington D.C. Mayor Sharon Pratt Dixon, center, and then-curator, division of community life, Smithsonian institution Bernice Johnson Reagon chat during the reception at the Candace awards on June 25, 1991 in New York. Reagon, a musician and scholar who used her rich, powerful contralto voice in the service of the American Civil Rights Movement and human rights struggles around the world, died on July 16, 2024, according to her daughter's social media post. She was 81. John Mayall, the British blues musician whose influential band the Bluesbreakers was a training ground for Eric Clapton, Mick Fleetwood and many other superstars, died July 22. He was 90. He is credited with helping develop the English take on urban, Chicago-style rhythm and blues that played an important role in the blues revival of the late 1960s. A statement on Mayall's official Instagram page says he died Monday at his home in California. Though Mayall never approached the fame of some of his illustrious alumni, he was still performing in his late 80s, pounding out his version of Chicago blues. Erica Ash, an actor and comedian skilled in sketch comedy who starred in the parody series “Mad TV” and “Real Husbands of Hollywood,” has died. She was 46. Her publicist and a statement by her mother, Diann, says Ash died July 28 in Los Angeles of cancer. Ash impersonated Michelle Obama and Condoleeza Rice on “Mad TV,” a Fox sketch series, and was a key performer on the Rosie O’Donnell-created series “The Big Gay Sketch Show.” Her other credits included “Scary Movie V,” “Uncle Drew” and the LeBron James-produced basketball dramedy “Survivor’s Remorse.” On the BET series “Real Husbands of Hollywood,” Ash played the ex-wife of Kevin Hart’s character. Jack Russell, the lead singer of the bluesy '80s metal band Great White whose hits included “Once Bitten Twice Shy” and “Rock Me” and was fronting his band the night 100 people died in a 2003 nightclub fire in Rhode Island, died Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2024. He was 63. Juan “Chi Chi” Rodriguez, a Hall of Fame golfer whose antics on the greens and inspiring life story made him among the sport’s most popular players during a long professional career, died Thursday, Aug. 8, 2024. Susan Wojcicki, the former YouTube chief executive officer and longtime Google executive, died Friday, Aug. 9, 2024, after suffering with non small cell lung cancer for the past two years. She was 56. Frank Selvy, an All-America guard at Furman who scored an NCAA Division I-record 100 points in a game and later played nine NBA seasons, died Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2024. He was 91. Wallace “Wally” Amos, the creator of the cookie empire that took his name and made it famous and who went on to become a children’s literacy advocate, died Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2024, from complications with dementia. He was 88. Gena Rowlands, hailed as one of the greatest actors to ever practice the craft and a guiding light in independent cinema as a star in groundbreaking movies by her director husband, John Cassavetes, and who later charmed audiences in her son's tear-jerker “The Notebook,” died Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2024. She was 94. Peter Marshall, the actor and singer turned game show host who played straight man to the stars for 16 years on “The Hollywood Squares,” died. Thursday, Aug. 15, 2024 He was 98. Alain Delon, the internationally acclaimed French actor who embodied both the bad guy and the policeman and made hearts throb around the world, died Sunday, Aug. 18, 2024. He was 88. Phil Donahue, whose pioneering daytime talk show launched an indelible television genre that brought success to Oprah Winfrey, Montel Williams, Ellen DeGeneres and many others, died Sunday, Aug. 18, 2024, after a long illness. He was 88. Al Attles, a Hall of Famer who coached the 1975 NBA champion Warriors and spent more than six decades with the organization as a player, general manager and most recently team ambassador, died Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2024. He was 87. John Amos, who starred as the family patriarch on the hit 1970s sitcom “Good Times” and earned an Emmy nomination for his role in the seminal 1977 miniseries “Roots,” died Wednesday, Aug. 21, 2024. He was 84. James Darren, a teen idol who helped ignite the 1960s surfing craze as a charismatic beach boy paired off with Sandra Dee in the hit film “Gidget,” died Monday, Sept. 2, 2024. He was 88. James Earl Jones, who overcame racial prejudice and a severe stutter to become a celebrated icon of stage and screen has died. He was 93. His agent, Barry McPherson, confirmed Jones died Sept. 9 at home. Jones was a pioneering actor who eventually lent his deep, commanding voice to CNN, “The Lion King” and Darth Vader. Working deep into his 80s, he won two Emmys, a Golden Globe, two Tony Awards, a Grammy, the National Medal of Arts, the Kennedy Center Honors and was given an honorary Oscar and a special Tony for lifetime achievement. In 2022, a Broadway theater was renamed in his honor. Frankie Beverly, who with his band Maze inspired generations of fans with his smooth, soulful voice and lasting anthems including “Before I Let Go,” has died. He was 77. His family said in a post on the band’s website and social media accounts that Beverly died Sept. 10. In the post, which asked for privacy, the family said “he lived his life with a pure soul, as one would say, and for us, no one did it better.” The post did not say his cause of death or where he died. Beverly, whose songs include “Joy and Pain,” “Love is the Key,” and “Southern Girl,” finished his farewell “I Wanna Thank You Tour” in his hometown of Philadelphia in July. Joe Schmidt, the Hall of Fame linebacker who helped the Detroit Lions win NFL championships in 1953 and 1957 and later coached the team, has died. He was 92. The Lions said family informed the team Schmidt died Sept. 11. A cause of death was not provided. One of pro football’s first great middle linebackers, Schmidt played his entire NFL career with the Lions from 1953-65. An eight-time All-Pro, he was enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1973 and the college football version in 2000. Born in Pittsburgh, Schmidt played college football in his hometown at Pitt. Chad McQueen, an actor known for his performances in the “Karate Kid” movies and the son of the late actor and racer Steve McQueen, died Sep. 11. His lawyer confirmed his death at age 63. McQueen's family shared a statement on social media saying he lived a life “filled with love and dedication.” McQueen was a professional race car driver, like his father, and competed in the famed 24 Hours of Le Mans and the 24 Hours of Daytona races. He is survived by his wife Jeanie and three children, Chase, Madison and Steven, who is an actor best known for “The Vampire Diaries.” Tito Jackson, one of the brothers who made up the beloved pop group the Jackson 5, died at age 70 on Sept. 15. Jackson was the third of nine children, including global superstars Michael and Janet. The Jackson 5 included brothers Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, Marlon and Michael. They signed with Berry Gordy’s Motown empire in the 1960s. The group was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1997 and produced several No. 1 hits in the 1970s, including “ABC,” “I Want You Back” and “I’ll Be There.” John David “JD” Souther has died. He was a prolific songwriter and musician whose collaborations with the Eagles and Linda Ronstadt helped shape the country-rock sound that took root in Southern California in the 1970s. Souther joined in on some of the Eagles’ biggest hits, such as “Best of My Love,” “New Kid in Town,” and “Heartache Tonight." The Songwriters Hall of Fame inductee also collaborated with James Taylor, Bob Seger, Bonnie Raitt and many more. His biggest hit as a solo artist was “You’re Only Lonely.” He was about to tour with Karla Bonoff. Souther died Sept. 17 at his home in New Mexico, at 78. In this photo, JD Souther and Alison Krauss attend the Songwriters Hall of Fame 44th annual induction and awards gala on Thursday, June 13, 2013 in New York. Sen. Dan Evans stands with his three sons, from left, Mark, Bruce and Dan Jr., after he won the election for Washington's senate seat in Seattle, Nov. 8, 1983. Evans, a former Washington state governor and a U.S. Senator, died Sept. 20. The popular Republican was 98. He served as governor from 1965 to 1977, and he was the keynote speaker at the 1968 National Republican Convention. In 1983, Evans was appointed to served out the term of Democratic Sen. Henry “Scoop” Jackson after he died in office. Evans opted not to stand for election in 1988, citing the “tediousness" of the Senate. He later served as a regent at the University of Washington, where the Daniel J. Evans School of Public Policy and Governance bears his name. Eugene “Mercury” Morris, who starred for the unbeaten 1972 Miami Dolphins as part of a star-studded backfield and helped the team win two Super Bowl titles, died Sept. 21. He was 77. The team on Sunday confirmed the death of Morris, a three-time Pro Bowl selection. In a statement, his family said his “talent and passion left an indelible mark on the sport.” Morris was the starting halfback and one of three go-to runners that Dolphins coach Don Shula utilized in Miami’s back-to-back title seasons of 1972 and 1973, alongside Pro Football Hall of Famer Larry Csonka and Jim Kiick. Morris led the Dolphins in rushing touchdowns in both of those seasons. John Ashton, the veteran character actor who memorably played the gruff but lovable police detective John Taggart in the “Beverly Hills Cop” films, died Thursday, Sept. 26, 2024. He was 76. Maggie Smith, who won an Oscar for 1969 film “The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie” and won new fans in the 21st century as the dowager Countess of Grantham in “Downton Abbey” and Professor Minerva McGonagall in the Harry Potter films, died Sept. 27 at 89. Smith's publicist announced the news Friday. She was frequently rated the preeminent British female performer of a generation that included Vanessa Redgrave and Judi Dench. “Jean Brodie” brought her the Academy Award for best actress in 1969. Smith added a supporting actress Oscar for “California Suite” in 1978. Kris Kristofferson, a Rhodes scholar with a deft writing style and rough charisma who became a country music superstar and an A-list Hollywood actor, died Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. He was 88. Drake Hogestyn, the “Days of Our Lives” star who appeared on the show for 38 years, died Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. He was 70. Ron Ely, the tall, musclebound actor who played the title character in the 1960s NBC series “Tarzan,” died Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024, at age 86. Dikembe Mutombo, a Basketball Hall of Famer who was one of the best defensive players in NBA history and a longtime global ambassador for the game, died Monday, Sept. 30, 2024, from brain cancer, the league announced. He was 58. Frank Fritz, left, part of a two-man team who drove around the U.S. looking for antiques and collectibles to buy and resell on the reality show “American Pickers,” died Monday, Sept. 30, 2024. He was 60. He's shown here with co-host Mike Wolfe at the A+E Networks 2015 Upfront in New York on April 30, 2015. Pete Rose, baseball’s career hits leader and fallen idol who undermined his historic achievements and Hall of Fame dreams by gambling on the game he loved and once embodied, died Monday, Sept. 30, 2024. He was 83. Cissy Houston, the mother of Whitney Houston and a two-time Grammy winner who performed alongside superstar musicians like Elvis Presley and Aretha Franklin, died Monday, Oct. 7, 2024, in her New Jersey home. She was 91. Ethel Kennedy, the wife of Sen. Robert F. Kennedy, who raised their 11 children after he was assassinated and remained dedicated to social causes and the family’s legacy for decades thereafter, died on Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, her family said. She was 96. Former One Direction singer Liam Payne, 31, whose chart-topping British boy band generated a global following of swooning fans, was found dead Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2024, after falling from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires, local officials said. He was 31. Mitzi Gaynor, among the last survivors of the so-called golden age of the Hollywood musical, died of natural causes in Los Angeles on Thursday, Oct. 17, 2024. She was 93. Fernando Valenzuela, the Mexican-born phenom for the Los Angeles Dodgers who inspired “Fernandomania” while winning the NL Cy Young Award and Rookie of the Year in 1981, died Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2024. He was 63. Jack Jones, a Grammy-winning crooner known for “The Love Boat” television show theme song, died, Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2024. He was 86. Phil Lesh, a founding member of the Grateful Dead, died Friday, Oct. 25, 2024, at age 84. Teri Garr, the quirky comedy actor who rose from background dancer in Elvis Presley movies to co-star of such favorites as "Young Frankenstein" and "Tootsie," died Tuesday, Oct 29, 2024. She was 79. Quincy Jones, the multitalented music titan whose vast legacy ranged from producing Michael Jackson’s historic “Thriller” album to writing prize-winning film and television scores and collaborating with Frank Sinatra, Ray Charles and hundreds of other recording artists, died Sunday, Nov 3, 2024. He was 91 Bobby Allison, founder of racing’s “Alabama Gang” and a NASCAR Hall of Famer, died Saturday, Nov. 9, 2024. He was 86. Song Jae-lim, a South Korean actor known for his roles in K-dramas “Moon Embracing the Sun” and “Queen Woo,” was found dead at his home in capital Seoul, Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024. He was 39. British actor Timothy West, who played the classic Shakespeare roles of King Lear and Macbeth and who in recent years along with his wife, Prunella Scales, enchanted millions of people with their boating exploits on Britain's waterways, died Tuesday, Nov 12, 2024. He was 90. Bela Karolyi, the charismatic if polarizing gymnastics coach who turned young women into champions and the United States into an international power in the sport, died Friday, Nov. 15, 2024. He was 82. Arthur Frommer, whose "Europe on 5 Dollars a Day" guidebooks revolutionized leisure travel by convincing average Americans to take budget vacations abroad, died Monday, Nov. 18, 2024. He was 95. Former Chicago Bulls forward Bob Love, a three-time All-Star who spent 11 years in the NBA, died Monday, Nov. 18, 2024. He was 81. Chuck Woolery, the affable, smooth-talking game show host of “Wheel of Fortune,” “Love Connection” and “Scrabble” who later became a right-wing podcaster, skewering liberals and accusing the government of lying about COVID-19, died Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024. He was 83. Barbara Taylor Bradford, a British journalist who became a publishing sensation in her 40s with the saga "A Woman of Substance" and wrote more than a dozen other novels that sold tens of millions of copies, died Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024. She was 91. Hall of Famer Rickey Henderson, the brash speedster who shattered stolen base records and redefined baseball's leadoff position, died Friday, Dec. 20, 2024. He was 65. Greg Gumbel, left, watches as then-Connecticut head coach Jim Calhoun talks to Butler head coach Brad Stevens, right, prior to taping a television interview April 3, 2011, for that year's men's NCAA Final Four college basketball championship game in Houston. Gumbel's family announced Dec. 27 that the longtime CBS sportscaster died from cancer at the age of 78. Sign up to get the most recent local obituaries delivered to your inbox.

Trudeau appears to break silence on Trump ribbingBUFFALO, N.Y. — Buffalo Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams stepped to the lectern inside the media room and said accountability starts with him, which was why he was making himself available for questions after requests from reporters. But in the 24-minute back-and-forth, he struck a dismissive and defensive tone in the face of inquiries about the Sabres’ disappointing 11-12-3 start to the season. Advertisement While he said, “Nothing should be off the table,” when it comes to improving the Sabres’ roster, he also said he wasn’t going to “panic” and make a knee-jerk move as an overreaction to the team’s current five-game losing streak . He sounded like a general manager committed to the young core of players he has, some of which are already signed to long-term deals and others who are “the next round of guys” to get contracts. He said, “I’m going to war with these guys and I will not change. I will not back down from that.” Ahead of Thanksgiving , the Sabres were in a playoff position after a three-game road trip . They’ve since collected two points in their last five games. They’re 23rd in the NHL in points percentage and have the exact same point total through 26 games as they did two seasons ago. But Adams said he sees progress. He said Buffalo is close to teams like the Stars , Kings and Devils in terms of expected goals for and expected goals against. He was presumably talking about private models, because that statement doesn’t mesh with public expected goals models. Either way, the Devils have a plus-23 goal differential, the Stars have a plus-20 goal differential and the Kings have a plus-nine goal differential. Buffalo’s is minus-three. The gap between the Sabres and those teams in the standings is significant. On a few different occasions, Adams was openly dismissive of questions. Asked how he squares the fact that teams as young as the Sabres rarely make the playoffs with the idea that they are in a “win now” situation, Adams scoffed and said, “ We should have signed Craig Anderson, he’s 40 that would have brought our average age up and you wouldn’t ask that question.” Asked about Owen Power ’s struggles in the defensive zone, Adams again looked annoyed and said, “ You see some of the good things, too?” He was exasperated when he was asked about the team not spending to the salary cap and when asked about the Sabres not having as many pro scouts as other teams. The last time owner Terry Pegula took questions about the Sabres was in 2020 when Adams fired 22 people and Pegula spoke about being efficient, economic and effective. Since then, the Sabres haven’t spent to the salary cap and haven’t poured the same resources into the hockey department that other teams around the league do. But Adams meets every one of those questions by saying Pegula gives him every resource he needs to build a winning team. Advertisement But this is year five of Adams and the Sabres are staring down the possibility of extending their league-record playoff drought to 14 seasons. Criticism and questions are warranted. The Sabres brought in Lindy Ruff this season, but he hasn’t yet been able to change the on-ice results with the same group of core players the Sabres have stuck with the last three seasons. The team still looks like it is one top-six forward and one top-four defenseman away from getting over the hump and into the playoffs. When asked about the possibility of changing things up, Adams again went on the defensive and said, “We’re not a destination city right now.” That’s not entirely true. The Sabres are not a destination franchise. There’s a difference. And that has to do with a variety of factors, most of which have little to do with Adams’ statements that “we don’t have palm trees” and “we have taxes in New York.” The Sabres aren’t a destination franchise because they haven’t been to the playoffs in 13 straight seasons. They’re not a destination franchise because a long list of players have left and become the best version of themselves with other teams. To make it about the city is missing the point and deflecting responsibility. Two days ago, Micah Hyde left his home in San Diego and signed back with the Bills. He chose people over palm trees. Part of Adams’ job as general manager, one of the main voices and front-facing people in the organization, is to make Buffalo a destination city. Messaging is one component of that, and given the chance to do so on Friday, he didn’t exactly deliver an enthusiastic sales pitch for Western New York. He sounded defeated. “Trust me, I’m in conversations every day and there are a lot of players in this league where we’re on their list,” he said. “We need to earn the respect and it starts with getting over the hump, getting in the playoffs and competing.” Advertisement He then went on to reference the Bills and how they became a destination for outside talent by winning. “You have to earn it,” Adams said. “For me, it’s really simple. You become a perennial playoff team, you make the playoffs and have a chance to win the Stanley Cup year after year, you are on less no-trade lists.” But it didn’t happen by accident for the Bills. Yes, they drafted a superstar quarterback in Josh Allen. But general manager Brandon Beane and coach Sean McDermott also built a culture players wanted to be a part of. They took pride in Western New York and the fan base. And they didn’t hide from the playoff drought. They understood it was their responsibility when they took the job. In 2019, Beane and the Bills explored a trade for disgruntled receiver Antonio Brown but didn’t do the deal. After reports surfaced that Brown didn’t want to play in Buffalo, Beane went on to passionately defend the city and push back against the idea that Buffalo isn’t a destination. “That pissed me off to be candid because it was an ignorant comment or whatever,” Beane said. “And I’m not on social media but if you live in Buffalo or you know anything about Buffalo, don’t speak about Buffalo if you don’t know what this city, what this fan base is like. It really pissed me off. Because it’s not true.” That’s a leader of an organization who was willing to defend not only his franchise but his adopted city and the people living there. Beane is from North Carolina but spoke about Western New York like he was from North Tonawanda. Not only was he not using Buffalo’s weather or market size as an excuse. He was pushing back against the idea that it wasn’t a great place to live. It wouldn’t hurt Adams to strike a similar tone. More than 40 percent of the league is from Canada. Another 30 percent are from Sweden, Finland, Russia or Czechia. Those places don’t have a lot of palm trees, either. Winnipeg isn’t known for its beachfront and yet the Jets have attracted and retained enough talent to be near the top of the NHL standings. Earlier this week, Bowen Byram and Peyton Krebs were both telling me how much the easy living in Buffalo reminded them of the small towns they are from in western Canada . Advertisement The lifestyle and tax situations in places like Vegas, South Florida and Tampa certainly help them attract talent, but not every player needs those perks. Selling Buffalo as a city wouldn’t be as hard if selling the Sabres as a franchise wasn’t such a heavy lift. But Adams is in year five. The team he’s built is part of that. His leadership and messaging also play a role. If he can’t turn this into a destination, Pegula, who was supposed to make Buffalo hockey heaven, should find someone who can. (Photo: Bruce Bennett / Getty Images)

Acclaim Autism Announces the Opening of New ABA Therapy Center for Children with Autism

Polish-Hungarian relations have reached an all-time low after Hungary granted asylum to a wanted Polish ex-minister as a "political refugee." Prime Minister Viktor Orban has indicated he is open to further cases. For more than 150 years, Poland and Hungary have been linked in a remarkable way. Both nations supported each other in their efforts for independence. Freedom fighters from both countries rushed to help each other in existential historical moments, such as during the anti-Habsburg revolution of 1848. In 1956, when Hungary underwent an anti-communist revolution, Poles spontaneously organized blood drives for the victims of the Soviet invasion. "Pole and Hungarian brothers be" is a well-known proverb in both countries. Since 2007, there has even been an official day dedicated to Polish-Hungarian friendship, March 23. Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban admired the Poles' deep desire for freedom and their anti-communist struggle so much that he wrote his thesis as law student in 1987 on "Polish social self-organization using the example of the Solidarity trade union." However, Orban of all people has now caused an all-time low in the countries' relations. On December 19, he granted asylum to the former Polish Deputy Justice Minister Marcin Romanowski, who is wanted on a European arrest warrant. Political collision This decision promptly led to a political head-on clash between Poland and Hungary, whose relations have already been dire since the change of power in Poland in December 2023. Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski described the move as "an action contrary to the fundamental principle of loyal cooperation" as laid out in the EU treaties. He also recalled the Polish ambassador to Hungary for "indefinite consultations" and summoned the Hungarian ambassador in Warsaw to give him a protest note. This kind of diplomatic escalation is extremely rare between EU countries . Poland's Prime Minister Donald Tusk also compared Orban's Hungary to the regime of dictator Alexander Lukashenko in Belarus. In May 2024, a Polish judge who is under investigation for abuse of office and leaking state secrets had fled to Belarus . "I did not expect corrupt politicians escaping justice would be able to choose between [Belarusian President Alexander] Lukashenko and Orban," Tusk said. 'Liberal rainbow coalition' The Hungarian Prime Minister had already indicated on December 19 that he would grant asylum to "Polish political refugees". In an interview with the conservative pro-government Hungarian news portal Mandiner, he also called the current Polish government a "liberal rainbow coalition" that "uses the rule of law and legal means to get even with its political opponents." Polish-Hungarian relations are "at a low point because the liberal Polish rainbow coalition is unable to distinguish between party and state politics," Orban said. In reality, however, the governing coalition of the liberal-conservative Polish Prime Minister Tusk is trying to do exactly the opposite. It wants to untangle the nexus of party and state politics that existed under the previous national-conservative government and to investigate its corruption scandals. One of the people at the center of the investigation is the former Deputy Justice Minister Marcin Romanowski. Lifting immunity Between 2019 and 2023, Romanowski used to be in charge of the Justice Fund which was designed to support victims of crime. However, the public prosecutor has charged the politician with 11 criminal offenses, including membership of a criminal organization, embezzlement and manipulation in the allocation of money from the fund. The sum of the disputed funds amounts to around 112 million Polish zloty (approx. €25 million/$27.3 million). The 48-year-old MP from the former ruling and now opposition Law and Justice party (PiS) was briefly arrested in July, but was later released. As a member of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, he enjoyed immunity. However, this immunity was lifted by the body in October. On December 9, a court in Warsaw ordered Romanowski to be remanded in custody for three months. Only, by then, he had already gone into hiding and fled to Hungary . On December 20, Romanowski posted on social media that asylum for a member of the Polish opposition was a "strong warning signal for Tusk's regime." He said he wanted to continue working from Budapest for a "sovereign, Christian and strong Poland." His goal is to "abolish the Tusk regime." More asylum cases The affair exemplifies the severe level of problems the Tusk government faces in restoring the rule of law in Poland. Poland's judiciary, including the Constitutional Court, remain heavily dominated by PiS supporters. Moreover, also President Andrzej Duda, who is close to the PiS, continues to delay all government reforms as much as possible. This could give an idea on the problems Hungary will face after a possible change of power. Moreover, it is not the first time that a prominent corruption suspect has been granted asylum in Hungary. In 2018, the former Macedonian head of government Nikola Gruevski had fled to Hungary where he received asylum. In the more recent years, the Hungarian government has also granted temporary refuge to several politicians from the Hungarian minority in Romania. For Poland, however, the escape of a member of parliament is a precedent, comments the conservative Polish daily newspaper Rzeczpospolita. "Romanowski has asked an ally of Putin for help. It is a disgrace to be an ally of Putin's ally ," the paper writes. In Hungary, the left-wing portal Merce ran the headline "The Hungarian government is using refugee protection to save political allies." Open for more Polish politicians Both Polish and Hungarian media outlets are now speculating which PiS politician will be the next to leave for Hungary. It may well be MEP Daniel Obajtek, former head of the Polish oil company Orlen. For years, Obajtek has been involved in numerous corruption scandals. Among other charges, he is facing prosecution for manipulating Orlen tenders. Hungary's Orban vows to defy ICC's Netanyahu arrest warrant To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video The speculation about Obajtek was fueled by Orban on December 22 during his annual end-of-year press conference. After a female journalist specifically asked about the former head of Orlen, Hungary's prime minister — who is known for his misogynistic remarks — said: "I don't know if we're thinking of the same man because you never know which man is in a woman's head." However, as Obajtek is a Member of the European Parliament, there is no need to deal with him, Orban said, referring to the man's immunity. The prime minister added, "Generally speaking, we have to be prepared for the fact that there will and could be more cases like this." This article was originally written in German.How the Insert Molding Process Works

That’s exactly what Petr Yan did in his last fight at UFC Macau: Yan won by TKO and is gaining more and more votes among flyweight contenders. The Russian creature stood up; striking and grappling skills led to a unanimous decision victory, ultimately proving his strong stand in the bantamweight division. Petr Yan, who previously lost his bantamweight title to Aljamain Sterling due to a shoulder injury, now aims for the title defense and challenges Dvalishvili to bring fans the rematch. Petr Yan Shoots and Scores: Knocking Figueiredo out in the Decider Petr Yan fought with the former flyweight champion, his opponent Deiveson Figueiredo , in an entertaining match. Figueiredo fought the Russian fighter for five rounds and was badly outmatched by the fighter in a combination of stand-up and ground fighting techniques. Petr Yan was able to stay in control on the ground and suffocate Figueiredo with clean-up strikes, which was pretty diverse. At UFC 303 , Yan’s latest win was his second win in the year 2024 after defeating Song Yadong in the previous fight at UFC 299. There was no delay upon the victory roof to his head; Petr Yan immediately responded with his next plans. After the fight, he was very determined to get back to Merab Dvalishvili and take back his bantamweight belt. Petr Yan, however, brought the memory of the fans and critics to the fact that Figueiredo was heralded as the no. 1 contender in the division, and his victory was a step forward towards getting another shot at the title. Merab Dvalishvili Responds The current bantamweight champion, Merab Dvalishvili, appeared on social media to congratulate Petr Yan. Despite acknowledging the UFC Macau main event fight, Merab Dvalishvili suggested they could fight again by naming a match at UFC 313 in Las Vegas on March 8. The two fought for the last time in March 2023, when Merab Dvalishvili defeated Yan through a unanimous decision in UFC Las Vegas. That loss became a painful stretch for Petr Yan as he extended his string of losses to three and gave up his bantamweight title in a rather dubious disqualification decision against Aljamain Sterling at UFC 259. Since that period, which was difficult for Yan to carry on, he had a couple of wins in 2024. In overwhelming Figueiredo, Volkan’s fans did not just see his technical prowess, which is otherwise a marvel to behold, but also a statement about his standing in the bantamweight category. As for Dvalishvili, he has been on the rampage since his victory over Petr Yan. The Georgian standout knocked out Henry Cejudo at UFC 298 and became the bantamweight champion after a decision win over Sean O’Malley at UFC 306. Conclusion Petr Yan getting back in the bantamweight division has brought out the championship factor in him again, and with his win against Deiveson Figueiredo at the UFC in Macau, he is still a force to reckon with. This has effectively put the cat among the pigeons, with Merab Dvalishvili admitting that a rematch can be expected next year; a fight between these two top-class competitors could shape the division in 2024. It would be one of the possible fights of the year if fans are waiting for a rematch when Petr Yan wants to prove himself and Merab Dvalishvili wants to continue his dominance . This article first appeared on Total Apex Sports and was syndicated with permission.Trailblazing model Dayle Haddon dies from suspected carbon monoxide poisoning

Cargo ship runs aground in St. Lawrence River near Morrisburg, Ont.None

Gunther Confirms Steel Cage World Title Match With CM Punk at Tomorrow’s WWE Live Holiday Tour Event in Chicago

Congress leader B. Ramanath Rai on Saturday said that former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was responsible for India being recognised as one of the strongest economies in the world today. Speaking at a meeting to condole the death of the late Singh at the District Congress office, Mr. Rai said his leadership was a model to the world. “Giving importance to work rather than talk, Mr. Singh did not respond to critics and focused on people-oriented programmes. He was responsible for elevating the standard of living of the poor in the country by introducing several revolutionary schemes and legislation,” the former Karnataka Minister said. The Right to Education Act, the Food Security Act, the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission, the Right to Information Act, the Special Economic Zones Act, the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee scheme, foreign direct investment, reduction of bank rates of interest on loans, and similar other measures have improved the standard of living of the common man in the country, Mr. Rai said. It was because of his vision, banks in India did not go bankrupt during the global recession. District Congress Committee President K. Harish Kumar said the measures taken and the policies implemented by Manmohan Singh during his two terms as Prime Minister heralded a new era of development in the country. He took over as the Finance Minister when the economy was in gloom after the two coalition governments ruled India between 1989 and 1991. Introducing fiscal reforms, liberalisation and privatisation, he opened up Indian economy to the world. Waiving off farm loans was one of his biggest achievements. He was also responsible for introducing value added tax in 2005 replacing the complex sales tax regime. Former Minister K. Abhayachandra Jain, former MLA J.R. Lobo, leaders Padmaraj R. Poojary, MUDA Chairman Sadashiva Ullal and others were present. Published - December 28, 2024 09:22 pm IST Copy link Email Facebook Twitter Telegram LinkedIn WhatsApp Reddit Karnataka / Mangalore / state politics / death / Indian National Congress / right to education / poverty / recession/slowdown / banking / loans / developmentMalik Nabers called the Giants “soft as f---.” Dexter Lawrence echoed this, adding that they got the ‘s---” beaten out of them on Sunday. Brian Burns said “that’s a--” when asked about their lopsided defeat. Jermaine Eluemunor said he doesn’t think everybody is “giving 100%.” The 2024 Giants sound like they’ve given up on coach Brian Daboll . Sunday’s 30-7 loss to the Buccaneers only fanned the flames. BUY GIANTS TICKETS: STUBHUB , VIVID SEATS , TICKETMASTER For starters, Daboll’s gameplan stunk. The Giants, now 2-9, were outgained 290 to 45 at the end of the first half and looked flat with new starter Tommy DeVito , who took over for the recently-cut Daniel Jones on Monday, now at the helm. Perhaps the most headscratching decision he made was not targeting stud rookie wideout Malik Nabers in the first half at all. Naturally, the 2024 first-round pick was pissed about this after the game. “I start getting the ball at 30-0. What do you want me to do?” said Nabers, who finished the game with 64 yards on six catches. Asked why he thought he wasn’t targeted, Nabers pointed the finger back to Daboll: “I don’t know. Talk to Dabes about that.” Clearly, tensions are high in the locker room — and that falls squarely on the coach. Why, for instance, did Daboll not properly explain the reason for his dip in targets to the future of his team’s offense? Why did he add to the clown-show by letting the Jones drama linger all week? Why did he choose DeVito — who, again, looked terrible — over backup Drew Lock, who was the backup all year? Daboll clearly has an issue communicating important issues to his team. And with six long weeks to go, things are only going to get worse as they face playoff teams like the Ravens, Falcons and Eagles. Heck, forget the playoff teams, Daboll and Co. are going to struggle against the four-win Cowboys — whom they play on Thanksgiving — and Saints the next two weeks at this rate. Point being: The Giants locker room already seems like it’s hanging by a thread. If Daboll can’t regain control fast, he’ll completely lose them by the end of the season — which is bad news, no matter what happens to him after the season. If co-owner John Mara — who gave Daboll an unprompted vote of confidence in late October — fires him, then the Giants have to start from square one yet again. That might not go over well with team leaders like Lawrence, Burns and others. If Mara sticks with him, even as the Giants continue to lose, players might hold onto their resentment of him, which could spill into next season. Hanging onto a coach that has lost the room would surely lead to another dismal record. It’s a serious dilemma. And while the Giants might be better off losing to get a better draft pick, they also risk creating a culture of suck — which teams often struggle to break through from. Bottom line: Mara better do his due dilligence in the locker room to determine whether Daboll is the guy or not before making yet another emotional, rash decision. Judging by Sunday’s postgame comments, it doesn’t sound like he is. MORE GIANTS COVERAGE Was Bucs’ Baker Mayfield mocking Giants’ Tommy DeVito with TD gesture? Here’s what he said Giants veterans offer damning assessment of Brian Daboll’s spiraling season: ‘I don’t think everybody is giving 100%’ Fire Brian Daboll? ‘Soft’ Giants are making that decision easy for owner John Mara | Politi Buccaneers were ‘definitely surprised’ Giants started QB Tommy DeVito Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting us with a subscription. Ryan Novozinsky may be reached at rnovozinsky@njadvancemedia.com . You can follow him on X @ryannovo62.A new report made in consultation with people who use drugs calls for federal decriminalization, expanded access to overdose prevention sites and several other measures designed to mitigate and eventually end the toxic drug crisis. Seven calls for action are laid out by the Canadian Drug Policy Coalition, which over three years held 13 public consultations. The coalition said nearly 800 people were included in the meetings. Beeta Senedjani, the coalition's community policy and network co-ordinator, hopes the report will provide Canadians — and, crucially, policy makers — insight into the damage the crisis and a lack of available services are inflicting on communities. “I believe that in terms of the general public, there's a misunderstanding that what is happening is an increase in substance use, whereas really it’s the supply that's creating such devastating consequences. That's a nuance that I think is not fully understood.” The toxic drug supply, poisoned by an influx of fentanyl, has killed over 15,000 British Columbians since the provincial government declared a crisis in 2016, as well as over 47,000 Canadians. Data released by Statistics Canada on Dec. 4 shows in 2023, followed by Alberta and Saskatchewan. But the coalition's report also comes as federal and provincial governments backtrack from programs meant to confront the crisis. The B.C. NDP ended its decriminalization pilot program due to public outcry, and last month closed the addictions ministry while making the crisis the responsibility of . Premier David Eby has also by former chief coroner Lisa Lapointe to add non-prescription drugs to its safe supply program. A has led to the closure of social sites such as Nelson's Coordinated Access Hub earlier this year. Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre has also promised to end funding for safe supply programs in favour of expanded treatment facilities if he is elected prime minister in next year's federal election. Senedjani criticized the politicization of the drug crisis. The coalition's report, she said, offers evidence instead of rhetoric. “Whenever the most marginalized people in our community are being targeted by politicians, we need to ask ourselves why, and really look at that with a critical view, because usually it's not in our best interest as a collective.” The report features 87 recommendations under seven calls to action. They include: 1. The collection of disaggregated statistics for drug fatalities and hospitalizations to better show how the crisis is impacting diverse communities such as Indigenous, African, Caribbean and Black peoples. Senedjani said current reporting typically focuses on age and gender, and doesn't include more specific demographics for communities that can be used to show how they are being impacted by the crisis in ways that differ from the rest of Canada. 2. Expansion of access to harm reduction services, which are designed for public use and don't feature specialized supports for racialized, Indigenous or LGBTQ2 peoples. Vancouver's SisterSpace, an overdose prevention site exclusive to women, is a model for how other services might cater to certain demographics. “We don't want to then further marginalize people who have multiple marginalized identities in being able to access services that are already so hard to access.” 3. Decriminalization of all criminal penalties for substance use. Senedjani said feedback heard during the consultations included people who were unable to receive healthcare because they had been labelled as seeking drugs by medical professionals, which also dismissed the validity of their health concerns. 4. The displacement of the toxic drugs with increased access to safe supply that includes drugs of known content and dosage. B.C.'s safe supply program distributes pharmaceutical opioids, which have been criticized as ineffective substitutes for alternatives such as lab-tested heroin. “We need to think about alternatives, and we need to think about ways to make this make sense and have this meet the needs of the devastating issue that we're facing today.” 5. Meaningful consultation, and compensation, with people who use drugs when developing policy. As an example, Senedjani referred to Reclaim Collection, an advocacy group made up of people with lived experience. 6. Expanded affordable housing availability as well as a more diverse range of options for people in need of services. Senedjani said the drug and housing crises in Canada are intertwined. “I think that people as individuals are being blamed for a housing crisis and a toxic drug crisis, when really these are structural, systemic issues that are happening clean across the country, and they require work at the same time on both of those prongs in order to improve social wellness and improve our communities well across the country.” 7. Expanded harm reduction services in housing and shelter settings. The consultations heard from shelter workers who were traumatized by finding people poisoned to death by drugs at their facilities. Senedjani said Toronto's Integrated Prevention and Harm Reduction Initiative, which was designed to address drug deaths in city shelters by including supervised consumption and mental health case management, is a model that other municipalities should consider. “It's important for shelter providers to look at developing proper harm reduction policies, because whether they like it or not it's going to happen, and so they might as well make it safe for everyone involved, including the person accessing the service and the people who are supporting them and trying to do their jobs in a in a proper way.”After a previous sell-out performance, Miles Jupp is returning to The Haymarket in January with his show sharing his experiences after major neurosurgery following a brain seizure. Jupp's tales will touch on themes of surprise, fear, luck, love and interactions with medical practitioners. Due to overwhelming demand, Jimmy Carr's show will be at The Anvil in February, although tickets have already sold out, with more shows planned in June. Fans of Carr's dark humour can look forward to these performances. Jon Culshaw is scheduled to appear at The Anvil in February with his show . Known for his roles in BBC Radio 4's and BBC One's , Culshaw's performance promises an evening of comedy and music, featuring a variety of well-known personalities from entertainment, politics and beyond. In March, Mark Steel will take to The Haymarket stage with , sharing his ongoing battle with throat cancer. star Paul Chowdhry is also set to perform, captivating audiences with his sharp delivery and observational comedy. Al Murray returns to The Anvil with , following high demand for tickets. The Pub Landlord is expected to deliver his usual style of humour, offering answers to everyday questions. April will see Joel Dommett at The Haymarket, sharing glamorous tales from behind the camera and anecdotes of first-time fatherhood. Dara Ó Briain, whose last tour was named UK Comedy Tour of the Year 2023 by Chortle, will be back in May with his new show . His new show promises stories and audience interaction, ensuring a lively night. June will bring Katherine Ryan to The Anvil with and Suzi Ruffell to The Haymarket with . With a diverse array of acts, Anvil Arts is set to provide a wide range of entertainment, ensuring something for everyone. Tickets for these performances are expected to sell quickly. For ticket prices and more information, contact the Anvil Arts box office on 01256 844244 or visit at . Remember to check any age restrictions and guidance before purchasing tickets.

Olivia Hussey, star of the 1968 film 'Romeo and Juliet,' dies at 73

Chargers focused on avoiding a letdown and not a potential playoff berth in matchup with PatriotsMiddleman held in connection with bribery case involving ED official: CBI

This earnings season has seen plenty of stocks launch 20% or more higher. With upside moves like that, even normal pullbacks will easily shake you out if you buy on the gap. Setting a reasonable stop loss can be difficult. But often, stocks like ( ) will give you a second chance with a lower risk entry. Swing Trading Example: Dutch Bros Stock As the election unfolded and stocks got their postelection bumps, not everything was easy to buy. Dutch Bros was up nearly 4% the day after the election but difficult to buy with earnings on tap. When earnings did come out, Dutch Bros was up 43% at its peak before settling at a 28% gain . A purchase at the open would have fared OK but a purchase at the peak of the day saw over a 10% loss at the close. That can be hard to stomach having a stock gain that much and still be a loser. But if you're patient, you can get a second chance. Bros ended up testing its lows the next day, moving toward its highs over the next few days and then doing one final pullback. The day of interest came when Bros was down three consecutive days but the last day closed high in the range and down less than the prior two days. That's a sign of supporting action when you see an upside reversal like that. Once Dutch Bros started moving the next day, we added it to . Our entry was just above 48, a price that it hit initially on its earnings gap up. But the pullback now gives us a better way of managing our risk. Instead of using the low of the gap up day , more than 10% below our entry price, we can use the upside reversal low and cut our risk in half. Another Pullback Gets An Add Just a few days later, on Nov. 20, we already had nearly a 10% gain on our entry . Given that we were still early in a market turn, rather than take the profit, we decided to hold for longer. But we didn't want to give up all the gains. So we raised the stop to just below 50, the Nov. 20 low. After a mild pullback we added to the position as the stock powered higher . Here we could use the low of the pullback as our stop loss for the added position. Just as we scaled into the position, you can scale out as well. When we saw a gap-up close near its lows , we took the opportunity to lock in some gains. Over the next couple of days, Dutch Bros kept challenging the support at the recent gap-up low and we eventually sold the remaining position . It was another case where the stock wasn't doing anything particularly wrong. But with the market having moved so far so quickly, we took the opportunity to lock in some gains. Especially on stocks that looked like they could use a pause. Earnings gaps are often too difficult to set reasonable stops on the day they occur. But if you're patient, you can often minimize your risk with a mild pullback.

The Latest: Police believe gunman who killed UnitedHealthcare CEO has left New York City

Judi Dench's moving tribute to Maggie Smith as she reveals final act before funeral