online slots game win real money Published 2:45 pm Tuesday, December 24, 2024 By Ernest Bowker Porter's Chapel Academy quarterback Jase Jung is the 2024 Vicksburg Post Offensive Player of the Year. The senior rushed for 3,712 yards and 48 touchdowns this season, and broke every Warren County season, game, and career rushing record. (Ernest Bowker/The Vicksburg Post) NASH MORGAN/QB/SO./WARREN CENTRAL — Two-year starter passed for 1,372 yards and nine touchdowns ... scored three rushing touchdown ERIC COLLINS JR./RB/SR./WARREN CENTRAL — Excellent senior running back rushed for 1,084 yards and 13 touchdowns ... averaged 6.9 yards per carry ADEN GREER/RB/SR./WARREN CENTRAL — Other half of Vikings’ great backfield tandem had 1,002 rushing yards and 16 touchdowns DECOREY KNIGHT JR./RB/SR./VICKSBURG — Vicksburg High’s all-time leading rusher had 1,169 yards and six TDs this season ... MHSAA Class 6A All-State selection ... caught 24 passes for 442 yards and four TDs ... had three kick return touchdowns MADDOX LYNCH/WR/SR./WARREN CENTRAL — Warren Central’s all-time leader in receptions and receiving yardage caught 42 passes for 459 yards and three touchdowns ... also served as WC’s punter and averaged 31.4 yards per punt JAYLON WINTERS/WR/SR./WARREN CENTRAL — Big-play threat averaged 17.9 yards per reception ... caught 28 passes for 502 yards and five touchdowns JACKSON BLACKMON/OL/JR./PORTER’S CHAPEL — Two-year starter on PCA’s offensive line helped the team rush for more than 4,600 yards and 62 touchdowns WILLIE EDMOND/OL/SR./VICKSBURG — MHSAA Class 6A All-State selection helped the Gators rush for more than 1,500 yards this season CONLEY JOHNSTON/OL/SR./PORTER’S CHAPEL — MAIS All-Star paved the way for the Eagles to rush for more than 4,600 yards ... also a standout on defense, with 80 tackles, seven sacks, and 11 tackles for loss MICKELL JONES/OL/SR./VICKSBURG — First-team All-Region 2-6A selection helped the Gators rush for more than 1,600 yards as a team CARMELO CLARK/OL/SR./WARREN CENTRAL — Another first-team All-Region 2-6A offensive lineman who helped the Vikings reach the Class 6A semifinals for the first time since 1994. SPENCER SMITH/OL/SR./WARREN CENTRAL — Big piece of an offensive line that blocked for two 1,000-yard rushers ... first-team MHSAA All-Region 2-6A selection JONAH ARTMAN/K/JR./WARREN CENTRAL — MHSAA Class 6A All-State selection made 10 of 12 field goal attempts and 44 of 47 PATs ... set Warren County’s record for most career field goals, with 27 BEAU BROGDON/P/JR./ST. ALOYSIUS — All-MAIS Class 4A selection averaged 37 yards per punt to help St. Al reach the second round of the playoffs AUSTON MOORE/ATH./JR./PORTER’S CHAPEL — Outstanding two-way player rushed for 600 yards and 10 touchdowns ... had 51 tackles, two sacks and two fumble recoveries on defense The 2024 high school football season was a good one for Warren County’s teams. Warren Central reached the MHSAA Class 6A semifinals, St. Aloysius and Porter’s Chapel Academy both reached the second round of the playoffs, and 10 individual Warren County and school records were set. A dozen players were also selected to the MHSAA or MAIS all-state teams , and nine played in state all-star games. This week we celebrate all of their accomplishments by unveiling the 2024 Vicksburg Post All-County offensive team for Warren County. The 15-man squad is led by Porter’s Chapel Academy quarterback Jase Jung, the Post’s Offensive Player of the Year. Jung set every single-game, season and career rushing record on the books in Warren County. He finished with 3,712 rushing yards and 48 touchdowns this season, and 6,422 yards and 87 touchdowns for his career. In Week 2 against Delta Academy Jung set the Warren County single-game records for yards (532) and touchdowns (7). That was the first of his five 300-yard rushing games this season. In the first 100 years of football in Warren County, there had been nine total and no one had more than one. The 14 other members of the All-County offense, as well as the 18 chosen for the All-County defense, all had excellent seasons. Scroll through the photo gallery above to see who made the team and their achievements. The All-County offense also appears in our Tuesday print edition, available now. The defense will be in the Dec. 28-29 print edition and online this weekend. Congratulations to all! Ernest Bowker is The Vicksburg Post's sports editor. He has been a member of The Vicksburg Post's sports staff since 1998, making him one of the longest-tenured reporters in the paper's 140-year history. The New Jersey native is a graduate of LSU. In his career, he has won more than 50 awards from the Mississippi Press Association and Associated Press for his coverage of local sports in Vicksburg.None

The Los Angeles Chargers activated running back J.K. Dobbins from injured reserve on Friday. Dobbins is formally listed as questionable but figures to be the team's top running threat for Saturday's road game against the New England Patriots. Teammate Gus Edwards (ankle) was ruled out Thursday. Dobbins has missed the past four games since sustaining a knee injury against the Baltimore Ravens on Nov. 25. He was a full practice participant Thursday before receiving the questionable label. The injury-prone Dobbins was enjoying a solid season prior to the knee ailment, with 766 yards and eight touchdowns on the ground and 28 receptions for 134 yards in 11 games. His career high for rushing yardage is 805 for the Ravens in 2020. Dobbins' return comes with the Chargers (9-6) just one win from clinching an AFC wild-card playoff spot. Los Angeles also elevated safeties Eddie Jackson and Kendall Williamson from the practice squad. --Field Level Media

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Travis Kelce knows Jason Kelce 's game all too well. Which is why the Kansas City Chiefs tight end wasn't fazed by his brother's recent reference to his girlfriend Taylor Swift . During the duo's Dec. 24 episode of their New Heights podcast, Jason informed listeners about a discount code featuring the number 13, a figure beloved by Taylor, who was born on Dec. 13. "I wonder what the 13 is for?" Jason cheekily asked. "It's probably because it's my favorite number, right?" Without skipping a beat, Travis replied, "Yeah. Or maybe it was just Friday the 13th a few weeks ago." Indeed, it was nearly two weeks ago that Dec. 13, Taylor's 35th birthday , landed on a Friday. But Jason also added another possible theory, reminding Travis, "I was number 13 in hockey." This hilarious podcast exchange between the brothers comes shortly after Travis praised the Grammy winner for completing her history-making Eras Tour . “Shoutout to Tay,” he said on the Dec. 11 episode of New Heights . “The unbelievable Eras Tour has finally come to an end.” "Over 10 million people in the stands over the course of it, like cumulatively," Travis added. "It’s pretty crazy.” I wonder what the 13 is for - Jason 😄 pic.twitter.com/vrNM2f83ok And Taylor has often returned support for Travis. Just a few days ago, she cheered him on as the Chiefs defeated the Houston Texans Dec. 21. As the NFL player's season continues, best believe the "Cruel Summer" singer will make more game day appearances . "I'm going to see him do what he loves, we're showing up for each other, other people are there and we don't care," she told Time in Dec. 2023. "The opposite of that is you have to go to an extreme amount of effort to make sure no one knows that you're seeing someone. And we're just proud of each other." And no, she's not focused on the attention her attendance might bring. "There's a camera, like, a half-mile away, and you don't know where it is, and you have no idea when the camera is putting you in the broadcast, so I don't know if I'm being shown 17 times or once," she explained. "I'm just there to support Travis. I have no awareness of if I'm being shown too much and pissing off a few dads, Brads, and Chads." For more details on Taylor and Travis' winning romance, keep reading... July 2023: So, Make the Friendship Bracelets Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce 's love story began in July 2023, when the singer's Eras Tour made a stop at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Mo. As a huge Swiftie, the Kansas City Chiefs tight end caught the show with hopes of giving Taylor a friendship bracelet with his number on it . However, he failed to complete the pass due to her pre-show rituals. "I was disappointed that she doesn't talk before or after her shows because she has to save her voice for the 44 songs that she sings," Travis shared on the July 26 episode of his New Heights podcast. "So, I was a little butt-hurt I didn't get to hand her one of the bracelets I made for her." Summer 2023: This Is Him Trying After publicly recounting his fumble—a move Taylor would later describe as "metal as hell" —Travis decided to shoot his shot and invite the Grammy winner to watch the Chiefs play at Arrowhead Stadium. "I threw it out there, I threw the ball in her court," he shared on The Pat McAfee Show . "I told her, you know, 'I've seen you rock the stage in Arrowhead, you might have to come see me rock the stage in Arrowhead and see which one's a little more lit.' So, we'll see what happens in the near future." August 2023: Enchanted to Meet You Travis was rocking a mustache—which he debuted in August during training camp—when he was first introduced to Taylor . As he later noted of the era, "That 'stache and the 87 jersey was pretty iconic there for a little bit, and I had it when I met Taylor for the first time." September 2023: Sparks Fly By early September, a source close to the situation told E! News that Travis and Taylor were " texting and talking here and there ." "It's been very low-key," the insider explained, "as he's been in season." September 2023: Cheer Captain Accepting Travis' invite, Taylor joined the athlete's mom Donna Kelce at Arrowhead Stadium to watch him and the Chiefs take on the Chicago Bears. After the game, Taylor and Travis were seen packing PDA at a local bar . Though folklore had it that it was the couple's first in-person meeting, the "Karma" singer later clarified the two had spent a "significant amount of time" getting to know each other beforehand. As Taylor noted, "We would never be psychotic enough to hard launch a first date." October 2023: Team Up As an indication that the relationship was heating up, Taylor brought her squad —including friends Blake Lively , Ryan Reynolds , Sophie Turner , Hugh Jackman , Sabrina Carpenter and Antoni Porowski —to watch the Chiefs play against the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. October 2023: It's Nice to Have a Friend Another sign that Travis could be The 1 ? Taylor started bonding with Brittany Mahomes —the wife of Travis' BFF and teammate Patrick Mahomes —in and outside of NFL games . October 2023: Welcome to New York The couple took their romance to TV, making a surprise appearance on the Oct. 14 episode of Saturday Night Live . Their Big Apple takeover also included the after-party for the NBC sketch show and a date night at the Waverly Inn . November 2023: Karma Is Her Boyfriend During a bye week, Travis traveled down to Argentina to catch the South American leg of Taylor's Eras Tour. Not only did the NFL star bond with Taylor's dad , Scott Swift , at the Nov. 11 show in Buenos Aires, but he also got a special shoutout from the stage. " Karma is that guy on the Chiefs ," Taylor sang, "coming straight home to me." After the show, the Midnights artist was seen running up to Travis backstage and greeting him with a passionate kiss . December 2024: Speak Now Taylor addressed the lavender craze surrounding her appearances at Travis' games. "I'm going to see him do what he loves, we're showing up for each other, other people are there and we don't care," she told Time . "The opposite of that is you have to go to an extreme amount of effort to make sure no one knows that you're seeing someone." December 2023: You, Who Charmed Her Dad The music superstar turned Travis' Dec. 17 game into a family affair, bringing her dad to cheer on her man . January 2024: All the Midnights Taylor and Travis spent their first New Year's Eve together, sharing a romantic kiss when the clock struck midnight on Jan. 1. January 2024: Chosen Family Continuing to bond with Travis' family, Taylor hung out with his brother Jason Kelce and sister-in-law Kylie Kelce at the Chiefs' game against the Buffalo Bills. January 2024: Saved by the Perfect Kiss Taylor joined Travis on the football field when the Chiefs won the AFC Championship , a victory that cemented the team's spot in the 2024 Super Bowl . The couple shared a celebratory kiss before exchanging the L-word . "Tay, I'm gonna enjoy with the guys," he told her. "I love you—so much it's not funny." February 2024: Super Bowl Champs The pair locked lips on the field after Travis led the Kansas City Chiefs to victory on Feb. 11, 2024 in Las Vegas. February 2024: TikTok Official Taylor posted footage of Travis on social media for the first time Feb. 12, poking fun at how she took her parents clubbing with the athlete after the Super Bowl. June 2024: Instagram Official Taylor's first Instagram pic featuring Travis was a selfie of the two with Prince William and his and wife Kate Middleton 's eldest kids Prince George and Princess Charlotte backstage at the singer's Eras tour show at Wembley Stadium in London. June 2024: Travis' Eras Tour Stage Debut While attending his seventh Eras tour concert, and second show at London's Wembley Stadium, the NFL star joined his girlfriend onstage as a backup performer during her performance of "I Can Do It With a Broken Heart." September 2024: Back in the Game Taylor joined Travis for the Chief's first game of the regular 2024-25 season and appeared to re-enact a PDA moment from October 2023 in this photo shared by Chariah Gordon , who is pictured with her boyfriend, Chiefs wide receiver Mecole Hardman . September 2024: Wedding Date The two attended model Karen Elson 's wedding to Electric Lady Studios owner Lee Foster in New York City. September 2024: U.S. Open Date The next day, the pair attended the men's singles final match at the U.S. Open . October 2024: Double Date The two stepped out for a double dinner date with Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds in NYC.

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Government was lobbied in 1998 to do more for ex-prisoners, records showLAS VEGAS (AP) — A team that previously boycotted at least one match against the San Jose State women's volleyball program will again be faced with the decision whether to play the school , this time in the Mountain West Conference semifinals with a shot at the NCAA Tournament on the line. Five schools forfeited matches in the regular season against San Jose State, which carried a No. 2 seed into the conference tournament in Las Vegas. Among those schools: No. 3 Utah State and No. 6 Boise State, who will face off Wednesday with the winner scheduled to play the Spartans in the semifinals on Friday. Wyoming, Nevada and Southern Utah — which is not a Mountain West member — also canceled regular-season matches, all without explicitly saying why they were forfeiting. Nevada players cited fairness in women’s sports as a reason to boycott their match, while political figures from Wyoming, Idaho, Utah and Nevada suggested the cancellations center around protecting women’s sports. In a lawsuit filed against the NCAA , plaintiffs cited unspecified reports asserting there was a transgender player on the San Jose State volleyball team, even naming her. While some media have reported those and other details, neither San Jose State nor the forfeiting teams have confirmed the school has a trans women’s volleyball player. The Associated Press is withholding the player’s name because she has not publicly commented on her gender identity and through school officials has declined an interview request. A judge on Monday rejected a request made by nine current conference players to block the San Jose State player from competing in the tournament on grounds that she is transgender. That ruling was upheld Tuesday by an appeals court. “The team looks forward to starting Mountain West Conference tournament competition on Friday,” San Jose State said in a statement issued after the appeals court decision. “The university maintains an unwavering commitment to the participation, safety and privacy of all students at San Jose State and ensuring they are able to compete in an inclusive, fair and respectful environment.” Chris Kutz, a Boise State athletics spokesman, said in an email the university would not “comment on potential matchups at this time.” Doug Hoffman, an Aggies athletics spokesman, said in an email Utah State is reviewing the court’s order. “Right now, our women’s volleyball program is focused on the game this Wednesday, and we’ll be cheering them on,” Hoffman wrote. San Jose State, which had a first-round bye, would be sent directly to the conference title game if Utah State or Boise State were to forfeit again. If the Spartans make the title game, it's likely the opponent would not forfeit. They would face top-seeded Colorado State, No. 4 Fresno State or No. 5 San Diego State — all teams that played the Spartans this season. The conference champion receives an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. AP college sports: https://apnews.com/hub/college-sports

I hope Santa Claus doesn’t have a fragile ego. If he does, Queen B is about to transform him into The Grinch, because the hype for ’s NFL Halftime Show performance on Christmas is reaching a level that’s threatening to overshadow St. Nick’s big day—especially now that a has been released. I’m sending you big joy and love on this Cowboy Christmas Eve ❤️ I’ll see y’all tomorrow, in my city HTX 🤟🏽🏈🪕🌵🎄 — BEYONCÉ (@Beyonce) Apparently there is a football game that will be bookending the Beyoncé concert: She will be performing during halftime of the Christmas Day showdown between the Baltimore Ravens and the Houston Texans, being played in her Texas hometown. Beyoncé has already dubbed the day “ ,” stoking anticipation that she will finally perform music from her recent country-tinged album, which was released in March. The Christmas Eve teaser also gave fans something rare that they’ve been salivating for since the album’s debut: visuals. The 36-second clip features a football rolling on a field to Beyoncé’s foot, as the camera pans up to reveal strumming the banjo to the opening bars of her hit, Grammy-nominated single, “Texas Hold ‘Em.” The Ravens-Texans game kicks off at 4:30 pm ET, with Beyoncé expected to perform around 6 pm ET. It’s the second of two football games streaming live on Netflix on Christmas. Given the streamer’s disastrous track record airing live events—the outrage over may have eclipsed the Jake Paul-Mike Tyson fight itself—the Beyhive is buzzing, ready with its stingers should any such snafu interrupt Beyoncé’s set. To wit, the singer made fun of that very possibility, with the last seconds of her teaser buffering before concluding with Beyoncé winking. wait this is actually so funny — hunter harris (@hunteryharris) The buffering gag is evil. Don’t jinx yourself, sis! — Michael. (@yosoymichael) the person in charge of netflix’s servers trying to make sure beyoncé’s christmas halftime show performance doesn’t buffer — wiLL (@willfulchaos) , Beyoncé’s mother, Tina Knowles, wrote that her daughter “put her heart and soul into this performance! Sleepless nights in Houston.” Fans online are speculating whether the halftime show will be followed by a surprise drop of visuals, the announcement of a world tour, or if it’s merely shrewd campaigning—the ceremony is in less than 40 days. One thing that is certain: the excitement. After all, Beyoncé is known for putting on a legendary halftime show. Even Ravens star quarterback —maybe—that he’s skipping the locker room meeting in order to see the Beyoncé perform. “I’m going to go out there and watch,” he told reporters on Monday. “First time seeing Beyoncé perform, and it’s at our game—that’s dope. I’m going to go out and watch. Sorry [head coach John] Harbaugh, sorry. Sorry fellas.”BOSTON – A brief nationwide American Airlines ground stop was a traveler's worst nightmare Tuesday on Christmas Eve. American Airlines ground stop A total of 25 American Airlines flights from Boston were delayed during what's expected to be the airline's busiest holiday season on record. The good news is that no flights were canceled. "I woke up this morning looked at my news feeds and was shocked," said David, who spent the last few days with extended family in Boston. His flight home on American Airlines was delayed on Tuesday as a result of a ripple effect following the ground stop. As a result, he had to find another way back to Washington D.C. "Looked for more information, looked for alternate flights and then American sent me a message," David said. Why were American Airline flights delayed? On Tuesday morning, passengers received an email from the airline saying the systems needed to release flights failed. The technology issues forced the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to ground all planes. "It's all hands on deck as our team is working diligently to get customers where they need to go as quickly as possible," American Airlines said in a statement. The systems are now back up and running, but the damage was done as many passengers were impacted. "We were supposed to leave around 12:30 today," said Yun Wen, who was headed to Guatemala to see volcanoes and national parks, but instead spent an extra day inside Logan Airport after missing a layover due to the four-hour delay in Boston. "I still feel lucky we can get their tomorrow, but I wish I could get their today," said Sean, who was traveling with Wen. The American Airlines ground stop ended around 8 a.m. on Tuesday. But the terminal at Logan remained empty as passengers waited for their delayed flights to take off. "The estimated departure time is still estimated so we will see how it goes," David said. Laura Haefeli joined WBZ-TV News in February 2023 as a multi-skilled journalist after three years at CBS Sacramento.

The 2025 VALORANT Champions Tour (VCT) is set to begin in January with significant changes aimed at enhancing the competitive landscape. Riot Games has announced an expanded league structure, new global events, and a revised calendar that extends the season through October. Here is a cheat sheet of everything to know about the event. Season Overview Start Date: January 2025 Expanded Leagues: Each of the four regions—EMEA, Pacific, China, and Americas—will now feature 12 teams. Extended Calendar: The season will run from January to October, providing better pacing and more rest periods for teams. Global Events: The season includes international league matches, two Masters events, and culminates with Champions Paris. Important Dates and Kickoff Tournaments The season kicks off with regional tournaments: January 11: VCT China January 15: VCT EMEA January 16: VCT Americas January 18: VCT Pacific Each kickoff tournament features a 12-team double-elimination format. The top four teams from 2024 receive a bye into the second round. The top two teams from each region will advance to Masters Bangkok. Global Events Schedule Masters Bangkok (February 20 - March 2) Participants: Top two teams from each regional league. Format: An eight-team Swiss stage followed by a four-team double-elimination playoff. Masters Toronto (June 7 - June 22) Participants: Top three teams from Stage 1 Playoffs, totaling 12 teams. Format: An eight-team Swiss stage, with the number one seed from each international league receiving a bye. Followed by an eight-team double-elimination playoff. Champions Paris (September 12 - October 5) Participants: Top teams from Stage 2, Championship Points leaders, and global events. Format: Group stage with four groups of four teams each, leading into an eight-team double-elimination playoff. What's New for 2025 Championship Point System Broader Distribution: Points will be awarded to top-performing teams at every stage and global event. New Qualification Paths: Two teams will qualify for Champions Paris from the Stage 2 Playoffs. Two additional teams will qualify based on accumulated Championship Points. Closing Highlights A total of 48 teams will compete globally throughout the season. Three major international events will set the stage for the world's best to clash. The journey to crown the next VALORANT World Champion begins in January 2025.(AP) — A ninth U.S. telecoms firm has been confirmed to have been hacked as part of a sprawling Chinese espionage campaign that gave officials in Beijing access to private texts and phone conversations of an unknown number of Americans, a top White House official said Friday. Biden administration officials said this month that at least eight telecommunications companies, as well as dozens of nations, had been affected by the Chinese hacking blitz known as Salt Typhoon. But Anne Neuberger, the deputy national security adviser for cyber and emerging technologies, told reporters Friday that a ninth victim had been identified after the administration released guidance to companies about how to hunt for Chinese culprits in their networks. The update from Neuberger is the latest development in a massive hacking operation that has alarmed national security officials, exposed cybersecurity vulnerabilities in the private sector and laid bare China’s hacking sophistication. The hackers compromised the networks of telecommunications companies to obtain customer call records and gain access to the private communications of “a limited number of individuals.” Though the FBI has not publicly identified any of the victims, officials believe senior U.S. government officials and prominent political figures are among those whose whose communications were accessed. Neuberger said officials did not yet have a precise sense how many Americans overall were affected by Salt Typhoon, in part because the Chinese were careful about their techniques, but a “large number” were in the Washington-Virginia area. Officials believe the goal of the hackers was to identify who owned the phones and, if they were “government targets of interest,” spy on their texts and phone calls, she said. The FBI said most of the people targeted by the hackers are “primarily involved in government or political activity.” Neuberger said the episode highlighted the need for required cybersecurity practices in the telecommunications industry, something the Federal Communications Commission is to take up at a meeting next month. “We know that voluntary cyber security practices are inadequate to protect against China, Russia and Iran hacking of our critical infrastructure,” she said. The Chinese government has denied responsibility for the hacking. (AP) — A ninth U.S. telecoms firm has been confirmed Remember this moment because it probably won't last: A U.S. Sales rose this year during the holiday shopping season even Stock indexes drifted to a mixed finish on Wall Street

US to send $1.25 billion in weapons to Ukraine, in push to get aid out before leaving office

ICC to decide fate of Pakistan’s Champions Trophy on FridayThe Liberal government is pulling out the federal wallet to put more money into people’s pockets over the holidays, but its recently announced affordability measures create winners and losers. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced on Thursday that the federal government will remove the goods and services tax on a slew of items for two months, starting Dec. 14. But in provinces where the provincial and federal sales taxes are blended together into a harmonized sales tax, Canadians will get a larger break. The federal government also plans to send $250 cheques to Canadians who were working in 2023 and earned up to $150,000. That means Canadians who were not working in 2023, including those who were receiving social assistance or were in retirement, will not be sent a cheque in April. In the House of Commons on Friday, NDP MP Peter Julian called the government out for not including Canadians with fixed incomes. “Why are Liberals excluding seniors and people with disabilities from the real help they need this holiday season? Why won’t Liberals help them, too?” Julian asked during question period. At a news conference on Friday, Trudeau said that the federal government has already stepped up to help the most vulnerable Canadians and that it is now time to give a hand to workers. “Over the past number of years, we have been extraordinarily present in helping the most vulnerable Canadians,” Trudeau said, mentioning the boost to old-age security for seniors aged 75 and older and the Canada Child Benefit. “But as I travel across the country, I do regularly hear from working Canadians who are having trouble making ends meet, but saying, ‘look, I don’t have kids. I’m not a senior yet, and I’m facing challenges.’” The GST break, which is expected to cost the federal government $1.6 billion, will apply to a number of items including children’s clothing and shoes, toys, diapers, restaurant meals and beer and wine. It also applies to Christmas trees — both natural and artificial — along with a variety of snack foods and beverages, and video game consoles. Meanwhile, 18.7 million people will receive a check this spring, costing the government about $4.7 billion.Chess grandmaster Magnus Carlsen returns to a tournament after a dispute over jeans is resolved NEW YORK (AP) — Top ranked chess player Magnus Carlsen is headed back to the World Blitz Championship on Monday. That's after its governing body agreed to loosen a dress code that got him fined and denied a late-round game in another tournament for refusing to change out of jeans. The International Chess Federation president said in a statement Sunday that he’d let World Blitz Championship tournament officials consider allowing “appropriate jeans” with a jacket, as well as other "minor deviations” from the dress code. Carlsen quit the World Rapid and Blitz Chess Championships on Friday. He said Sunday he would play — and wear jeans — in the World Blitz Championship. 'Sonic 3' and 'Mufasa' battle for No. 1 at the holiday box office Two family films are dominating the holiday box office, with “Sonic the Hedgehog 3” winning the three-day weekend over “Mufasa” by a blue hair. According to studio estimates Sunday, the Sonic movie earned $38 million, while “Mufasa” brought in $37.1 million from theaters in the U.S. and Canada. The R-rated horror “Nosferatu” placed third with an unexpectedly strong $21.2 million. Thanksgiving release holdovers “Wicked” and “Moana 2” rounded out the top five. Christmas Day had several big film openings, including the Bob Dylan biopic “A Complete Unknown,” the Nicole Kidman erotic drama “Babygirl” and the boxing drama “The Fire Inside.” Charles Shyer, ‘Father of the Bride’ and ‘Baby Boom’ filmmaker, dies at 83 An Oscar-nominated writer and filmmaker known for classic comedies like “Private Benjamin,” “Baby Boom” and “Father of the Bride," Charles Shyer has died. He was 83. On Sunday his daughter Hallie Meyers-Shyer told The Associated Press that he died Friday in Los Angeles. No cause was disclosed. Born in Los Angeles in 1941 to a filmmaker father, Shyer's big breakthrough came with co-writing “Private Benjamin” for which he and Nancy Meyers received an Oscar nomination. He and Nancy Meyers were frequent collaborators through their nearly 20-year marriage, including on the remake of “The Parent Trap," starring Lindsay Lohan. LeBron James at 40: A milestone birthday arrives Monday for the NBA's all-time scoring leader When LeBron James broke another NBA record earlier this month, the one for most regular-season minutes played in a career, his Los Angeles Lakers teammates handled the moment in typical locker room fashion. They made fun of him. Dubbed The Kid from Akron, with a limitless future, James is now the 40-year-old from Los Angeles with wisps of gray in his beard, his milestone birthday coming Monday, one that will make him the first player in NBA history to play in his teens, 20s, 30s and 40s. He has stood and excelled in the spotlight his entire career. Belgium will ban sales of disposable e-cigarettes in a first for the EU BRUSSELS (AP) — Belgium will ban the sale of disposable electronic cigarettes as of Jan. 1 on health and environmental grounds in a groundbreaking move for European Union nations. Health minister Frank Vandenbroucke tells The Associated Press that the inexpensive e-cigarettes have turned into a health threat since they are an easy way for teenagers to be drawn into smoking and get hooked on nicotine. Australia outlawed the sale of “vapes” outside pharmacies earlier this year in some of the world’s toughest restrictions on electronic cigarettes. Now Belgium is leading the EU drive. Belgium's minister wants tougher tobacco measures in the 27-nation bloc. Charles Dolan, HBO and Cablevision founder, dies at 98 Charles F. Dolan, who founded some of the most prominent U.S. media companies including Home Box Office Inc. and Cablevision Systems Corp., has died at age 98. Newsday reports that a statement issued Saturday by his family says Dolan died of natural causes. Dolan’s legacy in cable broadcasting includes founding HBO in 1972, Cablevision in 1973 and the American Movie Classics television station in 1984. He also launched News 12 in New York City, the first U.S. 24-hour cable channel for local news. Dolan also held controlling stakes in companies that owned Madison Square Garden, Radio City Music Hall and the New York Knicks and New York Rangers sports franchises. Snoop's game: Snoop Dogg thrills the crowd in the bowl that bears his name TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — Miami of Ohio beat Colorado State in the Arizona Bowl, but Snoop Dogg was the main attraction. The Snoop Dogg Arizona Bowl presented by Gin & Juice by Dre and Snoop was much a spectacle as a football game. Snoop Dogg seemed to be everywhere all at once, from a pregame tailgate to the postgame trophy presentation. Snoop Dog donned a headset on Colorado State's sideline, spent some time in the broadcast and even led both marching bands as conductor during their halftime performance. Snoop Dogg saved the best for last, rolling out in a light green, lowrider Chevy Impala with gold rims and accents, the shiny Arizona Bowl trophy in his hand as fans screamed his name. Mavs star Luka Doncic is latest pro athlete whose home was burglarized, business manager says DALLAS (AP) — Luka Doncic of the Dallas Mavericks is the latest professional athlete whose home has been burglarized. The star guard’s business manager tells multiple media outlets there was a break-in at Doncic’s home Friday night. Lara Beth Seager says nobody was home, and Doncic filed a police report. The Dallas Morning News reports that jewelry valued at about $30,000 was stolen. Doncic is the sixth known pro athlete in the U.S. whose home was burglarized since October. Star NFL quarterbacks Patrick Mahomes of Kansas City and Joe Burrow of Cincinnati are among them. The NFL and NBA have issued security alerts to players over the break-ins. Victor Wembanyama plays 1-on-1 chess with fans in New York Victor Wembanyama went to a park in New York City and played 1-on-1 with fans on Saturday. He even lost a couple of games. Not in basketball, though. Wemby was playing chess. Before the San Antonio Spurs left New York for a flight to Minnesota, Wembanyama put out the call on social media: “Who wants to meet me at the SW corner of Washington Square park to play chess? Im there,” Wembanyama wrote. It was 9:36 a.m. And people began showing up almost immediately. Norwegian chess grandmaster Magnus Carlsen quits a tournament in a dispute over jeans NEW YORK (AP) — The International Chess Federation says top ranked player Magnus Carlsen has left the World Rapid and Blitz Chess Championships after refusing to change out of the jeans he wore to the competition. The federation said Friday that its regulations include a dress code that bars participants from wearing jeans at the event. The Norwegian chess grandmaster says he accepted a $200 fine but refused to change his pants out of principle before leaving the competition in New York. The federation said the dress code is designed to ensure professionalism and fairness for all participants.

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WASHINGTON (AP) — American Airlines briefly grounded flights nationwide Tuesday because of a technical problem just as the Christmas travel season kicked into overdrive and winter weather threatened more potential problems for those planning to fly or drive. Government regulators cleared American flights to get airborne about an hour after the Federal Aviation Administration ordered a national ground stop for the airline. The order, which prevented planes from taking off, was issued at the airline's request after it experienced trouble with its flight operating system, or FOS. The airline blamed technology from one of its vendors. As a result, flights were delayed across American’s major hubs, with only 37% of the airline's 3,901 domestic and international flights leaving on time, according to Cirium, an aviation analytics company. Nineteen flights were canceled. Dennis Tajer, a spokesperson for the Allied Pilots Association, a union representing American Airlines pilots, said the airline told pilots at 7 a.m. Eastern that there was an outage affecting the FOS system. It handles different types of airline operations, including dispatch, flight planning, passenger boarding, as well as an airplane's weight and balance data, he said. Some components of FOS have gone down in the past, but a systemwide outage is rare, Tajer said. Hours after the ground stop was lifted, Tajer said the union had not heard about any “chaos out there beyond just the normal heavy travel day.” He said officials were watching for any cascading effects, such as staffing problems. On social media, however, customers expressed frustration with delays that caused them or their family members to miss connecting flights. One person asked if American planned to hold flights for passengers to make connections, while others complained about the lack of assistance they said they received from the airline or gate agents. Bobby Tighe, a real estate agent from Florida, said he will miss a family Christmas Eve party in New York because his American flight was repeatedly delayed. The delays made him miss a connecting flight, leaving him the choice of going to his destination — Westchester, New York — on Christmas Day or taking another flight to Newark, New Jersey, that was scheduled to land Tuesday evening. He chose the latter. “I’m just going to take an Uber or Lyft to the airport I was originally supposed to go to, pick up my rental car and kind of restart everything tomorrow,” Tighe said. He said his girlfriend was “going through the same exact situation” on her way from Dallas to New York. Cirium noted that the vast majority of flights were departing within two hours of their scheduled departure time. A similar percentage — 36% — were arriving at their destinations as scheduled. Dallas-Fort Worth, New York’s Kennedy Airport and Charlotte, North Carolina, saw the greatest number of delays, Cirium said. Washington, Chicago and Miami experienced considerably fewer delays. Meanwhile, the flight-tracking site FlightAware reported that 4,058 flights entering or leaving the U.S., or serving domestic destinations, were delayed, with 76 flights canceled. The site did not post any American Airlines flights on Tuesday morning, but it showed in the afternoon that 961 American flights were delayed. Amid the travel problems, significant rain and snow were expected in the Pacific Northwest at least into Christmas Day. Showers and thunderstorms were developing in the South. Freezing rain was reported in the Mid-Atlantic region near Baltimore and Washington, and snow fell in New York. Because the holiday travel period lasts weeks, airports and airlines typically have smaller peak days than they do during the rush around Thanksgiving, but the grind of one hectic day followed by another takes a toll on flight crews. And any hiccups — a winter storm or a computer outage — can snowball into massive disruptions. That is how Southwest Airlines stranded 2 million travelers in December 2022, and Delta Air Lines suffered a smaller but significant meltdown after a worldwide technology outage in July caused by a faulty software update from cybersecurity company CrowdStrike. Many flights during the holidays are sold out, which makes cancellations even more disruptive than during slower periods. That is especially true for smaller budget airlines that have fewer flights and fewer options for rebooking passengers. Only the largest airlines, including American, Delta and United, have “interline agreements” that let them put stranded customers on another carrier’s flights. This will be the first holiday season since a Transportation Department rule took effect that requires airlines to give customers automatic cash refunds for canceled or significantly delayed flights. Most air travelers were already eligible for refunds, but they often had to request them. Passengers still can ask to get rebooked, which is often a better option than a refund during peak travel periods. That’s because finding a last-minute flight on another airline tends to be expensive. An American spokesperson said Tuesday was not a peak travel day for the airline — with about 2,000 fewer flights than the busiest days — so the airline had somewhat of a buffer to manage the delays. The groundings happened as millions of travelers were expected to fly over the next 10 days. The Transportation Security Administration expects to screen 40 million passengers through Jan. 2. Airlines expect to have their busiest days on Thursday, Friday and Sunday. Many flights during the holidays are sold out, which makes cancellations more disruptive than during slower periods. Even with just a brief outage, the cancellations have a cascading effect that can take days to clear up. About 90% of Americans traveling far from home over the holidays will be in cars, according to AAA. “Airline travel is just really high right now, but most people do drive to their destinations, and that is true for every holiday,” AAA spokesperson Aixa Diaz said. Gasoline prices are similar to last year. The nationwide average Thursday was $3.04 a gallon, down from $3.13 a year ago, according to AAA. Charging an electric vehicle averages just under 35 cents per per kilowatt hour, but varies by state. Transportation-data firm INRIX says travel times on the nation’s highways could be up to 30% longer than normal over the holidays, with Sunday expected to see the heaviest traffic. Boston, New York City, Seattle and Washington are the metropolitan areas primed for the greatest delays, according to the company. ___ Associated Press writers David Koenig, Mae Anderson and Mike Pesoli contributed to this report. Matt Ott And Haleluya Hadero, The Associated Press