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kijiji edmonton Opinion editor’s note: Strib Voices publishes letters from readers online and in print each day. To contribute, click here . ••• I found a certain amount of irony and hypocrisy in the front-page article in the Christmas Eve edition of the Minnesota Star Tribune, “37 of 40 U.S. death row inmates spared.” I am not here to debate whether the death sentence is a justifiable consequence for criminals who commit horrific crimes. That is a subject of significant ethical, moral and legal debate. What I did find troubling was the statement, “Some pleas also invoked Biden’s Catholic faith.” It is well known that President Joe Biden’s stance on abortion has evolved over time. Early in his career following the 1973 decision in Roe v. Wade, which established a constitutional right to abortion, Biden, a practicing Catholic, expressed reservations. He believed the court’s ruling was too expansive and he supported measures that allowed states to overturn Roe. Fast-forward to his 2020 presidential campaign, Biden fully embraced a pro-choice platform and ensured that there was federal funding for abortion services. In fact, in July 2022 he signed an executive order aimed at safeguarding access to reproductive health care services, including abortion and contraception. So, in essence, he has spared people guilty of serious crimes from the death penalty but continues to support abortion and terminating a pregnancy and an innocent baby before the fetus can survive outside the womb. I don’t believe these actions are congruent in the Catholic religion. Tim Rubash, Apple Valley The DOJ is also culpable I woke up early on Friday, and as one of those people who deliberately avoided cable and network news after the election and is not a user of social media, I decided to read about the House Ethics Committee report on former Rep. Matt Gaetz. And lo and behold, there were multiple letters in the Strib Voices section that day that commented on the report, with all three writers commenting on Rep. Michelle Fischbach’s cowardice in voting to keep the report private ( Readers Write , Dec. 27). After reading about Gaetz’s “exploits” — all seemingly well documented in the report — I came to the conclusion that this cowardice extended to the Department of Justice by refusing to indict this guy back in 2020. After reading the report and its conclusions, it seemed pretty clear to me that charges could have been brought, even notwithstanding the character of the potential witnesses. Aside from the appalling conduct of Gaetz and his “bros,” his behavior in blocking, ignoring and obfuscating the committee was all par for the course in the last eight years. If any readers decide to read the report, my advice is to prepare to take a shower and wash your hands after reading about the disgusting activities it describes. As for Fischbach, don’t think too badly of her. After all, it’s likely any of Minnesota’s other three Republican House members, had they been on the committee, would have also voted not to release the report. Mike Cassidy, Wayzata ••• Gaetz isn’t quite there yet. But if he can get convicted of some financial crimes, bankrupt a few companies and try to overturn a free and fair election, he could become presidential material. Karl Karst, Woodbury ‘Vindicated’ isn’t quite the word Thursday’s 2024 in review article states that Rep. Dean Phillips was vindicated by President Biden ultimately stepping aside from this year’s campaign, with Donald Trump subsequently ascending to the presidency ( “Year was defined by Walz’s VP bid, legislative chaos,” Dec. 26). Aside from the question of however much or little effect Phillips’ efforts actually had on the results of this year’s election, as compared to the achievements of the Trump fog machine and a complicit corporate media, “vindicated” is a narrow and limited word to apply to such substantial results. A more comprehensive and accurate adjective might be “culpable.” Peter Hill, Minnetonka It’s not that serious Editors: What is the purpose of “ ‘We hate them, they hate us’ ” — a really inflammatory headline in the Dec. 27 paper? Is it to encourage some nut case to do some mayhem on either the Vikings or Packers? Football is only a game. We have enough violence in our country and we surely don’t need more. Trash talk like that should never appear in a newspaper like the Star Tribune. Florian Lauer, St. Paul Help us out here We’re feeling more division than ever in our local politics, and I’m writing to suggest the Star Tribune play a bigger role in brokering true objectivity through some kind of weekly “Fact Check” column. It’s going to be especially important as we head toward what could be the most important local elections in the history of Minneapolis next fall. Case in point: the completely different “facts” shared by Mayor Jacob Frey and our Ward 7 representative Katie Cashman in their weekly newsletter updates. The newsletters are generally a great way to stay up-to-date on local happenings — but the versions they each shared about the recent 2025 budget details could not have been more confusing to unpack. The mayor made very convincing points about the unhealthy depletion of rainy day funds, cuts in police-recruiting budgets and other safety programs that have been proven for years. Cashman claimed no cuts were made to MPD policing and safety, and asserted the council’s budget increased that support. Who to believe — especially without time in the day to dig into the nuances of all those claims. But you, the Star Tribune, can do just that — and we need the help! The key to a functioning democracy (do we still have one?) is everyone debating from a core set of actual facts. Hope is all but lost nationally on this topic — but locally, the Strib could be a powerful force for clarity and objectivity as we deal with a radical left steering us closer to a Portland-esque dumpster fire and a real need to get our city back on track. It is likely both sides are cherry-picking, exaggerating or obfuscating important facts we need to understand, so please help shine a less-biased light! Starting with that budget that just passed despite the mayor’s veto — was recruiting for critically needed police recruiting actually cut or not? Did we dive into a critical budget reserve that may be needed should the new federal administration cut us deeply next year? It would help to see a side-by-side comparison by line item of the mayor’s budget and the one the City Council passed, with highlights of the biggest differences. Doug Moore, Minneapolis ••• I have friends and family who get all their information from FOX News. When they share tidbits with me, I wonder if any mainstream media bother to shed daylight on the outrageous commentary. The latest is that President Biden sold Trump’s wall materials — materials Trump would use during his second coming ... the analogy intentional on my part — for pennies on the dollar to spite the president-elect, wasting our tax dollars. The reality is that the sale of those leftover materials was included in the Department of Defense budget prepared by the DOD and approved by Congress in 2023. The sale was not ordered by President Biden. It seems silly that the mainstream media needs to counter this nonsense but somebody has to do it. JoAnn Wright, New Hope

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After Trump's Project 2025 denials, he is tapping its authors and influencers for key roles

RIYADH: British-Pakistani soprano Saira Peter has captivated on the world stage, made history by becoming the world’s first Sufi opera singer, and even received praise from King Charles III for her recording of the British national anthem. After hearing about Saudi Arabia’s changes in recent years, Peter decided to explore the country’s arts and culture scene herself. In Riyadh, she spoke to Arab News about her musical journey, her upcoming Sufi opera project, and her impressions of Saudi Arabia. “It’s so wonderful to see how your country is growing and (how) you are embracing the advanced technology,” she said. “You’re having so many events around you. And it’s quite enormous and very interesting to see the musical events as well. I met some people and I told them that I’m an opera singer... “The way I saw Saudi people, their reaction towards music, it’s unbelievable. You have such a great rhythm and tempo inside you.” The London-based singer, who is the director of NJ Arts London where she also gives lessons, has starred on many stages across the globe, often performing with her husband, musician Stephen Smith, and has an extensive discography that features music in 17 languages. In 2019 she received an award for Best Music Performance at Islamabad Art Fest, Pakistan’s largest international arts event. But her acclaimed career was no surprise: Music was part of her life from childhood and she grew up listening to classical music in her household. Peter admired the likes of Benjamin Britten, Mozart, Beethoven, and Arabic and Eastern singers like Umm Kulthum, but doing her first master’s in physical chemistry really helped her understand the intricacies of music. Peter said: “In Greek history they used to put music into science and into arts as well. All the notes are composed of different frequencies and each and every note has specific frequencies, which is actually science, which is physics. “Music is everywhere in the world, even if you hear the sea breeze or when the wind blows. Everything is music.” But only after receiving her second master’s in history from Queen Mary University of London, and delving deeper into Islamic and Western histories, did she decide to pursue a professional career in music. She said: “I think music is very important; it’s a language. You can express your emotions, you can express your thoughts, in a very mild way. And you can communicate to the whole world. “My passion and my vision when I sing, I think, is how I can serve my audience and how I can deliver the message of peace and reconciliation to my audience.” Reflecting her aim to bring people together, the soprano’s genre of Sufi opera aims to bridge the gap between Eastern and Western classical music. Peter said: “Fusion means that when you blend two cultures, two musical genres together, when they come together, they should celebrate each other. They should, also, enhance the beauty of what they already contain.” She is currently working with her team in London to develop the first full-scale opera of this kind, titled “Marvi’s Tears.” Inspired by the ancient Indus Valley Civilization in what is now Pakistan, Afghanistan and India, the story follows a teenage girl, Marvi, and her brave journey in bringing justice to her village. The opera recently underwent a workshop at Oxford University with renowned British composer Paul Knight, who is also Peter’s vocal coach, and director Johnny Danziger. It is set to be staged in 2025. Peter said: “The opera is a very unique kind of opera, because it’s a blend of two worlds which are, you know, Western classical and Eastern classical. So if you sing Western classical, there are certain things you are not allowed to do when you sing. For example, you are not allowed to sing in portamento, which is a sliding note. “Arab singers are wonderful in sliding notes and they have quarter tones and all these vibratos, which are beautiful.” Considering her ethnic background, Peter’s vantage point is her ability to utilize her voice on both ends of the spectrum — and everywhere in between. This discovery was made by her coach, Knight. Peter said: “He said ‘You have a very unique kind of vocal force that you can sing both Western classical and Eastern classical without changing the quality of the sound.’ “Because I’m from the East, I have that kind of DNA, that kind of sound.” During her stay in Riyadh Peter performed a few arias to a small group of Saudis in a home setting, where she was met with claps and cheers. She said: “I never had this kind of experience and response from any audience. Of course I love all my audiences, but here it was very different, and I was so moved. “It was overwhelming because they were in tears and they were appreciating me with all their heart.” As Saudi Arabia orchestrates a notable cultural shift, opera is slowly gaining ground and blending with its rich musical heritage, marking a new chapter in its artistic evolution, most recently demonstrated by the staging of the first Saudi opera “Zarqa Al-Yamama” back in April. While the soprano believes there is no shortcut to hard work and training, she offers a piece of advice to aspiring artists and professionals. She said: “You need to know what your vision is, and your goal for life. If you have a message, then it becomes whatever you do, whether you want to become a singer or scientist or dramatic artist, you first need to search within yourself. “When I discovered that I could sing, I decided for myself that I would use music to serve people, to spread the message of peace and reconciliation around the world.”WASHINGTON (AP) — As a former and potentially future president, Donald Trump hailed what would become Project 2025 as a road map for “exactly what our movement will do” with another crack at the White House. As the blueprint for a hard-right turn in America became a liability during the 2024 campaign, Trump pulled an about-face . He denied knowing anything about the “ridiculous and abysmal” plans written in part by his first-term aides and allies. Now, after being elected the 47th president on Nov. 5, Trump is stocking his second administration with key players in the detailed effort he temporarily shunned. Most notably, Trump has tapped Russell Vought for an encore as director of the Office of Management and Budget; Tom Homan, his former immigration chief, as “border czar;” and immigration hardliner Stephen Miller as deputy chief of policy . Those moves have accelerated criticisms from Democrats who warn that Trump's election hands government reins to movement conservatives who spent years envisioning how to concentrate power in the West Wing and impose a starkly rightward shift across the U.S. government and society. Trump and his aides maintain that he won a mandate to overhaul Washington. But they maintain the specifics are his alone. “President Trump never had anything to do with Project 2025,” said Trump spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt in a statement. “All of President Trumps' Cabinet nominees and appointments are whole-heartedly committed to President Trump's agenda, not the agenda of outside groups.” Here is a look at what some of Trump's choices portend for his second presidency. The Office of Management and Budget director, a role Vought held under Trump previously and requires Senate confirmation, prepares a president's proposed budget and is generally responsible for implementing the administration's agenda across agencies. The job is influential but Vought made clear as author of a Project 2025 chapter on presidential authority that he wants the post to wield more direct power. “The Director must view his job as the best, most comprehensive approximation of the President’s mind,” Vought wrote. The OMB, he wrote, “is a President’s air-traffic control system” and should be “involved in all aspects of the White House policy process,” becoming “powerful enough to override implementing agencies’ bureaucracies.” Trump did not go into such details when naming Vought but implicitly endorsed aggressive action. Vought, the president-elect said, “knows exactly how to dismantle the Deep State” — Trump’s catch-all for federal bureaucracy — and would help “restore fiscal sanity.” In June, speaking on former Trump aide Steve Bannon’s “War Room” podcast, Vought relished the potential tension: “We’re not going to save our country without a little confrontation.” The strategy of further concentrating federal authority in the presidency permeates Project 2025's and Trump's campaign proposals. Vought's vision is especially striking when paired with Trump's proposals to dramatically expand the president's control over federal workers and government purse strings — ideas intertwined with the president-elect tapping mega-billionaire Elon Musk and venture capitalist Vivek Ramaswamy to lead a “Department of Government Efficiency.” Trump in his first term sought to remake the federal civil service by reclassifying tens of thousands of federal civil service workers — who have job protection through changes in administration — as political appointees, making them easier to fire and replace with loyalists. Currently, only about 4,000 of the federal government's roughly 2 million workers are political appointees. President Joe Biden rescinded Trump's changes. Trump can now reinstate them. Meanwhile, Musk's and Ramaswamy's sweeping “efficiency” mandates from Trump could turn on an old, defunct constitutional theory that the president — not Congress — is the real gatekeeper of federal spending. In his “Agenda 47,” Trump endorsed so-called “impoundment,” which holds that when lawmakers pass appropriations bills, they simply set a spending ceiling, but not a floor. The president, the theory holds, can simply decide not to spend money on anything he deems unnecessary. Vought did not venture into impoundment in his Project 2025 chapter. But, he wrote, “The President should use every possible tool to propose and impose fiscal discipline on the federal government. Anything short of that would constitute abject failure.” Trump's choice immediately sparked backlash. “Russ Vought is a far-right ideologue who has tried to break the law to give President Trump unilateral authority he does not possess to override the spending decisions of Congress (and) who has and will again fight to give Trump the ability to summarily fire tens of thousands of civil servants,” said Sen. Patty Murray of Washington, a Democrat and outgoing Senate Appropriations chairwoman. Reps. Jamie Raskin of Maryland and Melanie Stansbury of New Mexico, leading Democrats on the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability, said Vought wants to “dismantle the expert federal workforce” to the detriment of Americans who depend on everything from veterans' health care to Social Security benefits. “Pain itself is the agenda,” they said. Trump’s protests about Project 2025 always glossed over overlaps in the two agendas . Both want to reimpose Trump-era immigration limits. Project 2025 includes a litany of detailed proposals for various U.S. immigration statutes, executive branch rules and agreements with other countries — reducing the number of refugees, work visa recipients and asylum seekers, for example. Miller is one of Trump's longest-serving advisers and architect of his immigration ideas, including his promise of the largest deportation force in U.S. history. As deputy policy chief, which is not subject to Senate confirmation, Miller would remain in Trump's West Wing inner circle. “America is for Americans and Americans only,” Miller said at Trump’s Madison Square Garden rally on Oct. 27. “America First Legal,” Miller’s organization founded as an ideological counter to the American Civil Liberties Union, was listed as an advisory group to Project 2025 until Miller asked that the name be removed because of negative attention. Homan, a Project 2025 named contributor, was an acting U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement director during Trump’s first presidency, playing a key role in what became known as Trump's “family separation policy.” Previewing Trump 2.0 earlier this year, Homan said: “No one’s off the table. If you’re here illegally, you better be looking over your shoulder.” John Ratcliffe, Trump's pick to lead the CIA , was previously one of Trump's directors of national intelligence. He is a Project 2025 contributor. The document's chapter on U.S. intelligence was written by Dustin Carmack, Ratcliffe's chief of staff in the first Trump administration. Reflecting Ratcliffe's and Trump's approach, Carmack declared the intelligence establishment too cautious. Ratcliffe, like the chapter attributed to Carmack, is hawkish toward China. Throughout the Project 2025 document, Beijing is framed as a U.S. adversary that cannot be trusted. Brendan Carr, the senior Republican on the Federal Communications Commission, wrote Project 2025's FCC chapter and is now Trump's pick to chair the panel. Carr wrote that the FCC chairman “is empowered with significant authority that is not shared” with other FCC members. He called for the FCC to address “threats to individual liberty posed by corporations that are abusing dominant positions in the market,” specifically “Big Tech and its attempts to drive diverse political viewpoints from the digital town square.” He called for more stringent transparency rules for social media platforms like Facebook and YouTube and “empower consumers to choose their own content filters and fact checkers, if any.” Carr and Ratcliffe would require Senate confirmation for their posts.Spitfires outgun Greyhounds in high-scoring affair

A social-media tribute to Coptic Christians. A billboard in Amish country. A visit to a revered Jewish gravesite. While Donald Trump had a lock on the white evangelical vote, he and his campaign allies also wooed smaller religious groups, far from the mainstream. His campaign aggressively courted niche communities with the understanding that every vote could be critical, particularly in swing states. Voter surveys such as exit polls, which canvass broad swaths of the electorate, aren’t able to gauge the impact of such microtargeting, but some backers say the effort was worth it. Just one week before the election, Trump directed a post on the social-media platform X to Coptic Christians in the United States —- whose church has ancient roots in Egypt. He saluted their “Steadfast Faith in God, Perseverance through Centuries of Persecution and Love for this Great Country.” “This was the first time seeing a major U.S. presidential candidate address the community in this manner,” said Mariam Wahba, a Coptic Christian and research analyst with the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, a Washington-based research institute. “It was really a profound moment.” She said many Copts share the conservative social views of other Christian groups in the Republican constituency, and they may already have been Trump supporters. But the posting reinforced those bonds. Coptic bishops sent the president-elect congratulations after his victory and cited their “shared social and family values.” Some Assyrian Christians — another faith group with Middle Eastern roots — similarly bonded with Trump, whose mispronunciation of “Assyrian” at a rally created a viral video moment and drew attention to their support. Sam Darmo, a Phoenix real estate agent and co-founder of Assyrians for Trump, said many community members cited the economy, illegal immigration and other prominent voter issues. They echoed other conservative Christians’ concerns, he said, on issues such as abortion, gender identity and religious expression in public. But he said Trump supported various Middle Eastern Christians recovering from the Islamic State group’s oppressive rule. Darmo also credited Massad Boulos, father-in-law to Trump’s daughter , Tiffany, for mobilizing various Middle Eastern Christian groups, including Chaldean Catholics, and other voters, particularly in Michigan, such as Muslims. “He brought all these minority groups together,” he said. “We’re hoping to continue that relationship.” But members of Middle Eastern-rooted Christian groups, and their politics, are far from monolithic, said Marcus Zacharia, founder of Progressive Copts, a program of Informed Immigrants, an organization that promotes dialogue on sensitive topics among such groups in the United States and Canada. He said many younger community members question Trump’s stances on issues such as immigration, and sense that conservatives sometimes tokenize them by focusing on the plight of persecuted Christians in the Middle East while neglecting wider issues of repression in countries there that the U.S. supports. He said there needs to be more informed dialogue across the political divide in these communities. “There is no more high time than these next four years to have that way of conducting conversations,” he said. Republicans also made an aggressive push for Amish voters, particularly in the swing state of Pennsylvania, where they are most numerous at about 92,000 — with many below voting age. The GOP has made similar efforts in the past, even though researchers have found that less than 10% of the Amish typically vote, due to their separatism from society. But Republicans used billboards, mailers, ads and door-to-door campaigners to drive turnout in Lancaster County, Pa., home base to the nation’s largest Amish settlement. On election day, Amish voters Samuel Stoltzfus and his wife, Lillian Stoltzfus, said they were supporting Trump, citing their anti-abortion beliefs. “We basically look at it as murder,” Stoltzfus, 31, said outside a polling center in the Lancaster County community of New Holland, where dozens of other members of the local Amish community voted. Trump has wavered on the issue, dismaying some abortion opponents, though many have said Republicans still align more closely to their views. Stoltzfus added: “Make America great again and keep the moral values,” he said. “Let’s go back to the roots.” Steven Nolt, a history professor at Elizabethtown College in Lancaster College who studies the Amish and their voting patterns, said that while it’s too early to say definitively without further research, he doesn’t see evidence of a larger turnout this year. Lancaster County as a whole — most of which is not Amish — is a GOP stronghold that Trump won handily, though both parties’ votes edged up from 2020, according to unofficial results posted by the Pennsylvania Department of State. Trump’s biggest increases were in urban or suburban areas with few Amish, while some areas with larger Amish populations generally saw a modest increase in the Trump vote, said Nolt, director of the college’s Young Center for Anabaptist and Pietist Studies. “Bottom line, percentage-wise, not much change in the parts of Lancaster County where the Amish live,” he said. Trump directly reached out to members of the Chabad Lubavitch movement, a prominent and highly observant branch of Orthodox Judaism. On Oct. 7, the anniversary of the Hamas attack on Israel that triggered the Gaza war , Trump made a symbolically resonant visit to the “Ohel,” the burial site of the movement’s revered late leader, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson. Wearing a yarmulke, the traditional Jewish skullcap, Trump, who has Jewish family members, brought a written prayer to the Ohel and laid a small stone at the grave in keeping with tradition. The site in New York City, while particularly central to Chabad adherents, draws an array of Jewish and other visitors, including politicians. About two-thirds of Jewish voters overall supported Trump’s opponent, Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris, according to AP VoteCast, a survey of more than 120,000 voters. But the Trump campaign has made a particular outreach to Orthodox Jews, citing issues including his policies toward Israel in his first administration. Rabbi Yitzchok Minkowitz of Chabad Lubavitch of Southwest Florida said it was moving for him to see images of Trump’s visit. “The mere fact that he made a huge effort, obviously it was important to him,” he said. Smith writes for the Associated Press. AP journalist Luis Henao contributed to this report.Rahat Fateh Ali Khan meets MS Dhoni at recent event

From tuberculosis to heart disease: How the leading causes of death in America have changedBiden's broken promise on pardoning his son Hunter is raising new questions about his legacy WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden’s decision to go back on his word and pardon his son Hunter wasn't all that surprising to those who are familiar with the president's devotion to his family. But by choosing to put his family first, the 82-year-old president has raised new questions about his legacy. Biden has held himself up as placing his respect for the American judicial system and rule of law over his own personal concerns. It was part of an effort to draw a deliberate contrast with Republican Donald Trump. Now, both his broken promise and his act of clemency are a political lightning rod. Some Democrats are frustrated over Joe Biden reversing course and pardoning his son Hunter ATLANTA (AP) — Already reeling from their November defeat at the polls, Democrats now are grappling with President Joe Biden's pardoning of his son for a federal felony conviction — after the party spent years slamming Donald Trump as a threat to democracy who operates above the law. The White House on Monday struggled to defend the pardon, claiming the prosecution was politically motivated — a page out of Trump's playbook. That explanation did not satisfy some Democrats who are angry that Biden’s reversal could make it harder to take on Trump. Hezbollah fires into Israel-held area after multiple Israeli strikes in Lebanon since truce began JERUSALEM (AP) — Hezbollah fired into a disputed border zone held by Israel after multiple Israeli strikes inside Lebanon since a ceasefire took hold last week. The militant group said the volley, its first during the truce, was a warning shot in response to what it called repeated Israeli violations. Israeli leaders threatened to retaliate, further straining the fragile U.S.- and French-brokered ceasefire. Israeli strikes in recent days, including a string of hits on Monday, have killed at least four people in Lebanon. U.S. officials said the ceasefire was largely holding. Key players in Syria's long-running civil war, reignited by a shock rebel offensive BEIRUT (AP) — Syria’s civil war has exploded back onto the world stage after insurgents poured out of their main bastion in northwestern Syria and seized large parts of nearby Aleppo, Syria’s largest city, and dozens of nearby towns and villages.. The insurgents offensive triggered the heaviest clashes in the country since a March 2020 cease-fire brokered by Turkey and Russia, who back rival sides in the conflict. Five countries have military presence in Syria including the U.S. that has troops deployed in the country’s east, Turkey that controls parts of northern Syria, Israel that has presence in the Golan Heights and Russia and Iran that have been a main backer of Syrian President Bashar Assad. Woman driving drunk who killed bride still in her wedding dress sentenced to 25 years in prison A woman who admitted to drinking and who was driving well over twice the speed limit when she smashed into a golf cart killing a bride who had just got married at a South Carolina beach has been sentenced to 25 years in prison. Jamie Lee Komoroski pleaded guilty Monday to reckless homicide and three felony driving under the influence charges. Police said the 27-year-old drank at several bars on April 28, 2023, and was driving 65 mph on a narrow Folly Beach road when she slammed into a golf cart leaving a wedding. The bride, 34-year-old Samantha Miller, died still wearing her wedding dress. Florida woman sentenced to life for zipping boyfriend into suitcase, suffocating him A 47-year-oldFlorida woman has been sentenced to life in prison for zipping her boyfriend into a suitcase and leaving him to die of suffocation amid a history of domestic and alcohol abuse. Circuit Judge Michael Kraynick imposed the sentence Monday in Orlando on Sarah Boone for the 2020 killing of 42-year-old Jorge Torres. A jury deliberated only 90 minutes Oct. 25 before convicting Boone of the second-degree murder of Jorge Torres after a 10-day trial. Boone had insisted she was herself a victim of domestic violence at the hands of Torres and had pleaded not guilty. Already buried under snow, Great Lakes region expected to see more stormy weather this week Some storm-weary residents of the Great Lakes region have seen continued snowfall and are facing the prospect of even more accumulations this week. Lake-effect snow continues to fall on parts of western New York that were already blanketed with a foot or more over the past four days. Lake-effect snow warnings are in effect through Tuesday night in parts of Ohio, New York and Pennsylvania. Snow fell in western Michigan overnight, and heavier, persistent snow of up to a foot was expected to follow into Monday. Meanwhile, Alaska's capital got more than a foot of snow over the weekend. The National Weather Service says the wintry weather is stronger than Juneau usually sees this time of year. Stock market today: Rising tech stocks pull Wall Street to another record NEW YORK (AP) — Technology stocks pulled Wall Street to another record amid mixed trading. The S&P 500 rose 0.2% Monday after closing November at an all-time high. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.3%, and the Nasdaq composite gained 1%. Super Micro Computer, a stock that’s been on an AI-driven roller coaster, soared after saying an investigation found no evidence of misconduct by its management or the company’s board. Retailers were mixed coming off Black Friday and heading into what’s expected to be the best Cyber Monday on record. Treasury yields held relatively steady in the bond market. Cyber Monday shoppers expected to set a record on the year's biggest day for online shopping Consumers in the U.S. are scouring the internet for online deals as they look to make the most of the post-Thanksgiving shopping marathon on Cyber Monday. The National Retail Federation coined the term for the Monday after Black Friday in 2005. Even though e-commerce is now part and parcel of many people’s regular routine, Cyber Monday continues to be the biggest online shopping day of the year, thanks to steady discounts and a fair amount of hype. Several major retails actually started their Cyber Monday promotions over the weekend. Consumer spending for the online shopping days between Thanksgiving and Cyber Monday provides an indication of how much shoppers are willing to spend for the holidays.DeMeco Ryans makes surprising comments about Trevor Lawrence hitBy JOSH BOAK and ZEKE MILLER, The Associated Press WASHINGTON — Working-class voters helped Republicans make steady election gains this year and expanded a coalition that increasingly includes rank-and-file union members, a political shift spotlighting one of President-elect Donald Trump’s latest Cabinet picks: a GOP congresswoman, who has drawn labor support, to be his labor secretary. Oregon Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer narrowly lost her bid for a second term this month, despite strong backing from union members, a key part of the Democratic base but gravitating in the Trump era toward a Republican Party traditionally allied with business interests. “Lori’s strong support from both the Business and Labor communities will ensure that the Labor Department can unite Americans of all backgrounds behind our Agenda for unprecedented National Success – Making America Richer, Wealthier, Stronger and more Prosperous than ever before!” Trump said in a statement announcing his choice Friday night. For decades, labor unions have sided with Democrats and been greeted largely with hostility by Republicans. But with Trump’s populist appeal, his working-class base saw a decent share of union rank-and-file voting for Republicans this year, even as major unions, including the AFL-CIO and the United Auto Workers, endorsed Democrat Kamala Harris in the White House race. Trump sat down with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters union leadership and members this year, and when he emerged from that meeting, he boasted that a significant chunk of union voters were backing him. Of a possible Teamsters endorsement, he said, “Stranger things have happened.” The Teamsters ultimately declined to endorse either Trump, the former president, or Harris, the vice president, though leader Sean O’Brien had a prominent speaking slot at the Republican National Convention. Kara Deniz, a Teamsters spokesperson, told the Associated Press that O’Brien met with more than a dozen House Republicans this past week to lobby on behalf of Chavez-DeRemer. “Chavez-DeRemer would be an excellent choice for labor secretary and has his backing,” Deniz said. The work of the Labor Department affects workers’ wages, health and safety, ability to unionize, and employers’ rights to fire employers, among other responsibilities. On Election Day, Trump deepened his support among voters without a college degree after running just slightly ahead of Democrat Joe Biden with noncollege voters in 2020. Trump made modest gains, earning a clear majority of this group, while only about 4 in 10 supported Harris, according to AP VoteCast, a sweeping survey of more than 120,000 voters nationwide. Roughly 18% of voters in this year’s election were from union households, with Harris winning a majority of the group. But Trump’s performance among union members kept him competitive and helped him win key states such as Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin. Chavez-DeRemer was one of few House Republicans to endorse the “Protecting the Right to Organize” or PRO Act, which would allow more workers to conduct organizing campaigns and add penalties for companies that violate workers’ rights. The measure would weaken “right-to-work” laws that allow employees in more than half the states to avoid participating in or paying dues to unions that represent workers at their places of employment. Trump’s first term saw firmly pro-business policies from his appointees across government, including those on the National Labor Relations Board. Trump, a real estate developer and businessman before winning the presidency, generally has backed policies that would make it harder for workers to unionize. During his recent campaign, Trump criticized union bosses, and at one point suggested that UAW members should not pay their dues. His first administration did expand overtime eligibility rules, but not nearly as much as Democrats wanted, and a Trump-appointed judge has since struck down the Biden administration’s more generous overtime rules. He has stacked his incoming administration with officials who worked on the Heritage Foundation’s “Project 2025” blueprint, which includes a sharp swing away from Biden’s pro-union policies. “Chavez-DeRemer’s record suggests she understands the value of policies that strengthen workers’ rights and economic security,” said Rebecca Dixon, president and CEO of National Employment Law Project, which is backed my many of the country’s major labor unions. “But the Trump administration’s agenda is fundamentally at odds with these principles, threatening to roll back workplace protections, undermine collective bargaining, and prioritize corporate profits over the needs of working people. This is where her true commitment to workers will be tested.” Other union leaders also issued praise, but also sounded a note of caution. “Educators and working families across the nation will be watching ... as she moves through the confirmation process,” the president of the National Education Association, Becky Pringle, said in a statement, “and hope to hear a pledge from her to continue to stand up for workers and students as her record suggests, not blind loyalty to the Project 2025 agenda.” AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler welcomed the choice while taking care to note Trump’s history of opposing polices that support unions. “It remains to be seen what she will be permitted to do as secretary of labor in an administration with a dramatically anti-worker agenda,” Shuler said.

DURANGO, Colo., Dec. 02, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory Inc. (Nasdaq: RMCF) (the “Company”, “we”, or “RMCF”), an international franchisor and producer of premium chocolates and other confectionery products, including gourmet caramel apples, is pleased to announce the appointments of Melvin Keating and Al Harper to the Company’s Board of Directors, replacing Starlette B. Johnson and Charlson Arnold, effective November 26, 2024. “We’d like to thank both Starlette and Charles for serving on the Board,” stated Jeff Geygan, Interim CEO of RMCF. “At the same time, we are delighted to welcome Mel and Al as the newest members of our Board. Their knowledge and experience will bring great value as we look to return Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory to sustained growth and profitability.” Mr. Keating brings extensive experience in corporate leadership, investment advisory, and board service, having served on nearly 20 public company boards throughout his career including directorship for SPS Commerce, Vitamin Shoppe, Tower Jazz Semiconductor, and Crown Crafts, among others. He has held various leadership positions including President and CEO of Alliance Semiconductor Corp., where he successfully executed a complex corporate restructuring, and also served as a Strategy Consultant for Warburg Pincus Equity Partners. He currently serves as a director of Agilysys, Inc. Mr. Harper is a seasoned entrepreneur and leader with expertise spanning industries such as transportation, real estate, and entertainment. As the Owner and President of American Heritage Railways, Inc., he oversees operations for its subsidiaries including the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad and the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad. Mr. Harper is also one of the largest shareholders of RMCF, having recently purchased approximately one million shares of the Company (13% of common shares outstanding). About Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory, Inc. Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory, Inc. is an international franchiser of premium chocolate and confection stores, and a producer of an extensive line of premium chocolates and other confectionery products, including gourmet caramel apples. Headquartered in Durango, Colorado, Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory is ranked among Entrepreneur’s Franchise 500 ® and Franchise Times’ Franchise 400 ® for 2024. The Company and its franchisees and licensees operate nearly 260 Rocky Mountain Chocolate stores across the United States, with several international locations. The Company's common stock is listed on the Nasdaq Global Market under the symbol "RMCF." Investor Contact Sean Mansouri, CFA Elevate IR 720-330-2829 RMCF@elevate-ir.comIfedi starts at left tackle for Browns in prime-time matchup against AFC North-leading SteelersI’m a Celeb fans blast Dean McCullough as he makes ‘cheeky’ request to Danny Jones

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The Pittsburgh Steelers saw their former Pro Bowl wide receiver Diontae Johnson get traded from the Carolina Panthers to their AFC North rival Baltimore Ravens before the 2024 NFL trade deadline. Johnson was excited to be back in the AFC North and face his former team as the Steelers and Ravens still had two matchups in the season when Johnson was traded. However, Johnson hasn't made much of an impact in Baltimore so far. Through five games, Johnson has only had one catch for six yards and five targets. Johnson spent five seasons with the Steelers after being drafted in the third round of the 2019 NFL Draft. He had 4,363 receiving yards with the Steelers and served as Pittsburgh's top wide receiver for a while. The move to trade Johnson brought in Donte Jackson from the Panthers and a sixth-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. Johnson had his up and down moments in Pittsburgh, but he was seeing a good amount of workload in Carolina. Before getting traded to the Ravens, Johnson had 357 yards and three touchdowns with the Panthers . Johnson joined a then 5-3 Ravens team and got a MVP quarterback with Lamar Jackson throwing to him. The former Toledo standout didn't see much work in Week 9, but it was assumed he was being worked into the offense. He had his Week 11 revenge matchup against the Steelers, but failed to bring in a single catch on his two targets. Questions have been risen why Johnson hasn't seen much of the field. The Ravens' only notable receivers are Zay Flowers, Rashod Bateman, and Nelson Agholor, so why hasn't Johnson, who has proved himself in the past, not getting more playing time? Ravens Head Coach John Harbaugh held a press conference Monday following Baltimore's Week 13 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles and responded to questions about Johnson on the offense. "At this time, I'm going to have to wait. There are some moving parts there that we're going to have to figure out and explore and see where we're at. It's the best I can do in fairness to everybody," Harbaugh said. The Athletic Ravens' reporter Jeff Zrebiec reported after Week 13's game that Johnson had played no snaps against the Eagles. There were multiple shots during CBS' broadcast that showed Johnson on the sideline looking on with no emotion on his face. Johnson was getting targets and a lot of playing time with the Panthers, so he's clearly upset with the situation he's in now. Ravens snap counts in loss to Eagles: Diontae Johnson doesn’t get on field on a day where Wallace and Agholor play 40 snaps each. Oweh plays just 15 snaps while Tavius Robinson nearly goes the distance. Board outsnaps Simpson. pic.twitter.com/FePJKsjXkM It is tough to see as Johnson had a lot of good moments in Pittsburgh. He did have his infamous catches and run backwards plays, with some easy dropped pass moments, but overall he was a good addition in the wide receiver room, especially when George Pickens joined the team in 2022. Nothing is known on whether Johnson will finish out the season with the Ravens or if Harbaugh will start implementing him in the offense more. Johnson has received praise from his quarterback Jackson, but not much has come from that. Steelers Could Get Johnson Back After This Season Johnson will become a free agent after this season, so Head Coach Mike Tomlin and General Manager Omar Khan could make a move to sign Johnson again. It'd be interesting to see how Johnson would play with Russell Wilson , as for most of Johnson's career he had a subpar quarterback room in Pittsburgh. Although, Tomlin had some comments about Johnson before their Week 11 matchup in Pittsburgh and Tomlin wasn't too worried about facing off against his former wide receiver. It could've been from the rivalry, but Tomlin doesn't seem like he's in a rush to sign Johnson back. Harbaugh still has four more weeks and a potential playoff run with the Ravens to prove Johnson was a good acquisition for Baltimore. The Steelers will face the Ravens in Baltimore in Week 16 for their second matchup, so maybe Harbaugh will use Johnson more then to get him going against his former team one last time during this season. This article first appeared on SteelerNation.com and was syndicated with permission.Nick Saban not with Alabama head football coach Kalen DeBoer’s Crimson Tide for ReliaQuest Bowl practices | Sporting News

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Quinn runs for 154 yards, 2 TDs to lead Texas Southern over Arkansas-Pine Bluff 31-23A growing trend has emerged in the aftermath of Florida's historic hurricane season: investors are snatching up hurricane-damaged homes, particularly in neighborhoods like St. Petersburg's Shore Acres. Fox 13 Tampa Bay first reported on this on Dec. 13, highlighting both the opportunities and risks of this phenomenon. While some see this as an opportunity to rebuild and revitalize, others are raising red flags about the quality of repairs – and whether future buyers will unknowingly inherit homes with hidden issues. Don't Miss: Unlock the hidden potential of commercial real estate — This platform allows individuals to invest in commercial real estate offering a 12% target yield with a bonus 1% return boost today! During market downturns, investors are learning that unlike equities, these high-yield real estate notes that pay 7.5% – 9% are protected by resilient assets, buffering against losses. Albert Jasuwan of JAS Builders explained to Fox 13 that many investors are focused on waterfront properties now valued at $800,000 or less. "The main thing investors are focusing on is lifting homes and rebuilding them," Jasuwan said. The emphasis on rebuilding has made these properties attractive to investors hoping to flip them for a profit. In Shore Acres, the numbers tell a clear story. Kevin Batdorf, a local realtor and president of the Shore Acres Civic Association, shared that of the 40 homes sold in the neighborhood since the hurricane, 38 were purchased by investors. "My biggest concern is that investors are going in and, as we say in the business, slapping lipstick on a pig to resell them," Batdorf said. The phrase "slapping lipstick on a pig" highlights concerns that some of these repairs may be superficial, leaving deeper structural or water damage unresolved. See Also: This Jeff Bezos-backed startup will allow you to become a landlord in just 10 minutes, with minimum investments as low as $100 for properties like the Byer House from Stranger Things. For buyers, this could mean costly surprises, particularly when securing insurance for these homes. "The biggest concern is for the person who buys it from the investor because they won't be aware of how bad the damage was and may not be able to get insurance," Batdorf warned. Florida's home insurance market is in a tough spot and recent hurricanes have only worsened things. Homeowners are facing skyrocketing premiums, with some seeing increases as high as 400% over the past few years. The situation has become so dire that many major insurers, like Farmers Insurance, have pulled out of the state entirely, leaving homeowners with fewer options . Trending: Commercial real estate has historically outperformed the stock market, and this platform allows individuals to invest in commercial real estate with as little as $5,000 offering a 12% target yield with a bonus 1% return boost today! Still, there's another side to the story. Real estate agent Paige (last name not provided) offered a more optimistic view to the news outlet, suggesting that experienced investors might be better equipped to handle the complexities of rebuilding. "You can trust what they're doing; they probably have more experience and are going to get it done the right way," Paige said. She contrasted this with inexperienced individuals who might make mistakes that could ultimately impact property values in the neighborhood. This debate emphasizes a larger issue: transparency . Future buyers must thoroughly vet any hurricane-damaged home, ideally with the help of a structural engineer or inspector familiar with storm-related damage. Some experts call for more robust disclosure requirements on the seller’s side to ensure buyers understand the extent of prior damage and repairs. As Florida continues to rebuild before the next storm season, this trend highlights the fine line between revitalization and risk. For now, the advice for prospective buyers is clear: do your homework and don't rely on appearances alone. After all, no one wants to pay top dollar for a home only to discover it's still reeling from the last storm. Read Next: Warren Buffett once said, "If you don't find a way to make money while you sleep, you will work until you die." These high-yield real estate notes that pay 7.5% – 9% make earning passive income easier than ever. These five entrepreneurs are worth $223 billion – they all believe in one platform that offers a 7-9% target yield with monthly dividends © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.