American taxpayers tied to potential funding of $7.5B loanLuke Williams feels Swansea ‘lost grip’ on game despite sealing victory at Derby

None

NoneHANOVER, Pa.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec 20, 2024-- An affiliate of Balmoral Funds LLC (“Balmoral”) has successfully acquired R.H. Sheppard Co., Inc. (“Sheppard” or the “Company”), a leading provider of steering technologies for Class 5-8 trucks in North America, from Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems LLC, a North American subsidiary of Knorr-Bremse (ISIN: DE000KBX1006, ticker symbol: KBX). The transaction encompasses the entire Sheppard business, including Sheppard’s branded products, production equipment, sales and service companies, and interests in joint ventures relating to sales and production. This acquisition positions R.H. Sheppard as an independent platform, primed to build on its legacy of reliability, innovation, and customer trust. With a deep history of serving major OEMs and delivering critical steering solutions, Sheppard remains at the forefront of heavy-duty truck steering technology. Kevin Stevick, an experienced industry leader with a proven leadership track record across companies such as Niagara LaSalle Corporation and Advanced Alloy Processing, has been appointed CEO of R.H. Sheppard. “We are thrilled to lead Sheppard into its next chapter as an independent company,” said Kevin Stevick. “Sheppard has built a legacy of trust by delivering reliable, high-quality solutions that our customers depend on. As we move forward, our first priority is to uphold and strengthen that reliability, ensuring we continue to meet and exceed customer expectations. At the same time, we’re committed to investing in the business—empowering our employees, enhancing operations, and driving innovation to unlock Sheppard’s full potential. Together, we will build on Sheppard’s strong foundation and position the company for long-term success.” Richard Levernier, board member of Sheppard and Principal at Balmoral Funds, added: “We are excited to partner with and support R.H. Sheppard as the leading U.S.-based provider of steering technologies for commercial vehicles. As a standalone company, Sheppard now has the freedom and focus to chart its own path—investing in its employees, strengthening operations, and delivering the reliable, high-quality solutions customers deserve. We look forward to providing management with the resources needed to secure the bright future we envision for the Company, its employees, customers and all stakeholders.” Balmoral’s investment underscores a commitment to strengthening Sheppard’s operational capabilities and driving improved performance. By prioritizing its employees, operational efficiency, and deeper customer partnerships, Sheppard is poised to elevate its role as a leader in steering solutions for the heavy-duty trucking industry. This renewed focus will not only build upon Sheppard’s trusted reputation but also position the company to capitalize on emerging opportunities for long-term, sustainable growth. About R.H. Sheppard R.H. Sheppard Co., Inc. is a leading North American provider of steering technologies for Class 5-8 trucks, delivering safety-critical steering solutions to support performance and reliability across the heavy-duty trucking industry. Headquartered in Hanover, PA, Sheppard operates a vertically integrated manufacturing base with facilities in Wytheville, VA, and Shelby Township, MI. About Balmoral Funds LLC Balmoral is a Los Angeles, CA based private equity fund that was founded in 2005. Balmoral’s objective is to be the financial partner of choice for entrepreneurial and successful C-suite executives and operating advisors creating transformative outcomes in the businesses they co-invest in together. Balmoral has approximately $1.3 billion of assets under management. Balmoral typically invests in companies that have revenues between $30 to $500 million and require equity investments of $10 to $120 million, with the capability of doing more in particularly compelling opportunities. View source version on businesswire.com : https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241220851230/en/ CONTACT: Richard Levernier rlevernier@balmoralfunds.com KEYWORD: CALIFORNIA PENNSYLVANIA UNITED STATES NORTH AMERICA INDUSTRY KEYWORD: PROFESSIONAL SERVICES TRUCKING AUTOMOTIVE GENERAL AUTOMOTIVE TRANSPORT FINANCE SOURCE: Balmoral Funds LLC Copyright Business Wire 2024. PUB: 12/20/2024 01:33 PM/DISC: 12/20/2024 01:33 PM http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241220851230/en

AP Sports SummaryBrief at 6:25 p.m. ESTBoys Basketball Perkiomen Valley 73, Norristown 53 Senior Jakob Harken erupted for a school-record 51 points on Thursday night, nearly outscoring the opposition by himself in one of the most heat-check performances in recent memory. The Rochester Institute of Technology commit scored 20 points in the first quarter, 13 in the second, eight in the third and 10 more in the fourth. Harken made 15 two-pointers, three triples and was 12-for-15 at the foul line. “Special night for Jakob for sure,” PV head coach Mike Poysden said. “The product of countless hours working on his craft. An exciting game where [...]

Elon Musk wants to ‘delete’ a federal agency designed to prevent another financial crisis and protect people from scamsNone

BEIRUT — Hezbollah fired about 250 rockets and other projectiles into Israel on Sunday, wounding seven people in one of the militant group's heaviest barrages in months, in response to deadly Israeli strikes in Beirut while negotiators pressed on with cease-fire efforts to halt the all-out war. An Israeli bomb squad policeman carries the remains of a rocket that was fired from Lebanon on Sunday in Kibbutz Kfar Blum, northern Israel. Some of the rockets reached the Tel Aviv area in the heart of Israel. Meanwhile, an Israeli strike on an army center killed a Lebanese soldier and wounded 18 others in the southwest between Tyre and Naqoura, Lebanon's military said. The Israeli military expressed regret, saying that the strike occurred in an area of combat against Hezbollah and that the military's operations are directed solely against the militants. Israeli strikes have killed over 40 Lebanese troops since the start of the war between Israel and Hezbollah, even as Lebanon's military has largely kept to the sidelines. Lebanon's caretaker prime minister, Najib Mikati, condemned the latest strike as an assault on U.S.-led cease-fire efforts, calling it a “direct, bloody message rejecting all efforts and ongoing contacts” to end the war. Hezbollah began firing rockets, missiles and drones into Israel after Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023, attack out of the Gaza Strip ignited the war there. Hezbollah has portrayed the attacks as an act of solidarity with the Palestinians and Hamas. Iran supports both armed groups. The Israeli police bomb squad inspects the site after a missile fired from Lebanon hit the area Sunday in Petah Tikva, outskirts of Tel Aviv, Israel. Israel launched retaliatory airstrikes at Hezbollah, and in September the low-level conflict erupted into all-out war as Israel launched airstrikes across large parts of Lebanon and killed Hezbollah's top leader, Hassan Nasrallah. The Israeli military said about 250 projectiles were fired Sunday, with some intercepted. Israel’s Magen David Adom rescue service said it treated seven people, including a 60-year old man in severe condition from rocket fire on northern Israel, a 23-year-old man who was lightly wounded by a blast in the central city of Petah Tikva, near Tel Aviv, and a 70-year-old woman who suffered smoke inhalation from a car that caught fire there. In Haifa, a rocket hit a residential building that police said was in danger of collapsing. The Palestine Red Crescent reported 13 injuries it said were caused by an interceptor missile that struck several homes in Tulkarem in the West Bank. It was unclear whether injuries and damage were caused by rockets or interceptors. Sirens wailed again in central and northern Israel hours later. Israeli airstrikes without warning on Saturday pounded central Beirut, killing at least 29 people and wounding 67, according to Lebanon's Health Ministry. A flock of birds flies above the smoke from Israeli airstrikes Sunday in Dahiyeh, Beirut. Smoke billowed above Beirut again Sunday with new strikes. Israel's military said it targeted command centers for Hezbollah and its intelligence unit in the southern suburbs of Dahiyeh, where the militants have a strong presence. Israeli attacks have killed more than 3,700 people in Lebanon, according to the Health Ministry. The fighting has displaced about 1.2 million people, or a quarter of Lebanon’s population. On the Israeli side, about 90 soldiers and nearly 50 civilians have been killed by bombardment in northern Israel and in battle following Israel's ground invasion in early October. Around 60,000 Israelis have been displaced from the country's north. The EU's foreign policy chief Josep Borrell called for an "immediate ceasefire" in the Israel-Hezbollah war while on a visit to the Lebanese c... The European Union’s top diplomat called Sunday for more pressure on Israel and Hezbollah to reach a deal, saying one was "pending with a final agreement from the Israeli government.” U.S. envoy Amos Hochstein was in the region last week. Josep Borrell spoke after meeting with Mikati and Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, a Hezbollah ally who has been mediating with the group. Borrell said the EU is ready to allocate $208 million to assist the Lebanese military. But Borrell later said that he did not “see the Israeli government interested clearly in reaching an agreement for a cease-fire" and that it seemed Israel was seeking new conditions. He pointed to Israel’s refusal to accept France as a member of the international committee that would oversee the cease-fire's implementation. The emerging agreement would pave the way for the withdrawal of Hezbollah militants and Israeli troops from southern Lebanon below the Litani River in accordance with the U.N. Security Council resolution that ended the monthlong 2006 war. Lebanese troops would patrol with the presence of U.N. peacekeepers. With talks for a cease-fire and hostage release deal in Gaza stalled, freed hostages and families of those held marked a year since the war's only hostage-release deal. “It’s hard to hold on to hope, certainly after so long and as another winter is about to begin," said Yifat Zailer, cousin of Shiri Bibas, who is held along with her husband and two young sons. Around 100 hostages are still in Gaza, at least a third believed to be dead. Most of the rest of the 250 who were abducted in the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack were released in last year's cease-fire. Talks for another deal recently had several setbacks, including the firing of Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, who pushed for a deal, and Qatar’s decision to suspend its mediation. Hamas wants Israel to end the war and withdraw all troops from Gaza. Israel has offered only to pause its offensive. The Palestinian death toll from the war surpassed 44,000 this week, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between civilians and combatants in its count. On Sunday, six people were killed in strikes in central Gaza, according to AP journalists at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al-Balah. How often do you buy something online ? A couple of times a month? A couple of times a week? A couple of times a day? Everybody's answer will be different, but collectively, it's done a lot: Online retail accounted for over $1 trillion of purchases in the U.S. in 2022 and a record $277.6 billion in the second quarter of 2023 alone. Retailers ranging from titans like Amazon and Walmart, down to local small-town shops work very hard to land their share of that business. Sadly and inevitably—so do criminals and scammers. At any given moment, they operate millions of bogus sites. So how can you spot those fake online shopping sites? Spokeo provides a guide. In the early days of the internet , it took some genuine skills to set up a website, but those days are gone. A quick search will show that there are lots of apps and services offering websites on a prefabricated "fill in the blanks" basis, and most web hosts provide those tools as part of the service when someone signs up with them. It's even easier on social media . If you were opening a "side hustle" business tomorrow from your home, you could set up your own Facebook page tonight in under an hour, with exactly zero knowledge of websites. Once that page is set up, you just need to throw a few dollars in the direction of Facebook's advertising department, and they'll start advertising your page to users. It's no harder to promote a website, except in that case, you'd give your advertising dollars to Google. This is a simplified overview, but the main point holds: Establishing a presence online has become a very democratized process, open to anyone with minimal skills and even the smallest budget for advertising. That's been a boon for legitimate entrepreneurs, but it also makes life very easy indeed for scammers. There are multiple types of bogus websites . Some are imposters, created to look very much like a legitimate commercial or government site that you're familiar with, such as Amazon or Netflix. Others don't imitate a specific site, but instead attempt to capture the look and feel of those sites in general (whether that be a retail site, a government or bank page, or even something relatively shady like a gambling or porn site). Next, scammers find ways to drive traffic to their site. Often that's through phishing texts or emails, but deceptive ads on social media or search engines like Google and Bing work just as well. Once a browser arrives at the criminals' site (or, in some cases, downloads their app), any number of bad things can happen. One is that they'll download malware onto your devices, which can capture passwords or steal personal information. A more straightforward risk is that the browser will cheerfully enter their personal and banking/credit card information, thinking they're making a legitimate purchase. That's largely why fake online shopping sites are so dangerous, and so useful to scammers and identity thieves. Most bogus sites share some or all of those characteristics, but shopping sites are a very specific type of bogus site with some quirks of their own. One characteristic to count on—whether the website directly impersonates a major retailer like Amazon, a niche retailer like MEC, or just positions itself as an anonymously general retail site—is that it will offer unusually low pricing on high-demand products. That might be a mass-market item like the latest gaming console, a suddenly in-demand item that's unavailable through normal channels (remember trying to get masks and sanitizing wipes during COVID-19?), or something as mundane as disposable diapers or high-capacity computer drives. Whatever the product, the advertised price will be low enough to get attention. The bogus site will have any number of ways to transfer a browser's money to its coffers, depending on the scammers' intentions and skillset. A few of the most common include: These are all aside from the potential to infect devices or steal payment information . Sites focused on identity theft might consider a faux purchase to be just the added gravy. How common is online shopping fraud? Well, the news is pretty bad. The FTC's 2022 Consumer Sentinel Network Data Book recorded over 327,000 online shopping complaints, the fourth-highest category for overall complaints and second among fraud categories. You would expect these sites to be more prevalent during the final quarter of the year, corresponding to the holiday gift-giving season—Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and Christmas itself—and they are, but that doesn't mean you can relax during the other nine months of the year. The Anti-Phishing Working Group, or APWG, identified nearly a million fake or phishing websites during the first quarter of 2022 alone (not a busy time of year for shopping), for example. To be clear, only 14.6% of those were eCommerce sites, but that still translates to well over 140,000 bogus shopping sites. The true number is almost certainly higher because the APWG only tracks the ones that use a phishing approach. Many opt to simply buy advertising instead (or as well), and those won't be captured in the APWG's statistics. However you slice it, there's a definite risk of encountering these sites when you shop. The good news is that bogus shopping sites aren't hard to spot, once you're aware of the risk. They aren't built for permanence; scammers pull them together quickly and cheaply and then abandon them once they stop producing.That "just good enough" approach leaves plenty of visible signs you can detect. Below, here's what to look for when recognizing fake online shopping sites. Bad images Bogus sites don't have direct access to the real products' manufacturing images, so they resort to copying and pasting from legitimate sites. \That means bogus sites' product images (and often their fake logos, if they impersonate a legitimate site) are fuzzy and low-res. A URL that's slightly "off" Imposter sites obviously can't have the same URL as the legitimate site, so they'll usually have a URL that looks right, but isn't quite. They might have a typo in the name, or incorporate the real company's name into their URL in a non-standard way ("myfakesite.amazon.com.123xyz.com"), or—sneakiest of all—use a letter from a different language's character set , which looks the same to the eye, but not to the computer. Broken links The scammers may have simply copied and pasted user interface elements from a legitimate site, in which case many links on the site may be broken (or simply not clickable). Lots of missing elements A legitimate retail website will have several pages of legalese, often starting with a pop-up about its cookie policy or privacy policy. You should certainly expect to see a detailed document spelling out shipping policies, return and refund policies, and similar details. If those are missing or brief and vapid, it's probably a fake site. Limited options for payment Sites that plan to take your money and run will often show oddly specific payment options, from wire transfers to gift cards to cryptocurrency. The thing those payment methods have in common is that it's very difficult to get money back once it's spent. Sites geared around capturing your personal or payment information, on the other hand, may insist on getting your credit card. Typos, grammar, and linguistic errors Simple, silly language errors are often a red flag. Scammers may not be native English speakers, and it shows up in awkward or sometimes inappropriate phrasing. Errors in actual product listings aren't necessarily a smoking gun—you'll see them frequently on real Amazon pages—because they come from the manufacturers, who are often not English speakers. Language errors on the rest of the site are more of a concern. HTTP vs. HTTPS In the address bar of your browser, a legitimate retail site's URL will start with HTTPS, rather than HTTP, and will show a closed lock symbol. The majority of fake sites now also have an HTTPS URL and will show the lock (so this isn't as helpful as it used to be), but less-sophisticated scammers may miss that detail. You can automatically rule those ones out. And, of course, the biggest red flag of all is an unrealistically low price on the product you're looking for. We all want to get a really good deal, but that impulse will often lead you astray. If a shopping site fails those basic "eyeball" tests, the smart thing to do is just close that browser tab and walk away. If you want to dig deeper, or if you aren't sure, there are a few quick and easy ways to verify a site's legitimacy. Use a URL/website checker Remember those really sneaky fake URLs that use a letter from another alphabet? The best way to check those (and other problematic elements in a URL) is through a URL verifier/website reputation service, like the ones from URLVoid and Google . Just copy (don't click!) the link, and paste it into the checker. If the site is sketchy, they'll tell you. Look up the site on a registry Domain names all need to be registered and there are several lookup tools to check this, like ICANN's registration lookup (think of it as Spokeo for websites). If a site claims to be Amazon but was registered just a few weeks ago, that's a really big red flag. Similarly, if the site isn't located where it should be, or if the ownership data is obscured, that's grounds for concern. Turn to Google If you have a bad feeling about a particular site, do a quick Google or Bing (or whatever) search that pairs the site's name with keywords like "scam," "fraud," "bogus" or "ripoff" and see what comes up. If you get a lot of hits, that's definitely grounds for concern. Go Forth and Shop (Safely) If a given site fails any or all of those tests, then keeping your wallet in your pocket is definitely the smart choice. Instead of making the purchase, report the site instead to the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center and the FTC's Report Fraud website. That will get the investigative wheels turning and may help protect someone less wary from falling victim to the scammers. As always, wariness and skepticism are your friends when it comes to avoiding scams. Don't click on links in emails, texts , or social media messages; instead, go to the company's site by typing the URL directly. If you search a company's page on Google, scroll down through the actual search results until you find it instead of clicking on the sponsored results or advertisements at the top. Most of all, remember the golden rule of scam avoidance: If it seems too good to be true, it probably is. Keeping those principles in mind, and using the tips given here to screen out dubious sites means you'll be able to shop 'til you drop (safely), despite the vast number of scammers out there. And that—as the credit card ads like to say—is priceless. This story was produced by Spokeo and reviewed and distributed by Stacker. Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox!

NoneBEMIDJI — Bemidji State University is returning to Twins Territory in 2025, and fans can score an exclusive deal. Tickets for the annual BSU Night at Target Field go on sale at midnight on Monday, Dec. 2, with a one-day-only Cyber Monday discount. Alumni and friends can buy tickets to the July 25 game against the Washington Nationals for $50 – over 20% off the normal group rate. Tickets will increase to the full price of $64 starting on Tuesday, Dec. 3. Tickets will be available at www.bsualumni.org/twins, and users will be able to access that page starting Monday. All tickets include all-inclusive food and non-alcoholic drinks in the Legends Landing section. The menu features hot dogs, burgers, chicken tenders, chips, popcorn, soda, water, juice, milk and more (offerings based on availability). Before the game, attendees can also gather with other Beavers for a pregame social at Town Ball Tavern, located in the left field corner area of the Club Concourse, between Section V and Section 229. The Bemidji Alumni Choir will also perform the national anthem before first pitch. Gates open at 5:10 p.m., with first pitch scheduled for 7:10 p.m. All registrants to BSU Night at Target Field will receive their tickets approximately two weeks before the game at the email address they provide at registration. For questions, contact Angela Schmidt at angela.schmidt@bemidjistate.edu or 218-755-2599.

is known for its powerful gas-powered sports cars, but its upcoming all-electric model could pack an even bigger punch. The team has been testing a secret EV prototype, dubbed “Beast,” since 2018. A new video gives us a sneak peek at the BMW M Beast. BMW’s high-performance unit is plowing ahead with its first M-badged electric car. We caught a glimpse of the upcoming EV earlier this month under camouflage during of its new series, “BMW M Electrified.” The series gives a behind-the-scenes look as BMW M develops its first electric model. In the latest episode, BMW picks up where it left off, revealing early prototypes. BMW M CEO Frank van Meel said, “We had no idea where this technology would lead us.”In 2018, a small team developed a “super raw vehicle” internally called “The Beast.” According to Michael Sailer, part of BMW M’s functional development driving dynamics team, The Beast EV is “super powerful” and “doesn’t have the calmness” of other M vehicles, making it really hard to control. That’s what BMW M is working to nail. Meel said the massive change opens even more opportunities as the industry rapidly shifts to electric. He explained that the final M5 “missed a lot of traction.” As BMW M prepares to launch the next generation, its chief said, “We need to do something to control the power better.” BMW M’s boss said, “It feels a little bit like January 2015 where I said: Trust me, I’m an engineer, and M xDrive is going to be great.” Now, he’s saying, “Trust me that what we’re working on right now for the future will be at least as great.” Based on BMW’s upcoming Neue Klasse EV platform, the first electric M car is expected to boast 1,340 hp or one megawatt, with four independent motors. At that, it would top the with up to 1,092 hp. and subscribe to the . Peter Johnson is covering the auto industry’s step-by-step transformation to electric vehicles. He is an experienced investor, financial writer, and EV enthusiast. His enthusiasm for electric vehicles, primarily Tesla, is a significant reason he pursued a career in investments. If he isn’t telling you about his latest 10K findings, you can find him enjoying the outdoors or exercisingDevelopers’ body CREDAI has urged the Centre to reconsider the proposal of charging 18% GST on Floor Space Index (FSI) and additional FSI charges to be paid to local authorities for real estate projects. This move would have a substantial incremental impact on project costs, further pushing housing prices up by approximately 10% across various parts of the country thus adversely impacting demand, CREDAI said in a letter to Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. “FSI and additional FSI charges constitute a significant part of the project cost, and the proposal to impose 18% GST on such charges could prove to be counterproductive and act as a deterrent to housing supply and demand, owing to additional financial obligations and increasing housing prices as a direct consequence,” said CREDAI President Boman Irani. “We strongly request and recommend to the government to keep the FSI charges exempt from GST. Any retrospective or prospective charges could destabilise the financial foundations of numerous projects, hampering the ability to facilitate timely possession by developers,” he added. Meanwhile, in another development, CREDAI-MCHI, which represents the real estate industry in Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR), has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with Mahatma Phule Renewable Energy and Infrastructure Technology Ltd. (MAHAPREIT) to address air emissions. “The partnership focuses on evaluating the impact of construction activities on air quality, promoting improved construction techniques, and creating a framework to mitigate the environmental footprint of the sector,” the entity said in a statement. Domnic Romell, President of CREDAI-MCHI said, “This collaboration underscores our commitment to sustainable development in the construction sector. By working with MAHAPREIT, we aim to set new benchmarks for environmental responsibility and create a robust roadmap for reducing emissions and achieving Net Zero targets.” Bipin Shrimali, Managing Director, MAHAPREIT said, “The agreement marks a pivotal step toward building a sustainable and eco-conscious construction ecosystem, benefiting both the environment and the wider community.” Published - December 21, 2024 12:24 am IST Copy link Email Facebook Twitter Telegram LinkedIn WhatsApp RedditMichigan's offense is bound to get a makeover before the 2025 season. The Wolverine's offense could use change, as the offense ranked 100th in average points per game (22.3) this season. On Tuesday, the Wolverines they were relieving offensive coordinator and quarterback coach Kirk Campbell from his duties. Campbell was in his second season as Michigan's quarterbacks coach and first as the offensive coordinator. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Thanks for the feedback.

ATLANTA (AP) — Jimmy Carter, the peanut farmer who won the presidency in the wake of the Watergate scandal and Vietnam War, endured humbling defeat after one tumultuous term and then redefined life after the White House as a global humanitarian, has died. He was 100 years old. The longest-lived American president died on Sunday, more than a year after entering hospice care , at his home in the small town of Plains, Georgia, where he and his wife, Rosalynn, who died at 96 in November 2023 , spent most of their lives, The Carter Center said. “Our founder, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, passed away this afternoon in Plains, Georgia,” the center said in posting about his death on the social media platform X. It added in a statement that he died peacefully, surrounded by his family. As reaction poured in from around the world, President Joe Biden mourned Carter’s death, saying the world lost an “extraordinary leader, statesman and humanitarian” and he lost a dear friend. Biden cited Carter’s compassion and moral clarity, his work to eradicate disease, forge peace, advance civil and human rights, promote free and fair elections, house the homeless and advocacy for the disadvantaged as an example for others. “To all of the young people in this nation and for anyone in search of what it means to live a life of purpose and meaning – the good life – study Jimmy Carter, a man of principle, faith, and humility,” Biden said in a statement. “He showed that we are a great nation because we are a good people – decent and honorable, courageous and compassionate, humble and strong.” Biden said he is ordering a state funeral for Carter in Washington. Businessman, Navy officer, evangelist, politician, negotiator, author, woodworker, citizen of the world — Carter forged a path that still challenges political assumptions and stands out among the 45 men who reached the nation’s highest office. The 39th president leveraged his ambition with a keen intellect, deep religious faith and prodigious work ethic, conducting diplomatic missions into his 80s and building houses for the poor well into his 90s. “My faith demands — this is not optional — my faith demands that I do whatever I can, wherever I am, whenever I can, for as long as I can, with whatever I have to try to make a difference,” Carter once said. A president from Plains A moderate Democrat, Carter entered the 1976 presidential race as a little-known Georgia governor with a broad smile, outspoken Baptist mores and technocratic plans reflecting his education as an engineer. His no-frills campaign depended on public financing, and his promise not to deceive the American people resonated after Richard Nixon’s disgrace and U.S. defeat in southeast Asia. “If I ever lie to you, if I ever make a misleading statement, don’t vote for me. I would not deserve to be your president,” Carter repeated before narrowly beating Republican incumbent Gerald Ford, who had lost popularity pardoning Nixon. Carter governed amid Cold War pressures, turbulent oil markets and social upheaval over racism, women’s rights and America’s global role. His most acclaimed achievement in office was a Mideast peace deal that he brokered by keeping Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin at the bargaining table for 13 days in 1978. That Camp David experience inspired the post-presidential center where Carter would establish so much of his legacy. Yet Carter’s electoral coalition splintered under double-digit inflation, gasoline lines and the 444-day hostage crisis in Iran. His bleakest hour came when eight Americans died in a failed hostage rescue in April 1980, helping to ensure his landslide defeat to Republican Ronald Reagan. Carter acknowledged in his 2020 “White House Diary” that he could be “micromanaging” and “excessively autocratic,” complicating dealings with Congress and the federal bureaucracy. He also turned a cold shoulder to Washington’s news media and lobbyists, not fully appreciating their influence on his political fortunes. “It didn’t take us long to realize that the underestimation existed, but by that time we were not able to repair the mistake,” Carter told historians in 1982, suggesting that he had “an inherent incompatibility” with Washington insiders. Carter insisted his overall approach was sound and that he achieved his primary objectives — to “protect our nation’s security and interests peacefully” and “enhance human rights here and abroad” — even if he fell spectacularly short of a second term. And then, the world Ignominious defeat, though, allowed for renewal. The Carters founded The Carter Center in 1982 as a first-of-its-kind base of operations, asserting themselves as international peacemakers and champions of democracy, public health and human rights. “I was not interested in just building a museum or storing my White House records and memorabilia,” Carter wrote in a memoir published after his 90th birthday. “I wanted a place where we could work.” That work included easing nuclear tensions in North and South Korea, helping to avert a U.S. invasion of Haiti and negotiating cease-fires in Bosnia and Sudan. By 2022, The Carter Center had declared at least 113 elections in Latin America, Asia and Africa to be free or fraudulent. Recently, the center began monitoring U.S. elections as well. Carter’s stubborn self-assuredness and even self-righteousness proved effective once he was unencumbered by the Washington order, sometimes to the point of frustrating his successors . He went “where others are not treading,” he said, to places like Ethiopia, Liberia and North Korea, where he secured the release of an American who had wandered across the border in 2010. “I can say what I like. I can meet whom I want. I can take on projects that please me and reject the ones that don’t,” Carter said. He announced an arms-reduction-for-aid deal with North Korea without clearing the details with Bill Clinton’s White House. He openly criticized President George W. Bush for the 2003 invasion of Iraq. He also criticized America’s approach to Israel with his 2006 book “Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid.” And he repeatedly countered U.S. administrations by insisting North Korea should be included in international affairs, a position that most aligned Carter with Republican President Donald Trump. Among the center’s many public health initiatives, Carter vowed to eradicate the guinea worm parasite during his lifetime, and nearly achieved it: Cases dropped from millions in the 1980s to nearly a handful. With hardhats and hammers, the Carters also built homes with Habitat for Humanity. The Nobel committee’s 2002 Peace Prize cites his “untiring effort to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts, to advance democracy and human rights, and to promote economic and social development.” Carter should have won it alongside Sadat and Begin in 1978, the chairman added. Carter accepted the recognition saying there was more work to be done. “The world is now, in many ways, a more dangerous place,” he said. “The greater ease of travel and communication has not been matched by equal understanding and mutual respect.” ‘An epic American life’ Carter’s globetrotting took him to remote villages where he met little “Jimmy Carters,” so named by admiring parents. But he spent most of his days in the same one-story Plains house — expanded and guarded by Secret Service agents — where they lived before he became governor. He regularly taught Sunday School lessons at Maranatha Baptist Church until his mobility declined and the coronavirus pandemic raged. Those sessions drew visitors from around the world to the small sanctuary where Carter will receive his final send-off after a state funeral at Washington’s National Cathedral. The common assessment that he was a better ex-president than president rankled Carter and his allies. His prolific post-presidency gave him a brand above politics, particularly for Americans too young to witness him in office. But Carter also lived long enough to see biographers and historians reassess his White House years more generously. His record includes the deregulation of key industries, reduction of U.S. dependence on foreign oil, cautious management of the national debt and notable legislation on the environment, education and mental health. He focused on human rights in foreign policy, pressuring dictators to release thousands of political prisoners . He acknowledged America’s historical imperialism, pardoned Vietnam War draft evaders and relinquished control of the Panama Canal. He normalized relations with China. “I am not nominating Jimmy Carter for a place on Mount Rushmore,” Stuart Eizenstat, Carter’s domestic policy director, wrote in a 2018 book. “He was not a great president” but also not the “hapless and weak” caricature voters rejected in 1980, Eizenstat said. Rather, Carter was “good and productive” and “delivered results, many of which were realized only after he left office.” Madeleine Albright, a national security staffer for Carter and Clinton’s secretary of state, wrote in Eizenstat’s forward that Carter was “consequential and successful” and expressed hope that “perceptions will continue to evolve” about his presidency. “Our country was lucky to have him as our leader,” said Albright, who died in 2022. Jonathan Alter, who penned a comprehensive Carter biography published in 2020, said in an interview that Carter should be remembered for “an epic American life” spanning from a humble start in a home with no electricity or indoor plumbing through decades on the world stage across two centuries. “He will likely go down as one of the most misunderstood and underestimated figures in American history,” Alter told The Associated Press. A small-town start James Earl Carter Jr. was born Oct. 1, 1924, in Plains and spent his early years in nearby Archery. His family was a minority in the mostly Black community, decades before the civil rights movement played out at the dawn of Carter’s political career. Carter, who campaigned as a moderate on race relations but governed more progressively, talked often of the influence of his Black caregivers and playmates but also noted his advantages: His land-owning father sat atop Archery’s tenant-farming system and owned a main street grocery. His mother, Lillian , would become a staple of his political campaigns. Seeking to broaden his world beyond Plains and its population of fewer than 1,000 — then and now — Carter won an appointment to the U.S. Naval Academy, graduating in 1946. That same year he married Rosalynn Smith, another Plains native, a decision he considered more important than any he made as head of state. She shared his desire to see the world, sacrificing college to support his Navy career. Carter climbed in rank to lieutenant, but then his father was diagnosed with cancer, so the submarine officer set aside his ambitions of admiralty and moved the family back to Plains. His decision angered Rosalynn, even as she dived into the peanut business alongside her husband. Carter again failed to talk with his wife before his first run for office — he later called it “inconceivable” not to have consulted her on such major life decisions — but this time, she was on board. “My wife is much more political,” Carter told the AP in 2021. He won a state Senate seat in 1962 but wasn’t long for the General Assembly and its back-slapping, deal-cutting ways. He ran for governor in 1966 — losing to arch-segregationist Lester Maddox — and then immediately focused on the next campaign. Carter had spoken out against church segregation as a Baptist deacon and opposed racist “Dixiecrats” as a state senator. Yet as a local school board leader in the 1950s he had not pushed to end school segregation even after the Supreme Court's Brown v. Board of Education decision, despite his private support for integration. And in 1970, Carter ran for governor again as the more conservative Democrat against Carl Sanders, a wealthy businessman Carter mocked as “Cufflinks Carl.” Sanders never forgave him for anonymous, race-baiting flyers, which Carter disavowed. Ultimately, Carter won his races by attracting both Black voters and culturally conservative whites. Once in office, he was more direct. “I say to you quite frankly that the time for racial discrimination is over,” he declared in his 1971 inaugural address, setting a new standard for Southern governors that landed him on the cover of Time magazine. 'Jimmy Who?' His statehouse initiatives included environmental protection, boosting rural education and overhauling antiquated executive branch structures. He proclaimed Martin Luther King Jr. Day in the slain civil rights leader’s home state. And he decided, as he received presidential candidates in 1972, that they were no more talented than he was. In 1974, he ran Democrats’ national campaign arm. Then he declared his own candidacy for 1976. An Atlanta newspaper responded with the headline: “Jimmy Who?” The Carters and a “Peanut Brigade” of family members and Georgia supporters camped out in Iowa and New Hampshire, establishing both states as presidential proving grounds. His first Senate endorsement: a young first-termer from Delaware named Joe Biden. Yet it was Carter’s ability to navigate America’s complex racial and rural politics that cemented the nomination. He swept the Deep South that November, the last Democrat to do so, as many white Southerners shifted to Republicans in response to civil rights initiatives. A self-declared “born-again Christian,” Carter drew snickers by referring to Scripture in a Playboy magazine interview, saying he “had looked on many women with lust. I’ve committed adultery in my heart many times.” The remarks gave Ford a new foothold and television comedians pounced — including NBC’s new “Saturday Night Live” show. But voters weary of cynicism in politics found it endearing. Carter chose Minnesota Sen. Walter “Fritz” Mondale as his running mate on a “Grits and Fritz” ticket. In office, he elevated the vice presidency and the first lady’s office. Mondale’s governing partnership was a model for influential successors Al Gore, Dick Cheney and Biden. Rosalynn Carter was one of the most involved presidential spouses in history, welcomed into Cabinet meetings and huddles with lawmakers and top aides. The Carters presided with uncommon informality: He used his nickname “Jimmy” even when taking the oath of office, carried his own luggage and tried to silence the Marine Band’s “Hail to the Chief.” They bought their clothes off the rack. Carter wore a cardigan for a White House address, urging Americans to conserve energy by turning down their thermostats. Amy, the youngest of four children, attended District of Columbia public school. Washington’s social and media elite scorned their style. But the larger concern was that “he hated politics,” according to Eizenstat, leaving him nowhere to turn politically once economic turmoil and foreign policy challenges took their toll. Accomplishments, and ‘malaise’ Carter partially deregulated the airline, railroad and trucking industries and established the departments of Education and Energy, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency. He designated millions of acres of Alaska as national parks or wildlife refuges. He appointed a then-record number of women and nonwhite people to federal posts. He never had a Supreme Court nomination, but he elevated civil rights attorney Ruth Bader Ginsburg to the nation’s second highest court, positioning her for a promotion in 1993. He appointed Paul Volker, the Federal Reserve chairman whose policies would help the economy boom in the 1980s — after Carter left office. He built on Nixon’s opening with China, and though he tolerated autocrats in Asia, pushed Latin America from dictatorships to democracy. But he couldn’t immediately tame inflation or the related energy crisis. And then came Iran. After he admitted the exiled Shah of Iran to the U.S. for medical treatment, the American Embassy in Tehran was overrun in 1979 by followers of the Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. Negotiations to free the hostages broke down repeatedly ahead of the failed rescue attempt. The same year, Carter signed SALT II, the new strategic arms treaty with Leonid Brezhnev of the Soviet Union, only to pull it back, impose trade sanctions and order a U.S. boycott of the Moscow Olympics after the Soviets invaded Afghanistan. Hoping to instill optimism, he delivered what the media dubbed his “malaise” speech, although he didn’t use that word. He declared the nation was suffering “a crisis of confidence.” By then, many Americans had lost confidence in the president, not themselves. Carter campaigned sparingly for reelection because of the hostage crisis, instead sending Rosalynn as Sen. Edward M. Kennedy challenged him for the Democratic nomination. Carter famously said he’d “kick his ass,” but was hobbled by Kennedy as Reagan rallied a broad coalition with “make America great again” appeals and asking voters whether they were “better off than you were four years ago.” Reagan further capitalized on Carter’s lecturing tone, eviscerating him in their lone fall debate with the quip: “There you go again.” Carter lost all but six states and Republicans rolled to a new Senate majority. Carter successfully negotiated the hostages’ freedom after the election, but in one final, bitter turn of events, Tehran waited until hours after Carter left office to let them walk free. 'A wonderful life' At 56, Carter returned to Georgia with “no idea what I would do with the rest of my life.” Four decades after launching The Carter Center, he still talked of unfinished business. “I thought when we got into politics we would have resolved everything,” Carter told the AP in 2021. “But it’s turned out to be much more long-lasting and insidious than I had thought it was. I think in general, the world itself is much more divided than in previous years.” Still, he affirmed what he said when he underwent treatment for a cancer diagnosis in his 10th decade of life. “I’m perfectly at ease with whatever comes,” he said in 2015 . “I’ve had a wonderful life. I’ve had thousands of friends, I’ve had an exciting, adventurous and gratifying existence.” Sanz is a former Associated Press reporter.

‘s political heavyweights paid tribute to former President after his death was announced on Sunday by his family. The nation’s was renowned for his in the years after his exit and earned a strong reputation for helping America’s neediest families in his post-presidential years. After news of his passing was reported by the , tributes began to swiftly pour in for the 100-year-old statesman. President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden issued a statement paying tribute to Carter and his wife Rosalynn, who died in November of 2023. The president and first lady were friends through successive presidential administrations with the Carter family; Joe, during his time as US senator from Delaware, was an early supporter of Carter’s presidential run in 1976. “Over six decades, we had the honor of calling Jimmy Carter a dear friend. But, what’s extraordinary about Jimmy Carter, though, is that millions of people throughout America and the world who never met him thought of him as a dear friend as well. “ “He was a man of great character and courage, hope and optimism,” wrote the first couple. “We will always cherish seeing him and Rosalynn together. The love shared between Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter is the definition of partnership and their humble leadership is the definition of patriotism.” “We will miss them both dearly, but take solace knowing they are reunited once again and will remain forever in our hearts.” President-elect Donald Trump also added his own thoughts in a statement. “I just heard of the news about the passing of President Jimmy Carter. Those of us who have been fortunate to have served as President understand this is a very exclusive club, and only we can relate to the enormous responsibility of leading the Greatest Nation in History.” “The challenges Jimmy faced as President came at a pivotal time for our country and he did everything in his power to improve the lives of all Americans,” Trump added. “For that, we all owe him a debt of gratitude.” Trump later added: “President Jimmy Carter is dead at 100 years of age. While I strongly disagreed with him philosophically and politically, I also realized that he truly loved and respected our Country, and all it stands for. “He worked hard to make America a better place, and for that I give him my highest respect. He was a truly good man and, of course, will be greatly missed. He was also very consequential, far more than most Presidents, after he left the Oval Office. Warmest condolences from Melania and I to his wonderful family!” Barack Obama tweeted out a statement from him and former first lady Michelle Obama. “President Carter taught all of us what it means to live a life of grace, dignity, justice, and service,” it read. “Michelle and I send our thoughts and prayers to the Carter family, and everyone who loved and learned from this remarkable man.” Former president George W. Bush and former first lady Laura Bush wrote: “James Earl Carter, Jr., was a man of deeply held convictions. He was loyal to his family, his community, and his country. President Carter dignified the office. And his efforts to leave behind a better world didn’t end with the presidency. His work with Habitat for Humanity and the Carter Center set an example of service that will inspire Americans for generations.” Another former president, Bill Clinton, joined wife Hillary Clinton in praising how Carter “lived to serve others—until the very end.” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, the highest-ranking Democrat on Capitol Hill, said: “President Carter personified the true meaning of leadership through service, through compassion, and through integrity.” His Republican counterpart Mitch McConnell wrote: “President Carter served during times of tension and uncertainty, both at home and abroad. But his calm spirit and deep faith seemed unshakeable. Jimmy Carter served as our commander-in-chief for four years, but he served as the beloved, unassuming Sunday school teacher at Maranatha Baptist Church in Plains, Georgia for forty. And his humble devotion leaves us little doubt which of those two important roles he prized the most.” “President Carter lived a truly American dream. A devoutly religious peanut farmer from small-town Georgia volunteered to serve his country in uniform. He found himself manning cutting-edge submarines hundreds of feet beneath the ocean. He returned home and saved the family farm before feeling drawn to a different sort of public service. And less than 15 years after his first campaign for the state Senate, his fellow Americans elected him leader of the free world.” Carter’s legacy extended around the world and global leaders joined Americans in mourning the nation’s 39th president. Carter’s work in support of a two-state solution to the conflict between Israel and the Palestinian territories found a resurgence of interest in the last year of his life as hostilities erupted between the two sides following the October 7 attack on Israel. The Democratic president was one of the first US leaders to take an active role in the peace process. “Throughout his life, Jimmy Carter has been a steadfast advocate for the rights of the most vulnerable and has tirelessly fought for peace,” wrote French president Emmanuel Macron. “France sends its heartfelt thoughts to his family and to the American people.”A new documentary by German filmmakers is set to offer a less-than-glowing review of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s efforts to establish them as extremely wealthy global influencers and philanthropists since they departed royal life nearly five years ago. “Harry and Meghan set the bar very high,” Ulrike Grunewald, the director of “The Lost Prince,” told The Daily Mail over the weekend . The documentary is set to air in Germany on Tuesday. “They want to be global benefactors who bring about tangible change. So far, they have not lived up to this image at all.” For the 45-minute film, Grunewald wanted to look into whether the Duke and Duchess of Sussex succeeded in “finding freedom” by leaving the U.K. and moving to the United States. During their exit, the couple also vowed to become financially independent entrepreneurs and world-renowned thought leaders. To answer questions about the couple’s post-“Megxit” life, Grunewald said she did reporting in the couple’s new hometown of Montecito, looked into the work of their Archewell Foundation and Harry’s involvement in the Invictus Games and examined recent reports that they’ve “separated” — at least professionally. “I was interested in whether Harry and Meghan’s strategies for an independent life are working,” Grunewald said. “After four years, the results are very mixed.” “Now they mainly appear separately, as they were unable to create a functioning image together,” Grunewald said. They have come down to earth.” On one hand, Harry may have found a new sense of personal freedom by leaving the confines of royal life. “To be fair, from his point of view Harry wanted the best for his own family,” Grunewald said. “And sure he has now gained valuable experience in California and learned what it means to have to stand on his own two feet. He would never have been able to do that in the close circle of the royal family.” But Harry now has decide for himself what he has to offer to the world, Grunewald said. Sure, he still carries “the glamor” of being the son of King Charles III and of the late Princess Diana, Grunewald said. “But in the tough atmosphere of the Hollywood industry,” this allure can wear off, she said. Grunewald is likely referring to the couple’s struggles to become Hollywood media moguls. In late 2020, Harry and his American TV actor wife signed multimillion-dollar deals with Netflix and Spotify, saying that they planned to create “impactful” content “that informs,” “gives hope” and “unlocks action.” But the couple notoriously parted ways with Spotify in 2023, after Meghan only produced one 12-episode podcast and they were branded “grifters” by one of the platform’s executives and star podcasters, Bill Simmons. As for Netflix, they starred in “Harry and Meghan,” their blockbuster 2022 blockbuster docu-series about their acrimonious departure from royal life. But they also began to lose some public good will in both the U.K. and the United States, due to the perception that they had gone too far in publicly criticizing Harry’s royal relatives in the docu-series and in interviews. While lovers of royal gossip also turned Harry’s 2023 memoir, “Spare,” into a global best-seller, it also became clear that some people started to become uncomfortable with Harry’s choice to reveal family secrets. “People have long memories and few revelations can be more damaging to their image than the private details that Harry and Meghan have made public themselves in the last few years,” Grunewald said. Meanwhile, their Netflix partnership has gone “somewhat downhill,” The Times UK also reported . Harry’s documentary about his work with the Invictus Games failed to make Netflix top 10, and there’s still no sign of Meghan’s Netflix cooking show, which is said to have been finished over the summer. Next week, Netflix releases “Polo,” a documentary series that the couple co-executive produced. But neither Harry nor Meghan appear in the series, which happens to be about an elite sport that most people probably don’t care about. The trailer also tries to market the documentary as a Bravo-like reality TV show about “dirty, sweaty boys ... riding” — hardly “impactful” content that “gives hope” and “unlocks action.” Former British friends of Harry reportedly were left in “appalled hysterics” over the “tacky” new series, while a Hollywood executive cautioned that the couple were “running out of last chances” to prove they can make compelling TV that is not about themselves, the Daily Beast reported. The Daily Mail preview about the new German documentary doesn’t address whether it looks into Meghan’s other commercial endeavors, including the premiere of her Netflix cooking show which could coincide with the launch of her new life-style brand, American Riviera Orchard. But Meghan’s company has been the subject of numerous reports about bureaucratic difficulties with the US trademarks office and questions over whether she has the business savvy to get her line of strawberry jam and other products ready to sell. Harry and Meghan also may be struggling in other areas of their post-Megxit life, according to “The Lost Prince.” For one thing, the couple don’t appear to have “integrated” themselves into Montecito’s elite social circles, Grunewald told the Daily Mail. “The cultural life is very lively, but everything often takes place in closed circles and Harry and Meghan rarely take part in these activities,” Grunewald said. “They seem have isolated themselves a lot.” In the past four years, Harry and Meghan, together or separately, have turned up at a few star-studded events in and around Montecito and Santa Barbara. For example, in 2023, they attended Kevin Costner’s annual star-studded fundraiser for local first responders at his estate near Santa Barbara. More recently, they appeared at the September launch of a new book store near their Montecito home, owned by celebrated literary agent Jennifer Rudolph Walsh and cosmetics mogul Victoria Jackson, said to be a good friend of Meghan’s. Their Montecito neighbors Oprah Winfrey and Ellen DeGeneres also joined the party, though DeGeneres has recently left California and established a new home in the U.K. Nonetheless, Grunewald’s documentary suggests that Harry and Meghan don’t spend much time in Montecito. A neighbor, Richard Mineards, told Grunewald that the couple haven’t set out to “put down particularly deep roots” in the area. Every once in a while, they’re seen at the local market or on walks — always with security guards in tow. “Sometimes you will see her at the farmers’ market or with a dog, but generally you don’t see her and you just don’t see much of him,” Mineards said. As for the Archewell Foundation, Grunewald argues that the nonprofit, launched with great fanfare in 2020, doesn’t seem to be effectively organized, while the Invictus Games appears to be a bright spot in the couple’s portfolio — even if the filmmaker said that Harry is little more than “a figurehead.” Harry founded the International sports competition for wounded veterans and service people. Jack Royston, the royal reporter for Newsweek, is reportedly interviewed for “The Lost Prince” and says, “I believe that Invictus is genuine and authentic work. Harry is completely devoted to it.”AP News Summary at 6:43 p.m. EST

Carbon Dioxide (CO2) Sales Market Driven by Demand for Immersive Technologies Across Industries

Strengthening Pak naval capabilities need of hour