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Packers fail yet again to produce a premier performance against a top NFC team in loss to Vikings MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The top of the NFC standings are towering over the Green Bay Packers as they move toward the playoffs, casting a long shadow shaped like Vikings, Lions and Eagles over what has been an otherwise-promising season on both sides of th Dave Campbell, The Associated Press Dec 29, 2024 7:25 PM Dec 29, 2024 7:35 PM Share by Email Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Print Share via Text Message Green Bay Packers' Jordan Love walks off the field after an NFL football game against the Minnesota Vikings Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr) MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The top of the NFC standings are towering over the Green Bay Packers as they move toward the playoffs, casting a long shadow shaped like Vikings, Lions and Eagles over what has been an otherwise-promising season on both sides of the ball. For as well as the Packers (11-5) had been playing down the stretch, they left Minnesota with a rather murky outlook for the playoffs after stumbling into a 17-point deficit that proved too large for their late surge in the 27-25 loss to the Vikings on Sunday . “They continued to compete and battle, but you just can’t do that against good teams. The margins in this league, especially against a good football team, are razor thin," coach Matt LaFleur said. "I don’t think we were at our best, but that’s a credit to them in our slow start — and that’s me as much as anybody.” The Packers gained 126 yards in the fourth quarter and still finished with a season-low 271 yards. The defense allowed 441 yards, which was also a season worst. The most glaring set of numbers after this frustrating afternoon, though, was this: 0-5. That's Green Bay's record against the top three teams in the NFC: Minnesota, Detroit and Philadelphia. There's no shame in losing to those opponents that carry a combined 40-7 record into Monday, particularly when four of those defeats — save for the 10-point loss to the Lions on Nov. 3 — came by a total of 12 points. “It’s not about who we can and can’t beat. We can beat everybody. If we figure out how to finish, we’ll win games,” cornerback Keisean Nixon said. But the Packers will more than likely be on the road the entire time they're alive in the playoffs, so any path to the Super Bowl would undoubtedly trigger rematches with one, two or even all three teams from that daunting trio. The Packers clearly aren't overmatched by the Vikings, Lions or Eagles, but in games against those premier foes that significantly shrink the margins for error the Packers have shown a troubling pattern of not meeting the moment with too many ill-timed mistakes and not enough big-time plays. “It's hard when you put yourself in a hole and are down early and just kind of shooting yourself in the foot,” quarterback Jordan Love said. “There’s so much stuff to clean up and get better at, but I think we’re still a really good team. We can put up points. But when you put yourself in a hole, it’s just hard to climb out of that hole. And when it’s a good team like the Vikings, you know, it just makes it even tougher.” The red flag came right away. Josh Jacobs, the NFL 's fourth-leading rusher, had just given the Packers a second first down on the opening drive of the game when defensive tackle Jerry Tillery pushed the ball out and safety Cam Bynum recovered at the Minnesota 38. Jacobs had gone 11 straight games without fumbling until losing one at Seattle on Dec. 15. Now he has coughed up the ball twice in three games. “I feel like it drained the energy out of the team just starting early,” Jacobs said. “I take it personal on getting the team to start fast and things like that. Yeah, that’s on me.” Though the Vikings punted on the subsequent possession, they moved the ball enough to flip the field position. Perhaps wary of the fumble getting in Jacobs' head, LaFleur then called three straight passes from their own 15-yard line, and Love was off the mark on all three to force a punt. After a breakout performance here a year ago in a 33-10 victory over the Vikings that helped the Packers squeak into the playoffs after a rough start and ride the momentum through a first-round win at Dallas, Love looked awfully amid the cocktail of blitzes ordered by Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores that fueled a fierce pass rush. He finished 19 for 30 for 185 yards and one touchdown. “They do a good job of keeping a lid on the coverage. That’s how they play," LaFleur said. "We knew that going in, so there was going to be minimal opportunities to push the ball down the field. You've got to be super efficient. You've got to stay on schedule because once they get you into third down, that’s where they’re really good.” ___ AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL Dave Campbell, The Associated Press See a typo/mistake? Have a story/tip? This has been shared 0 times 0 Shares Share by Email Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Print Share via Text Message Get your daily Victoria news briefing Email Sign Up More Football (NFL) Browns' Myles Garrett makes history with 2 sacks, but another loss leaves him frustrated Dec 29, 2024 6:53 PM Darnold gives Vikings another gem with career-high 377 yards in 27-25 win over Packers Dec 29, 2024 6:26 PM NFC's No. 1 seed comes down to Vikings-Lions showdown at Detroit in Week 18 Dec 29, 2024 6:16 PMJimmy Carter's legacy remembered in Central Illinois and beyond

After Canada, Australia may also fall out of favour with Indian students as it debates a bill proposing to cap foreign student intake, many study abroad consultants said even as some downplayed the likely impact of the bill. Assembly Election Results Live Updates Maharashtra Election Results Jharkhand Election Results Bypoll Election Results Reactions to the Education Services for Overseas Students Amendment (Quality and Integrity) Bill 2024 are mixed within Australia's international education sector and among consultants. Many predict consequences similar to Canada's experience after it recently paused fast-track visas amid diplomatic tensions with India, especially as Indian students enjoy a red-carpet welcome in the US and Europe. The proposed cap is already altering the landscape for Indian students with more looking at options within the country as well as Europe and the US, they said. "It appears that there is already a shift in students applying abroad and this is borne out by the observed trend that applications for admissions in Indian institutions have increased by 20-30%," said Naveen Chopra, founder of TC Global. (Join our ETNRI WhatsApp channel for all the latest updates) ET Bureau Nikhil Jain, founder of ForeignAdmits, said there is a growing sense of uncertainty about Australia. "After last year's COE (Confirmation of Enrolment) cancellations, stricter GTE (Genuine Temporary Entrant) processes, and rising housing costs in Australia, students and parents are becoming cautious," he said. "Smart students planning for 2025 are already keeping backup options ready. Nobody wants last-minute surprises anymore." Finance AI and Generative AI for Finance By - Hariom Tatsat, Vice President- Quantitative Analytics at Barclays View Program Marketing Digital Marketing Masterclass by Neil Patel By - Neil Patel, Co-Founder and Author at Neil Patel Digital Digital Marketing Guru View Program Strategy Succession Planning Masterclass By - Nigel Penny, Global Strategy Advisor: NSP Strategy Facilitation Ltd. View Program Marketing Modern Marketing Masterclass by Seth Godin By - Seth Godin, Former dot com Business Executive and Best Selling Author View Program Artificial Intelligence(AI) AI and Analytics based Business Strategy By - Tanusree De, Managing Director- Accenture Technology Lead, Trustworthy AI Center of Excellence: ATCI View Program Office Productivity Microsoft Word Mastery: From Beginner to Expert By - CA Raj K Agrawal, Chartered Accountant View Program Marketing Marketing & Sales Strategies for Startups: From Concept to Conversion By - Dr. Anu Khanchandani, Startup Coach with more than 25 years of experience View Program Web Development A Comprehensive ASP.NET Core MVC 6 Project Guide for 2024 By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Web Development Intermediate Java Mastery: Method, Collections, and Beyond By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Web Development Intermediate C++ Skills: Master Pointers, Structures and File Stream By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Data Science SQL Server Bootcamp 2024: Transform from Beginner to Pro By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Leadership Crafting a Powerful Startup Value Proposition By - Dr. Anu Khanchandani, Startup Coach with more than 25 years of experience View Program Leadership Validating Your Startup Idea: Steps to Ensure Market Fit By - Dr. Anu Khanchandani, Startup Coach with more than 25 years of experience View Program Artificial Intelligence(AI) Java Programming with ChatGPT: Learn using Generative AI By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Office Productivity Advanced Excel Course - Financial Calculations & Excel Made Easy By - Anirudh Saraf, Founder- Saraf A & Associates, Chartered Accountant View Program Finance Startup Fundraising: Essential Tactics for Securing Capital By - Dr. Anu Khanchandani, Startup Coach with more than 25 years of experience View Program Web Development Django & PostgreSQL Mastery: Build Professional Web Applications By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Artificial Intelligence(AI) Master in Python Language Quickly Using the ChatGPT Open AI By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Artificial Intelligence(AI) ChatGPT Mastery from Zero to Hero: The Complete AI Course By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Office Productivity Mastering Microsoft Office: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and 365 By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Marketing Digital Marketing Masterclass by Pam Moore By - Pam Moore, Digital Transformation and Social Media Expert View Program Artificial Intelligence(AI) Basics of Generative AI: Unveiling Tomorrow's Innovations By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Astrology Vastu Shastra Course By - Sachenkumar Rai, Vastu Shashtri View Program Finance Tally Prime & GST Accounting: Complete Guide By - CA Raj K Agrawal, Chartered Accountant View Program Marketing Digital marketing - Wordpress Website Development By - Shraddha Somani, Digital Marketing Trainer, Consultant, Strategiest and Subject Matter expert View Program Artificial Intelligence(AI) Mastering C++ Fundamentals with Generative AI: A Hands-On By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Web Development C++ Fundamentals for Absolute Beginners By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program You Might Also Like: Australia to offer 1,000 work and holiday visas to Indians starting Oct 1 These developments are making more students turn to the US. "America has emerged as the clear winner here-for the first time, India has overtaken China as their largest source of international students," Jain said. Germany and Ireland are also gaining popularity for their affordability and quality. Manisha Zaveri, joint managing director of Career Mosaic, said Australia's proposed cap could lead to a decline in Indian student numbers, reminiscent of pandemic-era lows. "This policy disproportionately impacts students in high-demand fields like IT, engineering, and healthcare - areas where Indian students traditionally excel," she said. "Institutions in metropolitan hubs, which already operate at or near full capacity, may face the greatest impact, potentially leading to heightened competition and restricted access for postgraduate applicants." Zaveri also observes a notable shift in interest. "We've observed 35% growth in inquiries for European countries, reflecting shifting preferences," she said. Chopra of TC Global agreed that Indian students heading to Australia will drop in the short term, not because of a lack of demand but because of the barriers being erected. He anticipates that within 12 to 18 months, economic demand and pressures from corporates and universities will reverse these policies because "in implementing these policies, the university sector will suffer tremendously as they are heavily reliant on international student fees" and Indian students form one of the largest cohorts. You Might Also Like: Australia’s international student caps likely to be blocked You Might Also Like: Australia may grant new 'First Work and Holiday visa' to up to 1,000 eligible Indians Assembly Election Results Live Updates Maharashtra Poll Results Highlights 2024 Jharkhand Poll Results Highlights 2024Professor Geoffrey Hinton said we need to be "very careful" and "very deliberate" in developing AI, which he sees as "potentially very dangerous". He previously estimated there was a 10 percent chance of the technology causing the extinction of the human race, but now predicts that number is between "10 and 20 percent" due to the rapid development of AI. "We have never before dealt with anything more intelligent than ourselves," Hinton told BBC Radio 4. "How many examples do you know of something more intelligent controlling something less intelligent? There are very few of them. There is the example of mother and child - evolution has gone to great lengths to allow the child to control the mother, but that is almost the only example I know," he added. Professor Hinton, who won the Nobel Prize in Physics this year, warned that AI was changing "much faster" than he had expected and that there had not been enough time to carry out the research he felt was necessary. While his work laid the groundwork for machine learning—the technology that allows computers to mimic human intelligence—his recent efforts have focused on advocating for safer AI. He left Google last year amid concerns that "bad actors" could use the technology to do harm. sdecoret / Shutterstock.com "I didn't think we'd get to this so soon. I thought it was going to be a long way off," Hinton said, referring to expectations about the development of artificial intelligence when he began his work. He added: "Now most experts in the field think that in the next 20 years we will develop AI that is smarter than humans. That is a very scary thought." He compared the future of AI to the relationship between a three-year-old child and an adult: "We will be three-year-olds and AI will be adults." Professor Hinton said the impact of AI on the world could be similar to the industrial revolution. "During the industrial revolution, human power became less relevant because machines were more powerful. Now we have something that replaces human intelligence. Ordinary human intelligence will no longer be at the forefront of innovation - it will be machines," he declared. Summit Art Creations / Shutterstock.com When asked what life might be like in 10 or 20 years, Hinton said it "will very much depend on what our political systems do with this technology." He emphasized the need for regulation to prevent misuse of the technology. "We have to be very careful in developing a potentially very dangerous technology. AI will bring many benefits, especially in health and industry, but regulations are needed to prevent abuses," he said. He added that he is concerned that AI will worsen social inequality if many lose their jobs and the benefits are concentrated among the wealthy. "If there's a big gap between the rich and the poor, that's very bad for society." "During the industrial revolution, machines could not take over because humans had intelligence. Now there is a threat that these technologies can take over," he warned. Professor Hinton is considered one of the three "godfathers of artificial intelligence", along with Yann LeCun and Yoshua Bengio, after winning the Turing Award for their work in the field. Podeli:

1 2 3 4 5 6 Dibrugarh: In a significant breakthrough in counter-insurgency operations , security forces recovered a substantial cache of Chinese-made assault rifles during a joint operation in Arunachal Pradesh 's Changlang district on Saturday. The operation, conducted in the remote Miao-Vijaynagar region, marks one of the largest weapons recoveries in South Arunachal Pradesh in recent times. The coordinated effort, led by the Army's Spear Corps in collaboration with Assam Rifles and Arunachal Police, successfully unearthed 10 MQ 81 Chinese-origin assault rifles from multiple locations within the forest area. The operation employed cutting-edge technology, including high-tech drones, tracker dogs, and metal detectors. "The weapons were strategically concealed inside the forest area. Prior to conducting the operation, we ensured safe passage for tourists present in the Namdapha Reserve Forest. The entire operation was executed with utmost professionalism and precision to prevent these weapons from falling into insurgent hands," revealed a senior Army official involved in the operation. Intelligence sources said that these weapons were buried by Eastern Naga National Govt (ENNG) cadres prior to their surrender last year. The recovery holds particular significance as various insurgent groups, notably NSCM (IM) and NSCN (K-YA), had reportedly made multiple attempts to retrieve these weapons over the past six months, working in conjunction with former ENNG cadres.Staff counselled, says rly after video shows cleaning leads to inconvenience to passengers sleeping at stnTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Republicans made claims about illegal voting by noncitizens a centerpiece of their 2024 campaign messaging and plan to push legislation in the new Congress requiring voters to provide proof of U.S. citizenship. Yet there’s one place with a GOP supermajority where linking voting to citizenship appears to be a nonstarter: Kansas. That’s because the state has been there, done that, and all but a few Republicans would prefer not to go there again. Kansas imposed a proof-of-citizenship requirement over a decade ago that grew into one of the biggest political fiascos in the state in recent memory. The law, passed by the state Legislature in 2011 and implemented two years later, ended up blocking the voter registrations of more than 31,000 U.S. citizens who were otherwise eligible to vote. That was 12% of everyone seeking to register in Kansas for the first time. Federal courts ultimately declared the law an unconstitutional burden on voting rights, and it hasn’t been enforced since 2018. Kansas provides a cautionary tale about how pursuing an election concern that in fact is extremely rare risks disenfranchising a far greater number of people who are legally entitled to vote. The state’s top elections official, Secretary of State Scott Schwab, championed the idea as a legislator and now says states and the federal government shouldn’t touch it. RELATED COVERAGE Mayo and Dickinson power No. 8 Kansas to an 87-53 win over Brown How mass deportations could work, according to one Trump ally Drake blows 20-point lead, beats K-State on Stirtz 3-pointer in overtime 73-70 “Kansas did that 10 years ago,” said Schwab, a Republican. “It didn’t work out so well.” Steven Fish, a 45-year-old warehouse worker in eastern Kansas, said he understands the motivation behind the law. In his thinking, the state was like a store owner who fears getting robbed and installs locks. But in 2014, after the birth of his now 11-year-old son inspired him to be “a little more responsible” and follow politics, he didn’t have an acceptable copy of his birth certificate to get registered to vote in Kansas. “The locks didn’t work,” said Fish, one of nine Kansas residents who sued the state over the law. “You caught a bunch of people who didn’t do anything wrong.” A small problem, but wide support for a fix Kansas’ experience appeared to receive little if any attention outside the state as Republicans elsewhere pursued proof-of-citizenship requirements this year. Arizona enacted a requirement this year, applying it to voting for state and local elections but not for Congress or president. The Republican-led U.S. House passed a proof-of-citizenship requirement in the summer and plans to bring back similar legislation after the GOP won control of the Senate in November. In Ohio, the Republican secretary of state revised the form that poll workers use for voter eligibility challenges to require those not born in the U.S. to show naturalization papers to cast a regular ballot. A federal judge declined to block the practice days before the election. Also, sizable majorities of voters in Iowa, Kentucky, Missouri, Oklahoma, South Carolina and the presidential swing states of North Carolina and Wisconsin were inspired to amend their state constitutions’ provisions on voting even though the changes were only symbolic. Provisions that previously declared that all U.S. citizens could vote now say that only U.S. citizens can vote — a meaningless distinction with no practical effect on who is eligible. To be clear, voters already must attest to being U.S. citizens when they register to vote and noncitizens can face fines, prison and deportation if they lie and are caught. “There is nothing unconstitutional about ensuring that only American citizens can vote in American elections,” U.S. Rep. Chip Roy, of Texas, the leading sponsor of the congressional proposal, said in an email statement to The Associated Press. Why the courts rejected the Kansas citizenship rule After Kansas residents challenged their state’s law, both a federal judge and federal appeals court concluded that it violated a law limiting states to collecting only the minimum information needed to determine whether someone is eligible to vote. That’s an issue Congress could resolve. The courts ruled that with “scant” evidence of an actual problem, Kansas couldn’t justify a law that kept hundreds of eligible citizens from registering for every noncitizen who was improperly registered. A federal judge concluded that the state’s evidence showed that only 39 noncitizens had registered to vote from 1999 through 2012 — an average of just three a year. In 2013, then-Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach, a Republican who had built a national reputation advocating tough immigration laws, described the possibility of voting by immigrants living in the U.S. illegally as a serious threat. He was elected attorney general in 2022 and still strongly backs the idea, arguing that federal court rulings in the Kansas case “almost certainly got it wrong.” Kobach also said a key issue in the legal challenge — people being unable to fix problems with their registrations within a 90-day window — has probably been solved. “The technological challenge of how quickly can you verify someone’s citizenship is getting easier,” Kobach said. “As time goes on, it will get even easier.” Would the Kansas law stand today? The U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear the Kansas case in 2020. But in August, it split 5-4 in allowing Arizona to continue enforcing its law for voting in state and local elections while a legal challenge goes forward. Seeing the possibility of a different Supreme Court decision in the future, U.S. Rep.-elect Derek Schmidt says states and Congress should pursue proof-of-citizenship requirements. Schmidt was the Kansas attorney general when his state’s law was challenged. “If the same matter arose now and was litigated, the facts would be different,” he said in an interview. But voting rights advocates dismiss the idea that a legal challenge would turn out differently. Mark Johnson, one of the attorneys who fought the Kansas law, said opponents now have a template for a successful court fight. “We know the people we can call,” Johnson said. “We know that we’ve got the expert witnesses. We know how to try things like this.” He predicted “a flurry — a landslide — of litigation against this.” Born in Illinois but unable to register in Kansas Initially, the Kansas requirement’s impacts seemed to fall most heavily on politically unaffiliated and young voters. As of fall 2013, 57% of the voters blocked from registering were unaffiliated and 40% were under 30. But Fish was in his mid-30s, and six of the nine residents who sued over the Kansas law were 35 or older. Three even produced citizenship documents and still didn’t get registered, according to court documents. “There wasn’t a single one of us that was actually an illegal or had misinterpreted or misrepresented any information or had done anything wrong,” Fish said. He was supposed to produce his birth certificate when he sought to register in 2014 while renewing his Kansas driver’s license at an office in a strip mall in Lawrence. A clerk wouldn’t accept the copy Fish had of his birth certificate. He still doesn’t know where to find the original, having been born on an Air Force base in Illinois that closed in the 1990s. Several of the people joining Fish in the lawsuit were veterans, all born in the U.S., and Fish said he was stunned that they could be prevented from registering. Liz Azore, a senior adviser to the nonpartisan Voting Rights Lab, said millions of Americans haven’t traveled outside the U.S. and don’t have passports that might act as proof of citizenship, or don’t have ready access to their birth certificates. She and other voting rights advocates are skeptical that there are administrative fixes that will make a proof-of-citizenship law run more smoothly today than it did in Kansas a decade ago. “It’s going to cover a lot of people from all walks of life,” Avore said. “It’s going to be disenfranchising large swaths of the country.” ___ Associated Press writer Julie Carr Smyth in Columbus, Ohio, contributed to this report.

Braylon Edwards: Rising 2026 CB Earns Michigan State OfferIf there’s one individual from history who continues to enthral billions of people across our planet it’s a man called Abraham. Knight of faith, king of compassion, father of nations, he inspires Jews, Christians and Muslims. He is an interfaith maestro. In view of this, when I was recently invited to the Abrahamic Peace Working Group Conference in Indonesia, especially at this time of gross tension between the monotheist faiths, it was a no-brainer that I should attend. An Islamic organisation willing to invite Jews and Muslims to come together (and interact with Christians) was a rare opportunity. It also supported my belief, based on the profound reflections of former Commonwealth chief rabbi Jonathan Sacks and Rabbi Menachem Froman (a pioneer of interfaith endeavours in Israel and the West Bank) that if religion today is part of the problem, it can also be part of the solution. Mevlidi-i Halil Mosque in Sanliurfa, Turkiye, where a synagogue and then a church previously stood, is next to the reputed birthplace of Abraham. Credit: Mark Daffey The Abrahamic Peace or Circles initiative is the brainchild of Dr Dino Patti Djalal, former Indonesian ambassador to Washington, who believes that addressing the problems of the world means recognising the role religion plays in them. The October 7 War, says Dino, will continue to have emotional and psychological consequences; left unchecked it can also allow religious extremism to flourish. While he is mindful that meetings like this will not change the world overnight, he is convinced that small and incremental changes can temper the dangers of extremism. The conference involved Jewish, Christian and Muslim religious leaders and scholars from across the world, from Dubai and Jordan to London, New York and East Timor. Drafting an action plan was the most challenging part of the conference. Referencing the war of October 7 was a flashpoint of vigorous, angry and impassioned debate. There were tears and pain from the Jewish side when describing the murder and kidnapping of family, friends and fellow Jews; there were tears and broken hearts from Muslims with Palestinian family and friends in Gaza. There was sorrow on all sides for the horrible loss of innocent lives and the increase in antisemitism and Islamophobia. There was also a recognition of how the war has affected Christians who often felt caught in the middle. Notwithstanding the difficult, brave and vigorous conversations, we walked and worked side by side, ate and laughed together, appreciating our shared humanity. The wise words of Archbishop Desmond Tutu resonated: it’s better to debate a question without settling it than to settle a question without debating it. The action plan developed at the conference is a bold, hopeful and practical response offering concrete proposals to address Abrahamic angst, using educational, governmental and social media platforms, alongside grassroots and youth-oriented programs. The conference coincided with the weekly Torah reading of Genesis 12, which concerns the journey and mission of Abraham: to be a blessing to humanity. This is an important reminder to all of us not to despair of our role to repair – and to play our part in mending – the world. Rabbi Ralph Genende is interfaith and community rabbi to the Australia/Israel & Jewish Affairs Council. Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. License this article Religion Opinion Most Viewed in Lifestyle LoadingBaker Mayfield's stellar game keeps Buccaneers' playoff hopes alive

Kansas once required voters to prove citizenship. That didn't work out so wellThis afternoon, the Canadiens lost to the Rangers. Missed the game? My colleague Félix Forget has published an excellent complete summary of the game. I invite you to read it by clicking on the link here. But without burning the midnight oil, there’s one aspect of the game that caught the eye in particular: the work of the referees. The officials made some questionable decisions, and it hurt the Habs. Case in point? In the second period, Josh Anderson was sent off for roughing... When he clearly didn’t deserve to be in the dungeon. The Rangers took advantage, scoring on the powerplay. That said, it was at the end of the game that things really started to go wrong. Will Cuylle tripped Joel Armia and it was as obvious as day, but the officials decided not to crack down. The result? The Blue Shirts scored late in the game to run away with the win, with just over 20 seconds left to play: Before getting the primary pass on the Rangers’ winning goal, Will Cuylle tripped Joel Armia. It was obvious... But the officials today = pic.twitter.com/l2SvKoYyn0 – Maxime Truman (@MaximeTruman) November 30, 2024 After the game, Martin St-Louis went before the media... And let’s just say he wasn’t happy. His press conference lasted a minute and ten seconds. And he repeated the same sentence after every question, in both English and French: I loved our match. I won’t talk about the referees. – Martin St-Louis You could see the frustration in his face: “I loved our game. I won’t talk about the referees’ work.” Martin St-Louis’ answer to ALL reporters’ questions after the Habs – Rangers game pic.twitter.com/4HcG1Q8BQJ – RDS (@RDSca) November 30, 2024 It’s frustrating because there have been a few times when referees’ work has been the talk of the town for all the wrong reasons. And here, Martin St-Louis decided to send a message without necessarily saying much. In the end, the Habs were chased six times during the game and allowed three goals. The numerical disadvantage has to be better, especially against the offensive strength of a club like the Rangers... But at the same time, the Habs found themselves in this situation at least twice when they simply didn’t deserve it. That’s what pisses me off. And that’s why Martin St-Louis was angry after the game, which is normal. Overtime – That’s right. “The Josh we love!” – Guy Carbonneau pic.twitter.com/q52aHx4P4c – L’Antichambre (@Antichambre) November 30, 2024 – It’s far from bad. Lane Hutson officially gets the assist on the Nick Suzuki goal. He now has 13 points in 23 games. pic.twitter.com/3OkTZC8PdC – /r/Habs (@HabsOnReddit) November 30, 2024 – Happy reading. We wonder why they don’t spend. https://t.co/BWIHWf7so0 – Passion MLB (@passion_mlb) November 30, 2024 This article first appeared on Dose.ca and was syndicated with permission.Washington Commanders release 2023 first-round pick Emmanuel ForbesTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Republicans made claims about illegal voting by noncitizens a centerpiece of their 2024 campaign messaging and plan to push legislation in the new Congress requiring voters to provide proof of U.S. citizenship. Yet there's one place with a GOP supermajority where linking voting to citizenship appears to be a nonstarter: Kansas. That's because the state has been there, done that, and all but a few Republicans would prefer not to go there again. Kansas imposed a proof-of-citizenship requirement over a decade ago that grew into one of the biggest political fiascos in the state in recent memory. The law, passed by the state Legislature in 2011 and implemented two years later, ended up blocking the voter registrations of more than 31,000 U.S. citizens who were otherwise eligible to vote. That was 12% of everyone seeking to register in Kansas for the first time. Federal courts ultimately declared the law an unconstitutional burden on voting rights, and it hasn't been enforced since 2018. Kansas provides a cautionary tale about how pursuing an election concern that in fact is extremely rare risks disenfranchising a far greater number of people who are legally entitled to vote. The state’s top elections official, Secretary of State Scott Schwab, championed the idea as a legislator and now says states and the federal government shouldn't touch it. “Kansas did that 10 years ago,” said Schwab, a Republican. “It didn’t work out so well.” Steven Fish, a 45-year-old warehouse worker in eastern Kansas, said he understands the motivation behind the law. In his thinking, the state was like a store owner who fears getting robbed and installs locks. But in 2014, after the birth of his now 11-year-old son inspired him to be “a little more responsible” and follow politics, he didn’t have an acceptable copy of his birth certificate to get registered to vote in Kansas. “The locks didn’t work,” said Fish, one of nine Kansas residents who sued the state over the law. “You caught a bunch of people who didn’t do anything wrong.” A small problem, but wide support for a fix Kansas' experience appeared to receive little if any attention outside the state as Republicans elsewhere pursued proof-of-citizenship requirements this year. Arizona enacted a requirement this year, applying it to voting for state and local elections but not for Congress or president. The Republican-led U.S. House passed a proof-of-citizenship requirement in the summer and plans to bring back similar legislation after the GOP won control of the Senate in November. In Ohio, the Republican secretary of state revised the form that poll workers use for voter eligibility challenges to require those not born in the U.S. to show naturalization papers to cast a regular ballot. A federal judge declined to block the practice days before the election. Also, sizable majorities of voters in Iowa, Kentucky, Missouri, Oklahoma, South Carolina and the presidential swing states of North Carolina and Wisconsin were inspired to amend their state constitutions' provisions on voting even though the changes were only symbolic. Provisions that previously declared that all U.S. citizens could vote now say that only U.S. citizens can vote — a meaningless distinction with no practical effect on who is eligible. To be clear, voters already must attest to being U.S. citizens when they register to vote and noncitizens can face fines, prison and deportation if they lie and are caught. “There is nothing unconstitutional about ensuring that only American citizens can vote in American elections,” U.S. Rep. Chip Roy, of Texas, the leading sponsor of the congressional proposal, said in an email statement to The Associated Press. Why the courts rejected the Kansas citizenship rule After Kansas residents challenged their state's law, both a federal judge and federal appeals court concluded that it violated a law limiting states to collecting only the minimum information needed to determine whether someone is eligible to vote. That's an issue Congress could resolve. The courts ruled that with “scant” evidence of an actual problem, Kansas couldn't justify a law that kept hundreds of eligible citizens from registering for every noncitizen who was improperly registered. A federal judge concluded that the state’s evidence showed that only 39 noncitizens had registered to vote from 1999 through 2012 — an average of just three a year. In 2013, then-Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach, a Republican who had built a national reputation advocating tough immigration laws, described the possibility of voting by immigrants living in the U.S. illegally as a serious threat. He was elected attorney general in 2022 and still strongly backs the idea, arguing that federal court rulings in the Kansas case “almost certainly got it wrong.” Kobach also said a key issue in the legal challenge — people being unable to fix problems with their registrations within a 90-day window — has probably been solved. “The technological challenge of how quickly can you verify someone’s citizenship is getting easier,” Kobach said. “As time goes on, it will get even easier.” Would the Kansas law stand today? The U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear the Kansas case in 2020. But in August, it split 5-4 in allowing Arizona to continue enforcing its law for voting in state and local elections while a legal challenge goes forward. Seeing the possibility of a different Supreme Court decision in the future, U.S. Rep.-elect Derek Schmidt says states and Congress should pursue proof-of-citizenship requirements. Schmidt was the Kansas attorney general when his state's law was challenged. "If the same matter arose now and was litigated, the facts would be different," he said in an interview. But voting rights advocates dismiss the idea that a legal challenge would turn out differently. Mark Johnson, one of the attorneys who fought the Kansas law, said opponents now have a template for a successful court fight. “We know the people we can call," Johnson said. “We know that we’ve got the expert witnesses. We know how to try things like this.” He predicted "a flurry — a landslide — of litigation against this.” Born in Illinois but unable to register in Kansas Initially, the Kansas requirement's impacts seemed to fall most heavily on politically unaffiliated and young voters. As of fall 2013, 57% of the voters blocked from registering were unaffiliated and 40% were under 30. But Fish was in his mid-30s, and six of the nine residents who sued over the Kansas law were 35 or older. Three even produced citizenship documents and still didn’t get registered, according to court documents. “There wasn’t a single one of us that was actually an illegal or had misinterpreted or misrepresented any information or had done anything wrong,” Fish said. He was supposed to produce his birth certificate when he sought to register in 2014 while renewing his Kansas driver's license at an office in a strip mall in Lawrence. A clerk wouldn't accept the copy Fish had of his birth certificate. He still doesn't know where to find the original, having been born on an Air Force base in Illinois that closed in the 1990s. Several of the people joining Fish in the lawsuit were veterans, all born in the U.S., and Fish said he was stunned that they could be prevented from registering. Liz Azore, a senior adviser to the nonpartisan Voting Rights Lab, said millions of Americans haven't traveled outside the U.S. and don't have passports that might act as proof of citizenship, or don't have ready access to their birth certificates. She and other voting rights advocates are skeptical that there are administrative fixes that will make a proof-of-citizenship law run more smoothly today than it did in Kansas a decade ago. “It’s going to cover a lot of people from all walks of life,” Avore said. “It’s going to be disenfranchising large swaths of the country.” ___ Associated Press writer Julie Carr Smyth in Columbus, Ohio, contributed to this report. John Hanna, The Associated Press

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