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UCF coach Gus Malzahn reportedly resigning to take Florida State OC jobBethlehem marks a second subdued Christmas Eve during the war in Gaza BETHLEHEM, West Bank (AP) — Bethlehem is marking another somber Christmas Eve under the shadow of war in Gaza. Manger Square lacked its usual festive lights and crowds of tourists on Tuesday. Instead, the area outside the Nativity Church was quiet. The church was built atop the spot where Jesus is believed to have been born. The war, the violence in the occupied West Bank it has spurred and the lack of festivities has deeply hurt Bethlehem's economy. The town relies heavily on Christmas tourism. The economy in the West Bank was already reeling because of restrictions placed on laborers preventing them from entering Israel during the war. Pope Francis kicks off a yearlong Jubilee that will test his stamina and Rome's patience VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Francis has opened the great Holy Door of St. Peter's Basilica. The ceremony kicks off the 2025 Holy Year. It's a celebration of the Catholic Church that is expected to draw some 32 million pilgrims to Rome. And it will test the pope’s stamina and the ability of the Eternal City to welcome them. This begins the Christmas Eve Mass. The ceremony inaugurates the once-every-25-year tradition of a Jubilee. Francis has dedicated the 2025 Jubilee to the theme of hope. Trump vows to pursue executions after Biden commutes most of federal death row FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump says he'll “vigorously pursue” capital punishment after President Joe Biden commuted the sentences of most people on federal death row partly to stop Trump from pushing forward their executions. Trump criticized Biden’s decision on Monday to change the sentences of 37 of the 40 condemned people to life in prison without parole. Trump said that he will direct the Department of Justice to pursue the death penalty “as soon as I am inaugurated.” Trump was vague on what specific actions he may take. 21 dead as Mozambique erupts in violence after election court ruling MAPUTO, Mozambique (AP) — Violence that engulfed Mozambique after the country’s highest court confirmed ruling party presidential candidate Daniel Chapo as the winner of disputed Oct. 9 elections has killed at least 21 people, including two police officers. Mozambique Interior Minister Pascoal Ronda told a news conference in Maputo late Tuesday that a wave of violence and looting was sparked by the court’s announcement a day earlier. He said it was led by mostly youthful supporters of losing candidate Venancio Mondlane, who received 24% of the vote, second to Chapo, who got 65%. Prosecutors find workers in 'slavery like' conditions at Chinese car company site in Brazil RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil (AP) — A task force led by Brazilian prosecutors says it has rescued 163 Chinese nationals working in “slavery-like” conditions at a construction site in northeastern Brazil, where Chinese electric vehicle company BYD is building a factory. The Labor Prosecutor’s Office released videos of the dorms where the construction workers were staying, which showed beds with no mattresses and rooms without any place for the workers to store their personal belongings. In a statement issued Monday, the prosecutor’s office said the workers had been hired in China by Jinjian Group, one of the contractors on the site, which is located in Camaçari, a city in the Salvador metropolitan region. NFL players who use platform to share their faith say it's their duty to spread their love of Jesus ALLEN PARK, Mich. (AP) — Jake Bates was standing on the turf in his hometown of Houston when asked to reflect on an unlikely journey from learning how to sell bricks to making game-winning kicks for the Detroit Lions. Bates used his platform as an NFL player to spread his love of Jesus. A month later, Bates told The Associated Press it is a duty to share his faith. The NFL is filled with players and coaches who feel the same way, such as Houston's C.J. Stroud, Atlanta's Kirk Cousins, and Lamar Jackson and John Harbaugh of the Baltimore Ravens. Stunning photos show lava erupting from Hawaii's Kilauea volcano HONOLULU (AP) — Lava is erupting from Hawaii’s Kilauea volcano for the second straight day. The eruption has stayed within Kilauea’s summit caldera inside Hawaii Volcanoes National Park and no homes are threatened. Molten rock began spewing out of the volcano before dawn on Monday when fissures opened in the caldera floor and shot lava high into the air. It then oozed across the caldera floor. Scientists expect activity to fluctuate in coming days. The lava paused Monday afternoon but fountains reemerged Tuesday morning. The eruption has occurred in an area that’s been closed to the public since 2007 due to hazards including crater wall instability and rockfalls. Haiti gangs fire on journalists covering a planned hospital reopening, leaving casualties PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — Suspected gang members have opened fire on journalists in Haiti’s capital as they were covering the attempted reopening of the country’s largest hospital, wounding or killing an unknown number of people. The country's interim president, Leslie Voltaire, said in an address to the nation that journalists and police were among the victims of the vicious Christmas Eve attack. He did not specify how many casualties there were, or give a breakdown for the dead or wounded. Radio Télé Métronome said earlier on Tuesday that seven journalists and two police officers were wounded in the shooting. Street gangs have taken over an estimated 85% of Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince. Hurricane-force winds bear down on California, latest in stretch of extreme weather LOS ANGELES (AP) — California has been hit hard by extreme weather over the past several weeks. Atmospheric rivers, which are long stretches of wet air that can produce heavy rains, brought a record-setting rainfall before Thanksgiving. A series of atmospheric rivers are producing strong waves and storms near Santa Cruz this week. Thousands were left under evacuation warnings and orders because of a fire around Malibu. Climate change means that strong storms will be responsible for a greater share of the state's yearly precipitation and the periods between those events will be drier. Heavy travel day starts with brief grounding of all American Airlines flights WASHINGTON (AP) — American Airlines briefly grounded flights nationwide due to a technical problem just as the Christmas travel season kicked into overdrive and winter weather threatened more potential problems for those planning to fly or drive. Government regulators cleared American flights to get airborne Tuesday about an hour after the Federal Aviation Administration ordered a national ground stop, which prevented planes from taking off. American said in an email that the problem was caused by vendor technology in its flight operating system. Aviation analytics company Cirium said flights were delayed across American’s major hubs, with only 37% leaving on time. Nineteen flights were cancelled.
Chester County firm expects to raise $42M after trimming staff and naming new CEOA melee broke out at midfield of Ohio Stadium after Michigan upset No. 2 Ohio State 13-10 on Saturday. After the Wolverines' fourth straight win in the series, players converged at the block "O" to plant its flag. The Ohio State players were in the south end zone singing their alma mater in front of the student section. When the Buckeyes saw the Wolverines' flag, they rushed toward the 50-yard line. Social media posts showed Michigan offensive lineman Raheem Anderson carrying the flag on a long pole to midfield, where the Wolverines were met by dozens of Ohio State players and fights broke out. Buckeyes defensive end Jack Sawyer was seen ripping the flag off the pole and taking the flag as he scuffled with several people trying to recover the flag. A statement from the Ohio State Police Department read: "Following the game, officers from multiple law enforcement agencies assisted in breaking up an on-field altercation. During the scuffle, multiple officers representing Ohio and Michigan deployed pepper spray. OSUPD is the lead agency for games and will continue to investigate." Michigan running back Kalel Mullings on FOX said: "For such a great game, you hate to see stuff like that after the game. It's bad for the sport, bad for college football. At the end of the day, some people got to learn how to lose, man. "You can't be fighting and stuff just because you lost the game. We had 60 minutes and four quarters to do all that fighting. Now people want to talk and fight. That's wrong. It's bad for the game. Classless, in my opinion. People got to be better." Once order was restored, officers cordoned the 50-yard line, using bicycles as barriers. Ohio State coach Ryan Day in his postgame press conference said he wasn't sure what happened. "I don't know all the details of it. But I know that these guys are looking to put a flag on our field and our guys weren't going to let that happen," he said. "I'll find out exactly what happened, but this is our field and certainly we're embarrassed at the fact we lost the game, but there's some prideful guys on our team that weren't just going to let that happen." The Big Ten has not yet released a statement on the incident. --Field Level Media
Amherst VFW Post 1662 hosts annual Children’s Christmas PartyPrime Minister Justin Trudeau speaks at an event in Mount Stewart, P.E.I., Friday. Ron Ward/Canadian Press via AP Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had dinner Friday evening with Donald Trump at the president-elect’s Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach, Florida. The sudden visit to Florida came days after Trump threatened to impose a 25 percent tariff on Canadian and Mexican goods, along with an additional 10 percent on Chinese merchandise. The president-elect has said the tariffs would be aimed at halting an “invasion” of drugs and migrants into the United States. Trump and Trudeau were joined for dinner by some of Trump’s Cabinet picks and their spouses. The group included North Dakota’s Republican governor, Doug Burgum; Trump’s choice for interior secretary; Rep. Michael Waltz, R-Fla., whom Trump tapped for national security adviser; and transition co-chair Howard Lutnick, Trump’s pick for commerce secretary. Dave McCormick, the Republican winner of Pennsylvania’s Senate race, was also in attendance, according to a photo he shared on social media. Trudeau’s entourage, meanwhile, included Canadian Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc and Katie Telford, Trudeau’s chief of staff. Trudeau told reporters on Saturday morning that he had “an excellent conversation” with Trump during his dinner at Mar-a-Lago, but he walked away from the press when asked if tariffs were discussed. Trump’s transition team did not reply to a request for comment. The threatened tariffs would affect large swaths of U.S. trade and are expected to raise prices on a host of goods for consumers. Some of the largest U.S. imports of Canadian goods include oil and gas, machinery and parts. Canada had been anticipating trade policies that would damage the country’s interests, sending top government officials to meetings across the United States ahead of the November election meant to stave off a turn to protectionism. Earlier on Friday, Trudeau told reporters that the tariffs would hurt consumers. “One of the things that’s really important to understand is that Donald Trump, when he makes statements like that, he plans on carrying them out. There’s no question about it,” Trudeau said to reporters in Prince Edward Island in Atlantic Canada. “Our responsibility is to point out that, in this way, he would be, actually, not just be harming Canadians, who work so well with the United States; he would actually be raising prices for American citizens as well and hurting American industry and businesses,” he added. Trump criticized the 1994 North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) during his first presidential campaign, replacing it with the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, which took effect in 2020. Trump publicly hailed the new accord on several occasions, boasting that it represented an enormous improvement over the original trade pact. Under the USMCA, goods moving among the three North American nations cross borders on a duty-free basis. Trudeau at times had a strained relationship with Trump during his first term in the White House, particularly when it came to matters related to trade. Trump’s insults toward the Canadian leader sometimes got personal, but the two countries maintained strong ties. Trump also spoke to Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum over the phone on Wednesday following the tariff threat, but the two have described dramatically different versions of what took place. Trump claimed Sheinbaum had agreed to “stop Migration through Mexico,” and the Mexican president responded by saying that “Mexico’s stance is not to close borders but to build bridges.” On Thursday, Sheinbaum said she and Trump agreed in a phone call that their countries will have a “good relationship,” and she dismissed his threat to impose a 25 percent tariff on Mexico’s exports if it didn’t stop the flow of migrants and fentanyl to the United States. “There will not be a potential tariff war,” Sheinbaum told reporters in her daily news conference. The tariff threats come at a time when migrant encounters at the U.S.-Mexico border have fallen. The U.S. Border Patrol recorded far fewer migrants illegally crossing the border from Mexico in fiscal 2024 than the previous two years. On the border with Canada, numbers are much lower but have gone up. We invite you to add your comments. We encourage a thoughtful exchange of ideas and information on this website. 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LAHORE, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 8th Dec, 2024) wedding-hall owners and those starting a hall in the province must obtain a mandatory licence the Food Authority (PFA), according to a release issued here. The PFA formulates standards, procedures, processes and guidelines related to any aspect of food, including , food labeling, food additives and a description of the appropriate enforcement system. This body issues permits for food businesses across to enforce food safety and quality standards. The hall is directly related to the food items that are served to guests at events. Similarly, the PFA issues a hall license after reviewing every aspect related to the quality and process of the food, for which a specific fee is also charged. The Food Authority has made it easy to register a online, by filling a form. The applicant can also calculate the hall licence fee by providing details through the online form. The details you have to provide include category, investment or stock position, daily sales, , number of employees, location and utility bills. The licence fee for a hall with an investment of up to Rs3 and a seating capacity of more than 75 people is around Rs. 50,000.Cruelty for Votes: new migration laws criminalise refugees
Modern fighter jets require a great deal of training and talent to fly, often requiring years before a pilot is certified. For example, it takes an average of 192 hours of training before a pilot can take off in a Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II , and that's only the beginning. What follows are years of training to bring pilots up to the standards they need to operate the aircraft. Because of this, many militaries don't throw new pilots into $100 million pieces of equipment. For that, they use training aircraft, which are often very different from more advanced fighters. Still, most people would likely assume that the U.S. Air Force uses jets for training , but that's not always the case. Instead, prospective pilots must learn the basics of flight in a far less advanced aircraft. For some air forces, including the Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF), the plane that's used to train its pilots is a propeller-driven single-engine aircraft that was first introduced as a military pilot trainer in 2001, the T-6 Texan II. The U.S. Air Force began training with the T-6 Texan II at Randolph Air Force Base (AFB) and later moved its fleet of training planes to other locations around the U.S. Japan's selection of the trainer makes it one of at least 14 nations that employ the T-6 II or one of its variants. Of course, there's a reason modern militaries are using propeller-driven planes to train their pilots, and it comes down to the simple fact that the T-6 II is an outstanding and versatile aircraft. The T-6 Texan II was designed from the ground up to be used as a training aircraft, and that's how the U.S. and other nations primarily employ it. The plane is outfitted with a Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-68 turbo-prop engine capable of providing 1,100 hp. This enables the T-6 to fly up to 320 mph (Mach 0.41) to a ceiling of 31,000 feet and a range of 1,036 miles. The cockpit houses two personnel: A student pilot and an instructor pilot. The T-6 II is meant to be used as an entry-level trainer, helping to train a pilot on the basics of flight. Beechcraft describes the T-6 II as "The world's premier military flight trainer," and it's not an empty boast. The T-6 II has logged over five million flight hours, helping to train multiple nations' pilots on basic flight. The primary flight display and incorporated head-up display (HUD) can emulate those used on the F-16 and F/A-18, which the pilot can freely choose. There are multiple variants, including the AT-6B Wolverine, which is armed for weapons and light attack training or deployment. Other variants incorporate advances in display technology, upgraded communications and electro-optical sensors, and more. The armed variants are used primarily for training, but they can be used for light attack roles should the need arise. Thailand purchased numerous armed T-6 IIs and can employ them as light attack aircraft or as trainers. The versatility of the T-6 is what makes it such a useful training aircraft, and with more allies purchasing them, that's unlikely to change in the near future. While it's clear that the T-6 Texan II is a capable aircraft that is being used by militaries around the world, what's not apparent is the reason why. The simple answer is one that often comes up when discussing military procurement: Cost. A brand new T-6A costs around $4.27 million to purchase from Beechcraft. While that's not a small sum of money, it's comparatively tiny when looking at the cost of something like a Dassault Rafale, Eurofighter Typhoon, F-22, or F-35. These fighters cost between $63 million and upward of $177 million, so spending $4.27 million on a trainer makes economic sense. A secondary cost involves maintenance, and it's not cheap to keep a modern fighter jet in operation. The T-6 Texan's operating costs are significantly lower, running about $2,235 per flight hour. While that's not a paltry amount of cash, it's well below the operating costs of fighters, which are much higher. According to Popular Mechanics , the F-22 Raptor runs the U.S. government $85,325 per flight hour, so spending 2.6% of that amount on a trainer is something of a no-brainer. Another benefit of using the T-6 for training is Beechcraft's fast production and delivery times. That's not something people outside of military procurement think of, but it's a significant aspect of defense spending. Beechcraft maintains a highly efficient production capability that benefits from the use of 85% parts commonality with other T-6 variants. All of this comes together to make the T-6 Texan II the premiere Integrated Training System (ITS) in use in the U.S. and around the world.
The Federal Court of Appeal says big streaming companies won’t have to pay for Canadian content until the court hears their appeal of a CRTC decision ordering them to pay. In June, the CRTC said that foreign streamers must contribute five per cent of their annual Canadian revenues to a fund devoted to producing Canadian content, including local TV and radio news. Big global streamers like Netflix and Disney Plus launched court challenges of that order, which the regulator made under the Online Streaming Act. Earlier this month, the Federal Court of Appeal agreed to hear the case. A judge said Monday the streamers won’t have to make the payments, estimated to be at least $1.25 million each annually, until that court process plays out. The parties have agreed to an expedited schedule, meaning the court hearing would take place in June before the bulk of the money is due in August. The court decision notes that Amazon, Apple and Spotify have argued that if they make the payments, win the appeal and overturn the CRTC decision, they wouldn’t be able to recover the money. Justice Wyman Webb says having an accelerated schedule “mitigates the inconvenience arising from a possible delay in the payment,” due on Aug. 31, 2025. In a statement, the CRTC says that the Online Streaming Act, which became law in 2023, “requires the CRTC to modernize the Canadian broadcasting framework.” The regulator said it would “continue to balance consulting widely with moving quickly to build the new regulatory framework.” Kevin Desjardins, president of the Canadian Association of Broadcasters, says the organization is disappointed but “optimistic that the Court and all parties recognize the importance of resolving these matters...expeditiously, so that urgently needed funding for Canadian news and other production can flow back into our media system next year.” This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 24, 2024. SEE ALSO:
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Dec 24 (Reuters) - The Canadian government condemned China on Tuesday for taking steps against two Canadian institutions and 20 people involved in human rights issues concerning the Uyghurs and Tibet. China announced the measures, which included asset freezes and bans on entry, on Sunday. Its targets included the Canada-based Uyghur Rights Advocacy Project and the Canada-Tibet Committee, China's foreign ministry said. "Global Affairs Canada expresses solidarity with the members of the Canadian Tibet Committee and the Uyghur Rights Advocacy Project and condemns the decision by the Chinese Government to punish them for speaking out for human rights," the Canadian government said in a statement. The Canadian statement urged China to respect its obligations under international law while also urging Canadians to exercise a high degree of caution in China due to the risk of arbitrary enforcement of local laws. Rights groups accuse Beijing of widespread abuses of Uyghurs, a mainly Muslim ethnic minority that numbers around 10 million in the western region of Xinjiang, including the mass use of forced labour in camps. Beijing denies any abuses. China seized control of Tibet in 1950 in what it describes as a "peaceful liberation" from feudalistic serfdom. International human rights groups and exiles, however, have routinely condemned what they call China's oppressive rule in Tibetan areas. "The Government of Canada will not tolerate any threats, acts of violence or harassment of people in Canada or their family and friends because of their political opinions or to silence dissenting viewpoints," the Canadian government said. Sign up here. Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Washington; Editing by Richard Chang Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. , opens new tab Thomson Reuters Kanishka Singh is a breaking news reporter for Reuters in Washington DC, who primarily covers US politics and national affairs in his current role. His past breaking news coverage has spanned across a range of topics like the Black Lives Matter movement; the US elections; the 2021 Capitol riots and their follow up probes; the Brexit deal; US-China trade tensions; the NATO withdrawal from Afghanistan; the COVID-19 pandemic; and a 2019 Supreme Court verdict on a religious dispute site in his native India.New England Patriots safety Jabrill Peppers has been removed from the NFL's commissioner's exempt list, the league announced on Monday. "In accordance with the Personal Conduct Policy, the league initiated a preliminary investigation into an incident from early October. That review will remain ongoing and is not affected by this change in Peppers' roster status," the NFL said in a statement. While on the list, Peppers was not permitted to practice or attend games. Now, he can participate in all team activities, which includes playing in the game. The Patriots released a statement after this was announced. "The league has removed Jabrill Peppers from the commissioner’s exempt list. After missing the past seven games, he will now return to the active roster. We understand that the league’s investigation into the matter will continue, as will the legal process. We will await the outcome of both before making any further comment," the organization said. The Boston Herald's Doug Kyed further reported why he was removed. "Per a league source, the reason Patriots S Jabrill Peppers was removed from the commissioner's exempt list was because the baseline suspension for a violation of the personal conduct policy involving the actions for which he's accused is six games. He's already missed seven games. If Peppers had remained on the exempt list through his next court date, Jan. 22, he would have missed a total of 12 games. The NFL may still impose discipline at the end of the process if evidence is found that demonstrates Peppers violated the personal conduct policy. The NFL will look to conclude its investigation once there has been a disposition." Peppers was placed on the list after police responded to a disturbance at a home on Oct. 5. Peppers was arrested and charged with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, strangulation, and possession of cocaine. Peppers was ordered to stay away from the alleged female victim, who says the safety "hit her, choked her, took off her clothing and put her outside." She also told officers that Peppers had his hand on her neck and smashed her head against the wall before pushing her down the stairs, according to police reports. Peppers says that he asked the woman to leave multiple times and denies putting his hands on her. He claims that she “fell by herself on the stairs because she was intoxicated.” Peppers' pre-trial hearing was on Friday, where his attorney, Marc Alan Brofsky, said the victim is “demanding $10.5 million to settle this case, or else she would file a civil suit.” The alleged victim's lawyers claim they did not ask for "a monetary payment for our client’s pain and suffering." Peppers is set to go to trial on Jan. 22. The NFL can still discipline Peppers following the trial if there is evidence he violated the personal conduct policy. This article first appeared on A to Z Sports and was syndicated with permission.
Unlike most true crime documentaries, Chiefsaholic: A Wolf in Chiefs Clothing (now streaming on Amazon Prime Video) was lucky enough to have first-person access to the perpetrator in-between his malfeasances. Director Dylan Sires hung out with Xaviar Babudar while he was on bail following his arrest for a string of high-profile bank robberies, and before he jumped bail, prompting a multi-state manhunt. Why would Babudar agree to be in the film in the first place? Well, he’s a bit of an attention hog: He’s a Kansas City Chiefs superfan, famous among the team’s diehard followers for his head-to-toe wolf costume and viral social media presence, where he was known as “Chiefsaholic.” His fellow Chiefs nuts always wondered how Babudar could afford to travel across the country and buy premium seats to all the away games and, well, here’s your answer, fishbulb: The hundreds of thousands of dollars he stole funded his excursions. And the story only gets wilder and more complex from there. CHIEFSAHOLIC: A WOLF IN CHIEFS CLOTHING : STREAM IT OR SKIP IT? The Gist: Feb. 12, 2023: Super Bowl Sunday. The Chiefs are playing the Philadelphia Eagles for all the marbles. We hang out with Babudar in a hotel room as he watches the game on TV, wearing a shirt bearing the likeness of Chiefs superstar quarterback Patrick Mahomes and an ankle monitor. He seems more worked up about the game than the fact that he’s facing a cumulative 350 years in prison for 19 counts of armed robbery for snatching $846,000 from banks and allegedly laundering $1 million – so there’s no questioning his true fandom, and anyone who invests a bit too much of themselves in the success of a sports team (guilty!) can relate, because when YOUR TEAM is playing, the rest of the world just drops away for a couple of hours. Anyway. Now we jump back to Dec., 2022. We hear 911 audio from a bank employee in Bixby, Oklahoma and watch police bodycam footage outlining a chase. Babudar held up a credit union and took off on a bicycle, and eventually was apprehended on a suburban street with a backpack full of cash and a bb gun. Who is this guy? Just ask a bunch of lovable weirdos who paint themselves red every Sunday during football season, or host obsessive Chiefs podcasts, or hop in their Chiefs-themed party buses and tailgate their asses off. They know him as Chiefsaholic, the guy in the wolf costume who turns up at every game and posts crazy memes and fan videos on twitter to tens of thousands of followers. We meet one fan who says she couldn’t wait to see his pregame video post every gameday. Everybody knew Chiefsaholic, that he was a gregarious personality who hated hated hated the Las Vegas Raiders, but nobody really knew who he was. When his Twitter account went silent in Dec. of 2022, and he didn’t show up at games, people got worried. Was he sick? Was he dead? Was he (cough) in jail? At this point, the doc starts filling in some of Babudar’s biography. He’s homeless, living out of his car. His father abandoned his family, and he and his brother ended up being taken away from his mother, who committed many petty crimes. His criminal record included a handful of misdemeanors for theft. And he was a serial gambler. One Chiefs fan tells a story of how Babudar bet $80,000 on a game, lost, and didn’t seem to be bothered by it. Now we meet Michael Lloyd, the bail bondsman who read Babudar’s story of childhood hardship and posts his $80,000 bail – the family stole to feed themselves, Lloyd says, justifying his decision, although it’s worth noting something not mentioned in the film, namely, that a bail bondsman makes a percentage of the bail amount, so he stood to score a solid payday for springing Babudar. This catches us up to Babudar in the hotel room watching the Super Bowl with more than just his happiness at stake – we learn he stands to score $155,000 because, prior to the season and his arrest, he bet on the Chiefs winning the Super Bowl and Mahomes being named MVP. It’s no secret that both of those things happened. And this is when Lloyd starts to sweat heavily beneath his pasted-on toupee. A guy facing a zillion criminal charges with a pocketful of cash is what you call a flight risk. And if a client bolts, the bail bondsman becomes a bounty hunter, and is on the hook for the $80k and at threat of losing his license if he doesn’t haul in the fugitive. And bolt is exactly what Babudar does. What Movies Will It Remind You Of?: Chiefsaholic is like the documentary How to Rob a Bank crossed with Patton Oswalt-plays-a-toxic-New-York-Giants-fan fiction film Big Fan . Performance Worth Watching: Instead of highlighting what a slippery weirdo Babudar’s lawyer is, let’s acknowledge Payton Garcia, the Iowa credit union teller who gamely and confidently represents all the people the robber traumatized by pointing a gun at them. Memorable Dialogue: The cop who nabbed Babudar, L. Sanchez, rubbed it in: “I’m a Raiders fan,” Sanchez said. “A Raiders fan just arrested you.” Sex and Skin: None. Our Take: Many true crime docs tend to sensationalize their stories, but this one doesn’t need to. It’s pretty sensational on its own, and Sires capitalizes on its twists and turns, shifting from following Babudar to being embedded with Lloyd as the bail bondsman, with a good chunk of change on the line, hunts his bounty. Lloyd tails Babudar’s mother and brother, who are also homeless and living out of a car, waiting for them to leave the vehicle so he can tag it with a tracking device or search through their trash for clues. (A weird sideplot almost emerges here, as Lloyd and Sires fail to suss out why Babudar’s family members visit various Targets and WalMarts so frequently; Lloyd finds return receipts in their garbage, leading one to assume that they’re perpetrating some petty fraud.) So Chiefsaholic isn’t just a retrospective documentary full of talking heads and archival footage – Sires renders it visually and dramatically dynamic, mixing in Lloyd’s on-location stakeouts (Dylan is present when Lloyd finds Babudar’s abandoned ankle monitor in the hotel room), reenactments and police footage. It’s tense and fascinating, and worries that the film wouldn’t justify its two-hour runtime were unfounded. Thematically, the story is quite the rich milieu: The portrait of extreme fandom doesn’t tell the whole story, but part of Babudar’s motive to rob banks surely had something to do with it; his gambling (which Babudar calls “an addiction” at one point) and family history play significant parts too. Social media toxicity is part of the film’s narrative, as Babudar’s online admirers leapt to defend him despite his fairly cut-and-dried guilt. Dylan also lucks into a subplot about the questionable ethics of bail bondsmen who stand to capitalize on springing volatile criminals from jail, although they do assume significant risk. And just when the doc risks becoming a sympathetic platform for Babudar, the other shoe drops and we’re subject to Garcia’s story of the emotional trauma she suffered; the mother of two feared for her life during the robbery, and couldn’t return to work afterward, a firsthand account that immediately punctures the flimsy and desperate defense put forth by Babudar’s lawyer, who insists that “nobody was hurt” during the robberies. This is a fascinating, well-constructed documentary. Our Call: Chiefsaholic is such an excellent film, it doesn’t deserve to be lumped in with the rest of the true crime dreck out there. STREAM IT. John Serba is a freelance writer and film critic based in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Ohio State, Michigan players involved in postgame scuffleTrump says he can't guarantee tariffs won't raise prices, won't rule out revenge prosecutionsBethlehem marks a second subdued Christmas Eve during the war in Gaza BETHLEHEM, West Bank (AP) — Bethlehem is marking another somber Christmas Eve under the shadow of war in Gaza. Manger Square lacked its usual festive lights and crowds of tourists on Tuesday. Instead, the area outside the Nativity Church was quiet. The church was built atop the spot where Jesus is believed to have been born. The war, the violence in the occupied West Bank it has spurred and the lack of festivities has deeply hurt Bethlehem's economy. The town relies heavily on Christmas tourism. The economy in the West Bank was already reeling because of restrictions placed on laborers preventing them from entering Israel during the war. Pope Francis kicks off a yearlong Jubilee that will test his stamina and Rome's patience VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Francis has opened the great Holy Door of St. Peter's Basilica. The ceremony kicks off the 2025 Holy Year. It's a celebration of the Catholic Church that is expected to draw some 32 million pilgrims to Rome. And it will test the pope’s stamina and the ability of the Eternal City to welcome them. This begins the Christmas Eve Mass. The ceremony inaugurates the once-every-25-year tradition of a Jubilee. Francis has dedicated the 2025 Jubilee to the theme of hope. Trump vows to pursue executions after Biden commutes most of federal death row FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump says he'll “vigorously pursue” capital punishment after President Joe Biden commuted the sentences of most people on federal death row partly to stop Trump from pushing forward their executions. Trump criticized Biden’s decision on Monday to change the sentences of 37 of the 40 condemned people to life in prison without parole. Trump said that he will direct the Department of Justice to pursue the death penalty “as soon as I am inaugurated.” Trump was vague on what specific actions he may take. 21 dead as Mozambique erupts in violence after election court ruling MAPUTO, Mozambique (AP) — Violence that engulfed Mozambique after the country’s highest court confirmed ruling party presidential candidate Daniel Chapo as the winner of disputed Oct. 9 elections has killed at least 21 people, including two police officers. Mozambique Interior Minister Pascoal Ronda told a news conference in Maputo late Tuesday that a wave of violence and looting was sparked by the court’s announcement a day earlier. He said it was led by mostly youthful supporters of losing candidate Venancio Mondlane, who received 24% of the vote, second to Chapo, who got 65%. Prosecutors find workers in 'slavery like' conditions at Chinese car company site in Brazil RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil (AP) — A task force led by Brazilian prosecutors says it has rescued 163 Chinese nationals working in “slavery-like” conditions at a construction site in northeastern Brazil, where Chinese electric vehicle company BYD is building a factory. The Labor Prosecutor’s Office released videos of the dorms where the construction workers were staying, which showed beds with no mattresses and rooms without any place for the workers to store their personal belongings. In a statement issued Monday, the prosecutor’s office said the workers had been hired in China by Jinjian Group, one of the contractors on the site, which is located in Camaçari, a city in the Salvador metropolitan region. NFL players who use platform to share their faith say it's their duty to spread their love of Jesus ALLEN PARK, Mich. (AP) — Jake Bates was standing on the turf in his hometown of Houston when asked to reflect on an unlikely journey from learning how to sell bricks to making game-winning kicks for the Detroit Lions. Bates used his platform as an NFL player to spread his love of Jesus. A month later, Bates told The Associated Press it is a duty to share his faith. The NFL is filled with players and coaches who feel the same way, such as Houston's C.J. Stroud, Atlanta's Kirk Cousins, and Lamar Jackson and John Harbaugh of the Baltimore Ravens. Stunning photos show lava erupting from Hawaii's Kilauea volcano HONOLULU (AP) — Lava is erupting from Hawaii’s Kilauea volcano for the second straight day. The eruption has stayed within Kilauea’s summit caldera inside Hawaii Volcanoes National Park and no homes are threatened. Molten rock began spewing out of the volcano before dawn on Monday when fissures opened in the caldera floor and shot lava high into the air. It then oozed across the caldera floor. Scientists expect activity to fluctuate in coming days. The lava paused Monday afternoon but fountains reemerged Tuesday morning. The eruption has occurred in an area that’s been closed to the public since 2007 due to hazards including crater wall instability and rockfalls. Haiti gangs fire on journalists covering a planned hospital reopening, leaving casualties PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — Suspected gang members have opened fire on journalists in Haiti’s capital as they were covering the attempted reopening of the country’s largest hospital, wounding or killing an unknown number of people. The country's interim president, Leslie Voltaire, said in an address to the nation that journalists and police were among the victims of the vicious Christmas Eve attack. He did not specify how many casualties there were, or give a breakdown for the dead or wounded. Radio Télé Métronome said earlier on Tuesday that seven journalists and two police officers were wounded in the shooting. Street gangs have taken over an estimated 85% of Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince. Hurricane-force winds bear down on California, latest in stretch of extreme weather LOS ANGELES (AP) — California has been hit hard by extreme weather over the past several weeks. Atmospheric rivers, which are long stretches of wet air that can produce heavy rains, brought a record-setting rainfall before Thanksgiving. A series of atmospheric rivers are producing strong waves and storms near Santa Cruz this week. Thousands were left under evacuation warnings and orders because of a fire around Malibu. Climate change means that strong storms will be responsible for a greater share of the state's yearly precipitation and the periods between those events will be drier. Heavy travel day starts with brief grounding of all American Airlines flights WASHINGTON (AP) — American Airlines briefly grounded flights nationwide due to a technical problem just as the Christmas travel season kicked into overdrive and winter weather threatened more potential problems for those planning to fly or drive. Government regulators cleared American flights to get airborne Tuesday about an hour after the Federal Aviation Administration ordered a national ground stop, which prevented planes from taking off. American said in an email that the problem was caused by vendor technology in its flight operating system. Aviation analytics company Cirium said flights were delayed across American’s major hubs, with only 37% leaving on time. Nineteen flights were cancelled.
Washington State University Vancouver students will soon transform a local art installation into an interactive educational experience, bridging the gap between art, technology and language at the Woodland Community Library . Suspended above the children’s room in the Woodland Community Library is “Phonic Bloom,” an art installation created by Portland-based studio Superfab. This piece repurposed recycled books into a vibrant hanging garden, visually symbolizing the sounds of the International Phonetic Alphabet. Each color-coded bloom represents syllables common to local languages: red for English, yellow for Spanish and blue for Salish — the language spoken by the Cowlitz Tribe for thousands of years. The installation was developed in collaboration with Portland State University linguist Janet Tom Cowell, who worked with Superfab to highlight the shared phonetic elements across these languages. Washington State University Vancouver student and experience team lead James Lesperance showcases a prototype for an app designed to bring an art installation to life through augmented reality during a presentation at WSU Vancouver on Wednesday, Dec. 11. The app allows visitors to interact with an art piece called “Phonic Bloom” at the Woodland library, providing a deeper understanding of phonics in multiple languages. This “data sculpture,” as WSU professor and Digital Technology and Culture lead Dene Grigar explained, presented a special opportunity for her students — developing an augmented reality mobile app to teach visitors about phonics using the installation. Augmented reality uses technology to blend digital content with the real world. The WSU students' app brings “Phonic Bloom” to life similar to the popular mobile app “Pokémon Go.” Visitors can point their phones at the sculpture to see a digital recreation of the garden appear on their screens. Guided by “Bea,” a friendly bee mascot voiced by design team member Bea Calces, users can interact with virtual blooms to learn about the corresponding phonetic sounds. The app features audio and visual representations, including animations of the human vocal system producing sounds like “la” and “shaw.” Mailei Brodniak, the student project manager, described their mission as developing and promoting a mobile app to educate young audiences about phonics. The task came with a steep learning curve, as the team first had to familiarize themselves with the intricacies of phonics before beginning. The students had 16 weeks — one semester — to complete their work. “We had the job of taking that sculpture and then bringing it down to our level and making it so that people from children to families could interact with it and actually understand what it’s saying,” Brodniak said Each year, Digital Technology and Culture students are tasked with a 16-week project using their skillsets to showcase their work on resumes or portfolios. The students learn a variety of skills ranging from videography to game design, choosing one category to be their “superpower.” Their main chosen skill is their focus for the senior project, giving students a chance to add to their portfolio before graduation. “The senior seminar is like a finishing school slash boot camp ... getting them to polish themselves, refine their skills and begin to feel confident so they can have a successful interview. It’s about turning out successful thinkers, makers and doers,” Grigar said. The senior seminar split its 18 students into four teams: • A design team, which conceptualized the app’s appearance and functionality • An experience team, which developed the app, implementing its interactive features • A web development team, which created a complementary website detailing the project’s history and features. • A social media team, which promoted the project across social media The design and experience teams crafted 15 unique 3D models, 26 animations and 20 audio components, supported by over 2,000 lines of code for the project. Student Evan Leyden took on the intricate task of animating a realistic depiction of human vocal anatomy for the app. “I spent over 12 hours just researching the kinematics of how we actually move everything inside our mouth to make sure that the animation was accurate, as well as looking for just the right [animation] plug-in [so] this [Magnetic Resonance Imaging] has fully articulated lips, tongue, velum, jaw and larynx,” Leyden said. The web development team supplemented the app with an interactive website, featuring an interactive phonetic chart and resources about the installation. Meanwhile, the social media team chronicled the project’s development across Instagram, TikTok and LinkedIn, garnering over 200,000 views and 2,000 engagements. In a Dec. 11 presentation at WSU Vancouver, students demonstrated the fully functional mobile app as attendees watched the interactive experience. Brodniak emphasized the teamwork that was key to the project’s success. “The thing I’m most proud of is how everyone just came together. Everyone communicated so well, and everyone was so friendly with each other. There’s a lot of unity, which you would hope for since we’re making a project about community, but we were able to foster one,” She said. As part of their coursework, each student incorporated their contributions into their resumés and portfolios, participating in mock interviews with local employers. Brodniak, who also worked on the social media team, plans to pursue roles in social media or project management. “This experience gave me a lot of confidence in being a project manager, so I wouldn’t be opposed to working in the management side of things either,” she added. “There is so much here that we created and that we can bring with us moving forward into the career space.” The Phonic Bloom app will launch by the end of 2024. Readers can download the app and learn more about the project at dtc-wsuv.org/projects/phonic-bloom/index.html . The Phonic Bloom art piece can be found at the Woodland Community Library, which is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday at 411 Lakeshore Dr. Get our local education coverage delivered directly to your inbox.Ohio State, Michigan players involved in postgame scuffle
Chandigarh: Leader of opposition in Punjab assembly Partap Singh Bajwa on Sunday lashed out at the BJP-led Haryana govt for “resorting to police excesses once again to strangulate the peaceful foot march of the farmers”. Bajwa, in a written statement, mentioned: “The BJP govt in Haryana has erected an international border-like barricading with a heavy police deployment at Shambhu border as if Punjab is not a part of this country. By doing this, the BJP govts at the Centre and in Haryana have been building a sense of alienation among the Punjabi farmers .” The Congress MLA from Qadian further said: “Several farmers suffered injuries after the oppressive BJP govt once again fired tear gas shells against the Punjabi farmers. Haryana chief minister Nayab Singh Saini has apparently crossed all limits of viciousness.” “If the farmers cannot even protest peacefully in their own country, what rights do they have in a democratic setup like ours?” he asked. “Peaceful protests are the safety valves for the people to vent their anger and make their voices heard. Suppressing such protests often turn out to be catastrophic,” Bajwa added. tnn We also published the following articles recently 6 farmers hospitalized after tear gas shelling at Punjab-Haryana border Clashes between farmers and Haryana police at the Shambhu border crossing continue, leaving six more farmers hospitalized on Sunday after tear gas shelling. Two of the injured were transferred to higher-level medical facilities for further treatment, while four remain under observation. Tension grips Shambhu border as farmers prepare for march; Haryana police on high alert Farmers protesting at the Punjab-Haryana border are planning to march to Delhi today, coinciding with a Sikh martyrdom day, to demand minimum support prices for crops. Haryana police have barricaded the highway to prevent the march, escalating tensions. This is the farmers' third attempt to reach Delhi, following a previous attempt that resulted in a fatality. 3 farmers still under observation after tear gas shelling at Punjab-Haryana border; all others discharged Following a tear gas incident at the Punjab-Haryana border near Shambhu point that injured 17 farmers, three remain under observation in Patiala hospitals. One farmer with serious injuries was transferred to another facility for further treatment. While most injuries were minor, two others were also referred to a higher institute. Stay updated with the latest news on Times of India . Don't miss daily games like Crossword , Sudoku , and Mini Crossword .Non-release of fund: RG reps threaten to stage protest MANSEHRA: The chairmen of village and neighbourhood councils on Sunday warned the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government of street protests if it failed to release development funds across the province. “The government has recently released funds to only 51 tehsil councils across the province, where Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) chairmen were elected in the local government elections held three years ago,” Basharat Ali Swati, the general secretary of Local Bodies Ittehad, told reporters here. Flanked by other office-bearers of the Ittehad, he said a meeting of village and neighbourhood councils was held in Mansehra. The meeting decided to launch street protests if the provincial government did not release funds to 4,211 villages and neighbourhood councils across the province. “The government has discriminated against tehsil chairmen from other political parties, as 80 tehsil councils are still deprived of these funds,” Swati added. He explained that the meeting, attended by chairmen of village and neighbourhood councils from various parts of the district, decided on the agitation plan if development funds were not released. “We are in constant contact with our provincial body in Peshawar, which is scheduled to meet today (Monday) to finalise our future course of action,” Swati said.
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Scientists await signal from spacecraft after historic close encounter with the sunHere’s a partial list of what’s closed and open on Wednesday for the Christmas and Hanukkah holidays: Government offices: Federal, state, county and city government offices will be closed. Courts: Superior courts in Solano County will be closed. Schools: Solano County public schools will be closed. Businesses: Most U.S. retailers will keep their doors closed on Christmas and Hanukkah, the Jewish Festival of Lights, which begins at sundown on Wednesday. However, some grocery stores and convenience stories will be open. Some major restaurants, including fast-food restaurants, will be open, but some may have modified hours. Some drugstore chains, such as CVS and Walgreens, will be open. Be sure to contact a specific location about their hours on Wednesday. Banks/credit unions: Banks and credit unions will be closed and reopen on Thursday. Libraries: Solano County Public Library locations will be closed (https://solanolibrary.com). Mail: The U.S. Postal Service will not deliver mail on Wednesday, and post offices are closed (www.usps.com). Most UPS and FedEx stores will be closed, but UPS Express Critical will be available. Transit: SolTrans, Local, Express, and Paratransit buses will not operate Wednesday and neither will Green Line and Route 82 (www.soltrans.org). Trash: Recology does not collect on Christmas Day. If your collection day is Wednesday, your collection will be one day later (recology.com). Financial centers: The two major stock markets, the NYSE and the Nasdaq, will be closed on Wednesday (morningstar.com).Jalen Hurts threw for two touchdowns and ran for another as Philadelphia outlasted upset-minded Carolina on Sunday while Minnesota routed Atlanta as both 11-2 teams neared an NFL playoff berth. Hurts completed 14-of-21 passes for 108 yards and ran eight times for 59 yards to hold off stubborn Carolina, which fell to 3-10. He scored on a 1-yard plunge early in the second quarter, connected with DeVonta Smith on a 4-yard touchdown pass 14 seconds before half-time for a 14-10 lead. After the Panthers grabbed the lead on Chuba Hubbard's 1-yard touchdown run in the third quarter, the Eagles answered with 75 seconds elapsed in the fourth quarter on a 4-yard Hurts touchdown pass to Grant Calcaterra and a 2-point conversion run by Saquon Barkley, who ran 20 times for 124 yards. At Minneapolis, Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold completed 22-of-28 passes for 347 yards and five touchdown to power Minnesota over the Atlanta Falcons 42-21. The Vikings spoiled the return of ex-Minnesota quarterback Kirk Cousins, who threw for 344 yards but was intercepted twice. Minnesota needs losses by the Arizona Cardinals to Seattle and the Los Angeles Rams to Buffalo in later games to clinch a playoff berth. The Eagles need only an Arizona loss to secure their spot in the post-season. Later games also include the defending champion Kansas City Chiefs (11-1) entertaining the Los Angeles Chargers (8-4). Tua Tagovailoa threw a 10-yard touchdown pass to Jonnu Smith in overtime to give the Miami Dolphins a 32-26 home triumph over the New York Jets. The Pittsburgh Steelers improved to 10-3 as Russell Wilson threw for two touchdowns and Najee Harris ran for another in a 27-14 home victory over Cleveland. Baker Mayfield threw for 295 yards and three touchdowns to spark the Tampa Bay Buccaneers over visiting Las Vegas 28-13. Derek Carr threw for 219 yards and a touchdown as the New Orleans Saints edged the host New York Giants 14-11 while Tank Bigsby's 8-yard touchdown run with 6:46 remaining gave Jacksonville a 10-6 victory at Tennessee. js/bsp