90jili update

90jili update Oprah was right: Gratitude rules . In an effort to take stock of this last year in theater, I ended up not with a “best-of” list (too subjective by a mile) so much as a retroactive gratitude journal for all the good work done in 2024. Combing through my Leaning Tower of Programs, I reflected on how much I’d seen (and even more that I missed — forgive me, time is a finite resource). While not every show hit every mark, focusing on the following highlights reminded me why I love what I do. Here’s a look back at my 12 favorite Seattle-area theatrical experiences of the last year. Let’s start with the individual performances that have stuck with me for months. As part of a tight ensemble cast that passed their show’s central role like a baton, MJ Sieber delivered a ferocious, bewildered performance in The Feast’s fall production of “ The Adding Machine ,” which incorporated AI into Elmer Rice’s 1923 play about a man being rendered obsolete by technology. (As a bonus favorite, Sieber was also excellent as an equally bewildered divorced dad in “The Bed Trick” at Seattle Shakespeare Company , which leaned more into his always-impressive comedy chops.) Alexander Kilian stopped my heart in its rhythm as the desperate, overburdened student Moritz in “ Spring Awakening” at The 5th Avenue Theatre . Not only did his anguished, hopeful performance spark like a downed power line onstage, he nailed both the gawky physicality of a teenager and the difficult articulations in the rock score by Duncan Sheik. At the much smaller-scale Theatre Off Jackson, Jessie Selleck sang like a baseball-playing angel in the gender-swapped lead role of Joe Hardy in September’s “Damn Yankees” by Reboot Theatre Company . She’s a performer I’ll definitely be keeping an eye out for in the future. On an even smaller scale, we had Mary Ewald’s “Ages of Being,” an evening of Shakespeare sonnets and speeches created in concert with her husband and director John Kazanjian, and performed in spring in their Capitol Hill home for an audience of a dozen. Grounded, honest and simple in her performance, Ewald created a sublimely intimate experience for those lucky enough to witness it. Sometimes an entire cast shines brighter than any individual performer, and such was the case for Eboni Booth’s 2024 Pulitzer-winning play “Primary Trust,” at Seattle Rep , directed by Kaytlin McIntyre. Though led by the excellent Stephen Tyrone Williams as Kenneth, a man with a traumatic history and an imaginary friend, Williams was ably aided by co-stars Andrew Lee Creech, Rob Burgess and Allyson Lee Brown, with Justin Huertas as an anonymous musician who shows up throughout the play. (This last one was kind of a mystifying choice, because why use Huertas without using Huertas, you know? But still, the ensemble was outstanding.) While a two-hander doesn’t exactly have an ensemble, the duo in Samuel D. Hunter’s “A Case for the Existence of God” deserves laurels for both individual performances and their palpable connection as a pair. Conner Neddersen and Nathaniel Tenenbaum both delivered complex, emotionally detailed portrayals of two unlikely friends who bond over the complications of mortgages and parenthood. Then there are the excellent shows that you cannot separate into component parts. I left Sanaz Toossi’s “English” at ArtsWest , a coproduction with Seda Iranian Theatre Ensemble, floating on air and filled with curiosity. Toossi’s 2023 Pulitzer Prize-winning play centers on a group of students in Tehran studying for the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language). When a production encourages you to think about your place in the world and expands your thinking about the world around you, what more could you want? Similarly thought-provoking was the drag-theater “Threesome” at Sodo auto shop Repair Revolution , featuring Cherdonna Shinatra, Martha Graham Cracker and Jarbeaux. Together these three top-tier performers pushed themselves into new artistic territory, and the end result was a glittery, emotional and entirely unexpected evening of music, dance, drag and performance art. And finally, we have those unique individual elements or experiences that don’t fit neatly into any category. Immersive and/or interactive theater is a kind of third rail — when done well it’s an incredible experience but when it’s bad, it is skin-crawling bad. Pony World Theatre’s interactive preshow fun for “Edgar & Annabel” integrated interaction expertly. The play, about political revolutionaries living under the radar, lent itself well to the (totally optional) audience activities: sifting through evidence, listening to audio recordings, spotting anomalies on the kitchen-sink set. It was a genuine value-add to the experience of the show, and prepped the audience for a more lighthearted time than otherwise expected. One of my most heartening days this year was spent at ACT Contemporary Theatre’s annual stage management camp , which trains young people in the ways of an absolutely essential role in the live performing arts. Without stage managers, the show cannot go on. Rebuild that talent pipeline, baby! Speaking of heartening: Did you hear that Book-It is back ? After the emotional loss of the theater company in 2023 , it was a joy to hear from co-founders Jane Jones and Myra Platt about their return to creating the work they love, and the logistical morass that many overhead-burdened theaters find themselves in, at the expense of their art. Designers rarely get much space in reviews, but scenic designer Stephanie Kerley Schwartz’s work on “The Skin of our Teeth” at Seattle Rep stood out in the best way. Realistic with touches of the cartoonish, evoking both cosmic expansiveness and workaday human intimacy, Schwartz’s work elevated Thornton Wilder’s complex, time-hopping play to satisfying heights. Making art is hard, and being an artist is arguably harder , but our lives are all so much richer for the work that they do. In this last year, I’ve seen plays I’ve loved and plays I’ve hated, but I haven’t seen much that made me feel nothing . So yes, I am grateful. And until we dive headfirst into the new year, I’m going to appreciate that.

For Inter Milan, securing the Dutch defender's signature would not only fill the void left by Achraf Hakimi but also bolster their defensive capabilities and strengthen their squad for the upcoming season. As the transfer window approaches its climax, all eyes will be on the next move in this intriguing saga as the battle for the 26-year-old Dutch defender's signature rages on.ATLANTA — Jimmy Carter, the peanut farmer who won the presidency in the wake of the Watergate scandal and Vietnam War, endured humbling defeat after one tumultuous term and then redefined life after the White House as a global humanitarian, has died. He was 100 years old. In this Nov. 3, 2019, file photo, former President Jimmy Carter teaches Sunday school at Maranatha Baptist Church in Plains, Ga. The longest-lived American president died on Sunday, more than a year after entering hospice care, at his home in the small town of Plains, Georgia, where he and his wife, Rosalynn, who died at 96 in November 2023, spent most of their lives, The Carter Center said. Businessman, Navy officer, evangelist, politician, negotiator, author, woodworker, citizen of the world — Carter forged a path that still challenges political assumptions and stands out among the 45 men who reached the nation’s highest office. The 39th president leveraged his ambition with a keen intellect, deep religious faith and prodigious work ethic, conducting diplomatic missions into his 80s and building houses for the poor well into his 90s. “My faith demands — this is not optional — my faith demands that I do whatever I can, wherever I am, whenever I can, for as long as I can, with whatever I have to try to make a difference,” Carter once said. A moderate Democrat, Carter entered the 1976 presidential race as a little-known Georgia governor with a broad smile, outspoken Baptist mores and technocratic plans reflecting his education as an engineer. His no-frills campaign depended on public financing, and his promise not to deceive the American people resonated after Richard Nixon’s disgrace and U.S. defeat in southeast Asia. “If I ever lie to you, if I ever make a misleading statement, don’t vote for me. I would not deserve to be your president,” Carter repeated before narrowly beating Republican incumbent Gerald Ford, who had lost popularity pardoning Nixon. Carter governed amid Cold War pressures, turbulent oil markets and social upheaval over racism, women’s rights and America’s global role. His most acclaimed achievement in office was a Mideast peace deal that he brokered by keeping Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin at the bargaining table for 13 days in 1978. That Camp David experience inspired the post-presidential center where Carter would establish so much of his legacy. Yet Carter’s electoral coalition splintered under double-digit inflation, gasoline lines and the 444-day hostage crisis in Iran. His bleakest hour came when eight Americans died in a failed hostage rescue in April 1980, helping to ensure his landslide defeat to Republican Ronald Reagan. Carter acknowledged in his 2020 “White House Diary” that he could be “micromanaging” and “excessively autocratic,” complicating dealings with Congress and the federal bureaucracy. He also turned a cold shoulder to Washington’s news media and lobbyists, not fully appreciating their influence on his political fortunes. “It didn’t take us long to realize that the underestimation existed, but by that time we were not able to repair the mistake,” Carter told historians in 1982, suggesting that he had “an inherent incompatibility” with Washington insiders. Carter insisted his overall approach was sound and that he achieved his primary objectives — to “protect our nation’s security and interests peacefully” and “enhance human rights here and abroad” — even if he fell spectacularly short of a second term. Ignominious defeat, though, allowed for renewal. The Carters founded The Carter Center in 1982 as a first-of-its-kind base of operations, asserting themselves as international peacemakers and champions of democracy, public health and human rights. “I was not interested in just building a museum or storing my White House records and memorabilia,” Carter wrote in a memoir published after his 90th birthday. “I wanted a place where we could work.” That work included easing nuclear tensions in North and South Korea, helping to avert a U.S. invasion of Haiti and negotiating cease-fires in Bosnia and Sudan. By 2022, The Carter Center had declared at least 113 elections in Latin America, Asia and Africa to be free or fraudulent. Recently, the center began monitoring U.S. elections as well. Carter’s stubborn self-assuredness and even self-righteousness proved effective once he was unencumbered by the Washington order, sometimes to the point of frustrating his successors. He went “where others are not treading,” he said, to places like Ethiopia, Liberia and North Korea, where he secured the release of an American who had wandered across the border in 2010. “I can say what I like. I can meet whom I want. I can take on projects that please me and reject the ones that don’t,” Carter said. He announced an arms-reduction-for-aid deal with North Korea without clearing the details with Bill Clinton’s White House. He openly criticized President George W. Bush for the 2003 invasion of Iraq. He also criticized America’s approach to Israel with his 2006 book “Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid.” And he repeatedly countered U.S. administrations by insisting North Korea should be included in international affairs, a position that most aligned Carter with Republican President Donald Trump. Among the center’s many public health initiatives, Carter vowed to eradicate the guinea worm parasite during his lifetime, and nearly achieved it: Cases dropped from millions in the 1980s to nearly a handful. With hardhats and hammers, the Carters also built homes with Habitat for Humanity. The Nobel committee’s 2002 Peace Prize cites his “untiring effort to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts, to advance democracy and human rights, and to promote economic and social development.” Carter should have won it alongside Sadat and Begin in 1978, the chairman added. Carter accepted the recognition saying there was more work to be done. “The world is now, in many ways, a more dangerous place,” he said. “The greater ease of travel and communication has not been matched by equal understanding and mutual respect.” ‘An epic American life’ Carter’s globetrotting took him to remote villages where he met little “Jimmy Carters,” so named by admiring parents. But he spent most of his days in the same one-story Plains house — expanded and guarded by Secret Service agents — where they lived before he became governor. He regularly taught Sunday School lessons at Maranatha Baptist Church until his mobility declined and the coronavirus pandemic raged. Those sessions drew visitors from around the world to the small sanctuary where Carter will receive his final send-off after a state funeral at Washington’s National Cathedral. The common assessment that he was a better ex-president than president rankled Carter and his allies. His prolific post-presidency gave him a brand above politics, particularly for Americans too young to witness him in office. But Carter also lived long enough to see biographers and historians reassess his White House years more generously. His record includes the deregulation of key industries, reduction of U.S. dependence on foreign oil, cautious management of the national debt and notable legislation on the environment, education and mental health. He focused on human rights in foreign policy, pressuring dictators to release thousands of political prisoners. He acknowledged America’s historical imperialism, pardoned Vietnam War draft evaders and relinquished control of the Panama Canal. He normalized relations with China. “I am not nominating Jimmy Carter for a place on Mount Rushmore,” Stuart Eizenstat, Carter’s domestic policy director, wrote in a 2018 book. “He was not a great president” but also not the “hapless and weak” caricature voters rejected in 1980, Eizenstat said. Rather, Carter was “good and productive” and “delivered results, many of which were realized only after he left office.” Madeleine Albright, a national security staffer for Carter and Clinton’s secretary of state, wrote in Eizenstat’s forward that Carter was “consequential and successful” and expressed hope that “perceptions will continue to evolve” about his presidency. “Our country was lucky to have him as our leader,” said Albright, who died in 2022. Jonathan Alter, who penned a comprehensive Carter biography published in 2020, said in an interview that Carter should be remembered for “an epic American life” spanning from a humble start in a home with no electricity or indoor plumbing through decades on the world stage across two centuries. “He will likely go down as one of the most misunderstood and underestimated figures in American history,” Alter told The Associated Press. Jimmy Carter is shown at age 6, with his sister, Gloria, 4, in 1931 in Plains, Georgia. (AP Photo) This is a 1932 photo of Jimmy Carter at age 7 in Plains, Ga. (AP Photo) Lt. Jimmy Carter peers at instruments on submarine USS K-1 in a 1952 photo. Directly in front of Carter, smoking a cigar, is Don Dickson. He had forgotten he ever served with Carter until he came upon the photo during Christmas, 1977. A friend got it to the White House where Carter wrote: "To my friend Donald Dickson - Jimmy Carter, USS K-1 to White House." (AP Photo) FILE - In this Sept. 15, 1966 file photo, then Georgia State Sen. Jimmy Carter hugs his wife, Rosalynn, at his Atlanta campaign headquarters. Jimmy Carter, winner in Georgia's runoff primary in the Democratic Party to determine the party's candidate for the November election for governor, 1970. (AP Photo) Former State Sen. Jimmy Carter listens to applause at the Capitol in Atlanta on April 3, 1970, after announcing his candidacy or governor. In background, his wife Rosalyn holds two-year-old daughter Amy who joined in the applause. Carter, 45, of Plains, Ga., finished third in the 1966 Democratic Primary behind Gov. Lester Maddox and Ellis Arnall. (AP Photo/Charles Kelly) Democratic gubernatorial nominee Jimmy Carter and his wife Rosalynn clutch the microphones as he claims victory in a runoff election at campaign headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia, September 24, 1970. Carter beat former Georgia Governor Carl Sanders for the nomination and will face Republican candidate Hal Suit, veteran television newsman, in the general election Nov. 3, 1970. (AP Photo/Charles Kelly) Former state Sen. Jimmy Carter breaks into a broad smile after early returns gave him a lead of almost 2-1 in the Democratic runoff against former Gov. Carl Sanders, Sept. 23, 1970, in Atlanta, Ga. The winner will meet the Republic Hal Suit for the governorship of Georgia on the Nov. 3 general election. (AP Photo/Charles Kelly) Governor-elect Jimmy Carter and his daughter Amy, 3, walk about the grounds by the fountain at the Governor's Mansion in Atlanta, Ga., Jan. 10, 1971, as they get to know the place where they will live for the next four years. Carter will be sworn in as governor of Georgia Tuesday. (AP Photo) Judge Robert H. Jordan administers the oath of office to Gov. Jimmy Carter during ceremonies at the state capitol in Atlanta. Ga., Jan. 12, 1971. Next to the judge is former Gov. Lester Maddox, who will take over as lieutenant governer of Georgia. (AP Photo) Jimmy Carter of Georgia, seen here Feb. 6, 1971, already described as a symbol of a new breed of moderate southern politician, says that the race question has ceased to be a major issue "between or among candidates" running for office in the old confederacy. (AP Photo) Jimmy Carter, Governor of Georgia, is shown at his desk in Atlanta, on February 19, 1971. (AP Photo) Georgia's Gov. Jimmy Carter reaches for pen February 25, 1972 to sign a Georgia Senate House resolution opposing forced busing to achieve integration in the classrooms of the United States. Georgia Gov. Jimmy Carter joins a half-dozen Rockettes in a high kick, September 21, 1973, at Radio City Music Hall in New York, while visiting backstage before an afternoon performance. Carter is in New York to induce the film industry to make pictures in his state. (AP Photo/stf) Georgia Gov. Jimmy Carter, right, and Delaware Gov. Sherman Tribbitt say hello to Atlanta Braves Hank Aaron, left, following a rain canceled game with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Thursday, Sept. 27, 1973, Atlanta, Ga. The cancellation slowed Aaron’s opportunity to tie or break Babe Ruth’s home run record. (AP Photo) Georgia Gov. Jimmy Carter spoke to 18,000 messengers to the Southern Baptist Convention on Thursday, June 13, 1974 in Dallas, Texas. He urged Baptists to use their personal and political influence to return the nation to ideals of stronger commitment and higher ethics. He said "there is no natural division between a man's Christian life and his political life." (AP Photo/Greg Smith) Georgia Gov. Jimmy Carter tells a gathering, Saturday, Oct. 5, 1974 at the National Press Club in Washington about his ideas concerning energy conservation. (AP Photo) In this Thursday, Aug. 14, 1975 file photo, former Georgia Gov. Jimmy Carter announces in Washington that he qualified for federal matching funds to help finance his campaign for the 1976 Democratic presidential nomination. Former Georgia Gov. Jimmy Carter, right, drew about 5,000 people to Youngstown's Federal Plaza in Youngstown, Ohio, in his quest for support in Tuesday's Ohio Democratic primary, June 7, 1976. The presidential hopeful waded into the crowd, shaking hands and signing autographs. Carter, speaking to the largest crowd to assemble during his Ohio campaign, said 1976 would be a Democratic year because of the Watergate aftermath and other national ills. (AP Photo) In this Monday, Aug. 23, 1976 file photo, Democratic presidential candidate Jimmy Carter gives an informal press conference in Los Angeles during a campaign tour through the West and Midwest. On Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2015. (AP Photo) Democratic Presidential nominee Jimmy Carter, left, eats some freshly roasted barbecue chicken with his brother Billy Carter at Billy's gas station, Sept 11, 1976, Plains, Ga. The nominee had returned the night before from a week of campaigning, and planned to hold an impromptu press conference at the gas station. (AP Photo/Jeff Taylor) Democratic presidential nominee, Jimmy Carter, is all smiles as he talks with his brother Billy at the Carter Family Peanut warehouse, September 18, 1976. (AP Photo) Jimmy Carter stands in a large mound of peanuts at the Carter Peanut Warehouse in Plains, Ga., September 22, 1976. The Democratic party presidential nominee took an early morning walk through the warehouse to inspect some of the harvest. (AP Photo) FILE - In this Oct. 6, 1976 file photo with his wife Rosalynn Carter looking on at center, Democratic presidential candidate Jimmy Carter, center left, shakes hands with President Gerald Ford at the conclusion of their debate at the Palace of Fine Arts Theater in San Francisco, Calif. (AP Photo, File) Jimmy Carter, Democratic candidate for president, is joined by his daughter, Amy, as he waves from the rostrum at Fort Worth Convention Center, Texas, Sunday, Nov. 1, 1976. Carter and his family have been campaigning Texas, making a last minute bid for the state's 26 electoral votes. The others are not identified. (AP Photo) U.S. President-elect Jimmy Carter waves to supporters as he is surrounded by family members at a hotel in Atlanta, Ga., on Nov. 3, 1976. Carter won the presidential election by 297 electoral votes to 241 for Ford. Standing next to him is his wife, Rosalynn, and their daughter Amy Lynn, far right. The others are unidentified. (AP Photo) President-elect Jimmy Carter and his wife Rosalynn wipe tears from their eyes after returning to their home town in Plains, Ga., Nov. 3, 1976. The Carter family was greeted by local residents after returning from Atlanta. (AP Photo) President-elect Jimmy Carter leans over to shake hands with some of the people riding the "Peanut Special" to Washington D.C., Jan. 19, 1977. They will travel all night, arriving in Washington in time for Carter's inauguration as President tomorrow. (AP Photo) Jimmy Carter takes the oath of office as the nation's 39th president during inauguration ceremonies in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 20, 1977. Carter's wife, Rosalynn, holds the Bible used in the first inauguration by George Washington as U.S. Chief Justice Warren Burger administers the oath. Looking on at left are, Happy Rockefeller, Betty Ford, Joan Mondale, Amy Carter, and outgoing President Gerald Ford. Behind Carter is Vice President Walter Mondale. At far right is former Vice President Nelson Rockefeller. (AP Photo) Rosalynn Carter, left, looks up at her husband Jimmy Carter as he takes the oath of office as the 39th President of the United States at the Capitol, Thursday, Jan. 20, 1977, Washington, D.C. Mrs. Carter held a family Bible for her husband. (AP Photo) Jimmy Carter and first lady Rosalynn Carter walk down Pennsylvania Avenue after Carter was sworn in as the nations 39th President, Jan. 20, 1977, Washington, D.C. (AP Photo) FILE - In this Thursday, Jan. 20, 1977 file photo, President Jimmy Carter waves to the crowd while walking with his wife, Rosalynn, and their daughter, Amy, along Pennsylvania Avenue from the Capitol to the White House following his inauguration in Washington. (AP Photo/Suzanne Vlamis) In this Jan. 24, 1977 file photo, President Jimmy Carter is interviewed in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington. In this file photo dated May 1977, U.S. President Jimmy Carter, right, and Britain's Queen Elizabeth II with French President Valery Giscard d'Estaing, at Buckingham Palace in London. In this Feb. 20, 1978, file photo, President Jimmy Carter listens to Sen. Joseph R. Biden, D-Del., as they wait to speak at fund raising reception at Padua Academy in Wilmington, Del. (AP Photo/Barry Thumma, File) President Jimmy Carter tucks his thumbs into his jeans and laughs as he prepares to head down the Salmon River in Idaho August 1978 for a three day rubber raft float. (AP Photo) United States President Jimmy Carter, on a visit to West Germany in 1978, rides with Chancellor Helmut Schmidt during a review of United States Forces at a base near Frankfurt. (AP Photo) Egyptian President Anwar Sadat, left, U.S. President Jimmy Carter, center, and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin clasp hands on the north lawn of the White House after signing the peace treaty between Egypt and Israel on March 26, 1979. (AP Photo/ Bob Daugherty) President Jimmy Carter, left, and Soviet President Leonid Brezhnev, right, sign the documents of the SALT II Treaty in the Vienna Imperial Hofburg Palace, Monday, June 18, 1979, Vienna, Austria. President Jimmy Carter leans across the roof of his car to shake hands along the parade route through Bardstown, Ky., Tuesday afternoon, July 31, 1979. The president climbed on top of the car as the parade moved toward the high school gym, where a town meeting was held. (AP Photo/Bob Daugherty) In this April 25, 1980 file photo, President Jimmy Carter prepares to make a national television address from the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, on the failed mission to rescue the Iran hostages. President Jimmy Carter applauds as Sen. Edward Kennedy waves to cheering crowds of the Democratic National Convention in New York's Madison Square Garden, Aug. 14, 1980. (AP Photo/Bob Daugherty) President Jimmy Carter raises a clenched fist during his address to the Democratic Convention, August 15, 1980, in New York's Madison Square Garden where he accepted his party's nomination to face Republican Ronald Reagan in the general election. (AP Photo/stf) Massachusetts Senator Edward M. Kennedy greets President Jimmy Carter after he landed at Boston's Logan Airport, Aug. 21, 1980. President Carter is in Boston to address the American Legion Convention being held in Boston. (AP Photo) President Jimmy Carter, left, and Gov. Bill Clinton of Arkansas enjoy a chuckle during a rally for Carter in Texarkana, Texas, Oct. 22, 1980. Texarkana was the last stop for Carter on a three-city one-day campaign swing through Texas. (AP Photo/John Duricka) In this Oct. 28, 1980 file photo, President Jimmy Carter shakes hands with Republican Presidential candidate Ronald Reagan after debating in the Cleveland Music Hall in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Madeline Drexler, File) Former US President Jimmy Carter, who had negotiated for the hostages release right up to the last hours of his Presidency, lifts his arm to the crowd, while putting his other hand around the shoulders of a former hostage in Iran, believed to be Bruce Laingen, at US AIR Force Hospital in Wiesbaden, Germany, Wednesday, January 21, 1981. Former Pres. Jimmy Carter, center, is joined by his wife Rosalynn and his brother Billy Carter during session of the Democratic National Convention, Tuesday, July 19, 1988, Atlanta, Ga. Billy had been recently diagnosed with cancer. (AP Photo/Bob Daugherty) Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter speaks to newsmen as PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat, right, looks on after the two men met in Paris Wednesday, April 4, 1990. Carter said he felt some leaders did not represent the region's yearning for peace. (AP Photo/Pierre Gieizes) Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, center, introduces his wife Rosalynn, right, to Chinese Communist Party General Secretary Jiang Zemin, April 14, 1991 in Beijing. (AP Photo/Mark Avery) Former President Jimmy Carter gestures at a United Nations news conference in New York, April 23, 1993 about the world conference on Human Rights to be held by the United Nations in Vienna June 14-25. (AP Photo/Richard Drew) Former Presidents George Bush, left, and Jimmy Carter, right, stand with President Clinton and wave to volunteers during a kick-off rally for the President's Volunteer Summit at Marcus Foster Stadium in Philladelphia, PA., Sunday morning April 27, 1997. (AP Photo/Stephan Savoia) President Bill Clinton presents former President Jimmy Carter, right, with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor, during a ceremony at the Carter Center in Atlanta Monday, Aug. 9, 1999. (AP Photo/John Bazemore) Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter adjusts his glasses during a press conference in Managua, Nicaragua, Thursday, July 6, 2006. The former president and 2002 Nobel Peace Prize winner is heading a delegation from the democracy-promoting Carter Center, based at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, to observe preparations for Nicaragua's Nov. 5 presidential election. (AP Photo/Esteban Felix) In this Friday, Dec. 8, 2006 file photo, former President Jimmy Carter signs copies of his book "Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid" at the Carter Center in Atlanta, Ga. (AP Photo/Ric Feld) Former President George H.W. Bush, left, watches as Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton chat during a dedication ceremony for the Billy Graham Library in Charlotte, N.C., Thursday, May 31, 2007. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome) Former President Jimmy Carter poses for a portrait during the Toronto International Film Festival in Toronto, Monday, Sept. 10, 2007. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster) Former President Jimmy Carter poses on the red carpet for the documentary film, "Jimmy Carter: Man From Plains" during the Toronto International Film Festival in Toronto, Monday, Sept. 10, 2007. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster) Former President Jimmy Carter, right, and his wife Rosalynn wave to the audience at the Democratic National Convention in Denver, Monday, Aug. 25, 2008. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong) Former President Jimmy Carter, right, and former first lady Rosalynn Carter are seen on stage at the Democratic National Convention in Denver, Monday, Aug. 25, 2008. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya) Former President Jimmy Carter waves to the crowd as he goes on stage at the Democratic National Convention in Denver, Monday, Aug. 25, 2008.(AP Photo/Paul Sancya) Former President Jimmy Carter, right, is seen with Democratic vice presidential candidate Sen. Joe Biden, D-Del., at the Democratic National Convention in Denver, Tuesday, Aug. 26, 2008. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya) President-elect Barack Obama is welcomed by President George W. Bush for a meeting at the White House in Washington, Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2009, with former presidents, from left, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) In this photo taken Saturday, May 29, 2010, former South Africa president Nelson Mandela, right, reacts with former US president Jimmy Carter, during a reunion with The Elders, three years after he launched the group, in Johannesburg, South Africa. (AP Photo/Jeff Moore, Pool) Former US President Jimmy Carter, center, one of the delegates of the Elders group of retired prominent world figures, holds a Palestinian child during a visit to the east Jerusalem neighborhood of Silwan, Thursday, Oct. 21, 2010. (AP Photo/Menahem Kahana, Pool) Former President Jimmy Carter, 86, leads Habitat for Humanity volunteers to help build and repair houses in Washington's Ivy City neighborhood, Monday, Oct. 4, 2010. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) FILE - In this Friday, Oct. 22, 2010 file photo, former president of Ireland, Mary Robinson, background right, looks at former U.S. president, Jimmy Carter, center, while visiting a weekly protest in the east Jerusalem neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah. The protest was organized by groups supporting Palestinians evicted from their homes in east Jerusalem by Israeli authorities. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue) Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, his wife, Rosalynn, and former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan conclude a visit to a polling center the southern capital of Juba Sunday, Jan. 9, 2011. (AP Photo/Pete Muller) Former President Jimmy Carter signs his name in the guest book at the Jewish Community center in Havana, Cuba, Monday March 28, 2011. Carter arrived in Cuba to discuss economic policies and ways to improve Washington-Havana relations, which are even more tense than usual over the imprisonment of Alan Gross, a U.S. contractor, on the island. C (AP Photo/Adalberto Roque, Pool) Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter pauses during an interview as he and his wife Rosalynn visit a Habitat for Humanity project in Leogane, Haiti, Monday Nov. 7, 2011. The Carters joined volunteers from around the world to build 100 homes in partnership with earthquake-affected families in Haiti during a week-long Habitat for Humanity housing project. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa) Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, sits prior to a meeting with Israel's President Shimon Peres at the President's residence in Jerusalem, Sunday, Oct. 21, 2012. Peres met two of 'The Elders', a group composed of eminent global leaders brought together by Nelson Mandela. (AP Photo/Sebastian Scheiner) Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter watches baseball players work out before Game 2 of the National League Division Series between the Atlanta Braves and the Los Angeles Dodgers, Friday, Oct. 4, 2013, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Dave Martin) Former President Jimmy Carter speaks during a forum at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum in Boston, Thursday, Nov. 20, 2014. Among other topics, Carter discussed his new book, "A Call to Action: Women, Religion, Violence, and Power." (AP Photo/Elise Amendola) President Jimmy Carter, left, and Rosalynn Carter arrive at the 2015 MusiCares Person of the Year event at the Los Angeles Convention Center on Friday, Feb. 6, 2015 in Los Angeles. (Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP) In this July 10, 2015, file photo, former President Jimmy Carter is seen in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File) In a Sunday, Aug. 23, 2015 file photo, former President Jimmy Carter teaches Sunday School class at Maranatha Baptist Church in his hometown, in Plains, Ga. (AP Photo/David Goldman, File) Former President Jimmy Carter answers questions during a news conference at a Habitat for Humanity building site Monday, Nov. 2, 2015, in Memphis, Tenn. Carter and his wife, Rosalynn, have volunteered a week of their time annually to Habitat for Humanity since 1984, events dubbed "Carter work projects" that draw thousands of volunteers and take months of planning. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey) Former President Bill Clinton, left, and former president Jimmy Carter shake hands after speaking at a Clinton Global Initiative meeting Tuesday, June 14, 2016, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/John Bazemore) Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter holds a morning devotion in Memphis, Tenn., on Monday, Aug. 22, 2016, before he and his wife Rosalynn help build a home for Habitat for Humanity. (AP Photo/Alex Sanz) Former president Jimmy Carter and Rosalynn Carter arrive during the 58th Presidential Inauguration at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Friday, Jan. 20, 2017. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik) In this Feb. 8, 2017, file photo, former President Jimmy Carter speaks during a ribbon cutting ceremony for a solar panel project on farmland he owns in his hometown of Plains, Ga. (AP Photo/David Goldman, File) Former President George W. Bush, center, speaks as fellow former Presidents from right, Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, George H.W. Bush and Jimmy Carter look on during a hurricanes relief concert in College Station, Texas, Saturday, Oct. 21, 2017. All five living former U.S. presidents joined to support a Texas concert raising money for relief efforts from Hurricane Harvey, Irma and Maria's devastation in Texas, Florida, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. (AP Photo/LM Otero) Former President Jimmy Carter, 93, sits for an interview about his new book "Faith: A Journey For All" which will debut at no. 7 on the New York Times best sellers list, pictured before a book signing Wednesday, April 11, 2018, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/John Amis) Former President Jimmy Carter speaks as Democratic gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams listens during a news conference to announce Abrams' rural health care plan Tuesday, Sept. 18, 2018, in Plains, Ga. (AP Photo/John Bazemore) Former President Jimmy Carter and Rosalynn Carter are seen ahead of an NFL football game between the Atlanta Falcons and the Cincinnati Bengals, Sunday, Sept. 30, 2018, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/John Bazemore) Former President Jimmy Carter takes questions submitted by students during an annual Carter Town Hall held at Emory University Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2019, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/John Amis) Democratic presidential candidate former South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg, left, meets with former President Jimmy Carter, center, at Buffalo Cafe in Plains, Ga., Sunday, March 1, 2020. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke) Former President Jimmy Carter reacts as his wife Rosalynn Carter speaks during a reception to celebrate their 75th wedding anniversary on July 10, 2021, in Plains, Ga. In this Nov. 3, 2019, file photo, former President Jimmy Carter teaches Sunday school at Maranatha Baptist Church in Plains, Ga. FILE - Former President Jimmy Carter teaches Sunday school at Maranatha Baptist Church, in Plains, Ga., Nov. 3, 2019. Well-wishes and fond remembrances for the former president continued to roll in Sunday, Feb. 19, 2023, a day after he entered hospice care at his home in Georgia. (AP Photo/John Amis, File) Former President Jimmy Carter, arrives to attend a tribute service for his wife and former first lady Rosalynn Carter, at Glenn Memorial Church, Tuesday, Nov. 28, 2023, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik) Former President Jimmy Carter arrives for the funeral service for his wife, former first lady Rosalynn Carter at Maranatha Baptist Church, Wednesday, Nov. 29, 2023, in Plains, Ga. The former first lady died on Nov. 19. She was 96. (AP Photo/John Bazemore) A sign wishing former President Jimmy Carter a happy 100th birthday sits on the North Lawn of the White House in Washington, Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh) Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter.

One player who has been linked with a move to both clubs is Sevilla's young midfielder, Marcos Acuña. The Argentine international has been a standout performer for Sevilla this season, showcasing his versatility and technical ability in midfield. Acuña's playing style aligns with the needs of both Real Madrid and Manchester City, making him a viable target for the clubs in the upcoming transfer window.As the investigation unfolds, it is crucial for the authorities to conduct a thorough and impartial inquiry to uncover the truth and hold those responsible accountable for their actions. The outcome of this case will have far-reaching implications for the healthcare sector in Anhui Province and serve as a test of the system's ability to uphold justice and integrity.

Emergency Preparedness Minister Harjit Sajjan didn't go to the Taylor Swift concert in Vancouver he was set to attend with free tickets he got from a B.C. Crown corporation, a spokesperson for the minister told CBC News on Monday. After facing fierce criticism for accepting tickets to the in-demand event for himself and his family, Sajjan decided it was best not to go at all, the spokesperson said. Sajjan returned the tickets on Friday to B.C. Pavilion Corporation (PavCo), the provincial entity that owns the B.C. Place stadium where Swift performed over the weekend, the spokesperson said. The spokesperson said Sajjan gave PavCo enough time to find someone else to attend in his place. Sajjan told the federal ethics commissioner — who initially cleared him to take the free tickets — that he wouldn't attend. Sajjan, who gave $1,500 to the Greater Vancouver Food Bank in lieu of payment for the tickets, is not asking for his donation back, the spokesperson said. PavCo donated Swift tickets to food banks and other charity organizations so that they could raffle them off and raise money. It also auctioned off suites, raising more than $1 million, according to the corporation. In exchange for free tickets to the concert, PavCo expected the political and business leaders it invited to make a "significant donation" to food banks, the company has said. That's how Sajjan initially justified taking the free tickets. He told reporters the funds raised from giving out the Swift tickets were going to a worthy charity. "This is actually supporting a very good cause, something that Taylor Swift also supports as well," Sajjan told reporters last week. "I'm actually very happy to be able to raise money and create greater awareness for the food bank." The Opposition Conservatives, meanwhile, pounced on Sajjan's decision to accept the tickets, saying it was "absolutely unacceptable" for a minister of the Crown to take that sort of gift. A fan poses in front of an inflatable friendship bracelet before the Taylor Swift Eras Tour concert stop in Vancouver on Friday, December 6, 2024. (Ethan Cairns/Canadian Press) Swift's Eras Tour, which started in March 2023 and was watched by millions around the world, came to an end in Vancouver Sunday night. "That is, I think, the lasting legacy of this tour, the fact that you have created such space and joy and togetherness and love," Swift told her Vancouver fans.25 Personal Care Products From Target That’ll Earn *And* Keep Their Place In Your Routine

Distributed Systems and Real-Time Processing Shape Future of Software Development

In a time of political transition and change, voices of opposition play a crucial role in ensuring accountability, transparency, and the protection of democratic values. As the formation of a new government looms on the horizon, the main opposition has made its stance clear: "The new government will begin working immediately upon formation."

ROGERSVILLE — The Hawkins County Industrial Development Board announced Thursday that the county has been recertified as an ACT Work Ready Community. The First Tennessee Development Districts annual meeting presented the honor to IDB Executive Administrative Coordinator Rebecca Baker. “It’s kind of hard to quantify the importance of that program.” Michael Parker, Director of Economic Development at NETWORKS Sullivan Partnership said. “Workforce challenges exist from coast to coast ... and the communities that really can benchmark and quantitatively show their progress in the workforce, such as through this program, are the ones that are going to excel, they can really make that business case for new industry to relocate there.” Baker said it was all possible because it was a group effort. “It’s not just the industrial board, it’s not just the Board of Education,” Baker said. “It’s a group effort.” HCIDB Chairman Larry Elkins said that was the reason they involved the BOE and Tennessee College of Applied Technology (TCAT), to help produce a skilled workforce, ready when industries want to move to the area. TCAT “We’ve had a productive few weeks since we last met,” TCAT Campus Coordinator Charles Johnson said. He reported that the process of getting a grant for an automatic truck and flatbed trailer looks to be successful. A reverse job fair for cosmetology also looked promising for some of the students. “We had 10 girls from Hawkins County campus ... 10 girls from the Greeneville campus,” Johnson said. “All of them got offered at least one job.” He said this year the employers brought the applications for the students to fill out at the fair. “They are in demand,” Johnson said. “And that is ... a very lucrative field.” He said the welding shop is in the “best shape it’s ever been.” Elkins praised Johnson for his hard work and noted how important the TCAT education was for the area. “Thank you, Charles, for the work that you do up there,” Elkins said. “And how that helps with our economic development issues ... the education in that area is unbelievable.”deepblue4you If you've had a good year so far in the stock market, chances are you had a pretty bad day in the market today. On the surface, today's action wasn't awful. The S&P 500 ( SPY ) was down

Trump has flip-flopped on abortion policy. His appointees may offer clues to what happens next

ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) — Michigan gave athletic director Warde Manuel a five-year contract extension Thursday on the heels of the Wolverines' upset over rival Ohio State and a strong start to the basketball season. Manuel, who has held the position since 2016, signed through June 30, 2030, the school announced. Manuel is also chairman of the College Football Playoff selection committee. “During Warde’s tenure as director, Athletics has put a structure in place where our student-athletes compete for Big Ten and national championships, excel in the classroom, and proudly graduate with their University of Michigan degrees,” university President Santa J. Ono said in the announcement. Michigan had a disappointing football season, finishing 7-5 (5-4 Big Ten), but a 13-10 win over then-No. 2 Ohio State took some pressure off of the program. The Buckeyes were favored by 21 points, the widest point spread for the rivalry since 1978, according to ESPN Stats and Info. The Wolverines won the national championship last year in their final season led by coach Jim Harbaugh, whose tenure at the school involved multiple NCAA investigations for recruiting and sign-stealing allegations. Manuel supported Harbaugh through those processes. In basketball, the women's team made its season debut (No. 23) in the AP Top 25 this week. The men are 7-1 a season after firing coach Juwan Howard, who lost a school-record 24 games in 2023-24 as Michigan plummeted to a last-place finish in the Big Ten for the first time since 1967. Michigan has won 52 Big Ten championships since 2020. “Every day, I am thankful to work at this great institution and to represent Michigan Athletics," Manuel said in a statement. "I especially want to thank the student-athletes, coaches and staff who compete for each of our teams and who have helped us achieve unparalleled success athletically and academically. I am excited to continue giving back to a university that has provided me with so much over my career.” Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football

The sudden loss of a life in such circumstances is always deeply distressing, not only for those directly involved but for all individuals witnessing the event. The crew members onboard showed admirable composure and professionalism in managing the situation, ensuring that the passenger received the best possible care under the circumstances. Despite their best efforts, however, fate had already been sealed.

Nigerian Nurses Feel “Thrown Out into the Cold” Amid Fraudulent Testing

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Happy Christmas everyone! For those of you thinking that I’m a bit belated with a Christmas greeting, I give you the good news that on the Christian calendar Christmas is actually a 12-day celebration, beginning with Christmas day and ending with Epiphany (the visit of the wise men). In truth I haven’t always found the Christmas season particularly joyful. More and more the symbols that surround Christmas and help us remember its meaning as the feast of Christ’s incarnation are fading in meaning. Why do we have Christmas trees? Because that’s what we’ve always done. Why put up lights? Because they look nice. Is it okay to wish strangers “Merry Christmas,” or would it be offensive? How many pounds have I put on in December again? That many?! I don’t intend to be a killjoy, as someone yelling to our culture “get off my lawn!” as if it were my job to keep the observance of Christmas pure. Instead, I sense that for many of us Christmas becomes a responsibility more than a celebration. We have all these gifts to buy, dinners to plan, events to go to, and by the end of Christmas we’re deeply ready to be rid of it. The meaning of Christmas itself is often lost, or at best obscured, by our observance of it. How strangely we have chosen to celebrate God’s gift of himself to us at Christmas! We have taken matters into our own hands, believing that we are on the hook to deliver a meaningful celebration to ourselves, our families, and all the other people we feel responsible for. It’s as if we believe that we need to plan and execute a perfect event, or Christmas won’t come. The premier carol we could write might be, “If I burn the roast, Christmas is toast.” But who would want to sing it? It helps to remember that what Christmas celebrates was an answer to hundreds of years of prayers from hundreds of thousands (or more!) of people. It was something that no one could force to come, although many tried. The people of Israel, God’s chosen people, had lost their nation and lost their homes. They suffered under a succession of rulers who at best were indifferent to them, and at worst lined up masses of Jews for execution. They needed God’s promised king, the “Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace” that the prophet Isaiah promised (Isaiah 9:6). Many people tried, like we still do today, to bring Christmas in their own timing and on their own terms. The Maccabean Revolt took place in the early to mid-second century BC, temporarily making Israel independent again, although it was no more just than before as the Hasmonean rulers squabbled overpower. In 57 BC the peasants of the land revolted until Herod crushed their rebellion. When Jesus himself was crucified two “bandits” (Greek lēstēs) hung on either side of him, likely social revolutionaries themselves. But the good news of Christmas is that we longer need to take matters into our own hands. God will bring to us what we couldn’t bring ourselves, whether we gave it our best effort or cynically cooperated with the unjust powers and ideologies of the world. After all, that first Christmas came to shepherds simply doing what they did every night; watching their sheep in the fields. To them the angels proclaimed “good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” (Luke 2:10-11) So, in these waning days of Christmas, I pray that each one of us will find God acting unilaterally in our lives. I pray that we will receive Christmas not the way Santa gives it, “He’s making a list and checking it twice/gonna find out who’s naughty and nice,” but as the free gift of the True Savior, Jesus Christ. May you find Christ in Christmas! Ian Hodge is pastor at First Presbyterian Church in Carson City.MediciNova Presents Study Update and Interim Analysis of Phase 2/3 Clinical Trial of MN-166 ...