Munatsi Manyande has met several asylum seekers in his lifetime, each looking to call the U.S. home. Some are fleeing their own country due to religious persecution, while others are seeking protection from being targeted for their race, nationality, social group or political opinion. As the executive director of the DASH Network, Manyande leads other members of the Fort Worth faith-based nonprofit to help asylum seekers while they wait to be granted a work permit . Once they receive a permit, the asylum seekers can look to the DASH Network to help them find a job, housing and modes of transportation as they transition into independent life over a period of five to six months. When the DASH Network works with a family seeking asylum, there are some words of comfort the nonprofit always offers, Manyande said. “We’ll say, ‘Hey, we know navigating this process is really hard, and the process doesn’t move nearly as fast as you would like it to move and we can’t really do much about that,’” Manyande said. “‘But what we can do is guarantee you that you’re going to have a roof over your head (while you wait).’” Get essential daily news for the Fort Worth area. Sign up for insightful, in-depth stories — completely free. In the past, the DASH Network has provided housing to asylum-seeking families by renting apartments. As tenants, the nonprofit navigated rising rent costs and changes of ownership, Manyande said. But, on Nov. 15, the nonprofit had a “breakthrough,” Manyande said. The DASH Network purchased an apartment complex of their own in Fort Worth. The nonprofit’s 14-unit complex will host English classes, store grocery deliveries and hold social events all under one roof, Manyande said. Owning a building also means that staff can work where residents live, helping to build and strengthen a sense of community, he added. “We’re up close and seeing them every day and having conversations every day with these families. I think it makes it a lot easier to figure out pain points and come up with solutions for them,” Manyande said. The building purchase came just a day after Manyande received the 2024 Global Entrepreneurship Award during the Fort Worth Sister Cities’ Mayor’s International Dinner and Global Awards. The plaque, awarded to him by Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker and Fort Worth Sister Cities, was in recognition of the DASH Network’s efforts to help asylum seekers in the community. “The award for me just kind of put me in a place where I could pause for a little bit and kind of remember the journey that we’ve been on,” Manyande said. DASH got its start caring for asylum seekers as a ministry in 2012 and became a stand-alone nonprofit in 2017. The nonprofit has served more than 270 asylum seekers since its inception, according to a 2023 impact report . Texas was ranked second out of the six states with the largest immigrant population in the U.S., at 1.6 million people, according to a 2021 Pew Research Center study . The DASH Network is preparing all the units for move-in, Manyande said, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony expected in early 2025. Marissa Greene is a Report for America corps member, covering faith for the Fort Worth Report. Contact her at marissa.greene@fortworthreport.org. 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You have to credit Fort Worth Report. Please use “Author Name, Fort Worth Report” in the byline. If you’re not able to add the byline, please include a line at the top of the story that reads: “This story was originally published by Fort Worth Report” and include our website, fortworthreport.org . You can’t edit our stories, except to reflect relative changes in time, location and editorial style. Our stories may appear on pages with ads, but not ads specifically sold against our stories. You can’t sell or syndicate our stories. You can only publish select stories individually — not as a collection. Any web site our stories appear on must include a contact for your organization. If you share our stories on social media, please tag us in your posts using @FortWorthReport on Facebook and @FortWorthReport on Twitter. by Marissa Greene, Fort Worth Report November 30, 2024australia bookmaker 。

Jimmy Carter, the peanut farmer who won the presidency in the wake of the Watergate scandal and Vietnam War, endured humbling defeat after one tumultuous term and then redefined life after the White House as a global humanitarian, has died. He was 100 years old. The longest-lived American president died on Sunday, more than a year after entering hospice care, at his home in the small town of Plains, Georgia, where he and his wife, Rosalynn, who died at 96 in November 2023, spent most of their lives, The Carter Center said. “Our founder, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, passed away this afternoon in Plains, Georgia,” the center simply said in posting about Carter’s death on the social media platform X. Businessman, Navy officer, evangelist, politician, negotiator, author, woodworker, citizen of the world — Carter forged a path that still challenges political assumptions and stands out among the 45 men who reached the nation’s highest office. The 39th president leveraged his ambition with a keen intellect, deep religious faith and prodigious work ethic, conducting diplomatic missions into his 80s and building houses for the poor well into his 90s. “My faith demands — this is not optional — my faith demands that I do whatever I can, wherever I am, whenever I can, for as long as I can, with whatever I have to try to make a difference,” Carter once said. A PRESIDENT FROM THE PLAINS A moderate Democrat, Carter entered the 1976 presidential race as a little-known Georgia governor with a broad smile, outspoken Baptist mores and technocratic plans reflecting his education as an engineer. His no-frills campaign depended on public financing, and his promise not to deceive the American people resonated after Richard Nixon’s disgrace and U.S. defeat in southeast Asia. “If I ever lie to you, if I ever make a misleading statement, don’t vote for me. I would not deserve to be your president,” Carter repeated before narrowly beating Republican incumbent Gerald Ford, who had lost popularity pardoning Nixon. Carter governed amid Cold War pressures, turbulent oil markets and social upheaval over racism, women’s rights and America’s global role. His most acclaimed achievement in office was a Mideast peace deal that he brokered by keeping Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin at the bargaining table for 13 days in 1978. That Camp David experience inspired the post-presidential center where Carter would establish so much of his legacy. Yet Carter’s electoral coalition splintered under double-digit inflation, gasoline lines and the 444-day hostage crisis in Iran. His bleakest hour came when eight Americans died in a failed hostage rescue in April 1980, helping to ensure his landslide defeat to Republican Ronald Reagan. Carter acknowledged in his 2020 “White House Diary” that he could be “micromanaging” and “excessively autocratic,” complicating dealings with Congress and the federal bureaucracy. He also turned a cold shoulder to Washington’s news media and lobbyists, not fully appreciating their influence on his political fortunes. “It didn’t take us long to realize that the underestimation existed, but by that time we were not able to repair the mistake,” Carter told historians in 1982, suggesting that he had “an inherent incompatibility” with Washington insiders. Carter insisted his overall approach was sound and that he achieved his primary objectives — to “protect our nation’s security and interests peacefully” and “enhance human rights here and abroad” — even if he fell spectacularly short of a second term. And then, the world Ignominious defeat, though, allowed for renewal. The Carters founded The Carter Center in 1982 as a first-of-its-kind base of operations, asserting themselves as international peacemakers and champions of democracy, public health and human rights. President Jimmy Carter is interviewed in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington on Jan. 24, 1977. Associated Press file “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 hard hats 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. SMALL-TOWN START James Earl Carter Jr. was born Oct. 1, 1924, in Plains and spent his early years in nearby Archery. His family was a minority in the mostly Black community, decades before the civil rights movement played out at the dawn of Carter’s political career. Carter, who campaigned as a moderate on race relations but governed more progressively, talked often of the influence of his Black caregivers and playmates but also noted his advantages: His land-owning father sat atop Archery’s tenant-farming system and owned a main street grocery. His mother, Lillian, would become a staple of his political campaigns. Seeking to broaden his world beyond Plains and its population of fewer than 1,000 — then and now — Carter won an appointment to the U.S. Naval Academy, graduating in 1946. That same year he married Rosalynn Smith, another Plains native, a decision he considered more important than any he made as head of state. She shared his desire to see the world, sacrificing college to support his Navy career. Democratic presidential candidate Jimmy Carter gets a hug from his wife, Rosalynn, after the third presidential debate on Oct. 22, 1976, in Williamsburg, Va. Associated Press file Carter climbed in rank to lieutenant, but then his father was diagnosed with cancer, so the submarine officer set aside his ambitions of admiralty and moved the family back to Plains. His decision angered Rosalynn, even as she dived into the peanut business alongside her husband. Carter again failed to talk with his wife before his first run for office — he later called it “inconceivable” not to have consulted her on such major life decisions — but this time, she was on board. “My wife is much more political,” Carter told the AP in 2021. He won a state Senate seat in 1962 but wasn’t long for the General Assembly and its back-slapping, deal-cutting ways. He ran for governor in 1966 — losing to arch-segregationist Lester Maddox — and then immediately focused on the next campaign. Carter had spoken out against church segregation as a Baptist deacon and opposed racist “Dixiecrats” as a state senator. Yet as a local school board leader in the 1950s, he had not pushed to end school segregation even after the Supreme Court’s Brown v. Board of Education decision, despite his private support for integration. In 1970, Carter ran for governor again as the more conservative Democrat against Carl Sanders, a wealthy businessman Carter mocked as “Cufflinks Carl.” Sanders never forgave him for anonymous, race-baiting flyers, which Carter disavowed. Ultimately, Carter won his race by attracting both Black voters and culturally conservative whites. Once in office, he was more direct. “I say to you quite frankly that the time for racial discrimination is over,” he declared in his 1971 inaugural address, setting a new standard for Southern governors that landed him on the cover of Time magazine. ‘JIMMY WHO?’ His statehouse initiatives included environmental protection, boosting rural education and overhauling antiquated executive branch structures. He proclaimed Martin Luther King Jr. Day in the slain civil rights leader’s home state. And he decided as he received presidential candidates in 1972, that they were no more talented than he was. In 1974, he ran the Democrats’ national campaign arm. Then he declared his own candidacy in 1976. An Atlanta newspaper responded with the headline: “Jimmy Who?” The Carters and a “Peanut Brigade” of family members and Georgia supporters camped out in Iowa and New Hampshire, establishing both states as presidential proving grounds. His first Senate endorsement: a young first-termer from Delaware named Joe Biden. Yet it was Carter’s ability to navigate America’s complex racial and rural politics that cemented the nomination. He swept the Deep South that November, the last Democrat to do so, as many white Southerners shifted to Republicans in response to civil rights initiatives. A self-declared “born-again Christian,” Carter drew snickers by referring to Scripture in a Playboy magazine interview, saying he “had looked on many women with lust. I’ve committed adultery in my heart many times.” The remarks gave Ford a new foothold and television comedians pounced — including NBC’s new “Saturday Night Live” show. But voters weary of cynicism in politics found it endearing. Carter chose Minnesota Sen. Walter “Fritz” Mondale as his running mate on a “Grits and Fritz” ticket. In office, he elevated the vice presidency and the first lady’s office. Mondale’s governing partnership was a model for influential successors Al Gore, Dick Cheney and Biden. Rosalynn Carter was one of the most involved presidential spouses in history, welcomed into Cabinet meetings and huddles with lawmakers and top aides. The Carters presided with uncommon informality: He used his nickname “Jimmy” even when taking the oath of office, carried his own luggage and tried to silence the Marine Band’s “Hail to the Chief.” They bought their clothes off the rack. Carter wore a cardigan for a White House address, urging Americans to conserve energy by turning down their thermostats. Amy, the youngest of four children, attended District of Columbia public school. Washington’s social and media elite scorned their style. But the larger concern was that “he hated politics,” according to Eizenstat, leaving him nowhere to turn politically once economic turmoil and foreign policy challenges took their toll. ACCOMPLISHMENTS, AND ‘MALAISE’ Carter partially deregulated the airline, railroad and trucking industries and established the Departments of Education and Energy and the Federal Emergency Management Agency. He designated millions of acres of Alaska as national parks or wildlife refuges. He appointed a then-record number of women and non-white people to federal posts. He never had a Supreme Court nomination, but he elevated civil rights attorney Ruth Bader Ginsburg to the nation’s second-highest court, positioning her for a promotion in 1993. He appointed Paul Volker, the Federal Reserve chairman whose policies would help the economy boom in the 1980s — after Carter left office. He built on Nixon’s opening with China, and though he tolerated autocrats in Asia, pushed Latin America from dictatorships to democracy. But he couldn’t immediately tame inflation or the related energy crisis. And then came Iran. After he admitted the exiled Shah of Iran to the U.S. for medical treatment, the American Embassy in Tehran was overrun in 1979 by followers of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. Negotiations to free the hostages broke down repeatedly ahead of the failed rescue attempt. The same year, Carter signed SALT II, the new strategic arms treaty with Leonid Brezhnev of the Soviet Union, only to pull it back, impose trade sanctions and order a U.S. boycott of the Moscow Olympics after the Soviets invaded Afghanistan. Hoping to instill optimism, he delivered what the media dubbed his “malaise” speech, although he didn’t use that word. He declared the nation was suffering “a crisis of confidence.” By then, many Americans had lost confidence in the president, not themselves. Carter campaigned sparingly for reelection because of the hostage crisis, instead sending Rosalynn as Sen. Edward M. Kennedy challenged him for the Democratic nomination. Carter famously said he’d “kick his ass,” but was hobbled by Kennedy as Reagan rallied a broad coalition with “make America great again” appeals and asking voters whether they were “better off than you were four years ago.” Reagan further capitalized on Carter’s lecturing tone, eviscerating him in their lone fall debate with the quip: “There you go again.” Carter lost all but six states and Republicans rolled to a new Senate majority. Carter successfully negotiated the hostages’ freedom after the election, but in one final, bitter turn of events, Tehran waited until hours after Carter left office to let them walk free. A WONDERFUL LIFE At 56, Carter returned to Georgia with “no idea what I would do with the rest of my life.” Four decades after launching The Carter Center, he still talked of unfinished business. “I thought when we got into politics we would have resolved everything,” Carter told the AP in 2021. “But it’s turned out to be much more long-lasting and insidious than I had thought it was. I think in general, the world itself is much more divided than in previous years.” Still, he affirmed what he said when he underwent treatment for a cancer diagnosis in his 10th decade of life. “I’m perfectly at ease with whatever comes,” he said in 2015. “I’ve had a wonderful life. I’ve had thousands of friends, I’ve had an exciting, adventurous and gratifying existence.” Former Associated Press journalist Alex Sanz contributed to this report. We invite you to add your comments. We encourage a thoughtful exchange of ideas and information on this website. By joining the conversation, you are agreeing to our commenting policy and terms of use . More information is found on our FAQs . You can modify your screen name here . Comments are managed by our staff during regular business hours Monday through Friday as well as limited hours on Saturday and Sunday. Comments held for moderation outside of those hours may take longer to approve. Please sign into your Sun Journal account to participate in conversations below. If you do not have an account, you can register or subscribe . Questions? Please see our FAQs . Your commenting screen name has been updated. Send questions/comments to the editors. « PreviousNone

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Hyderabad: A total of 20,904 kg contraband drugs worth Rs 48.53 crore were destroyed in 2024 by the prohibition and excise department. As per the annual excise crime report- 2024 released by the prohibition and excise department on Saturday, December 28, the number of persons arrested for narcotics, drugs, and psychotropic substances (NDPS) offences significantly increased to 1,991 persons in 2024 as against 1,218 in 2023. In 2024, the number of NDPS cases filed rose to 1,118 as compared to 874 cases in 2023. Vehicle seizures reported a sharp increase from 298 in 2023 to 505 in 2024. However, the convictions in NDPS cases have dropped from 14 in 2023 to 6 in 2024, a 57.14 per cent dip. An enhanced seizure diversity has been seen this year, including poppy straw, alprazolam, and emerging synthetic and designer drugs. In 2024, a total of 6,331 kg of dry ganja, 736 ganja plants, and 37 kg of alprazolam and diazepam were seized, valued at Rs 12.22 crore. The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation’s (GHMC) limits, erstwhile Khammam and Medak districts were identified as high-focus areas. A total of 11,329 litres of non-duty paid liquor worth Rs 1.35 crore was seized in 2024, with 854 cases filed, 464 persons arrested and 80 vehicles seized. This was a sharp drop from 30,508 litres seized in 2023, when 1,874 cases were filed, 1,004 persons arrested and 154 vehicles seized in 2023. Although there was a slight decrease in cases from 22,274 in 2023 to 21,916 in 2024, the number of arrests increased to 13,336 in 2024 compared to 12,703 in 2023. Authorities also seized 1,08,200 litres of illicit liquor and 5,77,969 kg of black jaggery during the year.President-elect Donald Trump called his meeting with Justin Trudeau productive and says the prime minister made a commitment to work with the United States to end the drug crisis amid the threat of stiff tariffs. Trudeau flew to Florida Friday evening to attend a dinner at Mar-a-Lago, where Trump’s transition team is based. The in-person meeting came at the end of a rocky week in which Trump threatened to impose stiff tariffs on all imports from Canada and Mexico, unless the two countries stop illegal border crossings and prevent illicit drugs from entering the U.S. In a post on Truth Social, Trump says he and Trudeau discussed the drug crisis, particularly fentanyl, illegal immigration, as well as trade, energy and the Arctic. Trump’s post did not directly mention tariffs. Trudeau told reporters in West Palm Beach Saturday morning that he had an excellent conversation with Trump’s transition team.

NYT ‘Connections’ Hints And Answers For Monday, December 30Vance takes on a more visible transition role, working to boost Trump’s most contentious picks

Pakistan must play a balancing game A warm breeze swept through Islamabad as news spread: Donald Trump has won the US election and was heading back to the White House. His return brought a mix of excitement and worry. Pakistan still remembered Trump’s first term, a time of tense relations, unpredictable decisions, and difficult negotiations. The relationship often felt unstable, like navigating a risky deal. But this time, could Pakistan see Trump’s presidency as a chance rather than a problem? With his “ America First ” policies and unexpected moves, Trump is likely to shake up the world once again. However, this could also give Pakistan an opportunity to find its place in the changing global order and build a stronger strategy. Pakistan can learn from past lessons and confidently navigate the future. By being proactive and planning, Pakistan can safeguard its interests and take charge of shaping its future. Let’s explore some possibilities. Let’s start by reviewing some key lessons from the past; Pakistan’s primary concern and a lesson during Donald Trump’s first term was relying too heavily on its security relationship with the USA, focusing almost exclusively on military ties. This narrow approach left Islamabad vulnerable when Trump shifted his attention to cutting foreign aid and prioritizing his “America First” agenda. When Trump suspended $300 m illion security aid to Pakistan in 2018, it was a wake-up call about the fragility of our reliance on military ties alone. Another key lesson was Pakistan’s lack of engagement with US institutions outside the White House. When Trump suspended security aid in 2018, it became clear that Pakistan had underestimated the role of Congress and think tanks in shaping foreign policy. While Pakistan focused on the White House, it largely ignored Congress, which holds power over aid allocations, creating a gap in understanding and influence, especially during the moments of tension. To avoid these past inconveniences, Pakistan should shift its focus beyond defense and prioritize economic diplomacy, building stronger ties with US businesses, innovation sectors, and trade representatives. Pakistan also needs to understand that the key to a more robust US-Pakistan relationship lies in diversification. Engaging with Congress, think tanks, and even the US public is critical. By broadening its diplomatic approach, Pakistan can ensure a more resilient presence in US policy debates, regardless of who holds the presidency. In short, to thrive under a second Trump Administration, Pakistan must move beyond a one-dimensional relationship with the USA and adopt a multi-faceted diplomatic strategy that considers the broader geopolitical dynamics. With countries like India gaining more support to counter China’s rise, Pakistan faces the challenge of balancing its relationships with both the USA and China. By engaging with the full spectrum of US political and economic life while navigating global power shifts, Pakistan can establish a resilient, long-term diplomatic approach. Furthermore, with Trump’s return to the White House, Pakistan is likely to face more challenges. Imagine standing at the crossroads of two colossal forces, the USA and China, each pulling in opposite directions. Under Trump’s previous leadership, the USA took a firm stance against China, and his next Administration may push for an even sharper divide. This puts Pakistan in a difficult position by balancing its growing economic ties with China and its long-standing security relationship with the USA. The danger lies in being forced to choose sides, risking isolation from one of the global powers. Though there is no overt demand to choose but covert pressure may exist in future, in which case Pakistan may instead adopt a strategy of neutrality, managing its relationships with both the leading powers to protect its national interest without compromising it. Pakistan can serve as a bridge, engaging China through projects like CPEC while cooperating with the USA on shared security issues like counterterrorism. By highlighting its strategic importance in regional and global security, Pakistan can remain indispensable to both the nations, potentially avoiding conflict. Considering Trump’s agenda for reshaping global trade, and with protectionism on the rise, Pakistan can no longer rely heavily on US. trade and aid alone. For example, under Trump’s protectionist policies, Pakistan faced a slowdown in textile exports to the USA, while countries like Bangladesh benefited from GSP trade terms. Additionally, US military aid to Pakistan was reduced in 2018. To navigate Trump’s policies, Pakistan must seize this as a key opportunity to shift its economic strategy, building resilience by diversifying trade partnerships and reducing dependence on the U.S. as relying on the US market alone is risky, especially with Trump’s past rigid policies and Agenda 47 of tariffs and isolationist policies. Exploring alternatives like CPEC and RCEP can help Pakistan build resilience against global shifts. Pakistan should diversify its economic partnerships, tapping into opportunities in Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and Africa. Strengthening agriculture, textiles, and investing in technology and green energy can drive growth independent of U.S. influence. More importantly, Pakistan needs to shift from relying on aid to building stronger, more diverse economic partnerships. By forming new trade agreements and aligning with emerging markets, it can secure its economic future and reduce dependence on U.S. policies. Pakistan’s foreign policy needs to be proactive, especially with Trump back in office. Learning from the past, Pakistan needs to develop a broad diplomatic strategy, balance relations with global powers, and diversify its economic ties with other leading countries. Pakistan needs to act quickly and embrace strategic adaptability. It is not enough to simply react to a Trump-led Administration; Pakistan needs to proactively shape its future. To become strong in a turbulent world, Pakistan first needs to be strong at home. The real question is not whether Pakistan can navigate this shift, but whether it is prepared to seize the opportunity for resilience and growth. The time to act is now. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Δ document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() );C.J. Stroud addresses elephant in the room | Sporting News

As the holidays approach, there’s no better time to celebrate the magic of giving than by choosing gifts that come from the heart—and from our own South Shore community! This year, more than ever, local businesses are creating unique, handcrafted, and memorable items and experiences that add a special touch to every gift. Supporting our local artisans, shops, businesses, and nonprofit organizations helps keep our community thriving and adds meaning to each present exchanged. Whether you’re looking for a little something to bring holiday cheer or a memorable gift to surprise a loved one, the Tahoe Chamber is curating a Go Local Holiday Gift Guide to make your shopping experience as seamless and rewarding as possible. Packed with unique treasures from right here in Tahoe, this guide will be your best resource for thoughtful gifts that support both local and small businesses, as well as highlight the best of our region. Who is the Tahoe Chamber? The Tahoe Chamber is a nonprofit organization focused on developing, promoting, and representing South Shore businesses. By connecting businesses, residents, and visitors, the Chamber helps keep Tahoe’s spirit alive and its economy strong. Why Go Local This Holiday Season? Shopping locally means more than buying a product; it’s an investment in our community. It supports small-town artisans and business owners, preserves Tahoe’s unique charm, and strengthens the local economy: for every $100 spent at a locally-owned business, $68 will stay in the community. Are you an early bird holiday shopper? Here’s a teaser of some local gems to keep an eye out for in our Go Local Holiday Gift Guide! These curated picks are just a taste of what our local businesses have to offer, bringing a little bit of Tahoe into every home and heart this holiday season. 1) For the Sports Enthusiasts: Lake Tahoe Golf Course The Clubhouse at LTGC is now open year-round with full dining, a bar, and multi-sport simulators, offering fun for the whole family. Whether you’re looking for golf-related gifts, such as golf balls and golf clothing, or an experience for sports enthusiasts, consider Lake Tahoe Golf Course this holiday season. https://www.laketahoegc.com 2) For Wellness Lovers: Sierra Sauna Club Help loved ones unwind with the ultimate relaxation experience you can share together. This luxury mobile sauna includes a built-in cold plunge and comes directly to your location, offering a unique and rejuvenating experience for groups, couples, or solo wellness enthusiasts. https://www.sierrasaunaclub.com 3) For the Little Ones (and fur babies): South Lake Brewing Co. SLBC’s Little Bear Baby Onesies and Tees feature their constellation bear and make an adorable gift for families with a baby on the way. Or, for the fur babies, consider their Beer Can Dog Toys fresh off the canine canning line. Keep your dog engaged and entertained with this Plush Dog Toy while you enjoy your own crisp beverage. https://www.southlakebeer.com 4) For Earth Lovers: Gaia-licious Global Gifts This global gift boutique specializes in Fair Trade, locally made, and eco-friendly gifts. Here you’ll find unique clothing, accessories, yoga items, books, and Tahoe-themed gifts for the whole family, all while supporting local artists and a woman-owned business. https://www.gaialicious.com 5) For Date Night: Whittell Boosters Club Give the gift of a unique and meaningful date night experience by supporting George Whittell School’s students as they prepare for an educational trip to Boston and New York City. The Whittell Boosters are hosting a Disco Prom fundraiser on Thursday, January 16, 2025, at Tahoe Blue Estate, from 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM. Perfect for couples looking to mix fun with philanthropy, the event features groovy disco vibes, delicious appetizers, silent and live auctions, and even shuttle service to and from designated pick-up locations. https://www.whittellboosters.com 6) For the Practical-Minded: AirMedCare Network Gift your loved ones peace of mind this holiday season. With three annual household membership options for CA and NV residents, this practical gift is perfect for the entire family. https://www.amcnrep.com/msm/sonja-keller 7) For Stocking Stuffers: Blue Bear Apothecary Their 2024 Holiday collection features perfect gift and stocking stuffer ideas, including personalized gift baskets or individual gifts of scented candles, reed diffusers, car diffusers, and organic room sprays. Handmade lip balm, body oil, body butter, and sugar scrub are available in the festive Candy Cane Kiss scent. https://bluebear-apothecary.shop This holiday season, make an impact by choosing gifts that support our community and celebrate South Shore’s authentic charm. The Tahoe Chamber’s Go Local Holiday Gift Guide is your best source for thoughtful presents that give back to local businesses and artisans. Whether you’re an early bird shopper or searching for a last-minute find, you’ll discover something memorable that adds a personal touch to every celebration. Stay tuned this week for the full guide on the Tahoe Chamber’s website, newsletter, and social media platforms!

These clever finds level up your life without breaking the bank. Finding the best deals when shopping online can take a ton of time. This is definitely true when it comes to browsing Amazon, where there are loads upon boatloads of brilliant things. I’ve done the legwork by compiling this clever collection — all of which are genuine bargains — for you to check out below. These deals are so good that they may not stick around for long, so feel free to add a few to your cart. 01 Adorable tea bag holders shaped like little snails Don’t lose your tea bag string inside your mug. Instead, let one of these little snails hold onto it. They hook onto the side of your mug so that it looks like they’re climbing their way up — and since each one is made from silicone, you can wash and reuse them dozens of times. 02 An adjustable phone stand that’s easy to take with you Holding up your phone to watch videos can be annoying — but that’s where this stand comes in handy. Its small size makes it easy to take with you when traveling. The gripper hands also stretch to fit phones of almost any size, and it works just as well when holding your phone horizontally as well as vertically. 03 This History Channel trivia game that’s fun yet educational With more than 2,000 questions inside, you’re almost guaranteed not to wind up with repeats anytime soon when playing this History Channel trivia game . The questions span across five categories: art, sports, science, geography, as well as notable people/events. “This was a challenging game that was fun for our family from our 16 year old all the way up to a 55 year old,” wrote one reviewer . “This game provides hours of fun.” 04 A soothing ice pack hat that can help ease migraine pain Keep this ice pack hat inside your fridge or freezer, and it’ll always be ready to deliver soothing cold therapy whenever you feel a migraine coming on. It’s large enough that you can also pull it down over your eyes to block outside light when napping. Choose from six colors: pink, black, and more. 05 The selfie ring light that helps you look good during video calls Make sure you look as good as possible during video calls with help from this selfie ring light . It’s compatible with computers, phones, and tablets, as the clamp stretches to fit onto nearly all of them. The brightness is also adjustable up to 10 levels — and the battery lasts for up to two hours on the brightest setting before it needs to be recharged. 06 This clever fidget toy that doubles as a gel pen This fidget toy is just as useful as it is fun to play with. Not only can you use it as a gel pen when writing notes, but you can also use the magnetic pieces to build all sorts of structures — just in case you need to blow off some steam at work. 07 An ultra-slim toaster that takes up hardly any counter space Don’t have a ton of kitchen counter space to work with? Not a problem when you have this toaster . Its ultra-slim profile takes up hardly any room — yet there’s still enough room inside to heat up to two slices of bread. Plus, six adjustable shade settings let you choose just how brown your toast comes out. 08 A glowy oil that helps hydrate chapped lips Dry, chapped lips are no match for this oil . Apricot and avocado oil work to help hydrate your lips, while the nonsticky formula won’t leave you feeling gooey. It also comes in a variety of tints to give a subtle hint of color that’s perfect for everyday wear. 09 This affordable electric toothbrush with a handy whitening mode Still using a manual toothbrush? Now’s your chance to upgrade to this electronic one for a budget-friendly price. It produces 40,000 vibrations per minute, helping scrub away coffee stains, plaque, and more. You also have four brush modes to choose from: clean, soft, whiten, or massage. And since each order includes eight replacement heads, you won’t have to spend money on one anytime soon. 10 The kinetic fidget toy that lets you spin away stress A light spin is all it takes to make the stripes on this fidget toy look like they’re gravitating upwards. It’s made from durable aluminum — not plastic — and the small size takes up hardly any space on your desk. Choose from 12 colors: rainbow, red, gold, and more. 11 The brilliant bendable neck light that lasts up to 80 hours per charge Don’t squint at those book pages when reading in poor lighting. Instead, grab this neck light . Three light temperature modes give you options when deciding which looks best splashed across your pages: yellow, warm white, or cool white. The battery lasts for up to 80 hours before it needs to be recharged — and you can even bend the arms so that they point in nearly any direction. 12 Space-saving hangers that hold 8 bras or tanks in the place of 1 Running out of space inside your dresser? Consider transferring all your bras onto this hanger . It holds up to eight bras in the space of one — though you can just as easily use it to hang up strappy camisoles, scarves, and more. Plus, the metal frame is so sturdy that it can support up to 13 pounds. 13 A cupholder phone mount designed to be ultra-stable on the road Not only is this phone mount designed to fit into nearly any cupholder, but the neck can also be adjusted so that it’s easy to see your phone screen without having to crane your neck downwards. It’s suitable for use with just about every smartphone. Plus, nonslip pads on the base help keep it from shaking while you drive. 14 This squishy cordless light that looks like a little cowboy Ditch that crummy night light you have plugged into an outlet and upgrade to this cordless version . Not only is it cute to look at, but it’s also made from durable silicone — it has an on/off button while you adjust the brightness via touch. The battery lasts for up to 12 hours before it needs to be recharged. 15 The portable phone charger that can power an iPhone 15 almost 2 times Few things are as annoying as having your phone run out of power while you’re out — but that’s where this portable charger comes in handy. It can power an iPhone 15 almost two times, whereas most Androids can recieve at least one full charge. Plus, the compact size takes up hardly any space inside your bag. 16 A breathable sleep mask that won’t put pressure on your eyes Unlike some sleep masks , this one features molded cups that won’t put uncomfortable pressure on your eyes as you’re trying to relax. The breathable cotton material also helps keep you from growing sweaty — and its adjustable strap makes it easy to fit onto heads both large and small. 17 Moisturizing heel socks infused with vitamin E & jojoba seed oil When no amount of lotion seems to help soften your heels, it may be time to try out these socks . They’re infused with vitamin E, jojoba seed oil, as well as olive oil, all of which work to help deliver a nourishing dose of hydration to dry heels. The best part? You can wash and reuse them multiple times. 18 A stylish & absorbent mat that hides coffee drips Place this absorbent mat underneath your coffee maker, and it’ll catch any stray drips that fall its way. The dark color hides dark coffee stains to help keep it looking clean no matter how dirty it may be — and since it dries quickly, there’s no need to worry about it developing mildew. 19 Rechargeable hand warmers that deliver up to 8 hours of heat Stop wasting money on disposable hand warmers and upgrade to these rechargeable ones . Their ultra-slim profile won’t add much bulk to your pockets — and the batteries last for up to eight hours before they need to be recharged. Choose from eight colors: blue, orange, pink, and more. 20 The handy phone & tablet holder that lets you watch on the plane You’ll be glad you grabbed this clever phone and tablet holder before your next flight. It’s compatible with just about any smartphone, tablet, or e-reader, and can be set up so that it stands upright on your tray table, or hangs from the upper pocket on the seat in front of you. Plus, the foldable design makes it easy to take with you. 21 Travel-friendly toothbrush covers that help keep the bristles clean Letting your toothbrush jostle around inside your suitcase is an easy way for it to get dirty. Instead, protect the bristles using these covers . They’re dustproof as well as waterproof, and feature an adhesive backing so that you can mount them to your bathroom walls if you want. “My family loves these toothbrush holder caps for traveling and home use,” wrote one reviewer . “Keeps all germs off the toothbrush.” 22 This pocket-sized flashlight that’s surprisingly bright Don’t head out for that camping trip before you’ve packed this miniature flashlight . It’s made from durable aluminum, with a skidproof as well as water-resistant design — just in case you get caught in the rain. But if that isn’t enough? An attached clip lets you hook it onto your pants pocket so that it’s always within reach. 23 Slim & colorful silicone bookmarks built to last Retire that old paper bookmark (or whatever random item you might be using). Instead, grab this set of three silicone bookmarks . They clip onto your pages without leaving behind creases — and their slim profile won’t create lumps in your book. Choose from more than 15 colors. 24 A memory foam backrest pillow that’s perfect for reading in bed With its ultra-soft cover and memory foam filling, this backrest pillow is an undeniably comfy addition to any bed or couch. Armrests on both sides give you somewhere to rest your elbows when reading. Plus, a handle on the top makes it easy to carry from room to room. 25 The handy splatter screen that helps keep counters clean While frying food is delicious, it can also be incredibly messy. Enter: this splatter screen . It’s made from heat-resistant silicone that won’t melt when placed on top of hot pots and pans, with ventilation holes throughout so that your fried foods come out crispy — not soggy. Once you’ve finished cooking, you can even place it into the dishwasher for an easy clean. 26 This foldable cover that transforms the sink into counter space Ever wish your bathroom counter was a little larger? Then this cover is worth a look. It unfolds overtop of your sink, transforming it into usable space where you can place hot tools, makeup, and more. Choose from seven colors: silver, emerald green, pink, and more. 27 A handled pumice stone that scrubs away hard water stains Limescale and hard water stains are no match for this pumice stone . It effortlessly scrubs away all sorts of unwanted buildup from tile, ceramic, and more — all without leaving behind any scratches. Plus, the built-in handle makes it easy to maneuver around toilets, shower walls, or even pool tile. 28 A quirky timer that lets you know when you’ve been on the toilet for too long Know someone who spends way too much time on the toilet? Give them this timer as a fun gift. It takes about five minutes for the sand to trickle from top to bottom, making it easy to keep track of how long you’ve spent in the bathroom. “If you have a husband like mine who stays in the bathroom 30-40 minutes at a time, this is a great practical joke item,” wrote one reviewer . 29 The tea infuser shaped like a little Loch Ness monster This little Loch Ness monster tea infuser is just as useful as it is cute to look at. The infuser holes on its backside are small enough to keep loose leaves from leaking out — and four small feet on the bottom allow it to stand upright inside your mug. It’s also BPA-free as well as dishwasher-safe. 30 A thickening spray that helps add volume to limp hair Anyone with limp strands can appreciate this spray . A few spritzes is all it takes to help volumize flat, thin roots, giving them a texturized look that lasts for hours on end. Plus, the non-sticky formula won’t leave behind any residues or buildup over time. 31 Colorful, ergonomic knives that won’t stick to ingredients Unlike the knives you’ve likely been using, these ones are made using high-carbon stainless steel that’s both ultra-sharp as well as resistant to rust. The blades also feature a nonstick coating to help keep ingredients from latching onto them. But if that isn’t enough? Each knife comes with a matching sheath to help keep it protected while in storage. 32 These versatile pens that take the place of 8 common tools Don’t tackle that DIY project until you have one of these multitool pens at your side. They combine eight tools into one handy gadget, including a retractable pen tip, bubble level, ruler, flathead/Phillips screwdriver bits, stylus, and more. Each order also includes two ink refills to get you started. 33 A magnetic cup holder that can support up to 50 pounds Not only is the magnet on this cup holder so strong that it can support up to 50 pounds, but the stainless steel frame is also resistant to rust. It’s large enough to fit most tumblers up to 30 ounces in size. One reviewer wrote, “I used this on my fridge for my son's water cup, so he would always know where to find it. Not only is it super sturdy, but it matches my appliances perfectly.” 34 The wooden cutting board shaped like a cartoon pirate Home and professional chefs alike can appreciate this cutting board . The pirate’s peg leg pulls out to reveal a convenient knife — and a series of magnets work to secure it in place, so there’s no need to worry about it sliding out on its own. Though if you aren’t into pirates? You can also grab it as a bat or ninja. 35 Nutrient-rich mushroom complex powder that mixes seamlessly into drinks Coffee, smoothies, tea — this mushroom complex powder mixes seamlessly into all sorts of drinks. It contains a variety of nutrient-rich mushrooms, including lion’s mane, reishi, chaga, and more, all of which can help boost your immune system as well as improve your ability to focus. The best part? It’s completely vegan, certified organic, as well as gluten-free. 36 This LED dog collar that can be seen from up to 1,000 feet away Make sure your dog is visible during nighttime walks with help from this LED collar . It’s so bright that it can be seen from up to 1,000 feet away — and the battery lasts for up to eight hours before it needs to be recharged. Plus, the waterproof design ensures that it won’t break should your dog get caught outside in the rain. 37 This leakproof tumbler that helps keep cold drinks chilled for more than 24 hours Not only is this tumbler leakproof, but its insulated walls can also help keep cold drinks chilled for more than 24 hours. The tapered base allows it to fit into most cupholders. And with 14 colors to choose from, you shouldn’t have any trouble finding one that suits your style. 38 Cushy eyeglass holders in stylish faux leather Knocking your glasses to the floor is almost too easy if you leave them sitting on your desk. Luckily, these holders are an easy fix. Their wide bases help keep them from tipping over, while the faux leather exterior gives them an upscale look no matter where you place them. The best part? The faux fur lining helps keep the lenses safe from scratches. 39 Super-wide chip clips that help create an airtight seal Regular chip clips do an alright job at sealing your snack bags shut — though these super-wide ones are undeniably better. They close tightly enough that they create a waterproof as well as airtight seal, helping keep your snacks fresher for later. And since they’re made without any metal, you won’t have to worry about them corroding or weakening over time. 40 A mouse jiggler that makes it look like you’re actively working from home If you have an annoying boss who monitors whether you’re away or present at your computer, consider grabbing this mouse jiggler . It prevents your computer from going to sleep or displaying an “away” status, making it great for anyone who uses Microsoft Teams, Zoom, Lync, or any other productivity software. But if that isn’t enough? There’s no software required in order for use, making it virtually impossible for your boss to find out you have it. 41 A flower vase that looks like a weird carton of strawberry milk Whether you fill this vase with real or faux flowers is up to you — but either way, the unique milk carton design is sure to look good no matter where you decide to place it. The sleek ceramic frame also makes it appear more expensive than it is. Choose from three colors: red, yellow, or white. 42 This under-the-cabinet jar opener that works on nearly any lid From small nail polish bottles to jars of peanut butter, this opener is designed to work on lids both large and small. Each order comes with screws so that you can mount it underneath your cabinets — though if you’d rather not use any tools, you’ll also receive double-sided adhesive. “Only used it one time so far but it was a breeze opening a pickle jar,” wrote one reviewer . “Not even a full turn and pop, the lid easily came off!” 43 Tasty vegan protein powder that’s rich in vitamins & minerals Infused with organic coffee, salted caramel, and organic coconut milk, this protein powder is a vegan-friendly option that you can mix into everything from shakes to water. One serving contains 20 grams of protein with only 150 calories and six grams of net carbs to go with it. And if caramel isn’t your favorite? You can also grab it in six other flavors. 44 Handy pizza scissors with sharp stainless steel blades Regardless of whether you prefer thin crust or deep dish pizza, these scissors make it easier than ever to cut yourself a slice. The sharp stainless steel blades easily cut through crusts of any thickness — and the built-in spatula platform helps the bottom blade slide underneath your pizza. 45 This ergonomic mouse that can help prevent strain on your wrist Computer mice that require you to keep your wrist flat can lead to soreness over time. Instead, opt for this ergonomic mouse . It lets you keep your wrist at a 52-degree angle, which can lead to less fatigue and discomfort. The battery lasts for up to three months before it needs to be recharged — and the automatic shut-off kicks in after eight minutes to help preserve the battery. 46 A stylish spice container with a tight-sealing swivel lid Salt, pepper, tea leaves — this little bamboo container is great for storing all sorts of dry ingredients. The swiveling lid is attached, so there’s no need to worry about accidentally misplacing it. You can also use this to store Bobby pins, loose change, or any other small items. 47 This handy rod that helps you shave the awkward spot in the center of your back Having trouble shaving that awkward spot in the center of your back? Not a problem when you have this rod . The curved design helps you apply just the right amount of pressure — and at 17 inches long, you shouldn’t have any trouble using it no matter how tall you may be. 48 The upholstered headboard panels that easily mount onto your bedroom wall From peacock blue to vintage leather, these headboard panels come in so many colors that you’re basically guaranteed to find one that suits your bedroom. They’re available in full, queen, king, and California king sizes. Plus, installation is so easy that there’s no need to locate any studs or use complicated wall anchors. 49 Unique “spy” paper that dissolves in water Whether you’re creating a fun spy game for your kids or playing a practical joke, this pack of dissolvable paper is worth a look. It only takes about 30 seconds to dissolve once it comes into contact with water — and it won’t leave behind any adhesive residue once it’s gone. “We used waterbased markers to write wishes on the paper,” wrote one reviewer . “Placed in water and immediately dissolved! Great fun!” 50 A car charger adapter that can power 2 devices at once This adapter is a smart buy for anyone whose car doesn’t have a built-in USB port. It plugs into your cigarette lighter, and features two USB ports so that you can power multiple devices at the same time. The best part? Quick-charge technology detects the optimal charging speed for your devices so that it can power them up as fast as possible. 51 This fun koozie that looks just like a little puffer jacket Insert any 12-ounce can or bottle into this koozie , and it’ll help keep your drink cold while your hands stay comfortably warm. The looped arms give you somewhere to insert your fingers so that you can keep a firm grip when sipping. And if you aren’t into red flannel? You can also grab it in blue, pewter, or tan. 52 This Bluetooth speaker that you can decorate with your own custom pixel art Not only is this Bluetooth speaker great for listening to your favorite songs, but you can also add your own custom pixel art design to the screen using the downloadable smartphone app. But if that isn’t enough? You can even set it up so that it works as a table clock, bedside alarm, or indoor thermometer. 53 These sheepskin seat belt covers that make things comfier Not a fan of how your seat belt chafes against your shoulder? Then this cover is worth a look. It’s made from authentic Australian merino sheepskin that feels oh-so soft when rubbing against your shoulder. And with 11 colors to choose from, don’t be surprised if you’re tempted to grab more than one. 54 The beanbag stand that’s compatible with just about any tablet Regardless of whether you have an iPad or Kindle, this stand is designed to fit tablets of nearly any shape or size. The beanbag base allows it to sit comfortably on your lap, sofas, beds, and more. Or, you can even remove the tablet arm and use it as a lap desk in a pinch. 55 The teeth whitening kit that delivers results after just 10 days Having your smile professionally whitened can cost hundreds of dollars. Instead, use this kit . The whitening serum that comes with it is vegan, as well as made without any sulfates, GMOs, or gluten. Results are typically visible within just 10 days or less — and unlike some whitening kits, this one comes with low-sensitivity serum that won’t leave your teeth feeling irritated. 56 Macaron pill cases that come in fun, vivid colors Ditch that crummy plastic pill container and upgrade to these adorable macarons . They come in a variety of fun colors — from pastel pink to bright red — and each one is the perfect size to hold pills, Bobby pins, or any other small item you’d like to keep with you. 57 Clever pockets that help keep items from falling between the car seats Tired of having to fish items out from between your car seats? Then these pockets are worth a look. They fill up that gap, replacing it with storage space where you can keep phones, glasses, cash, and more. Plus, the universal fit makes them suitable for use in just about any vehicle. 58 The cool hand-shaped ring holder that looks like glass Looking for somewhere to keep your rings? Search no further than this hand . All five fingers are angled upwards, making them perfect for holding rings, bracelets, or even hoop earrings. Plus, the ultra-clear plastic frame looks just like glass — even when up close. 59 A delicious superfood powder loaded with turmeric, mushrooms, & more Ginger, red reishi mushroom, and ginger are only a few of the nourishing superfoods you’ll find inside of this powder . The gingerbread chai flavor mixes into milk, yogurt, oatmeal, or even pancakes, giving all sorts of meals a nutritional boost. One reviewer wrote, “I use a spoonful of this in my coffee with a dash of cinnamon everyday. It’s a much healthier choice to the liquid soy based, sugar loaded creamers I had used before.” 60 The soft strap that lets you hold tablets one-handed You don’t have to hold your tablet up with both hands when reading books or watching videos. Instead, grab this strap . It attaches to the back of your tablet using two easy-to-remove brackets, making it easy to hold up your tablet using just one hand. Plus, the added padding helps keep the strap from chafing against skin. MoneyJimmy Carter was arguably of America’s post-World War II era. in Plains, Ga., the Carter Center said. Leaders who reach the pinnacle of power are usually complicated individuals. But Carter was a man whose outward image was often the opposite of what lay underneath. He strove to convey simplicity and humility, yet he was a highly sophisticated man with ego and ambition that burned hotter than most. “Don’t pay any attention to that smile. That don’t mean a thing,” said Ben Fortson, Georgia’s secretary of state for a period of 33 years that included Carter’s tenure as governor. “That man is made of steel, determination and stubbornness.” Carter’s own wife, Rosalynn, once said that her husband “appears kind of meek or something. People always underestimate him.” Carter has been widely considered an unsuccessful president who was overwhelmed by events. And compared with the presidencies of, say, Johnson, Nixon or Reagan, Carter’s single term is a period that historians and the public showed very little interest in revisiting, though that began to shift in his last few years. Yet he lived a compelling, exemplary life, and he was beset by challenges in office that would have stymied most leaders. During Carter’s term, he was unable to resolve the major problems that confronted America in the late 1970s. He could not tame inflation or unite the Democratic Party, and he couldn’t free the Americans who were held captive in Iran for more than a year. It’s not well known, however, that the agreement that led to freedom for the 52 American hostages in Tehran was negotiated by Carter and his administration during his final weeks in office. Ronald Reagan had little if anything to do with it, even though he is commonly given credit, since the Iranians released the hostages moments after he was inaugurated. In 1979 Carter appointed Paul Volcker as chairman of the Federal Reserve; Volcker’s policies brought down inflation, which was running in double digits by the end of the decade, though it took time for that to happen, and Reagan reaped the political benefits. Some critiques of the Volcker appointment have come from the left, who said his policies benefitted Wall Street at the expense of the working class. Reagan is also given all the credit for the fall of the Soviet Union and communism. But Carter’s one-two punch — he increased defense spending and made human rights a core plank of American foreign policy — put pressure on the Soviets fiscally and morally, and Carter for forcing the USSR onto an unsustainable trajectory. It was Carter’s style that rubbed many Americans the wrong way. When Teddy Kennedy decided to run against him in 1980, challenging the incumbent president of his own party, he made Carter’s lack of leadership his central argument. "Only the president can provide the sense of direction needed by the nation," Kennedy said when he announced his candidacy in November 1979. "For many months, we have been sinking into crisis, yet we hear no clear summons from the center of power.” Over the years, Carter has been commonly remembered as a kind of Mister Rogers figure, a soft-spoken man wearing a sweater who was good but not strong. Yet Carter’s strength was on display all his life. He grew up in rural poverty and worked his way into the Naval Academy. He had few political connections in Georgia and yet willed his way to the governorship. And he won the presidency with few insider party credentials. And then, after a devastating and overwhelming loss to Reagan in 1980, Carter revolutionized what it means to be an ex-president. He won the release of political prisoners around the world, resolved conflicts in war zones, monitored elections in fledgling democracies and helped eradicate disease. He wrote or published more than 30 books in the years after his presidency, including a novel (the first by a U.S. president), a book of poetry, a children’s book, a book on fishing and other outdoor sporting activities, two on making the most of older years (one of which he co-wrote with Rosalynn), a few on the Middle East, a few personal history books focused on different periods of his life, and a handful of religious devotional books. And finally, he remained married to Rosalynn for 77 years — until her death in 2023 — and he lived to the age of 100. Carter’s father and his three siblings had all died in their 50s or early 60s of pancreatic cancer, and yet he overcame brain cancer at age 90. He never lost his intense zeal for life. He certainly wasn’t overly nice. In fact, one of the biggest criticisms of Carter during the 1980 campaign against Reagan was that Carter was too mean. He consistently, throughout his political career, made the mistake of personally attacking his opponents in ways that backfired with the electorate. He painted Reagan as an unstable warmonger and said that if the Republican were elected, “Americans might be separated, Black from white, Jew from Christian, North from South, rural from urban.” Carter had, in fact, made a deliberate decision at the beginning of his political career — which consumed less than a fifth of his entire life — that he could participate in the morally nebulous world of campaigns and governance and still retain his personal integrity. He once compared being a state senator to being a pastor with 80,000 parishioners. He was deeply influenced by Christian theologian Reinhold Niebuhr, who wrote that “man is the kind of lion who both kills the lamb and dreams of when the lion and the lamb shall lie down together.” Carter called a collection of Niebuhr’s essays his “political bible.” Jimmy Carter was born Oct. 1, 1924, in a small local hospital in the southwest Georgia town of Plains. He was the first U.S. president born in a hospital. Carter was the first child of James Earl Carter, a World War I veteran and an industrious peanut farmer, and Lillian Carter, a nurse. He would become known as the “man from Plains,” but he actually grew up in a place called Archery, 2.5 miles west of Plains. This was Carter’s term for it: not a town or a village, but a “place.” Archery “was never quite a real town,” Carter wrote. It’s no longer even on any maps. But “it’s where I grew up,” he said. There was no running water in Carter’s home until he was 9 years old, and he and his family would relieve themselves either in one of the “slop jars” that were in each of the three bedrooms or out back in the outdoor privy. They did not have toilet paper. When his father bought a small windmill in 1935, it powered a toilet, a sink and a rudimentary shower. The showerhead was a can with holes poked in it. Electricity would not arrive on most farms until President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Rural Electrification Administration made headway, so artificial light came from kerosene lamps. And until the 1940s, the farming process in the Deep South was largely the same as during colonial times nearly 200 years before. Tractors or any form of mechanized power were rare, so plowing was done with mules. Harvesting was done by hand and depended on manual labor, usually from Black tenant workers who lived in shacks on the farm property in exchange for a job, and who had little prospect of ever earning much money. The Southern farm population actually grew from 1930 to 1935, as city workers lost jobs and moved to places like Archery. Carter’s father, Earl, owned 350 acres. It was a good-sized farm, especially since many other family estates were in a multi-decade process of being subdivided by descendants of Southern plantation owners after the Civil War. And Earl made the most of it. He was smart, thrifty, and a good businessman. Earl could be stoic and restrained, and was sometimes severe. The family did not speak at the dinner table, although they were allowed to bring books to read while they ate. Jimmy strove to please his father and rarely felt he succeeded. But he had a happy childhood, roaming through creeks and forests with friends, shirtless and shoeless. But he also engaged in demanding physical labor from a young age. He picked cotton alongside field hands. He learned how to guide the mules in plowing the fields. He had two younger sisters, Gloria and Ruth. His only brother, Billy, was not born until Jimmy was 12 years old. Earl Carter’s politics were segregationist and white supremacist, as were most white Georgians’ at the time. But Jimmy’s mother, Lillian, was a progressive on racial questions from a young age. Earl “was tolerant if not supportive of Lillian’s views,” Carter wrote in “Turning Point,” his 1992 memoir of growing up in Georgia. Earl was “above all, a Talmadge man,” meaning he was a devoted supporter of Eugene Talmadge, the arch-segregationist governor of Georgia in the 1930s and ’40s. When Earl died in 1953, Jimmy was a naval officer stationed in Schenectady, N.Y., on a track that would have put him in position to potentially take command of a nuclear submarine in the near future. But he abandoned his naval career to come home and take over his parents’ farm, overriding Rosalynn’s strong opposition to the move. He ran for state Senate in 1962. A corrupt local official stood in a polling place telling residents how to vote, intimidating Carter supporters and stuffing the ballot box. Yet Carter mounted a drive to have the vote recounted and the corruption investigated. He succeeded, largely thanks to a series of articles in the Atlanta Journal, and was seated in the legislature. When his church, the First Baptist Church in Plains, voted in the summer of 1964 to formalize its practice of preventing Black worshippers from attending services, Carter stood and spoke against the resolution. Many in the congregation abstained from voting out of fear, but of those who did vote, only Carter’s family and one other farmer opposed the proposal. It passed 54 to 6. He was not outspoken on some racial hot-button issues. But he pointedly refused to join the segregationist White Citizens Council, despite threats and intimidation. Carter ran for governor in 1966 but came in third in the Democratic primary, behind former Gov. Ellis Arnall and Lester Maddox, a committed segregationist who won a runoff with Arnall and then the governorship in the fall. Carter turned his attention quickly to running for governor again in 1970. He also experienced an existential crisis at the age of 42, questioning the direction and meaning of his life. He began reading the Bible more closely and questioning . During this time, Carter discovered Niebuhr. He traveled with three other men to Lock Haven, Pa., a coal-mining town in the center of the state, to proselytize for a new Southern Baptist church that was coming to the town. He spent 10 days knocking on doors. At each home, Carter or another man would talk about their personal faith in Jesus Christ and invite anyone interested to nightly services that they organized at the local YMCA. Carter later described his time in Lock Haven as a “miracle.” It was, he said, “where I first experienced in a personal and intense way the presence of the Holy Spirit in my life.” This was an early precursor to the “born again” dynamic of Christians in the 1970s whose revivals created the “Jesus movement.” In his 1970 campaign against former Gov. Carl Sanders, Carter sought the support of African American pastors and had the endorsement of Martin Luther King Jr. But his campaign also made covert appeals to white bigotry. Campaign aides distributed fliers with a photo of Sanders, a part owner of the Atlanta Hawks, celebrating a victory with a Black player, Lou Hudson. Carter also made numerous overtures to supporters of Alabama Gov. George Wallace, one of the staunchest defenders of segregation, and attracted the support of the most notorious white supremacists in Georgia. “I never made a racist statement,” Carter told me in a 2015 interview. “But I did get the more conservative country votes there in Georgia because I never did anything to alienate them.” In his inaugural speech in 1971, Carter recast himself once again as a racial progressive. “I say to you quite frankly that the time for racial discrimination is over,” he said. To the Black leaders in Georgia he promised, “You’re going to like me as governor.” Carter’s main achievement as governor was a major reorganization of the state government, to consolidate agencies and introduce more efficiency. But his limitations as an executive were already clear during his time in Atlanta. He had no use or appreciation for the human and relational side of politics, which is crucial to working with a legislature. “He had very few personal relationships, in my opinion,” said Bert Lance, a friend and adviser who ran Georgia’s powerful transportation department under Carter. “I like people. I like to be around them. I try to be cordial to them. Not that he doesn’t, but he’d just rather be by himself.” E. Stanly Godbold noted in his biography of Carter that during his time as governor, “Apart from Rosalynn, he saw as few people as possible. ... Usually he ate lunch alone in his office, ordering the food from the cafeteria. ... In the afternoons he studied serious academic books about politics and society." The first recorded instance of Carter discussing the presidency was in the summer of 1971, less than a year after he was elected governor. By the fall of 1972, he and his close circle of advisers had begun to openly talk about it and began planning for a run in 1976. Few took him seriously. When Carter first raised the topic of running for president with his mother, Lillian, she responded, “President of what?” But even before Watergate, Carter and his advisers discussed the need for “moral leadership” in the country in the wake of the Vietnam War’s divisive effect. A national leader was needed, they thought, who would be more transparent and open with the country and say things that might be unpopular. Adviser Ham Jordan argued that a Carter candidacy should “encompass and expand on the Wallace constituency and ‘populist’ philosophy by being a better qualified and more responsible alternative.” Carter would represent a “New South” and could help the Democrats hold on to their fracturing coalition, which included large swaths of the South along with big-city machines across the Rust Belt, organized labor and minorities. Carter pioneered a new approach to primaries, campaigning hard in every state, aided by young advisers who had closely studied the way the nominating system had changed, and who also understood the growing importance of television as a way to project an image that superseded political ideology. He benefited from an organized effort by Democratic activists in Florida who lobbied and pressured other Democrats to stay out of the state’s primary in 1976 to give Carter a clean one-on-one matchup against Wallace, who was running for president a fourth time and had won the primary in Florida in 1972 with 41% of the vote. Carter is remembered as an inept communicator, but in person, he converted followers with the success — and the methods — of a traveling preacher. “A strange calm came over the audience as he talked of America’s basic goodness,” Jules Witcover, a reporter for the Washington Post, observed early in the campaign. “His speeches are mostly received with a strange quietness,” Charles Mohr wrote in the New York Times. Carter said the nation’s decency had only been “temporarily obscured by the debasings perpetuated by [former President Richard] Nixon.” “I want a government that is as good, and honest, and decent, and truthful, and fair, and competent, and idealistic, and compassionate, and as filled with love as are the American people,” he said, over and over. Witcover, who compared Carter to Christian evangelist Billy Graham, called this phrase Carter’s “personal rosary” and noted that “in crowd after crowd, it worked.” The country was not only disillusioned by Nixon and Watergate. Americans were disquieted and made anxious by the rise of inflation in the early ’70s, by the energy crisis of 1973 that created lines of cars at gas stations and by a slowing economy. Wages were flatlining. Jobs were disappearing. The cost of living was going up. People may have wanted someone to redeem the country, but they also wanted someone who could restore their confidence and ease their economic pain. There were no themes to Carter’s candidacy except “faith in Jimmy Carter and the sense of hope he sought to inspire in the American people,” wrote Carter adviser Peter Bourne. Witcover picked up on this as well. “He asked of voters the same ‘leap of faith’ that is at the core of religious belief,” he wrote. The electorate was ripe for this approach, as Carter pollster Pat Caddell had discovered. Voters wanted “non ideological change and the restoration of values.” He came out of nowhere to win the Iowa caucuses, and by the time he defeated Wallace in Florida, Carter had a head of steam that carried him to the nomination. He narrowly defeated President Gerald Ford in the popular vote, 40.8 million votes to 39.1 million, and in the Electoral College, 297 to 240. It was the smallest margin of victory in electoral votes for a president since 1916. In addition, the negative tone of the campaign had taken a toll. The election saw the lowest voter turnout for a presidential race in 28 years, at only 54%. Carter entered Washington as an outsider, and the presidency without much of a mandate. He was the first presidential candidate to win control of the government while running against government. Barry Goldwater had attempted it in 1964 and was crushed. Carter told audiences in 1976 that “our government in Washington now is a horrible bureaucratic mess. It is disorganized, wasteful, has no purpose, and its policies — when they exist — are incomprehensible or devised by special interest groups with little regard for the welfare of the average American citizen.” Carter was not a part of the Washington establishment, and he was proud of it. But his outsider status left him exposed when events began to undermine him. He didn’t understand the presidency or have the help of anyone who did. Carter showed signs early on of the myopic, obsessive managerial style that would cause him trouble later. It emerged that the president would sometimes scrutinize the list of government officials scheduled to accompany him on a foreign trip and scratch out the names of those he did not think needed to come. And any staff who wanted to use the tennis court on the White House grounds had to receive permission from the president himself. “He has his eye on anything that moves,” said an aide. As the summer of 1977 arrived, there were more serious warning signs. The House had passed most of Carter’s energy plan, but polling showed declining public support for the legislation. Carter and his administration were pushing the Senate to ratify the treaty they had negotiated with Panama over transfer of the canal, but Senate Majority Leader Robert Byrd was in no rush, and the right was in an uproar over the move. Former California Gov. Ronald Reagan was denouncing the Panama deal on his daily radio commentary, which reached 40 million people. And the president’s relations with the Jewish community were declining as a result of his focus on peace talks and his prickly relationship with Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin. In the fall of 1978, Carter achieved what would be the high-water mark of his presidency, drawing on all his powers of persuasion, all his determination and stubbornness, to keep Begin and Egyptian President Anwar Sadat at the Camp David presidential retreat for 13 days, long enough for them to agree to a Middle East peace deal. But Carter’s charisma and grit weren’t doing much for the American people at home. Inflation climbed in 1978, from 6.8% at the beginning of the year to 9% in November. By May 1979, it was at 11% and still climbing, headed to 13% at the end of the year. The purchasing power of the middle class had been under strain for years, and now it was being obliterated. The economy was stuck in neutral, with the industrial sector in full collapse, roiling the middle portion of the country, where jobs and pensions had been easy to come by for years. The Soviet Union was building up its military. And there was great concern about the rise of Japan as an economic superpower. Violent crime had been increasing in the nation for over a decade, with murders doubling since 1966 to the highest point in American history in the late ’70s. In late April 1979, former Carter speechwriter James Fallows unleashed a barrage of criticism at the president in the Atlantic magazine. “For the part of his job that involves leadership, Carter's style of thought cripples him. He thinks he ‘leads’ by choosing the correct policy; but he fails to project a vision larger than the problem he is tackling at the moment,” Fallows wrote. He felt that Carter’s weakness was that he approached problems as “technical, not historical” and that he had a “lack of curiosity about how the story turned out before.” Around that same time, gas shortages caused in part by the Islamic Revolution in Iran created gas lines in parts of the country. People waited for hours to fill up, and violence began to mount. Adding to the chaos, independent truckers went on strike to protest the rising price of diesel and began blocking highways and filling stations with their rigs. There were violent attacks on truck drivers who sought to break ranks with the strikers. In late June, frustration over the gas lines and the trucker protests came to a boiling point in the Philadelphia suburb of Levittown, where widespread rioting broke out. Police arrested 200 people over two nights, and 44 officers were injured. Carter was scheduled to give an energy speech on July 5 to calm the country’s frayed nerves. But one day before the speech, he canceled it and remained at Camp David. For the first 24 hours, most of the White House staff didn’t even know what the president was doing. Eventually, he stayed there 10 days, hosting groups of governors, religious leaders, economists, members of Congress and other assorted people, talking through the nation’s challenges. He hoped to help the American people think of the energy crisis in the same way they had approached the space race with the Soviets, the same way JFK had inspired the country by setting a goal in 1961 of getting a man on the moon before the end of the decade. Carter’s eventual response became known as his notorious “malaise” speech, even though he never used the word “malaise.” The speech, in actuality, was one of the best of his presidency. It was a remarkable address that was extremely well received by the press and the public. The reason the speech is now considered a failure is because two days after he gave it, Carter — seeking to project strength and boldness — asked for the resignations of every one of his major Cabinet officers. Though he did have some long-standing frustrations with the performance or loyalty of most of these officials, the firings were mostly a political and public relations ploy conceived of and encouraged by Ham Jordan. The changes backfired horribly and came off as chaotic and weak. By the summer of 1979, polls showed Ted Kennedy leading Carter by 2 to 1 among likely Democratic voters, and the last of the Kennedy brothers was preparing to take the dramatic step of running against a president of his own party. “I’m going to whip his ass,” Carter told a group of Democratic congressmen at the White House. It didn’t look that way as Kennedy prepared to run against Carter. But then on Nov. 4 the world changed. Iranian radicals in Tehran seized the U.S. Embassy and took 66 Americans hostage. Along with a disastrous Kennedy interview with CBS News’ Roger Mudd, the hostage crisis turned Carter’s political fortunes around, and he was able to defeat Kennedy in the primary, though it was a long and costly battle. Carter’s presidency had been derailed time and again by the impression that he was powerless and inept, especially as inflation raged on and the hostage crisis dragged out. And yet as he faced off with Reagan in the general election, Carter’s Achilles’ heel would be his penchant for aggressive campaigning, not some perception of weakness. Jimmy Carter's own mother, Lillian, once described him as “a beautiful cat with sharp claws.” Journalist Hunter S. Thompson called Carter "one of the three meanest men I’ve ever met." The other two were boxer Muhammad Ali and Sonny Barger, leader of the Hells Angels. Carter, Thompson said, “would cut my head off to carry North Dakota. He’d cut both your legs off to carry a ward in the Bronx. ... He will eat your shoulder right off if he thinks it’s right.” After a series of comments about Reagan that implied the Republican was catering to racism in some voters, Carter was portrayed by the political press as going too far. He did a damage-control interview with Barbara Walters. Her first question pointed out to him that he had, in recent days, “been characterized as mean, vindictive, hysterical and on the point of desperation." On Oct. 22, a week before the first and only debate between Carter and Reagan, comments from Iranian leaders suggested that a resolution — and a release of the 52 remaining Americans in Tehran — could be imminent. This raised the prospect of a dramatic turnaround for Carter’s fortunes. He had been saved from the Kennedy challenge by the seizure of the hostages. Would his response to the crisis now help him win a second term? There were still tense moments in the final weekend before the election as it appeared the hostages might be released. But it was not to be. The hostages were not released, and Carter went down to a historic defeat. Reagan beat him in 44 out of 50 states and crushed him in the Electoral College 489 to 49. The 1980 election was marked by apathy. Reagan beat Carter amid the lowest turnout in a presidential election since 1948. Only 52.4% of eligible voters went to the polls. But it was a historically significant election because the coalition that Democrats had relied on for decades since FDR’s presidency — combining union members in the big cities, poor rural voters, racial minorities, Catholics and the South — had splintered for good. It was a realigning event. Carter’s total loss of support among white Baptist voters in the South demonstrated how badly his coalition from 1976 had been turned upside down. Carter finished out his term working obsessively to release the hostages. He signed a series of executive orders executing a deal with the Iranian government and spent his last weekend in office waiting for word on whether the deal would go through. He announced its completion at 4:44 a.m. on Monday, Jan. 19, the day before Reagan’s inauguration. Carter aides hoped the deal would be done so quickly he could go to meet the hostages in Germany that evening and be back in Washington on Inauguration Day to transfer power to Reagan. But it was not to be. In one final indignity, the Iranians released the hostages only after Reagan had been sworn in as the nation’s 40th president. Carter, years later, would imply that he believed Reagan had with Ayatollah Khomeini, the Iranian leader, to wait until the inauguration to free the hostages, in exchange for military equipment that Tehran needed to fight Saddam Hussein’s Iraqi troops. Gary Sick, an Iran expert who served on Carter’s National Security Council staff, published a book in 1991 titled “October Surprise,” which made the case that Reagan had colluded with the Iranians. Carter told author Douglas Brinkley in 1995 that “if you try to dig further into Gary’s ‘October Surprise’ revelations, and are successful, you may not like what you find.” After an initial period of depression and searching, Carter became a major factor in international relations in the late ’80s and ’90s. He was helped by his close friendship with fellow Georgian Ted Turner, who owned the fledgling 24-hour cable news network CNN, launched during Carter’s final year in office. Carter spent decades in a frenetic and often freelancing pursuit of global peacemaking and healing. Rosalynn was always at his side and as much a partner as ever. Though he became even more active in the Middle East peace process, he grew more radical in his support for an independent Palestinian state and his outspoken criticism of Israel. He was a regular presence in Latin America, convened arms control experts at his Carter Center in Atlanta and launched efforts to eradicate disease in Africa. In 1986, he set a goal of eradicating the painful Guinea worm disease from the Earth. Also called dracunculiasis, it afflicted roughly 3.5 million people at that time, most of them in central Africa, and the United Nations estimated that 100 million people were at risk of the disease. In 2015, there were only 22 cases in Africa. On his last Sunday as president, Carter — a defeated politician — taught Sunday school at First Baptist Church in Washington, D.C., and talked about Jesus’s remark that “it is the one who is least among you all who is the greatest.” Carter said, “Is greatness being a president? An emperor?” No, he said. “The foundation of greatness is service to others.” By that definition, the always ambitious Carter achieved greatness in his post-presidency. He was not a central player in the biggest story of the late ’80s and early ’90s: the fall of communist governments in the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe. But he did enter the public eye as a key figure in some internationally known conflicts during that time. He stood up to Panamanian strongman Manuel Noriega in 1989. After observing elections there, Carter compiled evidence that Noriega had stolen the election, and he vigorously denounced the Panamanian ruler during a 45-minute press conference in Panama City. In 1994, Carter was again an influential force. He helped prevent a U.S. invasion of Haiti through last-minute negotiations, headed off a conflict with North Korea and helped secure a four-month ceasefire in the bloody Balkan conflict between Serbs, Croats and Bosnians. But in the latter two cases, Carter alienated himself from the first Democratic president to take office since he had left it, Bill Clinton. Carter’s freelancing on CNN — announcing details of a deal without consulting Clinton — limited the president’s choices and was viewed as deeply disloyal. It was similar to the way he had ruined a healthy relationship with President George H.W. Bush’s administration by publicly and privately seeking to undermine the administration’s coalition building as it prepared to send troops to Kuwait in 1991 to throw Iraqi invaders out. Carter’s lone attempt at urban renewal, labeled the Atlanta Project and launched in 1991, achieved subpar results in helping reduce poverty. But he led a robust and energetic life even into his 90s. In addition to his relentless book writing, he won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002. In August 2015 he underwent surgery for brain cancer. Miraculously, he was declared cancer-free three months later. He continued to teach Sunday school in Plains on a regular basis. Carter was often criticized and belittled by the right. But many of his once unpopular stands looked better over time. He spoke out against the invasion of Iraq when doing so was unpopular. He spoke out against the war on drugs in 2011 before it was really all that fashionable to do so. He saw the importance of housing in fighting poverty. He helped make Habitat for Humanity, a community service organization, a globally known charity and continued to build houses with the group into his 90s. Carter's presidency was beleaguered by external challenges and his own weaknesses. He was hindered by his tendency to judge others by the same incredibly high standards he set for himself. He felt it was beneath him to trade favors with lawmakers or cajole them into supporting his ideas. He preferred to persuade them through pure reason. This obtuseness about how politics actually worked undermined him. But he was an extraordinary individual who came from the dirt of a southwest Georgia farm during the Great Depression and accomplished more in a life than most would ever dare or dream, ending his life as one of the greatest humanitarians of our time.