(TNS) — New Jersey schools may be required to develop policies to limit students from using cellphones and electronic devices during class. A bill introduced by State Sen. Paul Moriarty (D., Gloucester) would require the New Jersey Department of Education to help K-12 schools develop policies to prohibit students from using the devices during instruction. It thrusts New Jersey into a growing national movement by some schools to implement cellphone bans or restrictions to ease classroom distractions. Educators say the devices hinder learning and student mental health. "I think it's something we need to address," Moriarty said. "Students are addicted to cellphones. I just think it's hard to learn when you have a cellphone in your hand." The bill, S-3695, would task acting Education Commissioner Kevin Dehmer with developing a model policy for New Jersey's more than 600 districts. Local boards would be required to adopt a policy, but allowed some flexibility to meet their needs. If adopted, the bill would take effect immediately, and the policies would be expected to go into effect the first full school year following passage. The bill unanimously cleared the state Senate Education Committee this month. There has been some opposition to cellphone restrictions, especially from parents who want their children to have access to their device in the event of an emergency. The bill would allow districts to decide how to implement the restrictions, which could include sealed magnetic devices that allow students to keep phones in their possession but locked until the end of the day, or could require them to keep devices in lockers or backpacks. Exceptions will be made for students who have individual education plans or health conditions that require wireless communication devices. Policies would cover smartphones, smartwatches, and any type of cellphone. "When they're in a school environment we just want them to be able to concentrate on learning," said Assemblywoman Rosaura Bagolie (D., Essex), a cosponsor. Bagolie, superintendent of the East Newark school system in Hudson County, said students quickly adjusted to a cellphone ban she implemented there six years ago. Students are required to put the phones in a bin at the beginning of school, she said, and can use office phones in case of an emergency. Nationally, most public schools prohibit cellphone usage for nonacademic purposes, with 76 percent enacting bans of some kind in the 2021-22 school year, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. At least six states have passed laws or enacted policies that ban or restrict students' use of cellphones or encourage local districts to enact their own bans. The U.S. Department of Education is urging states and districts to adopt school cellphone policies. The agency didn't say what action should be taken but said parents and students should be included in the decision-making, along with educators. The New Jersey School Boards Association supports the "spirit and intent" of the Moriarty bill but wants to make sure districts have leeway to adopt a policy that meets their needs, said spokesperson Thomas Parmalee. "As technology constantly changes, school districts should be able to adjust their policies over time," he said. Around the region, cellphone policies vary, and enforcement can be inconsistent even within a single school. Some South Jersey districts, including Cherry Hill and Cinnaminson, have already put restrictions in place this school year to curb cellphone use. Washington Township plans to update its policy in a few months, a spokesperson said. Woodbury School Superintendent Andrew Bell said that banning cellphones this year was a game-changer for middle and high school students. "It was one of the best decisions I have ever made," Bell said. "I love the bill. I think it is something that has to be done." Bell said the changes have been notable in his district since the ban — fewer disciplinary problems, a decline in cyberbullying, and a better school climate. Woodbury spent $30,000 in federal pandemic relief funds to purchase Yondr pouches, which magnetically lock phones. Bell said students have mostly been compliant, with only a few infractions a week. "I would tell any superintendent cellphones are just a distraction for kids," Bell said. "We needed the pouches." In Cherry Hill, a policy that took effect in September requires students to keep their devices silenced and in a locker or backpack during grade-bearing classes such as math, science, history, and physical education. "It's literally a fight for their attention," said Superintendent Kwame Morton. Morton said the district believed the Yondr pouches were too restrictive because the cellphones would be inaccessible all day. Students are allowed to use the devices during study hall, lunch, and recess. "They've done a fantastic job adhering to the policy," Morton said. At Cinnaminson High School, teachers are allowed to set their own technology policies and that seems to work, said Superintendent Stephen Cappello. Kerry DiSimone, principal at Cinnaminson's middle school, implemented a cellphone ban this year, despite pushback from some students and parents. The new policy requires students to keep all devices, except district-issued Chromebooks, in their backpacks in their lockers, DiSimone said. "I knew it wasn't going to be popular," she said. "Whether they all agree or not, we did what was best for them."AFC standouts meet when Herbert, Chargers host Jackson's Ravens on Monday nightjili178 free 100 no deposit bonus 。

Jimmy Carter, 39th president and Nobel Peace Prize winner, dies at 100Republicans rally around Hegseth, Trump's Pentagon pick, as Gaetz withdraws for attorney generalHidalgo leads No. 6 Notre Dame over JuJu Watkins and third-ranked USC 74-61 in big matchup out West

Book review: Love, loss and finding your people in this must-read Métis memoirFace biometrics are a common theme running through the most-read articles of the week on , along with the impact that deepfakes and synthetic data are having on the field’s market and development. New algorithms from Innovatrics and Incode performed well in NIST testing and a new training dataset of synthetic identities seeks to bridge the realism gap. A report from Entrust and Onfido reveals the alarming frequency of deepfake-fueled fraud attempts and a new group including the ACCS, AVPA and Privately is looking into defending age assurance systems against deepfakes. Facial recognition is also the mechanism that will be relied on to keep Australian teens off of social media and make Europe’s border protection plans operationally feasible. Elsewhere, Jordan Burris delves into Socure’s advice for the incoming American government on digital ID. A group of technology and child welfare advocates in Australia waded into that country’s , arguing for the a more moderate regulatory approach. The dangers of social media for children are well documented, but the proposal would affect how everyone uses the internet, while not everyone understands what is being proposed or how it would work. NIST published a new update to its 1:N FRTE track earlier this month, which shows particularly from Innovatrics and Incode. Both algorithms cracked the top 10 in multiple categories, while familiar entries from NEC, Idemia, Paravision, CloudWalk, SenseTime and Megvii showed top results. NIST also published guidelines for the U.S. federal government’s identity verification and access control system, which is based on ID cards. The new documents cover identity services. Both are final public drafts, and comments will be accepted until January 10. Digital identity should be given and a national taskforce formed to advance it, Socure says among five recommendations for the new government. Jordan Burris tells in an interview that the critical infrastructure status is a natural extension of designations already on the books, and explains how leadership and collaboration can enable a leap forward for America’s defense against fraud. Remote pre-enrollment may be the best way to with faster operations for the EU’s EES, but is running up against the requirement for fingerprint biometrics and concern about contactless fingerprint spoofing. There were key points from an industry roundtable held by eu-LISA, and featuring insights from numerous stakeholders including iProov and Mühlbauer. CBP is using to help maintain the security of biometrics and other sensitive personal data, and prevent another incident like the Perceptics breach. Even the automated tests themselves require robust data security, and they are likely to be used even more extensively as CBP migrates more systems to cloud environments. World ID enrollments are back on in Brazil, and off in the Dominican Republic, where a consumer rights regulator has ordered their suspension. The company has , from the physical appearance of its iris biometric-scanning orbs to the latest accusations of “abusive” contract clauses in the name of “privacy rocket science.” The frequency of deepfake attacks has reached every five minutes, according to the 2025 Identity Fraud Report from Entrust and Onfido. The report also shows more than half of all document fraud in the digital channel involves , and the crypto industry is a relatively common target. Deepfakes pose a potential threat beyond financial fraud as well, and stakeholders within the age assurance community have come together to launch the against presentation and injection attacks. The project is run by the ACCS, AVPA and Privately. Technology and law are both being turned against deepfakes, at predictably differing paces. Authologic’s digital ID aggregation business model gets a closeup from in the wake of its $8 million fundraise. The company’s founders believe malicious use of AI is a threat to civilization itself. Meanwhile in Minnesota, a court challenge to an anti-deepfake law has been led on a detour by an academic who filed a brief that appears to contain citations hallucinated by a large language model, according to . Synthetic data holds the potential to help train better facial recognition systems, but the existing databases fall short of the realism needed to realize that potential, say researchers from Idiap. They built a database with nearly 400,000 face images of , which they call Digi2Real, using foundational models, to address the realism gap. Please let us know about any interviews, editorials, podcasts or other content we should share with the biometrics and digital identity community either in the comments below or through social media. | | | |

The standard Lorem Ipsum passage, used since the 1500s "Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum." Section 1.10.32 of "de Finibus Bonorum et Malorum", written by Cicero in 45 BC "Sed ut perspiciatis unde omnis iste natus error sit voluptatem accusantium doloremque laudantium, totam rem aperiam, eaque ipsa quae ab illo inventore veritatis et quasi architecto beatae vitae dicta sunt explicabo. Nemo enim ipsam voluptatem quia voluptas sit aspernatur aut odit aut fugit, sed quia consequuntur magni dolores eos qui ratione voluptatem sequi nesciunt. Neque porro quisquam est, qui dolorem ipsum quia dolor sit amet, consectetur, adipisci velit, sed quia non numquam eius modi tempora incidunt ut labore et dolore magnam aliquam quaerat voluptatem. Ut enim ad minima veniam, quis nostrum exercitationem ullam corporis suscipit laboriosam, nisi ut aliquid ex ea commodi consequatur? Quis autem vel eum iure reprehenderit qui in ea voluptate velit esse quam nihil molestiae consequatur, vel illum qui dolorem eum fugiat quo voluptas nulla pariatur?" To keep reading, please log in to your account, create a free account, or simply fill out the form below.AP Business SummaryBrief at 1:14 p.m. EST

Former US president Jimmy Carter dies aged 100The New York Giants have not held a lead in a football game since their Week 5 win over the Seattle Seahawks. They suffered their sixth loss in a row on Sunday afternoon, being embarrassed at home by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with a 30–7 final score . Tommy DeVito could not recapture his magic from last season as he and the Giants struggled throughout his first start in Week 12. Things are getting ugly for the G-Men. The Giants’ offense is broken Red zone turnovers, fumbles, poor offensive line play, and a lack of explosive plays are plaguing the Giants’ offense. They scored just seven points in this one, a fourth-quarter garbage-time touchdown from RB Devin Singletary . They went just 5-11 on third down and 0-2 on fourth down in the game and mustered just 245 yards of total offense. After cutting Daniel Jones mid-week, the hope was that DeVito could provide a spark as he took over under center. That spark was still missing, however, as DeVito was sacked four times and put up just 189 passing yards with zero touchdowns and an 83.9 passer rating. Stopping the run has been a problem all season The Giants’ run defense ranked 29th in the NFL entering this game, surrendering an average of 147.1 rushing yards per game. The unit was as bad as ever against the Buccaneers, allowing Tampa Bay to rack up 156 rushing yards and four touchdowns on the ground. Defensive coordinator Shane Bowen needs to find a way to stop the bleeding. Head coach Brian Daboll seems to be losing the locker room The Giants’ players are fed up with losing. Several members of the team were vocally frustrated following the game, even calling head coach Brian Daboll into question: “I started getting the ball when it’s 30-0,” Malik Nabers said via SNY . “What do you want me to do? Talk to Dabs about that. Talk to Dabs.” At 2-8, frustration is boiling over for Daboll and his players. The locker room seems to be turning on its head coach, which, if the past is any indicator, will likely lead to a firing later this season. Daboll needs to reunite the locker room if he wants to keep coaching in MetLife Stadium in 2025. Looking ahead to the Giants’ next matchup against the Dallas Cowboys It will be a quick turnaround for Daboll and his squad as they prepare to spoil Turkey Day for Giants fans across America as they travel to Dallas to take on the Cowboys on Thursday afternoon. The Cowboys are coming off an impressive win over the Washington Commanders this Sunday and will look to make it two in a row against the lowly Giants. This article first appeared on Empire Sports Media and was syndicated with permission.

The FDA approved acellular tissue engineered vessel-tyod (Symvess, Atev; Humacyte Inc) for use in adults as a vascular conduit for extremity arterial injury when urgent revascularization is needed to avoid imminent limb loss and when autologous vein graft is not feasible. The approval follows positive results from the pivotal phase 2/3 V005 (NCT03005418) clinical trial. Image credit: JHVEPhoto | stock.adobe.com Humacyte Human Acellular Vessel (HAV) in Patients With Vascular Trauma NCT03005418 Humacyte, Inc. September 1, 2027 Symvess is a first-in-class bioengineered human tissue that is designed to be a universally implantable vascular conduit for use in arterial replacement and repair. Because harvesting vein from a trauma patient can take time during surgery, Symvess is available off-the-shelf, which does not require potential further injury to the patient to obtain vascular repair material via an invasive surgery. The Symvess trauma program was granted regenerative medicine advanced therapy designation by the FDA in May 2023, and in February 2024, it received a priority review. “The approval of a vascular conduit that resists infection and remodels into native arteries is an extraordinary technological advancement that will have a huge impact on the quality of trauma care around the world,” Charles J. Fox, MD, FACS, director of Vascular Surgery at the University of Maryland Capital Region, said in a news release. “Symvess is perfectly sized to treat most injuries, has excellent handling properties, and reduces time necessary to save both life and limbs.” The V005 (NCT03005418) trial, also called CLN-PRO-V005, is a prospective, multicenter, multi-cohort, non-randomized phase 2/3 study which enrolled patients with life- or limb-threatening vascular trauma which requires surgical repair. A limb cohort includes patients who require repair of a vessel contained to the upper or lower extremity, and a torso cohort includes patients who require repair of vessels within the thorax (excluding the heart), abdomen, and retroperitoneum. No control arms are included in this study. All patients received the investigational Symvess, which were used for arterial bypass or reconstruction. The device is implanted using a standard vascular surgical technique, similar to those used to place predicate peripheral vascular prostheses. The primary outcome measures are primary patency (defined as the interval from the time of access placement until any intervention designed to maintain or reestablish patency, access thrombosis or the measurement of patency), which was assessed at 30 days, and frequency and severity of adverse events (AEs), which was assessed at 36 months. A total of 69 patients with a mean age of 33.5 years were enrolled in the trial, of which the majority were male (n = 38). At day 30, the primary patency was approximately 84.3% (95% CI, 72.0%-91.8%) and secondary patency was 90.2% (95% CI, 79.0%-95.7%). Additionally, amputation rate was about 9.8% (95% CI, 4.3%-21.0%). Infection and death rates were also low, occurring in about 2.0% (95% CI, 0.4%-10.3%) and 5.9% (95% CI, 2.0%-15.9%) of patients, respectively. “I believe that Symvess will revolutionize vascular trauma care and be profoundly beneficial to our patients,” Rishi Kundi, MD, surgical critical care of vascular surgery at the University of Maryland Medical System, said in the news release. “From my experience so far, Symvess will allow reconstructions that are currently impracticable because of contamination and infection. It will make reconstructions that we now perform with prosthetic or even biologic grafts more successful.” Overall, AEs and serious AEs were frequent in V005 consistent with patients with acute injuries. According to the investigators, AEs of special interest, including thrombosis, rupture, aneurysm, and pseudoaneurysm, occurred at acceptable rates that were consistent with reports of other vascular conduits, including autologous vein and synthetic grafts. At 30 days, AEs of interest were reported for 8 patients and included thromboses and occlusions (resolved or unresolved), nonspontaneous rupture (n = 1), and infection of the conduit (n = 1). Additionally, all enrolled patients receiving Symvess presented multiple risk factors that could lead to wound infection, of which 20 patients developed 1 or more infectious events by day 30 (eg, bacteremia, fungemia, sepsis, and osteomyelitis). “The FDA approval of Symvess will make it the preferred conduit for complex vascular injuries, and particularly those at risk for infection,” Ernest E. Moore, MD, FACS, director of Research at the Ernest E. Moore Shock Trauma Center at Denver Health, said in the news release.

Rico Carty, who won the 1970 NL batting title when he hit a major league-best .366 for the Atlanta Braves, has died. He was 85. Major League Baseball , the players' association and the Braves paid tribute to Carty on social media on Sunday. No further details on Carty's death were provided. “Carty was one of the first groundbreaking Latino stars in the major leagues, and he established himself as a hero to millions in his native Dominican Republic, his hometown of San Pedro de Macoris, and the city of Atlanta, where he was a beloved fan favorite,” the players' association said in its statement . The Braves said Carty left an indelible mark on the organization. “While his on-field accomplishments will never be forgotten, his unforgettable smile and generous nature will be sorely missed,” the team said in its statement. Carty made his big league debut with the Braves in September 1963. He batted .330 with 22 homers and 88 RBIs in his first full season in 1964, finishing second to Dick Allen in voting for NL Rookie of the Year. The Braves moved from Milwaukee to Atlanta after the 1965 season, and Carty got the franchise's first hit in its new home on April 12, 1966, against Pittsburgh. Carty had his best year in 1970, batting .366 with 25 homers and a career-best 101 RBIs. He started the All-Star Game after he was elected as a write-in candidate, joining Willie Mays and Hank Aaron in the NL outfield. Carty batted .299 with 204 homers and 890 RBIs over 15 years in the majors, also playing for Cleveland, Toronto, Oakland, Texas and the Chicago Cubs. He retired after the 1979 season. AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB

Take a seat, Josh Allen, there's no more need to play in the regular season You wouldn’t expect to use as a reference point for a potential NFL Most Valuable Player, but this is 2024 and, well, things are weird. Barely a day after Miami’s Cam Ward opted to sit for the second half of the Pop-Tart Bowl to protect his future options, Buffalo’s Josh Allen faces a similar question in Week 18 of the NFL regular season. No, Allen isn’t trying to protect his NFL standing; he’s got that pretty well locked down. Allen is chasing two career-defining milestones, an MVP award and a Lombardi trophy. Buffalo’s Week 18 game against the Patriots might help him burnish his chances at the former, but it will do absolutely nothing for the latter quest. Allen led Buffalo to a 40-14 annihilation of the New York Jets that was as thorough and merciless as anything short of a stadium demolition. Allen wasn’t spectacular – 16 of 27 for 182 yards and two touchdowns, plus another on the ground — but he didn’t need to be. Buffalo led 40-0 deep into the fourth quarter, and the destruction was so complete that even Mitchell Trubisky got some run at quarterback for the Bills. Next week, he ought to get a whole lot more. The only regular-season game left on Buffalo’s slate is a road contest against New England, and there’s absolutely nothing at stake for the Bills — or, for that matter, for the Patriots, who were eliminated from the playoff hunt back around the Fourth of July. Buffalo is locked into the second spot in the AFC playoffs, meaning the Bills are going to welcome the Chargers, Steelers or Broncos to chilly Orchard Park, New York, in a couple weeks. There’s no outcome of the Patriots game that changes Buffalo’s seeding. And there isn’t even any “best effort”/fair play concern for the Patriots, since there’s no scenario where that game means anything to the final teams in the hunt for the last AFC playoff spot. The Bills, in fact, have been playing with house money for awhile now. Buffalo clinched the AFC East with five weeks remaining in the year, the first team since the 2009 Colts to grab a divisional championship that early. (In a good omen for Buffalo, that Colts team would go on to reach the Super Bowl; in a familiar omen, the Colts lost that Super Bowl to New Orleans.) In other words, from a team perspective, there’s no reason for Allen to play next week. From an individual perspective ... maybe? Allen is, by all accounts and metrics, the runaway favorite to win his first MVP. BetMGM has him listed at -350, with Lamar Jackson well behind at +250 and Saquon Barkley at +2500. Yes, — two passing TDs, one rushing TD — and has a chance to prettify his stats even further with a regular season finale against the Browns. But is it worth risking Allen’s health on the road in search of an award he may already have won? After Sunday’s game, Bills head coach Sean McDermott stated his case succinctly and effectively: “I think Josh Allen continues to show why he should be the MVP.” McDermott declined to say whether Allen would play in Week 18, instead indicating that the team would discuss how to handle rest later this week. Allen, for his part, punted like it was fourth-and-long, saying of the decision to play, “That’s up to coach. I’ll do whatever is asked of me.” That’s the right answer from a political perspective, but from a Super Bowl-chasing one, there’s an obvious play here. It’s time for Allen to watch Buffalo-New England from the closest spot in Gillette Stadium. For him and Buffalo, there’s plenty of work left to do after Week 18.

DAT: November truckload volumes lagged robust OctoberIn the spirit of gratitude, HUAWEI Philippines is helping customers gear up for the holiday festivities with “HUAWEI Service Giving Season” offerings. From November 15 to December 31, HUAWEI users can get their devices in top shape for the new year with free services and repair discounts available in all HUAWEI Authorized Service Centers nationwide. Free Service Offerings and Gift Vouchers During HUAWEI Service Giving Season, HUAWEI Authorized Service Centers will offer free labor for out-of-warranty repair services. Customers will only have to pay the fees for parts replacement based on the repair quotation. While there is no limit in the number of devices that customers can have repaired, each device can only be repaired once within the HUAWEI Service Giving Season period. Additionally, customers who get their HUAWEI phones repaired during this season will also receive a free tempered glass screen protector for their phones. A HUAWEI Service Center personnel will assist with the installation for free. This offer is available for select HUAWEI phone models only. Customers who purchased HUAWEI laptop units within the last 5 years and are looking to have the factory system reinstalled can avail a free System Reinstallation for their units. Before sending in their devices for reinstallation, customers should have their data backed up to other devices to avoid accidental data loss and other risks. The free System Reinstallation offer is only available at select HUAWEI Authorized Service Centers with PC Product support. Moreover, customers who avail of any of the free repair services during HUAWEI Service Giving Season will receive gift vouchers worth PHP 500 or PHP 800. The PHP 500 vouchers are redeemable for purchases worth at least PHP 6,000 on Shopee, Lazada, and HUAWEI Online Store. Meanwhile, the PHP 800 vouchers are available for minimum purchases of PHP 10,000 on the HUAWEI Online Store. The vouchers are valid for single use until December 31. Discounted Repair Services Beyond free services, HUAWEI Service Giving Season will also ring in discounted repair services for HUAWEI users. During this period, customers can have their laptop mainboards repaired for only PHP 4,999. Initially, HUAWEI Service Center personnel will inspect and test the units to verify eligibility. This offer is available exclusively at the HUAWEI Authorized Service Center at HighPoint Service Network located at the GMG Building, President Quirino Avenue Extension, Paco, Manila. HUAWEI users can also get battery replacement for their devices. Prices for this service offer starts at PHP 699. Stocks of spare parts are subject to availability and will be available on a “First Come, First Serve” basis. This offer is unlimited throughout the HUAWEI Service Giving Season and is available for select HUAWEI devices at Authorized Service Centers nationwide. Give Your Devices Some Love This HUAWEI Service Giving Season Customers can easily avail of any of these offers by heading to HUAWEI Authorized Service Centers. They can also send in their devices via free postal service to authorized service centers to avail the free system reinstallation service or the discounted battery replacement service. The HUAWEI Service Giving Season will run from November 15 to December 31. To verify your devices’ eligibility to any of the offered services and to learn more about HUAWEI Service Giving Season, visit the official website to know more. To learn more, visit Huawei’s official website or social media accounts ( Facebook | Instagram ).

Rico Carty, who won the 1970 NL batting title when he hit a major league-best .366 for the Atlanta Braves, has died. He was 85. Major League Baseball , the players' association and the Braves paid tribute to Carty on social media on Sunday. No further details on Carty's death were provided. “Carty was one of the first groundbreaking Latino stars in the major leagues, and he established himself as a hero to millions in his native Dominican Republic, his hometown of San Pedro de Macoris, and the city of Atlanta, where he was a beloved fan favorite,” the players' association said in its statement . The Braves said Carty left an indelible mark on the organization. “While his on-field accomplishments will never be forgotten, his unforgettable smile and generous nature will be sorely missed,” the team said in its statement. Carty made his big league debut with the Braves in September 1963. He batted .330 with 22 homers and 88 RBIs in his first full season in 1964, finishing second to Dick Allen in voting for NL Rookie of the Year. The Braves moved from Milwaukee to Atlanta after the 1965 season, and Carty got the franchise's first hit in its new home on April 12, 1966, against Pittsburgh. Carty had his best year in 1970, batting .366 with 25 homers and a career-best 101 RBIs. He started the All-Star Game after he was elected as a write-in candidate, joining Willie Mays and Hank Aaron in the NL outfield. Carty batted .299 with 204 homers and 890 RBIs over 15 years in the majors, also playing for Cleveland, Toronto, Oakland, Texas and the Chicago Cubs. He retired after the 1979 season. AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLBThe military's tradition of tracking Santa Claus on his gravity-defying sweep across the globe will carry on this Christmas Eve, even if the U.S. government shuts down , officials said Friday. Each year, at least 100,000 kids call into the North American Aerospace Defense Command to inquire about Santa’s location. Millions more follow online — in nine languages — as St. Nick swoops along the earth's meridians. “We fully expect for Santa to take flight on Dec. 24 and NORAD will track him," the U.S.-Canadian agency said in a statement. On any other night, NORAD is scanning the heavens for potential threats , such as last year's Chinese spy balloon . But on Christmas Eve, volunteers in Colorado Springs, Colorado, are fielding questions like, “When is Santa coming to my house?” and, “Am I on the naughty or nice list?” The endeavor is supported by local and corporate sponsors, who also help shield the tradition from Washington dysfunction. Bob Sommers, 63, a civilian contractor and NORAD volunteer, told The Associated Press that there are "screams and giggles and laughter” when families call in, usually on speakerphone. Sommers often says on the call that everyone must be asleep before Santa arrives, prompting parents to say, "Do you hear what he said? We got to go to bed early." NORAD's annual tracking of Santa has endured since the Cold War , predating ugly sweater parties and Mariah Carey classics . Here's how it began and why the phones keep ringing. It started with a child's accidental phone call in 1955. The Colorado Springs newspaper printed a Sears advertisement that encouraged children to call Santa, listing a phone number. A boy called. But he reached the Continental Air Defense Command, now NORAD, a joint U.S. and Canadian effort to spot potential enemy attacks. Tensions were growing with the Soviet Union, along with anxieties about nuclear war. Air Force Col. Harry W. Shoup picked up an emergency-only “red phone” and was greeted by a tiny voice that began to recite a Christmas wish list. “He went on a little bit, and he takes a breath, then says, ‘Hey, you’re not Santa,’” Shoup told The Associated Press in 1999. Realizing an explanation would be lost on the youngster, Shoup summoned a deep, jolly voice and replied, “Ho, ho, ho! Yes, I am Santa Claus. Have you been a good boy?” Shoup said he learned from the boy's mother that Sears mistakenly printed the top-secret number. He hung up, but the phone soon rang again with a young girl reciting her Christmas list. Fifty calls a day followed, he said. In the pre-digital age, the agency used a 60-by-80-foot (18-by-24-meter) plexiglass map of North America to track unidentified objects. A staff member jokingly drew Santa and his sleigh over the North Pole. The tradition was born. “Note to the kiddies,” began an AP story from Colorado Springs on Dec. 23, 1955. “Santa Claus Friday was assured safe passage into the United States by the Continental Air Defense Command.” In a likely reference to the Soviets, the article noted that Santa was guarded against possible attack from "those who do not believe in Christmas.” Some grinchy journalists have nitpicked Shoup's story, questioning whether a misprint or a misdial prompted the boy's call. In 2014, tech news site Gizmodo cited an International News Service story from Dec. 1, 1955, about a child's call to Shoup. Published in the Pasadena Independent, the article said the child reversed two digits in the Sears number. "When a childish voice asked COC commander Col. Harry Shoup, if there was a Santa Claus at the North Pole, he answered much more roughly than he should — considering the season: ‘There may be a guy called Santa Claus at the North Pole, but he’s not the one I worry about coming from that direction,'" Shoup said in the brief piece. In 2015, The Atlantic magazine doubted the flood of calls to the secret line, while noting that Shoup had a flair for public relations. Phone calls aside, Shoup was indeed media savvy. In 1986, he told the Scripps Howard News Service that he recognized an opportunity when a staff member drew Santa on the glass map in 1955. A lieutenant colonel promised to have it erased. But Shoup said, “You leave it right there,” and summoned public affairs. Shoup wanted to boost morale for the troops and public alike. “Why, it made the military look good — like we’re not all a bunch of snobs who don’t care about Santa Claus,” he said. Shoup died in 2009. His children told the StoryCorps podcast in 2014 that it was a misprinted Sears ad that prompted the phone calls. “And later in life he got letters from all over the world,” said Terri Van Keuren, a daughter. "People saying ‘Thank you, Colonel, for having, you know, this sense of humor.’” NORAD's tradition is one of the few modern additions to the centuries-old Santa story that have endured, according to Gerry Bowler, a Canadian historian who spoke to the AP in 2010. Ad campaigns or movies try to “kidnap” Santa for commercial purposes, said Bowler, who wrote “Santa Claus: A Biography.” NORAD, by contrast, takes an essential element of Santa's story and views it through a technological lens. In a recent interview with the AP, Air Force Lt. Gen. Case Cunningham explained that NORAD radars in Alaska and Canada — known as the northern warning system — are the first to detect Santa. He leaves the North Pole and typically heads for the international dateline in the Pacific Ocean. From there he moves west, following the night. “That's when the satellite systems we use to track and identify targets of interest every single day start to kick in,” Cunningham said. “A probably little-known fact is that Rudolph’s nose that glows red emanates a lot of heat. And so those satellites track (Santa) through that heat source.” NORAD has an app and website, www.noradsanta.org , that will track Santa on Christmas Eve from 4 a.m. to midnight, mountain standard time. People can call 1-877-HI-NORAD to ask live operators about Santa’s location from 6 a.m. to midnight, mountain time.

Odisha CM launches disbursement of money for 20 lakh women under financial assistance scheme

One of Australia's governments is considering the idea of a minister for as a new . or signup to continue reading NSW is conducting a state inquiry into as it has become a public health issue following the pandemic. Groundswell Foundation chairman Martin Blake said the impacts of loneliness are equivalent to smoking 15 cigarettes or having six alcoholic drinks per day. "Loneliness has a measurable economic impact - in Australia, the healthcare costs associated with loneliness are estimated at up to $2.7 billion each year in a 2021 report from Curtin University," he said. A - filed for the inquiry - suggested Australia appoint a minister for social connectedness, similar to Japan and the UK's ministers for loneliness, to help raise the topic as a priority issue. Part of the isolation is not knowing how to get help. More than 130 submissions were submitted for the inquiry from organisations including , , , and . VIEW Club's submission said women in its clubs report lower levels of depression and anxiety. "The strong social ties formed within these clubs contribute to better physical health, lowering the risk of chronic diseases and easing the overall burden on healthcare systems," it said. State mental health minister Rose Jackson said besides being an emotional experience, loneliness has profound impacts on people's mental and physical health. "While some people call loneliness the silent epidemic, it doesn't have to be suffered in silence. If you are experiencing loneliness, please speak up and reach out," she said. Australian Institute of Health and Welfare analysis of (HILDA) data showed in 2022, one in six people aged 55-64, and in 65+ felt lonely. Councillor Drew Staunton is a volunteer facilitator of Chatty Cafe, a charity-based initiative that aims to increase social interactions between people in communities. While he was undecided about whether a dedicated Loneliness Minister might help, he did call for more funding to promote and advertise existing services that connect people. "I think part of the isolation is not knowing how to get help," he said. He hosts a table at a cafe inside the Upper Coomera Centre on the Gold Coast each Thursday at 10am for about an hour, where anyone can sit and chat with others. Mr Staunton said people who are socially isolated, feel bewildered, or have experienced loss, can go along for a "good chat with some lightheartedness [and] try and make some friendships." "There's a lot of gratitude and a lot of relief that they can come and just have a chat with someone ...[about] what's happening for them," he said. Mr Staunton said the benefit of being in a group scenario was potentially meeting someone and befriending them. "That can be one of the major factors on recovery and getting better... or feeling normal, when someone else has been through something similar and they've come out the other side, and they're OK and they can empathise with you," he said. Mr Staunton said the modern means of communication didn't help mature Australians with loneliness and social isolation. "Back in their heyday, things were different and it's social media and everything has changed so much now," he said. "Sometimes it's hard to articulate and move forward if you're not familiar with that sort of technology." While some people call loneliness the silent epidemic, it doesn't have to be suffered in silence. Bobby Blake, 66, of Upper Coomera, is a full-time carer to her partner, who lives with dementia. She goes to Drew's Chatty Cafe as an opportunity to mingle and relax with others. "It can be quite difficult to get out about and socialise, so something like the Chatty Cafe is a good platform to meet people," she said. "It's good to talk to people... if you've had an awful week or whatever, you can talk about things. "It's good knowing that people are willing to listen and hearing your story." DAILY Today's top stories curated by our news team. WEEKDAYS Grab a quick bite of today's latest news from around the region and the nation. WEEKLY The latest news, results & expert analysis. WEEKDAYS Catch up on the news of the day and unwind with great reading for your evening. WEEKLY Get the editor's insights: what's happening & why it matters. WEEKLY Love footy? We've got all the action covered. WEEKLY Every Saturday and Tuesday, explore destinations deals, tips & travel writing to transport you around the globe. WEEKLY Going out or staying in? Find out what's on. WEEKDAYS Sharp. Close to the ground. Digging deep. Your weekday morning newsletter on national affairs, politics and more. TWICE WEEKLY Your essential national news digest: all the big issues on Wednesday and great reading every Saturday. WEEKLY Get news, reviews and expert insights every Thursday from CarExpert, ACM's exclusive motoring partner. TWICE WEEKLY Get real, Australia! Let the ACM network's editors and journalists bring you news and views from all over. AS IT HAPPENS Be the first to know when news breaks. DAILY Your digital replica of Today's Paper. Ready to read from 5am! DAILY Test your skills with interactive crosswords, sudoku & trivia. Fresh daily! Advertisement AdvertisementMiddlesbrough rocked by three-month injury blow as boss explains goalkeeper situation

Adele has opened up about how her two-year Las Vegas residency got off to a "rocky" start. Login or signup to continue reading The Chasing Pavements singer, 36, mounted the gigs after a traumatic time in 2022 which saw her cancel the shows less than a day before the first one was set to kick off – and wrapped them up on Saturday night with an emotional performance at Caesars Palace that saw her kiss her 12-year-old son Angelo and fiancée Rich Paul, 43, after making a speech to fans about her battle to put them on. She told the crowd in a video shared on social media: "I am so sad that this residency is over and I am so glad that it happened – I really, really am. "It got off to such a f****** rocky, rocky way. It was one of the worst years of my life. "I was being punched around, it was horrible and I was told it was career suicide and Vegas would never forgive me for (cancelling) so last minute." Ahead of her last show on Saturday, Adele told how she was looking forward to enjoying red wine and resting in bed. She told fans at one of her recent shows in Sin City, she said: "Doing four hours a weekend of completely live singing is a lot. "And I chat a lot, and I'm very, very sensitive and I'm emotional. I am battered after these shows. And I take every single person on in this room into my soul, I take you home with me. She added she's been on "full recovery" between shows and was ready for them to be over. Adele went on: "It's a big deal to me because it's very, very bittersweet. But (my residency) has been in my mind for four years... four years for one f****** idea. "So I'm looking forward to having loads of spare time to love on my kids, to love on my man and to love on another kid. To love on my house. "Saturday night (when the residency ends), I'm probably going to have a (lot) of red wine. "So that's the most exciting thing for when the show ends! Then after that I think I'm just going to really, really veg until the end of the year. I feel like I'm early hibernating already." Australian Associated Press DAILY Today's top stories curated by our news team. Also includes evening update. WEEKDAYS Grab a quick bite of today's latest news from around the region and the nation. WEEKLY The latest news, results & expert analysis. WEEKDAYS Catch up on the news of the day and unwind with great reading for your evening. WEEKLY Get the editor's insights: what's happening & why it matters. WEEKLY Love footy? We've got all the action covered. WEEKLY Every Saturday and Tuesday, explore destinations deals, tips & travel writing to transport you around the globe. WEEKLY Get the latest property and development news here. WEEKLY Going out or staying in? Find out what's on. WEEKDAYS Sharp. Close to the ground. Digging deep. Your weekday morning newsletter on national affairs, politics and more. WEEKLY Follow the Newcastle Knights in the NRL? Don't miss your weekly Knights update. TWICE WEEKLY Your essential national news digest: all the big issues on Wednesday and great reading every Saturday. WEEKLY Get news, reviews and expert insights every Thursday from CarExpert, ACM's exclusive motoring partner. TWICE WEEKLY Get real, Australia! Let the ACM network's editors and journalists bring you news and views from all over. AS IT HAPPENS Be the first to know when news breaks. DAILY Your digital replica of Today's Paper. Ready to read from 5am! DAILY Test your skills with interactive crosswords, sudoku & trivia. Fresh daily!By BILL BARROW, Associated Press PLAINS, Ga. (AP) — Newly married and sworn as a Naval officer, Jimmy Carter left his tiny hometown in 1946 hoping to climb the ranks and see the world. Less than a decade later, the death of his father and namesake, a merchant farmer and local politician who went by “Mr. Earl,” prompted the submariner and his wife, Rosalynn, to return to the rural life of Plains, Georgia, they thought they’d escaped. The lieutenant never would be an admiral. Instead, he became commander in chief. Years after his presidency ended in humbling defeat, he would add a Nobel Peace Prize, awarded not for his White House accomplishments but “for his decades of untiring effort to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts, to advance democracy and human rights, and to promote economic and social development.” The life of James Earl Carter Jr., the 39th and longest-lived U.S. president, ended Sunday at the age of 100 where it began: Plains, the town of 600 that fueled his political rise, welcomed him after his fall and sustained him during 40 years of service that redefined what it means to be a former president. With the stubborn confidence of an engineer and an optimism rooted in his Baptist faith, Carter described his motivations in politics and beyond in the same way: an almost missionary zeal to solve problems and improve lives. Carter was raised amid racism, abject poverty and hard rural living — realities that shaped both his deliberate politics and emphasis on human rights. “He always felt a responsibility to help people,” said Jill Stuckey, a longtime friend of Carter’s in Plains. “And when he couldn’t make change wherever he was, he decided he had to go higher.” Defying expectations Carter’s path, a mix of happenstance and calculation , pitted moral imperatives against political pragmatism; and it defied typical labels of American politics, especially caricatures of one-term presidents as failures. “We shouldn’t judge presidents by how popular they are in their day. That’s a very narrow way of assessing them,” Carter biographer Jonathan Alter told the Associated Press. “We should judge them by how they changed the country and the world for the better. On that score, Jimmy Carter is not in the first rank of American presidents, but he stands up quite well.” Later in life, Carter conceded that many Americans, even those too young to remember his tenure, judged him ineffective for failing to contain inflation or interest rates, end the energy crisis or quickly bring home American hostages in Iran. He gained admirers instead for his work at The Carter Center — advocating globally for public health, human rights and democracy since 1982 — and the decades he and Rosalynn wore hardhats and swung hammers with Habitat for Humanity. Yet the common view that he was better after the Oval Office than in it annoyed Carter, and his allies relished him living long enough to see historians reassess his presidency. “He doesn’t quite fit in today’s terms” of a left-right, red-blue scoreboard, said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, who visited the former president multiple times during his own White House bid. At various points in his political career, Carter labeled himself “progressive” or “conservative” — sometimes both at once. His most ambitious health care bill failed — perhaps one of his biggest legislative disappointments — because it didn’t go far enough to suit liberals. Republicans, especially after his 1980 defeat, cast him as a left-wing cartoon. It would be easiest to classify Carter as a centrist, Buttigieg said, “but there’s also something radical about the depth of his commitment to looking after those who are left out of society and out of the economy.” ‘Country come to town’ Indeed, Carter’s legacy is stitched with complexities, contradictions and evolutions — personal and political. The self-styled peacemaker was a war-trained Naval Academy graduate who promised Democratic challenger Ted Kennedy that he’d “kick his ass.” But he campaigned with a call to treat everyone with “respect and compassion and with love.” Carter vowed to restore America’s virtue after the shame of Vietnam and Watergate, and his technocratic, good-government approach didn’t suit Republicans who tagged government itself as the problem. It also sometimes put Carter at odds with fellow Democrats. The result still was a notable legislative record, with wins on the environment, education, and mental health care. He dramatically expanded federally protected lands, began deregulating air travel, railroads and trucking, and he put human rights at the center of U.S. foreign policy. As a fiscal hawk, Carter added a relative pittance to the national debt, unlike successors from both parties. Carter nonetheless struggled to make his achievements resonate with the electorate he charmed in 1976. Quoting Bob Dylan and grinning enthusiastically, he had promised voters he would “never tell a lie.” Once in Washington, though, he led like a joyless engineer, insisting his ideas would become reality and he’d be rewarded politically if only he could convince enough people with facts and logic. This served him well at Camp David, where he brokered peace between Israel’s Menachem Begin and Epypt’s Anwar Sadat, an experience that later sparked the idea of The Carter Center in Atlanta. Carter’s tenacity helped the center grow to a global force that monitored elections across five continents, enabled his freelance diplomacy and sent public health experts across the developing world. The center’s wins were personal for Carter, who hoped to outlive the last Guinea worm parasite, and nearly did. As president, though, the approach fell short when he urged consumers beleaguered by energy costs to turn down their thermostats. Or when he tried to be the nation’s cheerleader, beseeching Americans to overcome a collective “crisis of confidence.” Republican Ronald Reagan exploited Carter’s lecturing tone with a belittling quip in their lone 1980 debate. “There you go again,” the former Hollywood actor said in response to a wonky answer from the sitting president. “The Great Communicator” outpaced Carter in all but six states. Carter later suggested he “tried to do too much, too soon” and mused that he was incompatible with Washington culture: media figures, lobbyists and Georgetown social elites who looked down on the Georgians and their inner circle as “country come to town.” A ‘leader of conscience’ on race and class Carter carefully navigated divides on race and class on his way to the Oval Office. Born Oct. 1, 1924 , Carter was raised in the mostly Black community of Archery, just outside Plains, by a progressive mother and white supremacist father. Their home had no running water or electricity but the future president still grew up with the relative advantages of a locally prominent, land-owning family in a system of Jim Crow segregation. He wrote of President Franklin Roosevelt’s towering presence and his family’s Democratic Party roots, but his father soured on FDR, and Jimmy Carter never campaigned or governed as a New Deal liberal. He offered himself as a small-town peanut farmer with an understated style, carrying his own luggage, bunking with supporters during his first presidential campaign and always using his nickname. And he began his political career in a whites-only Democratic Party. As private citizens, he and Rosalynn supported integration as early as the 1950s and believed it inevitable. Carter refused to join the White Citizens Council in Plains and spoke out in his Baptist church against denying Black people access to worship services. “This is not my house; this is not your house,” he said in a churchwide meeting, reminding fellow parishioners their sanctuary belonged to God. Yet as the appointed chairman of Sumter County schools he never pushed to desegregate, thinking it impractical after the Supreme Court’s 1954 Brown v. Board decision. And while presidential candidate Carter would hail the 1965 Voting Rights Act, signed by fellow Democrat Lyndon Johnson when Carter was a state senator, there is no record of Carter publicly supporting it at the time. Carter overcame a ballot-stuffing opponent to win his legislative seat, then lost the 1966 governor’s race to an arch-segregationist. He won four years later by avoiding explicit mentions of race and campaigning to the right of his rival, who he mocked as “Cufflinks Carl” — the insult of an ascendant politician who never saw himself as part the establishment. Carter’s rural and small-town coalition in 1970 would match any victorious Republican electoral map in 2024. Once elected, though, Carter shocked his white conservative supporters — and landed on the cover of Time magazine — by declaring that “the time for racial discrimination is over.” Before making the jump to Washington, Carter befriended the family of slain civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., whom he’d never sought out as he eyed the governor’s office. Carter lamented his foot-dragging on school integration as a “mistake.” But he also met, conspicuously, with Alabama’s segregationist Gov. George Wallace to accept his primary rival’s endorsement ahead of the 1976 Democratic convention. “He very shrewdly took advantage of his own Southerness,” said Amber Roessner, a University of Tennessee professor and expert on Carter’s campaigns. A coalition of Black voters and white moderate Democrats ultimately made Carter the last Democratic presidential nominee to sweep the Deep South. Then, just as he did in Georgia, he used his power in office to appoint more non-whites than all his predecessors had, combined. He once acknowledged “the secret shame” of white Americans who didn’t fight segregation. But he also told Alter that doing more would have sacrificed his political viability – and thus everything he accomplished in office and after. King’s daughter, Bernice King, described Carter as wisely “strategic” in winning higher offices to enact change. “He was a leader of conscience,” she said in an interview. Rosalynn was Carter’s closest advisor Rosalynn Carter, who died on Nov. 19 at the age of 96, was identified by both husband and wife as the “more political” of the pair; she sat in on Cabinet meetings and urged him to postpone certain priorities, like pressing the Senate to relinquish control of the Panama Canal. “Let that go until the second term,” she would sometimes say. The president, recalled her former aide Kathy Cade, retorted that he was “going to do what’s right” even if “it might cut short the time I have.” Rosalynn held firm, Cade said: “She’d remind him you have to win to govern.” Carter also was the first president to appoint multiple women as Cabinet officers. Yet by his own telling, his career sprouted from chauvinism in the Carters’ early marriage: He did not consult Rosalynn when deciding to move back to Plains in 1953 or before launching his state Senate bid a decade later. Many years later, he called it “inconceivable” that he didn’t confer with the woman he described as his “full partner,” at home, in government and at The Carter Center. “We developed a partnership when we were working in the farm supply business, and it continued when Jimmy got involved in politics,” Rosalynn Carter told AP in 2021. So deep was their trust that when Carter remained tethered to the White House in 1980 as 52 Americans were held hostage in Tehran, it was Rosalynn who campaigned on her husband’s behalf. “I just loved it,” she said, despite the bitterness of defeat. Reevaluating his legacy Fair or not, the label of a disastrous presidency had leading Democrats keep their distance, at least publicly, for many years, but Carter managed to remain relevant, writing books and weighing in on societal challenges. He lamented widening wealth gaps and the influence of money in politics. He voted for democratic socialist Bernie Sanders over Hillary Clinton in 2016, and later declared that America had devolved from fully functioning democracy to “oligarchy.” Yet looking ahead to 2020, with Sanders running again, Carter warned Democrats not to “move to a very liberal program,” lest they help re-elect President Donald Trump. Carter scolded the Republican for his serial lies and threats to democracy, and chided the U.S. establishment for misunderstanding Trump’s populist appeal. He delighted in yearly convocations with Emory University freshmen, often asking them to guess how much he’d raised in his two general election campaigns. “Zero,” he’d gesture with a smile, explaining the public financing system candidates now avoid so they can raise billions. Carter still remained quite practical in partnering with wealthy corporations and foundations to advance Carter Center programs. Carter recognized that economic woes and the Iran crisis doomed his presidency, but offered no apologies for appointing Paul Volcker as the Federal Reserve chairman whose interest rate hikes would not curb inflation until Reagan’s presidency. He was proud of getting all the hostages home without starting a shooting war, even though Tehran would not free them until Reagan’s Inauguration Day. “Carter didn’t look at it” as a failure, Alter emphasized. “He said, ‘They came home safely.’ And that’s what he wanted.” Well into their 90s, the Carters greeted visitors at Plains’ Maranatha Baptist Church, where he taught Sunday School and where he will have his last funeral before being buried on family property alongside Rosalynn . Carter, who made the congregation’s collection plates in his woodworking shop, still garnered headlines there, calling for women’s rights within religious institutions, many of which, he said, “subjugate” women in church and society. Carter was not one to dwell on regrets. “I am at peace with the accomplishments, regret the unrealized goals and utilize my former political position to enhance everything we do,” he wrote around his 90th birthday. Pilgrimages to Plains The politician who had supposedly hated Washington politics also enjoyed hosting Democratic presidential contenders as public pilgrimages to Plains became advantageous again. Carter sat with Buttigieg for the final time March 1, 2020, hours before the Indiana mayor ended his campaign and endorsed eventual winner Joe Biden. “He asked me how I thought the campaign was going,” Buttigieg said, recalling that Carter flashed his signature grin and nodded along as the young candidate, born a year after Carter left office, “put the best face” on the walloping he endured the day before in South Carolina. Never breaking his smile, the 95-year-old host fired back, “I think you ought to drop out.” “So matter of fact,” Buttigieg said with a laugh. “It was somehow encouraging.” Carter had lived enough, won plenty and lost enough to take the long view. “He talked a lot about coming from nowhere,” Buttigieg said, not just to attain the presidency but to leverage “all of the instruments you have in life” and “make the world more peaceful.” In his farewell address as president, Carter said as much to the country that had embraced and rejected him. “The struggle for human rights overrides all differences of color, nation or language,” he declared. “Those who hunger for freedom, who thirst for human dignity and who suffer for the sake of justice — they are the patriots of this cause.” Carter pledged to remain engaged with and for them as he returned “home to the South where I was born and raised,” home to Plains, where that young lieutenant had indeed become “a fellow citizen of the world.” —- Bill Barrow, based in Atlanta, has covered national politics including multiple presidential campaigns for the AP since 2012.