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Sebastian Zapeta, 33, who federal immigration officials said is a Guatemalan citizen who entered the US illegally, was arraigned in Brooklyn criminal court. He appeared briefly before a judge and wore a white jumpsuit over a weathered black hooded sweatshirt. He did not speak. He will remain jailed ahead of his next court date on Friday. The apparently random attack occurred on Sunday morning on a stationary F train at the Coney Island station in Brooklyn. Police said on Tuesday that identification of the victim was still “pending at this time”. Authorities say Zapeta approached the woman, who was sitting motionless in the train car and may have been sleeping, and used a lighter to set her clothing on fire. The woman quickly became engulfed in flames, while the suspect then sat at a bench on the subway platform and watched, according to police. Video posted to social media appeared to show the woman standing inside the train ablaze as some people look on from the platform, and at least one officer walks by. NYPD chief of transit Joseph Gulotta said that several officers had responded to the fire and one stayed to keep the crime scene “the way it’s supposed to be” while the others went to get fire extinguishers and transit workers. They were eventually able to douse the fire, but “unfortunately, it was too late”, Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said — the woman was pronounced dead at the scene. During Zapeta’s court hearing on Tuesday, Assistant District Attorney Ari Rottenberg said Zapeta at one point fanned the flames on the woman using his shirt. He said a 911 call from a subway rider helped identify Zapeta. Mr Rottenberg added that under interrogation Zapeta claimed he did not know what happened, noting that he consumes alcohol. But he alleged that Zapeta identified himself to interrogators in images related to the attack. Zapeta was taken into custody on Sunday afternoon while riding a train on the same subway line after police got a tip from some teenagers who recognised him from images circulated by the police. A Brooklyn address for Zapeta released by police matches a shelter that provides housing and substance abuse support. The shelter did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Federal immigration officials said Zapeta had been previously deported in 2018 but at some point reentered the US illegally. The crime — and the graphic video of it that ricocheted across social media — deepened a growing sense of unease among some New Yorkers about the safety of the subway system in a city where many residents take the subway multiple times each day.q power station moa 。

Louisville scores 52 second-half points to race past No. 14 Indiana 89-61 in the Battle 4 AtlantisStock Shocker: Major Decline for Tech Player Unveils Hidden Insights

EAGAN, Minn. (AP) — Justin Jefferson might be weary of all the safeties shadowing his every route, determined not to let the Minnesota Vikings go deep, but he's hardly angry. The double and triple coverage he continually faces, after all, is a sign of immense respect for his game-breaking ability. The strategy also simply makes sense. “I would do the same," Jefferson said. "It’s either let everybody else go off or let Justin go off. I’m going to let everybody else go off. That would be my game plan.” When the Vikings visit Chicago on Sunday, they're expecting the usual heavy dose of split-safety coverage designed to put a lid on the passing attack and force them to operate primarily underneath. “We see that every week: Teams just have different tendencies on film, and then when we go out on the field they play us totally different,” Jefferson said, later adding: “I don’t really feel like anyone else is getting played how I’m getting played.” Jefferson nonetheless is second in the NFL in receiving yards (912) behind Cincinnati's Ja'Marr Chase, his former college teammate at LSU. Last week, Jefferson set yet another all-time record by passing Torry Holt for the most receiving yards over the first five seasons of a career. Holt logged 80 regular-season games and accumulated 6,784 yards for St. Louis. Jefferson has 6,811 yards — in just 70 games. “I want to go up against those single coverages. I want to go have my opportunities to catch a deep pass downfield, just one-on-one coverage, like a lot of these other receivers get," Jefferson said. "It’s definitely difficult going up against an extra person or an extra two people, but it is what it is and the concepts that we’re drawing up and the ways that we’re trying to get me open, it definitely helps.” With fellow tight end Josh Oliver ruled out of the game on Sunday because of a sprained ankle, T.J. Hockenson is certain to have his heaviest workload since returning from knee surgery four weeks ago. He's also certain that Jefferson will continue to see persistent double-teams. “It puts it on us to make some plays and do some things to get them out of that,” Hockenson said. Vikings coach Kevin O'Connell has been forced to dig deeper into the vault of play designs and game plans to help keep quarterback Sam Darnold and the offense on track. O'Connell said after Minnesota's 12-7 win at Jacksonville, when Darnold threw three interceptions to precipitate a safer strategy down the stretch, that he superseded his play-calling role with the wisdom of a head coach to help win that game. "Not just the egomaniac of wanting to score points and constantly show everybody how smart we are. There was a mode that I think you have to go into sometimes to ensure a victory,” O'Connell said on his weekly show on KFAN radio. Taking what the defense gives is usually the shrewdest strategy. “You’ve got to really implement some new things and some things that maybe you didn’t come across during your early coaching years whether as a coordinator or position coach or even when you’re responsible for a small area of the game plan as a younger coach," O'Connell said. "You really have to kind of look outside the lens of always what you see on tape.” AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL

No. 24 Arizona is coming off consecutive defeats for the first time in the Tommy Lloyd era when it faces undefeated Davidson on Wednesday to begin the Battle 4 Atlantis in Paradise Island, Bahamas. Arizona (2-2) lost at Wisconsin 103-88 on Nov. 15 and followed that with a home loss against Duke 69-55 on Friday. The Wildcats have dropped 15 spots in the Associated Press Top 25 poll in two weeks. Arizona's record is .500 this early in a season for the first time since it was 3-3 to start the 2017-18 schedule. "I've got work to do, so let's get to work," said Lloyd, in his fourth year as Arizona's head coach. "Let's see where we're at in a month, and if we're still struggling, you know what I'll do? I still got work to do, but I'm gonna get to it." Arizona shot 39.6 percent from the field against Duke, and just 26.1 percent (6 of 23) from 3-point range. The Wildcats were outrebounded by 43-30 and their 15 turnovers led to 19 points. Jaden Bradley led Arizona with 18 points and KJ Lewis added 12. Preseason All-American Caleb Love had eight points on 3-of-13 shooting from the field, including 1-of-9 from 3-point range. Arizona made only one field goal in the last 5:39 as Duke pulled away after its lead was trimmed to six points. "We didn't play great," Lloyd said. "Now we need to take a step back and figure out why. Are there some schematic problems? Are there some problems with how our personnel is kind of put together? "We got to figure out what our certainties are, and the things we have to have, and then over the course of the next couple of days, if there's adjustments we need to make, we need to figure out what those are." Davidson is 4-0 after a 15-17 record last season, in which it lost its last six games to put an end to postseason hopes. A 93-66 win over visiting VMI on Friday followed a 91-85 win at Bowling Green and 76-70 victory over visiting East Tennessee State. The two wins by 10 points or fewer are important because Davidson was 6-12 in such games last season. It was 4-11 in games decided by five points or fewer. "The goal (is) to get better," Davidson head coach Matt McKillop said after the season opener. "We talk about fighting to win every possession. I think we had to figure out what that really felt like with the lights on." Davidson made 13 shots from 3-point range in the win over VMI. Reed Bailey had 23 points, eight rebounds and six assists. Bobby Durkin added 19 points, including 17 of them and a career-best five 3-pointers in the first half. Bailey leads Davidson in scoring (19 points per game) and rebounding (7.8). Durkin is shooting 57.9 percent (22 of 38) from the field and 54.2 percent (13 of 24) from 3-point range. By contrast, Arizona's Love is shooting 32 percent (16 of 50) from the field and 21.4 percent (6 of 28) from beyond the arc. Bradley leads Arizona with 15.5 points per game. He is shooting 50 percent (24 of 48) from the field and is 35.7 percent (5 of 14) from 3-point range. --Field Level MediaSANTA CLARA — The early portion of Wednesday’s practice produced no encouraging signs for . Brandon Allen, Joshua Dobbs and practice-squad quarterback Tanner Mordecai took turns making throws during the warmup periods of 49ers practice, while Purdy was limited largely to a couple of handoffs. in the 49ers’ Week 11 loss to the Seattle Seahawks and does not appear to be making noticeable improvements even after sitting out the team’s game Sunday against the Green Bay Packers. Purdy threw a little bit on Monday, 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan said. But it does not appear as if the quarterback's physical condition is allowing him to ramp up his throwing regimen. at the beginning of practice, would start on Sunday night against the Buffalo Bills if Purdy is unable to play, Shanahan said this week. Allen started and played every snap in the 49ers’ 38-10 loss to the Packers. He completed 17 of 29 pass attempts for 199 yards and one touchdown with one interception. Purdy stood to the back on Wednesday as the 49ers’ quarterbacks went through some footwork drills with short passes. He threw one short toss before the quarterbacks worked on some handoff drills. Purdy underwent an MRI examination last Monday that did not reveal any structural damage, Shanahan said. He had another MRI later in the week after his shoulder condition did not improve. “We always get more than one when you get one and it seems all right, then you have some pain later in the week,” Shanahan said. “So you get another one to make sure you didn't miss anything. And so, that's what he did after the Thursday practice.” The 49ers will have practices Thursday and Friday before departing for Buffalo. The before leaving for Green Bay last week.

NEW YORK — I’ll get you, my pretty! And your little pygmy hippo, too! Forgive us the shameless attempt to link the fantasy hit “Wicked” to the delightful Moo Deng . But, hear us out — there’s something the two have in common as the year draws to a close. Escapism. Whether we found it on the yellow brick road, or in videos from a Thailand zoo, or perhaps in unlikely Olympic heroes , we gravitated toward fantasy and feel-good pop culture moments this year. There were new trends, as always. “Brat summer” became a thing, as did “demure, mindful.” And for some inexplicable reason, we became obsessed with celebrity lookalike contests. There were breakups — Bennifer is, again, a thing of the past — and reunions: Oasis, please try to stay together for the tour. Yet some things stayed, remarkably, the same: Taylor Swift and Beyoncé kept on breaking records and making history. So, after a year where much changed but some things held steady, here’s our annual, very selective trip down pop culture memory lane: Lily Gladstone poses in the press room Jan. 7 with the award for best performance by an actress in a motion picture, drama for "Killers of the Flower Moon" at the 81st Golden Globe Awards at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, Calif. It starts as a cheery tweet from a beloved “Sesame Street” figure: “ ELMO is just checking in! How is everybody doing?” The answers hint at something deeper and more worrisome. “Not great, Elmo. Not great,” says one milder reply. Doing much better is the viral phenomenon called “BARBENHEIMER,” which makes its awards season debut at the GOLDEN GLOBES . But perhaps the most poignant moment comes from neither film: LILY GLADSTONE , first Indigenous winner of best actress in a drama for “Killers of the Flower Moon,” begins her remarks in the language of her tribe, Blackfeet Nation. Valentine’s Day — a perfect time to settle into a sweet love saga via TikTok. Only that’s not quite what we get with “Who TF Did I Marry?,” REESA TEESA ’s depressing, fascinating, 50-part account of her disastrous marriage with a man who lied about absolutely everything. Meanwhile, if you're looking for a single week that encapsulates peak SWIFT cultural dominance , try this: she begins with the Grammys in Los Angeles (becoming the first artist to win album of the year four times AND announcing a new album), then heads to Tokyo for four tour dates, then jets back just in time for the Super Bowl in Las Vegas — where she shares a passionate smooch with boyfriend TRAVIS KELCE on the field of victory. Ryan Gosling performs the song "I'm Just Ken" from the movie "Barbie" on March 10 during the Oscars at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. “What was I made for?” BILLIE EILISH sings at the OSCARS, channeling BARBIE . And what was KEN made for? Not entirely clear — but it's clear RYAN GOSLING was made to play him. His singalong version of “I’m Just Ken” is one of the most entertaining Oscar musical moments in years. Still, Christopher Nolan's “OPPENHEIMER” prevails, a rare case of the top prize going to a blockbuster studio film. Will it happen again in 2025? CYNTHIA ERIVO and ARIANA GRANDE sure hope so; as presenters, they make a sly reference to their upcoming juggernaut, “WICKED.” Speaking of marketing, people are obsessed with that bizarre “DUNE” popcorn bucket. Beyonce And BEYONCÉ carves her space in country music with “Act II: Cowboy Carter,” which will make her the first Black woman to top the Billboard country chart. Taylor Swift performs June 21 at Wembley Stadium in London as part of her Eras Tour. Tennis, anyone? The game’s been around for centuries, but it’s having a cultural moment right now, helped mightily by “CHALLENGERS,” the sweaty romance triangle starring ZENDAYA, MIKE FAIST and JOSH O'CONNOR (40-love? More like 40-sex.) Elsewhere, a new era dawns: At midnight, SWIFT drops “THE TORTURED POETS DEPARTMENT," then drops another 15 songs two hours later. The fascinating and disturbing “BABY REINDEER,” the story of a struggling comedian’s extended encounter with a stalker, debuts on Netflix. Ben Affleck, left, and Jennifer Lopez arrive Feb. 13 at the premiere of "This Is Me ... Now: A Love Story" at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. It’s MET GALA time — or as it's known in 2024, another early marketing moment for “WICKED.” ERIVO and GRANDE make fashion waves on the carpet and then musical ones at dinner, with a soulful performance of “When You Believe.” If the “Wicked” tour is in full force, another one stops in its tracks: JENNIFER LOPEZ cancels her summer tour amid reports of both poor ticket sales and trouble in her marriage to BEN AFFLECK . It’s been an eventful year for J.Lo, who's released an album and movie called “THIS IS ME ... NOW" — both reflections on her renewed love with Affleck. Welcome to BRAT SUMMER ! CHARLI XCX releases her hit “Brat” album , with its lime green cover, and launches a thousand memes. Collins Dictionary defines “brat,” its word of the year, as “characterized by a confident, independent, and hedonistic attitude.” At the celeb-heavy SWIFT shows in London, we see PRINCE WILLIAM shaking it off, which is either charming or cringe, you decide. Even better: KELCE dons a top hat and tux and performs for one night. At another stadium across the pond, METS infielder JOSE IGLESIAS delights the crowd with his cheery number “OMG.” Stephen Nedoroscik is introduced June 29 at the United States Gymnastics Olympic Trials in Minneapolis. Bonjour, it’s OLYMPICS time! In Paris! An audacious opening ceremony along the Seine is punctuated by a fabulous CELINE DION , perched on the EIFFEL TOWER , singing her heart out — in the rain, too. Controversy swirls over a scene critics feel mocks Leonardo da Vinci’s “The Last Supper” (organizers say it does not). Olympic stars are born — including French swimming superstar LEON MARCHAND , rugby player ILONA MAHER , and bespectacled “Pommel Horse Guy” gymnast STEPHEN NEDOROSCIK , who nets two bronze medals and comparisons to Clark Kent. Baby pigmy hippo Moo Deng plays with a zookeeper Sept. 19 in the Khao Kheow Open Zoo in Chonburi province, Thailand. Also capturing hearts: yep, MOO DENG , born this month. Her name means “bouncy pork.” Australia's Rachael Gunn, known as B-Girl Raygun, competes Aug. 9 during the Round Robin Battle at the breaking competition at La Concorde Urban Park at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, France. This is them ... now: BENNIFER is no more. After two decades, two engagements and two weddings, J.Lo files for divorce. One union dissolves, another returns: OASIS announces a reunion tour. Everyone seems to want to get in on TikToker JOOLS LEBRON 's “ DEMURE, MINDFUL ” act — even the WHITE HOUSE press team. Back at the Olympics, in the new sport of breaking, we meet Australia’s RAYGUN , arguably neither demure nor mindful with her “kangaroo” move. Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani brings his dog Decoy to the mound Aug. 28 before Decoy delivered the ceremonial first pitch prior to a baseball game between the Dodgers and the Baltimore Orioles in Los Angeles. Cute animal alert: SHOHEI OHTANI ’s perky pooch DECOY does a great “first pitch” in his Major League Baseball debut. Chappell Roan performs "Good Luck, Babe" on Sept. 11 during the MTV Video Music Awards at UBS Arena in Elmont, N.Y. One of the year’s biggest breakout artists, CHAPPELL ROAN , withdraws from a music festival after speaking out about frightening fan interactions. And more on the price of fame: In an excruciating moment, “Bachelorette” JENN TRAN , the franchise’s first Asian American lead, is forced to sit through a painful viewing of her proposal to her chosen suitor, after tearfully explaining how he’d later dumped her over the phone. Tran is keeping busy though — she’s announced as part of the new “Dancing with the Stars” lineup. Also on the list: rugby player Maher, and Pommel Horse Guy! Also, ANNA SOROKIN , dancing with an ankle monitor. Online fandom, meanwhile, is shaken when X is temporarily suspended in Brazil and celebrity stan accounts post tearful farewells, revealing to many across the globe that their favorite accounts are run by Brazilians. Miles Mitchell, 21, wins of the Timothee Chalamet lookalike contest Oct. 27 near Washington Square Park in New York. “Dune” Chalamets! “Wonka” Chalamets! Thousands gather in Manhattan for a TIMOTHÉE CHALAMET lookalike contest, and things really get interesting when Chalamet himself shows up. He doesn’t enter the contest, though, and with his mustache, he may not even have won. The trend continues with contests for JEREMY ALLEN WHITE, ZAYN MALIK and — in a very Washington version — Kennedy scion JACK SCHLOSSBERG , who's been gathering a following with some interesting social media posts. New York Liberty Kennedy Burke dances with the mascot, Ellie the Elephant, during an Oct. 24 ceremony after a parade in honor of the Liberty's WNBA basketball championship at City Hall in New York. Turning to basketball, who’s that dancing with USHER ? Why it’s ELLIE THE ELEPHANT , the now-viral NEW YORK LIBERTY mascot. Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris, right, appears Nov. 2 with Maya Rudolph on NBC's "Saturday Night Live" in New York. MAYA RUDOLPH does a pretty good KAMALA HARRIS laugh on “Saturday Night Live,” but you know who does it better? HARRIS herself. The Democratic candidate makes a surprise cameo three days before the U.S. presidential election, following in the footsteps of HILLARY CLINTON , SARAH PALIN and others. Elsewhere in television, Bravo announces that “VANDERPUMP RULES,” the Emmy-nominated reality show that has lived through countless scandals, is entirely recasting its 12th season — apart from namesake LISA VANDERPUMP . As for MOO DENG , she doesn't have her own TV series yet, but our favorite pygmy hippo is generating plenty of merch . And THAT brings us back to ... Ariana Grande, left, and Cynthia Erivo pose for photographers Nov. 11 prior to the premiere of "Wicked" at Auditorio Nacional in Mexico City. “WICKED” ! Director JON M. CHU ’s emerald-hued fantasy remains very very popular, to quote one of its buzzy show tunes, dancing through life and defying gravity at the multiplex. Moviegoers also come for “GLADIATOR II” and, in a veritable tidal wave, Disney's “MOANA 2,” which beckons us back to the seas of Oceania. Once again, 2024 seems to be telling us: Give people some whimsy, a place to escape, maybe some catchy tunes — and no one knows how far they’ll go. The stories and images that defined 2024. Searching for something? From queries about U.S. politics to cricket in India, Wikipedia has become a source of information for millions of people across the globe. From the Paris Olympics to the Super Bowl. From Simone Biles to Shohei Ohtani. And, of course, Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift. These are the sp... AP photographers assembled a visual catalog of our civilization as life in 2024 hurtled directly at us at every speed and in every imaginable ... In 2024, photographers captured glimpses of humanity, ranging from a deeply divisive presidential election, to hurricanes and fires that ravag... Associated Press photographers captured voters with raw emotions of joy, excitement, contemplation or sorrow. It beat five other finalists: demure, slop, dynamic pricing, romantasy and lore. News anchors, politicians and other public figures in the U.S. struggled with these words the most this year. Is it any surprise Merriam-Webster's word of the year is "polarization"? Here are the other words that rounded out the top 10 for 2024. Receive the latest in local entertainment news in your inbox weekly!NFL Week 17 TV Schedule, Streams, Start Times, Channels

FBI confirms Trump cabinet picks targeted with bomb threats, ‘swatting’Employees of Winnipeg Transit, fed up with the spiral of violence and disorder on city buses and at bus stops, held a rally at City Hall Tuesday morning demanding action, not words, from City Council and Transit management to initiate pro-active protections for bus drivers and users. The rally was called by the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1505 (ATU) to protest ongoing attacks on transit operators and passengers, as well as supervisors. Dozens of ATU members, joined by members of The Canadian Union of Public Employees Local 500 (CUPE) and the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) and a few transit riders, heard their leaders call for the enforcement of paying fares and for the development of plastic shields for the driver compartment. “We must fight to secure the safety of transit in this city ... we have the power to drive real change,” said ATU President Chris Scott. He said of elected officials, “their kids, their parents, their loved ones (take transit), what actions are they willing to take to make transit safer for all of them?” ATU executive vice-president Derek Hanley told the crowd that freeloaders are “empowered to act as they wish to act,” and cause mayhem and injuries. “We need everybody here to email your councillors, your MLAs and your MPs to fund public transit and public transit safety.” The union says that currently, 120 members are off work with physical or mental health issues. The rally was timed to coincide with a planned meeting of The Transit Advisory Committee, chaired by deputy mayor Janice Lukes. That meeting was not open to the public and the City web page listed four committee members whose terms had expired last Dec. 31. A member of that committee, Scott mentioned the upcoming meeting and explained to the media that “one particular manufacturer out of Quebec has offered to provide a shield designed for our bus at no cost to the city to test for six months ... that’s the kind of an issue we need to see from anybody that wants to do business with the City (but) unfortunately the wheels of government moves at a snail’s pace.” Fare education and enforcement are a priority for ATU, with Scott referencing the transit officers in Toronto who go on board to scan transfers and TTC payment cards. He suggested that a $17M federal fund could be tapped to underwrite the technology for Winnipeg Transit. Violent incidents in the past few months have included passengers being followed off the bus and beaten up and robbed, an on-board fight after a person pulled a gun and pointed it at another passenger, a mother and daughter stabbed on a bus by a girl gang, a driver being punched in the face, and a female operator crawling out a window to escape a knife attack. Last week a supervisor tackled a “sleeper” who, after being roused and made to exit a bus, aimed a makeshift blowtorch using a lighter and can of hairspray at the official. Scott told the Sun , “We’re coming up on eight years since (bus operator Irvine Jubal Fraser) was murdered. I don’t care what level of government you’re with or your party affiliation. If you choose to be inactive on safety, the next death, whether it’s a member of the riding public or an employee, that blood will be on your hands, not mine.” Council members are welcome to reach out to us, Scott said. “I’ll work with anybody willing to help improve safety on public transit, not only for the operators but for the riding public. The public needs to feel safe when they’re taking the service. Employees and the public who are using the public services that are funded by public tax dollars need to feel safe when they’re using the public services.” City council members have themselves seen the chaotic conditions on transit routes. Mynarski Coun. Ross Eadie has told of a “just got out of jail” party that burst out on a bus he was taking, and previously stated, “I need to see some progress” not just with on-bus safety but with incidents at bus stops. North Kildonan Coun. Jeff Browaty has said he saw open liquor and drugs being injected on a Sunday afternoon trip downtown from his ward. Eadie, Coun. Brian Mayes (St. Vital) and Coun. Jason Schreyer (Elmwood-EK) all made appearances during the rally to converse with those in attendance. Schreyer told The Sun , “We know that almost 100% of violence to bus drivers does occur by people who don’t pay the fare. What’s obvious,” he said, is that “safety for the drivers in general means safety for the public too.” “This rally won’t do much until city council decides to get serious about transit,” Tim Solleveld told The Sun . “It’s time to start running transit like a business, and not like a charity, no more free rides and it’s time to hire fare and transit enforcement to help get rid of the trouble on the buses.” Solleveld, a regular user of transit, said, “The way transit runs their business is a mess, too many free rides and the buses aren’t safe, and until they take care of these two issues, the problems will continue, because it’s usually always the people that don’t pay their fare, are the ones who are causing the problems.”

Path Of Exile 2: How To Identify Items For FreeA look at how some of Trump's picks to lead health agencies could help carry out Kennedy's overhaul

Dec. 24 (UPI) -- A series of bright fireballs that illuminated the night sky over several southern states was identified as the remains of a Chinese satellite. Witnesses reported seeing a group of fireballs streaking across the sky Saturday night over Tennessee, Arkansas and other southern states. Astronomer Jonathan McDowell said on social media that the light show was likely the remains of the decommissioned GaoJing/SuperView-1 02 satellite burning up in the atmosphere. The commercial imaging satellite was launched in 2016 and was decommissioned after two years. Read More

Week 12 TNF: Steelers-Browns Preview, Props & PredictionMany people long involved in global climate negotiations see the annual United Nations COP climate talks as fundamentally flawed. That includes me. On Sunday, the 29th round of talks finished in Baku, Azerbaijan. It was likely my 25th COP. I have attended these talks in many different roles, but largely as a climate negotiator for the Australian government. These days I attend in my academic capacity. COP29 did not achieve a breakthrough. It led to a modest increase in climate finance for developing nations and agreement on carbon market rules. But many issues were kicked down the road . COP talks are slow. And the once-a-year meetings are seen as “win or lose” moments, which complicates the dynamics. Oil states and lobbyists work to avoid mention of quitting fossil fuels. Host nations need a win, leading to “commitments” which may not lead to substantive change. Ahead of this year’s talks, major climate figures called once more for reform to the COP process. But however flawed, COP meetings are the only way to get the world’s nations in the same room to hash out what to do about climate change. In recent years, global leaders have been distracted by COVID, the Ukraine-Russia war and now the Middle East. But climate change is only worsening. It won’t be long before real world events pull our attention back to the single largest threat we face. Why do these talks matter? Since 1995, the COP talks have acted as the main driver of global action on climate change. These talks will continue to matter until the transition to clean energy is complete and the burning of fossil fuels is no longer routine. Climate change has a one-word solution: investment. Every day, companies and governments invest money. They either invest it in status quo technologies which make carbon pollution worse, or they invest in cleaner alternatives. What the COP talks do is help change the direction of investment. You can see this working very clearly in how much is now being invested in green energy, electricity grid upgrades and energy efficiency – double that for new fossil fuels. (Unfortunately, if you include fossil fuel subsidies , the picture is very different.) Last year, nations finally included text about the need to transition away from fossil fuels. It was hard-won. But this year, diplomats from Saudi Arabia and petrostate allies were able to block any mention of this. The text on fossil fuels was not binding. But it was influential in boardrooms where decisions on investment are made. Process over progress? The way the COP talks are set up are not ideal. A new country is chosen every year to take on the presidency role and host the summit. The talks run for a fortnight and the agenda is vast. This year, the hosts, Azerbaijan, struggled to keep control of the agenda. As a result, issues such as the Global Stocktake – which included the calls to quit fossil fuels – were kicked down the road to COP30 in Brazil in a year’s time. Because these talks are just once a year, everything crowds into them. It is very messy. Every June, climate negotiators meet for an inter-sessional meeting before the next COP talks in Bonn, Germany, where the UN Secretariat on Climate Change has its headquarters . At these meetings, we often see efforts to walk back announcements made at the formal COP talks. Sometimes these are successful. Every delegate sent to COP talks has two reasons for going. The first is because their government is to some extent committed to solving the great problem of climate change. Five or six nations might not be, but that leaves over 190 who are. The second reason is to protect their national interests. You can, of course, do both. But this brings up a hidden issue. Many people who attend become, in my view, focused on the process, not the outcome. Twice a year, they travel to the COP itself and the Bonn intersessional, where they will meet friends and colleagues. It has become routine. The process has become, for some, the point. Every year, a new nation hosts the COP talks. This year, thousands of delegates headed to Baku, Azerbaijan. Milosz Maslanka/Shutterstock Five ideas for change COP talks are flawed but necessary. Could we improve them? Here are five ideas: 1. Break up the negotiating process Meetings of COP subsidiary bodies in cities where most nations have established diplomatic missions. These bodies could meet more regularly, creating pressure and momentum for more speed and outcomes. 2. Change COP presidency arrangements At times, the nation hosting the talks tries to control outcomes as much possible. But this is an all but impossible task. A better option might be to rely on the negotiators from each nation who do most of the work – and make them accountable for achieving outcomes. 3. Make regional meetings more important COP is big. Hundreds of countries, thousands of delegates, and many from civil society and business. It’s very difficult when everyone tries to talk to everyone. Much better progress would come if the thrust of COP talks was devolved to smaller, more regular regional meetings. 4. Gather more ambitious countries There have been several gatherings of nations wanting to do more, faster on climate change, such as the High Ambition Coalition . These gatherings can help stimulate action among like-minded leaders. But they need sustained leadership to be effective. 5. Direct action by the largest emitters In 2015, the Paris Agreement set a joint goal of keeping climate change below 2°C. It was the high water mark for COP talks. Before this agreement was signed, top emitters China and the United States found common ground on climate in direct talks, despite intensifying geopolitical jostling. This helped Paris succeed. In 2025 under President Donald Trump, the US will walk off the climate action stage again. But China is now feeling more confident in shouldering a climate leadership role. What about preventing oil states from hosting these talks, as prominent climate movers and shakers have called for ? You can’t easily shut out countries who have signed treaties and agreements. The solution here is to organise better. Oil-state pressure doesn’t have to win. While oil rich Azerbaijan’s presidency of COP29 drew scepticism, there was no sign that its leaders wanted the process to fail. Needed: renewed political will Ten years ago, it felt like the world was largely united on climate. But while the Paris Agreement has helped avert the worst emissions scenarios , it has not yet led to a single year of declining emissions. Climate change has, by any measurement, slipped down the global list of urgent issues. That will change as more calamitous impacts arrive. Howard Bamsey has attended many COP talks in Australian government, United Nations and non-government roles

White House trades Chinese detainees for three 'wrongfully' detained AmericansDejounte Murray is rejoining the Pelicans vs. Toronto and drawing inspiration from his mother

Husband ‘cheated’ by watching show sans wifeCaitlin Clark has been named AP Female Athlete of the Year as the WNBA superstar beat out Simone Biles to the prestigious award. Having enjoyed a record-breaking spell at Iowa , Clark departed college as the all-time leading scorer in NCAA history. The No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft, Clark dominated on the court, finishing as the WNBA Rookie of the Year after posting 19.2 points, 5.7 rebounds, and a league-leading 8.4 assists per game while setting several records - including the single-game assist record (19). Clark led the Indiana Fever to their first playoff berth since 2016 and is spearheading a women’s sporting revolution. The 22-year-old’s unique appeal transitioned to the professional level too, with Clark’s Fever regularly breaking the record for the most-watched WNBA game in history. Sabrina Ionescu makes Unrivaled decision after injury as Caitlin Clark inclusion clear WNBA star takes aim at Elon Musk, rips billionaires after funding bill gets passed Earlier this month, Clark was announced as TIME Magazine’s Athlete of the Year for 2024. She has swiftly added another accolade to her collection after Clark was named the AP Female Athlete of the Year for 2024. To name the Fever guard the winner, 75 sports journalists from the Associated Press and its members cast their votes with Clark clinching 35. Olympics icon Biles came second with 25 votes, while boxer Imane Khelif received four. Clark’s win is monumental - she is the fourth pro women’s basketball player to claim the award since its inception in 1931. The reigning Rookie of the Year joins an exclusive list of basketball legends such as Sheryl Swoopes (1993), Rebecca Lobo (1995), and Candace Parker (2008 and 2021). Follow us on X for the best and latest in sports news In a phone interview with AP to receive the award, Clark mentioned her admiration for Parker - but notably did not mention the outspoken Swoopes. Clark said: “I grew up a fan of Candace Parker and the people who came before me, and to be honored in this way is super special, and I’m thankful. It was a great year for women’s basketball and women’s sports.” Swoopes has consistently downplayed Clark’s performances in the WNBA ever since she arrived in the league. Clark’s individual success is certainly a testament to the rise of women’s sports and women’s basketball, but her role as a catalyst should not be downplayed. Rather than play down the influence of Clark, Lobo has heaped praise on her. In an AP interview, The 51-year-old said of Clark: “She’s brought unprecedented attention both in the building, but also viewership to the sport that was worthy of it but didn’t have it yet. There’s never been anything like this. That timeframe from 1995-97 was a baby step in the progression of it all. “This is a giant leap forward. I’ve never seen anything like this. There’s more attention than the sport’s ever had.”

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Truly Wicked! All the scandals of the 1939 Wizard of Oz: How Judy Garland was drugged and starved in an 'iron corset', actors DIED and one had an eyelid burned off... not to mention the drunken orgies By TOM LEONARD FOR DAILYMAIL.COM Published: 21:16, 26 November 2024 | Updated: 22:04, 26 November 2024 e-mail 12 View comments It has been one of the biggest marketing campaigns in Hollywood history, starting as far back as the Super Bowl in February. And the two main stars of Wicked have certainly played their part, gushing, sighing and crying on cue to sell a movie that already looks certain to be a holiday-season blockbuster. Wicked – based on the Broadway show, which itself spins off the 1939 The Wizard of Oz film – celebrates female empowerment, naturally, and the importance of not judging by appearances like skin color. Especially when it's green. On the accompanying press tour, Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo – who respectively play Glinda (the Good Witch of the South) and Elphaba (Wicked Witch of the West) – have rarely been seen apart, lovingly holding hands and parroting each other's sentences. Just a shared glance in interviews has sometimes been enough to send the tears flowing. Making the highly anticipated movie, they concur, has been a dream come true. If only the same could be said of the iconic film that spawned it all. Celebrated for its pioneering use of technicolor, The Wizard of Oz was the most expensive movie ever made on its release – and, according to the US Library of Congress , it is the most-seen film of all time. On the accompanying press tour, Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, who respectively play Glinda and Elphaba, have rarely been seen apart, lovingly holding hands and parroting each other's sentences. Celebrated for its pioneering use of technicolor, The Wizard of Oz was the most expensive movie ever made on its release and, according to the US Library of Congress, it is the most-seen film of all time. And yet, just like the wizard himself – eventually exposed as an ordinary man hiding behind a curtain and madly working levers – the making of the film was anything but magical. In fact, The Wizard of Oz was so notorious for production disasters and controversies that some have mirthlessly observed the green-hued Wicked Witch of the West must have cursed it – before, that is, Dorothy doused her with a bucket of water and she melted. Dorothy was memorably played by a teenaged Judy Garland, for whom making the movie involved anything but sexual empowerment. Molested both by studio bosses and the Munchkins – natives of Oz – and forced to accept an oppressive regime to keep her weight down and look younger, her already shaky mental health never recovered as she descended into drug and alcohol abuse. Her tragically premature death at only 47 – from an apparently accidental overdose of barbiturates while she was in London in 1969 – is widely blamed on the film's toxic legacy. Garland had signed to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) production company at the tender age of 13, although her pushy mother had started giving her pills for energy, and to help her sleep, when Garland was just ten. That insidious trend accelerated once she got into the clutches of a ruthless, slave-driving Hollywood studio. MGM chiefs fretted continually about her weight and would deprive her of food, leaving her perpetually hungry. One studio executive told her: 'You look like a hunchback. We love you but you're so fat you look like a monster.' Another called her a 'fat little pig with pigtails'. MGM's callous behavior left Garland with a life-long insecurity about her figure. She was seeing psychiatrists by the age of 18. The studio even pushed drugs on the teenager (the fate of numerous other young stars) encouraging her to take amphetamines, known in the business as 'pep pills', to keep her slim and energetic through a relentless filming schedule. MGM also gave Garland sleeping pills to calm her down at night. Dorothy was memorably played by a teenaged Judy Garland, for whom making the movie involved anything but sexual empowerment. MGM's callous behavior left Garland with a life-long insecurity about her figure. She was seeing psychiatrists by the age of 18. (She is pictured here in 1954, aged 32). 'Speed her up, slow her down,' said a studio insider who boasted Garland was 'run like a clock'. The studio's concern over her appearance increased when she was given the role of Dorothy, who is meant to be 12. Garland, who was 16 when she got the part and a year older by the time filming was over, was told she needed to lose 12 pounds. Quite aside from a strict diet of chicken soup, black coffee, 80 (appetite-suppressing) cigarettes per day, diet pills and more amphetamines, Garland had to wear a bizarre corset on-set which not only pulled in her stomach but held down her breasts. Garland claimed – surely not seriously – that the contraption was made of iron. Around the time she started making the movie, studio execs began molesting the actress, groping and endlessly propositioning her for sex. MGM chief Louis Mayer liked to show that he thought she sang from the heart by putting his hand on the teenager's left breast. 'I often thought I was lucky that I didn't sing with another part of my anatomy,' Garland later recalled. 'Having sex with the female help was regarded as a perk of power and few women escaped the demands of Mayer and his underlings,' Garland's biographer Gerald Clarke observed. Victor Fleming, one of five directors brought in to make the movie over five months of shooting, once tired of Garland's failure to stop laughing while shooting a scene and slapped her in the face. He, at least, was ashamed of his behavior and told the crew to punch him in the face in return, only for Garland to kiss him instead. The diminutive actors hired to play the munchkins could not have reached her face to slap it, but they could, and allegedly did, put their hands up her skirts. According to Garland, the adult thespians, who mainly suffered from dwarfism, were hardly the sweet and innocent race of 'Ozians' they portrayed on camera. 'They would make Judy's life miserable on set by putting their hands under her dress,' wrote Sid Luft, her former husband, in a 2017 posthumous memoir. 'The men were 40 or more years old. They thought they could get away with anything because they were so small.' Although some have insisted they assaulted Garland, the munchkin actors have become mired in other notoriety over the years for their wild behavior. After shooting finished, for instance, producer Mervyn LeRoy recalled how, 'they had orgies in the hotel and we had to have police on about every floor'. Although some have insisted they assaulted Garland, the munchkin actors have become mired in other notoriety over the years for their wild behavior. After shooting finished, for instance, producer Mervyn LeRoy recalled how, 'they had orgies in the hotel and we had to have police on about every floor'. Speaking in 1967, Garland recalled: 'They were little drunks. They got smashed every night and the police used to scoop them up in butterfly nets.' She said she also once agreed to go on a date with one of them but brought her mother as a chaperone. 'Fair enough, two broads for the price of one,' quipped the munchkin. Bert Lahr, who played the Cowardly Lion, corroborated the grim tales, claimed: 'Many munchkins made their living by panhandling, pimping and whoring. Midgets brandished knives and often had passions for larger personnel.' It was said that a German munchkin who called himself The Count once had to been rescued from a toilet bowl. 'We were all looking for him,' said Ray Bolger, who played the Scarecrow. 'Apparently, he drank his lunch, sat on the stool, fell into it and couldn't get out. There he was with his head and legs stuck up.' Garland was not the only female performer to be damaged by the movie – and for some the scars were literal. The Wicked Witch of the West, for example, makes a memorable on-screen entrance amid billowing red smoke and flames. But in reality, the scene went horribly wrong for both Margaret Hamilton, the actress playing the witch, and her stunt double, Betty Danko. One day, a member of the film crew fell through a trap door on to Danko, waiting to make her entrance below, and injured her shoulder. Consequently, Hamilton had to finish the stunt herself, leaving the same way Danko had arrived – in an explosion of fire and smoke. However, the flames came too soon and Hamilton, who was wearing flammable copper-based green make-up, caught fire, giving her second and third-degree burns. The area around her right eye was particularly badly hit with the eyelid and eyebrow entirely burned off. The Wicked Witch of the West makes a memorable on-screen entrance amid billowing red smoke and flames. But in reality, the scene went horribly wrong for both Margaret Hamilton, the actress playing the witch, and her stunt double, Betty Danko. The flames came too soon and Hamilton, who was wearing flammable copper-based green make-up, caught fire, giving her second and third-degree burns. Even when she returned to work six weeks later, Hamilton had to wear green gloves rather than make-up as the nerves in one charred hand had been left so exposed. Hapless stuntwoman Danko later had to shoot another famous scene in which the broomstick-riding Wicked Witch writes 'Surrender Dorothy' in smoke in the sky. For the smoke, a special pipe was attached beneath the broom – but it exploded under Danko, who sustained severe burns on her inner thighs and damaged her reproductive organs so badly that she had to have a hysterectomy. They weren't the only ones injured. Two of the actors playing the evil winged monkeys ended up in hospital after flying accidents of their own in which the wires holding them broke, sending them crashing to the studio floor. Today's health and safety industry would have a collective heart attack at the primitive working conditions and technology on the set. Just nine days into filming, Buddy Ebsen, who played the Tin Man, became extremely ill and had to be hospitalized. To achieve his shiny skin effect, crew were painting his face white before powdering over it with real aluminum dust. Each time the make-up was applied or touched up, Ebsen was inhaling toxic fine grains of the metal which coated the inside of his lungs and stopped oxygen reaching his blood. The actor was so ill he had to be replaced by comedian Jack Haley and only appears a handful of times in the finished movie. The film makers responded by mixing the aluminum dust with white paint, creating a paste that Haley wouldn't inhale. But in the end he was taken to hospital himself after the paste got in his eye. Asbestos, now known at the time to be carcinogenic, was used to create the snow that falls on to Dorothy and her friends after they fall asleep in a poppy field. While there was no proven link with the filming, both Bert Lahr (the lion) and Ray Bolger (the Scarecrow), later died of cancer. The wardrobe department only added to the misery on set. Each time the Tin Man's make-up was applied or touched up, Ebsen was inhaling toxic fine grains of the metal which coated the inside of his lungs and stopped oxygen reaching his blood. Asbestos, now known at the time to be carcinogenic, was used to create the snow that falls on to Dorothy and her friends after they fall asleep in a poppy field. While there was no proven link with the filming, both Bert Lahr (the lion) and Ray Bolger (the Scarecrow), later died of cancer. Many cast members, especially the Wicked Witch's guards and her flying monkeys, had to wear heavy makeup and hugely cumbersome outfits. Given the powerful lights that the early Technicolor process required, temperatures on the Hollywood set soared to more than 100 degrees Fahrenheit, causing some actors to faint. They were carried out. The Cowardly Lion's outfit was made of real lion skin and caused Lahr to sweat so heavily inside it that the costume had to be put into an industrial dryer each night. For his part, Bolger claimed the rubber scarecrow mask he had to wear left him with facial scarring. But few cast members escaped unscathed. Even Dorothy's dog, Toto, played by a Cairn terrier named Terry, suffered a sprained foot after one of the witch's guards stepped on it. He was temporarily replaced by a doggy double. It would have been little consolation for Terry, but he was reportedly paid more for his role in the film than the Munchkins. Skies might well be blue somewhere over the rainbow, as Dorothy so beautifully sings, and there's certainly no sign of our love affair with The Wizard of Oz ending any time soon. But to borrow the catchline of today's movie spin-off, Wicked: 'You're not being told the whole story!' Share or comment on this article: Truly Wicked! 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