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Idaho's James-Newby named Buck Buchanan Award finalistDES MOINES, Iowa — A week after President-elect Donald Trump’s victory, Elon Musk said his political action committee would “play a significant role in primaries” in the next election. The following week, the billionaire responded to a report that he might fund challengers to GOP House members who don’t support Trump’s Cabinet nominees. “How else? There is no other way,” Musk wrote on X, which he rebranded after purchasing Twitter and moving to boost conservative voices, including his own. And during a recent visit to Capitol Hill, Musk and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy delivered a warning to Republicans who don’t go along with their plans to slash spending as part of Trump’s proposed Department of Government Efficiency. “Elon and Vivek talked about having a naughty list and a nice list for members of Congress and senators and how we vote and how we’re spending the American people’s money,” said Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.). Trump’s second term comes with the specter of the world’s richest man serving as his political enforcer. Within Trump’s team, there is a feeling that Musk not only supports Trump’s agenda and Cabinet appointments, but is also intent enough on seeing them through to the point of pressuring Republicans who may be less devout. One Trump advisor, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss internal political dynamics, noted that Musk had come to enjoy his role on the campaign and that he clearly had the resources to stay involved. The advisor and others said Musk’s role on the Trump team is still taking shape. And Musk, once a supporter of President Obama before moving to the right in recent years, is famously mercurial. “I think he was really important for this election. Purchasing Twitter, truly making it a free speech platform, I think, was integral to this election, to the win that Donald Trump had,” said departing Republican National Committee co-Chair Lara Trump, the president-elect’s daughter-in-law. “But I don’t know that ultimately he wants to be in politics. I think he considers himself to be someone on the outside.” During the presidential campaign, Musk contributed roughly $200 million to America PAC, a super PAC aimed at reaching Trump voters online and in person in the seven most competitive states, which Trump swept. He also invested $20 million in a group called RBG PAC, which ran ads arguing Trump would not sign a national abortion ban even though the former president nominated three of the justices who overturned a federally guaranteed right to the procedure. Musk’s donation to RBG PAC — a name that invokes the initials of former Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, a champion of abortion rights — wasn’t revealed until post-election campaign filings were made public last week. Musk has said he hopes to keep America PAC funded and operating. Beyond that, he has used his X megaphone to suggest he is at least open to challenging less exuberant Trump supporters in Congress. Another key Trump campaign ally has been more aggressive online. Conservative activist Charlie Kirk, whose group Turning Point Action also worked to turn out voters for Trump, named Republican senators he wants to target. “This is not a joke, everybody. The funding is already being put together. Donors are calling like crazy. Primaries are going to be launched,” Kirk said on his podcast, singling out Sens. Joni Ernst of Iowa, Jim Risch of Idaho, Mike Rounds of South Dakota and Thom Tillis of North Carolina as potential targets. All four Republican senators’ seats are up in 2026. For now, Musk has been enjoying the glow of his latest conquest, joining Trump for high-level meetings and galas at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort home in Palm Beach, Fla. The incoming administration is seeded with Musk allies, including venture capitalist and former PayPal executive David Sacks serving as the “White House A.I. & Crypto Czar” and Jared Isaacman, a tech billionaire who bought a series of spaceflights from Musk’s SpaceX, named to lead NASA. Musk could help reinforce Trump’s agenda immediately, some GOP strategists said, by using America PAC to pressure key Republicans. Likewise, Musk could begin targeting moderate Democrats in pivotal states and districts this spring, urging them to break with their party on key issues, Republican strategist Chris Pack said. “Instead of using his influence to twist GOP arms when you have majorities in both houses, he could start going after Democrats who vote against Trump’s agenda in states where the election was a referendum for Trump,” said Pack, former communications director for the National Republican Senatorial Committee. “Otherwise, if you pressure Republicans with a primary, you can end up with a Republican who can’t win, and then a Democrat in that seat.” Associated Press writer Beaumont reported from Des Moines, Linderman from Baltimore and Mendoza from Santa Cruz, Calif. AP writer Lisa Mascaro in Washington contributed to this report.Trump must resist lawfare — to let success be his best revenge
Global Lithium Grease Market Set For 5.4% Growth, Reaching $3.97 Billion By 2028
VMMC inaugurates new MAGITING ‘70 Wellness Wing with Newport World ResortsRICHMOND — Gov. Glenn Youngkin on Tuesday announced that he is asking the legislature for an additional $290 million to support school construction and modernization efforts across Virginia. This latest investment would bring the total funding for the current biennium to $700 million and raise the state’s overall contribution under Youngkin’s administration to nearly $2 billion. Youngkin’s funding request is included in his proposed budget amendments, which he plans to present next week at a joint meeting of the General Assembly’s money committees. According to the governor’s office, the state’s financial commitments have spurred an estimated $3.4 billion in total funding for school construction. The additional support would be made possible through a combination of local government contributions and federal matching funds. “Over the last three years, we have invested historic amounts in our education system, including our public school facilities,” Youngkin said in a statement. “Our record economic growth and the resulting surplus allows us to make this critical investment to ensure every Virginia student has access to high-quality school facilities that support academic success.” Youngkin plans to use the newly announced $290 million in non-general funds to expand competitive grant opportunities for school divisions, particularly in high-need areas. The money would also address critical infrastructure issues, supporting the construction and renovation of schools in urgent need of repair. State officials say the increased funding will provide K-12 students with safer, more conducive learning spaces, a move that has been welcomed by educators and community leaders alike. Local school divisions will be able to apply for grant support to fast-track modernization projects that may have been delayed due to funding shortfalls. The Youngkin administration has framed the initiative as part of a broader effort to support Virginia’s educational system and improve outcomes for students. As schools across the state face aging infrastructure and capacity challenges, this investment aims to reduce disparities in facility quality, especially in underserved areas. “One of our guiding principles since day one of the Youngkin Administration has been to provide safe, vibrant, and healthy learning environments for all of our students,” said Secretary of Education Aimee Guidera. “This investment in supporting new and refurbished school buildings makes it possible for every community in the commonwealth to have the means to provide a best-in-class education that prepares every student for success in our increasingly demanding knowledge- and skills-based economy.” Del. Candi Mundon King, D-Prince William, a member of the Commission on School Construction and Modernization, said that while she welcomed Youngkin’s proposal, she needed more information. “We have been screaming from the rooftops about more money for school construction and ensuring that localities have what they need, so I’m glad to see that he’s trying to get on board,” Mundon King said. “It is clear that we need to put more money into school construction, but I can’t say more without seeing a fully fleshed out plan. So I’m looking forward to his presentation next week with the joint money committees so we can fully evaluate what this proposal actually is, and not just some slick press release that doesn’t go into detail.” In 2022, Youngkin’s first year in office, the General Assembly in a bipartisan effort approved a historic $1.2 billion investment in school construction, aiming to modernize aging facilities and reduce funding disparities among school divisions. The sweeping plan combined grants and loans to support renovations, new construction, and capacity expansion for K-12 schools across the commonwealth. Of the $1.2 billion, about $850 million was allocated for grants. This included $400 million in formula-based grants, which provided each of Virginia’s 134 school divisions with a $1 million base allocation. The remaining $266 million was distributed based on the Local Composite Index (LCI) — a state funding formula that considers factors like property values, taxable sales and population data to assess a locality’s financial ability to support its schools. Another $450 million was funneled into the newly created School Construction Fund and Program, a competitive grant program designed to assist divisions with the most critical infrastructure needs. School systems with poor building conditions and limited financial capacity could apply for these funds to support construction, renovation, or expansion projects. This program is primarily funded by 98% of gaming revenue from Virginia’s four new casinos in Bristol, Danville, Portsmouth, and Norfolk. The fund is administered by the Virginia Board of Education. Virginia faces a mounting crisis with school infrastructure. Data released by the Virginia Department of Education in 2022 revealed that nearly 1,000 school buildings across the state are at least 50 years old. Replacing these facilities would cost more than $25 billion — a figure far beyond the capacity of most localities. Traditionally, local governments have shouldered the financial burden of school construction, relying on local tax revenue. But for economically distressed areas, particularly in Southwest Virginia and Southside, this has become an increasingly difficult challenge due to population decline and economic hardship. But in April, Youngkin vetoed a bill lawmakers sent to his desk that would have allowed localities to implement a 1% sales tax to help cover the costs of school construction and modernization. The proposal required voter approval through a referendum before the tax could be enacted by local governments. Youngkin acknowledged that school construction is a “worthy cause” but argued that Virginia has already taken substantial steps to address those costs. He contended that citizens should not face additional taxes, particularly the $1.5 billion annually that would have been raised by the 1% sales tax. “The commonwealth should pursue a tax policy that unleashes economic development and prioritizes job and wage growth through innovative reforms,” Youngkin said in his veto. “These reforms must allow hardworking Virginians to keep more of their money, not less; any proposal that increases the cost of living and the cost of business is not a policy we should pursue.” Prior to 2022, state assistance for school construction was limited, with much of it coming from the Literary Fund, a state-managed pool of money established in Virginia’s Constitution. Funded by sources such as unclaimed lottery winnings, criminal fines, and unclaimed property, the Literary Fund historically provided low-interest loans to support school construction and debt service for technology. However, in recent years, much of the fund’s revenue was redirected to cover teacher retirement costs, leaving fewer resources for school building projects. The 2022 legislative session retooled the Literary Fund’s loan program, significantly increasing its impact. Lawmakers raised the maximum loan amount from $7.5 million to $25 million and capped the interest rate at 2%. These changes made it more feasible for school divisions to finance major construction projects at a lower cost. With the state’s total contribution now approaching $2 billion, education advocates are hopeful the increased funding will lead to long-term improvements in school facilities and better learning conditions for students throughout the commonwealth. Virginia Board of Education President Grace Creasey said Tuesday that the panel will prioritize “those school divisions in greatest need that have missed out on prior grant opportunities,” especially rural divisions. “We also know that school divisions are eager to adopt seat time flexibility and competency-based models which requires us to design learning environments and spaces differently. This new investment will make this possible,” Creasey said.Resorts World Las Vegas Establishes Board of Directors with Jim Murren as Chairman, Appoints Alex Dixon as Chief Executive Officer
Parker Hannifin Corp. stock underperforms Wednesday when compared to competitorsTikTok asks court to let Trump administration review the law that would ban the app
"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?" 1914 translation by H. Rackham "But I must explain to you how all this mistaken idea of denouncing pleasure and praising pain was born and I will give you a complete account of the system, and expound the actual teachings of the great explorer of the truth, the master-builder of human happiness. No one rejects, dislikes, or avoids pleasure itself, because it is pleasure, but because those who do not know how to pursue pleasure rationally encounter consequences that are extremely painful. Nor again is there anyone who loves or pursues or desires to obtain pain of itself, because it is pain, but because occasionally circumstances occur in which toil and pain can procure him some great pleasure. To take a trivial example, which of us ever undertakes laborious physical exercise, except to obtain some advantage from it? But who has any right to find fault with a man who chooses to enjoy a pleasure that has no annoying consequences, or one who avoids a pain that produces no resultant pleasure?" 1914 translation by H. Rackham "But I must explain to you how all this mistaken idea of denouncing pleasure and praising pain was born and I will give you a complete account of the system, and expound the actual teachings of the great explorer of the truth, the master-builder of human happiness. No one rejects, dislikes, or avoids pleasure itself, because it is pleasure, but because those who do not know how to pursue pleasure rationally encounter consequences that are extremely painful. Nor again is there anyone who loves or pursues or desires to obtain pain of itself, because it is pain, but because occasionally circumstances occur in which toil and pain can procure him some great pleasure. To take a trivial example, which of us ever undertakes laborious physical exercise, except to obtain some advantage from it? But who has any right to find fault with a man who chooses to enjoy a pleasure that has no annoying consequences, or one who avoids a pain that produces no resultant pleasure?" To keep reading, please log in to your account, create a free account, or simply fill out the form below.A new online tool has been launched with a goal of uniting Peel residents in dismantling systemic discrimination and building a more just community. On November 4, the Anti-Black Racism and Systemic Discrimination Collective (ABR-SD) launched a new digital platform — it can be found at the following link: abrsdpeel.ca/forum . ABR-SD is made up of over 25 community agencies and leaders in Peel and was founded during the COVID-19 pandemic. The ABR-SD says the pandemic made racial and social disparities much more apparent. Since its inception, ABR-SD has written papers, conducted research, and hosted forums to bring attention to systemic inequities in health care, policing, and education. In a press release, ABR-SD administrative coordinator Chelsea Antwi described the purpose of the new online forum. “This initiative invites anyone who lives, works or accesses services in the region to participate in interactive discussions, provide positive and meaningful feedback, and advocate for change while building a culture of equity and social justice,” said Antwi. “This digital space is open to anyone who shares the commitment to advancing equity and creating a region where every individual can thrive free from discrimination and bias.” According to the release, the new digital platform was created as a recommendation from 2023 research on rethinking community safety in Peel. It says the forum will create a space for community-driven content, engage users in open discussions on issues that impact their livelihood, and “encourage positive comments that can be shared with system leaders.” The new platform is being supported by the Region of Peel’s Community Safety and Well-Being Table and Roots Community Services. Roots Community Services is a multi-service charitable organization that’s recognized as a leader in Black, African and Caribbean communities. It provides culturally-sensitive and affirming programs and services to address the needs of the communities it serves. It’s especially known for its work addressing inequity in the health care, education and justice systems. Peel’s Community Safety and Well-Being Table is a group of over 25 organizations in sectors like education, emergency services, health care, social services, and government. It promotes cross-sector partnerships with a goal of ensuring access to essential services that enhance safety and well-being. It does this by focusing on three key areas: systemic discrimination, family violence, and mental health and addictions.LEOMINSTER - Leominster High School senior Ren Patel is speaking out against a new potential athletic policy that she says targets transgender students. The policy was brought up in the last school committee meeting earlier this month. "I believe it's unfair because it gives people the opportunity to in a sense, discriminate based on someone else's sex, saying I don't want to play against you because your of opposite sex," Patel said. The big debate centers around a part of the policy that states no student-athlete or coach of a single-sex team shall be penalized by the district for forfeiting or refusing to play in a game against an opposing team because that team includes a member of the opposite sex. In July, the Dighton-Rehoboth School Committee put a similar policy on the books . "I think it's dangerous to have a policy like this in place it very clearly targets transgender people," Patel said. Leominster Mayor Dean Mazzarella, who is chair of the school committee, says the policy is currently in the hands of the sub-committee for review. "It's more important that everybody takes a look at this from all vantage points. In the end do what's best for students," Mazzarella said. Student plans petition against policy Patel says she plans to create a petition against the policy for students to sign. She says it's important for people to be aware of the issue and to be able to speak out during the next school committee meeting. "Many proponents of this policy are framing it as a safety issue but at the end of the day it's a sport and a lot of people going into it understand that is something that comes with it," Patel said. The school committee will meet again in January to discuss the policy and allow for the public to weigh in before they take a vote. Paul Burton is a general assignment reporter for WBZ-TV News.
Stock market today: Wall Street slips to a rare back-to-back loss8 Things to Remember About Dexter’s Childhood Before ‘Original Sin’New faces & a surprise pepper Cong list of 63
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Fraud Prevention Systems: Leveraging AI to Combat Financial CrimeAttica districts where there are still large and unused spaces – e.g. in the western suburbs – could, according to real estate market executives, receive investments for the development of affordable housing, either for rent or for purchase. The key is size, as, to be viable for individuals, these projects require large surfaces and a correspondingly large number of apartments. In other words, they cannot be like a typical apartment block, with 10-20 units. In this way, the return is maximized and the relevant concession contract is easier and more attractive. Otherwise, it is easy for the tenders to turn barren and the desired result not to occur. The state promotes public-private partnership tenders through the social consideration model. That is, it will contribute the land and in return will receive apartments from the private developer, who will then make them available either for rent or for sale at affordable prices, while the developer will keep the remaining apartments for its own utilization. The aim of these projects will be to develop 2,500 homes for 5,000 beneficiaries, young people up to 39 years old, with an annual income of 10,000 to 16,000 euros for singles, and up to €24,000 for married couples. Private individuals will keep a percentage ranging from 40% to 70% – depending on the case and the tender – which they will utilize for a specific period (over 25 years), so that they can also have the relevant return on their investment. However, ownership of the building and the apartments will remain with the state. Speaking at the recent Prodexpo real estate conference, Dimand Real Estate CEO Dimitris Andriopoulos said that “there are entire neighborhoods and areas that are cut off from the rest of the city. If areas such as Thrakomakedones, Agioi Anargyroi, Zefyri and Menidi, northwest of the city center, are integrated and gain proximity to the city through some fixed-track means, it will be possible to unlock a significant stock of buildings and add a large number of new homes to the market.”
ANDERSON TOWNSHIP, Ohio (AP) — Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow's home was broken into during Monday Night Football in the latest home invasion of a pro athlete in the U.S., authorities said Tuesday. No one was injured in the break-in, but the home was ransacked, according to a report provided by the Hamilton County Sheriff's Office. Deputies weren't immediately able to determine what items were stolen. A person who is employed by Burrow arrived at the Anderson Township home Monday night to find a shattered bedroom window and the home in disarray. The person called their mother, and then 911 was contacted, according to the report. Deputies reached out to neighbors in an attempt to piece together surveillance footage. “Our investigators are exploring every avenue,” public information officer Kyla Woods said. The homes of Chiefs stars Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce were broken into in October. In the NBA , Milwaukee Bucks forward Bobby Portis had his home broken into Nov. 2 and Minnesota Timberwolves guard Mike Conley Jr.'s home was burglarized on Sept. 15 while he was at a Minnesota Vikings game. Portis had offered a $40,000 reward for information. Both the NFL and NBA issued security alerts to players after those break-ins, urging them to take additional precautions to secure their homes. In league memos previously obtained by The Associated Press, the NFL said homes of professional athletes across multiple sports have become “increasingly targeted for burglaries by organized and skilled groups.” And the NBA revealed that the FBI has connected some burglaries to “transnational South American Theft Groups” that are “reportedly well-organized, sophisticated rings that incorporate advanced techniques and technologies, including pre-surveillance, drones, and signal jamming devices.” Some of the burglary groups have conducted extensive surveillance on targets, including attempted home deliveries and posing as grounds maintenance or joggers in the neighborhood, according to officials. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl
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(The Conversation is an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts.) Wendy Pearlman , Northwestern University (THE CONVERSATION) Millions of Syrians are feeling hope for the first time in years. The authoritarian regime of Bashar al-Assad fell on Dec. 8, 2024, after a 12-day rebel offensive. Most commentaries on this stunning reversal of a conflict seemingly frozen since 2020 emphasize shifts in geopolitics and balance of power. Some analysts trace how Assad’s main backers – Iran, Hezbollah and Russia – became too weakened or preoccupied to come to his aid as in the past. Other commentators consider how rebels prepared and professionalized , while the regime decayed , leading to the latter’s collapse. These factors help explain the speed and timing of the collapse of one of the Middle East’s longest and most brutal dictatorships . But these factors should not overshadow the human significance of Assad’s overthrow. Assad’s fall in its revolutionary context During the past two weeks, Syrians have rejoiced as symbols of Assad domination came down and the revolutionary flag went up. They held their breath as rebels freed captives from the regime’s notorious prisons . They shed tears as displaced people returned and families reunited after years of separation. And then, finally, Syrians around the world poured into the streets to celebrate the end of 54 years of tyranny. To appreciate the magnitude of this achievement requires historical context, one that I have documented in two books based on interviews with more than 500 Syrian refugees over the past 12 years. My first book begins with stories of the suffocating repression, surveillance and indignities that characterized everyday life in the single-party security state that Hafez al-Assad established in 1970 , and his son Bashar inherited in the year 2000. It conveys tentative optimism as uprisings spread across the Arab world in 2011, blooming into exhilaration when millions of Syrians broke the barrier of fear and risked their lives to demand political change. Syrians described participating in protest as the first time they breathed or felt like a citizen. One man told me that it was better than his wedding day. A woman referred to it as the first time she ever heard her own voice. “And I told myself that I would never let anyone steal my voice again,” she added. It was not only the feeling of freedom that was unprecedented but also the feelings of solidarity as strangers worked together, of pride as people cultivated the talents and capacities necessary to sustain revolution, and, most of all, of hope that Syrians could reclaim their country and determine their own fate. “We started to get to know each other,” an activist recalled of those heady days. “People discovered that they were photographers or journalists or filmmakers. We were changing something not just in Syria but also within ourselves.” Hope eclipsed by despair From their start in March 2011, nonviolent demonstrations met with merciless repression. That July, oppositionists and military defectors announced the formation of a “Free Syrian Army” to defend protesters and fight the regime. As this and other armed groups pushed the regime from large swaths of territory, new forms of grassroots organization and local governance emerged, indicating what society could accomplish if permitted the chance. Still, as years passed, hope became eclipsed by despair. The people I met described their despair witnessing the regime escalate bombardment, starvation sieges and other war crimes to reconquer areas from opposition control. Despair when Assad killed 1,400 people in a 2013 chemical attack , violating the United States’ purported “ red line ” but escaping accountability. Despair as hundreds of thousands of people disappeared into regime dungeons, condemned to a fate of torture worse than death. Despair as the number killed in Syria climbed by hundreds of thousands, and in 2014 the United Nations gave up counting more. Despair as over half the population was forced to flee their homes, and the word “Syria” became stuck, in minds around the world, to the words “ refugee crisis .” And then there was the despair as an entity called the Islamic State announced itself in 2013 and trampled on Syrians’ democratic aspirations in a newly horrific way. “We don’t know where any of this is leading,” a rebel officer told me at that time. “All we know is that we’re everyone else’s killing field.” Searching for home With the help of external allies and the rest of the world’s inaction, Assad clawed back about 60% of the country by 2020 and penned the opposition in an enclave in the northwest. Syria dropped from the headlines, even as regime bombing continued to kill civilians, economic meltdown plunged 90% of the population below the poverty line and the regime rotted into a narco state sustained by drug trafficking. A woman I met during these years of stalemate summarized things bleakly: “The most important thing at this stage is to protect the last bit of hope that people have left.” Meanwhile, millions of Syrian refugees , the lion’s share of them in the countries neighboring Syria, suffered poverty, legal precariousness and local populations who increasingly demanded their deportation . The stories that I recorded gradually came to center on a different theme, which I made the focus of my second book : home. For those compelled to flee, the word “home” connoted twin challenges: First, creating new lives where they might never have imagined stepping foot; and second, mourning old homes lost, destroyed or emptied of loved ones. Many described the agony of reconciling their attachment to Syria with the sense that they were unlikely to see it again. “You try as hard as you can to forget the homeland, but you can’t because it’s even more painful to be without any homeland at all,” a man lamented. Finding home in refuge, in other words, was not only a matter of integration. It also meant finding a way to move forward when the hope for freedom in Syria, it seemed, could not. This is why it is awe-inspiring to witness hope surge again. As I messaged Syrian friends and interlocutors this week, I was struck by how their jubilation echoed with stories that I used to record about 2011, but now on an even more astonishing scale. Again and again, people said that their emotions were “indescribable” and “beyond words.” That they were simultaneously “laughing and crying.” That they “just couldn’t believe” that it – the it that they once did not dare voice out loud – finally happened. Since Assad’s fall, many foreign governments and analysts have voiced foreboding warnings about the future. They need not; Syrians know better than anyone that the path ahead will not be easy. For now, however, the role of those watching from afar is not to doubt, critique or speculate, but to honor this triumph of human hope. Syrian playwright Saadallah Wannous famously said in 1996, “We are doomed by hope, and what happens today cannot be the end of history.” Those who refused to give up over the long years of violence, oppression and disappointment were right. Syrian history is just beginning. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article here: https://theconversation.com/syrians-in-a-triumph-of-hope-turn-the-page-on-the-horrors-of-assad-245640 . Get any of our free daily email newsletters — news headlines, opinion, e-edition, obituaries and more.Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info The killer of schoolgirl Danielle Jones has made a new bid for freedom despite still refusing to tell where her body is buried. The parole board confirmed on Wednesday that they are reviewing Stuart Campbell's case. The 66-year-old has never confessed to killing his 15-year-old niece in 2001. Despite this, he was jailed for life with a minimum of 20 years in 2002 and was refused release after his first parole application two years ago. Danielle's mum Linda, 64, previously called for him to remain behind bars until he reveals where he hid her daughter, reports the Mirror. Speaking before the hearing, Linda said: "It's important I tell him face-to-face how this has impacted on me and I will be reading my statement out myself. He's going to see what he has done to me. It's not something I'm looking forward to. Whether I look at him, I couldn't tell you, but he needs to be in that room listening to what he has done to the family." Danielle's dad Tony and Linda have repeatedly appealed to Campbell to "allow us to lay our daughter to rest". Linda said: "It's like when someone dies and you have a few weeks between them passing away and the funeral. It's a limbo, it's just unbearable really." Campbell's brother Alix Sharkey, 66, who wrote a book entitled My Brother the Killer , said in 2022: "I do not believe my brother should be released until he discloses what he did with Danielle Jones' body. Her parents have been through a living hell. They have never had closure. My brother hasn't even given them their daughter so they have a place to grieve." Alix urged his brother: "Stop being a monster, why don't you act like a human being? Even murderers can say 'I'm sorry'." The "no body" case was one of the first to go before the Parole Board since the passing of the Mirror-backed Helen's Law, making it a legal requirement for panels to consider "non-disclosure". Danielle left home in Tilbury, Essex on June 18, 2001, to catch a bus to school. Her parents never saw her again. Campbell, then a builder, lured her into his blue transit van and abducted her. Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile , select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. The killer, who had married into the Jones family, had groomed Danielle for months. He also hid a violent criminal past. At 18, he was jailed for four years for robbing a teenage girl. Campbell also had a 1989 conviction for holding a 14-year-old girl at his home. Danielle's disappearance led to a search of more than 1,500 locations. Campbell was arrested within weeks and found guilty at trial after a pair of white stockings with Danielle's DNA on them were discovered at his home. He was also found to have faked texts from Danielle and lied about where he was at the time of the murder. In 2017 Essex Police dug up some garages near Campbell's former home, without success. Linda, 62, said at the time: "It is like she is just discarded." The Parole Board confirmed Campbell's review was "following standard processes" and added: "Public safety is our number one priority." Don't miss the latest news from around Scotland and beyond - Sign up to our daily newsletter here.
Conor McGregor must pay $250K to woman who says he raped her, civil jury rules
