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ATLANTA — The University System of Georgia has hit an all-time high for student enrollment this fall. Nearly 365,000 students are enrolled at the system’s 26 public colleges and universities, an increase of more than 20,000, or 5.9%, compared to last fall, Angela Bell, the system’s vice chancellor for research and policy analysis, told the Board of Regents Tuesday. The enrollment growth since the pandemic year of 2020 has been most dramatic among out-of-state students, Bell said. Out-of-state enrollment has increased by 27% since the pandemic year of 2020. “Students are looking to the South for a number of reasons, whether it be winning football or the weather,” she said. Bell said another reason for enrollment growth in the university system is that Georgia remained open for business during the pandemic while other states shut down. Other highlights of Bell’s report included a huge 53.5% increase in dual enrollment students since 2020. The university system also has become increasingly diverse in recent years. While enrollment among white students declined from 47% in 2020 to 42% this fall, enrollment among Latino students has grown from 10% to 12%, and Asian enrollment is up from 11% to 14%. Enrollment among Black students has held steady at 25%. In other business Tuesday, board members unanimously approved a series of policy changes aimed at basing student admission and faculty hiring decisions on merit. Among other things, the changes prohibit requiring prospective students or professors to submit “diversity statements,” typically one or two pages that outline how the applicant plans to advance the concepts of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). “These (policies) all make clear the employees and students are evaluated on their merits, not on any ideological tests,” board Chairman Harold Reynolds said. While encouraging individual freedom of expression, the policy changes assert that the university system “shall remain neutral on social and political issues unless such an issue is directly related to the institution’s core mission.” “Our mission is education — not politics,” system Chancellor Sonny Perdue said. The board also voted to authorize a $25 million renovation and expansion of Georgia Tech’s basketball facilities. The project will be funded by the Georgia Tech Athletic Association.Human rights group, Amnesty International says at least 10,000 people have died in military custody since the Boko Haram conflict in North-east Nigeria began. The body also accused Boko Haram of killing thousands of civilians during attacks on towns and villages saying that “Boko Haram has committed war crimes and other serious violations of international humanitarian law.” Speaking at a press conference in Maiduguri on Thursday, Amnesty International Nigeria Country Director, Isa Sunusi, reminded the government of the need for justice. Sanusi said the war against Boko Haram would come to an end, once justice was served on people whose lives had been shattered by Boko Haram and the military. He added that the organisation had filed a case before the International Court of Justice for alleged crimes against humanity in the North-east region. “The Nigerian military has often treated anyone in, or coming out of, Boko Haram-controlled areas as, at minimum, a suspected Boko Haram member.” “Amnesty International has documented war crimes by government forces, including intentional attacks against the civilian population; indiscriminate attacks that have killed or injured civilians; extrajudicial executions, which also constitute the war crime of murder; torture; cruel treatment; rape; and sexual violence”. “In addition, Amnesty International believes that individuals in the Nigerian military may have committed the crimes against humanity of murder; extermination; imprisonment; torture; rape; enforced disappearance; and gender-based persecution, after having concluded in a 2015 report that the Nigerian military likely had a policy to attack a civilian population and had done so in a widespread and systematic nature”. “At least 10,000 people have died in military custody since the conflict in North-east Nigeria began,” Amnesty International said in a report documented in response to the military atrocities in its operations in the theatre. The 144-page report titled “Girl Survivors of Boko Haram and Military Abuses in North-East Nigeria,” made available to newsmen at the conference also accused Boko Haram of killing thousands of civilians during attacks on towns and villages, and carried out widespread abductions, especially of girls, boys and younger women. “Attacks on schools, teachers and students, including their abduction, have been committed so as to prevent people, especially children, from receiving what Boko Haram considers a ‘Western’ education.” Related News Terrorists raid 200 Zamfara, Borno communities, others Four NSCDC officers killed in Boko Haram ambush, one missing PHOTOS: Police repel Boko Haram attack, neutralise explosive in Borno “Throughout the conflict, Boko Haram has committed war crimes and other serious violations of international humanitarian law, including murder; attacks on civilians and civilian objects; indiscriminate attacks; disproportionate attacks; torture; cruel treatment; conscription (including through abductions) and use of child soldiers under the age of 15; attacks on buildings dedicated to education; pillage; sexual slavery; rape; and attacks on humanitarian workers,” the report read. Amnesty International also said it had in 2015, in a series of reports, found that Boko Haram had an organisational policy to attack a civilian population and that this attack was systematic and widespread adding that the organisation be investigated for crimes against humanity including murder, enslavement, imprisonment, torture, rape, among other inhumane acts. “Consequently, in a series of reports since 2015, Amnesty International has concluded that Boko Haram members should also be investigated for the crimes against humanity of murder; enslavement; imprisonment; torture; rape; sexual slavery; sexual violence; persecution; and forced marriage as other inhumane acts.” The Country Director also emphasised the need for government to rebuild the lives of girls and young women that suffered the atrocities of Boko Haram and the military. “We believe that, if there is anything the government has been doing, it is rehabilitation, and I doubt if that rehabilitation involves women. Why are they excluded? “Beside that, our research shows that the experience of women is very unique. For example, there are many girls who were abducted or trafficked and at the end of the day ended up with Boko Haram and they were forced into sex slavery, and many of them had kids with the insurgents.” “When they escaped from the Boko Haram enclave, they ended up in the hands of the military, and in some cases they also experienced another round of atrocities. So, the girls and young women in the North East suffered horrific abuses in Boko Haram captivity and many survivors arbitrarily detained and subsequently neglected by the Nigerian authorities”. “In fact, in the course of our research we discovered that those girls that tried to have contraceptives were severely punished by the insurgents. These are the things that we should never forget and we believe that the government should do something. “Based on our research, despite some family unification efforts, the Nigerian government has largely failed to address their physical and psychological recovery and social reintegration as required by the convention for the rights of the child and the African charter on the right and welfare of the child, of which Nigeria is a party.” “This neglect is a serious issue which we are here to tell the government to address. We are calling on the Nigerian government to do the right thing and one of the right things they have to do is to make sure that they investigate and bring to justice all those accused of putting these girls through these atrocities,” he said.Romanians cast ballots in presidential race that could pit nationalist against leftist in a runoff

While neither has officially confirmed the relationship, Bailey has stated that he’s dating ‘a lovely man’ and the two have been spotted looking cosy on multiple outings in London If there’s one man the internet is obsessed with right now, it is Wicked star Jonathan Bailey. The actor, who shot to global fame in the Netflix period romance drama Bridgerton , plays Prince Fiyero in the new movie musical adaptation starring Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo , giving fans a glimpse into his musical talents. If you’ve also fallen under Bailey’s spell, you might be wondering if the actor is single. The answer is shrouded in mystery, to say the least. {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"ImageObject","caption":"Wicked cast members Cynthia Erivo, Jonathan Bailey and Ariana Grande attend the film’s premiere in Los Angeles in November. Photo: EPA-EFE","url":"https://img.i-scmp.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=contain,width=1024,format=auto/sites/default/files/d8/images/canvas/2024/11/27/be82eff4-ee2a-4616-9aaf-8e8ff729ce7b_731d2f37.jpg"} Wicked cast members Cynthia Erivo, Jonathan Bailey and Ariana Grande attend the film’s premiere in Los Angeles in November. Photo: EPA-EFE Last year, the 36-year-old Emmy-nominated actor revealed that he was dating “a lovely man” and was keeping their relationship private rather than secret. “Having a private life is, for me, completely critical,” he said at the time. Advertisement Bailey’s preference for privacy once also extended to his sexuality, but he eventually decided on that front at least, being open was necessary. He once said, “I thought that in order to be happy, I needed to be straight [to keep getting acting roles] ... I reached a point where I thought, ‘F*** this.’ I’d much prefer to hold my boyfriend’s hand in public or be able to put my own face picture on Tinder and not be so concerned about that than getting a part.” {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"ImageObject","caption":"Jonathan Bailey arrives on the red carpet for the Australian premiere of Wicked in Sydney, in November. Photo: EPA-EFE","url":"https://img.i-scmp.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=contain,width=1024,format=auto/sites/default/files/d8/images/canvas/2024/11/27/cf239abc-afeb-43fc-92b9-aa5185e99316_0f5d41db.jpg"} Jonathan Bailey arrives on the red carpet for the Australian premiere of Wicked in Sydney, in November. Photo: EPA-EFE Perhaps, it was partly this resolution that motivated Bailey to indulge in a little PDA in 2019, sparking rumours of a romance with James Ellis. But just who is the actor’s rumoured bae? What does James Ellis do for work? {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"ImageObject","caption":"James Ellis works in media. Photo: James Ellis/LinkedIn","url":"https://img.i-scmp.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=contain,width=1024,format=auto/sites/default/files/d8/images/canvas/2024/11/27/9b015670-f903-41f0-b3c1-34230f06f690_a8dbbb78.jpg"} James Ellis works in media. Photo: James Ellis/LinkedIn James Ellis graduated in 2002 from Loughborough University, in the East Midlands region of England, with a bachelor’s degree in product design and manufacture. He currently works as the director of brand partnerships and advertising (Asia-Pacific) at Jester Media. He previously held directorial positions at Rovio Entertainment Corporation, and worked briefly with Fox and CBS. How did rumours of James Ellis’ romance with Jonathan Bailey start? Jonathan Bailey - Best Actor in a Supporting Role in a Musical - Olivier Awards 2019 with Mastercard In 2019, the Leonardo star attended the Olivier Awards with Ellis in London, and the pair were spotted sharing a sweet kiss and a hug before Bailey went up on stage to accept the award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role in a Musical for Company . Much like Bailey himself, Ellis is ultra-private and doesn’t have much of a social media presence. Neither has confirmed their romance. Is Jonathan Bailey still dating James Ellis?

Things to watch this week in the Southeastern Conference. No. 7 Alabama (No. 7 CFP) at Oklahoma, Saturday, 7:30 p.m. ET (ABC) It's the first regular-season meeting since 2003 between traditional college football heavyweights who have combined for 25 national titles and usually face off in January bowl games with championship implications. Another fun fact: They've only played once each on the other's home field in six lifetime matchups, with the Sooners winning that showdown 20-13 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Alabama won the most recent postseason meeting, 45-34, at the Orange Bowl in the 2018 College Football Playoff semifinal before falling to Clemson in the championship. Another berth in the 12-team playoff is at stake for the visiting Crimson Tide (8-2, 4-2 SEC, No. 7 CFP), which trails No. 3 Texas and No. 15 Texas A&M by a game in the standings and is among four two-loss teams trying to stay within reach and possibly get to next month's championship in Atlanta. Alabama has won three in a row overall including last week's 52-7 rout of Mercer, rolling up 508 yards on offense. Heisman Trophy candidate Jalen Milroe passed for 186 of his 229 yards from scrimmage and two of his three touchdowns. Milroe's 32 total TDs lead the SEC and he's second with 17 rushing scores. Rather than contending as hoped, SEC newcomer Oklahoma (5-5, 1-5) is instead playing spoiler after four losses in five games, against ranked league foes Texas, No. 19 South Carolina and No. 9 Ole Miss. The Sooners scored two late fourth-quarter touchdown to lead Missouri 23-16 two weeks ago before the host Tigers scored two TDs in the final 1:07 seconds for a 30-23 victory. Alabama is a 14-point favorite according to BetMGM. No. 9 Ole Miss (8-4, 4-2, No. 9 CFP) at Florida (5-5, 3-4), Saturday, Noon ET (ABC) The Rebels have won three in a row since falling at LSU and four of five overall. They're coming off a bye after beating then-No. 3 Georgia 28-10 on Nov. 9 and look to stay within reach of first place and remain in the CFP discussion. Florida upended No. 21 LSU 27-16 on Saturday to earn a signature win for embattled coach Billy Napier and reach the cusp of bowl eligibility after finishing 5-7 last fall. Also worth a look: Vanderbilt (6-4, 3-3) at LSU (6-4, 3-3). Both are bowl eligible, but the Commodores can clinch their first .500 SEC finish since going 4-4 in 2013 and help coach Clark Lea match his win total for the past two seasons combined. The Tigers look to regroup from the Florida loss. No. 15 Texas A&M QB Marcel Reed. Reed is 4-1 as a starter for an Aggies team that visits Auburn hoping to stay in the playoff hunt before the regular season finale against in-state rival Texas. Reed has passed for 1,129 yards and nine touchdowns against two interceptions. He has run for 375 yards and six scores. The Tigers have had some struggles against dual-threat quarterbacks like Vanderbilt's Diego Pavia and Arkansas' Taylen Green. Vanderbilt will play in LSU's Tiger Stadium for the first time since 2009, having played in Nashville three times since. The Commodores' last win over LSU came in 1990 and they haven't won in Baton Rouge since 1951. ... First-year Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer is 34-2 in the month of November, including a 10-0 mark since 2022. ... Kentucky's 107th-ranked offense (340.5 yards per game) faces Texas's No. 1-ranked defense, which is giving up just 249 yards a game. ... Texas A&M has held opponents to 100 or fewer rushing yards in five of the last seven games, including holding LSU to 24 yards on 23 attempts. ... Auburn QB Payton Thorne has only three touchdown passes in his last four SEC games. ... Mississippi State's Isaac Smith leads the SEC and is tied for seventh nationally with 101 total tackles. ... Kentucky is 3-0 in nonconference games after shellacking in-state foe Murray State 48-3, which followed four SEC home losses. AP Sports Writer John Zenor contributed to this report. Get local news delivered to your inbox!Rico Carty, who won the 1970 NL batting title with the Atlanta Braves, dies at 85

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The connections are clear between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Carolina Panthers, longtime NFC South rivals. The teams get together for a meeting on Sunday in Charlotte and showed recent signs they can play with any team. "It's an NFC South battle," Buccaneers coach Todd Bowles said. "All of them are going to be hard, none of them (are) going to be easy. ... They're playing pretty good football. They missed some games here and there, but they're playing very good football. It's going to be a tough battle." Few introductions are needed on Sunday, as first-year Panthers coach Dave Canales came to Carolina after serving as Buccaneers offensive coordinator a season ago. Canales' prized pupil last season, Tampa Bay quarterback Baker Mayfield was with the Panthers for part of the 2022 campaign. "There's some familiarity," Canales said of his connection to the Buccaneers. "Knowing coach Bowles, he's got a really sophisticated system and he attacks each team with a specific game plan. There's some principles that carry over. I know that he's going to have some things up his sleeve." The Buccaneers (5-6) playing a division opponent for the first time since an Oct. 27 loss to the Atlanta Falcons. The goal will be notching back-to-back wins for the first time since the first two weeks of the season. Four different ball-carriers, including Mayfield, found the end zone on the ground during a 30-7 drubbing of the New York Giants last Sunday. Mayfield also completed 24 of 30 passes for 294 yards. "For me, the biggest thing was blocking and tackling," Bowles said of what his team did well last weekend. "We cleaned up the fundamental and technique part of it." Star wideout Mike Evans was back in action for Tampa Bay following a three-game absence due to a hamstring injury. He finished with five receptions for 68 yards against the Giants and now gets a crack at a Carolina team allowing a league-high 30.9 points per game this season. However, the Panthers have tightened up their play as of late, winning two games in a row before hanging with the two-time defending champion Kansas City Chiefs in a 30-27 setback last Sunday. The outing against Kansas City may have been the most efficient performance of Panthers quarterback Bryce Young's two-year career. Young completed 21 of 35 passes for 263 yards and one score without throwing a pick. "It's not all Bryce, it's the whole unit," Canales said. "It's a collective effort, but he certainly needs to be the voice and driver of that." Wide receiver Jalen Coker (quadriceps), tight end Ja'Tavion Sanders (neck) and safety Lonnie Johnson (personal) were all missing from practice on Wednesday for Carolina. Defensive end LaBryan Ray is dealing with a hand issue and was among those limited. Safety Jordan Whitehead (pectoral) was one of four Buccaneers to miss practice on Wednesday. Evans practiced in full. Carolina and Tampa Bay might as well get used to each other, as the two teams will collide again in Week 17. --Field Level Media

NoneThe connections are clear between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Carolina Panthers, longtime NFC South rivals. The teams get together for a meeting on Sunday in Charlotte and showed recent signs they can play with any team. "It's an NFC South battle," Buccaneers coach Todd Bowles said. "All of them are going to be hard, none of them (are) going to be easy. ... They're playing pretty good football. They missed some games here and there, but they're playing very good football. It's going to be a tough battle." Few introductions are needed on Sunday, as first-year Panthers coach Dave Canales came to Carolina after serving as Buccaneers offensive coordinator a season ago. Canales' prized pupil last season, Tampa Bay quarterback Baker Mayfield was with the Panthers for part of the 2022 campaign. "There's some familiarity," Canales said of his connection to the Buccaneers. "Knowing coach Bowles, he's got a really sophisticated system and he attacks each team with a specific game plan. There's some principles that carry over. I know that he's going to have some things up his sleeve." The Buccaneers (5-6) playing a division opponent for the first time since an Oct. 27 loss to the Atlanta Falcons. The goal will be notching back-to-back wins for the first time since the first two weeks of the season. Four different ball-carriers, including Mayfield, found the end zone on the ground during a 30-7 drubbing of the New York Giants last Sunday. Mayfield also completed 24 of 30 passes for 294 yards. "For me, the biggest thing was blocking and tackling," Bowles said of what his team did well last weekend. "We cleaned up the fundamental and technique part of it." Star wideout Mike Evans was back in action for Tampa Bay following a three-game absence due to a hamstring injury. He finished with five receptions for 68 yards against the Giants and now gets a crack at a Carolina team allowing a league-high 30.9 points per game this season. However, the Panthers have tightened up their play as of late, winning two games in a row before hanging with the two-time defending champion Kansas City Chiefs in a 30-27 setback last Sunday. The outing against Kansas City may have been the most efficient performance of Panthers quarterback Bryce Young's two-year career. Young completed 21 of 35 passes for 263 yards and one score without throwing a pick. "It's not all Bryce, it's the whole unit," Canales said. "It's a collective effort, but he certainly needs to be the voice and driver of that." Wide receiver Jalen Coker (quadriceps), tight end Ja'Tavion Sanders (neck) and safety Lonnie Johnson (personal) were all missing from practice on Wednesday for Carolina. Defensive end LaBryan Ray is dealing with a hand issue and was among those limited. Safety Jordan Whitehead (pectoral) was one of four Buccaneers to miss practice on Wednesday. Evans practiced in full. Carolina and Tampa Bay might as well get used to each other, as the two teams will collide again in Week 17. --Field Level Media

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — New York Giants quarterback Tommy DeVito came out of his first start of the season with a sore throwing arm and his status for Thursday's game against the Cowboys in Dallas is uncertain. DeVito was not listed on Monday's injury report and coach Brian Daboll said he did not know about the injury to the quarterback's right arm until just before the team had a walkthrough practice on Tuesday. Daboll said he was hopeful DeVito would play, but he added that backup Drew Lock will get a couple of extra snaps in the short workout. “If Tommy is good, then Tommy will be the guy,” Daboll said. Having played on Sunday, the Giants (2-9) are prepping for the Cowboys (4-7) with walkthroughs. After the workout on Tuesday, DeVito said his whole body was still sore, even his neck. He planned to test his arm on Wednesday before the team headed to Dallas. “The plan is to play," DeVito said. “We’ll see how I feel tomorrow. Hopefully wake up feeling a little bit better after I get some more treatment today. Looking forward to tomorrow.” DeVito was given the starting job last week when Daboll benched Daniel Jones after five straight losses. Jones asked co-owner John Mara to cut him on Friday and the team released him so he could pursue other opportunities after he cleared waivers on Monday, which he did. DeVito was 21 of 31 for 189 yards in a 30-7 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He was sacked four times and missed one play in the fourth quarter after being hit hard after making a throw. Lock said the uncertainty about playing is the life of a backup. He noted playing one play after DeVito was hurt in the fourth quarter was a first for him. “Always got to be ready,” he said. “No matter what the week, no matter what the situation is, just playing like you’re going to go in there and play. My mindset didn’t change this week, and we’ll see how the rest of the week shakes out.” AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

Dear Santa, I am a little girl 8 years old and I go to Templeton Hill School and am in the third grade. My teacher’s name is Mrs. Plank. For Christmas I would like a Chatty Cathy doll and a spinning wheel. Don’t forget my cousins, Dianne and Kathi Thatch. They are one and three years old. Thank you. Paulette Ingram. 830 15th St. NE Dear Santa, We are three children ages 6, 7, and 8. For Christmas Don wants a Kissy doll and a story book. Dianne wants apples and oranges and a doll. Donna wants a small pig named Rosemary. Love, Don, Dianne and Donna, Spring Place Road. Dear Santa, My name is Bobbie Evans Jr. I am 8 years old and in the third grade. Santa, I want a doctor set, football and a bicycle. Don’t forget all my little friends and especially my daddy who is home with me. Bobby Evans Jr. Dear Santa, I am a little girl 6 years old. I go to George R. Stuart School in the first grade, Miss Carroll’s room. I would like for you to bring me a Chatty Cathy doll, also a deluxe beauty parlor doll. I have two little sisters, Donna, 2, and Patti, 3 months. Bring them some nice toys also. Please don’t forget all the little needy children. Thank you very much. Susan Annette Harvey, 226 Georgetown Road. Dear Santa, I am 5 years old. I live at 991 Trunk Street. I want a Chatty Cathy doll, too. Bring me anything else you have for me. And please remember all the other children. Connie Glazner. P.S. We love you very much. Dear Santa Claus, I hope you think I have been a very good little girl this year. For Christmas I would like a watch, cooking set, and a majorette suit and boots, and some nuts and fruit. I would like for you to remember my very best friend. His name is Melvin. He has been a very good little boy. I will be 10 years old next Thursday. Well, I guess this is all. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you and to all the little helpers in Toyland. Yours truly, Vickie Lynn Cheatham. P.S. We will have some coffee and cakes because I think you will be very hungry and thirsty. Dear Santa, I am 7 years old. I want a bride doll with clothes, a record player and two records named “White Christmas” and “Santa Claus is Coming to Town,” and a majorette suit and boots. Love, Donna. P.S. I will have some good things for you. Dear Santa, I am 10 years old. I have been a good and bad girl. I go to Mayfield School. My teacher is Mrs. Self. I hope you will bring her something too. Please bring me a record player, some records, boy’s watch, typewriter, toy horse named Blaze King, Tinker Toys, and most of all a real live pony named Romeo. Don’t forget my brother, sister, mother, aunts, uncles, grandmother and granddaddy. I love you, Betty Bate, 690 Trunk St., NE. P.S. My sister wants a rocking chair. My brother wants a tape recorder. My mother wants a dryer. Dear Santa, I am a little boy four years old. I can’t write so my mother is writing for me. I want a puppy for Christmas also some tinker toys and some play dough. My big brother Rick wants a puppy too. We’re both going to be good boys. We will leave some cake and coffee under the tree for you. Remember all the other girls and boys. Love, Chucky Atchley. Dear Santa, I am eight years old. I go to North Lee School and am in the 3rd grade. Will you please bring me a P-51 mustang airplane, a Vac-u-Form, cowboy boots and belt, and some new arrows. Please don’t forget any little boy or girl anywhere. I love you Santa. Randy Cawood Dear Santa, For Christmas I would like two dolls, clothes, ball, musical elephant, Come-Back and Penny the Poodle. Please don’t forget my two brothers and my mother and father. Your friend, Stephanie F. Wells. Dear Santa, I am a little boy 5 years old and I have been a pretty good boy. I go to Sunday School. I want you to bring me a Bop-a-Bear, target game and a doctor set. And please bring my little dog, Tinker Bell, a bone. She has about tore her rubber ball up and she just weighs one and a half pounds. Please don’t forget, Mama, Daddy and my grandma. Lots of Love, Kendle Kay Moore. P.S. Santa, Please bring my little friend David something nice. Dear Santa, I want Midge Doll and Tammy’s whole family and a real watch too, and a pair of pajamas. Oh, and my baby sister, she wants a little tricycle and a rocking chair and Santa, I want some silly puddy and put it in my stocking. Lisa and Tammy. Dear Santa Claus, I am a little boy three years old. I want a Tiger Joe, a Bugs Bunny that talks and a rifle. Don’t forget my two sisters. They want Barbie, Ken and Midge dolls, and budding vanity and rubber toys. Love, Randy Pulliam Dear Santa, Please bring me a typewriter and a perfume set. I am six years old and in the first grade of North Lee School. Bring my big brother and little sister something nice, too. Love, Cindy Hindman Dear Santa Claus, My name is Robin Culberson. I am 9 years old. For Christmas I would like some clothes for my Ken doll and some for my little sister. Don’t forget my teacher Mrs. McCracken, and all the other boys and girls all over the world. Love, Robin Culberson. P.S. I will leave you some cake and coffee under the tree. Dear Santa, My name is Connie Parris. I am 5 years old. For Christmas I want a camera, typewriter and some clothes. Don’t forget my brother, Chris, and my mother and daddy. Don’t forget all the other boys and girls. Thank you, Connie Parris. Dear Santa, Will you please bring me a real pony, a saddle, a bridle and a blanket? Also bring a make-up kit. I am six years old. I go to school every day. Kimberly Crye Dear Santa, I am a tomboy 9 years old. I am in the fourth grade at George R. Stuart School. I am in Mrs. Gobble’s room. I would like to have a vac-u-form and a pinball machine for Christmas. I would like to have model car in my stocking. Love, Debra Miller. Dear Santa, I am a boy and I am 8 years old. I am pretty good at times. This is what I want for Christmas. A walkie-talkie, W.A. Buzz bike, a go-cart, car set, a gas airplane, camera, transistor tape recorder and portable tv. Clinton Burger 1202 Fairway Drive. Dear Santa, My daddy is in the Navy stationed in Cuba. What I want most for Christmas is for mommy, my sister and me to get our travel orders in time to join daddy for Christmas. If you can’t do this Santa, then just bring me anything of light weight so I can take it on the plane with me when I do go. Thank you Santa, Ellen Anderson Dear Santa, I am a little girl and my name is Shelia Renia Goins. I would like for Christmas a doll, Baby Boo and a spring horse. My brother is 10 years of age and he would like a Johnny Express and a Vac-U-Maker. I will not forget to leave you some coffee and cake under the tree. Yours truly, Shelia Renia Goins. P.S. Please don’t forget my little cousin, Helen. Bring her something special because she is sick. Dear Santa, I have been a good girl this year. For Christmas I would like a tricycle “just my size,” a Barbie doll and some clothes. I also would like some candy a surprises in my stocking. Your little girl, Janet Clabo. P.S. There will be something for you under the tree.

What a wonderful year 2024 has been for investors. U.S. stocks ripped higher and carried the S&P 500 to records as the economy kept growing and the Federal Reserve began cutting interest rates. The year featured many familiar winners, such as Big Tech, which got even bigger as their stock prices kept growing. But it wasn't just Apple, Nvidia and the like. Bitcoin, gold and other investments also drove higher. Here's a look at some of the numbers that defined the year. All are as of Dec. 20. Remember when President Bill Clinton got impeached or when baseball's Mark McGwire hit his 70th home run against the Montreal Expos? That was the last time the U.S. stock market closed out a second straight year with a leap of at least 20%, something the S&P 500 is on track to do again this year. The index has climbed 24.3% so far this year, not including dividends, following last year's spurt of 24.2%. The number of all-time highs the S&P 500 has set so far this year. The first came early, on Jan. 19, when the index capped a two-year comeback from the swoon caused by high inflation and worries that high interest rates instituted by the Federal Reserve to combat it would create a recession. But the index was methodical through the rest of the year, setting a record in every month outside of April and August, according to S&P Dow Jones Indices. The latest came on Dec. 6. The number of times the Federal Reserve has cut its main interest rate this year from a two-decade high, offering some relief to the economy. Expectations for those cuts, along with hopes for more in 2025, were a big reason the U.S. stock market has been so successful this year. The 1 percentage point of cuts, though, is still short of the 1.5 percentage points that many traders were forecasting for 2024 at the start of the year. The Fed disappointed investors in December when it said it may cut rates just two more times in 2025, fewer than it had earlier expected. RELATED STORY | FBI arrests man charged with planning an attack on the New York Stock Exchange That’s how many points the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose by the day after Election Day, as investors made bets on what Donald Trump’s return to the White House will mean for the economy and the world. The more widely followed S&P 500 soared 2.5% for its best day in nearly two years. Aside from bitcoin, stocks of banks and smaller winners were also perceived to be big winners. The bump has since diminished amid worries that Trump’s policies could also send inflation higher. The level that bitcoin topped to set a record above $108,000 this past month. It's been climbing as interest rates come down, and it got a particularly big boost following Trump's election. He's turned around and become a fan of crypto, and he's named a former regulator who’s seen as friendly to digital currencies as the next chair of the Securities and Exchange Commission, replacing someone who critics said was overly aggressive in his oversight. Bitcoin was below $17,000 just two years ago following the collapse of crypto exchange FTX. Gold's rise for the year, as it also hit records and had as strong a run as U.S. stocks. Wars around the world have helped drive demand for investments seen as safe, such as gold. It's also benefited from the Fed's cut to interest rates. When bonds are paying less in interest, they pull away fewer potential buyers from gold, which pays investors nothing. It's a favorite number of Elon Musk, and it's also a threshold that Tesla's stock price passed in December as it set a record. The number has a long history among marijuana devotees, and Musk famously said in 2018 that he had secured funding to take Tesla private at $420 per share. Tesla soared this year, up from less than $250 at the start, in part because of expectations that Musk's close relationship with Trump could benefit the company. RELATED STORY | Wealthier Americans are driving retail spending and powering US economy That's how much revenue Nvidia made in the nine months through Oct. 27, showing how the artificial intelligence frenzy is creating mountains of cash. Nvidia's chips are driving much of the move into AI, and its revenue through the last nine months catapulted from less than $39 billion the year before. Such growth has boosted Nvidia's worth to more than $3 trillion in total. GameStop’s gain on May 13 after Keith Gill, better known as “Roaring Kitty,” appeared online for the first time in three years to support the video game retailer’s stock, which he helped rocket to unimaginable heights during the “ meme stock craze ” in 2021. Several other meme stocks also jumped following his post in May on the social platform X, including AMC Entertainment. Gill later disclosed a sizeable stake in the online pet products retailer Chewy, but he sold all of his holdings by late October. That's how much the U.S. economy grew, at annualized seasonally adjusted rates, in each of the three first quarters of this year. Such growth blew past what many pessimists were expecting when inflation was topping 9% in the summer of 2022. The fear was that the medicine prescribed by the Fed to beat high inflation — high interest rates — would create a recession. Households at the lower end of the income spectrum in particular are feeling pain now, as they contend with still-high prices. But the overall economy has remained remarkably resilient. This is the vacancy rate for U.S. office buildings — an all-time high — through the first three quarters of 2024, according to data from Moody's. The fact the rate held steady for most of the year was something of a win for office building owners, given that it had marched up steadily from 16.8% in the fourth quarter of 2019. Demand for office space weakened as the pandemic led to the popularization of remote work. That's the total number of previously occupied homes sold nationally through the first 11 months of 2024. Sales would have to surge 20% year-over-year in December for 2024's home sales to match the 4.09 million existing homes sold in 2023, a nearly 30-year low. The U.S. housing market has been in a sales slump dating back to 2022, when mortgage rates began to climb from pandemic-era lows. A shortage of homes for sale and elevated mortgage rates have discouraged many would-be homebuyers.

Tel Aviv: Israel said that the body of an Israeli-Moldovan rabbi who went missing in the United Arab Emirates has been found after he was killed in what it described as a “heinous antisemitic terror incident.” The UAE’s Interior Ministry later said authorities arrested three suspects involved in the killing of Zvi Kogan. Three people have been arrested following the alleged murder of Israeli-Moldovan rabbi Zvi Kogan in the United Arab Emirates. Credit: x.com/Chabad The statement from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said Israel “will act with all means to seek justice with the criminals responsible for his death.” Israeli authorities did not say how they determined the killing of Kogan was a terror attack and offered no additional details. Kogan, 28, an ultra-Orthodox rabbi who went missing on Thursday, ran a kosher grocery store in the futuristic city of Dubai, where Israelis have flocked for commerce and tourism since the two countries forged diplomatic ties in the 2020 Abraham Accords. The agreement has held through more than a year of soaring regional tensions unleashed by Hamas’ October 7, 2023 attack into southern Israel. But Israel’s devastating retaliatory offensive in Gaza and its invasion of Lebanon, after months of fighting with the Hezbollah militant group, have stoked anger among Emiratis, Arab nationals and others living in the the UAE. Iran, which supports Hamas and Hezbollah, has also been threatening to retaliate against Israel after a wave of airstrikes Israel carried out in October in response to an Iranian ballistic missile attack. A man walks past Rimon Market, a Kosher grocery store managed by the late Rabbi Zvi Kogan, in Dubai. Credit: AP The Emirati government did not respond to a request for comment. However, senior Emirati diplomat Anwer Gargash wrote on the social platform X in Arabic that “the UAE will remain a home of safety, an oasis of stability, a society of tolerance and coexistence and a beacon of development, pride and advancement.” Earlier, the UAE’s state-run WAM news agency acknowledged Kogan’s disappearance but pointedly did not acknowledge he held Israeli citizenship, referring to him only as being Moldovan. The Emirati Interior Ministry described Kogan as being “missing and out of contact.” “Specialised authorities immediately began search and investigation operations upon receiving the report,” the Interior Ministry said. The ministry later said that three “perpetrators” had been arrested “in record time” without giving additional details. Netanyahu told a regular Cabinet meeting later Sunday that he was “deeply shocked” by Kogan’s disappearance and death. He said he appreciated the cooperation of the UAE in the investigation and that ties between the two countries would continue to be strengthened. Israel’s largely ceremonial president, Isaac Herzog, condemned the killing and thanked Emirati authorities for “their swift action.” He said he trusts they “will work tirelessly to bring the perpetrators to justice.” Israel also again warned against all nonessential travel to the Emirates after Kogan’s killing. “There is concern that there is still a threat against Israelis and Jews in the area,” a government warning issued Sunday said. Kogan was an emissary of the Chabad Lubavitch movement, a prominent and highly observant branch of ultra-Orthodox Judaism based in Brooklyn’s Crown Heights neighbourhood in New York City. It said he was last seen in Dubai. The UAE has a burgeoning Jewish community, with synagogues and businesses catering to kosher diners. The Rimon Market, a kosher grocery store that Kogan managed on Dubai’s busy Al Wasl Road, was shut Sunday. As the wars have roiled the region, the store has been the target of online protests by supporters of the Palestinians. Mezuzahs on the front and back doors of the market appeared to have been ripped off when an Associated Press journalist stopped by on Sunday. Kogan’s wife, Rivky, is a US citizen who lived with him in the UAE. She is the niece of Rabbi Gavriel Holtzberg, who was killed in the 2008 Mumbai attacks. The UAE is an autocratic federation of seven sheikhdoms on the Arabian Peninsula and is also home to Abu Dhabi. Local Jewish officials in the UAE declined to comment. While the Israeli statement did not mention Iran, Iranian intelligence services have carried out past kidnappings in the UAE. Western officials believe Iran runs intelligence operations in the UAE and keeps tabs on the hundreds of thousands of Iranians living across the country. Iran is suspected of kidnapping and later killing British Iranian national Abbas Yazdi in Dubai in 2013, though Tehran has denied involvement. Iran also kidnapped Iranian German national Jamshid Sharmahd in 2020 from Dubai, taking him back to Tehran, where he was executed in October. AP

What to Watch for in Senate Confirmation HearingsAdventures on special teams made the Washington-Dallas showdown a clumsy affair, yet Joe Davis and Greg Olsen saw to it that the broadcast of the chaotic finish was pure gold. After Terry McLaurin weaved his way past five defenders for an 86-yard touchdown catch from Jayden Daniels to cut the Cowboys lead to 27-26 with 21 seconds left, Fox's No. 2 broadcast crew captured the chaos before admonishing the audience not to count on anything as a certainty on this helter-skelter afternoon. "Lightning strikes twice in Washington!" Davis shouted in an homage to Daniels' 52-yard Hail Mary to Noah Brown that stunned the Bears last month. "They dropped 11 guys in coverage," Olsen marveled. "If they just tackle him inbounds the game is over. I don't even know what to say. I'm absolutely speechless." Not for long he wasn't. Olsen quickly cautioned the audience that "Automatic" Austin Siebert had already missed an extra point along with a field goal Sunday in his return from a right hip injury. "Before anyone in Washington gets too fired up, remember, we've seen a missed PAT already," Olsen said. "Yeah, you hold your breath with anything special teams-related on this day," Davis agreed. After all, this was the first game in NFL history to feature two kickoff returns for touchdowns, two errant extra points and a blocked punt. In the 41-point fourth quarter that erased the game's snoozer status, Washington allowed KaVontae Turpin's 99-yard kickoff return for a score. Earlier, the Cowboys missed a field goal and saw another one blocked along with a punt. Sure enough, the snap was low ... the hold was better ... "It is no good!" Davis hollered. "And the worst special teams day in history has a fitting finish!" Actually, no. More ruckus remained. Siebert's onside kick bounced twice in front of safety Juanyeh Thomas, who gathered it in and returned it 43 yards for Dallas' second kickoff return for a touchdown. If Thomas takes a knee short of the goal line, he effectively seals the Cowboys' win. Instead, the score, while pushing Dallas' lead to 34-26, also left enough time for Daniels and the Commanders for a shot at yet another miracle touchdown. Austin Ekeler returned the kickoff to the Washington 36 and after a short gain, Daniels' Hail Mary was intercepted by Israel Mukuamu as time expired. And that's how what Davis called the "worst special teams day in NFL history" came to an end. "What a wild special teams moment of blocked punts, kicks, kickoff returns, blocked field goals," Commanders coach Dan Quinn said. In keeping with the not-so-special-teams theme, there were several foibles in the kicking game across the NFL in Week 12, where the Broncos gave up a 34-yard pass completion on a fake punt that Denver coach Sean Payton swore the team saw coming — and not as it was unfolding, either, but five days earlier. "We met Tuesday as a staff. It wasn't a matter of if, it was when they were going to run a fake punt," Payton said. "You're struggling as a team like this, we had it on the keys to victory, so credit them, they executed it." Thanks to AJ Cole's 34-yard pass to linebacker Divine Deablo that set up a second-quarter field goal, the reeling Raiders took a 13-9 advantage into the locker room, just their second halftime lead of the season. In the second half, the Raiders succumbed to surging rookie QB Bo Nix and veteran wide receiver Courtland Sutton in their 29-19 loss. That's seven straight losses for the Raiders, their longest skid in a decade. The Broncos (7-5), who blew a chance to beat the Chiefs in Week 10 when their 35-yard field goal try was blocked as time ran out, also allowed a 59-yard kickoff return that led to Las Vegas' only touchdown Sunday. The Texans (7-5) lost for the third time in four games after Ka'imi Fairbairn shanked a 28-yard field goal try that would have tied the Titans just after the two-minute warning. Like the Broncos, the Vikings (9-2) overcame a special teams blunder and escaped Soldier Field with a 30-27 overtime win against the Bears after allowing Chicago (4-7) to recover an onside kick with 21 seconds left. Caleb Williams followed with a 27-yard pass to D.J. Moore to set up Cairo Santos' tying 48-yard field goal as the fourth-quarter clock hit zeros. Get local news delivered to your inbox!

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