POSCO Holdings Inc. (NYSE:PKX) Sees Significant Increase in Short InterestIf the latest rumors hold any weight, the series could be revealed in mid-January 2025. Similar to last year, we’re expecting to see a lineup consisting of the Galaxy S25, S25 Plus, and . It’s that last model – the S25 Ultra – that will turn the most heads. The current generation is one of around, and maybe the most powerful phone on the market, so having an update right around the corner is very exciting indeed. Though we’re generally expecting to see iterative improvements across the S25 lineup, the biggest changes and upgrades seem to be concentrated on the S25 Ultra. We’re talking camera improvements, design changes, and potentially even a new name (though we’ll keep calling it the Ultra in this article). The list of rumored upgrades is such that some Galaxy S24 Ultra owners may be tempted to upgrade, but it’s more likely that prospective customers who still use older Galaxy models, or indeed other phones, will be left deciding between buying the expensive S25 Ultra or nabbing an S24 Ultra for a discount from a third-party retailer once the S25 Ultra supplants it at the store. We’re still light on official information for the S25 series, but here are my thoughts on how the S25 Ultra could be even more Ultra than the Ultra it replaces. Samsung S25 Ultra vs Samsung S24 Ultra: rumored upgrades, design changes, and how the new generation can improve As mentioned, we’re not expecting to see a full-scale reinvention of Samsung’s highest end slab phone with the S25 Ultra, but we are hoping to see some decent upgrades based on the latest Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra rumors. Starting with design, the S25 Ultra could swap the sharp corners found on the S24 Ultra for a rounded design in line with its rivals, the and . This newly rounded frame could reportedly house a slightly enlarged 6.9-inch display, a slight bump up from the 6.8-inch display found on the S24 Ultra enabled by slimmed-down bezels. The displays are likely to be technologically and visually identical otherwise, as they’ll reportedly use the same M13 panel technology – no biggie considering just how brilliant the S24 Ultra’s display looks. We’re also expecting to see some new black detail around the rear camera rings on the S25 Ultra, the same as the rest of the S25 lineup. Otherwise, the two phones should look broadly similar, with the same camera layout, titanium frame, and port and button placement. We’ve heard of though, with some quirky names like Silverblue and Whitesilver. Perhaps we’ll see a switch-up from the block colors of the S24 Ultra, which I’ve always thought clash with the titanium rails. Underneath that titanium housing, we’re expecting the S25 Ultra to boast some performance boosts compared to its predecessor. The S25 Ultra – and, indeed, the entire S25 lineup – is tipped to launch with the Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset, an absolute unit of a chipset that promises major processing, graphics, and efficiency gains over the current generation Snapdragon 8 Gen 3. The version of that chipset found in the S24 series is a customized Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy variant, but it's still unlikely to match the potentially impressive improvement in load times, UI speed, and gaming performance coming with the S25 Ultra. Additionally, , compared to the flat 12GB found on all variants of the S24 Ultra. It’s suggested that the cheapest version of the S25 Ultra will still come with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, while the 512GB and 1TB specs get the full 16GB. And as this is the S25 Ultra we’re talking about the term ‘cheapest’ is very much relative – we’re expecting the S25 to at least match the S24 Ultra for price, which would work out to a starting price of $1,299 / £1,249 / AU$2,199 – though some tipsters suggest a price hike could be on the way. The Galaxy S24 Ultra is a heavy hitter in the mobile photography world with its quad-camera system, and thanks to a barrage of rumors, we expect the S25 Ultra to continue this pattern. The S25 is tipped to have a 200MP main camera, 50MP ultrawide camera, 50MP periscope camera with 5x zoom, and 10MP telephoto camera with 3x zoom. It’s the ultrawide camera that sees the biggest upgrade here, from 12MP to 50MP, while the other cameras seem broadly identical to the S24’s system. That might not count as a reason to upgrade on its own, as the S24 Ultra is already one of the as is. We’ll almost certainly see some new software processing either built into the S25 Ultra specifically or with the launch of the One UI 7 Android wrapper. Speaking of, we expect both phones to gain access to One UI 7 when it launches. Samsung has been very quiet about the release of its latest Android wrapper, but it’d be reasonable to suggest the new OS will launch alongside the S25 series in mid-January 2025. It’s possible that more RAM in the pricier versions of the S25 Ultra would allow the phone to take advantage of new artificial intelligence-powered tools in the Galaxy AI suite, though it’s hard to predict what these features could look like. After all that, though, we might not even get an S25 Ultra at all – . There’s not much to go on with this, but it’d certainly be welcome for fans of the Note series, which was last seen in 2020 with the Galaxy S20 Note. Note or not, we shouldn’t have to wait too long for official announcements about the S25 Ultra and its smaller siblings. If these rumors hold weight, there won’t be masses separating the two most recent top-end Galaxy phones. Yet advancements in performance, ergonomics, and photography could be enough to make the high price tag worthwhile.

People visit an exhibition of Chinese electric vehicle maker BYD at the Essen Motor Show in Essen, Germany, Nov. 29. AP-Yonhap Chinese carmakers eye Korea to offset falling sales in Europe BYD is expected to make quicker inroads into the Korean market by leveraging potential ties with Affinity Equity Partners, a Hong Kong-based private equity firm that holds management rights for the two largest rental car companies in the country, industry officials and experts said, Thursday. The Chinese electric vehicle (EV) maker is nearing the completion of preparations for passenger car sales in Korea, ahead of its official debut in January. The company is the world's largest EV manufacturer based on global sales volume. BYD's upcoming debut may not pose an immediate threat to Korean competitors, given the relatively low perception of Chinese vehicles among local customers. However, market watchers acknowledge the possibility that the EV giant could gradually build its brand awareness by supplying its flagship EV models to major rental car operators. "Korean customers still have limited trust in Chinese vehicles, but this could change as the perception of BYD improves after a significant number of the company's EVs are supplied to rental car firms nationwide," said an official from the local auto industry. In June, Affinity took over a controlling stake in SK Rent-a-Car, the nation’s second-largest rental car business operator. Early this month, Affinity was named the preferred bidder to acquire Lotte Rental, the market leader in the sector. As of the end of September, the two firms’ combined market share reached over 35 percent here, operating some 450,000 rental cars. BYD's K9 electric bus / Courtesy of BYD “If BYD clears away any lingering concerns over its quality and draws more favorable responses from customers, the carmaker will be able to expand its footing, as was the case with Chinese EV buses which have achieved robust growth here for the past few years,” the official said. In 2019, Chinese electric buses accounted for just 23.9 percent of the market in Korea, but this figure surged to 54.1 percent last year, driven by their unmatched price competitiveness. Experts have raised concerns that the share of Chinese EV makers in the Korean market is likely to grow, as the country is unable to impose significant sanctions through tariffs. “Korea will not be able to impose countervailing duties on Chinese EVs, as the local economy is highly vulnerable to retaliatory measures from China (due to Korea’s strong trade reliance on China),” said Kim Pil-soo, an automotive technology professor at Daelim University College. According to data from auto market tracker DataForce, Chinese EVs have experienced sluggish growth in Europe due to punitive tariffs on vehicles imported from the world’s second-largest economy. In November, Chinese EVs accounted for 7.4 percent of the European EV market, a decrease of 0.8 percentage point from the previous month and the lowest figure since March of this year. However, the scenario is not feasible in Korea whose economy is heavily reliant on trade with China, according to Kim. Starting with BYD, several other Chinese EV makers are set to enter the Korean market, hoping to replicate their success in the EV bus market and expand their foothold in the passenger EV sector, the expert said. "There is a growing likelihood that the market share of Chinese passenger EVs will increase in Korea, which could pose a threat to Korea's key industrial sectors, such as EVs and batteries," he said. To remove this article -Jimmy Carter, the 39th US president, has died at 100

Orioles owner David Rubenstein sees the intersection of political trials and public perception as a dicey one. Rubenstein, a Baltimore native and lawyer who advised the late President Jimmy Carter, appeared on CBS’ “Face the Nation” on Sunday to promote his new book, “The Highest Calling: Conversations on the American Presidency.” The conversation quickly turned to the incoming presidency and second term of President-elect Donald Trump . Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.It is no longer news that all the 33 local government areas of Oyo are endowed with natural resources enough to attract both local and foreign investments to the state if properly harnessed. This formed the basis of Omituntun 2.0-led administration of Governor Seyi Makinde’s huge investment in infrastructure and other sectors of the economy. With the various economic policies, the state will no longer be seen as only the political capital of the Country but also one of the leading economic states in the Country and Sub-Sahara Africa. The governor recently unfolded his plan to key into the various opportunities provided by the African Continental Free Trade Area which is aimed at liberalizing not just trade in goods, but also in services and to facilitate intra-African investment. His plan is to redefine the economic landscape of the state as well as position it as number one in intra-African trade. To drive home his economic agenda, the governor in his remarks at the Consultative Forum on the Development of the AfCFTA Sub-national Implementation Strategy, at the International Conference Centre at the University of Ibadan articulated a bold vision that promises to unlock unprecedented opportunities for growth and prosperity. He submitted that the gathering is not just a meeting but a pivotal consultation aimed at shaping the future of our economy,” Makinde submitted that the geographical location of Oyo State put it at vantage position to benefit immensely from the various advantages put forward by AfCTA. The governor while highlighting the economic potential of the state at the Forum stated it would leverage its geographical location to benefit from the various opportunities provided by AcFTA in showcasing its potential to the rest of Africa. The state, according to him, is uniquely positioned to become an economic powerhouse, attracting trade and investment like never before. Some of the listed potential are; Agribusiness, Education and Healthcare, Small and Medium Scale Enterprises, tourism, and a host of others. The governor who described agribusiness as a cornerstone of the state”s economy said, “Since 2019, our agricultural sector has flourished. With cash crops such as cocoa, cassava, maize, yams, and cashew nuts, we are well-positioned to export our products across Africa,” he stated, showcasing the potential for growth in this critical sector. He emphasised the importance of modernizing farming techniques and adopting new technologies to enhance productivity and value addition. He announced significant projects aimed at bolstering this sector, including the agro-industrial hub in Fasola, which is nearing completion, and a new hub in Eruwa designed to foster public-private partnerships. “These initiatives will not only increase our agricultural output but also create jobs and stimulate local economies,” he asserted, highlighting the multi-faceted benefits of these developments. Beyond agribusiness, the vision of the present administration in the state has been extended to education, healthcare, and the ICT sectors. The governor in his submission disclosed how the liberalisation of services under the AfCFTA could enhance these areas in Oyo State. “By capitalising on our international borders, we can attract students, medical tourists, and tech businesses from neighboring countries,” he explained, showcasing a comprehensive strategy for economic growth that leverages the state’s unique advantages. The potential for educational institutions to become hubs for regional learning and innovation was a focal point of his address. Makinde envisions Oyo State not just as a participant in the AfCFTA but as a leader in educational excellence, attracting talent from across West Africa. The governor also underscored the relevance of the entrepreneur to the growth of the state”s economy as he stated that substantial amount has been voted for empowerment of the Small and Medium Scale Entrepreneur across the 33 local government areas of the state. “Many local SMEs are already trading internationally, and this will create additional job opportunities and stimulate economic growth,” he asserted. His commitment to empowering local entrepreneurs resonated deeply with attendees, many of whom are eager to expand their businesses into broader African markets. The governor’s administration is actively working to create an enabling environment for SMEs, including providing access to financing and technical support. “We are committed to ensuring that our local businesses are not left behind in this economic transformation,” he emphasised, inviting stakeholders to collaborate in fostering a vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystem. Also on Tourism and Infrastructure Development, Makinde has highlighted the need for strategic investments that enhance Oyo State’s appeal as a destination for both business and leisure. “We have rich cultural heritage and natural beauty that can attract visitors from around Africa,” he stated, urging stakeholders to capitalize on these assets to boost the tourism sector. The governor’s vision includes improving transport infrastructure, which will facilitate easier movement of goods and people, further integrating Oyo State into the continental economy. “A robust infrastructure network is essential for maximizing our trade potential,” he noted, emphasising the importance of strategic planning in this regard. The governor also emphasized the importance of evidence-based strategies that align with both national objectives and local needs. “We need a clear implementation plan with defined responsibilities and timelines to track our progress,” Makinde stated, underscoring the need for accountability and transparency in the process. Aligning with the vision of her boss, the Special Advisor on International Trade Ms. Neo Theodore Tlhaselo stressed the importance of developing a tailored AfCFTA strategy for Oyo State, urging all stakeholders to rally behind Makinde’s vision for a stronger economy. “We must work together to ensure that Oyo State capitalises on the unique advantages we have in agribusiness, manufacturing, and investment,” she declared, fostering a spirit of collaboration among the participants. Tlhaselo noted that the AfCFTA’s liberalization of services could significantly enhance the quality and accessibility of education and healthcare in Oyo State. “Education is the bedrock of any successful economy.” “We must cultivate an environment where educational institutions can thrive and attract international students. This influx will not only enrich our academic landscape but also contribute to the development of a skilled workforce that can drive innovation and economic growth.” She also highlighted the potential for healthcare services to benefit from the AfCFTA, emphasising the importance of attracting medical tourists. “By improving our healthcare infrastructure and services, we can position Oyo State as a destination for quality medical care, drawing patients from across Africa and beyond,” she asserted, reinforcing the interconnectedness of health and economic prosperity. The Oyo State Commissioner for Trade, Industry, Investment, and Cooperatives, Mr. Adeniyi Adebisi, reinforced this by stating that the AfCFTA aims to eliminate trade barriers, enhancing intra-African trade and presenting Oyo State with a golden opportunity for socio-economic growth. “We must leverage this framework to empower our SMEs, allowing them to compete on a larger scale,” he emphasised, urging stakeholders to collaborate in creating a supportive ecosystem for local businesses. In his address of welcome, Adebisi elaborated on the historical context of the AfCFTA, noting that it came into force on May 30, 2019, to boost intra-African trade and promote socio-economic growth across the continent. “The AfCFTA is not just about eliminating tariffs; it’s about creating a unified market that allows us to trade freely and efficiently. This is an opportunity to broaden our economic base, reduce poverty, and enhance the quality of life for our citizens.” Goodwill messages flowed in from various dignitaries, including Rev Bunmi Jenyo, Osun State Commissioner for Commerce and Industry. He praised Makinde’s developmental strides and the collaborative spirit necessary to maximize opportunities in manufacturing, agriculture, and tourism. The forum’s objectives were clear: fostering understanding and dialogue, gathering local insights, and establishing a collaborative ecosystem. Under Makinde’s leadership, the government is committed to ensuring that the AfCFTA strategy is responsive to local needs. Stakeholders were encouraged to share their experiences and contribute to the development of a tailored approach that reflects Oyo State’s unique context. As the discussions unfolded, the emphasis on local knowledge and community involvement resonated strongly. The governor recognized that successful implementation of the AfCFTA would require the collective effort of all stakeholders. “We are not just participants; we are pioneers in this journey,” he proclaimed, rallying everyone to take ownership of the process. READ MORE FROM: NIGERIAN TRIBUNE

Browns' Jerome Ford Exits Game With Apparent Ankle Injury

With artificial intelligence (AI) booming, semiconductor giants Nvidia and Broadcom are racing to meet skyrocketing demand. With AI’s relentless need for computing power, both companies are poised for immense growth. Nvidia has captured the spotlight, thanks to its revolutionary GPU technology. Already famed for its Hopper accelerator chips, the tech titan is introducing “Blackwell,” its latest AI architecture. Market experts project an average earnings surge of 38% for Nvidia, underscoring high expectations for this cutting-edge innovation. Conversely, Broadcom has diversified its portfolio both in chips, including advanced AI inference chips, and enterprise infrastructure software. This shift is paying off; AI related revenues have skyrocketed by 220% within a year. Analysts foresee Broadcom’s earnings growing about 22% annually, as the company targets a potential $90 billion AI market opportunity by 2027 through strategic deals, likely involving industry giants like OpenAI and Apple. However, investors face a conundrum: which stock promises the best returns by 2025? Analyzing the Price/Earnings-to-Growth (PEG) ratios, Nvidia appears a better value with a PEG of 1.2, compared to Broadcom’s 1.8. Nvidia’s enticing PEG ratio highlights a possibly lucrative investment, even though the risk associated with innovation remains. Despite the risks, AI’s trajectory suggests it’s here to stay. Nvidia’s strategic rollouts position it favorably to maintain its AI leadership. While Broadcom’s more balanced portfolio draws less dependency on AI, Nvidia’s potential growth edges out its rivals for those eyeing substantial returns in the near future. As AI continues its boom, both companies are well-situated, but Nvidia seems the top contender heading into 2025. Semiconductor Showdown: Nvidia vs. Broadcom in the AI Revolution As the AI industry experiences unprecedented expansion, semiconductor giants Nvidia and Broadcom are racing to meet the surging demands for advanced computing power. Here’s a closer look at the new developments, market strategies, and future forecasts for these technology leaders, expected to lead innovation in the AI landscape. Nvidia’s Edge with Blackwell Technology Nvidia has consistently been at the forefront of AI innovation, primarily due to its groundbreaking GPU advancements. Building on its success with the Hopper accelerator chips, Nvidia is now unveiling its new AI architecture, “Blackwell.” This new technology is poised to boost Nvidia’s market position and growth potential, which analysts estimate could see a 38% increase in average earnings. Nvidia’s continuous innovations signify its commitment to staying at the top of AI technological development, opening avenues for more robust AI use cases. Broadcom’s Strategic Diversification Unlike Nvidia, Broadcom has adopted a more diversified strategy by integrating advanced AI inference chips with enterprise infrastructure software. This diversification strategy has significantly paid off, as reflected by a remarkable 220% increase in AI-related revenues over the past year. Analysts predict that Broadcom’s earnings could grow by approximately 22% annually. By targeting a $90 billion AI market opportunity by 2027 through strategic partnerships, including potential alliances with tech giants like OpenAI and Apple, Broadcom is positioning itself to capture significant AI market share. Investment Analysis: Nvidia vs. Broadcom For investors deliberating between Nvidia and Broadcom, analyzing the Price/Earnings-to-Growth (PEG) ratios provides insightful data. Nvidia holds a more attractive PEG ratio at 1.2 compared to Broadcom’s 1.8, suggesting it might offer better value for prospective investors. This metric highlights Nvidia’s stronger growth potential over the next few years, making it an enticing candidate despite the inherent risks associated with rapid tech innovation. Future Growth and Market Potential Looking towards the future, notwithstanding the risks, the AI revolution promises sustained presence and growth. Nvidia’s strategic advancements position it favorably to maintain its AI leadership. On the other hand, Broadcom’s balanced approach with its diversified portfolio reduces its dependency on the AI sector alone. However, from a potential growth perspective, Nvidia seems to stand out, especially for investors eyeing significant returns by 2025. As AI continues to reshape industries, both Nvidia and Broadcom are well-poised to capitalize on this trend. Yet, for those seeking substantial growth within a short timeline, Nvidia emerges as a compelling contender, potentially driving transformational changes alongside the AI wave. For more insights into Nvidia and Broadcom’s groundbreaking technologies, visit their respective domains: – Nvidia – Broadcom

76ers' star Paul George sidelined the next 2 games with bone bruise in left kneeLifelong Learning Skill Will Be Very Relevant In Future: LG

Incredible video shows Ukraine unleashing SHOTGUN-wielding drones to hunt down & blast Russians on frontlineCelebrating 50 years of Pat at LoughryAfter Writing About Prison Censorship, I Got Blocked From Messaging My Sources

ADM Tronics Unlimited, Inc. ( OTCMKTS:ADMT – Get Free Report ) saw a large drop in short interest in the month of December. As of December 15th, there was short interest totalling 4,100 shares, a drop of 31.7% from the November 30th total of 6,000 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 3,100 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 1.3 days. ADM Tronics Unlimited Stock Performance Shares of ADM Tronics Unlimited stock opened at $0.09 on Friday. The stock’s fifty day moving average price is $0.08 and its 200-day moving average price is $0.07. ADM Tronics Unlimited has a 12 month low of $0.03 and a 12 month high of $0.12. About ADM Tronics Unlimited ( Get Free Report ) Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for ADM Tronics Unlimited Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for ADM Tronics Unlimited and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .BLOOMINGTON — Nearly half an hour into the first game of their existence, the Bloomington Bison found themselves trailing 2-0. After five years without professional hockey in the Twin Cities, as the new ECHL team kicked off its inaugural run with a lone preseason game, questions hung in the air. What does hockey mean to Bloomington-Normal? And what does Bloomington-Normal mean for hockey? The Bison's ownership group, Hallett Sports & Entertainment, also owns the Indy Fuel, a well-established ECHL franchise with a decade under its belt in the Indianapolis area to solidify its fanbase and space in the community. Bloomington Bison forward Chongmin Lee (77) looks at a video replay during a break in play against the Toledo Walleye on Saturday, Dec. 14, 2024, at Grossinger Motors Arena. Bloomington, on the other hand, has had four different hockey organizations at Grossinger Motors Arena since it opened in 2006. The USHL Central Illinois Flying Aces were the most recent, but they were not at the highest level of play hosted by the venue. That distinction belonged to the defunct Bloomington Thunder of the SPHL, a professional ice hockey independent minor league a step below the ECHL with no NHL affiliate organizations. While a preseason game generally means little to the overall outlook of an organization, uncertainty gnawed at the hockey fans who remembered welcoming other teams — and bidding them farewell. Some wondered whether the Bison, offering the highest level of professional sport seen in the Twin Cities, would succeed. Could they? Suddenly, lightning flashed. Someone wearing a white Bison sweater with the number 77 on his back flew up the wing into the offensive zone — a two-on-one break — snapped a wrist shot and breathed life into the fanbase with the team's first-ever goal. Chongmin Lee, a 25-year-old forward from South Korea, skated to center ice, hugged his teammates and absorbed the joyful noise of the crowd. The moment's significance was not lost on him. "I want people to know that everything we do achieve, it's going to be the history of the Bloomington Bison," he said in a recent interview. Less than three months after that first game, Lee's contributions have continued to drive the team's early successes. Heading into Saturday night's home game against the Kalamazoo Wings, he and captain Eddie Matsushima tied for the highest-scoring players with 19 points each. Lee also led the team in assists with 15 and was among a handful of Bison who had played in all 26 games. Nearing the midpoint of the season, Lee spoke with a Pantagraph reporter inside the locker room at Grossinger Motors Arena after a recent practice. Bloomington Bison forward Chongmin Lee (77) tries to regain control of the puck from Toledo Walleye's Mitchell Lewandowski (67) in the first period on Saturday, Oct. 19, 2024, at Grossinger Motors Arena. He was barefoot, wearing shorts and a T-shirt. A large bag of ice, taped around his right thigh, slowly melted onto the floor as Lee talked about growing up with hockey, moving across oceans to pursue his passion and working toward his hopes for the Bison and their host city. "It's really special, for sure ... Everything we do, everything we accomplish, it's just history," he said. "So, yeah, I really appreciate it. And I want to make this year special for myself and for the team." Building a team In January, the ECHL — a professional developmental hockey league equivalent to AA in minor league baseball — accepted Hallett Sports & Entertainment's application for an expansion team in Bloomington. That team would become the 29th in the ECHL, which serves as a proving ground for some players on their way to the higher American Hockey League and National Hockey League. Later in May, the New York Rangers were announced as the Bison's primary NHL affiliate, and Phillip Barski was named head coach and general manager for the 2024-2025 season. (The Carolina Hurricanes also later announced a working agreement with the Bison.) Bloomington Bison forward Chongmin Lee (77) speaks with captain Eddie Matsushima (15) after the team scored a goal against the Iowa Heartlanders on Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2024, at Grossinger Motors Arena. Filling the roster was the first item on Barski's to-do list. "It's a very big undertaking, you know," he said. In other professional sports leagues, the addition of one or more new teams coincides with an expansion draft. Existing teams will select a number of players to "protect" from the draft, and the new teams can build a roster from the "unprotected" players. Most recently, the NHL held an expansion draft in 2021 when the Seattle Kraken were formed. The ECHL is a different story, though. "There's no expansion draft here," Barski said. Building a team meant marketing Bloomington-Normal to prospective players, many of whom had never been to Central Illinois. "It was very challenging to recruit this team because nobody knew anything about Bloomington," Barksi said. "They didn't know where Bloomington, Illinois, was." At the start of 2024 , Lee was playing for HL Anyang in the Asia League in South Korea. A friend from their national team had an advantageous connection, Lee said. "My buddy from (our) national team, he had an awesome agent. I asked him, 'Can I talk to him?' ... I said I'm interested in going to the ECHL. And he said he will work on it," Lee said. Bloomington Bison forward Chongmin Lee (77) stands next to forward Eddie Matsushima (15) during a hockey game Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024, at Grossinger Motors Arena. "I really like playing with him," Lee said of Matsushima, the team captain. When Barski received "some random email from an agent that I didn't know about who had (Lee) on a list," he was intrigued. "It didn't take very long for us. We watched a couple of shifts (with Lee), and I was like, 'Oh my God,' you know," the coach recalled. "His athleticism jumps out at you. His speed jumps out at you. His physicality jumps out at you. The shot. "I mean, it was a pretty quick process on our end to be like, 'Oh my god.' Like, 'We want this guy in our locker room. We want him to be a part of the organization.' ... We jumped on it pretty fast," Barski said. The attraction was mutual, Lee said. Soon, he was headed for Bloomington, over 6,500 miles from the home in Seoul, South Korea, where his love of the sport began. Chasing dreams Lee's passion for hockey took root at a young age. "There (were) not many hockey rinks back home when I was really young," he said. Still, both of his older brothers found a way to play the sport. At one of their practices, when Lee was just 5 years old, his dad asked if he would like to play, too. A young Chongmin Lee and a teammate in South Korea are shown in this provided photo. "I said yeah," Lee recalled. "And then we got all the random hockey gear (that was) left, I put it on, and I went on the ice. That was my first (hockey) memory." Lee found success on the ice in South Korea, but "I always thought about going overseas (to) play hockey." At just 15 years old, he got that chance when an agent connected him with the Vancouver North East Chiefs of the British Columbia Elite Hockey League. Lee's brothers encouraged him to seize the moment. Such an opportunity "doesn't come as often, so I should take it," Lee said, recalling their advice. "So I did." Lee packed everything up, traveled across the Pacific Ocean and settled into western Canada, where he finished school while playing hockey — and learning a new language. "It was a challenge for me," Lee said. "I wasn't able to speak any English back then." Despite the communication barrier and distance from his family, Lee thrived on the ice and built a community with his teammates, he said. "I don't have family here (in North America)," Lee said. "So I wanted someone ... people like my teammates to be my family." Those same teammates drove Lee to continue playing and pursuing his dreams, he said. Seeing his friends advance and playing at higher levels of hockey — from junior hockey to the college level and beyond — pushed him forward. "After college, they wanted (to) go pro, so I wanted (to) go pro," he said. "So, yeah, that kind of ... (kept) motivating me." After playing for the Chiefs, Lee joined the BCHL , a junior hockey league in British Columbia, Canada. From 2017 to 2020, he played for the Spruce Kings in Prince George, some 320 miles north of Vancouver. A young Chongmin Lee playing for Prince George's Spruce Kings in Canada. His journey would hit a major snag in 2020, when he had been slated to play for the University of Alaska-Anchorage. The COVID-19 pandemic and budgetary issues led to the university to cancel the season and ultimately end the program. "I didn't have a team for a year," Lee recalled. "That was a really hard time for me." In 2021, he crossed another ocean — this time, to Sweden — to keep his hockey dreams alive. During his two years in the land of the Vikings, Lee played for Nässjä HC and Tranås AIF, two semi-professional organizations. About 140 miles southwest of Stockholm, the Swedish municipality of Tranås has a population of roughly 15,000. Such a stark contrast with Lee's previous homes — the Vancouver metro area has 2.6 million residents, Seoul over 9 million — made it harder to connect with people, he said. "Obviously, they speak really well in English, but they still speak (more often) in Swedish," he said. "And I was in a really small town." Though Bloomington-Normal is no Seoul, Lee said it has proven more similar to the "second home" he experienced while playing in Canada. "It feels comfortable," he said. 'Ready to go, all the time' The Bison list Lee at 5 feet, 11 inches tall and 185 pounds — not the biggest person on the ice . While he also isn't the smallest, outranking several of his teammates in height and weight, Lee acknowledged that his size can be a disadvantage. "I'm not a big guy. And when I (went) to Canada the first time, I was really young, and my body wasn't ready," he said. "My body wasn't built to play against like, 6-1, 200-pound guys." The average height in the ECHL , according to data on eliteprospects.com , is 6 feet, 1 inch, and players' average weight clocks in at just over 191 pounds. Compare that with the NHL average of 6 feet, 2 inches and 201 pounds , and it becomes clear that Lee is punching up, as it were. He had to adjust how he played after leaving South Korea, he said: "Use my speed, make a quick play, not hang on to (the puck) too long. Yeah, speed, obviously is (the skill) that I need to focus on." Bloomington Bison forward Chongmin Lee (77) stands in front of Kalamazoo Wings goaltender Ty Young (33) during the second period of a game on Saturday, Dec. 28, 2024, at Grossinger Motors Arena. Lee is meticulous about his diet and conditioning, Barski said, working just as hard off the ice as he does on it. "He really takes care of his body. I mean, when you see him, he's like a physical specimen," Barski said. "You know, he's not the tallest, necessarily, but he's built really well. And he takes a lot of pride in that ... he's a consummate professional." The way Lee attacks the offensive zone with his quickness has two primary effects, Barski said: 1) puts the defense on their heels and 2) speeds up his teammates. Barski "We talk a lot about ... slowing the team down and speeding our team up. Those, to me, are like a two-pronged approach," Barski said. "So his ability to speed the game up slows down the other team and puts them in some really tricky situations." Matsushima, listed as the same size as Lee, brings a similar style of play. "I think I learned a lot from him, actually," Lee said of Matsushima, whose ECHL experience includes three seasons with the Tulsa Oilers. "I see him, how he uses his speed, and I added that to my game. And then I started seeing (the game better). I start playing more comfortable and confident." Matsushima said the two have had a connection from the start, largely due to their shared speed and approach to the game. "We're both just just very similar players in the sense that we're just ready to go all the time," he said Saturday night. "We just kind of have the understanding that when one of us says to go, there's no second thought. We both just go." That speed, combined with seeing the game slowed down, is what led to Lee's fateful first goal. "Coach always says, 'See play, make play.' If you don't see it, don't force it," Lee said. Driving through the offensive zone that day, Lee was joined by fellow forward Gavin Gould, No. 91. "I saw Gouldie on the other side (of the ice). I couldn't make that pass," Lee said. Instead of forcing a tough pass, "I just, like, shot it. I shot the five hole (between the goalie's legs), and it went in." Lee hopes whatever success he finds, coupled with his discipline and consistent practice, will help to inspire his teammates, as well. "I think, when guys are looking at me, 'If that guy can do it, everyone else can do it (too),'" he said. Locking into a steady work ethic, day in and day out, can be tough, Barski said. "Things in pro hockey can get very monotonous," he said. "You show up at the same time. You do the drills ... So it kind of becomes this malaise." Professional athletes, by their nature, are highly motivated. But that doesn't necessarily make coaching and practicing at a high level easy, Barski said. "The trickier part, potentially, is — how do you make it fun?" he said. Such an approach involves looking at the hockey player as a whole, not simply who he is on the ice or in the locker room. "We'll do that in a multitude of ways," Barski said, "whether we're doing, like, a team bonding activity here where we're doing something a little different, out of the ordinary, or, you know, just having individual meetings, checking in with the guys." Bloomington Bison forward Chongmin Lee (77) watches the play during a game against the Kalamazoo Wings on Saturday, Dec. 28, 2024, at Grossinger Motors Arena. The goal is a culture that encourages players to be excited about practice and open to coaching. "Obviously, we're a new team with a new organization, we will take a little bit of time" to develop the team's character and culture in the locker room, Lee said. Some of the Bison players are in their first ECHL season. "We have lots of rookie guys and guys who are coming from junior hockey. So we need, we definitely need a little more time ... for that culture," Lee said. "But it's coming. It's coming, and we're getting better and better every day." Moving forward While some ECHL players could be a few years or even months away from making it in the NHL, many still have a lot to learn. "If they knew everything, they wouldn't need us. We'd be out of a job," Barski said with a chuckle. One area in which Lee has shown improvement is on-ice communication, he said. "He's quiet," Barski said. "And that might be a culture thing. We're actually trying to pull that out of him, especially on the ice." Not that being quiet and reserved is a bad thing, the coach added. "You know, at the end of the day, we don't want anyone to be anything that they're not. If you're quiet, be quiet," Barski said. "But on the ice, it is a little bit of a detriment to be quiet because one of the ways to, obviously, help a teammate is by communication." After a few months with the Bison, Lee has started opening up and talking more during drills, practices and games. Bloomington Bison forwards Chongmin Lee (77) and Eddie Matsushima (15) return to the ice after a break in play during a game against the Toledo Walleye on Saturday, Dec. 14, 2024, at Grossinger Motors Arena. "We feel comfortable that he feels comfortable that we can start trying to ... add that to his toolbox, so to speak," he said. Part of the newfound comfort might come from Lee's off-the-ice activities. "I do hang out with our teammates when we don't have games," he said. "And I went to Chicago one time. It was fun." One thing he'd like to do, when he has a chance, is catch a Chicago Blackhawks game live to see star center Connor Bedard . Drafted No. 1 overall by Chicago in 2023, Bedard hails from North Vancouver, British Columbia — next to Lee's old stomping grounds in Canada. And who knows — Lee could find himself sharing ice with Bedard one day. After all, at least five of his teammates have been called up to the Bison's American Hockey League affiliate, the Hartford Wolf Pack, at various times this season. Playing for the team in Connecticut would put Lee one step away from the NHL. Until then, you can catch him on the ice at Grossinger Motors Arena, his number 77 a blur as he races up and down the ice. WHAT: Bloomington Bison vs. Kalamazoo Wings WHEN: 3 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 29 WHERE: Grossinger Motors Arena, 101 S. Madison St., Bloomington THEME: Sunday Family Fun Day. Kids get a voucher for a free hot dog, chip, cookie and soda. There will also be a postgame skate with Bison players. TICKETS: $20-$71, available at bloomingtonbisonhockey.com or Ticketmaster, or call the Bison ticket office at 309-965-4373, ext. 2. Lifelong hockey enthusiast Adam Morris follows the growth of the Bloomington Bison in their first season. The ECHL holiday break is over. As the Bison face the Kalamazoo Wings in a weekend set that includes two home games, here's a look at what to expect. Are there parallels between the Bloomington Bison and their primary NHL affiliate? Columnist Adam Morris checks out the New York Rangers in person. The Bison are in their third month of existence, but their presence in Bloomington-Normal has already started to take root. After their five-game run against the Iowa Heartlanders ended with two consecutive losses, the Bloomington Bison can look forward to a change of scenery — and opponent. As we bask in the glow of holiday decorating and Thanksgiving leftovers, columnist Adam Morris takes stock of his gratitude as a Central Illinois hockey fan. When the Bison and Iowa Heartlanders play, penalties will be a factor. There have been 171 penalty minutes handed out, including 13 roughing calls and nine major penalties. Power plays, leadership and stamina: Three takeaways from the Bloomington Bison's first winning weekend at Grossinger Motors Arena. As the Bloomington Bison lose their top goaltender to a higher league, a grueling schedule in the coming weeks could become the team's proving ground. The Bloomington Bison's owners believe fans will be impressed with the higher level of play at Grossinger Motors Arena — but that only works if they're there to see it. Are you struggling to keep up with the Bison's ever-changing roster? You're not alone. Here's why the new Bloomington hockey team is uniquely positioned in its league — and how it could be an advantage. "Was it a little disappointing that the Bison did not come out of last weekend with a win? Of course. ... What I did see, though, felt just as encouraging." It's always exciting to see the start of something new. That's what fans are getting with the Bloomington Bison — on the ice and behind the glass. When the Bloomington Bison drop the puck in their preseason matchup Saturday, it will represent potentially best chance for sustained professional hockey in the Twin Cities. Contact D. Jack Alkire at (309)820-3275. Twitter: @d_jack_alkire Looking for more Bison coverage? Check out our new pages on social media! Facebook: facebook.com/bisonhockeyextra Instagram: instagram.com/bisonhockeyextra X (formerly Twitter): x.com/bisonextra Get in the game with our Prep Sports Newsletter Sent weekly directly to your inbox! General Assignment Reporter {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items.Enigma of Lone Wolf Terrorism

ATLANTA (AP) — Jimmy Carter, the peanut farmer who won the presidency in the wake of the Watergate scandal and Vietnam War, endured humbling defeat after one tumultuous term and then redefined life after the White House as a global humanitarian, has died. He was 100 years old. The longest-lived American president died on Sunday, more than a year after entering hospice care , at his home in the small town of Plains, Georgia, where he and his wife, Rosalynn, who died at 96 in November 2023 , spent most of their lives, The Carter Center said. “Our founder, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, passed away this afternoon in Plains, Georgia,” the center said in posting about his death on the social media platform X. It added in a statement that he died peacefully, surrounded by his family. Businessman, Navy officer, evangelist, politician, negotiator, author, woodworker, citizen of the world — Carter forged a path that still challenges political assumptions and stands out among the 45 men who reached the nation’s highest office. The 39th president leveraged his ambition with a keen intellect, deep religious faith and prodigious work ethic, conducting diplomatic missions into his 80s and building houses for the poor well into his 90s. “My faith demands — this is not optional — my faith demands that I do whatever I can, wherever I am, whenever I can, for as long as I can, with whatever I have to try to make a difference,” Carter once said. A moderate Democrat, Carter entered the 1976 presidential race as a little-known Georgia governor with a broad smile, outspoken Baptist mores and technocratic plans reflecting his education as an engineer. His no-frills campaign depended on public financing, and his promise not to deceive the American people resonated after Richard Nixon’s disgrace and U.S. defeat in southeast Asia. “If I ever lie to you, if I ever make a misleading statement, don’t vote for me. I would not deserve to be your president,” Carter repeated before narrowly beating Republican incumbent Gerald Ford, who had lost popularity pardoning Nixon. Carter governed amid Cold War pressures, turbulent oil markets and social upheaval over racism, women’s rights and America’s global role. His most acclaimed achievement in office was a Mideast peace deal that he brokered by keeping Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin at the bargaining table for 13 days in 1978. That Camp David experience inspired the post-presidential center where Carter would establish so much of his legacy. Yet Carter’s electoral coalition splintered under double-digit inflation, gasoline lines and the 444-day hostage crisis in Iran. His bleakest hour came when eight Americans died in a failed hostage rescue in April 1980, helping to ensure his landslide defeat to Republican Ronald Reagan. Carter acknowledged in his 2020 “White House Diary” that he could be “micromanaging” and “excessively autocratic,” complicating dealings with Congress and the federal bureaucracy. He also turned a cold shoulder to Washington’s news media and lobbyists, not fully appreciating their influence on his political fortunes. “It didn’t take us long to realize that the underestimation existed, but by that time we were not able to repair the mistake,” Carter told historians in 1982, suggesting that he had “an inherent incompatibility” with Washington insiders. Carter insisted his overall approach was sound and that he achieved his primary objectives — to “protect our nation’s security and interests peacefully” and “enhance human rights here and abroad” — even if he fell spectacularly short of a second term. Ignominious defeat, though, allowed for renewal. The Carters founded The Carter Center in 1982 as a first-of-its-kind base of operations, asserting themselves as international peacemakers and champions of democracy, public health and human rights. “I was not interested in just building a museum or storing my White House records and memorabilia,” Carter wrote in a memoir published after his 90th birthday. “I wanted a place where we could work.” That work included easing nuclear tensions in North and South Korea, helping to avert a U.S. invasion of Haiti and negotiating cease-fires in Bosnia and Sudan. By 2022, The Carter Center had declared at least 113 elections in Latin America, Asia and Africa to be free or fraudulent. Recently, the center began monitoring U.S. elections as well. Carter’s stubborn self-assuredness and even self-righteousness proved effective once he was unencumbered by the Washington order, sometimes to the point of frustrating his successors . He went “where others are not treading,” he said, to places like Ethiopia, Liberia and North Korea, where he secured the release of an American who had wandered across the border in 2010. “I can say what I like. I can meet whom I want. I can take on projects that please me and reject the ones that don’t,” Carter said. He announced an arms-reduction-for-aid deal with North Korea without clearing the details with Bill Clinton’s White House. He openly criticized President George W. Bush for the 2003 invasion of Iraq. He also criticized America’s approach to Israel with his 2006 book “Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid.” And he repeatedly countered U.S. administrations by insisting North Korea should be included in international affairs, a position that most aligned Carter with Republican President Donald Trump. Among the center’s many public health initiatives, Carter vowed to eradicate the guinea worm parasite during his lifetime, and nearly achieved it: Cases dropped from millions in the 1980s to nearly a handful. With hardhats and hammers, the Carters also built homes with Habitat for Humanity. The Nobel committee’s 2002 Peace Prize cites his “untiring effort to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts, to advance democracy and human rights, and to promote economic and social development.” Carter should have won it alongside Sadat and Begin in 1978, the chairman added. Carter accepted the recognition saying there was more work to be done. “The world is now, in many ways, a more dangerous place,” he said. “The greater ease of travel and communication has not been matched by equal understanding and mutual respect.” Carter’s globetrotting took him to remote villages where he met little “Jimmy Carters,” so named by admiring parents. But he spent most of his days in the same one-story Plains house — expanded and guarded by Secret Service agents — where they lived before he became governor. He regularly taught Sunday School lessons at Maranatha Baptist Church until his mobility declined and the coronavirus pandemic raged. Those sessions drew visitors from around the world to the small sanctuary where Carter will receive his final send-off after a state funeral at Washington’s National Cathedral. The common assessment that he was a better ex-president than president rankled Carter and his allies. His prolific post-presidency gave him a brand above politics, particularly for Americans too young to witness him in office. But Carter also lived long enough to see biographers and historians reassess his White House years more generously. His record includes the deregulation of key industries, reduction of U.S. dependence on foreign oil, cautious management of the national debt and notable legislation on the environment, education and mental health. He focused on human rights in foreign policy, pressuring dictators to release thousands of political prisoners . He acknowledged America’s historical imperialism, pardoned Vietnam War draft evaders and relinquished control of the Panama Canal. He normalized relations with China. “I am not nominating Jimmy Carter for a place on Mount Rushmore,” Stuart Eizenstat, Carter’s domestic policy director, wrote in a 2018 book. “He was not a great president” but also not the “hapless and weak” caricature voters rejected in 1980, Eizenstat said. Rather, Carter was “good and productive” and “delivered results, many of which were realized only after he left office.” Madeleine Albright, a national security staffer for Carter and Clinton’s secretary of state, wrote in Eizenstat’s forward that Carter was “consequential and successful” and expressed hope that “perceptions will continue to evolve” about his presidency. “Our country was lucky to have him as our leader,” said Albright, who died in 2022. Jonathan Alter, who penned a comprehensive Carter biography published in 2020, said in an interview that Carter should be remembered for “an epic American life” spanning from a humble start in a home with no electricity or indoor plumbing through decades on the world stage across two centuries. “He will likely go down as one of the most misunderstood and underestimated figures in American history,” Alter told The Associated Press. James Earl Carter Jr. was born Oct. 1, 1924, in Plains and spent his early years in nearby Archery. His family was a minority in the mostly Black community, decades before the civil rights movement played out at the dawn of Carter’s political career. Carter, who campaigned as a moderate on race relations but governed more progressively, talked often of the influence of his Black caregivers and playmates but also noted his advantages: His land-owning father sat atop Archery’s tenant-farming system and owned a main street grocery. His mother, Lillian , would become a staple of his political campaigns. Seeking to broaden his world beyond Plains and its population of fewer than 1,000 — then and now — Carter won an appointment to the U.S. Naval Academy, graduating in 1946. That same year he married Rosalynn Smith, another Plains native, a decision he considered more important than any he made as head of state. She shared his desire to see the world, sacrificing college to support his Navy career. Carter climbed in rank to lieutenant, but then his father was diagnosed with cancer, so the submarine officer set aside his ambitions of admiralty and moved the family back to Plains. His decision angered Rosalynn, even as she dived into the peanut business alongside her husband. Carter again failed to talk with his wife before his first run for office — he later called it “inconceivable” not to have consulted her on such major life decisions — but this time, she was on board. “My wife is much more political,” Carter told the AP in 2021. He won a state Senate seat in 1962 but wasn’t long for the General Assembly and its back-slapping, deal-cutting ways. He ran for governor in 1966 — losing to arch-segregationist Lester Maddox — and then immediately focused on the next campaign. Carter had spoken out against church segregation as a Baptist deacon and opposed racist “Dixiecrats” as a state senator. Yet as a local school board leader in the 1950s he had not pushed to end school segregation even after the Supreme Court's Brown v. Board of Education decision, despite his private support for integration. And in 1970, Carter ran for governor again as the more conservative Democrat against Carl Sanders, a wealthy businessman Carter mocked as “Cufflinks Carl.” Sanders never forgave him for anonymous, race-baiting flyers, which Carter disavowed. Ultimately, Carter won his races by attracting both Black voters and culturally conservative whites. Once in office, he was more direct. “I say to you quite frankly that the time for racial discrimination is over,” he declared in his 1971 inaugural address, setting a new standard for Southern governors that landed him on the cover of Time magazine. His statehouse initiatives included environmental protection, boosting rural education and overhauling antiquated executive branch structures. He proclaimed Martin Luther King Jr. Day in the slain civil rights leader’s home state. And he decided, as he received presidential candidates in 1972, that they were no more talented than he was. In 1974, he ran Democrats’ national campaign arm. Then he declared his own candidacy for 1976. An Atlanta newspaper responded with the headline: “Jimmy Who?” The Carters and a “Peanut Brigade” of family members and Georgia supporters camped out in Iowa and New Hampshire, establishing both states as presidential proving grounds. His first Senate endorsement: a young first-termer from Delaware named Joe Biden. Yet it was Carter’s ability to navigate America’s complex racial and rural politics that cemented the nomination. He swept the Deep South that November, the last Democrat to do so, as many white Southerners shifted to Republicans in response to civil rights initiatives. A self-declared “born-again Christian,” Carter drew snickers by referring to Scripture in a Playboy magazine interview, saying he “had looked on many women with lust. I’ve committed adultery in my heart many times.” The remarks gave Ford a new foothold and television comedians pounced — including NBC’s new “Saturday Night Live” show. But voters weary of cynicism in politics found it endearing. Carter chose Minnesota Sen. Walter “Fritz” Mondale as his running mate on a “Grits and Fritz” ticket. In office, he elevated the vice presidency and the first lady’s office. Mondale’s governing partnership was a model for influential successors Al Gore, Dick Cheney and Biden. Rosalynn Carter was one of the most involved presidential spouses in history, welcomed into Cabinet meetings and huddles with lawmakers and top aides. The Carters presided with uncommon informality: He used his nickname “Jimmy” even when taking the oath of office, carried his own luggage and tried to silence the Marine Band’s “Hail to the Chief.” They bought their clothes off the rack. Carter wore a cardigan for a White House address, urging Americans to conserve energy by turning down their thermostats. Amy, the youngest of four children, attended District of Columbia public school. Washington’s social and media elite scorned their style. But the larger concern was that “he hated politics,” according to Eizenstat, leaving him nowhere to turn politically once economic turmoil and foreign policy challenges took their toll. Carter partially deregulated the airline, railroad and trucking industries and established the departments of Education and Energy, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency. He designated millions of acres of Alaska as national parks or wildlife refuges. He appointed a then-record number of women and nonwhite people to federal posts. He never had a Supreme Court nomination, but he elevated civil rights attorney Ruth Bader Ginsburg to the nation’s second highest court, positioning her for a promotion in 1993. He appointed Paul Volker, the Federal Reserve chairman whose policies would help the economy boom in the 1980s — after Carter left office. He built on Nixon’s opening with China, and though he tolerated autocrats in Asia, pushed Latin America from dictatorships to democracy. But he couldn’t immediately tame inflation or the related energy crisis. And then came Iran. After he admitted the exiled Shah of Iran to the U.S. for medical treatment, the American Embassy in Tehran was overrun in 1979 by followers of the Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. Negotiations to free the hostages broke down repeatedly ahead of the failed rescue attempt. The same year, Carter signed SALT II, the new strategic arms treaty with Leonid Brezhnev of the Soviet Union, only to pull it back, impose trade sanctions and order a U.S. boycott of the Moscow Olympics after the Soviets invaded Afghanistan. Hoping to instill optimism, he delivered what the media dubbed his “malaise” speech, although he didn’t use that word. He declared the nation was suffering “a crisis of confidence.” By then, many Americans had lost confidence in the president, not themselves. Carter campaigned sparingly for reelection because of the hostage crisis, instead sending Rosalynn as Sen. Edward M. Kennedy challenged him for the Democratic nomination. Carter famously said he’d “kick his ass,” but was hobbled by Kennedy as Reagan rallied a broad coalition with “make America great again” appeals and asking voters whether they were “better off than you were four years ago.” Reagan further capitalized on Carter’s lecturing tone, eviscerating him in their lone fall debate with the quip: “There you go again.” Carter lost all but six states and Republicans rolled to a new Senate majority. Carter successfully negotiated the hostages’ freedom after the election, but in one final, bitter turn of events, Tehran waited until hours after Carter left office to let them walk free. At 56, Carter returned to Georgia with “no idea what I would do with the rest of my life.” Four decades after launching The Carter Center, he still talked of unfinished business. “I thought when we got into politics we would have resolved everything,” Carter told the AP in 2021. “But it’s turned out to be much more long-lasting and insidious than I had thought it was. I think in general, the world itself is much more divided than in previous years.” Still, he affirmed what he said when he underwent treatment for a cancer diagnosis in his 10th decade of life. “I’m perfectly at ease with whatever comes,” he said in 2015 . “I’ve had a wonderful life. I’ve had thousands of friends, I’ve had an exciting, adventurous and gratifying existence.” Former Associated Press journalist Alex Sanz contributed to this report.

Job market jitters real for some mid-career Minnesotans and recent gradsHolloway, No. 5 Alabama overwhelm South Dakota State with 19 3-pointers in 105-82 victoryDrama, dreams: Japan’s popular school football breeds future stars

Sign up for The Brief , The Texas Tribune’s daily newsletter that keeps readers up to speed on the most essential Texas news. Texans who worked with Jimmy Carter remembered him as a principled and compassionate leader — the last Democrat to win the state in a presidential election. Carter died Sunday afternoon at his Georgia home at age 100. The peanut farmer turned politician was praised for philanthropic efforts that continued well into his ninth decade after a single-term presidency that began with his 1976 defeat of Republican President Gerald Ford. “He’s exactly the kind of human being that needs to be president,” John Pouland, Carter’s state coordinator for the 1976 Democratic primary, said soon after learning that Carter would receive hospice care. “He lived the life that he felt was the right way to live as a Christian.” Born and raised in Plains, Georgia, Carter actively served in the Navy for eight years before returning to his home state to take over the family’s peanut-growing business after his father’s death in 1953. Carter went on to serve in the Georgia Senate and as governor before winning the 1976 presidential election. Texas’ 26 electoral votes helped put Carter over the top, a victory he couldn’t repeat in his landslide loss to Republican Ronald Reagan in 1980. Carter became the first sitting U.S. president to visit Brownsville during a campaign stop in the closing days of the 1980 election season. He praised the area’s farmland, viewed during a low-altitude plane trip from Houston; extolled his record on education; and boasted about appointing more than 200 Hispanic Americans to senior positions, “more than any other previous administration in history.” With the polls pointing toward defeat, his speech in Brownsville also veered into the philosophical, with Carter speaking about the burden of making “the final judgment in the loneliness of the Oval Office.” “Sometimes it has been a lonely job, but with the involvement of the American people, it’s also a gratifying job,” he said in the Nov. 1, 1980, speech. He ended up losing Texas by nearly 14 percentage points, starting a losing streak for Democratic nominees that has lasted through the next 10 presidential elections. A pair of Texans may have played a part in that defeat. In 1980, former Texas Gov. John B. Connally Jr., ran for the Republican nomination to challenge Carter. When Connally lost, he threw his support behind GOP nominee Ronald Reagan. That summer, Connally and former Texas Lt. Gov. Ben Barnes took a trip to the Middle East, meeting with heads of state in various capitals. In the midst of the campaign, the Carter administration was embroiled in the Iranian Hostage Crisis, in which 52 Americans were held captive in Iran. Nightly news of the crisis strained Carter's support and left him vulnerable to charges of ineptitude. During the trip, according to Barnes, Connally told the Middle Eastern leaders to deliver a message to Iran that Reagan would give them a better deal if they waited to release the hostages until after the election. Barnes kept silent about the trip for decades, only revealing it to the New York Times in March after it was announced that Carter had entered hospice care. Connally died in 1993. Connally told an Arab leader in their first meeting, “‘Look, Ronald Reagan’s going to be elected president and you need to get the word to Iran that they’re going to make a better deal with Reagan than they are Carter,’” Barnes told the Times. “He said, ‘It would be very smart for you to pass the word to the Iranians to wait until after this general election is over.’ And boy, I tell you, I’m sitting there and I heard it and so now it dawns on me, I realize why we’re there.” Former Carter aides have speculated that they might have won if they had returned the hostages before the election. The 52 Americans were released on the day Reagan took office. Texans were introduced to Carter in the 1976 Democratic primary, when he faced U.S. Sen. Lloyd Bentsen, a politically established Texan. “The ‘Jimmy who?’ line was not made up,” Pouland said. “We probably heard that refrain more than anything.” Carter defeated Bentsen — the Georgian was established as the party’s standard bearer by the time Texas held its primary — and Pouland attributed Carter’s success to his Navy service and Christian values, characteristics that appealed to Texas voters. At the time, Texas was at the tail end of a century-long, post-Civil War era of domination by Democrats in state politics. There were 133 Democrats in the 150-member state House, and 28 in the 31-member state Senate. The most significant political divides were among liberal and conservative Democrats, not Democrats and Republicans. But in presidential politics, Republicans had made inroads. Richard Nixon had won the state by 33 percentage points four years earlier, breaking a streak for three straight Democratic victories. Carter won the state with 51% of the vote. But the state was changing fast as conservatives flocked to the GOP. The state elected its first Republican governor since Reconstruction, Bill Clements, two years after Carter was elected. Pouland said Carter served as a model for attracting moderate Southern Democrats, something former President Bill Clinton tried but failed to replicate. Garry Mauro, a former Texas land commissioner who worked for Carter’s 1976 presidential bid, remembered the candidate as genuine and earnest. Mauro said it never occurred to Carter to filter people out, and he didn’t restrict access to himself even as his campaign built momentum. Mauro recalled numerous occasions when he dialed a campaign number, only to have the candidate’s wife, Rosalynn Carter, answer the phone. “He really was the people’s president,” Mauro said. Carter’s influence on Texas Democrats was immense, reshaping the state party’s power base to accommodate new faces on his team, Mauro said. “Jimmy Carter empowered a whole new generation of leadership in Texas,” Mauro said. His many years in politics did not change Carter’s altruistic outlook, Pouland added, and Carter took an active role in advancing human rights through his nonprofit organization, the Carter Center, after leaving office. Carter, Pouland said, “went to his same church, worked on his same farm, kept his same friends and continued to live his life as an example for the very thing that he was an advocate of, and that was compassion.” Though Carter was the last Democrat presidential candidate to win Texas, his legacy is still evident in the party, said state Rep. John Bryant , D-Dallas. “He was committed to human rights and gave Democrats the confidence to be for human rights and for peace and for honesty in government,” said Bryant, who served as Carter’s campaign manager in Dallas County during Carter’s first presidential campaign. Bryant points to Carter’s post-presidential years as some of his most impactful. “Instead of serving on corporate boards, or making big speaking fees, or playing golf, he was going to Habitat for Humanity. He was at the [Carter Center]. And he wrote 30 books, the proceeds of which went to nonprofits,” Bryant said, adding that Carter was “just a great example for how to live a life devoted to the public interest. “He lived his faith. He practiced what he preached,” Bryant said. “That’s very important for the country to see that.” In August 2007, Carter joined South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu in calling Texas to stop the execution of Kenneth Foster, an inmate who was on death row for acting as the getaway driver during a killing. Then-Gov. Rick Perry commuted Foster’s sentence to life in prison hours before the execution was scheduled. After the devastation of Hurricane Harvey, Carter joined four other former presidents — Barack Obama, George W. Bush, Clinton and George H.W. Bush — in appealing for donations to help in the recovery. The effort raised more than $41 million in response to the costliest natural disaster of 2017 , when extreme flooding in Houston and the surrounding area caused more than $125 billion in damage. Carter maintained his commitment to service through his life, helping to build and repair Dallas homes for Habitat for Humanity as a 90-year-old in 2014. “No matter what your faith may be, we are taught to share what we have with poor people,” he told The Dallas Morning News at the time. “It’s very difficult to cross that divide between people that have everything and people that have never had a decent house. Habitat makes it easy to cross that line.”

Jimmy Carter, the 39th US president, has died at 100

Mr Carter, a former peanut farmer, served one term in the White House between 1977 and 1981, taking over in the wake of the Watergate scandal and the end of the Vietnam War. After his defeat by Ronald Reagan, he spent his post-presidency years as a global humanitarian, winning the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002. His death on Sunday was announced by his family and came more than a year after he decided to enter hospice care. He was the longest-lived US president. His son, Chip Carter, said: “My father was a hero, not only to me but to everyone who believes in peace, human rights and unselfish love. “My brothers, sister and I shared him with the rest of the world through these common beliefs. “The world is our family because of the way he brought people together, and we thank you for honouring his memory by continuing to live these shared beliefs.” Mr Carter is expected to receive a state funeral featuring public observances in Atlanta and Washington DC before being buried in his home town of Plains, Georgia. A moderate democrat born in Plains in October 1924, Mr Carter’s political career took him from the Georgia state senate to the state governorship and finally the White House, where he took office as the 39th president. His presidency saw economic disruption amid volatile oil prices, along with social tensions at home and challenges abroad including the Iranian revolution that sparked a 444-day hostage crisis at the US embassy in Tehran. But he also brokered the Camp David Accords between Egypt and Israel, which led to a peace treaty between the two countries in 1979. After his defeat in the 1980 presidential election, he worked for more than four decades leading the Carter Centre, which he and his late wife Rosalynn co-founded in 1982 to “wage peace, fight disease, and build hope”. Mrs Carter, who died last year aged 96, had played a more active role in her husband’s presidency than previous first ladies, with Mr Carter saying she had been “my equal partner in everything I ever accomplished”. Earlier this year, on his 100th birthday, Mr Carter received a private congratulatory message from the King, expressing admiration for his life of public service.Rajnath Singh lauds efforts of Indian Army training institutes