Nova Scotia charity serving 600 free turkey dinners for Christmas HALIFAX — A Nova Scotia charity is serving at least 600 free traditional dinners over Christmas Eve and Christmas Day to spread a little bit of holiday cheer. The Canadian Press Dec 24, 2024 10:44 AM Dec 24, 2024 11:05 AM Share by Email Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Print Share via Text Message A volunteer serves gravy and cranberry sauce at the Souls Harbour Rescue Mission in Lower Sackville, N.S., Tuesday, Dec. 24, 2024. The charity expects to feed about 600 people over Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Cassidy McMackon HALIFAX — A Nova Scotia charity is serving at least 600 free traditional dinners over Christmas Eve and Christmas Day to spread a little bit of holiday cheer. The Souls Harbour Rescue Mission is offering a sit-down turkey dinner with all the fixings for people who need "food or friends" at mission locations across the province. It's the first time the group is serving the meals over the holidays since it started providing community service in 2010. Michelle Porter, the CEO, says the charity has been raising funds for Christmas festivities since November and estimates the cost for events during the holiday season is around $1 million. Meals will differ slightly at mission locations across the province, but Porter says all plates will have turkey, potatoes, cranberry, gravy and some vegetables. People who attend will also get a Christmas stocking that includes a mini hygiene set and a few treats like chocolate, gloves and socks. About 400 people will eat today in Lower Sackville, Bridgewater, Truro and Sydney Mines, while Porter estimates 200 people will share a meal together in Halifax on Christmas Day. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 24, 2024. The Canadian Press See a typo/mistake? Have a story/tip? This has been shared 0 times 0 Shares Share by Email Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Print Share via Text Message More The Mix S&P/TSX composite up on shorter Christmas Eve session, U.S. markets also rise Dec 24, 2024 10:56 AM NORAD's Santa tracker was a Cold War morale boost. Now it attracts millions of kids Dec 24, 2024 10:38 AM Magic and lights draw crowds to an alpine village in Washington state for Christmas Dec 24, 2024 10:22 AM Featured FlyerMichigan fired offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Kirk Campbell after one season under coach Sherrone Moore, the school announced Tuesday. Tight ends coach Steve Casula will serve as the interim coordinator while the program searches for a new coordinator. Campbell was hired as quarterbacks coach under coach Jim Harbaugh and helped the Wolverines win the 2023 national championship. When Harbaugh left, Moore was promoted to coach and Campbell to offensive coordinator and play caller. However, the Michigan offense fell apart in Campbell's lone season, dropping from No. 69 to 128. The Wolverines were one of only five power conference programs to average fewer than 300 yards per game. One year after going 15-0 with a national championship, Michigan finished 7-5. "After a thorough assessment of our offense, I made the decision to relieve Kirk Campbell of his duties and move in a different direction," Moore said in a statement released by the school. "This was a decision that I felt was in the best interest of our football program. I want to thank Kirk for his hard work and dedication to the university, Michigan Football and our student-athletes. I wish him well in his future coaching endeavors." Campbell's quarterback room was especially egregious during the letdown season. Michigan ranked No. 130 nationally in passing offense, leading only the three service academies and Iowa at 133.6 yards per game and led only New Mexico State in yards per attempt (5.5). Three different quarterbacks played major snaps: Davis Warren , Jack Tuttle and Alex Orji . Michigan's next offensive coordinator hire will be critical as the program prepares to welcome No. 1 overall recruit Bryce Underwood in the Class of 2025. The Wolverines boast the No. 7 class in the country and four of their top five recruits are on offense.

Is Enron back? If it's a joke, some former employees aren't laughing HOUSTON (AP) — An elaborate parody appears to be behind an effort to resurrect Enron, the Houston-based energy company that exemplified the worst in American corporate fraud and greed after it went bankrupt in 2001. Juan A. Lozano, The Associated Press Dec 3, 2024 1:28 PM Dec 3, 2024 1:35 PM Share by Email Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Print Share via Text Message FILE - An unidentified person leaves Enron Corp. headquarters in Houston at the end of the day Jan. 22, 2002. (AP Photo/Pat Sullivan, File) HOUSTON (AP) — An elaborate parody appears to be behind an effort to resurrect Enron, the Houston-based energy company that exemplified the worst in American corporate fraud and greed after it went bankrupt in 2001. If its return is comedic, some former employees who lost everything in Enron’s collapse aren’t laughing. “It’s a pretty sick joke and it disparages the people that did work there. And why would you want to even bring it back up again?” said former Enron employee Diana Peters, who represented workers in the company’s bankruptcy proceedings. Here’s what to know about the history of Enron and the purported effort to bring it back. What happened at Enron? Once the nation’s seventh-largest company, Enron filed for bankruptcy protection on Dec. 2, 2001, after years of accounting tricks could no longer hide billions of dollars in debt or make failing ventures appear profitable. The energy company's collapse put more than 5,000 people out of work, wiped out more than $2 billion in employee pensions and rendered $60 billion in Enron stock worthless. Its aftershocks were felt throughout the energy sector. Twenty-four Enron executives , including former CEO Jeffrey Skilling , were eventually convicted for their roles in the fraud. Enron founder Key Lay’s convictions were vacated after he died of heart disease following his 2006 trial. Is Enron coming back? On Monday — the 23rd anniversary of the bankruptcy filing — a company representing itself as Enron announced in a news release that it was relaunching as a “company dedicated to solving the global energy crisis.” It also posted a video on social media, advertised on at least one Houston billboard and a took out a full-page ad in the Houston Chronicle In the minute-long video that was full of generic corporate jargon, the company talks about “growth” and “rebirth.” It ends with the words, “We’re back. Can we talk?” Enron's new website features a company store, where various items featuring the brand's tilted “E” logo are for sale, including a $118 hoodie. In an email, company spokesperson Will Chabot said the new Enron was not doing any interviews yet, but that "We’ll have more to share soon.” Signs point to the comeback being a joke. In the “terms of use and conditions of sale” on the company's website, it says “the information on the website about Enron is First Amendment protected parody, represents performance art, and is for entertainment purposes only.” Documents filed with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office show that College Company, an Arkansas-based LLC, owns the Enron trademark. The co-founder of College Company is Connor Gaydos, who helped create a joke conspiracy theory that claims all birds are actually surveillance drones for the government. What do former Enron employees think of the company’s return? Peters said that since learning about the “relaunch” of Enron, she has spoken with several other former employees and they are also upset by it. She said the apparent stunt was “in poor taste.” “If it’s a joke, it’s rude, extremely rude. And I hope that they realize it and apologize to all of the Enron employees,” Peters said. Peters, who is 74 years old, said she is still working in information technology because “I lost everything in Enron, and so my Social Security doesn’t always take care of things I need done.” “Enron’s downfall taught us critical lessons about corporate ethics, accountability, and the consequences of unchecked ambition. Enron’s legacy was the employees in the trenches. Leave Enron buried,” she said. ___ Follow Juan A. Lozano on X at https://x.com/juanlozano70 Juan A. Lozano, The Associated Press See a typo/mistake? Have a story/tip? This has been shared 0 times 0 Shares Share by Email Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Print Share via Text Message More The Mix Saskatchewan introduces legislative amendment to keep carbon levy off home heating Dec 3, 2024 2:31 PM Plan to add resources to border will come before Trump inauguration: LeBlanc Dec 3, 2024 2:31 PM Is Enron back? If it's a joke, some former employees aren't laughing Dec 3, 2024 2:28 PM Featured FlyerDillon Gabriel's run at Oregon harkens back to the days of another Hawaii-born QB, Marcus Mariota

South Korean President Yoon's impeachment fails as his ruling party boycotts vote SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — A South Korean legislative push to impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol over his short-lived imposition of martial law fell through on Saturday after most lawmakers from his conservative governing party boycotted the vote. Kim Tong-hyung And Hyung-jin Kim, The Associated Press Dec 7, 2024 4:46 AM Share by Email Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Print Share via Text Message A view of the hall where the plenary session for the impeachment vote of South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol is set to take place at the National Assembly in Seoul, South Korea, Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024. (Jeon Heon-kyun/Pool Photo via AP) SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — A South Korean legislative push to impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol over his short-lived imposition of martial law fell through on Saturday after most lawmakers from his conservative governing party boycotted the vote. The defeat of the motion is expected to intensify public protests calling for Yoon’s ouster and deepen political chaos in South Korea, with a survey suggesting a majority of South Koreans support the president’s impeachment. Yoon’s martial law declaration drew criticism from his own ruling conservative party, but it is also determined to oppose Yoon’s impeachment apparently because it fears losing the presidency to liberals. Impeaching Yoon required support from two-thirds of the National Assembly, or 200 of its 300 members. The opposition parties who brought the impeachment motion had 192 seats, but only three lawmakers from PPP participated in the vote. The motion was scrapped without ballot counting because the number of votes didn’t reach 200. National Assembly Speaker Woo Won Shik called the result “very regrettable” and an embarrassing moment for the country’s democracy that has been closely watched by the world. “The failure to hold a qualified vote on this matter means we were not even able to exercise the democratic procedure of deciding on a critical national issue,” he said. Opposition parties could submit a new impeachment motion after a new parliamentary session opens next Wednesday. There are worries that Yoon won’t be able to serve out his remaining 2 1/2 years in office because his leadership took a huge hit. Many experts say some ruling party lawmakers could eventually join opposition parties’ efforts to impeach Yoon if public demands for it grow further. If Yoon is impeached, his powers will be suspended until the Constitutional Court decides whether to remove him from office. If he is removed, an election to replace him must take place within 60 days. Woo repeatedly urged ruling party members to return to the chamber to participate in the vote, waiting several hours for them to come. At one point, Democratic Party leaders visited a hall on the floor below the main chamber where PPP lawmakers were gathered, attempting to persuade them to vote. After being blocked from entering, they angrily accused the conservatives’ leadership of preventing its lawmakers from voting freely. Earlier Saturday, Yoon issued a public apology over the martial law decree, saying he won’t shirk legal or political responsibility for the declaration and promising not to make another attempt to impose martial law. He said would leave it to his party to chart a course through the country’s political turmoil, “including matters related to my term in office.” “The declaration of this martial law was made out of my desperation. But in the course of its implementation, it caused anxiety and inconveniences to the public. I feel very sorry over that and truly apologize to the people who must have been shocked a lot,” Yoon said. Since taking office in 2022, Yoon has struggled to push his agenda through an opposition-controlled parliament and grappled with low approval ratings amid scandals involving himself and his wife. In his martial law announcement on Tuesday night, Yoon called parliament a “den of criminals” bogging down state affairs and vowed to eliminate “shameless North Korea followers and anti-state forces.” The turmoil resulting from Yoon’s bizarre and poorly-thought-out stunt has paralyzed South Korean politics and sparked alarm among key diplomatic partners like the U.S. and Japan. Tuesday night saw special forces troops encircling the parliament building and army helicopters hovering over it, but the military withdrew after the National Assembly unanimously voted to overturn the decree, forcing Yoon to lift it before daybreak Wednesday. The declaration of martial law was the first of its kind in more than 40 years in South Korea. Eighteen lawmakers from the ruling party voted to reject Yoon’s martial law decree along with opposition lawmakers. Yoon’s speech fueled speculation that he and his party may push for a constitutional amendment to shorten his term, instead of accepting impeachment, as a way to ease public anger over the marital law and facilitate Yoon’s early exit from office. Lee Jae-myung, the leader of the main liberal opposition Democratic Party, told reporters that Yoon’s speech was “greatly disappointing” and that the only way forward is his immediate resignation or impeachment. His party called Yoon’s martial law “unconstitutional, illegal rebellion or coup.” The passage of Yoon’s impeachment motion appeared more likely Friday when the chair of Yoon’s party called for his removal on Friday, but the party remained formally opposed to impeachment. On Saturday, tens of thousands of people densely packed several blocks of roads leading up to the National Assembly, waving banners, shouting slogans and dancing and singing along to K-pop songs with lyrics changed to call for Yoon’s ouster. Protesters also gathered in front of PPP’s headquarters near the Assembly, angrily shouting for its lawmakers to vote to impeach Yoon. A smaller crowd of Yoon’s supporters, which still seemed to be in the thousands, rallied in separate streets in Seoul, decrying the impeachment attempt they saw as unconstitutional. Lawmakers on Saturday first voted on a bill appointing a special prosecutor to investigate stock price manipulation allegations surrounding Yoon’s wife. Some lawmakers from Yoon’s party were seen leaving the hall after that vote, triggering angry shouts from opposition lawmakers. On Friday, PPP chair Han Dong-hun, who criticized Yoon’s martial law declaration, said he had received intelligence that during the brief period of martial law Yoon ordered the country’s defense counterintelligence commander to arrest and detain unspecified key politicians based on accusations of “anti-state activities.” Hong Jang-won, first deputy director of South Korea’s National Intelligence Service, told lawmakers in a closed-door briefing Friday that Yoon had ordered him to help the defense counterintelligence unit to detain key politicians. The targeted politicians included Han, Lee and Woo, according to Kim Byung-kee, one of the lawmakers who attended the meeting. The Defense Ministry said Friday it suspended three military commanders including the head of the defense counterintelligence unit over their involvement in enforcing martial law. Vice Defense Minister Kim Seon Ho has told parliament that Defense Minister Kim Yong Hyun ordered the deployment of troops to the National Assembly after Yoon imposed martial law. Opposition parties accused Kim of recommending to Yoon to enforce martial law. Kim resigned Thursday, and prosecutors imposed an overseas travel ban on him. Kim Tong-hyung And Hyung-jin Kim, The Associated Press See a typo/mistake? Have a story/tip? This has been shared 0 times 0 Shares Share by Email Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Print Share via Text Message More World News An explosion has caused several injuries and damaged apartments in a Dutch city Dec 7, 2024 3:53 AM An explosion has caused several injuries and damaged apartments in the Dutch capital Dec 7, 2024 1:51 AM Polls open in general election in Ghana overshadowed by the worst economic crisis in a generation Dec 6, 2024 11:51 PM Featured FlyerKings’ slumbering offense needs a jolt against Seattle

Just as the LA Lakers appeared to have found their feet they were brought back down to earth by the Detroit Pistons. LeBron James had returned and the team were on a three-game winning streak but the Pistons well and truly spoiled the Lakers party. James has been back to his very best following his rest and recuperation and top-scored once again with 28 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists. Despite his best efforts, the Lakers would still go down 114-117 thanks to the joint efforts of Cade Cunningham and Malik Beasley who combined for 41 points. Austin Reaves was left unhappy with his display while Lakers legend James Worthy explained how the Pistons were too physical . One player who had another solid display was Max Christie , he has found himself a regular in the Lakers’ side and once again highlighted his worth to the team. Christie opens up on extra responsibility Despite being just 21, Christie has been trusted by Lakers coach JJ Redick to complete extra minutes for the side in recent weeks. Redick recently praised Christie and said he ‘plays hard every night’, something which some Lakers players have been accused of not doing. Christie played 33 minutes against the Pistons scoring 17 points making 6-10 field goals and 3-4 from behind the arc. While Christie enjoys his attacking displays he explains why his defensive efforts are more important to him. Speaking to the media following the game he said: “Tonight was a great offensive game for me but I wouldn’t say I measure myself on that end, it’s more the defensive end.” Christie went on to explain how he felt handling the tricky offensive abilities of the Pistons’ brightest star Cade Cunningham. Cunningham has been linked with an All-Star spot and Christie can see why, saying: “I think tonight I did a solid job, my premier matchup was Cade Cunningham, an elite player, an All-Star level player, he still had 20 [points], 10 [assists] and five [rebounds] but I felt I did a good job just trying to make it tough for him. He’s a great player and he’s going to make tough shots so, overall I think I’m in a pretty good spot right now.” Christie gets honest on ‘killer’ turnovers It is no secret that the Lakers have been struggling with turnover issues in their recent defeats. The team gave up 18 in the loss against the Pistons which Christie described as a ‘killer’. Worthy recently called the Lakers turnover issues ‘awful’ following their 97-87 defeat against the Minnesota Timberwolves . It is perhaps not surprising that their two wins over the Sacramento Kings saw 13 and 14 turnovers respectively. Speaking on the turnover issues Christie said: “Those turnovers are killer for sure, we just got to try and do a better job as a team just trying to take care of the ball. I mean we have enough talent to score and we shot the ball extremely well. I think if we cut those turnovers down we probably end up winning or at least put ourselves in a better stop to win.” Despite the Lakers’ turnover struggles they sit pretty low on the standing for the most turnovers. They currently sit 19th with just 403 turnovers, the Utah Jazz lead the way with 523. The Lakers will need to clean up their errors when they face Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors on Christmas Day. This article first appeared on NBA Analysis Network and was syndicated with permission.

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Bethlehem marks a second subdued Christmas Eve during the war in GazaOKLAHOMA CITY — Jalen Williams scored 28 points, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander added 26 points, seven assists and six rebounds, and the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Utah Jazz 133-106 on Tuesday night in an NBA Cup game. Isaiah Joe had 19 points and fellow reserve Aaron Wiggins finished with 16 as the Thunder closed out West Group B play at 3-1. They would win the group if Phoenix beat San Antonio later Tuesday. Alexander, selected as Western Conference player of the month earlier Tuesday, scored 15 points after halftime. Oklahoma City twice led by as many as 30 points in the second half. Isaiah Hartenstein had four points and five rebounds, his first game without at least 10 points and 10 boards in six games since returning from a fractured hand. Collin Sexton scored 17 points while Walker Kessler and John Collins added 15 apiece for the Jazz, who fell to 4-17. Key moment Utah led 19-10 on a three-point play by Sexton, but the Thunder scored 22 of the next 28 to make it 32-25 after one quarter. Joe had eight points off the bench to spark the run, including two 3-pointers and a soaring left-handed dunk. Key stat Utah committed 29 turnovers, including 19 in the first half, compared to eight for Oklahoma City. Oklahoma City Thunder guard Cason Wallace (22) screams as he dunks against Utah Jazz guard Johnny Juzang (33) during the first half of an Emirates NBA Cup basketball game, Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2024, in Oklahoma City. Credit: AP/Nate Billings Up next The Jazz are at Portland on Friday, while the Thunder visit Toronto on Thursday.

JD Vance is leaving the Senate for the vice presidency. That's set off a scramble for his Ohio seat