80 jili

Century 21, the discount fashion department store, slimmed down from 250,000 square feet to 100,000 square feet when it reopened in May 2023 after more than two years of pandemic closure. But the ASG Equities, the real estate arm of the store’s owners, the Gindi family, went right to work finding new tenants and uses for the rest of the space on the vital Broadway block that’s often regarded as the gateway to the Wall Street district. ASG owns the entire retail portion of the block bounded by Broadway and Church Street and by Cortlandt and Dey streets. Last year, in a joint venture with the Cayre family and designer Roy Nachum, it brought the Mercer Labs Museum of Art & Technology, an “immersive” exhibition space, to 36,000 square feet on the block’s western side, formerly home to the clothing store’s men’s suit department. It opened last winter to widespread acclaim. Now, as an incipient retail-leasing boom along lower Broadway gathers steam, ASG has scored two major new, not previously reported retail tenants. Sephora signed a lease for a 5,000 square-foot store on the Broadway side, where it will open this week with 50 feet of sidewalk frontage. Coming in early 2025 is Barcade, the nation’s largest operator of arcade bars, will launch in 15,000 square feet at 10-12 Cortlandt Street. It will be the fourth Barcade in Manhattan. Each location has video games and pinball machines “mostly from the classic period of the 1980s,” its Web site says, and a bar for draft beer, cocktails and pub food. George Karnoupakis, the head of asset management for ASG Equities, said, “It will be Barcade’s downtown flagship. It’s a fun place that will bring the area some much-needed nightlife.” He said of the Gindis’ overall strategy, “After we closed Century in December of 2020, we decided to bring it back in a smaller footprint and to curate other tenancies on the block that feed off each other. “We’ve been very intentional in activating the streetscape with a blend of experiential offerings and traditional retailers,” Karnoupakis said. What most people think of as the “Century 21 block” stands between the World Trade Center to the west and the Fulton Transit Center to the east. ASG previously signed smaller retail leases there as well to replace shops that closed during the lockdown. Norma’s Pizza replaced the former Majestic and, “We relocated Dunkin Donus and gave it a bigger footprint,” Karnoupakis said. With the Sephora and Barcade leases signed, the only retail space left is the 1,000 square-foot corner of Broadway and Cortlandt Street. Cushman & Wakefield’s Steven Soutendijk and Sean Moran of Cushman & Wakefield represented ASG in both of the transactions. Barcade was represented by Jason Pennington of RIPCO. Sephora was represented by Virginia Pittarelli and Christine Jorge of Mona. Meanwhile, Brooks Brothers will soon launch a nearly 10,000 square-foot flagship store at L&L Holding Co.’s 195 Broadway on the block immediately south of Century 21. It will join Anthropologie on the ground floor and in part of the basement. Famed restaurant Nobu is on the Fulton Street side. While the biggest Lower Broadway retail coup is of course for the 60,000 square-foot Printemps at One Wall Street in a few months, the corridor also boasts Zara, Urban Outfitters and Miniso USA. New York City’s real estate power players roamed the throbbing floor at the Fried Frank real estate department’s holiday party at Cipriani 42nd Street. Jeff Sutton was all smiles over his $1.5 billion Fifth Avenue retail building sales. CBRE’s Mary Ann Tighe drew a crowd over her recent claim that Manhattan was running out of prime office space. Park Tower’s George and Marian Klein reminisced with host Jonathan Mechanic how two years ago at the party, they signed the lease to move Fried Frank’s conference center into their 535 Madison Ave . Institutional celebrants included Blackstone’s Michael Eglit and Michael Lascher, Brookfield’s Ben Brown, Goldman Sachs’ Andrew Jonas and Morgan Stanley’s Seth Weintrob. Family members mingling under the vaulted ceiling included Bill and son Michael Rudin, Aby Rosen and sons Gaby and Charlie, Scott and Jonathan Resnick, and proud host Mechanic’s sons, Meadow Partners’ Marc Mechanic and hot tech startup Maybern’s Ross Mechanic. Also there: US ambassador to France nominee Charles Kushner, Eli Gindi, Stephen B. Siegel, Mitch Konsker, John Cefaly, Darcy Stacom, Brian Waterman and Jimmy Kuhn.80 jili 。

Sustainable Growth: The Promising Future of the Bio Polyol and Green Polyol Market

JOHANNESBURG South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has said Israel's “barbaric war” against the people of Gaza must end. “As nations, we know too well the pain of having our lands colonized and our people oppressed. South Africa and Algeria stand firm in our support for the Palestinian people’s quest for self-determination,” Ramaphosa said while addressing Algeria's parliament during a working visit on Friday, according to a transcript released by the government and seen by Anadolu over the weekend. He said, “The killing of women, children, and non-combatants; the bombardment of homes, schools, and hospitals; and the denial of humanitarian aid is a stain on the conscience of the world,” he said, adding, “We cannot turn a blind eye to this injustice.” South Africa filed a genocide case against Israel at The Hague-based tribunal in late 2023, accusing Israel, which has relentlessly bombed Gaza since October of last year, of failing to uphold its commitments under the 1948 Genocide Convention. Several countries, including Türkiye, Nicaragua, Palestine, Spain, Mexico, Libya, and Colombia, have joined the case at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which began public hearings in January. Ramaphosa said it is the world's responsibility to put an end to this genocide. “Israel must be held accountable for its crimes against the people of Gaza,” he remarked. Western Sahara Ramaphosa also said Algeria and South Africa must remain firm in their support for the people of Western Sahara's right to self-determination. “We applaud Algeria for its unwavering support for the struggle of the people of Western Sahara to determine their own future,” he said, adding that they must remind the international community of its responsibility to the people of Western Sahara. Ramaphosa, whose country assumed the presidency of the G20, making it the first African nation to lead the group of powerful nations, said, "We need to build a new world order founded on justice, fairness, and inclusivity." He reiterated South Africa's call for UN Security Council reform to make it more representative and accountable. “As South Africa and Algeria, we must stand together in our call for the transformation of the systems of global governance,” he said. He stated that they must serve the interests of all countries and peoples and provide unwavering support to vulnerable and marginalized people everywhere. “We need to stand up for the innocent civilians who find themselves engulfed in war and conflict.” Ramaphosa also stressed African unity to accelerate the pace of social and economic development as they strive to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and their own continent's Agenda 2063.

Lekano World - Official Trailer Check out the Lekano World trailer for this social MMO on Unreal Engine 5, inspired by 90s and 2000s pop culture. Lekano World is available in Steam Early Access. The Click and Caps mini-game, which gives a peek into the Lekano World game, is free to play now on Steam.In Lekano World, explore an open world, interact with fantastic creatures called Lekamons, and enjoy various fun and competitive mechanics.None

Donald Trump’s views concerning the involvement of transgender athletes in organised sport – specifically, the participation by trans-male athletes in women’s sport – are nothing if not simplistic and clear. “Men” must be kept out of women’s sport. Full stop, new paragraph. According to the incoming US president, the “problem” of transgender athlete participation in women’s sport is easy to solve. The fundamental flaw in Trump’s invective is that policy born as a by-product of fear and loathing is invariably bad policy. Trump draws no distinction between transgender athletes competing in the Olympics and transgender athletes competing in a game of under-10s pee-wee football. However, the imperatives that are relevant to protecting the integrity of Olympic competition aren’t determining factors when it comes to participation sport. The rules governing transgender participation in Saturday morning sport have no correlation to how, for example, US Swimming should handle transgender women swimming against cisgender women in national championships. The next Olympic Games will be staged in Los Angeles in 2028 during the final year of Trump’s presidency. Just as America’s culture wars could implode a whole nation before the opening ceremony, the Olympic movement itself may be in for a reckoning before the end of the next Games cycle. Credit: Simon Letch Designing, implementing and enforcing transgender policy in sport at any level, from the grassroots to Olympic competition, isn’t about fear and isn’t about division for the sake of dividing. Instead, it’s the complicated process of balancing the interests of transgender athletes with all other competitors and the paramount importance of the core integrity of sport. This is all relevant not only because Trump will be back in the White House but also because by this time next year the International Olympic Committee will be under new leadership (an election for the IOC’s presidency will take place in less than four months’ time). Of the seven nominated candidates to replace the outgoing Thomas Bach, the candidate of greatest prominence, or at least the loudest public advocate for change within the Olympic Movement, is Sebastian Coe, twice an Olympic champion and current president of World Athletics. As with Trump, Coe presents as an agent for change . He is opposed to transgender participation in Olympic competition on the grounds that if you don’t protect the female category of competition in Olympic-level sport, then female sport itself will be lost. When you think about it, that position is not remotely similar to Trump’s. Not at all. As Lord Coe correctly identifies, it’s a core failing of the IOC that it has not enacted any detailed or overarching guidance to world sport and the myriad international federations that sit within its structures as to how Olympic sports should set transgender policy. It is the IOC’s policy failures that permitted the boxing competition in Paris 2024 to become so mired in conjecture due to the participation of Algeria’s Imane Khelif, when the IOC (and not World Boxing) ran that competition. Likewise, the IOC’s transgender policy is weak. In late 2021, the IOC published its Framework on Fairness, Inclusion and Non-Discrimination on the Basis of Gender Identity and Sex Variations. Unfortunately, however, that framework comprised six pages of high-level statements of principle without much in the way of adequate detail. International federations were left to set their own policies, as required. In one section of its framework, the IOC states its position that athletes should be allowed passage to compete in the available category that aligns with their self-determined gender identity. In the next section, the IOC forces responsibility onto the international federations to ensure no athletes are afforded disproportionate and unfair competitive advantages if permitted to compete in a gender category not aligned with their biological gender. Imane Khelif celebrates her gold medal with her team and fans in Paris. Credit: Eddie Jim All of which is as clear as mud. For political reasons or otherwise by reason of weakness, the IOC under its current leadership plainly doesn’t want the responsibility of setting transgender policy across all sports. Yet to pass that complex responsibility onto the international federations is inconsistent with the IOC’s functions. Lord Coe is irrefutably correct that in terms of Olympic competition and international-standard elite sport the sanctity of the integrity of sport itself must be protected and preserved, no matter the cost. Otherwise, elite sport may as well not exist in the first place. He’s also correct that the IOC must set clear and unequivocal policy to protect the integrity of female sport and female athletic competition. It is extremely difficult to design policy to integrate transgender athlete participation in elite sport, especially when the integrity of competition is already under constant attack. If gender is kaleidoscopic, sport is black and white. Besides horse racing, some forms of motorsport and mixed doubles tennis, men and women typically don’t compete against each other. If gender is kaleidoscopic, sport is black and white. It’s in Olympic and international-level athletic competition where records are set and legacies forged. The playing field must not only be balanced, it must be known to be balanced. Rules must demand that a competing transgender athlete derives no unfair and disproportionate competitive advantage by competing in their chosen gender, if that’s different to their biological gender. The IOC’s absolute imperative must be that transgender athletes be prohibited from competing in Olympic competition if to allow those athletes to compete would mean they enjoyed any material competitive advantage. Whatever leadership position the IOC must take to set such rules within that philosophy, it must do so. Some international federations have braved the frontier, given the IOC’s contrasting tepidness. World Aquatics was the first international federation to set policy to stipulate that a female transgender athlete is ineligible for international competitions in the female category, unless either they never experienced male puberty or where they had their male puberty pharmacologically surpassed before their 12th birthday and before any physical signs of male puberty were physically detectable. Straightforward? Yes. Harsh? Yes. Necessary? Also yes. Those rules are simple, not open to interpretation or manipulation, and lacking subjectiveness. No element of the application of the rules requires measurement, or monitoring. In contrast, the IOC’s rules are all over the shop. Some researchers who know way more than me will tell you that the medical and scientific evidence isn’t absolute in demonstrating that transgender athletes – and male-to-female athletes in particular – benefit by everlasting physical and physiological advantages over their cisgender fellow competitors. Perhaps that’s the correct analysis that will prevail three decades on. But that alone can’t be a reason for the IOC and governing bodies to sit on their hands in the meantime. To do that would be to fail the current generation of Olympians, and the next. Sebastian Coe at least stands for something. Sports news, results and expert commentary. Sign up for our Sport newsletter .Wisconsin faces its first losing season in 23 years and the end of a bowl streak when the Badgers host arch-rival Minnesota on Friday in the annual Big Ten battle for Paul Bunyan's Axe. Minnesota (6-5, 4-4) lost to No. 4 Penn State 26-25. Wisconsin (5-6, 3-5 Big Ten) lost its fourth straight, 44-25, at Nebraska in a game that was not as close as the score. "Well 1890 is the first time we played this football team coming up and this is what it's all about," Minnesota coach P.J. Fleck said of the rivalry. "And you wouldn't want to have it any other way, being able to end the season with one of your biggest rivals. I know our guys will be ready to go, ready to play." Wisconsin has 22 consecutive winning seasons since going 5-7 under Barry Alvarez in 2001, the longest active streak among Power 4 teams. The Badgers also have played in a bowl game in each of the last 22 seasons, the longest active streak in the Big Ten and third-longest in FBS. Wisconsin coach Luke Fickell is more concerned with the rivalry game than the winning season and bowl streaks. "I'm not downplaying it, I'm not saying it's not important, I'm not saying it's another thing that's on our plate," Fickell said Monday. "But when it gets down to this last week, it's about one thing, it's about the rivalry. It's about preparing to play in the most important game of the year." The Gophers have dropped their last two games after winning four in a row. Minnesota averages 26.6 points per game, while allowing 18.5, 15th-best in the country. Max Brosmer has completed 67 percent of his passes for 221 per game with 15 touchdowns and five interceptions. Daniel Jackson is the top target with 69 catches for 802 yards and three scores, and Darius Taylor is the top rusher with 730 yards at 4.8 per carry with nine touchdowns. One week after leading Oregon after three quarters, the Wisconsin defense was shredded for 473 yards and five touchdowns by Nebraska. Braedyn Locke, who took over at quarterback when Tyler Van Dyke suffered an early season-ending knee injury, has thrown at least one interception in eight consecutive games. Locke has completed 56.4 percent of his passes for 180.6 yards per game, with 12 touchdowns and 10 picks. Tawee Walker is the leading rusher with 828 yards at 4.7 per carry with 10 touchdowns. He has failed to reach 60 yards in three of the last four games. Former Wisconsin and NFL standout JJ Watt posted on social media his assessment - and frustration - with the Badgers after the Nebraska game. "Losing happens, it's part of the game. Hearing announcers talk about how much tougher and more physical Nebraska & Iowa are while getting blown out ... that's the issue," Watt wrote on X. "We are Wisconsin. Physicality, running game, great O-Line and great defense. That is our identity." Wisconsin defeated the Gophers 28-14 last after Minnesota had won the previous two meetings. The Badgers have won 7 of the last 10 and lead the storied series 63-62-8. --Field Level Media

Over one-third of shoppers aged 18-34 have encountered fraud when seeking to buy a product they saw advertised on social media "Scams can happen to anyone, which is why it's important to stay vigilant during key moments like the holiday shopping season,” said Penny Lee, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Financial Technology Association . "Our annual national campaign provides consumers with simple steps to protect their payments and be Smarter Than Scams.” "Millions of Americans use Cash App daily to manage their financial lives securely and responsibly,” said Brian Boates, Science Lead at Block , who oversees machine learning, artificial intelligence, and data science at the company. "Given the increasing rate and complexity of scams, and the evolving tactics of malicious actors, Cash App adopts a multifaceted strategy to effectively combat scams and safeguard its customers - and this starts with education. We're excited to continue working with our peers in the industry through efforts like Smarter Than Scams to empower consumers with the knowledge and tools they need to protect their finances." "Approximately a quarter of the world's digital commerce is powered by PayPal and Venmo each year reflecting that our brands are a trusted choice for consumers,” said Aaron J. Webster, Global Chief Risk Officer at PayPal. "PayPal and Venmo do not tolerate fraudulent activity on our platforms. We leverage industry-leading fraud prevention and detection models, strategies, and tools to proactively identify and stop bad actors. We are proud to partner with the Financial Technology Association on Smarter Than Scams and will continue to demonstrate our leadership by empowering consumers with the education and innovative real-time transaction insights needed to avoid common scams and fraud.” FTA's national "Smarter Than Scams” campaign brings awareness to the most common scams consumers face during the holiday season, such as charity, gift card, imposter, invoicing, pet deposit, phishing, and romance scams. The campaign outlines key steps consumers can take to protect themselves: For more information about the common payment scams during the holiday season and how Cash App, PayPal, and Venmo work to protect consumers to transact safely, visit SmarterThanScams.com . About Financial Technology Association (FTA): The Financial Technology Association (FTA) is a Washington, DC-based trade association representing industry leaders shaping the future of finance. We champion the power of technology-centered financial services and advocate for the modernization of financial regulation to support inclusion and responsible innovation. About D S Simon Media: The firm is well known as a leader in the satellite media tour industry and produces tours from its studio and multiple control rooms at its New York headquarters. Clients include top brands in healthcare, technology, travel, financial services, consumer goods, entertainment, retail and non-profits. Established in 1986 the firm has won more than 100 industry awards. About YourUpdateTV: YourUpdateTV is a property of D S Simon Media. The video included and release was part of a media tour that was produced by D S Simon Media on behalf of Financial Technology Association (FTA). Dante Muccigrosso Director of Media Integration & Client Reporting E: [email protected] C: 973.524.0104 A video accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/3f84529d-17be-4847-a278-00e436ec30ea

BOARDWALKTECH REPORTS SECOND QUARTER FISCAL 2025 FINANCIAL RESULTS

Nikolay Tsuguliev/iStock via Getty Images While canoes typically float, the stock price for Canoo Inc. ( NASDAQ: GOEV ) has been sinking since December 2020. In this article, I discuss Canoo’s declining fundamentals, lackluster valuation, and negative sentiment. These factors tell a story of consistent underperformance Analyst’s Disclosure: I/we have a beneficial long position in the shares of TSLA either through stock ownership, options, or other derivatives. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article. Seeking Alpha's Disclosure: Past performance is no guarantee of future results. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. Any views or opinions expressed above may not reflect those of Seeking Alpha as a whole. Seeking Alpha is not a licensed securities dealer, broker or US investment adviser or investment bank. Our analysts are third party authors that include both professional investors and individual investors who may not be licensed or certified by any institute or regulatory body.What a great year for wearables 2024 has been. Don’t believe me? We’ve had three standout products this year. One has individually broken new ground, an established product line has been refined so it’s close to perfect, and another has driven other brands to muscle in on its success. Let’s talk about each one in turn, why they all complement each other really well, and how there has never been a better time for wearables. Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses Many have tried to get the smart glasses formula right over the years, but none have come even close to Meta’s success with the Ray-Ban Meta . What it took was not only key technological advances, but forethought in design, as its extensive budget and reach allowed it to partner with eyewear megacorporation Luxxotica and, in turn, use the Ray-Ban name and base its smart glasses on the ever-popular Wayfarer frames. Wayfarers are instantly recognizable and suit a lot of faces, which helped introduce the idea of smart glasses to more people, who could then actually go into a retail store and try them on. That’s a really big deal. Are they comfortable? I’m wearing them as I write this, and I wore them all day yesterday, too. While they’re not as light as my normal glasses, they’re not far off, and I soon got used to the feel of them on my face. Fatigue has not been a problem after the break-in period. My prescription lenses allow me to wear them all the time , but I wouldn’t be able to do it at all if they were uncomfortable or too heavy. I also wouldn’t wear them if I felt they didn’t look very good, but apart from being quite a bold statement on my face, I think they look great. I’ve already talked about how much fun the camera can be , but the other feature I use often is the speakers . I love listening to podcasts while I do other things, and sometimes earbuds aren’t convenient, or I don’t have them on hand. The Ray-Ban Meta’s speakers are discreet, the connection with my phone is completely stable, and the sound is perfect for spoken words. It’s a superb feature I use almost every time I wear the smart glasses. It has taken years to get to this point, and while I’m slightly concerned about where smart glasses are headed next , it’s fantastic to have a pair to immediately recommend if someone is interested in getting started with the technology. Apple Watch Series 10 It’s so easy to pass the Apple Watch Series 10 off as just another incremental update, but this is a shortsighted and entirely dismissive way of looking at it. What Apple has done is refine its established and already excellent smartwatch so it has become supremely wearable all day long. The combination of sliminess, lightness, and the curved case means it essentially disappears on your wrist. No other smartwatch comes close to matching it. Since its release, I’ve been wearing the titanium version and absolutely love it. There is enough of a difference between it and the aluminum version to mostly justify the price difference, but the real revelation for me is the fantastic Milanese Loop band. It’s worth every penny of its price, with almost unparalleled comfort, complete adjustability, and a wonderfully classy style. It’s the all-around band to buy regardless of the Apple Watch’s case material. With the Milanese Loop band attached to the titanium case, as well as the watch’s cascading screen and the beautiful Reflections watch face, the Apple Watch Series 10 feels genuinely luxurious and special. I’ve enjoyed wearing it more than any previous Apple Watch. That’s all without discussing watchOS, which, once I fixed an annoying feature issue I had with it , has been reliable, fast to respond to, and easy to use. Apple’s refinements have elevated the Apple Watch beyond other smartwatches, and it’s now a watch I choose to wear , just like my mechanical watches. Oura Ring 4 I’ve worn an Oura Ring all year , making it the wearable I’ve used most in 2024, and I’m a total advocate for the smart ring. The app provides deep insight into your well-being, sleep, and daily movement. Data is easy to understand and never appears overwhelming or dense. This friendly approach makes the Oura Ring feel like it’s working with you, which is crucial if you’re going to wear it all the time. This year has seen the RingConn Gen 2 and the Samsung Galaxy Ring challenge the Oura Ring’s supremacy, but neither has quite toppled it. The RingConn Gen 2’s fit and design are real winners, and the way the Galaxy Ring works with a Galaxy Watch is an ingenious way of encouraging you to wear both. I love how Oura has invigorated others to make their own competing products, and as neither of the top two challengers needs a subscription, it makes them more accessible to more people than the Oura Ring. That’s excellent . I’m currently wearing the Oura Ring 4, but I do think if you have the chance to pick up a third-generation Oura Ring before they all disappear, then you definitely should. It’ll be yours for less money, provide almost the same level of functionality, and use the same app. I actually think the design and fit are just as good as the Oura Ring 4, too. It has been a great year for smart rings, with several companies now offering products worth buying, and I’m really excited to see what comes next in 2025. Wear them all That’s three brilliant wearables that have each driven the segment forward in 2024. You can buy all three and be safe in the knowledge that each does something different and enhances your life in a uniqueway, with barely any compromises. I’m not sure we’ve been at this point ever before. Smartwatches, smart rings, and smart glasses have all reached the point where they’re small, light, attractive, durable, reliable, and useful enough to be worn all the time. I regularly wear all three together, and while that sounds like a lot of wearable tech (it is), it never looks like I’m covered in tech. Good design is progressing at the same rate as technology, and the days when wearables were big, ugly, and poorly designed have mostly passed. All this has made 2024 a fantastic year for wearables, and while there has never been a better time to get involved, I am really keen to see what comes in 2025. If this is where we’re at now , I’m looking forward to seeing what all these products, and the others that will surely arrive, will be like this time next year.

The Indigenous ancestry of the Métis Nation of Ontario’s (MNO) chair is being brought into question. While currently on leave as he deals with health issues, reports provided to MidlandToday suggest Hank Rowlinson doesn’t have any actual First Nation, Métis or Inuit blood. Rowlinson, who grew up in Sault Ste. Marie and now lives with his wife in Sudbury, says these allegations are false and that he has hired an investigator to track down the perpetrators. “It’s a drive-by smear campaign,” Rowlinson tells MidlandToday during a phone interview. “It’s not the first time. I’m just the flavour of the month they’re going after. Somebody started with false information and it’s like everything — it snowballs.” Last month, “expert genealogist” Cindy Cook sent MidlandToday a family tree and other documentation that she says shows that Rowlinson has no Indigenous roots. “I have thoroughly vetted this information,” she says. “I live where the chair of the MNO was raised and know his family and know that he is in no way Aboriginal.” In a social media post, Indigenous activist Crystal Semaganis says she and Rowlinson have many common friends and he is, by all accounts, a “popular” guy. “Everyone figures that because he is chair of the Métis Nation of Ontario and you’ve seen him at recent events like the MNO’s Annual Grifters Assembly . . . I mean AGA . . . everyone is going to assume this man is Métis. “He is not, not one drop of FNMI blood -- like the majority of the MNO is . . . not even Métis.” Semaganis says her organization, the Ghost Warrior Society, estimates that only 15 per cent of MNO members “are actually Red River. Forty per cent are non-status descendants of a First Nation, and the rest are straight-up settlers like Henry here.” When it comes to Rowlinson, Semaganis says an ancestry profile shows that his father was Serbian and there are no Indigenous descendants on his mother’s side. “Shake that tree as hard as you want, and nothing but settlers falls out of that tree.” But Rowlinson says those raising concerns don’t have the proper information regarding his ancestry. “My great-grandmother and great-grandfather hail from Manitoba. That’s where I get my Métis ancestry from. They got scrip,” he says, noting Alfred Oliver Roy and Kathy Amandière (sp.) were from St. Norbert, Man. “If they had the proper information on my ancestry and know the history of my family, they would obviously not be targeting me.” Rowlinson says he’s satisfied the citizen requirements of the MNO and that “I’ve proven myself through a third-party registry, Know History.” Once his investigator tracks down the names and addresses of those who are saying he’s not Métis, Rowlinson says his lawyer will file a “libel, slander and defamation lawsuit against everybody involved.” Rowlinson says the MNO takes ensuring the legitimacy of its registry seriously. “With the Métis Nation of Ontario, we have a third-party registrar. There’s no political interference. We’ve just gone through an in-depth review of everybody’s file.” Rowlinson says he doesn’t understand why the MNO is being targeted by various groups, including the Manitoba Métis Federation and Chiefs of Ontario, which held a conference highlighting what it sees as Indigenous identity fraud earlier this year. Adds Rowlinson: “If they had the education (they wouldn’t). You can’t change the facts of history.” Semaganis, meanwhile, is irked that the MNO continues to receive large amounts of annual funding since it’s “tight with (Premier) Doug Ford to keep the money train going. Disgusting.” The MNO receives close to $150 million in annual funding from the provincial and federal governments, something that upsets Semaganis, who is originally from Saskatchewan but now lives in Ontario. “They have more funding and programs, post-secondary education dollars than a Status Indian does in Ontario and probably more than any in Canada.” Until recently, the Ghost Warrior Society listed people across the country, who it determined weren’t actually Indigenous. It still offers resources for those looking to uncover what it calls ‘Pretendians’ along with a cartoon bear video . On its website, the MNO notes that Rowlinson has more than 25 years of full-time experience working various roles within the MNO. “A steadfast advocate for the Métis, Hank brings commitment, experience and determination that is needed as we enter into an era of self-government,” the MNO notes. “Respecting our statement of prime purpose, Hank believes that the way forward needs to be one of hope, optimism and vigilance and that we must be united to overcome barriers that may stand in our way.” Last year, the MNO featured 19 people on the province‘s so-called Sunshine List , with Rowlinson receiving $120,800 in compensation.None

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The Carolina Panthers can breathe a sigh of relief knowing that they possess their first-round pick in 2025, and at 3-9, they'll need to use it well. In his latest mock , SportingNews.com's Vinnie Iyer has the Panthers taking a potential defensive superstar at No. 5 overall. Penn State edge rusher Abdul Carter is the type of player who could change his team's identity. He's a game-wrecker , with 10 sacks on the 2024 season and 20 tackles for a loss, as well as a pair of forced fumbles. Carter is the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year and a finalist for the Chuck Bednarik Award, which is given to the nation's best defensive player. In Iyer's mock, he's the second defensive player off the board behind only Michigan's Mason Graham. The Panthers have many team needs, but given the recent improvement of second-year QB Bryce Young, it seems likely that quarterback won't be one of them this draft. The easiest way to build a strong squad around a young signal-caller is often through prioritizing defense, that way the offense isn't playing catch-up as often. Carter could significantly speed up the Panthers' rebuild if he emerges into a star at the NFL level. Carolina will have to simply hope he's available.

Edmunds: Five dream-worthy vehicles you wish you got for the holidaysInstagram slammed for self-harm networks contributing to rising suicide rates