8k8 jilibay
2025-01-10   

8k8 jilibay Former US president Jimmy Carter dies aged 100Same glitz and glamour for the Las Vegas Grand Prix, and perhaps another Verstappen championship

BEND, OREGON (AP) — Eliza Wilson is a little nervous as she draws the microphone close, but she is determined to share her life story. “My father was a disabled veteran,” she says. “I first experienced homelessness when I was 5 years old.” Wilson, who’s 36, leads programs focused on unhoused youth. On a recent Saturday, she is addressing a citizen assembly, a grassroots gathering seeking solutions to tough local challenges. Her audience consists of 30 ordinary Oregonians. They are acupuncturists and elk hunters; house cleaners and retired riverboat pilots. None are public policy experts. All the same, these participants have been asked to recommend new strategies for combating youth homelessness — a major problem in this affluent Oregon city and the surrounding rural areas of Deschutes County. This unusual experiment in small-D democracy is underwritten by more than $250,000 in grants from backers such as the Rockefeller Foundation and Omidyar Network. As a key early presenter, Wilson wins rapt attention, clicking through data-rich slides and sharing her story of crisis and recovery. That’s how citizen assemblies should work, says Kevin O’Neil, an innovation specialist at the Rockefeller Foundation. His research shows Americans are frustrated with what they perceive as aloofness and gridlock within civic institutions. “People want to be directly involved in decision-making,” O’Neil says. “They recognize the value of expertise, but they don’t want to delegate decision-making to experts.” RELATED COVERAGE Soros’ Open Society Foundations say they remain focused on human rights GivingTuesday estimates $3.6B was donated this year, an increase from 2023 How an Irish YouTuber turned a niche following into millions for charities with holiday livestreams Assemblies can help “overcome polarization and strengthen societal cohesion,” says Claudia Chwalisz, founder of DemocracyNext . Her nonprofit, launched in Paris in 2022, champions such assemblies worldwide, hoping they can “create the democratic spaces for everyday people to grapple with the complexity of policy issues, listen to one another, and find common ground.” At least, that’s the theory. To succeed, citizen assemblies can’t settle for a few days of harmonious dialogue among well-intentioned strangers. They need to inspire policy changes or new programs from government and other civic institutions. In Europe, such wins abound. In the United States, results are spottier. The most fruitful U.S. effort to date was a 2021 people’s assembly in Washington State that produced 148 ideas — including more solar canopies and food composting — to combat climate change. More often, progress is challenging. An assembly in 2022 in Petaluma, California, spun up ideas to repurpose a long-time county fairground site. Two years later, the fair still operates under short-term leases; its long-term destiny remains in limbo. In Colorado’s Montrose County , enacting an assembly’s bold ideas for improving rural day care has been “more of a marathon than a sprint,” says organizer Morgan Lasher. Can central Oregon do better? It may take years to know, but evidence so far shows both the assembly system’s opportunities and the challenges. Bend’s local economy is strong, with a jobless rate of just 4.2% and median household income of more than $80,000. As housing costs have skyrocketed, though, the spectacle of people living in tent and trailer encampments has become more common. A January count found more than 1,800 people were homeless in Deschutes County, up from 913 in 2020. In 2023, DemocracyNext and Healthy Democracy , a Portland, Oregon, nonprofit, connected with Bend officials interested in bringing the assembly idea to central Oregon. Josh Burgess, an Air Force veteran, who moved to Bend and became the proverbial “advance man” for DemocracyNext. Operating in a county evenly divided between Democrats and Republicans, Burgess built rapport with both liberal and conservative members on the Deschutes County Board of Commissioners. “It took four or five meetings to get there,” Burgess recalls. Organizers decided to focus on homelessness among ages 14 to 24, where opportunities for progress seemed greatest. To pick citizens for the assembly, organizers contacted 12,000 county residents before selecting just 30. Everything was balanced by age, race, gender, and geography – a slow, costly requirement. Even so, advocates such as Michelle Barsa of Omidyar Network says assemblies’ big edge comes from using “an actual representative sample of the community, not just the people who always show up at town-hall meetings and yell into a microphone for three minutes.” At the northern edge of Oregon State’s Bend campus, a few hundred yards from the Deschutes River, is the McGrath Family atrium, a sunlight-drenched space with panoramic woodland views. It feels almost like a spa. As the Bend assembly gets started, black tablecloths at a huge, U-shaped table convey gravity. Name tags identify attendees as “Noelle,” “Dave,” “Alex.” The first few hours go slowly, but everything perks up after lunch. Eliza Wilson takes command, introducing herself as director of runaway and homeless youth services at J Bar J , a social-services organization. Her voice is unfailingly steady, but emotions race fast across her face: hope, frustration, empathy, resolve, and more. “Teens get really good at hiding their homelessness,” Wilson explains. “We don’t share family business outside of the family. I was really fortunate that a high-school counselor pointed me, at age 15, to the first youth shelter that had just opened in Bend. I stayed there for three years, until I graduated from high school. I finally got on my feet at age 21.” As Wilson finishes, questions stream in. “Are there any programs advocating for children to get back to their parents?” one woman wants to know. “Is there open communication between you guys and the school district?” a man asks. Wilson and other presenters respond with a road map of what exists today. They point out how homeless youth are in a precarious but not hopeless situation, counting on allies for a couch to sleep on. Less than 20 percent live outside in encampments. Practically everyone in the audience takes notes. The next day, assembly members strike up conversations with young adults who were once homeless. Chronic problems — and glimmers of ideas about how to address them — tumble forth. Flaws in the foster parent system. The risk of sexual abuse. The unique challenges that LGBTQ youth face. Attendees — who shared their thoughts with the Chronicle on the condition they be identified only by their first name — regarded those conversations as eye-opening breakthroughs in their hunt for policy recommendations. “I’m coming away with a whole different point of view,” Ken told me. He had arrived believing that poor parenting and drug abuse led to homelessness, and that affected families should personally address such challenges. Now, he said, he was interested in broader solutions. Several local officials stopped by to watch the assembly proceedings. Phil Chang, a Deschutes County commissioner, said the broad-based assembly creates “social license for us to do things that the community wants.” Conservative county commissioner Tony DeBone worries that Oregon’s rollback of drug-offense laws has worsened social problems; he also believes that an economic upturn would do the most good. Still, he says, he’s willing to see what the assembly can offer. Ultimately, the assembly’s effectiveness will depend on whether its recommendations can overcome bureaucratic inertia, says Tammy Baney, executive director of the Central Oregon Intergovernmental Council . Proposed changes in police interactions with homeless youth could be acted on within a month or two if local law enforcement is receptive, she says. Improving Oregon’s gridlocked foster-care system might be much harder. “It all depends on how much political will there is,” Baney says. _____ George Anders is editor-at-large at the Chronicle of Philanthropy, where you can read the full article . This article was provided to The Associated Press by the Chronicle of Philanthropy as part of a partnership to cover philanthropy and nonprofits supported by the Lilly Endowment. The Chronicle is solely responsible for the content. For all of AP’s philanthropy coverage, visit https://apnews.com/hub/philanthropy .

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Donald Trump is returning to the world stage. So is his trolling'Democracy and freedom': Jimmy Carter's human rights efforts in Latin America

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 FlyerNoneThe Ravens waived veteran safety Eddie Jackson Saturday, less than a week after he didn't make the trip to Pittsburgh.

Same glitz and glamour for the Las Vegas Grand Prix, and perhaps another Verstappen championshipROSEN, TOP RANKED INVESTOR COUNSEL, Encourages Unisys Corporation Investors to Inquire About Securities Class Action Investigation - UISBristol Motor Speedway team members, with help from their mischievous mascots Bump and Run, unveiled the official MLB Speedway Classic countdown clock that is clicking down the days, hours and minutes until the ceremonial first pitch is thrown out on August, 2, 2025 and play gets started in the historic Major League Baseball game featuring the Cincinnati Reds and Atlanta Braves at BMS. For social media enthusiasts, baseball fans and ticketholders who would like to grab a selfie with the new clock, The MLB Speedway Classic Countdown Clock is located at BMS Entrance 1 just off Volunteer Parkway next to the It’s Bristol Baby! monument. Sports fans will need to hustle on over to MLB.com/SpeedwayClassic if they want to be a part of the historic national regular season game between the Atlanta Braves and Cincinnati Reds that will be played at iconic Bristol Motor Speedway on Saturday, August 2, 2025 at 7 p.m. (ET). The game at The World’s Fastest Half-Mile will be the first American or National League game ever played in the Volunteer state. Tennessee becomes the fifth different state across the United States to host an MLB game for the first time since 2016. General public tickets for the MLB Speedway Classic presented by BuildSubmarines.com are available for purchase by visiting MLB.com/SpeedwayClassic. A maximum of eight tickets are allowed per order and all ticket sales will be conducted online. All tickets will be delivered digitally and available on mobile devices through the MLB Ballpark app and the Ticketmaster app. *** The NAPA AUTO PARTS Atlantic City Indoor Race is more than just a race, it’s an event. This January 31 and February 1, the connection between the racing and the after party, will be stronger than ever. Thanks to support from The West at Caesars Atlantic City (formerly Wild Wild West) and the Atlantic City Sports Commission, the TQ Midget winner’s share on both Friday and Saturday night will be increased by $1,500. “The Atlantic City races are special, everytime I walk into the arena on race weekend I get goosebumps, the building has so much history and over the past 20 years we have made history of our own,” stated event promoter Len Sammons. The Atlantic City Indoor Races, are held annually the last weekend in January, inside famous Boardwalk Hall, located right on the inconic boardwalk and steps away from the casinos and resorts that have made the town famous. In 2025, the ‘Race Hard, Play Hard’ post-event parties will help to raise the stakes for the winner of Friday and Saturday night’s TQ Midget A-Main. Should a driver sweep the weekend, the winner’s will exceed $10,000. “Starting in 2025, the race winner of Friday and Saturday night will not only go on stage at The West, but they will both be presented with a $1,500 bonus check as well.” The lively hub of nightlife during race weekend is only a two minute walk away at Caesars Atlantic City. The West at Caesars features live music, casino gaming, beer pong, sports betting, bull riding, arcade games, and much more. Tickets for the event are on sale now via Ticketmaster and the Boardwalk Hall box office.In addition to the high-speed TQ Midgets—purpose-built race cars powered by 750cc motorcycle engines—three support divisions will also race: Slingshots, Champ Karts and Dirt 600 Micro Sprints. Family-Friendly Pricing: Tickets start at just $20 for adults, with general admission for children available for only $5 on the day of the event. Premium front-row seating and reserved seats are also available for an additional fee. Pricing excludes facility and ticketing fees. Fans can enjoy an exclusive pre-race FanFest on the arena floor, where lower-level reserved ticket holders can walk the track and meet their favorite drivers before Saturday night’s race. The 2005 Indoor Auto Racing Series opens with a two-day show inside Allentown, PA’s PPL Center on Friday and Saturday, January 4th and 5th. The stars will then head to Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, NJ. The series will conclude its season on a clay oval at the CURE Insurance Arena in Trenton, NJ, on February 21 and 22. For more information about the Indoor Auto Racing Series, including hotel deals at nearby casinos and hotels, racer rules, and entry forms, visit IndoorAutoRacing.com. *** Driving 101, which operates the NASCAR Racing Experience, the leader in authentic NASCAR driving experiences, is thrilled to unveil its highly anticipated 2025 schedule. Race fans across the country can now plan their NASCAR dream experience with the release of dates at 17 premier speedways nationwide, including iconic tracks like Daytona International Speedway, Talladega Superspeedway, and Charlotte Motor Speedway. The 2025 schedule kicks off in January and runs through December, offering fans more opportunities than ever before to take the wheel of a real NASCAR race car. Whether fans are looking to fulfill a lifelong racing dream or searching for the perfect gift for the adrenaline junkie in their life, this experience puts fans in the driver’s seat to feel the thrill of NASCAR firsthand. With 17 locations on the calendar, NASCAR Racing Experience continues to expand its reach, giving fans coast to coast the opportunity to drive on the same tracks where NASCAR legends have raced. Spots are limited at each speedway, so early booking is highly encouraged. For the full 2025 schedule, pricing, and booking details, visit www.NASCARRacingExperience.com. About NASCAR Racing Experience: NASCAR Racing Experience is the leading experiential racing company in North America, offering the most realistic racing programs available to motorsports fans nationwide. There’s no lead car to follow and drivers race without an instructor alongside. The drivers compete in real NASCAR race cars driven by NASCAR drivers including Joey Logano, Christopher Bell, Denny Hamlin, Michael McDowell, Ty Gibbs and Corey Lajoie, among others. Reservations can be made at www.NASCARRacingExperience.com. Gift Cards are available for any amount and never expire. The customer service department is available seven days a week. NASCAR Racing Experience programs are conducted at 17 race tracks across the United States and offer a vast array of corporate outings and motorsports themed events. For more information call 704-886-2400 or visit www.NASCARRacingExperience.com *** Following a successful meeting with its race teams, the USAC East Coast Sprint Cars are poised to continue bringing the excitement and thrills of non-wing sprint car competition to race tracks in the Northeastern United States for the 2025 season...and beyond. A solid turnout of competitors and their car owners and crews were in place for a recent meeting that focused on the series structure and rules, and now the focus of attention shifts to off-season motorsports shows and the building of a 2025 season schedule. “We’re very close to completing the 2025 season schedule,” said USAC East Coast Sprint Cars President Ed Aikin. “We’re anticipating somewhere in the neighborhood of 20 races for the season, and based on what we heard at our first competitor meeting, we’re expecting a solid field of cars to follow the series next season. Our race teams gave us some great feedback at the competitor meeting, and cars are already being prepared for racing. It’s good to see this level of excitement before the first green flag flies for 2025!” The series schedule is expected to be released prior to the Motorsports 2025 event in Oaks, PA on January 24th and 25th, where the USAC East Coast Sprint Cars will have a booth and display as one of a few scheduled motorsports show appearances for the USAC East Coast Sprint Cars in the off-season. “Motorsports is always one of the biggest gatherings for race fans and racers during the winter months, and we’re happy to be able to be a part of it,” stated Aikin. “We’re also going to be a part of the annual Racing Xtravaganza show in York, PA and may make some other appearances in the region during the off-season months.” The series has retained the services of motorsports announcer and PR person “Cowboy” Paul Szmal for the 2025 season. “I had a chance to call some USAC non-wing shows when I lived in the Midwest and I was hooked,” said Szmal. “I’m looking forward to calling the action in 2025 for the series, as well as introducing fans to the drivers in a way that they’ll be more than just a person wearing a firesuit and helmet.” The USAC East Coast Sprint Cars official web site (http://usaceastcoastsprintcars.myracepass.com) will continue to serve as a source of information for fans and racers alike. For further information on the USAC East Coast Sprint Cars for 2025, please contact Paul Szmal at (315) 759-0176 or via email at drwho941@yahoo.com *** The 2025 Kubota High Limit Racing schedule has been finalized with 61 events planned at 36 unique facilities across 20 states for the second-year national sprint car series. The 2025 campaign is once again headlined by a trio of six-figure paydays between the Joker’s Jackpot at Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio on July 16-17, the 71st Gold Cup Race of Champions at Silver Dollar Speedway in Chico, California on August 21-23, and the Skagit Nationals at Skagit Speedway in Burlington, Washington on August 28-30. Pennsylvania’s Port Royal Speedway, AKA “The Speed Palace,” will remain a staple on the Kubota High Limit Racing calendar with the Bob Weikert Memorial expanding to a three-day event on May 23-25 and the 58th edition of the famed Tuscarora 50 continuing on September 4-6. New in 2025 – in fitting fashion – Kubota High Limit Racing will shift the season-opening event to “The Entertainment Capital of the World,” bringing Sprint Cars back to The Dirt Track at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on NASCAR weekend. The Nevada 1/2-mile will host races on Thursday, March 13 and Saturday, March 15, culminating in a $25,000-to-win finale.

Every so often, small business owners south of Sydney begin their day cleaning up human faeces. Login or signup to continue reading It's an odorous reminder of Port Kembla's dire need for a main street public toilet. "It's a fairly regular basis," local chamber of commerce president Greg Rodgers tells AAP. "When businesses are asking me how things are progressing with getting a toilet, they say they're having ongoing issues, sometimes multiple times a week - people urinating, defecating in the public areas." Those desperate for relief can ask the pub or restaurants - or walk two kilometres to the beach if it's both daylight and surf lifesaving season. But it's hardly an option for all abilities or all hours, hampering dozens of new businesses and families helping revive the industrial town. "Are people going to say 'we'll check out this new area - shame, I have to pee in the park'?" Mr Rodgers wonders. The six-year battle for a public loo in Port Kembla illustrates Australia's inconsistent lavatory landscape, with accessibility, safety and availability varying widely. Standards do not address existing social norms - such as parenting and gender - nor are they able to reflect the gamut of human experience, or even respond to the variety of wheelchair users, a recent Churchill fellow found . Standards also do not apply to existing buildings, leaving people resorting to dank decades-old facilities or holding on in hope of something better down the road. "With very few exceptions, they're not very well designed," design expert Christian Tietz tells AAP. "The general look and feel is really one of bare necessity and extremely function focused. "It's really sort of addressing the lowest common denominator." But it shouldn't be so, the senior lecturer in UNSW's Faculty of the Built Environment says. Toilets set the tone for public behaviour, expectations and conduct, he says. Facilities that show respect and offer an opportunity to refresh and revive will result in people carrying that through their other interactions with a town. "But if I go in somewhere and it's got blue lighting, it doesn't work, and I feel like I'm being treated like a criminal ... then that sets the tone for that locality and I come out feeling accordingly," Dr Tietz says "The toilet is a place where you can make an impression - it's also place where we are more or less equal, right?" He rejects counter arguments based on cost and vandalism, saying loos could be durable, highly frequented and visually appealing. Australia's 23,000 public and private public bathrooms could be even more, with power points to charge phones, benches to rest and external wash basins for non-toileting matters such as rinsing fruit. Increasing interaction with the facilities would also promote personal safety, he said. Dr Tietz's recognition that loos can be more than just places for ones and twos is well supported. Visionary architects in one Tokyo district recently led the redesign of 17 accessible public bathrooms , resulting in rooms shaped like a spacecraft and another like a squid in a wider octopus park. Sydney's Inner City Legal Centre in October called on NSW to recognise public toilets as an essential private space that allows for changing clothes after exercise or spilling food, cleaning children and nappies or as 'wind-down' spaces. The Australian College of Road Safety meanwhile suggests improvements to highway rest area public toilets could enhance initiatives to ensure motorists take regular rest breaks. It notes some rest areas lack public toilets and those that do have them may discourage use due to a lack of flushing toilets or potable water. Women truck drivers also face difficulty accessing equitable facilities, as do the 5.5 million Australians with a disability. Sanitary bins are not compulsory in men's toilets, the Country Women's Association points out, compromising the dignity and ability of older men to manage their health needs while using public spaces. And any women attending a large event knows queuing for bathrooms is an experience far more infrequent for men. One answer meets many of those concerns however - universal design principles in bathrooms. They're designed for everyone, with single cubicles with a basin, a full-height door that opens out onto public space as well as change facilities. Medical doctor Amanda Cohn led the charge to revamp her regional city's restrooms to factor in universal design principles and is investigating the potential for wider rollout. The Albury-based MP is chairing a NSW inquiry into public toilets encompassing topics of design, minimum standards and international best practice. "(With universal design) you're designing out the old-fashioned narrow, winding corridor where there's a hidden, shared space - that's really where a lot of the inaccessibility and the danger of public toilets comes from," she tells AAP. "For a surprising number of people, the provision of public toilets actually impacts their decisions about whether or not to visit a town or go to an event. "It actually impacts people's participation in community life. "And for people whose lives are impacted by this every day, this inquiry is a really incredible opportunity for their voices to be heard." Those include the voices of people with disabilities or chronic medical conditions, people who are trans or gender diverse and parents with young children. One member of the public has also demanded an end to the 'prison look' in some older facilities. "Those cold metal seats make taking a potty-trained child to the park horrible," one submission says. The inquiry, which is receiving submissions until December 2 , will also examine maintenance. That touches a concern some people have raised to previous inquiries about using non-gender-segregated bathrooms. Albury City Council noted its 10-year public toilet strategy and redevelopment drive had increased maintenance costs by up to $100,000 per year. But shouldering those costs had been prioritised, the council said. It's an argument Greg Rodgers hopes the local government for Port Kembla can also get behind as he underlines the benefit a best-practice toilet would deliver community and business. "Costs shouldn't be an issue - we shouldn't have to expect the pub to be the only available option," he says. "There are so many things that branch from having a good access to a toilet." Australian Associated Press DAILY Today's top stories curated by our news team. Also includes evening update. WEEKDAYS Grab a quick bite of today's latest news from around the region and the nation. 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SHAREHOLDER ALERT: Pomerantz Law Firm Investigates Claims On Behalf of Investors of Macy's, Inc. - MNeal Maupay: Whenever I’m having a bad day I check Everton score and smileSame glitz and glamour for the Las Vegas Grand Prix, and perhaps another Verstappen championship

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BEND, OREGON (AP) — Eliza Wilson is a little nervous as she draws the microphone close, but she is determined to share her life story. “My father was a disabled veteran,” she says. “I first experienced homelessness when I was 5 years old.” Wilson, who’s 36, leads programs focused on unhoused youth. On a recent Saturday, she is addressing a citizen assembly, a grassroots gathering seeking solutions to tough local challenges. Her audience consists of 30 ordinary Oregonians. They are acupuncturists and elk hunters; house cleaners and retired riverboat pilots. None are public policy experts. All the same, these participants have been asked to recommend new strategies for combating youth homelessness — a major problem in this affluent Oregon city and the surrounding rural areas of Deschutes County. This unusual experiment in small-D democracy is underwritten by more than $250,000 in grants from backers such as the Rockefeller Foundation and Omidyar Network. As a key early presenter, Wilson wins rapt attention, clicking through data-rich slides and sharing her story of crisis and recovery. That’s how citizen assemblies should work, says Kevin O’Neil, an innovation specialist at the Rockefeller Foundation. His research shows Americans are frustrated with what they perceive as aloofness and gridlock within civic institutions. “People want to be directly involved in decision-making,” O’Neil says. “They recognize the value of expertise, but they don’t want to delegate decision-making to experts.” Assemblies can help “overcome polarization and strengthen societal cohesion,” says Claudia Chwalisz, founder of DemocracyNext . Her nonprofit, launched in Paris in 2022, champions such assemblies worldwide, hoping they can “create the democratic spaces for everyday people to grapple with the complexity of policy issues, listen to one another, and find common ground.” At least, that’s the theory. To succeed, citizen assemblies can’t settle for a few days of harmonious dialogue among well-intentioned strangers. They need to inspire policy changes or new programs from government and other civic institutions. In Europe, such wins abound. In the United States, results are spottier. The most fruitful U.S. effort to date was a 2021 people’s assembly in Washington State that produced 148 ideas — including more solar canopies and food composting — to combat climate change. More often, progress is challenging. An assembly in 2022 in Petaluma, California, spun up ideas to repurpose a long-time county fairground site. Two years later, the fair still operates under short-term leases; its long-term destiny remains in limbo. In Colorado’s Montrose County , enacting an assembly’s bold ideas for improving rural day care has been “more of a marathon than a sprint,” says organizer Morgan Lasher. Can central Oregon do better? It may take years to know, but evidence so far shows both the assembly system’s opportunities and the challenges. Bend’s local economy is strong, with a jobless rate of just 4.2% and median household income of more than $80,000. As housing costs have skyrocketed, though, the spectacle of people living in tent and trailer encampments has become more common. A January count found more than 1,800 people were homeless in Deschutes County, up from 913 in 2020. In 2023, DemocracyNext and Healthy Democracy , a Portland, Oregon, nonprofit, connected with Bend officials interested in bringing the assembly idea to central Oregon. Josh Burgess, an Air Force veteran, who moved to Bend and became the proverbial “advance man” for DemocracyNext. Operating in a county evenly divided between Democrats and Republicans, Burgess built rapport with both liberal and conservative members on the Deschutes County Board of Commissioners. “It took four or five meetings to get there,” Burgess recalls. Organizers decided to focus on homelessness among ages 14 to 24, where opportunities for progress seemed greatest. To pick citizens for the assembly, organizers contacted 12,000 county residents before selecting just 30. Everything was balanced by age, race, gender, and geography – a slow, costly requirement. Even so, advocates such as Michelle Barsa of Omidyar Network says assemblies’ big edge comes from using “an actual representative sample of the community, not just the people who always show up at town-hall meetings and yell into a microphone for three minutes.” At the northern edge of Oregon State’s Bend campus, a few hundred yards from the Deschutes River, is the McGrath Family atrium, a sunlight-drenched space with panoramic woodland views. It feels almost like a spa. As the Bend assembly gets started, black tablecloths at a huge, U-shaped table convey gravity. Name tags identify attendees as “Noelle,” “Dave,” “Alex.” The first few hours go slowly, but everything perks up after lunch. Eliza Wilson takes command, introducing herself as director of runaway and homeless youth services at J Bar J , a social-services organization. Her voice is unfailingly steady, but emotions race fast across her face: hope, frustration, empathy, resolve, and more. “Teens get really good at hiding their homelessness,” Wilson explains. “We don’t share family business outside of the family. I was really fortunate that a high-school counselor pointed me, at age 15, to the first youth shelter that had just opened in Bend. I stayed there for three years, until I graduated from high school. I finally got on my feet at age 21.” As Wilson finishes, questions stream in. “Are there any programs advocating for children to get back to their parents?” one woman wants to know. “Is there open communication between you guys and the school district?” a man asks. Wilson and other presenters respond with a road map of what exists today. They point out how homeless youth are in a precarious but not hopeless situation, counting on allies for a couch to sleep on. Less than 20 percent live outside in encampments. Practically everyone in the audience takes notes. The next day, assembly members strike up conversations with young adults who were once homeless. Chronic problems — and glimmers of ideas about how to address them — tumble forth. Flaws in the foster parent system. The risk of sexual abuse. The unique challenges that LGBTQ youth face. Attendees — who shared their thoughts with the Chronicle on the condition they be identified only by their first name — regarded those conversations as eye-opening breakthroughs in their hunt for policy recommendations. “I’m coming away with a whole different point of view,” Ken told me. He had arrived believing that poor parenting and drug abuse led to homelessness, and that affected families should personally address such challenges. Now, he said, he was interested in broader solutions. Several local officials stopped by to watch the assembly proceedings. Phil Chang, a Deschutes County commissioner, said the broad-based assembly creates “social license for us to do things that the community wants.” Conservative county commissioner Tony DeBone worries that Oregon’s rollback of drug-offense laws has worsened social problems; he also believes that an economic upturn would do the most good. Still, he says, he’s willing to see what the assembly can offer. Ultimately, the assembly’s effectiveness will depend on whether its recommendations can overcome bureaucratic inertia, says Tammy Baney, executive director of the Central Oregon Intergovernmental Council . Proposed changes in police interactions with homeless youth could be acted on within a month or two if local law enforcement is receptive, she says. Improving Oregon’s gridlocked foster-care system might be much harder. “It all depends on how much political will there is,” Baney says. George Anders is editor-at-large at the Chronicle of Philanthropy, where you can read the full article . This article was provided to The Associated Press by the Chronicle of Philanthropy as part of a partnership to cover philanthropy and nonprofits supported by the Lilly Endowment. The Chronicle is solely responsible for the content. For all of AP’s philanthropy coverage, visit https://apnews.com/hub/philanthropy .MILWAUKEE, Wis., Dec. 03, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Enerpac Tool Group Corp. (NYSE: EPAC) announced today that it will release its first quarter fiscal 2025 earnings after the market closes on Wednesday, December 18, 2024. Management will conduct a conference call to discuss the results on Thursday, December 19, 2024, beginning at 8:30 a.m. ET / 7:30 a.m. CT. A real-time webcast of the conference call can be accessed via the Investors section of the Company's website here . For those who are unavailable to listen to the live broadcast, a replay will be available shortly after the call for 90 days. About Enerpac Tool Group Enerpac Tool Group Corp. is a premier industrial tools, services, technology and solutions provider serving a broad and diverse set of customers in more than 100 countries. The Company makes complex, often hazardous jobs possible safely and efficiently. Enerpac Tool Group's businesses are global leaders in high pressure hydraulic tools, controlled force products, and solutions for precise positioning of heavy loads that help customers safely and reliably tackle some of the most challenging jobs around the world. The Company was founded in 1910 and is headquartered in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin. Enerpac Tool Group common stock trades on the NYSE under the symbol EPAC. For further information on Enerpac Tool Group and its businesses, visit the Company's website at www.enerpactoolgroup.com . Contact: Travis Williams Senior Director, Investor Relations 262.293.1913

Bristol Motor Speedway team members, with help from their mischievous mascots Bump and Run, unveiled the official MLB Speedway Classic countdown clock that is clicking down the days, hours and minutes until the ceremonial first pitch is thrown out on August, 2, 2025 and play gets started in the historic Major League Baseball game featuring the Cincinnati Reds and Atlanta Braves at BMS. For social media enthusiasts, baseball fans and ticketholders who would like to grab a selfie with the new clock, The MLB Speedway Classic Countdown Clock is located at BMS Entrance 1 just off Volunteer Parkway next to the It’s Bristol Baby! monument. Sports fans will need to hustle on over to MLB.com/SpeedwayClassic if they want to be a part of the historic national regular season game between the Atlanta Braves and Cincinnati Reds that will be played at iconic Bristol Motor Speedway on Saturday, August 2, 2025 at 7 p.m. (ET). The game at The World’s Fastest Half-Mile will be the first American or National League game ever played in the Volunteer state. Tennessee becomes the fifth different state across the United States to host an MLB game for the first time since 2016. General public tickets for the MLB Speedway Classic presented by BuildSubmarines.com are available for purchase by visiting MLB.com/SpeedwayClassic. A maximum of eight tickets are allowed per order and all ticket sales will be conducted online. All tickets will be delivered digitally and available on mobile devices through the MLB Ballpark app and the Ticketmaster app. *** The NAPA AUTO PARTS Atlantic City Indoor Race is more than just a race, it’s an event. This January 31 and February 1, the connection between the racing and the after party, will be stronger than ever. Thanks to support from The West at Caesars Atlantic City (formerly Wild Wild West) and the Atlantic City Sports Commission, the TQ Midget winner’s share on both Friday and Saturday night will be increased by $1,500. “The Atlantic City races are special, everytime I walk into the arena on race weekend I get goosebumps, the building has so much history and over the past 20 years we have made history of our own,” stated event promoter Len Sammons. The Atlantic City Indoor Races, are held annually the last weekend in January, inside famous Boardwalk Hall, located right on the inconic boardwalk and steps away from the casinos and resorts that have made the town famous. In 2025, the ‘Race Hard, Play Hard’ post-event parties will help to raise the stakes for the winner of Friday and Saturday night’s TQ Midget A-Main. Should a driver sweep the weekend, the winner’s will exceed $10,000. “Starting in 2025, the race winner of Friday and Saturday night will not only go on stage at The West, but they will both be presented with a $1,500 bonus check as well.” The lively hub of nightlife during race weekend is only a two minute walk away at Caesars Atlantic City. The West at Caesars features live music, casino gaming, beer pong, sports betting, bull riding, arcade games, and much more. Tickets for the event are on sale now via Ticketmaster and the Boardwalk Hall box office.In addition to the high-speed TQ Midgets—purpose-built race cars powered by 750cc motorcycle engines—three support divisions will also race: Slingshots, Champ Karts and Dirt 600 Micro Sprints. Family-Friendly Pricing: Tickets start at just $20 for adults, with general admission for children available for only $5 on the day of the event. Premium front-row seating and reserved seats are also available for an additional fee. Pricing excludes facility and ticketing fees. Fans can enjoy an exclusive pre-race FanFest on the arena floor, where lower-level reserved ticket holders can walk the track and meet their favorite drivers before Saturday night’s race. The 2005 Indoor Auto Racing Series opens with a two-day show inside Allentown, PA’s PPL Center on Friday and Saturday, January 4th and 5th. The stars will then head to Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, NJ. The series will conclude its season on a clay oval at the CURE Insurance Arena in Trenton, NJ, on February 21 and 22. For more information about the Indoor Auto Racing Series, including hotel deals at nearby casinos and hotels, racer rules, and entry forms, visit IndoorAutoRacing.com. *** Driving 101, which operates the NASCAR Racing Experience, the leader in authentic NASCAR driving experiences, is thrilled to unveil its highly anticipated 2025 schedule. Race fans across the country can now plan their NASCAR dream experience with the release of dates at 17 premier speedways nationwide, including iconic tracks like Daytona International Speedway, Talladega Superspeedway, and Charlotte Motor Speedway. The 2025 schedule kicks off in January and runs through December, offering fans more opportunities than ever before to take the wheel of a real NASCAR race car. Whether fans are looking to fulfill a lifelong racing dream or searching for the perfect gift for the adrenaline junkie in their life, this experience puts fans in the driver’s seat to feel the thrill of NASCAR firsthand. With 17 locations on the calendar, NASCAR Racing Experience continues to expand its reach, giving fans coast to coast the opportunity to drive on the same tracks where NASCAR legends have raced. Spots are limited at each speedway, so early booking is highly encouraged. For the full 2025 schedule, pricing, and booking details, visit www.NASCARRacingExperience.com. About NASCAR Racing Experience: NASCAR Racing Experience is the leading experiential racing company in North America, offering the most realistic racing programs available to motorsports fans nationwide. There’s no lead car to follow and drivers race without an instructor alongside. The drivers compete in real NASCAR race cars driven by NASCAR drivers including Joey Logano, Christopher Bell, Denny Hamlin, Michael McDowell, Ty Gibbs and Corey Lajoie, among others. Reservations can be made at www.NASCARRacingExperience.com. Gift Cards are available for any amount and never expire. The customer service department is available seven days a week. NASCAR Racing Experience programs are conducted at 17 race tracks across the United States and offer a vast array of corporate outings and motorsports themed events. For more information call 704-886-2400 or visit www.NASCARRacingExperience.com *** Following a successful meeting with its race teams, the USAC East Coast Sprint Cars are poised to continue bringing the excitement and thrills of non-wing sprint car competition to race tracks in the Northeastern United States for the 2025 season...and beyond. A solid turnout of competitors and their car owners and crews were in place for a recent meeting that focused on the series structure and rules, and now the focus of attention shifts to off-season motorsports shows and the building of a 2025 season schedule. “We’re very close to completing the 2025 season schedule,” said USAC East Coast Sprint Cars President Ed Aikin. “We’re anticipating somewhere in the neighborhood of 20 races for the season, and based on what we heard at our first competitor meeting, we’re expecting a solid field of cars to follow the series next season. Our race teams gave us some great feedback at the competitor meeting, and cars are already being prepared for racing. It’s good to see this level of excitement before the first green flag flies for 2025!” The series schedule is expected to be released prior to the Motorsports 2025 event in Oaks, PA on January 24th and 25th, where the USAC East Coast Sprint Cars will have a booth and display as one of a few scheduled motorsports show appearances for the USAC East Coast Sprint Cars in the off-season. “Motorsports is always one of the biggest gatherings for race fans and racers during the winter months, and we’re happy to be able to be a part of it,” stated Aikin. “We’re also going to be a part of the annual Racing Xtravaganza show in York, PA and may make some other appearances in the region during the off-season months.” The series has retained the services of motorsports announcer and PR person “Cowboy” Paul Szmal for the 2025 season. “I had a chance to call some USAC non-wing shows when I lived in the Midwest and I was hooked,” said Szmal. “I’m looking forward to calling the action in 2025 for the series, as well as introducing fans to the drivers in a way that they’ll be more than just a person wearing a firesuit and helmet.” The USAC East Coast Sprint Cars official web site (http://usaceastcoastsprintcars.myracepass.com) will continue to serve as a source of information for fans and racers alike. For further information on the USAC East Coast Sprint Cars for 2025, please contact Paul Szmal at (315) 759-0176 or via email at drwho941@yahoo.com *** The 2025 Kubota High Limit Racing schedule has been finalized with 61 events planned at 36 unique facilities across 20 states for the second-year national sprint car series. The 2025 campaign is once again headlined by a trio of six-figure paydays between the Joker’s Jackpot at Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio on July 16-17, the 71st Gold Cup Race of Champions at Silver Dollar Speedway in Chico, California on August 21-23, and the Skagit Nationals at Skagit Speedway in Burlington, Washington on August 28-30. Pennsylvania’s Port Royal Speedway, AKA “The Speed Palace,” will remain a staple on the Kubota High Limit Racing calendar with the Bob Weikert Memorial expanding to a three-day event on May 23-25 and the 58th edition of the famed Tuscarora 50 continuing on September 4-6. New in 2025 – in fitting fashion – Kubota High Limit Racing will shift the season-opening event to “The Entertainment Capital of the World,” bringing Sprint Cars back to The Dirt Track at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on NASCAR weekend. The Nevada 1/2-mile will host races on Thursday, March 13 and Saturday, March 15, culminating in a $25,000-to-win finale.Donald Trump is returning to the world stage. So is his trolling

ORONO, Maine (AP) — Michael McNair scored 16 points to lead Boston University and Malcolm Chimezie sealed the victory with a layup with 20 seconds left as the Terriers took down Maine 59-56 on Sunday. McNair also had six rebounds for the Terriers (6-7). Kyrone Alexander scored 13 points and added five rebounds. Chimezie shot 4 of 7 from the field and 0 for 3 from the line to finish with eight points. Kellen Tynes led the way for the Black Bears (8-7) with 17 points, four assists and three steals. Maine also got 12 points from Christopher Mantis. Quion Burns had eight points. McNair scored seven points in the first half and Boston University went into halftime trailing 27-19. Alexander scored a team-high 10 points for Boston University in the second half. Boston University outscored Maine by 11 points over the final half. Boston University's next game is Thursday against Lafayette on the road, and Maine visits Bryant on Saturday. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .

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