NFL Saturday Schedule: Week 17 Matchups with Playoff Implications – Chargers, Broncos, and Rams Face Critical ShowdownsFive fire trucks descended on the west Auckland coastal settlement of Piha on Thursday night, after a blaze at the local RSA. In a post on social media, RSA Piha said its building had suffered "a devastating fire" that gutted the outside area next to it. The RSA building - a social hub for the local community and visitors alike - was itself saved, however. "A huge thank you to the Piha crew and other appliances that arrived so quickly and managed to contain the blaze." The building would be closed "for the immediate future", it said. A Fire and Emergency spokesperson said it received many calls about a building on fire just before midnight, and local volunteers were on the scene within 10 minutes. Five fire trucks, a ladder truck, two support vehicles and a command unit were sent to the fire, where firefighters found a building burning. The fire was extinguished, with the last crew leaving about 3.30am on Friday, the FENZ spokesperson said. Piha Campground kaitiaki Fiona Anderson said the fire was believed to have started in the RSA's "smoking room". The RSA is situated just across the river from the campsite, and Anderson said people noticed a "glow that didn't look quite right" coming from the smoking room just before midnight and called the fire brigade. The blaze was "very well involved" by the time they arrived, she said. The RSA was already closed when the fire was spotted, as they normally shut at 11pm on a Thursday, she added. FENZ said fire investigators would be on site today. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
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With over 60 million downloads and an estimated $180 million in revenue since late October, a new Pokemon mobile game app is enjoying worldwide success as the latest incarnation of the hit Nintendo-owned franchise. Released on October 30, Pokemon Trading Card Game Pocket is a virtual version of the collectible card game that has captivated schoolyards since the late 1990s. Developed by The Pokemon Company, a Nintendo subsidiary, it combines opening "boosters" -- the equivalent of sealed card packs -- with collecting creatures and online battles. "Pokemon TCG Pocket is showing one of the strongest performances of any mobile game of all-time," Sam Aune, an analyst at digital market intelligence firm Sensor Tower, told AFP. The group estimates it generated around $180 million through the Apple and Google app stores in just six weeks. Developed by the Japanese games studio Creatures Inc, Pokemon TCG Pocket ranks second among mobile games measured by their first-month revenue, surpassed only by another Pokemon franchise title, Pokemon Go. The global phenomenon of 2016, Pokemon Go generated over $200 million in its first month and drove millions of players outdoors to hunt for virtual creatures which appeared on their mobile phone screens. As well as creating vast online revenues, the new surge in interest in Pikachu and his fellow cast of characters is spilling over into the offline world. Sales of physical cards are rising -- and the game is back in fashion among school children. "It brings players back into the Pokemon brand," explained Frederique Tutt, a toy market expert at Circana, a market research firm. "And physical cards remain the heart of the brand, something collectors want to own for playing and trading." Popularised in the 1990s, the concept of collectible trading cards has since been adapted into many video games. From "Gwent" in The Witcher III to "Hearthstone" from the Warcraft universe, card games have carved out a special place in the hearts of gamers. Pokemon TCG Pocket has "very effectively brought that card pack opening and playing experience to digital," says Simon Carless, founder of the analyst firm GameDiscoverCo. "It's actually a very unchanged experience compared to the physical card game -- which was smart, and that's why people love it," he added. On social media, players have been sharing videos of themselves unveiling new cards or participating in tournaments, with the hashtag #PokemonTCG amassing over 1.5 million posts on TikTok. Other video game adaptations of the Pokemon trading card universe date back decades. A Game Boy title was released in Europe in 2000, followed by another for PCs in the early 2010s. While Pokemon TCG Pocket is free to download, players are encouraged to spend money in-app to acquire more cards. Sacha Bernard, a 33-year-old teacher from the Paris suburb Creteil, said he was drawn in by nostalgia for the characters and the "short and fast" gameplay sessions. "Since it launched, I must have spent around 70 euros," he told AFP. "It's really the first time a mobile game has made me spend that kind of money."The latest season of Drag Race Down Under has been packed with talent, drama, and jaw-dropping moments, but sadly, one queen had to sashay away this week. After what was arguably one of the most impressive design challenges this week, which saw Mandy Moobs take out the win, New Zealand queen Lucina Innocence faced off in a lip sync for her life against Brisbane queen Freya Armani. Sadly it was Lucinas time to sashay away, she sat down to chat with Michael James about her time on the show, her greatest challenges and proudest moments. Lucina, darling, welcome! It’s such a pleasure to have you here, though it’s always bittersweet since it means you’ve left the competition. You had an impressive run on Drag Race Down Under. How do you feel looking back on your time on the show? “Well, you know, it could have gotten better, but, i t was great to even be there and be a part of this show. It was a great experience overall.” You really pushed through after those first two episodes and got back up there. It felt like you were you were confident going into the sewing challenge. How was that that challenge for you? “I had seen the season three sewing challenge and so I thought you know I can do this, like I’m not a scientist by any means, but and I can sew simple things.” So I was aiming for safe again. I don’t think I was g onna be on the bottom, then obviously that didn’t work out!” We haven’t seen a sewing challenge on pretty much any season where the quality from everyone has been so good, you would have easily landed safe in any other season. “ Yes, that’s what I was thinking as well.” Did you practice sewing before the show? “I did I made an outfit for one of my future runways that hasn’t been seen, because you know the we’re running out of resources down in Auckland. So yeah, I had a little bit of practice. I was glad that the basic material I used had some stretch to it though.” What was the biggest thing you felt you needed to prepare for going into the show and where did you think you would excel? “I definitely knew I would struggle a bit with any choreography or dance related challenge, so me and my friend went to one dance class. Didn’t go too well, but you know, I did what I could. The challenges I was excited for would have been like a makeover or like an acting challenge or something. If we had had, like, a Rusical that was more singing focused then I think I would have done well in that as well.” Now when we came into this episode, there was a a feeling that things were starting to get to you, particularly when you got into the workroom, how was it by the time you got those critiques and you’re on the couch and you’re like, ‘this could be me’. “Yeah, I think it definitely h it me at that point because like I said, I’d kind of thought I would do fine in the sewing challenge, and even after doing the runways, I still don’t think I should have lip synced. I felt just disappointed in myself and that I hadn’t really had a ny sort of shining moments where I had gotten to show something that I’m r eally good at. And that’s not really what I’d hoped for going into the competition.” You said you didn’t think you should have been lip syncing. Who should have been lip syncing in your place? “I would say my lovely sweet sister, Miss Brenda Bressed.” It was an interesting lip sync choice. How did you feel when you saw that that was the song? “I t hought it must have been some sort of cruel joke!” “It was actually used in one of the past auditions for one of the past down under audition tapes. S o I had done that before and that time I took it more of like a silly, goofy sort of route. So I probably would have done it more like that had I not been in my feelings at the time, but when it when it came time to lip sync I just, you know, I was angry, I knew was going home s o I kind of let myself throw it all out there.” Snatch Game is always a beast, and you held your own this season, you managed to come out safe! How did you feel about your performance? “I felt pretty good about it, I think being up against Brenda, Mandy and Vybe, even Lazy, like all these Queens are more at home with that stuff. That was something I knew I wasn’t going to win, so to be safe, I definitely felt like that was quite the achievement.” Did you have any other characters in mind for Snatch Game? I was considering Anna Faris, inspired by Scary Movie , or even Supernanny, with a sexy twist. Looking back, if you could change one thing about your time on the show, what would it be? “I would probably just not have touched those pink roses at all and try to make something more interesting out of the black fabric because that was kind of my gut feeling. After the walkthrough with Michelle and Isis, that kind of made me change my mind and I wish I’d just gone with my original idea.” And your proudest moment on Drag Race Down Under? “Probably just b eing able to continue pushing through all the pressure and all the, being kicked down kind of moments. Because I definitely felt after being in the bottom of the first two episodes, I was like, ‘do I just walk out and leave?’ But I’m very glad I didn’t . And yeah , I did what I could in those trying times.” Outside of the competition, did you form any strong bonds with the other queens? “Absolutely. I got closer with Nikita since we knew each other a bit before the show, and also with Max, Mandy, and Karna. I could go through the whole cast, it’s really cool having a group of Queens that all just want the best for e ach other, we talk all the time and it’s fabulous.” That’s so heartwarming to hear. And now that the show is behind you, what’s next for Lucina Innocence? ‘I’ve just moved to Melbourne, so I’ll be performing more in Australia, and I’m working on releasing music soon.” A singing queen! We love to see it. Lucina, it’s been such a pleasure chatting with you. Thank you for sharing your journey on Drag Race Down Under, and we can’t wait to see what’s next. What the full interview with Lucina Innocence from Drag Race Down Under season four below. 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The death of former President Jimmy Carter on Sunday led to a swift outpouring of support and condolences from notable figures in both political parties. President Joe Biden and president-elect Donald Trump issued statements Sunday, and both said Carter was a president who worked to better Americans’ lives. “He was a man of great character and courage, hope and optimism,” Biden and First Lady Jill Biden said in a statement. “We will always cherish seeing him and Rosalynn together. The love shared between Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter is the definition of partnership and their humble leadership is the definition of patriotism.” Trump said Carter dealt with “enormous responsibility” that only other presidents could relate to. “The challenges Jimmy faced as President came at a pivotal time for our country and he did everything in his power to improve the lives of all Americans,” Trump said in a post to Truth Social. “For that, we all owe him a debt of gratitude.” ‘One of my heroes’ Fellow Georgia politicians, including Democratic Sens. Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock, issued passionate statements following the news Sunday. Warnock referred to the Plains native as “one of my heroes.” “His leadership was driven by love, his life’s project grounded in compassion and a commitment to human dignity,” Warnock said. “For those of us who have the privilege of representing our communities in elected office, Jimmy Carter is a shining example of what it means to make your faith come alive through the noble work of public service.” Ossoff said Carter’s work “changed the lives of many across our state, our country, and around the world.” “The State of Georgia and the United States are better places because of President Jimmy Carter,” Ossoff said. Former Sen. Sam Nunn, from Georgia, lauded Carter for his “spine of steel and intrepid focus and determination.” “Colin Powell and I had front row seats to these unique Carter traits in Haiti in 1994,” he said in a statement. “I will never forget nervously watching President Carter negotiate every word of the Haitian military’s peaceful turnover of authority, while the U.S. Army’s 82nd Airborne prepared to land on the roof of the military headquarters, where we were finishing the agreement.” Brad Raffensperger, Georgia secretary of state, said Carter devoted his life to serving the U.S. “As a true servant-leader, he devoted his post-presidency to spreading the very best of American ideals across the globe,” Raffensperger said in a statement Sunday. “His commitment to peace, democracy, and human rights has left an indelible mark on the world.” The Democratic Party of Georgia’s Chair, Rep. Nikema Williams, said Carter “leaves one of the greatest legacies of humanitarianism in history.” “My husband Leslie and I named our son Carter after our 39th president because he showed us that ordinary Georgians can do extraordinary things,” Williams said. “He was one of the greatest public servants of our time – and he was also a peanut farmer from Plains, Georgia. From a southwest Georgia town of a few hundred people to the Oval Office, President Carter went from sowing crops to sowing the seeds of peace around the world.” Georgia Lt. Gov. Ines Owens said Carter “represented small towns like Plains, Georgia and never forgot where he and his family came from.” Georgia’s Carter had ‘calm spirit and deep faith’ Major national lawmakers outside the Peach State offered their thoughts too, including GOP Sen. Mitch McConnell. McConnell said Carter’s “calm spirit and deep faith seemed “unshakable” during difficulties in his presidency. “President Carter lived a truly American dream,” McConnell said. “A devoutly religious peanut farmer from small-town Georgia volunteered to serve his country in uniform. He found himself manning cutting-edge submarines hundreds of feet beneath the ocean. He returned home and saved the family farm before feeling drawn to a different sort of public service. And less than 15 years after his first campaign for the state Senate, his fellow Americans elected him leader of the free world.” Chuck Schumer, the Democratic Senate majority leader, called Carter “one of our most humble and devoted public servants.” “President Carter’s faith in the American people and his belief in the power of kindness and humility leave a strong legacy,” Schumer said. “He taught us that the strength of a leader lies not in rhetoric but in action, not in personal gain but in service to others.” This is a developing story and will be updated.W.R. Berkley Corp. stock underperforms Thursday when compared to competitorsFormer U.S. President Barack Obama is set to address a new generation of American leaders at a 'Democracy Forum' this week, encouraging them to engage with opposing viewpoints. His speech is anticipated during a period of significant political division and as the Democratic Party grapples with recent electoral setbacks. Although Obama is a sought-after figure in Democratic circles, the recent election cycle has highlighted calls for younger leaders to step up. This follows Vice President Kamala Harris' failure to secure vital battleground state votes, leading to the party losing control of both the House of Representatives and the Senate. Despite the setbacks, Obama remains a powerful influence in the Democratic Party, having campaigned across the country alongside his wife Michelle. The couple's popularity endures, even as the party seeks to adapt to new political dynamics and diversify its leadership. (With inputs from agencies.)
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Liz Davis is a familiar face to hundreds of girls who have attended high school at St Mary Star of the Sea College. Subscribe now for unlimited access . Login or signup to continue reading Mrs Davis has been with the Wollongong school for 45 years: 44 of those as a teacher, and now as its archivist, the caretaker of its history. It was the "beautiful" teachers she had at Oak Flats High School, two in particular, who inspired her long career in education. These were a maths teacher, a gentle and friendly man named Mr Horton who made maths interesting, and a geography teacher, Miss Faulks (later Mrs Ross), who was generous in giving her time to explain things the young Mrs Davis didn't understand. "I was just snookered from year eight ... I just knew I wanted to become a teacher," she said. Mrs Davis went on to become a maths and geography teacher herself. But her path to teaching was not always easy: in her first year of university Mrs Davis was hit by a semi-trailer while crossing the road. While she miraculously escaped grievous injuries she suffered a broken hand and took the rest of the year off university to recover. Serendipitously, the delay meant that upon returning to university she met the man who became her husband, Ken. Mrs Davis finished her course, did honours and worked as a research assistant at Macquarie University before a postgraduate scholarship at the University of Toronto took her to Canada. Later, she taught at TAFE and took a job at an Anglican girls' school in Hurstville. "I loved my time there, I loved it - it was my first teaching role at a school," she said. Mrs Davis said she would have happily stayed there had Ken not wanted to return to the Illawarra. She applied for a job at The Illawarra Grammar School but the timing didn't work. Then a job came up at St Mary's and she started working there in September 1979, the start of a long connection with the school. She has seen many changes in that time: new buildings have sprung up, and nuns no longer teach there. But the school's values, which draw on the parable of the Good Samaritan, still reflect her own, especially hospitality and stewardship. Mrs Davis is passionate about social justice and is still the mentor of the Interact club (an offshoot of Rotary), through which students undertake community service projects. The school is also involved with other charities and causes. Mrs Davis recalled the students collecting resources for Sri Lankan children in the wake of the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami and later sponsoring the education of an orphaned girl, who went on to become a science teacher. "The academic's really good too ... but to give back to the community, to me, is so, so important," Mrs Davis said. Mrs Davis attributes this passion to her refugee background: she moved to Australia with her family when she was five after they fled the Russian invasion of Hungary in 1956. She finished teaching last year but stayed as its archivist, with her work not only about preserving history but telling year seven students the school's 151-year story. Mrs Davis said the pinnacle of her career was seeing students leave the school satisfied with their time there. "If I had to relive it again, I'd do it the same, because it's just been a really, really happy journey for me," she said. Reporter at the Illawarra Mercury, mostly covering social affairs and education. Our Watch award winner. If you've got a story, let me know. Reporter at the Illawarra Mercury, mostly covering social affairs and education. Our Watch award winner. If you've got a story, let me know. More from Education Newsletters & Alerts DAILY Today's top stories curated by our news team. Also includes evening update. 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Let the ACM network's editors and journalists bring you news and views from all over. AS IT HAPPENS Be the first to know when news breaks. DAILY Your digital replica of Today's Paper. Ready to read from 5am! DAILY Test your skills with interactive crosswords, sudoku & trivia. Fresh daily!LONDON — French President Emmanuel Macron has vowed to see out his current term until 2027 and name a new government in the next few days, amid a spiraling political criss that has threatened to engulf his leadership. Speaking Thursday at his official residence in the Elysée Palace in Paris, Macron thanked the outgoing Prime Minister Michel Barnier for his "dedication," after a majority of National Assembly lawmakers voted to remove Barnier Wednesday, forcing him to resign. Macron accused the opposition parties of choosing "chaos," saying they "don't want to build, they want to dismantle." The political instability in France — and simultaneously in Germany, where the governing coalition collapsed a month ago — could have wide-ranging consequences for European security, as well as trans-Atlantic relations, analysts tell NPR, just weeks before President-elect Donald Trump enters the White House. With a war still raging on Europe's doorstep, caretaker governments will now control two of the continent's most powerful economies. President Macron had appointed Barnier to head the government only three months ago, after snap elections this summer left no party with a majority in a deeply divided parliament. On Wednesday, legislators from opposing extreme flanks came together in a vote of no confidence against Barnier, over his proposed 2025 national budget. Now, with the government toppled and no approved budget, Macron knows he must act quickly, according to Mathieu Gallard, a pollster at Ipsos. "Regarding the adoption of the budget, everything is stalled, nothing can move in the parliament before we have a new government," says Gallard. "It's really uncharted territory, since we have never been in this kind of situation." The main challenge stems from the fact that none of the political groups in the French parliament have a clear majority, nor do any of them want to negotiate or compromise with one another, Gallard says, while the electoral system means there is very little incentive for that to change, even if Macron calls a fresh national vote in 10 months, which is as soon as the constitution allows after the last election. "Before the election of Emmanuel Macron, we had two blocks opposing in French politics, the left and the right, and it was quite simple." explains Gallard, who lectures on public opinion at Paris' top political science university, Sciences Po. "Now we have three blocks, a left-wing block, a center-right block and a radical right block, and it makes the situation way more complicated." Meanwhile, in neighboring Germany, Chancellor Olaf Scholz lost support from his previous political coalition partners, over economic and budget policies as well. Now he's limping along to a confidence vote later this month and federal elections in February . All this adds up to something that European leaders must soon take seriously, says Tanja Börzel, a political science professor at the Freie Universität, or Free University, in Berlin. While she doesn't believe the European Union "faces an existential threat, yet," she says, "it's a major challenge." And the timing of these twin political crises is particularly unfortunate, given that polarization and societal distrust of government has been rising on both sides of the Atlantic, Börzel says. "These two countries have always, very often, taken the lead in helping Europe to speak one voice. I think that's what is required more than ever with Trump taking over the presidency in the U.S." At the dawn of a second Trump term in the White House, a chief concern for many in the EU — even before this latest instability — has centered on the continent's security. "For the EU today, the No. 1 urgency is the Ukraine war," says Alexandra de Hoop Scheffer, acting president of the German Marshall Fund of the United States, speaking in a video call during a visit to Washington, D.C. "As we know, [there is] a certain dose of anxiety in terms of how the Trump administration will handle the war in Ukraine with the potential deal that might circumvent Europeans." There has been an ongoing debate in many European countries, known colloquially as the "guns versus butter" battle. It has pitted the need for increased defense spending — prompted not only by the Ukraine conflict, but also Trump's frustrated attitude with member states' NATO obligations — against domestic requirements amid an ongoing cost of living crisis. And it's the budget fights in both France and Germany that have recently helped topple their respective leaders. "At the end of the day, the EU is not united on Ukraine, and it's always European fragmentations that fuels European weaknesses," says de Hoop Scheffer, who previously worked for NATO as well as the French Defense Ministry. "The crisis of French-German leadership — that truly doesn't help," she says. And with Europe's two largest economies already spluttering, the new year may herald a new era for both the European Union and the United States.
President Joe Biden mourns Jimmy Carters death, orders official state funeral to honor himWhen Nathan Hecht ran for the Texas Supreme Court in 1988, no Republican had ever been elected to the state’s highest civil court. His election foreshadowed a coming transformation of the court, civil legal procedure and Texas itself. Hecht is the longest tenured Supreme Court justice in Texas history. He won six reelections and led the court as chief justice for more than a decade. He heard more than 2,700 oral arguments, authored 7,000 pages of opinions, and retires now not because he’s had enough, but because state law requires him to. Late on a Friday afternoon, just two weeks before he hung up his robe, he was still in his office, his mind mired in the work that was left to be done. “This is always a really busy time for us, because the opinions are mounting up to be talked about,” he said. “It’ll be busy next week.” Hecht began as a dissenter on a divided court, his conservative positions on abortion, school finance and property rights putting him at odds with the Democratic majority and some moderate Republicans. But as Texas Republicans began dominating up and down the ballot, his minority voice became mainstream on one of the country’s most conservative high courts. In his administration of the court, Hecht has been a fierce advocate for the poor, pushing for more Legal Aid funding, bail reform and lowering the barriers to accessing the justice system. RELATED COVERAGE Texas man whose execution was halted in shaken baby case is again stopped from testifying SpaceX wants to make Starbase a new Texas city. Here’s how it could happen Republican-led states are rolling out plans that could aid Trump’s mass deportation effort “If justice were food, too many would be starving,” Hecht told lawmakers in 2017. “If it were housing, too many would be homeless. If it were medicine, too many would be sick.” Hecht’s departure leaves a vacancy that Gov. Greg Abbott , a former justice himself, will get to fill. He may elevate a current justice or appoint someone new directly to the chief justice role. Whoever ends up in the top spot will have to run for reelection in 2026. In his typical understated manner, so at odds with the bombast of the other branches of government, Hecht told The Texas Tribune that serving on the court has been the honor of his life. “I have gotten to participate not only in a lot of decisions shaping the jurisprudence of the state, but also in trying to improve the administration of the court system so that it works better and fosters public trust and confidence,” he said. “So I feel good about the past,” he said. “And I feel good about the future.” A ‘sea change’ Born in Clovis, New Mexico, Hecht studied philosophy at Yale before getting his law degree from Southern Methodist University. He clerked on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia and returned to Texas, where his reputation preceded him. As a young lawyer, Tom Phillips, a former chief justice and now a partner at Baker Botts, reached out to a Dallas law firm that had promised to hire him the next chance they got. “I called them a few months later and said, ‘So I assume you never got a vacancy,’” Phillips recalls. “And they said, ‘Well, we did, but we had a chance to hire Nathan Hecht, so you’ll understand why we went ahead and did that.’” Hecht was appointed to the district court in 1981 and quickly made a name for himself, pushing the court to modernize their stenography practices and taking the unusual step of writing opinions as a trial judge. He was elected to the court of appeals in 1986, and ran for Texas Supreme Court two years later. This race came at a low point for Texas’ judiciary, after a string of scandals, ethics investigations, eyebrow-raising rulings and national news coverage made several sitting Supreme Court justices household names — and not in a good way. Seeing an opportunity, Hecht challenged one of the incumbents, a Democrat who’d been called out in a damning 60 Minutes segment for friendly relationships with lawyers who both funded his campaigns and argued before the court. Hecht teamed up with Phillips and Eugene Cook, two Republicans who had recently been appointed to the court, and asked voters to “Clean the Slate in ’88,” separating themselves from the Democrats by promising to only accept small donations. “Party politics were changing in the state at the same time, but the broader issue on our court at the time was to ensure that judges were following the law,” Hecht said. “That was a driving issue.” Since Phillips and Cook were incumbents, Hecht was the only one who had to take on a sitting Supreme Court justice. And he won. “It really was a sea change in Texas political history,” Phillips said. “He was the first person ever to do that in a down ballot race, to defeat a Democrat as a Republican.” Political changes Republican dominance swept through the Supreme Court as swiftly as it did Texas writ large. The last Democrat would be elected to the court in 1994, just six years after the first Republican. But even among Bush-era Republicans filling the bench, Hecht’s conservatism stood out. In 2000, he wrote a dissent disagreeing with the majority ruling that allowed teens in Texas to get abortions with a judge’s approval if their parents wouldn’t consent, and a few years earlier, ruled in favor of wealthy school districts that wanted to use local taxes to supplement state funds. His pro-business bent stood out next to the court’s history of approving high dollar payouts for plaintiffs. Alex Winslow, the executive director of Texas Watch, a consumer advocacy group, told the New York Times in 2005 that Hecht was “the godfather of the conservative judicial movement in Texas.” “Extremist would be an appropriate description,” Winslow said. “He’s the philosophical leader of the right-wing fringe.” The only other justice who regularly staked out such a conservative position, according to the New York Times, was Priscilla Owen, who President George W. Bush appointed to the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in 2005. Hecht and Owen, who now goes by her maiden name, Richmond, wed in 2022 . Wallace Jefferson, Hecht’s predecessor as chief justice, said Hecht’s sharp intellect and philosophical approach to the law improved the court’s opinions, even when he ultimately didn’t side with the majority. “He was a formidable adversary,” said Jefferson, now a partner at Alexander Dubose & Jefferson. “You knew that you would have to bring your best approach and analysis to overcome Nathan’s approach and analysis ... You had to come prepared and Nathan set the standard for that.” Hecht briefly became a national figure in 2005 when he helped Bush’s efforts to confirm Harriet Miers to the U.S. Supreme Court. As her longtime friend, Hecht gave more than 120 interviews to bolster Miers’ conservative credentials, jokingly calling himself the “PR office for the White House,” Texas Monthly reported at the time . This advocacy work raised ethical questions that Hecht fought for years, starting with a reprimand from the State Commission on Judicial Conduct. Hecht got that overturned. The Texas Ethics Commission then fined him $29,000 for not reporting the discount he got on the legal fees he paid challenging the reprimand. He appealed that fine and the case stretched until 2016 , when he ultimately paid $1,000. Hecht has largely stayed out of the limelight in the decades since, letting his opinions speak for themselves and wading into the political fray mostly to advocate for court reforms. While Democrats have tried to pin unpopular COVID and abortion rulings on the justices in recent elections, Republicans continue to easily win these down-ballot races. Hecht is aware of the perception this one-party dominance creates, and has advocated for Texas to turn away from partisan judicial elections. In his 2023 state of the judiciary address , Hecht warned that growing political divisions were threatening the “judicial independence essential to the rule of law,” pointing to comments by both Democratic politicians and former President Donald Trump. But in an interview, Hecht stressed that most of the cases the Texas Supreme Court considers never make headlines, and are far from the politics that dominate Austin and Washington. “There’s no Republican side to an oil and gas case. There’s no Democrat side to a custody hearing,” he said. “That’s the bread and butter of what we do, and that’s not partisan.” Hecht’s reforms Unlike its federal counterpart, the Texas Supreme Court is often a temporary port of call on a judge’s journey. Many, like Abbott, Sen. John Cornyn and U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett , leave for higher office. Others, like Owen and 5th Circuit Judge Don Willett, leave for higher courts. Most, like Phillips, leave for higher pay in private practice. But Hecht stayed. “I didn’t plan it like this,” Hecht said. “I just kept getting re-elected.” Hecht had been considering retirement in 2013, when Jefferson, the chief justice who replaced Phillips, announced he would be stepping down. “He wanted me to consider being his successor,” Hecht said. “So I did, and here I am. I didn’t say, ‘Let’s spend 43 years on the bench,’ but one thing led to another.” In 2013, Hecht was sworn in as chief justice by then-U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, another great dissenter whose views later became the majority. While the Texas Supreme Court’s political makeup has changed largely without Hecht’s input, the inner workings of the court have been under his purview. And that, many court watchers say, is where his greatest legacy lies. Hecht ushered in an era of modernization, both to the technology and the rules that govern justice in Texas. He led a push to simplify the appellate rules, removing many of the trapdoors and procedural quirks that led to important cases being decided on technicalities. The court scaled back how long cases could drag on by limiting discovery, including how long a deposition can go. And he ensured every case was decided before the term ended, like the U.S. Supreme Court. “I think people generally don’t understand the impact the rules can have on the equitable resolution of disputes, but they’re enormous,” Jefferson said. “Nathan recognized that at an early juncture in his career.” Hecht pushed Texas to adopt e-filing before many other states, which proved prescient when COVID hit. Hecht, who was then president of the national Conference of Chief Justices, was able to help advise other states as they took their systems online. Hecht also dedicated himself to improving poor Texan’s access to the justice system, pushing the Legislature to appropriate more funding for Legal Aid and reducing the barriers to getting meaningful legal resolutions. He helped usher through a rule change that would allow paraprofessionals to handle some legal matters like estate planning, uncontested divorces and consumer debt cases, without a lawyer’s supervision. “Some people call it the justice gap. I call it the justice chasm,” Hecht said. “Because it’s just a huge gulf between the people that need legal help and the ability to provide it.” Hecht said he’s glad this has been taken up as a bipartisan issue, and he’s hopeful that the same attention will be paid even after he leaves the court. “No judge wants to give his life’s energy to a work that mocks the justice that he’s trying to provide,” he said. “For the judiciary, this is an important issue, because when the promise of equal justice under law is denied because you’re too poor, there’s no such thing as equal justice under the law.” What comes next Despite the sudden departure of their longtime leader, the Texas Supreme Court will return in January to finish out its term, which ends in April. Among the typical parsing of medical malpractice provisions, oil and gas leases, divorce settlements and sovereign immunity protections, the high court has a number of more attention-grabbing cases on its docket this year. Earlier this year, the court heard oral arguments about the Department of Family and Protective Services’ oversight of immigration detention facilities, and in mid-January, they’ll consider Attorney General Ken Paxton’s efforts to subpoena Annunciation House, an El Paso nonprofit that serves migrants. They’ll also hear arguments over Southern Methodist University’s efforts to cut ties with the regional governing body of the United Methodist Church. Other cases will be added to the schedule before April. Phillips, who has argued numerous cases before the Texas Supreme Court since leaving the bench, said Hecht’s loss will be felt, but he expects the court to continue apace. “It’s not a situation like it might have been at some point in the past where if one justice left, nobody would know what to do next,” he said. “It’s an extremely qualified court.” As for Hecht, he’s tried to put off thinking too much about what comes next for him. He still has opinions to write and work to finish. He knows he wants to stay active in efforts to improve court administration nationally and in Texas, and he’s threatened his colleagues with writing a tell-all book, just to keep them on their toes. But beyond that, he’s waiting for the reality of retirement to sink in before he decides on his next steps. “We’ve got 3,200 judges in Texas, plus adjuncts and associate judges and others,” he said. “I really think it’s such a strong bench, and I am proud to have been a part of it. I look forward to helping where I can.” ___ This story was originally published by The Texas Tribune and distributed through a partnership with The Associated Press.ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — John Elway says any remorse over bypassing Josh Allen in the 2018 NFL draft is quickly dissipating with rookie Bo Nix's rapid rise, suggesting the Denver Broncos have finally found their next franchise quarterback. Elway said Nix, the sixth passer selected in April's draft, is an ideal fit in Denver with coach Sean Payton navigating his transition to the pros and Vance Joseph's defense serving as a pressure release valve for the former Oregon QB. “We’ve seen the progression of Bo in continuing to get better and better each week and Sean giving him more each week and trusting him more and more to where last week we saw his best game of the year,” Elway said in a nod to Nix's first game with 300 yards and four touchdown throws in a rout of Atlanta. For that performance, Nix earned his second straight NFL Rookie of the Week honor along with the AFC Offensive Player of the Week award. “I think the sky’s the limit," Elway said, “and that’s just going to continue to get better and better.” In a wide-ranging interview with The Associated Press, Elway also touted former coach Mike Shanahan's Hall of Fame credentials, spoke about the future of University of Colorado star and Heisman favorite Travis Hunter and discussed his ongoing bout with a chronic hand condition. Elway spent the last half of his decade as the Broncos’ GM in a futile search for a worthy successor to Peyton Manning, a pursuit that continued as he transitioned into a two-year consultant role that ended after the 2022 season. “You have all these young quarterbacks and you look at the ones that make it and the ones that don’t and it’s so important to have the right system and a coach that really knows how to tutelage quarterbacks, and Sean’s really good at that,” Elway said. “I think the combination of Bo’s maturity, having started 61 games in college, his athletic ability and his knowledge of the game has been such a tremendous help for him,'" Elway added. “But also Vance Joseph’s done a heck of a job on the defensive side to where all that pressure’s not being put on Bo and the offense to score all the time.” Payton and his staff have methodically expanded Nix’s repertoire and incorporated his speed into their blueprints. Elway lauded them for “what they’re doing offensively and how they’re breaking Bo into the NFL because it’s a huge jump and I think patience is something that goes a long way in the NFL when it comes down to quarterbacks.” Elway said he hopes to sit down with Nix at some point when things slow down for the rookie. Nix, whose six wins are one more than Elway had as a rookie, said he looks forward to meeting the man who won two Super Bowls during his Hall of Fame playing career and another from the front office. “He’s a legend not only here for this organization, but for the entire NFL," Nix said, adding, "most guys, they would love to have a chat with John Elway, just pick his brain. It’s just awesome that I’m even in that situation.” Orange Crush linebacker Randy Gradishar joined Elway in the Pro Football Hall of Fame this year, something Elway called “way, way overdue.” Elway suggested it's also long past time for the Hall to honor Shanahan, who won back-to-back Super Bowls in Denver with Elway at QB and whose footprint you see every weekend in the NFL because of his expansive coaching tree. Elway called University of Colorado stars Travis Hunter and Shedeur Sanders “both great athletes." He said he really hopes Sanders gets drafted by a team that will bring him along like the Broncos have done with Nix and he sees Hunter being able to play both ways in the pros but not full time. Elway said he thinks Hunter will be primarily a corner in the NFL but with significant contributions on offense: “He's great at both. He's got great instincts, and that's what you need at corner." It's been five years since Elway announced he was dealing with Dupuytren’s contracture, a chronic condition that typically appears after age 40 and causes one or more fingers to permanently bend toward the palm. Elway's ring fingers on both hands were originally affected and he said now the middle finger on his right hand is starting to pull forward. So, he’ll get another injection of a drug called Xiaflex, which is the only FDA-approved non-surgical treatment, one that he's endorsing in an awareness campaign for the chronic condition that affects 17 million Americans. The condition can make it difficult to do everyday tasks such as shaking hands or picking up a coffee mug. Elway said what bothered him most was “I couldn't pick up a football and I could not imagine not being able to put my hand around a football." AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl
The Philadelphia Phillies signed two-time All-Star closer Jordan Romano to a one-year contract on Monday. Financial terms were not disclosed, but ESPN and The Athletic reported the deal was worth $7.75 million. The 31-year-old right-hander was non-tendered by Toronto earlier this offseason. The Phillies bolstered their bullpen after Jeff Hoffman and Carlos Estevez hit free agency. Romano went 1-2 with a 6.59 ERA in 15 relief appearances with the Blue Jays in 2024. Romano battled injuries last season and underwent season-ending right elbow surgery in July. He saved 36 games in 2022 and 2023, earning All-Star nods in each season. Overall, Romano is 20-17 in 231 career relief appearances with 105 saves and a 2.90 ERA. --Field Level Media
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Orange County Bancorp, Inc. Declares Two-for-One Stock SplitORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — There’s plenty of concern and second-guessing to unpack from how the Bills unraveled on defense, special teams and clock management in their loss to the Los Angeles Rams to wonder whether it was premature labeling Buffalo as Super Bowl contenders only a week earlier. But first, the good news. There’s very little wrong with Buffalo’s Josh Allen-led offense after the quarterback strengthened his NFL MVP case. A week after a four-TD performance that included the statistical anomaly of him scoring two touchdowns on the same play in a 35-10 win over San Francisco, Allen became the NFL’s first player to throw and rush for three scores apiece in 44-42 loss to Los Angeles on Sunday . That Allen's latest superhuman-like effort ended in defeat is what’s troubling for the five-time defending AFC East champions (10-3) in their bid to dispel questions of finding ways to fall short in the playoffs in each of the past five years. Buffalo’s defense had few answers in stopping the Rams’ dynamic attack while allowing a season-high 457 yards. Worse still, the Bills allowed Los Angeles to go 11 of 15 on third down for a 73.3 conversion percentage — the third highest allowed by Buffalo and worst since allowing Miami's 75% conversion rate in 1986. If that’s not bad enough, the Bills lost for the first time in 39 games in which they scored at least 42 points, while becoming the NFL’s second team to lose when scoring 42 or more and not committing a turnover. Special teams didn’t help. Aside from allowing a blocked punt to be returned for a touchdown, the Bills couldn’t muster an attempt to block the Rams’ final punt from midfield with 7 seconds left because they only had nine players on the field. As coach Sean McDermott concluded after finally addressing reporters more than an hour after the game ended: “I thought we lost two of the three phases today.” He failed to mention yet another clock management misstep. Rather than have Allen spike the ball to stop the clock after a failed quarterback keeper from the Rams 1 with 62 seconds remaining, McDermott called timeout. That left Buffalo with two timeouts and essentially relying on the slim chances of recovering an onside kick after Allen scored on his next attempt. McDermott defended his decision by saying he feared too much time would elapse before the Bills aligned for another snap. And yet, it would not have matched the 45 seconds the Rams ran off on their final possession after Buffalo used its final two timeouts. Together, these are the types of miscues that have haunted the Bills in their recent playoff losses. The bright side is the loss to the Rams didn’t end the Bills’ season, though they fell two games behind Kansas City (12-1) in the race for the AFC’s top seed . And perhaps, the loss can be chalked up to a team riding a little too high off a playoff-clinching win and having to travel across the country to face a Rams team in the thick of its divisional race. If that’s so, the Bills have a chance to address their flaws — and doubters — by how they respond in what still stands as a juicy showdown at the NFC-leading Detroit Lions (12-1) on Sunday. “They’re the top dog in football right now,” Allen said, looking ahead to Detroit. “We have to have a good week, learn from this one, and put it behind us.” What’s working Scoring. The Bills topped 30 points for a team-record seventh consecutive game and ninth time this season. Buffalo entered the day ranked second in the NFL averaging 30.5 points per outing, behind Detroit (32.1). What needs help Run defense. Though the Rams averaged just 3.3 yards per carry, they stuck with it in finishing with 137 yards, helping them enjoy a 17-minute edge in time of possession. Stock up Allen. If not for him, the Bills wouldn't have been in position to nearly overcome a 17-point fourth-quarter deficit. His 424 yards (342 passing and 82 rushing) accounted for all but 21 yards of Buffalo's total offense. Stock down With so many options, perhaps the focus falls on special teams coordinator Matthew Smiley. This is the second time in 13 months special teams personnel management became an issue. Buffalo was flagged for having too many men as time expired, providing Wil Lutz a second chance to hit a decisive field goal in sealing Denver's 24-22 win last season . Injuries Starting CB Rasul Douglas was sidelined by a knee injury. ... DE Casey Toohill injured his ribs. Key number 80-1-1 — The Bills' record when scoring 38 or more points, including a 38-38 tie with Denver in 1960. Next steps Facing Detroit represents Buffalo's final major test before closing the season with two games against New England and hosting the New York Jets. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nflBLOOMFIELD — If there was any question about who the night belonged to on Friday, Ella Bobe ended any doubt at the halftime horn. The South Knox senior became the school's all-time leading scorer late in the first quarter at Eastern Greene, and she banked in a half-court shot at second-quarter buzzer as the Class 2A No. 1 Spartans dominated the Thunderbirds, 72-14. Bobe finished with 19 points. She broke the South Knox girls basketball scoring record last season and needed eight points Friday to surpass the boys leader, 2008 South Knox alum Levi Holscher, who had 1,296. While Bobe is the first to eclipse 1,300 points in a South Knox uniform, there are still others from pre-consolidation that she can pass this season, Ed McCormick (Decker, class of 1954, 1,362 points), Keith Prather (Wheatland, 1963, 1,391), and Gene Powell (Monroe City, 1963, 1,554). South Knox scored the game's first 21 points before Eastern Greene got on the board. Bobe's record-breaking score came in response to make it 23-2 with 2:40 showing, and coach Hollie Eaves called a timeout to give the Spartans' fans a chance to acknowledge Bobe. "Ella, in general is just a great kid. She does the little things right, on the court and off the court as well," Eaves said. "She's just a great human being and a strong woman. I'm super proud of her. The scoring record is great, and it's only going to go up. I'm proud of her for how hard she's worked to get to where she is. It's definitely deserved." South Knox led, 27-5, after one quarter and scored 19 in a row to begin the second period. Bobe's half-court buzzer beater made it 53-8. The margin was 66-9 after three periods. It was the first time this season and fifth time since the start of last season that South Knox has held an opponent under 20 points. Kendal Hill and Madison Parrish each added 12 points Friday, and Bren Hill had nine. "One of the main goals was to make sure no one got hurt. But the girls wanted to get their minutes, so they got up and down," Eaves said. "We're going to take tomorrow off, give the girls a rest. I already had a couple ask if they could come in and get shots up, but I just told them to take some time off to rest. "This was a nice way to finish out our little series here (six games in eight days), and we finished strong too." In a two-quarter junior varsity game, South Knox (4-1) handled Eastern, 32-7. Sarah French had 13 points, and Ellie Burke nine. Bobe nearly reached the career scoring mark on Thursday, putting up a season-high 26 points in a 63-30 home victory over Evansville Mater Dei. Bren Hill added 13 points, and Kendal Hill 12. South Knox had a 5-3 advantage before it broke free with a 19-0 run that spanned the first two periods. The margin was 19-3 after one, with Kendal Hill scoring seven in the period. The lead swelled to 35-10 at halftime, and Bobe had 17 in the third quarter as her teammates tried to help her achieve the record on the Spartans' home floor. "The coaches never talked about (Bobe getting the record). Kendal knew, and that was all her. They were trying to get Ella the ball, and that's what's great about this team. They're so unselfish," Eaves said. The Spartans earned a running clock by hitting the 35-point threshold with 7:10 remaining. Eaves was pleased that her team continued to play well from the start. "Part of that is not being satisfied. We constantly go back to last year, and how we didn't meet our mission," she said. "It's pretty easy to keep them motivated. They want to be here. It makes my job easier. We tell them that it all starts on the defensive end, and they did a great job getting after it." Izzy Like had eight points to lead the Wildcats (2-3). South Knox's JV topped Mater Dei in a two-quarter game, 26-7. Burke had 11 points, and Kalissa Lavely 10. The Spartans play their second of four consecutive sectional opponents on Tuesday, visiting Linton for a 6 p.m. start.Faruqi & Faruqi Reminds ASP Isotopes Investors Of The Pending Class Action Lawsuit With A Lead Plaintiff Deadline Of February 3, 2025 – ASPI
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