fishing rods terraria Two senior members of the federal cabinet were in Florida Friday pushing Canada’s new $1.3 billion border plan with members of Donald Trump’s transition team, a day after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau himself appeared to finally push back at the president-elect over his social media posts about turning Canada into the 51st state. Finance Minister Dominic LeBlanc and Foreign Affair Minister Melanie Joly shared few details of their meetings in Palm Beach, simply saying in a statement the U.S. officials they met with took notes and agreed to relay messages to Trump. “Minister LeBlanc and Minister Joly had a positive, productive meeting at Mar-a-Lago with Howard Lutnick and Doug Burgum, as a followup to the dinner between the prime minister and President Trump last month,” wrote Jean-Sebastien Comeau, a spokesman for LeBlanc. Lutnick is Trump’s nominee for commerce secretary, and Burgum is the former governor of North Dakota and current nominee for secretary of the interior. When announcing Lutnick as his commerce pick Trump said the chief executive of the financial firm Cantor Fitzgerald would be in charge of the Trump “tariff and trade agenda.” “Both Ministers outlined the measures in Canada’s Border Plan and reiterated the shared commitment to strengthen border security as well as combat the harm caused by fentanyl to save Canadian and American lives.” He added the ministers agreed to continue the discussions in the coming weeks. Joly is also expected to meet in Florida with senator Lindsay Graham Friday evening. This trip comes less than four weeks before Trump is sworn in again as president. He has threatened to impose a new 25 per cent import tariff on Canada and Mexico the same day over concerns about a trade imbalance, as well as illegal drugs and migration issues at the borders. The broad strokes of Canada’s new border plan were made public Dec. 17, including a new aerial intelligence task force to provide round-the-clock surveillance of the border, and improved efforts using technology and canine teams to seek out drugs in shipments leaving Canada. Comeau said earlier Friday morning the ministers would also emphasize the negative impacts of Trump’s threatened tariffs on both Canada and the U.S. Comeau said the ministers were to build on the discussions that took place last month when Trudeau and LeBlanc met Trump at Mar-a-Lago just days after Trump first made his tariff threat. It was at that dinner on Nov. 29 when Trump first raised the notion of Canada becoming the 51st state, a comment LeBlanc has repeatedly since insisted was just a joke. But Trump has continued the quip repeatedly in various social media posts, including in his Christmas Day message when he said Canadians would pay lower taxes and have better military protection if they became Americans. He has taken to calling Trudeau “governor” instead of prime minister. It isn’t clear if LeBlanc raised the issue with Trump’s team in Palm Beach Friday. Trudeau had not directly responded to any of the jabs, but on Thursday posted a link to a six-minute long video on YouTube from 2010 in which American journalist Tom Brokaw “explains Canada to Americans.” “Some information about Canada for Americans” was all he wrote in the post. Some information about Canada for Americans: https://t.co/EnI8CrF4cB — Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) December 26, 2024 The video, which originally aired during the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, explains similarities between the two countries, including their founding based on immigration, their trading relationship and the actions of the Canadian Army in World War 2 and other modern conflicts. “In the long history of sovereign neighbours there has never been a relationship as close, productive and peaceful as the U.S. and Canada,” Brokaw says in the video. Former Bank of Canada governor Mark Carney, who is at the centre of some of Trudeau’s recent domestic political troubles, also called out Trump’s antics on X Thursday, calling it “casual disrespect” and “carrying the ‘joke’ too far.” “Time to call it out, stand up for Canada, and build a true North American partnership,” said Carney, who Trudeau was courting to join his cabinet before Chrystia Freeland resigned as finance minister last week. This is carrying the ‘joke’ too far: the casual disrespect, the poor tax math, and ignoring that workers on both sides of our border will be better off if we work together. Time to call it out, stand up for Canada, and build a true North American partnership 🇨🇦 🇺🇸 🇲🇽 https://t.co/BO4zEMrk0B — Mark Carney (@MarkJCarney) December 26, 2024 Freeland’s sudden departure, three days after Trudeau informed her he would be firing her as finance minister in favour of Carney, left Trudeau’s leadership even more bruised than it already was. Despite the expectation Carney would assume the role, he did not and has not made any statements about it. LeBlanc was sworn in as finance minister instead the same day Freeland quit. More than two dozen Liberal MPs have publicly called on Trudeau to resign as leader, and Trudeau is said to be taking the holidays to think about his next steps. He is currently vacationing in British Columbia. He did not make a public statement about the meeting as of publication.Cory Morgan: Is Harper’s Appointment to Alberta Investment Corp a Step Toward a Provincial Pension?Bill Maher Suggests Ending His HBO Show over Return of Trump: 'I'm Sh**ting My Pants'

Syracuse basketball at No. 3 Tennessee: Live score, updates, /PRNewswire/ -- NexPoint Real Estate Finance, Inc. (NYSE: NREF) (the "Company") today announced a dividend for its 8.50% Series A Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock (NYSE: NREF PRA) of per share. The dividend will be payable on , to stockholders of record at the close of business on . NexPoint Real Estate Finance, Inc., is a publicly traded REIT, with its common stock and Series A Preferred Stock listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol "NREF" and "NREF PRA," respectively, primarily focused on originating, structuring and investing in first-lien mortgage loans, mezzanine loans, preferred equity, convertible notes, multifamily properties and common equity investments, as well as multifamily and single-family rental commercial mortgage-backed securities securitizations, promissory notes and mortgage-backed securities. More information about the Company is available at . Prosek Partners for NexPoint View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE NexPoint Real Estate Finance, Inc. Get local news delivered to your inbox!

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As the calendar year draws to a close, the window for tax-saving opportunities narrows. However, it’s not too late to implement strategies that could lower your tax bill. By focusing on charitable contributions, health savings accounts (HSAs), and 529 plans, you can make a significant impact on your finances before Dec. 31. For those living in Indiana and some other states, a unique 529 plan tax credit further enhances the benefits. Charitable contributions are a valuable tool for reducing your tax liability while supporting causes you care about. If you itemize deductions, donations to qualified charitable organizations are tax-deductible. You can contribute cash, appreciated securities, or other assets, and each type of donation offers distinct benefits. Cash donations are deductible up to 60% of your adjusted gross income, while donating appreciated stock allows you to avoid capital gains taxes on the asset’s growth and get up to a 30% deduction on taxes. Additionally, if you are 701⁄2 or older, consider making a qualified charitable distribution directly from your IRA. QCDs allow you to donate up to $100,000 annually without including the amount in your taxable income, which can also satisfy your required minimum distribution. Another essential tax-advantaged account to consider is a health savings account. HSAs provide a triple tax advantage: contributions are tax-deductible, growth is tax-free, and withdrawals for qualified medical expenses are also tax-free. For 2024, individuals can contribute up to $4,150, while families can contribute up to $8,300. Those aged 55 and older can add an additional $1,000 as a catch-up contribution. If you’re covered by a high-deductible health plan but haven’t yet maxed out your HSA contributions, doing so before the end of the year can lower your taxable income while building a reserve for future health care costs. Additionally, HSAs are unique in that the funds roll over year after year, unlike flexible spending accounts, making them an excellent tool for long-term financial planning. For Indiana residents, contributing to a 529 College Savings Plan before the end of the year can yield substantial state tax benefits. Indiana offers a 20% tax credit on contributions up to $7,500 per year, providing a maximum credit of $1,500. This means that every dollar you contribute up to the limit not only grows tax-free for educational expenses, but also directly reduces your state tax liability. These plans can be used for a wide range of education-related costs, including tuition, fees, books, and even K-12 expenses in some cases. Parents, grandparents, and others who wish to support a child’s education should consider taking advantage of this incentive. To maximize this benefit, make your contributions before Dec. 31. Acting on these strategies now can yield meaningful tax savings while setting the stage for long-term financial success. Consider making charitable contributions, maximizing your HSA contributions, and taking full advantage of Indiana’s generous 529 plan tax credit if you’re eligible. These proactive steps not only reduce your immediate tax burden but also help secure your financial future. As always, consult with a tax advisor or financial planner to ensure these moves align with your specific goals and circumstances. Taking action today can pave the way for smoother tax filing and greater peace of mind tomorrow.Diversity statements will no longer be used in University of Michigan faculty hiring, promotion and tenure, a move applauded by critics who have called the practice "litmus tests" that limit diversity of thought while diversity advocates said the process was "preordained" and dishonest. Provost Laurie McCauley announced the decision Thursday based on a recommendation from a UM faculty working group to end diversity statements. But the recommendation is "deceptive," coming after the regents rejected a previous recommendation to keep the diversity statements, a faculty leader said. Diversity statements are documents written by faculty job candidates that let applicants explain to a search committee the distinct experiences they would bring to the university along with their commitment to diversity. The statements help search committees identify applicants "who have professional skills, experience and/or willingness to engage in activities that would enhance campus diversity and equity efforts," according to a University of California at San Diego statement referenced by UM's Center for Research on Learning & Teaching. McCauley's announcement came hours before the Board of Regents is scheduled to meet and a protest is planned beforehand at UM President Santa Ono's house. Many in the UM community are concerned the regents may dismantle a multimillion dollar diversity, equity and inclusion effort built after the school was at the center of a decade-long national debate around affirmative action in higher education, and DEI programs have been under attack across the nation.. "Diversity, equity and inclusion are three of our core values at the university," McCauley said in the University Record, an internal UM publication for faculty and staff, in announcing the end of diversity statements. "Our collective efforts in this area have produced important strides in opening opportunities for all people. As we pursue this challenging and complex work, we will continuously refine our approach.” But there is more that happened in this process, UM Faculty Senate Chair Rebekah Modrak wrote on the University Record page under the announcement. After the regents called for diversity statements to be banned last summer, McCauley formed a faculty committee to review diversity statements in the spirit of shared governance that came up with a different recommendation, Modrak wrote. "My understanding is that the committee’s first report recommended that the use of diversity statements should be up to each unit, a recommendation that honors our decentralization, independence, and academic freedom," Modrak wrote. "The Regents rejected that report and central leadership didn’t support their own faculty committee. Sending a committee back to work to give a second report with preordained results is neither honest nor respectful of faculty expertise. The University Record’s erasure of the Regents’ autocratic hand in this process is also deceptive." Regents will not vote on the provost's action, but may discuss it during the meeting, said Regent Sarah Hubbard, one of two Republicans on the eight-member UM board. "I applaud the provost for ending the practice of requiring diversity statements," said Hubbard. "This policy change removes a barrier to diversity of thought on campus by eliminating the ideological litmus test." No action is expected during Thursday's meeting around other DEI issues, added Hubbard, who previously said the regents have been looking for a long time at the university's DEI efforts and want to realign funds closer to student scholarships. Any budget decisions wouldn't happen until next year when budgetary decisions get made, she said. Even so, hundreds of students, faculty and staff demonstrated on campus earlier this week to show support for the university's DEI programs, and others are planning to attend the protest organized by UM's Black Student Union before the regents meeting and show up to the official meeting. UM's decision to discontinue diversity statements came after the statements were also eliminated in May at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and in June at Harvard University’s Faculty of Arts and Sciences. In June, UM's provost charged the eight-member faculty working group to examine diversity statements, though the university did not have an institutional policy on the statements but units did have the discretion to ask for them. The working group recommended the end of the statements after reviewing other policies and surveying more than 2,000 faculty members. “Critics of diversity statements perceive them as expressions of personal identity traits, support of specific ideology or opinions on socially-relevant issues, and serve as a ‘litmus test’ of whether a faculty member’s views are politically acceptable,” the working group wrote in its report. “Thus, as currently enacted, diversity statements have the potential to limit viewpoints and reduce diversity of thought among faculty members.” The working group said it acknowledged the concerns. "But, well-written diversity statements do not necessarily require expression of one’s identity, and they need not express one's beliefs or stances on socially-charged issues," the working group wrote. "Instead, well-written diversity statements contain reflections of how identity has shaped a faculty member’s approach with their students, how they work with their colleagues, and how they interact with society. These are desirable features of current and future U-M faculty members, and this information should be considered when potential faculty are hired and current faculty are promoted." The work group also offered two other recommendations, including that the university "can and must" incorporate of content about DEI into teaching, research and service statements. "Through this incorporation, the problematic features of diversity statements can be eliminated, while the useful and necessary information that exists in diversity statements can be saved and placed where it more naturally belongs," the group wrote in its report. However, UM did not adopt those recommendations. UM's decision to discontinue diversity statements followed other steps the university has taken in recent months that supporters said will create an environment that expands diverse views on campus. They include the regents' controversial adoption last month of a policy on institutional neutrality that prohibits some officials from taking public stances on political and social issues not related to the internal governance of the university. Last month the Faculty Senate passed a resolution censuring the Board of Regents and accusing the regents of "increasingly exhibiting authoritarian tendencies, and silencing free speech. ©2024 The Detroit News. Visit detroitnews.com . Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

A 7.0 magnitude earthquake shook a large area of Northern California on Thursday, knocking items off grocery store shelves, sending children scrambling under desks and prompting a brief tsunami warning for 5.3 million people along the U.S. West Coast. The quake struck at 10:44 a.m. west of Ferndale, a small city in coastal Humboldt County, about 130 miles (209 km) from the Oregon border, the U.S. Geological Survey said. It was felt as far south as San Francisco, some 270 miles (435 km) away, where residents felt a rolling motion for several seconds. It was followed by multiple smaller aftershocks. There were no immediate reports of major damage or injury. The tsunami warning was in effect for roughly an hour. It was issued shortly after the temblor struck and covered nearly 500 miles (805 km) of coastline, from the edge of California’s Monterey Bay north into Oregon. “It was a strong quake, our building shook, we’re fine but I have a mess to clean up right now,” said Julie Kreitzer, owner of Golden Gait Mercantile, a store packed with food, wares and souvenirs that is a main attraction in Ferndale. “We lost a lot of stuff. It’s probably worse than two years ago. I have to go, I have to try and salvage something for the holidays because it’s going to be a tough year,” Kreitzer said before hanging up. The region — known for its redwood forests, scenic mountains and the three-county Emerald Triangle’s legendary marijuana crop — was struck by a 6.4 magnitude quake in 2022 that left thousands of people without power and water. The northwest corner of California is the most seismically active part of the state since it’s where three tectonic plates meet, seismologist Lucy Jones said on the social media platform BlueSky. Shortly after the quake, phones in Northern California buzzed with the tsunami warning from the National Weather Service that said: “A series of powerful waves and strong currents may impact coasts near you. You are in danger. Get away from coastal waters. Move to high ground or inland now. Keep away from the coast until local officials say it is safe to return.” Numerous cities urged people to evacuate to higher ground as a precaution, including Eureka. In Santa Cruz, authorities cleared the main beach, taping off entrances with police tape. Aerial footage showed cars bumper-to-bumper heading to higher ground Thursday morning on California highways 1 and 92 in the Half Moon Bay area south of San Francisco. “I thought my axles had fallen apart,” said Valerie Starkey, a Del Norte County supervisor representing Crescent City, a town of fewer than 6,000 near the Oregon border. “That’s what I was feeling ... ‘My axles are broken now.’ I did not realize it was an earthquake.” Cindy Vosburg, the executive director for the Crescent City-Del Norte County Chamber of Commerce, said she heard alarms sound just before shaking began and the city’s cultural center downtown started to creak. “The earthquake seemed to go on for quite a few seconds. It was a rolling earthquake,” Vosburg said. “Just as it would start to subside, the building would roll again.” Vosburg, a former resident of the San Francisco Bay Area and the Central Valley, said it was the strongest earthquake she felt since the 1989 Loma Prieta quake struck Northern California. Gov. Gavin Newsom said he has signed off on a state of emergency declaration to quickly move state resources to impacted areas along the coast. State officials were concerned about damages in the northern part of the state, Newsom said. White House Spokesperson Jeremy Edwards said President Joe Biden was briefed on the earthquake and that FEMA officials are in touch with their state and local counterparts in California and Oregon. Crews in Eureka, the biggest city in the region, were assessing if there was any major damage from the quake, Eureka Mayor Kim Bergel said. Bergel, who works as a resource aid at a middle school, said lights were swaying and everyone got under desks. “The kids were so great and terrified. It seemed to go back and forth for quite a long time,” she said. Some children asked, “Can I call my mom?” The students were later sent home. In nearby Arcata, students and faculty were urged to shelter in place at California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt. The campus in was not in the tsunami hazard zone and after inspections, “all utilities and building systems are normal and operational,” the university said in a statement. Humboldt County Sheriff William Honsal said residents experienced some cracks in their homes’ foundations, as well as broken glass and windows, but nothing severe. There also have been no major infrastructure problems, building collapses or roadway issues, and no major injuries or deaths have been reported, he said. Honsal said he was in his office in the 75-year-old courthouse in downtown Eureka when he felt the quake. “We’re used to it. It is known as ‘earthquake country’ up here,” he said. “It wasn’t a sharp jolt. It was a slow roller, but significant.” Michael Luna, owner of a Grocery Outlet in Eureka, said that besides a few items falling off shelves, the store on Commercial Street was unscathed by the earthquake. “We didn’t have any issues but a couple of deodorants fall off.... I think the way the earthquake rumbled this time, it was a good thing for our store because the last earthquake was a huge mess,” he said. They evacuated customers and closed their doors temporarily until officials lifted the tsunami warning, he said, rushing off the phone to attend to a growing line of customers at check-out. The San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District, known as BART, stopped traffic in all directions through the underwater tunnel between San Francisco and Oakland, and the San Francisco Zoo’s visitors were evacuated. Dave Snider, tsunami warning coordinator for the Tsunami Warning Center in Alaska, said the computer models indicated that this was the type of earthquake that was unlikely to cause a tsunami and gauges that monitor waves then confirmed it, so forecasters canceled the warning. This quake was a strike-slip type of temblor that shifts more horizontally and is less prone to cause tsunamis, unlike the more vertical types, said National Weather Service tsunami program manager Corina Allen in Washington state. The California Geological Survey says the state’s shores have been struck by more than 150 tsunamis since 1800, and while most were minor, some have been destructive and deadly. On March 28, 1964, a tsunami triggered by a powerful earthquake in Alaska smashed into Crescent City hours later. Much of the business district was leveled and a dozen people were killed. More recently, a tsunami from a 2011 earthquake in Japan caused about $100 million in damages along the California coast, much of it in Crescent City.outh Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol said on Wednesday he would lift a surprise martial law declaration he had imposed just hours before, backing down in a standoff with parliament which roundly rejected his attempt to ban political activity and censor the media. In South Korea's biggest political crisis in decades, Yoon shocked the nation and declared martial law on Tuesday night to thwart "anti-state forces" among his domestic political opponents. But outraged lawmakers unanimously rejected the decree. Yonhap news agency said the cabinet had agreed early on Wednesday to scrap the martial law. Protesters outside the National Assembly parliament shouted and clapped. “We won!” they chanted, and one demonstrator banged on a drum. The main opposition Democratic Party called for Yoon, who has been in office since 2022, to resign or face impeachment. “Even if martial law is lifted, he cannot avoid treason charges. It was clearly revealed to the entire nation that President Yoon could no longer run the country normally. He should step down," senior DP member of parliament Park Chan-dae said in a statement. "South Korea as a nation dodged a bullet, but President Yoon may have shot himself in the foot," said Danny Russel, vice president of the Asia Society Policy Institute think tank in the United States. The South Korean won currency came off a more than two-year low against the dollar after Yoon's reversal, while exchange traded funds linked to South Korean stocks similarly cut losses. Yoon's surprise declaration of martial law, which he cast as aimed at his political foes, was voted down by 190 lawmakers in parliament. His own party urged him to lift the decree. Under South Korean law, the president must immediately lift martial law if parliament demands it by a majority vote. The crisis in a country that has been a democracy since the 1980s, and is a US ally and major Asian economy, caused international alarm. After Yoon's announcement of martial law in a TV address, South Korea's military had said activities by parliament and political parties would be banned, and that media and publishers would be under the control of the martial law command. Helmeted troops briefly tried to enter the parliament building. Parliamentary aides were seen trying to push the soldiers back by spraying fire extinguishers. The White House said it was pleased Yoon had backed down. “We are relieved President Yoon has reversed course on his concerning declaration of martial law and respected the... National Assembly’s vote to end it," a White House spokesperson said. Earlier, US Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell said the United States was watching events in South Korea with "grave concern." Some 28,500 US troops are stationed in South Korea to guard against the nuclear-armed North. Yoon did not cite any specific threat from the North, instead focusing on his domestic political opponents. It was the first time since 1980 that martial law has been declared in South Korea. Russel, who was the top US diplomat for East Asia under former President Barack Obama, said South Korea was now looking at the prospect of snap elections. "Political uncertainty and domestic strife in South Korea is not our friend. Political uncertainty and domestic strife in South Korea is North Korea’s friend, however. You can be sure that North Korea is licking its chops," he said. Yoon, a career prosecutor, squeezed out a victory in the tightest presidential election in South Korean history in 2022. He rode a wave of discontent over economic policy, scandals and gender wars, aiming to reshape the political future of Asia's fourth-largest economy. But he has been unpopular, with his support ratings hovering at around 20 percent for months. His People Power Party suffered a landslide defeat at a parliamentary election in April this year, ceding control of the unicameral assembly to opposition parties that captured nearly two-thirds of the seats. There have been more than a dozen instances of martial law being declared since South Korea was established as a republic in 1948. In 1980, a group of military officers led by Chun Doo-hwan forced then-President Choi Kyu-hah to proclaim martial law to crush calls by the opposition, labor and students for the restoration of democratic government.

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — A lopsided, shutout loss has left the beat-up New Orleans Saints limping into the final two games of a lost season — and into a rather cloudy future beyond that. Saints interim coach Darren Rizzi figured that a visit to playoff-bound Green Bay would be a tall order for his injury-riddled squad, whose prominent missing players included starters at quarterback, running back and receiver. And when New Orleans' mostly healthy defensive front struggled against a Packers ground game led by running back Josh Jacobs, the rout was on. Nothing "stuck out on film other than a lack of execution and lack of playmaking,” Rizzi said Tuesday after reviewing video of Monday night's 34-0 loss at Green Bay . “We played against a playoff team, at their place, that has very few holes on their team,” Rizzi added. “It was a little bit of a perfect storm." Rizzi, a special teams coordinator who has made no secret that he sees his eight-game interim stint as an opportunity to further his head-coaching ambitions, has two more games left in what has been an up-and-down audition. The Saints are 3-3 on his watch, which includes one of New Orleans' most lopsided losses since the turn of the century. With the playoffs unattainable, and with a lot of reserves pressed into service, the final two weeks will serve primarily as a player-evaluation period heading into the offseason, when there are bound to be myriad changes on the roster and perhaps the coaching staff. Rizzi said the Saints, realistically, have been in evaluation mode “for the last month or so,” but added that there maybe be additional young or practice-squad players getting longer looks in the final two games. “My big thing this week is to see how we can respond,” Rizzi said. “We’re going to find out a lot about a lot of people.” Of the Saints' four punts, three were inside the Green Bay 20 and New Orleans did not allow a single punt return yard. The punt team might have been the only unit that executed its job (even the kickoff unit allowed a 38-yard return). The Saints had trouble protecting the quarterback (three sacks) and protecting the football (two turnovers). They couldn't run the ball (67 yards). They couldn't stop the run (188 yards allowed). They couldn't pass the ball consistently (129 yards) or stop the pass when they needed to. As former Saints coach Jim Mora once said, they couldn't do “ diddly poo .” Although rookie quarterback Spencer Rattler largely struggled and was responsible for both New Orleans turnovers, he had enough highlights — including a jumping, first-down pass on third-and-long — to keep him penciled in as the starter if the injured Derek Carr remains unable to play, Rizzi said. “It was definitely a performance where we got to take the good with the bad,” Rizzi said. “We've got to get rid of those negative plays.” New Orleans native Foster Moreau has emerged as one of the Saints' most reliable offensive players. The sixth-year NFL tight end made two catches for a team-high 33 yards on Monday night, giving him 25 catches for 335 yards this season. His four TDs receiving entering the game remain tied for the team lead. Rizzi was riding high after two wins to start his interim term as head coach, but Monday night's ugly loss is the club's third in four games and took a lot of luster off his candidacy for a longer-term appointment. Center Erik McCoy left the game with an elbow injury, while guard Lucas Patrick hurt his knee in the closing minutes. Rizzi said McCoy won't need surgery but could miss the rest of the season. The coach said Patrick needs more tests but is not expected to play again this season. While the chances of Carr (non-throwing, left hand) or top running back Alvin Kamara (groin) playing again this season appear slim, the Saints have declined to rule that out. Rizzi said Carr is getting closer to being able to play and wants the opportunity to go against his former team, the Las Vegas Raiders. Meanwhile, Rizzi said Kamara “is working his tail off to try to come back” this season. “Alvin told me this morning, in my office, that he really would like to play again,” Rizzi said. 24 — The number of years since the Saints suffered a more lopsided shutout loss, 38-0 against San Francisco in 2002. The Saints' home finale against lowly Las Vegas will be an anticlimactic affair bound to generate a level of fan interest similar to, if not less than, a preseason game. But the game will be important to the current regime, which needs victories in each of the club's final two games to avoid the franchise's worst record since it was displaced by Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and went 3-13. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFLJust because your family flees their home doesn’t mean the usual griefs of adolescence give you a pass. Years in a refugee camp don’t lessen the heartbreaks of youth. Walking for miles through hostile territory, dodging bandits, won’t make school any easier when you finally get there. You can reach your goal, America, and yet feel out of place and alone. And then your father, whom you adore, dies. “My family had to move from Syria and go to Jordan when I was 4 years old because of the civil war,” said Sebba Saad Allah, 16, standing before assembled classmates, teachers and community members Wednesday evening at Sullivan High School. “I was raised in Jordan for six years with my parents and my two brothers ... In 2019, I moved to the U.S. with my family and I was very unsure if I wanted to be here or not. I wasn’t ready for new beginnings ... It was a hard year for my family and I ... I started learning English and helped my family, translating. When I was only 11 years old, COVID hits, and I stopped my education because I didn’t know how to use technology to study; 2022, I was back to school, but it was the most challenging year for me because I lost one of the most important people in my life. I lost my father because of cancer. A truly remarkable person for my family and I, who touched the lives of everyone fortunate enough to know him. I miss listening to him saying the prayers before we break our fast...” Here the sophomore started crying. People clapped, encouragingly, calling out, “You’ve got this!” Enfolding teens as they struggle to be who they are and become who they will be, moving from strangers in a strange land to seasoned Americans, has long been a specialty at Sullivan, in Rogers Park, famous as Chicago’s immigrant high school. Two-thirds of Sullivan’s 724 students are refugees, immigrants or enrolled in their “English Learners” program. As many as 10% live in unstable housing situations. Add to that an ever more threatening political climate. The event Sebba Saad Allah was speaking at was Sullivan High School’s 8th Annual Thanksgiving Celebration, begun in 2016 after Donald Trump was first elected president on a wave of xenophobia. This year feels even more ominous. “There is a fear,” said Evelyn Levin, the English language program teacher at Sullivan. “There’s a lot that is unknown right now. There have been a number of students who just dropped out. There’s no way of tracking them to see if they’re still living in shelters.” More parents are reluctant to tell the school where they live. “Being listed in any sort of database is frightening to them,” Levin said. The school is trying to be proactive, to simultaneously assuage student fears while preparing them for whatever might occur next month — Trump has promised to begin deporting immigrants, including legal citizens, “on Day One.” “We have given students and families information about legal services that are available,” Levin said. “There was a legal clinic here right before Thanksgiving break.” As winter arrives, difficulties mount. “We have kids living on the train,” said STLS advocate Cindra Hart. “I’ve got kids living on the street. When it first got cold outside, I had to get coats, boots, hats, gloves.” How? “I’m begging,” she said, adding that gift cards, such as from McDonald’s, are helpful for impoverished students trying to get through Christmas break. “I need to be able to feed a kid while they’re gone from me for two weeks, because I know they’re going to eat while they’re here.” Hart said the city’s aid to her students was abruptly shut off. “All of a sudden they stopped,” she said. “They stopped . The city bum-rushed me. A whole bunch of kids who need stuff. The need is so great.” Anyone inclined to help Sullivan students is encouraged to contact the school’s clerk/treasurer, Bianca Rivera at barivera6@cps.edu. Not that the Thanksgiving event was grim. There was traditional turkey and trimmings, plus pizza and international dishes, contributed by local restaurants. The evening began with greetings were from half a dozen students in half a dozen languages, including Swahili, French, Turkish and Dari, an Afghan language, and Dinka, a language of South Sudan. Levin, who came to Sullivan this year from a West Side elementary school, spoke about how the immigrants here helped her see the city through fresh eyes — how one day she fought her way through a snow squall to get to Sullivan, only to find her students crowded around the window, transfixed. They had never seen snow. That said, the sense of festivity was muted compared with past years. “It’s a different kind of celebration this year,” said Michael Glasser, president of the Friends of Sullivan, the alumni group hosting the celebration. “We want to teach the kids the beauty of this American holiday ...” The good news is that Sullivan High School is in Chicago, a city in Illinois, where elected officials have no intention of rolling over in the face of whatever is to come from Washington. “Let me just say, anybody who goes after the students of Sullivan High School and the 9th congressional district will have to come through me,” said Rep. Jan Schakowsky, Sullivan class of ’62. “We’re going to fight back. The entire community is going to be there to protect these students and protect their families. We are a diverse community, in the city of Chicago and in Illinois, and proud of it. That’s what the United States of America is about. A country of opportunity, not throwing people out. Not scaring them. I pledge that I will be there every step of the way to make sure these families are protected. We’re ready for the challenge and ready for the fight. I understand the fear, and I want them to feel brave and strong. We are ready to push back.”None