TORRINGTON – Fighting back tears, Christina Bishop, the unsheltered programs manager for the Center for Human Development, said she is one missed paycheck away from becoming a member of the community she serves. “I just need one mistake,” she said Friday during the Northwest Connecticut Legislative Roundtable at Torrington Library. “And I do this work and the people who know me know I would crawl through the last of my chain to get my people’s needs met because that’s what they need. And I’m one paycheck away.” Bishop’s comments were met with nods from the audience and members of the panel, which included state Rep. Jay M. Case, R-Winsted; Deirdre Houlihan DiCara, executive director of FISH; Nancy Cannavo, director at The Gathering Place/New Beginnings; Anne Giordano, early childhood specialist at EdAdvance; Jessica Gueniat, director of Torrington Library; Julia Scharnberg, vice president of community engagement at Northwest CT Community Health Network; and Sarah Fox, CEO of the Connecticut Coalition to End Homelessness. The situation is even more dire than when the panel convened in November 2023. DiCara said FISH serves families, individuals and veterans experiencing homelessness at a 35-bed shelter. “We have seven children currently and five veterans as well,” she said. “We serve infants through seniors and they await placement in permanent supportive shelter.” Since the spring, the number of people served at the food pantry has increased by 700, she noted. “And on some occasions, pantry clients arrive in tears as they begin to notice that their landlord has increased their rent, and they can no longer afford their apartment of 20 or 30 years under Social Security income,” DiCara said. Cannavo said The Gathering Place is experiencing a similar trend, with 604 new clients coming through its doors. “That is outrageous,” she said. “It’s unacceptable. ... That’s a large, large number and we need this funding to keep them warm in the winter.” With the cold-weather months looming, the shelters are going to be relied upon even further. “We nonprofits are greatly challenged to fund rates to keep our shelter doors open as funding through the (state) Department of Housing only comes about half to three-quarters of the cost of operating a shelter,” DiCara said. “The homeless should have and deserve a line item in the annual (state) budget to cover the cost of operating ... shelters around the state.” Case noted the state allocated $4.5 million in American Rescue Plan Act and bonding funds to tackle the issue of homelessness, including funding shelters, but those funds are separate from the state’s biennial budget. “I don’t want to enable homelessness,” he said. “I want to work to eradicate it. ... Money’s not going to fix it all. We want to talk about affordable housing. We want to talk about low-income housing. But to get these people into affordable housing, that housing has to have wraparound services with it because a lot of these people need the help to sustain themselves while they’re living day to day.” Fox, who said she experienced homelessness herself, cited legislative goals of the Waterbury-Litchfield County Coordinated Access Network: increase and annualize funding for homeless response and cold weather emergency services; boost homelessness prevention funding to help people overcome financial barriers such as a missed month of rent or help with utilities; invest in permanent supportive housing; tax incentives for housing people experiencing homelessness; decriminalize homelessness and increase investment in the 2-1-1 housing crisis line. Fox said there are families in the area living in tents at campgrounds with no running water, bathrooms or electricity. “There were eight children living in that environment throughout the summer,” she said, noting being unhoused is a traumatic experience for everyone, particularly kids. “One family experienced COVID during that period so they were trying to manage their family in that situation.” Those families are now all housed, but she said the number of homeless continues to rise as the temperature drops. “At the state level, we have to do better,” she said.superph casino login register 。

LANDOVER, Md. (AP) — Allowing two kickoff return touchdowns and missing an extra point all in the final few minutes added up to the Washington Commanders losing a third consecutive game in excruciating fashion. The underlying reason for this slide continuing was a problem long before that. An offense led by dynamic rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels that was among the NFL's best for a long stretch of the season put up just nine points and 169 yards for the first three-plus quarters against Dallas before falling behind 20-9 and teeing off on the Cowboys' conservative defense. “We just couldn’t really get it going,” said receiver Terry McLaurin , whose lengthy touchdown with 21 seconds left masked that he had just three catches for 16 yards through three quarters. “We’ve got to find a way to start faster and sustain drives, and that’s everybody: the whole coaching staff and the offensive players just going out there and figuring out ways that we can stay on the field.” This is not a new problem for Washington, which had a season-low 242 yards in a Nov. 10 home loss to Pittsburgh and 264 yards four days later in a defeat at Philadelphia. Since returning from a rib injury that knocked him out of a game last month, Daniels has completed just under 61% of his passes, after 75.6% over his first seven professional starts. Daniels and coach Dan Quinn have insisted this isn't about injury. The coaching staff blamed a lack of adequate practice time, but a full week of it before facing the Cowboys did not solve the problem. It is now fair to wonder if opponents have seen enough film of offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury's system to figure it out. “I think teams and coordinators are going to see what other teams have success against us and try to figure out how they could incorporate that into their scheme," Daniels said after going 12 of 22 for 80 yards passing through three quarters in the Dallas game. "We’ve been in third and longer a lot these past couple games, so that’s kind of where you get into the exotic pressures and stuff like that. We’ve just got to be better on first and second downs and stay ahead of the chains.” Daniels has a point there, and it predates this losing streak. The Commanders have converted just 36% of third-down opportunities (27 for 75) over their past seven games after 52% (31 for 60) in their first five. That challenge doesn't get any easier with Tennessee coming to town Sunday. The Titans, despite being 3-8, have the second-best third-down defense in the league at 31.6%. The defense kept the Commanders in the game against Dallas, allowing just 10 points until the fourth quarter and 20 total before kickoff return touchdowns piled on to the other side of the scoreboard. Even Cooper Rush's 22-yard touchdown pass to Luke Schoonmaker with five minutes left came after a turnover that gave the Cowboys the ball at the Washington 44. The defense spending more than 35 minutes on the field certainly contributed to fatigue as play wore on. The running game that contributed to a 7-2 start has taken a hit, in part because of injuries to top back Brian Robinson Jr. The Commanders got 145 yards on the ground because Daniels had 74 on seven carries, but running backs combined for just 57. Daniels could not say how much the rushing attack stalling has contributed to the offense going stagnant. “You’ve got to be able to run the ball, keep the defense honest,” he said. "We got to execute the plays that are called in, and we didn’t do a good job of doing that.” Linebacker Frankie Luvu keeps making the case to be first-year general manager Adam Peters' best free agent signing. He and fellow offseason addition Bobby Wagner tied for a team-high eight tackles, and Luvu also knocked down three passes against Dallas. Kicker Austin Seibert going wide left on the point-after attempt that would have tied the score with 21 seconds left was his third miss of the game. He also was short on a 51-yard field goal attempt and wide left on an earlier extra point. Seibert, signed a week into the season after Cade York struggled in the opener, made 25 of 27 field goal tries and was 22 of 22 on extra points before injuring his right hip and missing the previous two games. He brushed off his health and the low snap from Tyler Ott while taking responsibility for not connecting. “I made the decision to play, and here we are,” Seibert said. “I just wasn’t striking it well. But it means a lot to me to be here with these guys, so I just want to put my best foot moving forward.” Robinson's sprained ankle and fellow running back Austin Ekeler's concussion from a late kickoff return that led to him being hospitalized for further evaluation are two major immediate concerns. Quinn said Monday that Ekeler and starting right tackle Andrew Wylie are in concussion protocol. It's unclear if Robinson will be available against Tennessee, which could mean Chris Rodriguez Jr. getting elevated from the practice squad to split carries with Jeremy McNichols. The Commanders still have not gotten cornerback Marshon Lattimore into a game since acquiring him at the trade deadline from New Orleans. Lattimore is trying to return from a hamstring injury, and the secondary could use him against Calvin Ridley, who's coming off a 93-yard performance at Houston. 17 — Handoffs to a running back against Dallas, a significant decrease from much of the season before this losing streak. Don't overlook the Titans with the late bye week coming immediately afterward. The Commanders opened as more than a touchdown favorite, but after the results over the weekend, BetMGM Sportsbook had it as 5 1/2 points Monday. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nflDUP ministers Peter Robinson and Nigel Dodds were sanctioned in 2000 by Stormont’s leaders over their plan to disrupt the powersharing Executive. Minutes of an Executive meeting from June of that year state further action would be considered “as appropriate” if the DUP went ahead with a threat to rotate its ministers. The minutes are within files which have been declassified at the Public Record Office in Belfast. Devolved powersharing had been restored to Northern Ireland in May 2000 when Ulster Unionist leader David Trimble had received the backing of his party to go back into the Assembly, despite there having been no decommissioning of IRA arms at that point. Then DUP deputy leader Mr Robinson and Mr Dodds took up the offices as ministers for regional development and social development, but refused to attend Executive meetings due to the presence of Sinn Fein ministers. The party also said it would rotate its ministerial posts to prevent other parties from taking them. A minute of an Executive meeting on June 8 said Mr Robinson and Mr Dodds had refused a request from First Minister Mr Trimble and deputy First Minister Seamus Mallon to meet with them “to discuss recent public comments by the DUP concerning their positions as ministers”. The minute records that the Executive endorsed a proposal from the First and deputy First Ministers to write again to the two DUP ministers setting out sanctions against them. It says: “The First Minister and and Deputy First Minister would assume responsibility for representing the Executive Committee on transport matters at the British-Irish Council in place of the Minister for Regional Development. “The Minister for Social Development and the Minister for Regional Development would not be nominated to attend meetings of the Joint Ministerial Committee. “Pending the receipt of satisfactory assurances from DUP Ministers regarding the confidentiality and integrity of Executive Committee business, the Minister for Social Development and Minister for Regional Development would not receive Executive Committee papers as of right. “The First Minister and Deputy First Minister would seek briefing, as appropriate, from officials in the Department for Regional Development and Department for Social Development.” The minute continues: “If the DUP carried out their threat to change the holders of the two Ministerial offices on a frequent basis, the Executive Committee would consider other action as appropriate.” Mr Robinson and Mr Dodds resigned as ministers on June 27 and were replaced by party colleagues Gregory Campbell and Maurice Morrow. A minute from an Executive meeting that day says: “The Executive Committee noted that the Minister for Social Development and Minister for Regional Development would be resigning their posts that afternoon, and expressed concern at the proposed rotation of the ministries held by their Party Members.”

Ireland blamed Northern Ireland Office for ‘damaging leaks’, records show

NBA Spread and Total Picks for Today, December 30 Published 9:22 pm Sunday, December 29, 2024 By Data Skrive The Dallas Mavericks and the Sacramento Kings take the court for one of many exciting matchups on the NBA slate today. Ahead of today’s NBA games, get a sneak peek at the betting odds right here. Sign up for NBA League Pass to get access to games, live and on-demand, and more for the entire season and offseason. NBA Spread and Total Picks – December 30 Watch ESPN originals, The Last Dance and more NBA content on ESPN+. Use our link to sign up for ESPN+ or the Disney bundle. Not all offers available in all states, please visit BetMGM for the latest promotions for your area. Must be 21+ to gamble, please wager responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, contact 1-800-GAMBLER .WASHINGTON (AP) — Deaths from starvation will likely pass famine levels in northern Gaza as soon as next month owing to Israel’s “near-total blockade” of food and other aid, the U.S.-created global food-crisis monitor said on Tuesday. The finding by the Famine Early Warning System Network appeared to expose a rift within the Biden administration over the extent of starvation in northern Gaza, with the U.S. ambassador to Israel, Jacob Lew, disputing part of the data used in reaching the conclusion and calling the stepped-up famine warning “irresponsible.” Northern Gaza has been one of the areas hardest-hit by fighting and Israel’s restrictions on aid throughout its 14-month war with Hamas militants. Israel at one point increased the number of aid deliveries it permitted into northern Gaza under pressure from President Joe Biden. But the U.N. and aid groups say Israel recently has blocked almost all aid again. Only nine U.N. trucks have been able to bring in food and water over the past 2 1/2 months, Oxfam says. Israel says it has been operating in recent months against Hamas militants still active in northern Gaza. It says the vast majority of the area’s residents have fled and relocated to Gaza City, where most aid destined for the north is delivered. But some critics, including a former defense minister, have accused Israel of carrying out ethnic cleansing in Gaza’s far north, near the Israeli border. FEWS Net said unless Israel changes its policy, it expects the number of people dying of starvation and related ailments in northern Gaza to reach between two and 15 per day sometime between next month and March. The internationally recognized mortality threshold for famine is two or more deaths a day per 10,000 people. Cindy McCain, the American head of the U.N. World Food Program, in a Dec. 15 appearance on CBS’ “Face the Nation” called for political pressure to get food flowing to Palestinians trapped in north Gaza. “We need unfettered access. We need a ceasefire and we need it now,” she said. “We can’t ... sit by and just allow these people to starve to death.” FEWS Net was created by the U.S. Agency for International Development in the mid-1980s to warn of global food crises. The United States, Israel’s main backer, provided a record amount of military support in the first year of the war. At the same time, the Biden administration repeatedly urged Israel to allow more access to aid deliveries in Gaza overall, and warned that failing to do so could trigger U.S. restrictions on military support. The administration recently said Israel was making improvements and declined to carry out its threat of restrictions. Military support for Israel’s war in Gaza is politically charged in the United States. Republicans and some Democrats have staunchly opposed any effort to limit U.S. support over the suffering of Palestinian civilians trapped in the conflict. The Biden administration’s reluctance to do more to press Israel for improved treatment of civilians undercut support for Democrats in last month’s elections. Lew, the U.S. ambassador, challenged the famine warning in a posting on social media, saying it was based on “outdated and inaccurate” data. He pointed to uncertainty over how many of the 65,000 people remaining in northern Gaza had fled in recent weeks, saying that skewed the findings. FEWS said its famine assessment holds even if as few as 10,000 remain there. “We work day and night with the U.N. and our Israeli partners to meet humanitarian needs — which are great — and relying on inaccurate data is irresponsible.,” Lew wrote. AP writers Matthew Lee in Washington and Josef Federman in Jerusalem contributed to this report.

Dolphins' Dee Eskridge on gun violence awareness after sisters' deathOTTAWA, Ontario (AP) — Tuomas Uronen scored at 1:46 of overtime to give Finland a 4-3 victory over the defending champion United States on Sunday in the world junior hockey championship. Uronen, who plays for the Kingston Frontenacs in the Ontario Hockey League, came down the right side on a rush and beat goalie Trey Augustine high to the glove side. The Americans lost for the first time in three games. They'll finish Group A play Tuesday night against Canada. Finland has won two straight after an opening loss to Canada. In the late game at Canadian Tire Centre, Carter George made 18 saves to help Canada rebound from an overtime loss to Latvia with a 3-0 victory over Germany. Jesse Kiiskinen, Julius Miettinen and Arttu Alasiurua also scored for Finland, and Petteri Rimpinen made 41 saves. Carey Terrance of the Erie Otters of the OHL, Cole Hutson of Boston University and Brody Ziemer of Minnesota scored for the United States. Augustine, from Michigan State, stopped 29 shots. For Canada, Oliver Bonk opened the scoring midway through the first period, Caden Price made it 2-0 with 4:58 left in the game and Mathieu Cataford added an empty-netter. In Group B at TD Place, Sweden and Czechia each improved to 3-0 ahead of their showdown Tuesday night in the round-robin finale. Tom Willander had two goals and assist in Sweden's 7-5 victory over Switzerland. Eduard Sale scored twice to help Czechia beat Slovakia 4-2. AP sports: https://apnews.com/sportsThousands of revellers gathered on Copacabana beach for Rio de Janeiro's annual pride parade, many scantily dressed and covered in glitter. Rainbow-coloured flags, towels and fans abounded among the crowd mostly made up of young people who danced and sang along to music blaring from speakers. While the atmosphere was festive, some spoke of the threat of violence LGBTQ+ people face in Brazil. "As the sister of a trans woman, I'm scared to death," said Helen Karajá, a 32-year-old bisexual artist. At least 230 LGBTQ+ Brazilians were victims of violent deaths in 2023, according to the umbrella watchdog group Observatory of LGBTI+ deaths and violence in Brazil. And more trans people — 100 — were murdered in Brazil last year than in any other country, according to Transgender Europe, a network of global non-profits that tracks the data. To be sure, life for gay people is safer now than it used to be, said Carlos da Cunha, a 71-year-old hairdresser. "In the past, people had to go to ghettos to meet people, because you couldn't just be anywhere," said da Cunha. "Now, we can walk down the street without being attacked, without being insulted or humiliated." One of the themes of this year's pride march was sustainability. "Environmental justice will only be possible with racial and social justice, gender equality and sexual diversity" read one banner attached to a truck. Brazil has faced a series of environmental catastrophes this year, including record drought in the Amazon rainforest, floods in the southern Rio Grande do Sul state, and wildfires across the country. "If we can't respect the environment, how can we respect others?" said Alexia Soutinho, a 23-year-old student who identifies as pansexual.

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