777 casino jili

Afghanistan Taliban targets "several points" in Pakistan, tensions increase

Attentive Named to the 2024 Deloitte Technology Fast 500TM for the Fourth Consecutive YearGermany probing possible security lapses after Christmas market attack

Top five large SUVs of 2024TORONTO, Dec. 23, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- POET Technologies Inc. (“ POET ” or the “ Corporation ”) (TSX Venture: PTK; NASDAQ: POET), the designer and developer of the POET Optical InterposerTM, Photonic Integrated Circuits (PICs) and light sources for the data center, tele-communication and artificial intelligence markets, today announced that it has signed a Master Agreement, an Optical Engine Purchase Agreement and a Deed of Consignment with Globetronics Manufacturing Sdn. Bhd (“ GMSB ”), to manufacture optical engines for POET in Penang, Malaysia. Further information concerning GMSB is provided below POET also today provided an update on the announced acquisition of the minority equity interest of its existing joint venture in China, Super Photonics Xiamen (“ SPX ”) and its recently announced public offering. POET has engaged GMSB to assemble and test Optical Engines based on designs made exclusively by POET. The Deed of Consignment relates to a suite of wafer-level process equipment recently purchased by POET that is being installed at the GMSB facility in Penang. Concurrent with the Deed and a Purchase Agreement, the Parties entered into a Master Agreement, covering a period of three years, which governs the overall relationship between the Parties. POET and GMSB have prepared an initial project plan and statement of work for the installation and start-up of the consigned tools, the costs for which will be absorbed by POET. POET will submit purchase orders under the Optical Engine Purchase Agreement, with pricing to be based on specific optical engine types. Globetronics Technology Berhad (“ GTB ”) has allocated RM7.7 million (approximately US$1.7 million) for additional capital expenditures in connection with manufacturing optical engines for POET over the 2025-2027 period. Separately, and further to the Corporation’s November 25, 2024 announcement of a binding Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Quanzhou Sanan Optical Communication Technology Co., Ltd. (“ SAIC ”) to transfer to POET its 24.8% stake in the joint venture SPX, along with all the production equipment previously leased by SAIC to SPX, POET is pleased to confirm that the parties expect to shortly conclude their ongoing negotiations and that binding definitive agreements are expected to be signed by December 31, 2024. Terms of the transaction with SAIC remain subject to finalization and are expected to be announced upon signing of the definitive agreements As previously disclosed, it is the Corporation’s intention following completion of the transaction to continue to operate SPX in a manner consistent with past practice while it brings up a wafer-level assembly operation for optical engines in GMSB, thereby implementing its “China Plus One” strategy. As a further update to the Corporation’s public offering announced on December 12, 2024, POET is pleased to confirm that the US$25 million offering has been fully subscribed by a single institutional investor. The closing of that offering is now expected to take place after completion of the SPX acquisition described above. Terms of the offering remain unchanged from those previously announced, and the offering remains subject to the receipt of all regulatory approvals, including the final acceptance of the TSX Venture Exchange, and the satisfaction of other customary closing conditions. This news release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction. About POET Technologies Inc. POET is a design and development company offering high-speed optical modules, optical engines and light source products to the artificial intelligence systems market and to hyperscale data centers. POET’s photonic integration solutions are based on the POET Optical InterposerTM, a novel, patented platform that allows the seamless integration of electronic and photonic devices into a single chip using advanced wafer-level semiconductor manufacturing techniques. POET's Optical Interposer-based products are lower cost, consume less power than comparable products, are smaller in size and are readily scalable to high production volumes. In addition to providing high-speed (800G, 1.6T and above) optical engines and optical modules for AI clusters and hyperscale data centers, POET has designed and produced novel light source products for chip-to-chip data communication within and between AI servers, the next frontier for solving bandwidth and latency problems in AI systems. POET’s Optical Interposer platform also solves device integration challenges in 5G networks, machine-to-machine communication, self-contained "Edge" computing applications and sensing applications, such as LIDAR systems for autonomous vehicles. POET is headquartered in Toronto, Canada, with operations in Allentown, PA, Shenzhen, China, and Singapore. More information about POET is available on our website at www.poet-technologies.com . About Globetronics Manufacturing Sdn. Bhd. (GMSB) GMSB was incorporated on 16 May 2008 as a private company limited by shares and having its registered address at B-21-1, Level 21, Tower B, Northpoint Mid Valley City, No.1, Medan Syed Putra Utara, 59200 Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan. GMSB is a wholly-owned subsidiary of GTB. GMSB has an issued share capital of RM25,027,500 comprising 25,009,000 ordinary shares and is principally involved in the business of providing manufacturing and packaging services in semiconductors and turnkey manufacturing in encoder and sensor LEDs and related products. Forward-Looking Statements This news release contains “forward-looking information” (within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws) and “forward-looking statements” (within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995). Such statements or information are identified with words such as “anticipate”, “believe”, “expect”, “plan”, “intend”, “potential”, “estimate”, “propose”, “project”, “outlook”, “foresee” or similar words suggesting future outcomes or statements regarding any potential outcome. Such statements include the Corporation’s expectations with respect to its business partnership with GMSB, completion of the acquisition of the minority equity interest in SPX from SAIC, completion of its previously announced public offering, success of the Corporation’s product development efforts, the performance of its products, operations, meeting revenue targets, and the expectation of continued success in the financing efforts, the capability, functionality, performance and cost of the Corporation’s technology as well as the market acceptance, inclusion and timing of the Corporation’s technology in current and future products and expectations regarding its successful penetration of the Artificial Intelligence hardware markets. Such forward-looking information or statements are based on a number of risks, uncertainties and assumptions which may cause actual results or other expectations to differ materially from those anticipated and which may prove to be incorrect. Assumptions have been made regarding, among other things, the completion of definitive agreements with its SAIC concerning the acquisition of SPX, timing and conditionality for completion of its previously announced public offering, the negotiations with contract manufacturers, the size, future growth and needs of Artificial Intelligence network suppliers, management’s expectations regarding the success and timing for completion of its development efforts, the introduction of new products, financing activities, future growth, recruitment of personnel, reorganization efforts, plans for and completion of projects by the Corporation’s consultants, contractors and partners, availability of capital, and the necessity to incur capital and other expenditures. Actual results could differ materially due to a number of factors, including, without limitation, failure to receive necessary regulatory approvals for the Corporation’s arrangements with GMSB and SAIC, failure to complete the recently announced public offering, the failure of Artificial Intelligence networks to continue to grow as expected, the failure of the Corporation’s products to meet performance requirements for AI and datacom networks, lack of sales in its products, lack of sales by its customers to end-users, operational risks in the completion of the Corporation’s projects, risks affecting the Corporation’s ability to complete its products, the ability of the Corporation to generate sales for its products, the ability of its customers to generate sales for products that incorporate the Corporation’s products, the ability to attract key personnel, the failure of its reorganization efforts and the ability to raise additional capital when needed. Although the Corporation believes that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking information or statements are reasonable, prospective investors in the Corporation’s securities should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements because the Corporation can provide no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Forward-looking information and statements contained in this news release are as of the date of this news release and the Corporation assumes no obligation to update or revise this forward-looking information and statements except as required by law. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. 120 Eglinton Avenue, East, Suite 1107, Toronto, ON, M4P 1E2- Tel: 416-368-9411 - Fax: 416-322-5075Notre Dame DL Rylie Mills (knee) out for season

With just two trading days left before 2024 comes to a close, it's fair to say this will be another successful year for Wall Street and everyday investors. The ageless Dow Jones Industrial Average ( ^DJI -0.77% ) , benchmark S&P 500 ( ^GSPC -1.11% ) , and growth stock-inspired Nasdaq Composite ( ^IXIC -1.49% ) have all reached multiple all-time highs this year and gained 15%, 27%, and 33% on a year-to-date basis, as of the closing bell on Dec. 24. Numerous catalysts are responsible for lifting Wall Street's tide, including: Artificial intelligence (AI) Stock-split euphoria. President-elect Donald Trump's victory in November . Better-than-anticipated corporate earnings. Aggressive share repurchase activity by the market's most influential companies. However, Wall Street is a forward-looking entity, and the shift to a new calendar year brings forth the age-old question: "Will stocks move higher in 2025?" Although bull market rallies tend to stick around considerably longer than downturns, two historically flawless indicators foreshadow trouble for the stock market in the new year. This valuation tool has forecast stock market declines of 20% to 89% over the last 154 years Among the various forecasting tools and predictive metrics that point to potential trouble for Wall Street, arguably none is more worrisome than the S&P 500's Shiller price-to-earnings (P/E) Ratio, which is also commonly referred to as the cyclically adjusted P/E Ratio ( CAPE Ratio ). The most rudimentary of all valuation tools is the P/E ratio, which is calculated by dividing a company's share price into its trailing-12-month earnings per share (EPS). This traditional valuation metric works great on time-tested companies but can be easily thrown off by economic shocks and growth stocks. In comparison, the S&P 500's Shiller P/E is based on average inflation-adjusted earnings over the previous 10 years. Accounting for a decade of EPS history ensures that a shock event, such as lockdowns during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, won't render this valuation metric ineffective. S&P 500 Shiller CAPE Ratio data by YCharts . On Dec. 24, the S&P 500's Shiller P/E Ratio closed at 38.35, which is within striking distance of its yearly high of almost 39. For added context, this is more than double its average reading of 17.19 over the last 154 years and represents the third-highest reading during a continuous bull market since January 1871 . Here's where things get interesting: There have been only six occurrences of the Shiller P/E surpassing 30 during a bull market rally in 154 years, including the present, and all five prior instances saw the Dow Jones Industrial Average, S&P 500, and/or Nasdaq Composite eventually lose between 20% and 89% of their value. Although the Shiller P/E doesn't tell investors when these declines will take place, it does have a flawless track record of being a harbinger of eventual big-time downside. In other words, it pretty clearly shows that outsized stock valuations aren't well-tolerated over extended periods . U.S. money supply hadn't done this since the Great Depression -- and it (historically) spells trouble However, the Shiller P/E Ratio isn't the only indicator that has a historically flawless track record of forecasting significant downside in the stock market. A move we haven't witnessed in 90 years in U.S. money supply is an ominous warning, as well. Though there are five measures of money supply , the two given the most credence are M1 and M2. The former factors in cash and coins in circulation, along with demand deposits in a checking account. Meanwhile, M2 takes everything into account from M1 and adds in savings accounts, money market accounts, and certificates of deposit (CD) below $100,000. It's this latter money-supply measure, M2, which has raised red flags. US M2 Money Supply data by YCharts . In April 2022, U.S. M2 money supply peaked at $21.723 trillion. As of October 2024 (the latest reading at the time of this writing), M2 had retraced by $412 billion to $21.311 trillion, or 1.89%. But on a peak-to-trough basis, it fell by a maximum of 4.74% between April 2022 and October 2023. This marked the first time since the Great Depression that M2 declined by at least 2% on a year-over-year basis. Normally, M2 money supply moves up and to right -- so much so that economists rarely pay it much attention. A growing economy requires more capital available to facilitate transactions, which led to 90 years without a notable year-over-year decline in M2. There have been five instances since the start of 1870 where M2 slipped by at least 2% from the prior-year period: 1878, 1893, 1921, 1931-1933, and 2023. The four prior occurrences correlate with periods of economic depression and double-digit unemployment rates in the U.S. If there's a silver lining here, it's that the tools available to the central bank and federal government make it highly unlikely that the U.S. would endure a modern-day depression. Likewise, M2 has reversed course and climbed since October 2023. Nevertheless, M2 being close to 2% below its all-time high signals that consumers are likely to pass on some discretionary purchases. This is a recipe for economic weakness, which would be expected to spill over onto Wall Street in 2025. The view beyond 2025 is brighter than ever for Wall Street Based on these two indicators, which have a perfect track record of foreshadowing significant downside in the stock market when back-tested more than 150 years, a crash is a possibility for 2025. While this may not be what investors want to hear following another stellar year for the Dow Jones, S&P 500, and Nasdaq Composite, it's simply what history tells us to expect. But the interesting thing about history is that it tends to favor optimists far more than pessimists . For instance, history tells us that recessions are a normal and unavoidable part of the economic cycle. No amount of fiscal or monetary policy maneuvering can stop economic downturns from taking shape every so often. Yet there's a big difference between the length of economic downturns and upswings . Among the 12 U.S. recessions to have taken place since the end of World War II in September 1945, nine were resolved in less than a year. Of the remaining three, none surpassed 18 months in length. Compare this to the last one dozen economic expansions, two of which stuck around for more than 10 years. To quote billionaire investor Warren Buffett, "Never bet against America." Along these same lines, betting against the U.S. stock market has been a poor decision over long periods. The data set above was posted on social media platform X by Bespoke Investment Group in June 2023, shortly after the S&P 500 was confirmed to be in a new bull market following its October 2022 bear market low. It shows the calendar-day length of every S&P 500 bear and bull market since the Great Depression began in September 1929. Over this roughly 94-year period, there were 27 separate bear and bull markets for the S&P 500. The average bear market lasted only 9.5 months, or 286 calendar days . Comparatively, the typical bull market (as of June 8, 2023) endured for 1,011 calendar days, or approximately 3.5 times as long. If this data set were extrapolated to the present day, the current bull market would be lengthier than the longest S&P 500 bear market over the last 95 years (630 calendar days). In fact, more than half (14 out of 27) of S&P 500 bull markets since September 1929 have lasted longer than 630 calendar days. Even with two historically flawless indicators foreshadowing a possible crash for the stock market in 2025, the long-term outlook for stocks remains bright.

monday.com Ltd. (NASDAQ:MNDY) Shares Sold by Advisors Asset Management Inc.

President-elect Trump wants to again rename North America’s tallest peakWEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — An online spat between factions of Donald Trump's supporters over immigration and the tech industry has thrown internal divisions in his political movement into public display, previewing the fissures and contradictory views his coalition could bring to the White House. The rift laid bare the tensions between the newest flank of Trump's movement — wealthy members of the tech world including billionaire Elon Musk and fellow entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy and their call for more highly skilled workers in their industry — and people in Trump's Make America Great Again base who championed his hardline immigration policies. The debate touched off this week when Laura Loomer , a right-wing provocateur with a history of racist and conspiratorial comments, criticized Trump’s selection of Sriram Krishnan as an adviser on artificial intelligence policy in his coming administration. Krishnan favors the ability to bring more skilled immigrants into the U.S. Loomer declared the stance to be “not America First policy” and said the tech executives who have aligned themselves with Trump were doing so to enrich themselves. Much of the debate played out on the social media network X, which Musk owns. Loomer's comments sparked a back-and-forth with venture capitalist and former PayPal executive David Sacks , whom Trump has tapped to be the “White House A.I. & Crypto Czar." Musk and Ramaswamy, whom Trump has tasked with finding ways to cut the federal government , weighed in, defending the tech industry's need to bring in foreign workers. It bloomed into a larger debate with more figures from the hard-right weighing in about the need to hire U.S. workers, whether values in American culture can produce the best engineers, free speech on the internet, the newfound influence tech figures have in Trump's world and what his political movement stands for. Trump has not yet weighed in on the rift. His presidential transition team did not respond to questions about positions on visas for highly skilled workers or the debate between his supporters online. Instead, his team instead sent a link to a post on X by longtime adviser and immigration hard-liner Stephen Miller that was a transcript of a speech Trump gave in 2020 at Mount Rushmore in which he praised figures and moments from American history. Musk, the world's richest man who has grown remarkably close to the president-elect , was a central figure in the debate, not only for his stature in Trump's movement but his stance on the tech industry's hiring of foreign workers. Technology companies say H-1B visas for skilled workers, used by software engineers and others in the tech industry, are critical for hard-to-fill positions. But critics have said they undercut U.S. citizens who could take those jobs. Some on the right have called for the program to be eliminated, not expanded. Born in South Africa, Musk was once on an a H-1B visa himself and defended the industry's need to bring in foreign workers. “There is a permanent shortage of excellent engineering talent," he said in a post. “It is the fundamental limiting factor in Silicon Valley.” Trump's own positions over the years have reflected the divide in his movement. His tough immigration policies, including his pledge for a mass deportation, were central to his winning presidential campaign. He has focused on immigrants who come into the U.S. illegally but he has also sought curbs on legal immigration , including family-based visas. As a presidential candidate in 2016, Trump called the H-1B visa program “very bad” and “unfair” for U.S. workers. After he became president, Trump in 2017 issued a “Buy American and Hire American” executive order , which directed Cabinet members to suggest changes to ensure H-1B visas were awarded to the highest-paid or most-skilled applicants to protect American workers. Trump's businesses, however, have hired foreign workers, including waiters and cooks at his Mar-a-Lago club , and his social media company behind his Truth Social app has used the the H-1B program for highly skilled workers. During his 2024 campaign for president, as he made immigration his signature issue, Trump said immigrants in the country illegally are “poisoning the blood of our country" and promised to carry out the largest deportation operation in U.S. history. But in a sharp departure from his usual alarmist message around immigration generally, Trump told a podcast this year that he wants to give automatic green cards to foreign students who graduate from U.S. colleges. “I think you should get automatically, as part of your diploma, a green card to be able to stay in this country," he told the “All-In" podcast with people from the venture capital and technology world. Those comments came on the cusp of Trump's budding alliance with tech industry figures, but he did not make the idea a regular part of his campaign message or detail any plans to pursue such changes.

Looking At Accenture's Recent Unusual Options ActivityQUESTION: Is it true that all the planets will line up in January 2025? ANSWER: Yes, you heard that right. It is called the Celestial Symphony, a rare planetary alignment on Jan. 25. The orbits of the planets will bring them into a rough line as seen from the Sun. The planets will be lined up in one row like diamonds scattered across the sky. As you gaze towards the night sky, you will see the planets of Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn, forming a mesmerizing line to view from the Earth. Venus and Jupiter will be the brightest, and Mars will display a reddish hue. Additionally, Saturn will add a touch of magic to the night sky. There will be six planets visible this time around, including Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Neptune and Uranus. The planets will be visible in the days leading up to Jan. 21, and for about four weeks afterward. Mars, Venus, Jupiter and Saturn will be visible to the naked eye. You'll need a telescope to spot Uranus and Neptune. In general, the best time to view the planet parade will be after Jan. 21, and before Feb. 21. The very best nights will be the week of Jan. 29 during the New Moon. The optimum time is from sunset to around 8:30 p.m. People can view the spectacle by looking south and then scanning the sky from left to right (east to west) to spot each planet. The alignment around that Jan. 25 date is no mere coincidence of wandering stars. Such cosmic choreographies have been observed and marveled at since ancient times, often sparking myths and prophecies. This alignment brings together key planets and constellations in a way that can only be described as magical. One astronomer said, "While the event doesn't cause the planets themselves to physically move in one plane, it creates the perception of a straight line from Earth's vantage point, a once-in-a-lifetime vista that will feel as if the universe itself is holding its breath." Do not expect any dire consequences, just a nice celestial show. The Jupiter Effect was a 1974 book by John Gribbin and Stephen Plagemann, in which the authors predicted that a March 10, 1982, alignment of the planets of the solar system would create a number of catastrophes, including a great earthquake on the San Andreas Fault. The book became a bestseller. The predicted catastrophes did not occur. Remember the Y2K, Year 2000, problem. In the years leading up to the turn of the millennium, the public gradually became aware of the "Y2K scare", and individual companies predicted the global damage caused by computer anomalies would require anything between $400 million and $600 billion to rectify. Many computer programs represented four-digit years with only the final two digits, making the year 2000 indistinguishable from 1900.Computer systems' inability to distinguish dates correctly had the potential to bring down worldwide infrastructures for computer reliant industries. A lack of clarity regarding the potential dangers of the computer glitch led some people to stock up on food, water, and firearms, purchase backup generators, and withdraw large sums of money in anticipation of a computer-induced apocalypse. Companies and organizations in some countries had checked, fixed, and upgraded their computer systems to address the problem. Few errors occurred. The scare was for nothing. Sources: astronomy magazine, celestial dispatches.com Larry Scheckel taught science at Tomah High School for 38 years and was named Tomah Teacher of the Year three times. Send comments and questions to lscheckel@charter.net .

Facebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Print Copy article link Save With the holidays taking up much of your time, you may not be concentrating on retirement moves to make before 2025. But if you’re the type of person who does everything to the max, investing in your future retirement now could be a game changer. In 2024, you can invest up to $23,000 into your 401(k) retirement plan as per IRS contribution limits. If you’re over 50 and need to play catch-up, you can invest an extra $7,500. That means your total possible contribution for 2024 is $30,500. If that seems like a lot, it is. But you don’t have to max out your contributions if you can’t afford it. Employer matching can help. In 2025, you can invest $23,500, bringing your possible contribution up to $31,500. If you’re over 50, the catch-up contribution remains at $7,500 for 2025. But a huge change was made in SECURE 2.0 for employees aged 60 to 63 who participate in workplace retirement plans. Starting in 2025, this super catch-up contribution limit is $11,250 instead of $7,500. People are also reading... Albany school support staff call for schools to close Jan. 6 As I See It: Why I really resigned from the Corvallis Planning Commission Unsafe left turn on Highway 20 in Linn County leads to fatal crash Samaritan Health Services CEO resigns Two Albany residents killed in Linn County crash Group wants to make Corvallis downtown more sophisticated Group wants to make Corvallis downtown more sophisticated Albany shelter faces federal lawsuit as whistleblower faces homelessness Family of hit-and-run victim seeks closure, clues that will lead to driver As I See It: The people of Benton County deserve leadership that promotes dialogue Christmas Eve hit-and-run causes domino effect in Albany Has a hard nonconference schedule prepared the Oregon State women's basketball team for the WCC? Corvallis high schoolers: We don't trust district to handle bias reports Albany man indicted in attempted murder case Oregon State celebrates Murphy's arrival while Washington State loses coach, quarterback 1. Figure out how much you contributed. If you’ve contributed as much as possible for the year, you’re in good shape going into 2025. If you’re not sure, you changed jobs or haven’t contributed consistently in 2024, you still have time to make adjustments to max out your 401(k) contributions for the year. 2. Check your employer’s match. Employer matching is a job benefit not to be overlooked. After all, for every dollar you save in your 401(k), your employer matches your contributions dollar-for-dollar or offers a partial match up to a certain percentage of your wages. Knowing where you stand can help you make the most of this opportunity. For example, let’s say you earn $50,000 per year and contribute $3,000 to your 401(k), or 6% of your salary. If your employer offers to match 50 cents of each dollar you contribute up to 6% of your pay, they would add $1,500 each year to your 401(k) account, boosting your total annual contributions to $4,500. 3. Look at your budget. Maxing out your 401(k) is always a good move. However, retirement planning can be a balancing act; sometimes, your budget is downright against it. If you have high debt or no money set aside for emergencies, you may want to hold off a bit. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t contribute to your retirement plan at all. Maintaining contributions is important, even if it means not maxing it out. Still, if you wait too long to save, you’ll have to play catch-up. If you save too much, you may have to tap into your account early, which can mean early withdrawal penalties if you are under age 591⁄2. 4. Boost your contributions. If you have enough cash stashed away to cover a large lump sum contribution to your 401(k), you could max out your 401(k) contributions before the end of the year. You can do this by increasing the percentage you contribute monthly from your paycheck. You’ll want to speak with your employer or HR department to see if this is possible and fill out the necessary paperwork. Keep in mind that how often you increase it or even if you can will depend on your plan rules. You may also want to check to be sure your contributions are still automatic. Since it’s usually easier to save money if it’s automatically deducted from your paycheck, it may be worth reviewing your budget to see if you can boost your contribution amount to max out your 401(k). If you haven’t set up automatic payroll contributions, now is a good time to do so. 1 in 4 people say they’ll go into debt for the holidays. Is social media to blame? Katie Kelton, Bankrate.com Maxing out your 401(k) has some clear benefits. This is especially true if you’ve fallen behind on your savings goals or you simply want to grow your retirement nest egg faster. The main advantage is that you’ll have more money saved for retirement. According to Northwestern Mutual’s 2024 Planning & Progress Study, most retired Americans believe they will need nearly $1.5 million in the bank to retire comfortably. That’s a 15% increase — which far outpaces the 3% to 5% inflation rate — over 2023 and is up 53% from 2020. The money you put into your 401(k) lowers how much you’ll pay in taxes for the year, which may put you in a lower tax bracket. Also, 401(k) investments grow tax-deferred, so you won't pay taxes on the money until you withdraw the funds in retirement. If you have a Roth 401(k), you don't get a tax break on contributions because you fund your account with after-tax dollars. But the money you contribute grows tax-free and you won’t pay any taxes on your withdrawals in retirement. Maxing out your 410(k) each year may not be enough to retire comfortably, but it is a great start. That’s why enlisting the help of a financial adviser in 2024 can help you get a head start on 2025 and a happy retirement down the road. 4 tips to help you experience exceptional cruise dining | PennyWise podcast Nat CardonaLee Media Studio You need to make $108,000 to afford a home in America Samantha DelouyaCNN Americans who bought homes in 2024 were older and richer than ever Samantha DelouyaCNN Why you shouldn't store your money in payment apps By CORA LEWISAssociated Press Kathryn Pomroy is a contributing writer at Kiplinger.com . For more on money topics, visit Kiplinger.com . Get local news delivered to your inbox!Report: Louisiana coach Michael Desormeaux gets new deal

Were there really rhinos, baboons and sharks in the Colosseum? A professor explains ‘Gladiator II’ scenesWhat is a insect breeding tray? Its Features and Applications 12-27-2024 09:14 PM CET | Industry, Real Estate & Construction Press release from: ABNewswire What is a mealworm breeding tray? A mealworm breeding tray [ https://www.agriculture-solution.com/products/ ] is a specialized insect breeding tray designed to create the best environment for mealworms to grow and reproduce. These trays are carefully designed to provide the necessary conditions for mealworms to reproduce, including proper temperature, humidity and space for movement. The tray is designed to easily monitor and manage the breeding process, making it an essential tool for anyone interested in insect farming. Image: https://www.agriculture-solution.com/uploads/%E6%98%86%E8%99%AB%E6%A1%86%E8%AF%A6%E6%83%85_012.jpg Main features of insect breeding tray Materials and Durability: Made from high-quality, non-toxic materials to ensure insect safety, these trays are designed to withstand the rigors of enclosure, including humidity and temperature fluctuations. Ventilation: Proper airflow is vital to insect health. The insect breeding tray is equipped with ventilation holes to ensure adequate air circulation, prevent the accumulation of harmful gases, and ensure a healthy environment for insects. Modular Design: Many mealworm feeding trays feature a modular design, allowing users to stack multiple trays. This maximizes space efficiency and enables keepers to manage different life stages of mealworms simultaneously. Easy to Clean: Hygiene is crucial in insect farming. The tray is designed for easy cleaning and has a smooth surface that prevents the build-up of waste and bacteria. This function is essential for maintaining a healthy breeding environment. Temperature Regulation: Some advanced mealworm breeding trays have built-in temperature regulation systems. This feature is particularly beneficial to keepers in areas with extreme temperatures, ensuring that mealworms are kept within the ideal temperature range for optimal growth. Benefits of using mealworm breeding tray [ https://www.agriculture-solution.com/products/ ] Increase Yield: By providing a controlled environment, mealworm breeding trays can significantly increase mealworm production. This is especially important for commercial breeders seeking to maximize yields. Sustainability: Insect farming is a sustainable alternative to traditional animal agriculture. Mealworm breeding trays enable individuals and businesses to contribute to a more sustainable food system by producing high-protein food sources with a lower environmental footprint. Cost Effectiveness: Investing in mealworm breeding trays [ https://www.agriculture-solution.com/products/ ] is cost effective in the long run. With the ability to raise mealworms at home, individuals can reduce their reliance on store-bought protein sources, resulting in significant cost savings. Media Contact Company Name: Xian Yubo New Materials Technology Co., Ltd. Email:Send Email [ https://www.abnewswire.com/email_contact_us.php?pr=what-is-a-insect-breeding-tray ] Country: China Website: https://www.agriculture-solution.com/ This release was published on openPR.

Israeli troops forcibly remove staff and patients from northern Gaza hospital, officials say

They were nation builders, businesspeople, warriors, athletes, artists and inspirations. They did what few of us ever do; now they’ve done the one thing that everyone must do. The famous people who passed away in 2024 all made their mark on the world, not necessarily positively or heroically. Here are their own words to shed some light on who they were, what they did and what they learned. “India is on the move again; we shall make the future happen .” — Manmohan Singh , widely credited as the architect of India’s economic reform program, notably during his decade as prime minister, 92, Dec. 26 “Rickey’s gotta go!” — Recurrent on-field exclamation of Rickey Henderson , base-stealing legend (and former Blue Jay) who played Major League Baseball for 25 years, 65, Dec. 20 “I was brought home (after being born), handed over to my dad in his arms (and) he takes me in his arms, puts his lips to my ear and recites the tabla rhythms into my ears .” — Zakir Hussain , one of India’s most accomplished classical musicians who introduced tabla to global audiences and worked with George Harrison and Yo-Yo Ma among many others, 73, Dec. 15 “We lost a lot of good people, you know. They didn’t do nothing . But we never know what’s going to happen in a war.” — Bob Fernandez , survivor of the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor who later worked as a forklift driver in California, 100, Dec. 11 “I am not a prophet. I really base all that on intuitiveness, the fact that I spend such an incredible amount of time with audiences and how they think.” — The Amazing Kreskin , entertainer and mentalist familiar to generations of TV viewers and born George Joseph Kresge Jr., 89, Dec. 10 “I have been considered a writer who writes from rage and it confuses me. What else do writers write from?” — Nikki Giovanni , the poet, author , educator and public speaker who spent decades as a literary celebrity, 81, Dec. 9 “I’m actually sick and tired of hearing the government talk about trafficked women and underaged children as if we don’t care about those issues. We care about those issues and I actually think we’re helping. ” — Alan Young , a lawyer and York University legal scholar known for leading the challenge of Canada’s prostitution laws, 69, Dec. 7 “And even though I’m alone now, the phone still rings. I have some wonderful friends who have helped me through so much. It still doesn’t fill the empty gap in my heart, but it helps .” — Debbie Nelson , estranged mother and frequent lyrical target of rapper Eminem, 69, Dec. 2 “I don’t believe in jogging. It extends your life — but by exactly the amount of time you spend jogging.’’ — Academy Award winner Marshall Brickman , longtime Woody Allen collaborator who co-wrote the books for “Jersey Boys” and “The Addams Family,” 85, Nov. 29 “There was nothing more fun when ‘Airplane!’ came out and because no one knew us (screenwriters), we could go to the movie and sit with a full house and bathe ourselves in that laughter. ” — Jim Abrahams, co-writer of beloved spoof as well as “The Naked Gun” and more, 80, Nov. 26 “People say, ‘You’re still here?’ I said, ‘I never left.’ ” — Joe Zuger , American former player and general manager who won Grey Cups for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and stayed in Steeltown thereafter, 84, Nov. 25 “And if you want to meet the real Emma, meet me ... Emma had to be tough and ruthless at times: but then so am I. I have to be, as a businesswoman.” — Barbara Taylor Bradford , a British journalist who became a publishing sensation in her 40s with the saga “A Woman of Substance” featuring retail baroness Emma Harte, and wrote more than a dozen other novels that sold tens of millions of copies, 91, Nov. 24 “I thought (disdainfully), ‘Great, a guy with a bad jacket and an equally bad moustache who doesn’t care what you have to say — that’s the guy I want to be .’” — Chuck Woolery , on pausing his singing and acting ambitions to become the affable host of game shows like “Wheel of Fortune” and “Love Connection,” 83, Nov. 23 “My biggest contribution was giving the kids the faith that they can be the best among the best.” — Bela Karolyi , the larger-than-life coach who led Nadia Comaneci and Mary Lou Retton to Olympic gold while revolutionizing the sport of gymnastics, only to see his legacy hurt by allegations of abusive coaching, 82, Nov. 15 “The cohort from 20 to 39 are ... quite frankly, putting the rest of us in a challenging position ... Don’t blow this for the rest of us.” — John Horgan, justifying a COVID lockdown during his tenure as former B.C. premier, 65, Nov. 12 “(Charles) Mingus use to say the damnedest thing about me years ago. He’d say, ‘Well, Roy Haynes. You don’t always play the beat, you suggest the beat!’ ... If I leave out a beat, it’s still there ... You’ve got to use a little imagination in there.” — Roy Haynes , pioneering jazz drummer who performed with legends like Charlie Parker, Lester Young and Sarah Vaughan, 99, Nov. 12 “Coaching has that image of obsessed men driven to a point where they’ll destroy their lives. I’ll be damned if I’ll destroy my life.” — John Robinson , easygoing veteran football coach who enjoyed many years of success at the University of Southern California and with the Los Angeles Rams, 89, Nov. 11 “Dance is bigger than the physical body. When you extend your arm, it doesn’t stop at the end of your fingers, because you’re dancing bigger than that; you’re dancing spirit.” — Judith Jamison , regal and passionate performer who had a decades-long career atop modern dance starting with Alvin Ailey’s famed dance company which she later led, 81, Nov. 9 “Racing has been good to me in a lot of way. It’s been very unfortunate in other ways. The way I look at it, life, not racing, has presented me with some difficult times ... Life is a gift and death can come at anytime. You can’t do anything about it.” — Bobby Allison , racer and NASCAR Hall of Famer crippled and given brain damage by a career-ending crash, 86, Nov. 9 “I’m an African American man who wasn’t supposed to make it. And somehow I beat the system. I want to be an inspiration .” — Tony Todd , actor known for his haunting portrayal of a killer in the horror film “Candyman” and roles in many other films and television shows, 69, Nov. 6 “Education got us into this mess and education will get us out of it.” — Murray Sinclair , the Anishinaabe senator and renowned Manitoba lawyer who led the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, 73, Nov. 4 “Since I was a little kid, I’ve always heard the people that don’t wanna do the work . It takes work, man. The only place you find success before work is the dictionary, and that’s alphabetical.” — Quincy Jones , the multi-talented music titan whose vast legacy ranged from producing Michael Jackson’s historic “Thriller” album to writing prize-winning film and TV scores and collaborating with Frank Sinatra, Ray Charles and hundreds of other recording artists, 91, Nov. 3 “You have to find your centre and roll with the punches because that’s a hard thing to do: to have people pity you ... Just trying to explain to people that I’m OK is tiresome.” — Teri Garr , the quirky comic actress who co-starred in “Young Frankenstein” and won an Oscar nomination for “Tootsie” and then battled multiple sclerosis for decades, 79, Oct. 29 “What you can do is prepare yourself to be open; open for the pipeline to open and the magic to flow down through us. It means leaving yourself behind. It’s not a question of, Oh God, don’t let me f—k up, or anything like that. It’s a question of, ‘Here I am. Work me, Lord .’” — Phil Lesh , a classically trained violinist and jazz trumpeter who found his true calling reinventing rock bass guitar as a founding member of the Grateful Dead , 84, Oct. 25 “I don’t know (how I should be remembered). Maybe as a person who liked to give 100 per cent in anything I do.” — Fernando Valenzuela , the Mexican-born phenom for the Los Angeles Dodgers who inspired “Fernandomania” while winning the National League Cy Young Award and Rookie of the Year in 1981, 63, Oct. 22 “It’s a very sad memory because I watched young American Rangers get shot, slaughtered — and they were young. I was 19 at the time. These kids were younger than me ... I will never forget the sight of seeing those brave young men fighting and dying as they struggled to get off the beach .” — George Chandler , British D-Day veteran who sought to counter sometimes glamorous depictions of the landings by recalling the horrors he witnessed escorting U.S. troops to the beaches of northern France as a young Royal Navy gunner, 99, Oct. 20 “I never worked with a stinker. How great is that!” — Mitzi Gaynor , the effervescent dancer and actor who starred in the 1958 film “South Pacific” and appeared in other musicals with Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra and Gene Kelly, 93, Oct. 17 “We make the headlines only with blood. No blood, no news.” — Yahya Sinwar , Hamas’ top leader and mastermind of its Oct. 7, 2023 attack, 61, Oct. 16 “For me, learning to relax has always been quite a hard thing to do because I feel like if I’m not moving forward, then I must be going backwards.” — Liam Payne , former One Direction singer found dead after falling from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires, 31, Oct. 16 “If we ignore the technology for a moment and consider the stories and themes, mass culture appears to circle endlessly around the same trail, meeting on its path again and again the same characters in roughly the same stories. It is a good general rule that the more successful a work of mass culture, the more it will conform to a pattern with which our grandparents were on intimate terms.” — Robert Fulford , former Star columnist, broadcaster, author and prominent figure in Canadian journalism for seven decades, 92, Oct. 15 “You and I have to continue fighting for equal pay for equal work. I get up each day with that on my mind, because I need to make a difference.” — Lilly Ledbetter , a U.S. women’s equality activist whose fight for pay equity led to passage of the monumental Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009, 86, Oct. 12 “I had a blazing row with a (Labour-supporting) girlfriend from Hackney and she said ‘If you feel like that — go and join the bloody SNP,’ so I did.” — Alex Salmond , who turned his Scottish National Party’s dream of power into reality even though he didn’t see his vision of an independent country come true, 69, Oct. 12 “I used to run a department with 350 people and I have never seen anything in my life as dysfunctional as what I (saw in) network television — sales people who don’t sell, producers who don’t produce, bookers who don’t book.” — Mike Bullard , Canadian standup comedian and former Bell Canada executive who hosted his own late-night TV show for years but marred his career with criminal convictions, 67, Oct. 11 “All this introspection. I hate it!” — Ethel Kennedy , the wife of Sen. Robert F. Kennedy, who raised their 11 children after he was assassinated and remained dedicated to social causes for decades thereafter, 96, Oct. 9 “Be tolerant to each other and remember nobody is better or worse than you, we are only different. Appreciate that.” — Lily Ebert , one of the last remaining survivors of the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp, 100, Oct. 9 “I am so grateful to God for giving me the gift of 48 years with my daughter. And I accept that He knew when it was time to take her.” — Cissy Houston , a two-time Grammy-winning soul and gospel artist who knew triumph and heartbreak as the mother of Whitney Houston, 91, Oct. 7 “Every summer, three things are going to happen, the grass is going to get green, the weather is going to get hot, and Pete Rose is going to get 200 hits and bat .300.” — Pete Rose , baseball’s career hits leader and fallen idol who undermined his historic achievements and Hall of Fame dreams by gambling on the game he loved and once embodied, 83, Sept. 30 “When you take the elevator to the top, please don’t forget to send it down , so that someone else can take it to the top (as well).” — Dikembe Mutombo , basketball Hall of Famer and longtime global ambassador for the game, 58, Sept. 30 “From my background and the generation I came up in, honour and serving your country were just taken for granted. So, later, when you come to question some of the things being done in your name, it was particularly painful.” — Kris Kristofferson , soldier turned legendary singer-songwriter behind “Me and Bobby McGee” and many more, 88, Sept. 28 “It’s true I don’t tolerate fools, but then they don’t tolerate me ... Maybe that’s why I’m quite good at playing spiky elderly ladies.” — Maggie Smith , the masterful, scene-stealing actor who won an Oscar for the 1969 film “The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie” and gained new fans in the 21st century via “Downton Abbey” and the Harry Potter films, 89, Sept. 27 “I would not recommend three days in jail to anyone, much less three years. But I must be honest: I needed to go through what I did to develop the character I had when I became a free man.” — Eugene “Mercury” Morris , two-time Super Bowl champion with the Miami Dolphins and linchpin of the team’s perfect 1972 season before a jail stint in the 1980s, 77, Sept. 21 “You can’t talk about peace nor agreement while terror is used as the main argument.” — Alberto Fujimori , whose decade-long presidency began with triumphs righting Peru’s economy and defeating a brutal insurgency only to end in autocratic excess that later sent him to prison, 86, Sept. 11 “God made a path for my music to reach each generation .” — Frankie Beverly , who with his band Maze inspired generations of fans with his smooth, soulful voice and lasting anthems including “Before I Let Go,” 77, Sept. 10 “One of the hardest things in life is having words in your heart that you can’t utter .” — James Earl Jones , who overcame racial prejudice and a severe stutter to become a celebrated icon of stage and screen, 93, Sept. 9 “We always tried to not be a rock ‘n’ roll store, not be a jazz store, not be a symphonic store . The whole music world is not that big. You can be all things to all people in the music world, and still be small.” — Jack Long , Canadian jazz musician and the founder of the musical instrument retail giant Long & McQuade, 95, Sept. 4 “I think melody will make a comeback. Everything is a cycle. When you walk out of a movie today, you’re not whistling a song. Where’s Henry Mancini?” — Sérgio Mendes , the Brazilian bossa nova impresario and pianist who helped popularize the genre in the ’60s, 83, Sept. 5 “(Brian Mulroney’s) strategy ever since I have been covering him as a reporter has been to blame the media for his troubles and find out who their sources are.” — Stevie Cameron , Canadian investigative journalist who authored books on topics ranging from allegations against Mulroney to the murders of women on a B.C. pig farm, 80, Aug. 31 “When my time does end here, you know, I hope people remember me as a good person off the ice, a good teammate and just a good person.” — NHL star Johnny Gaudreau , killed with younger brother Matthew when they were hit by a car while riding bicycles in their home state of New Jersey, 31, Aug. 29 “It’s as old as Shakespeare and as old as Socrates. It’s an extremely powerful theatre that tells us about ourselves and about the people on trial. And I think it’s ever fascinating.” — Linda Deutsch , writer for The Associated Press who for nearly 50 years covered the biggest U.S. trials from Charles Manson to O.J. Simpson to Phil Spector, 80, Sept. 1 “Fashion is what is given to you through the media, magazines. Style is what you slip into (to) face the mirror and smile.” — Betty Halbreich , considered fashion’s leading personal shopper , who made the search for the right clothing a kind of quest for dignity and self-knowledge, 96, Aug. 24 “It was the culmination of all of the misconceptions and stereotypical roles that I had lived and seen being offered to me. It was like a reward for having suffered those indignities.” — John Amos , who earned an Emmy nomination for his role in the seminal 1977 miniseries “Roots” after starring as the family patriarch on the hit 1970s sitcom “Good Times,” 84, Aug. 21 “Death will find me worn down from having lived so much, but I want to meet it with a smile, feeling free and satisfied.” — Maria Branyas , American-born Spaniard considered the world’s oldest person , 117, Aug. 19 “ Screaming helps . At least then you know if whether the person you’re screaming at is listening. Then go in the other room and count to 10.” — Phil Donahue , pioneering daytime talk show host, on the secret to his 44-year marriage, 88, Aug. 18 “A taxi driver in Tokyo told me, ‘So you are a Frenchman? Like Alain Delon?’ They only knew two French names in Japan: de Gaulle and Delon .” — Alain Delon , famously handsome French actor, on fame after starring in the movie “Purple Noon,” 88, Aug. 18 “Cancer survivors need to hear words like that, and they need to know in their heart that they are true .” — Former Conservative MP and cabinet minister Chuck Strahl , on then-PM Stephen Harper urging him to keep contributing amid a cancer fight, 67, Aug. 13 “It’s the people who aren’t artists who sacrifice. Artists somehow stumble onto the best life in the world, and I have no complaints.” — Gena Rowlands , hailed as one of the greatest actors to ever and a guiding light in independent film, 94, Aug. 14 “Her infirmities were so dreadful that she did not want to go on living ... (we) both shared the belief that we have a right to determine our own destinies so I could not stop her.” — Jacques Delisle , retired Quebec judge who pleaded guilty to manslaughter in his wife’s shooting death, insisting it was assisted suicide , 89, Aug. 10 “I realized the impact Google was going to have when I started using it in 1998 when it was just getting started. One day I couldn’t access the service and realized I couldn’t get my work done.” — Susan Wojcicki , a pioneering tech executive who played a key role in Google’s creation and served nine years as YouTube’s CEO, 56, Aug. 9 “In my mind if there’s another gay baseball player or two — or 10 or 25 or 100 — they’re just people you walk by every day. Like I did, they just want to play the game. And it’s a difficult enough game already without something else on your mind.” — Billy Bean , who in 1999 became the second former Major League Baseball player to come out as gay, 60, Aug. 6 “The Al-Aqsa flood (the Oct.7 attack) was an earthquake that struck the heart of the Zionist entity and has made major changes at the world ... We will continue the resistance against this enemy until we liberate our land, all our land.” — Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh , killed by bomb in Tehran, July 30 “There was nothing like this at the time. There were romance books, but this was different...these books were girl-driven. I felt that I was putting life in the hands of girls...these girls ran the ship. They ran the action.” — Francine Pascal , a onetime soap opera writer whose “Sweet Valley High” novels and the ongoing adventures of twins Elizabeth and Jessica Wakefield and other teens captivated millions of young readers, 92, July 28 “My body routinely produces fresh and insistent signs of its mortality, and within the surrounding biosphere of the news and entertainment media it is the fear of death — 24/7 in every shade of hospital white and doomsday black — that sells the pharmaceutical, political, financial, film, and food products promising to make good the wish to live forever .” — Lewis H. Lapham , the scholarly patrician who edited Harper’s Magazine for nearly three decades, 89, July 23 “There’s nothing else I can play.” — A humble John Mayall , pillar of the British blues scene whose band the Bluesbreakers gave the world Eric Clapton and many other stars, 90, July 22 “As the gap between the haves and the have-nots increases, the likelihood of violence will increase; it’s not rocket science. When people are excluded, neglected, ignored, deprived of opportunity, violence becomes a viable option for them. How do we change those conditions ?” — Louis March , longtime Toronto anti-violence activist, 68 , July 20 “My audience has always expected me to tell them where I’m coming from, and I don’t see any reason to disappoint them.” — Lou Dobbs , conservative veteran cable TV host who was a founding anchor for CNN and later was a nightly presence on Fox Business Network for more than a decade, 78, July 18 This is for Richard Ouzounian’s interview with Bob Newhart. I will send another photo separately. Thank you, David Horowitz 310-279-2291 “When I started, I thought I might have five years, and that was fine. I pictured myself like an elevator operator, and people in the corner would say, ‘That guy used to be Bob Newhart .’ ” — Bob Newhart , the genial funnyman whose career lasted from a smash hit album in 1960 through TV in the 2010s, 94, July 18 “Be very careful. Have lots of fun. And stay brave.” — Bella Thomson , known on TikTok as Bella Brave , known for her courageous struggle at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto with several rare health conditions, 10, July 14 “Pain is manageable, you know living without a breast is manageable , it’s the worry of your future and how your future is going to affect the people that you love.” — Shannen Doherty , the “Beverly Hills, 90210” star whose life and career were roiled by breast cancer and tabloid stories, 53, July 13 “There’ll always be some weird thing about eating four grapes before you go to bed , or drinking a special tea, or buying this little bean from El Salvador ... If you watch your portions and you have a good attitude and you work out every day you’ll live longer, feel better and look terrific.” — Richard Simmons , television’s hyperactive court jester of physical fitness who built a mini-empire in his trademark tank tops and short shorts, died Saturday, 76, July 13 “I still hold old-fashioned values and I’m a bit of a square. Sex is a private art and a private matter. But still, it is a subject we must talk about.” — Dr. Ruth Westheimer , the diminutive sex therapist who became a pop icon, media star and best-selling author through her frank talk about once-taboo bedroom topics, 96, July 12 “What I love about art is that it is what I am. It makes my spirit and my spiritual life complete. There isn’t any other reason .” — Alex Janvier , Albertan considered one of Canada’s greatest painters and member of the so-called Indian Group of Seven, 89, July 10 “Until the screenwriter does his job, nobody else has a job. In other words, he is the a—hole who keeps everyone else from going to work.” — Robert Towne , the screenwriting legend who won an Academy Award for his original script for “Chinatown,” 89, July 1 “Amazing. When you think everything’s finished, it’s only the beginning.” — Orlando Cepeda , the slugging Boston Red Sox first baseman who became a Hall of Famer and honoured at Fenway Park, 86, June 28 “I’ve been painting all along ... All of this has been a way to try to put paint on my table . You know, every painter I know has a day job ... I just happened to luck into a day job that’s extraordinary and a lot of fun and buys a lot of paint.” — Martin Mull , whose droll, esoteric comedy and acting made him a hip sensation in the 1970s and later a beloved guest star on sitcoms, 80, June 27 “Find what you like and let it kill you .” — Singer, songwriter, satirist and novelist Kinky Friedman , who led the alt-country band Texas Jewboys, toured with Bob Dylan and dabbled in politics, 79, June 27 “I remember saying , ‘If you guys don’t get sober with me, I’m going to go start a sober band.’ And I was smoking crack while I’m saying that. I was just a big fireball of chaos ... running from my emotions, just submerging myself in psychoticness. And loving it.” — Seth Binzer , alias Shifty Shellshock, lead singer of alt-rock’s Crazy Town, 49, June 24 “You’ve got the Telegraph-Journal carted all around the province (expensively) but it’s one of the few vehicles in the province that ties the province together a little bit .” — Canadian billionaire businessman James K. Irving, owner of New Brunswick newspapers and much more, 96, June 21 “Well, it’s not that complicated. I’m an actor. I can play a Russian oligarch, or a pauper. I can play whomever I like as long as I like them .” — Donald Sutherland , the towering Canadian actor whose acclaimed career spanned more than six decades, 88, June 20 “I remember the last season I played. I went home after a ballgame one day ... tears came to my eyes. How can you explain that? It’s like crying for your mother after she’s gone ... I loved baseball and I knew I had to leave it.” — Willie Mays , exuberant baseball legend , 93, June 18 “You can only perceive real beauty in a person as they get older.” — Anouk Aimée , the radiant French star and dark-eyed beauty of classic films including Federico Fellini’s “La Dolce Vita” and Claude Lelouch’s “A Man and a Woman,” 92, June 18 “At 95, time is not on my side, and neither is silence. I simply want to add my name and say, ‘ Me too .’ ” — Janis Paige , a popular actor in Hollywood and on Broadway musicals who later revealed a sexual assault by department-store heir Alfred Bloomingdale, 101, June 2 “They nail you to the cross ... I’m a legend already .” — Infamous Canadian serial killer Robert Pickton , convicted of six murders and suspected of many more, 74, May 31 “I was on air for 18 hours that day (John Lennon was killed), which was a historic one for radio. Everyone of our generation turned off their TVs and listened. It was the only appropriate way of grieving .” — Broadcaster Bob Mackowycz Sr. , whose visionary radio programming injected a certain artistic flair into Toronto’s cultural scene, 75, May 29 “My bike is my gym, my wheelchair and my church all in one. I’d like to ride my bike all day long but I’ve got this thing called a job that keeps getting in the way .” — Bill Walton , NBA Hall of Famer, longtime broadcaster and notorious free spirit, 71, May 27 “I always looked at myself as a failure. I thought I had a lot of talent that was just a waste of talent ... Just persevere, and when you get tired of fighting let someone else fight for you .” — Grayson Murray, PGA golfer, 30, May 25 “The game is over, but we won the game .” — Deathbed utterance of Albert S. Ruddy , a colourful, Canadian-born producer and writer who won Oscars for “The Godfather” and “Million Dollar Baby,” 94, May 25 “All the animals we had really did teach us enough about love that we understood it outside of any human definition.” — Caleb Carr , survivor of an abusive childhood who became a bestselling author and lifelong cat lover, 68, May 23 “As one family member told me, it’s simply a really good bad idea.” — Morgan Spurlock , a documentary filmmaker who ate at McDonald’s every day for a month the Oscar-nominated 2004 feature “Super Size Me,” 53, May 23 “Greed is all right, by the way. I want you to know that. I think greed is healthy. You can be greedy and still feel good about yourself .” — Ivan F. Boesky , the flamboyant stock trader whose cooperation with the government cracked open one of the largest insider trading scandals in the history of Wall Street , 87, May 20 “I am proud of being a defender of human rights and of people’s security and comfort as a prosecutor wherever I was .” — Ebrahim Raisi , so-called “Butcher of Tehran,” hardline prosecutor turned uncompromising president of Iran only to die in a helicopter crash, 63, May 19 “I’ve been shy all my life ... Maybe it’s because my father died when I was 4 ... I was extremely small, just a little guy who was there, the kid who created no trouble. I was attracted to fantasy, and I created games for myself .” — Dabney Coleman , the mustachioed character actor who specialized in smarmy villains like the chauvinist boss in “9 to 5” and the nasty TV director in “Tootsie,” 92, May 16 “There’s no sugar-coating cancer (but) I will never forget the outpouring of support I received from you (constituents) throughout my treatment. Your incredibly kind words and generous deeds helped my family and I through very dark days .” — Toronto Coun. Jaye Robinson , 61, May 16 “I don’t want to start any rumours, but (Daniel Sedin’s son) looks an awful lot like Henrik .” — Longtime TSN broadcaster Darren “Dutchy” Dutchyshen , joking about hockey’s Sedin twins, 57, May 15 “A story is not like a road to follow ... it’s more like a house. You go inside and stay there for a while, wandering back and forth and settling where you like and discovering how the room and corridors relate to each other, how the world outside is altered by being viewed from these windows. And you, the visitor, the reader, are altered as well by being in this enclosed space, whether it is ample and easy or full of crooked turns, or sparsely or opulently furnished. You can go back again and again, and the house, the story, always contains more than you saw the last time .” — Nobel laureate Alice Munro , the Canadian literary giant among the world’s most esteemed contemporary authors and short story writers, whose legacy is now being recast by personal scandal, 92, May 13 “ I had the choice to go on at Acadia or learn about business from the best teacher available anywhere — my father. I went with the best teacher.” — Arthur L. Irving , son of New Brunswick industrialist K.C. Irving who spent a lifetime growing the oil business his father founded and died as one of the 10 richest Canadians with a net worth of $6.4 billion, 93, May 13 “I was in high school in Toronto in Grade 13 when I was called up for my first game (against Montreal). Punch Imlach came in the dressing room to announce the starting lineup; Tim Horton, Allan Stanley, Red Kelly, Frank Mahovlich ... and me .” — Ron Ellis , who played over 1,000 games with the Toronto Maple Leafs and was a member of Canada’s team at the 1972 Summit Series, 79, May 11 “The first thing (Steven Spielberg) said to me was, ‘When your scene is done, I want everyone under the seats with the popcorn and bubblegum.’ So, I think we did that .” — Susan Backlinie , actress who played the first person killed by the titular shark in “Jaws,” 77, May 11 “In science-fiction films, the monster should always be bigger than the leading lady .” — Cinema maestro Roger Corman , who cranked out hundreds of low-budget films over six decades and helped launch the careers of Martin Scorsese, Francis Ford Coppola, James Cameron and Ron Howard, 98, May 9 “Hollywood is a narcotic, not a stimulant. It wants to sell you something. Literature wants to tell you something. ” — Rex Murphy , Newfoundland-born pundit and wordsmith whose often-blistering commentaries sustained a decades-long career in Canadian media, 77, May 9 “All the people that work in music ... want you to think that they are in it for art and art alone. Then when you present them with something (that) might not reach all of the chain stores — when you present them with something that is a manifestation of their pretence — they blanch .” — Steve Albini , outspoken music producer/engineer who worked with Nirvana and many more, 61, May 7 “A lot of guys are more skillful than I am with the guitar. A lot of it is over my head. But some of it is not what I want to hear out of the guitar .” — Duane Eddy , a pioneering guitar hero for his reverberating electric sound on instrumentals such as “Rebel Rouser” and “Peter Gunn,” 86, April 30 “I left this profession, I stopped, I did a farewell show ... I was ashamed, but I came back, and as quickly as possible. It’s the most beautiful job in the world .” — Jean-Pierre Ferland , the singer-songwriter who became a fixture of Quebec’s cultural landscape over a career that spanned more than six decades, 89, April 27 “Make sure you enjoy the game. If you don’t, you’re in the wrong business ... Hockey fans are abreast of times. They know what’s going on. You don’t have to teach them anything .” — Bob Cole , the voice of hockey in Canada (and “Hockey Night in Canada”) for decades, 90, April 24 “You wake up every day. You summon up energy from somewhere. I don’t know how .” — Terry Anderson , a U.S. journalist held hostage for nearly seven years during Lebanon’s civil war, 76, April 20 “ My dad always told me that the harder you work, the harder it is to surrender.” — Roman Gabriel , the first Filipino-American quarterback in the NFL and the league MVP in 1969, 83, April 20 “Harnessing all that energy (in youth orchestras) and that enthusiasm and that passion, and galvanizing it into a totally, totally unified conception and not just conception but — what’s the word? — realization ... I berate them more than I would, but I hope always with a twinkle in my eye .” — Andrew Davis , the acclaimed British conductor who led the Toronto Symphony Orchestra for 13 years, 80, April 20 “I’d go to one school for a year and then the other the next. I had two sets of friends and spent a lot of time in the back seat of a Greyhound bus. Ramblin’ was in my blood .” — Guitar legend Dickey Betts , who co-founded the Allman Brothers Band and wrote their biggest hit, “Ramblin’ Man,” 80, April 18 “Baseball has been good to me since I quit trying to play it .” — Whitey Herzog , World Series champion and former manager of the St. Louis Cardinals and Kansas City Royals, 92, April 15 “We don’t need to SELL the news. The networks hype the news to make it seem vital, important. What’s missing (in 22 minutes) is context, sometimes balance, and a consideration of questions that are raised by certain events .” — Robert MacNeil , Canadian-born journalist who created the even-handed PBS newscast “The MacNeil-Lehrer NewsHour” in the 1970s and co-anchored it for two decades, 93, April 12 “I’m absolutely, 100 per cent, not guilty .” — O.J. Simpson , the football star, actor and pitchman whose shocking arrest for double murder and subsequent acquittal shone a light on American race relations, 76, April 10 “I’m not a ‘me’ person. I’m into sharing and communication, into telling stories. I’m not your typical underground artist ... I want to bring comics back to the ’30s, instead of reliving the ’60s.” — Trina Robbins , artist, writer and editor of mainstream and underground comics and pioneering woman in a male-dominated field, 85, April 10 “That name (the god particle) was a kind of joke, and not a very good one. An author, Leon Lederman, wanted to call it ‘that goddamn particle’ because it was clear it was going to be a tough job finding it experimentally. His editor wouldn’t have that, and he said OK, call it the God particle,’ and the editor accepted it. I don’t think he should’ve have done, because it’s so misleading.” — Nobel Prize-winning physicist Peter Higgs , on conceiving of the so-called “God particle” that helped explain how matter formed after the Big Bang, 94, April 8 “I’m the pioneer. I was the first one in Michigan who said marijuana should be legal, and they said I was totally nuts.” — John Sinclair , a marijuana activist whose 1969 imprisonment was immortalized in a John Lennon song, 82, April 2 “A historian is somebody who studies the facts, the historical facts — somebody who is tied to what actually happens ... I am just a dreamer — my dreams rest upon a historical basis .” — Maryse Condé , historical novelist and prolific “grande dame” of Caribbean literature, 90, April 2 “We had to please ourselves, and we weren’t easy to please .” — Joe Flaherty , comic actor of “SCTV” fame, 82, April 1 “The Marines changed it. They said that an enlisted man would never beat up a drill sergeant ... ‘If you don’t do this well, Mr. Gossett, we’re going to have to kill you .’” — Actor Louis Gossett Jr. , on the script for “An Officer and a Gentleman,” for which he won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor, 87, March 29 “Eloquence is no substitute for a record .” — Joe Lieberman , former U.S. Democrat-turned-independent senator, 82, March 27 “Babar was my friend and I invented stories with him, but not with kids in a corner of my mind. I write it for myself .” — Laurent de Brunhoff , who revived his father’s popular picture-book series about an elephant-king and presided over its rise to a global, multimedia franchise, 98, March 22 “I’m ready to go see Winnie Ruth .” — Richard C. “Dick” Higgins , one of the last remaining survivors of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, on following his wife of 60 years into death, 102, March 19 “Whether it’s Mr. Redford or Pacino or Hackman, once they see that I’m there, they aren’t going to let me win that tennis match. We hit the ball very hard. That’s why I’m brought in .” — M. Emmet Walsh , character actor seen everywhere from “Blood Simple” to “My Best Friend’s Wedding,” 88, March 19 “ I knew the sky would not fall . I knew that people would, within a very short time, generally accept it as just an evolution of our society. And some, particularly my own age group are still a little mad at me, but the vast majority of people, I think, are quite indifferent to it.” — Roy McMurtry , politician who as Chief Justice of Ontario paved the way for same-sex marriage, 81, March 19 “I love you but hate everything you stand for .” — Rose Dugdale , rejecting her father’s wealth and privilege in England to become an IRA militant and bomb maker, 82, March 18 “Climbing Everest says that you have done something extraordinary, that you have stepped outside the routines of ordinary life, endured hardship and accepted a great challenge ... There is only one highest place on Earth. ” — David Breashears , a mountaineer, author and filmmaker who co-directed and co-produced a 1998 IMAX documentary about climbing Mount Everest, 68, March 14 “The only way you get ahead is if you see something that no one else sees and it’s a little crazy .” — Gerald Levin , businessman and architect of famously disastrous AOL-Time Warner merger, 84, March 13 “Each day I try to do something kind for someone else. And I believe in what Oscar Wilde said : ‘Always forgive your enemies; it annoys them.’” — Malachy McCourt , thespian, barkeep and best-selling memoirist, 92, March 11 “I don’t sit around and worry about it. I’m dying a lot . It doesn’t make any difference.” — Paul Alexander , Dallas man who spent most of his life in an iron lung, 78, March 11 “Our audience knows we’re not going to load up on heavy metal or set fire to the drummer — although on some nights we’ve talked about it .” — Steve Lawrence , a singer who kept Tin Pan Alley alive during the rock era, 88, March 7 “There’s life after 100 ... I want to give it all I’ve got .” — Eleanor Collins , Canadian jazz legend who worked with other greats like Dizzy Gillespie and fellow Canadian Oscar Peterson, 104, March 3 “I’m often asked what my favourite, my most important building is. I’m going on the record right now. This is it .” — Architect Antoine Predock , on the Canadian Museum for Human Rights, 87, March 2 “In ’24, the power of showing up as your whole self authentically (and) intentionally is the resistance — ain’t no half steppin ’. ” — Jay Williams , beloved Scarborough educator who served as a role model to thousands of teenagers as a progressive Black man in the field of education, 40, Feb. 29 “You had an option, sir. You could have said, ‘I am not going to do it. This is wrong for Canada, and I am not going to ask Canadians to pay the price .’” — Debate knockout blow from Brian Mulroney, Canada’s 18th prime minister whose legacy is dominated by the free-trade agreement with the U.S., 84, Feb. 29 “I’m paranoid about everything in my life. Even at home. On my stationary bike, I have a rear-view mirror .” — Richard Lewis , indelibly neurotic U.S. comedian, 76, Feb. 27 “If they’re told to feed you caviar tomorrow, they’ll feed you caviar. If they’re told to strangle you in your cell, they’ll strangle you .” — Incarcerated Russian opposition leader Alexander Navalny , on his jailers, 47, Feb. 16 “The Spinners are still here and still singing for our people who want to hear us. And that’s not going to change. We’ll still be there for them .” — Henry Fambrough , as the last living original member of the hitmaking ’70s band, 85, Feb. 7 “If you can’t handle ‘Tie My Pecker to My Leg,’ you’re not gonna like the rest of the show. But if I don’t run a few people off, I haven’t done my job .” — Mojo Nixon , raw and rootsy musician, actor, and radio DJ, 66, Feb. 7 “Probably 75 per cent of the people in this town (Nashville) think I’ll fail, and the other 25 per cent hope I fail .” — Toby Keith , crafter of hit pro-American country-music anthems such as the controversial “Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue,” 62, Feb. 5 “My problem wasn’t my drug use and alcohol abuse. My problem was I couldn’t get along in the world with people. Everything bothered me, to a great degree .” — Wayne Kramer , abrasive co-founder of the protopunk Detroit band the MC5, 75, Feb. 2 “There are so many people that came before me who I admired and whose success I wanted to emulate ... And hopefully I can inspire someone else to do good work as well.” — Carl Weathers , former NFL and CFL linebacker who became a film star in the “Rocky” movies, “Happy Gilmore,” and more , 76, Feb. 1 “I wouldn’t know what to do if I wasn’t moving or telling a story to you or singing a song .” — Chita Rivera , dancer, singer and actress who garnered 10 Tony nominations, winning twice, and was in the original production of “West Side Story” in a long Broadway career, 91, Jan. 30 “I can remember my first big-league hit, but when you only get three you can remember them all .” — Jimy Williams , former Blue Jays manager, on his brief major-league playing career, 80, Jan. 26 “It wasn’t the age of smiling women. It had to be much more broody and I was way too cherubic .” — Melanie (Safka), singer-songwriter of “Brand New Key” fame, on her era, 76, Jan. 23 “Everybody is trying to tell you something different, and they’re always putting obstacles in your way. You have to fight for what you believe in, and you have to defend yourself constantly. It’s a matter of confidence.” — Norman Jewison , Canadian director nominated for seven Oscars, on directing , 97, Jan. 20 “When we started, it was all about music. By the time it ended, it was all about litigation.” — Mary Weiss , the lead singer of the 1960s pop group the Shangri-Las, whose hits included “Leader of the Pack,” 75, Jan. 19 “You miss three times in a row and that’s all you get. Moving forward, lessons to be learned.” — Shawn Barber , Canadian pole-vault record holder and 2015 world champion, 29, Jan. 17 “It took me to a special place ... I saw that it brought joy and happiness to other people when I played, so I wanted to take it to a higher place by bringing in some Cajun, country, blues, rock and jazz.” — Jo-El Sonnier , Cajun music titan , 77, Jan. 13 “Probably the worst decision of my political life. David won and he deserved to.” — Ed Broadbent , longtime New Democratic Party leader, on losing his first leadership campaign to David Lewis, 87, Jan. 11 “Football for me was a deliverance. Looking back, I can say: Everything went according to how I’d imagined my life. I had a perfect life .” — Franz Beckenbauer , who won the World Cup both as player and coach and became one of Germany’s most beloved personalities with his easygoing charm, 78, Jan. 7 “If I had lived by any maxim as a reporter, it was that every person is an expert on the circumstances of his life .” — Joseph Lelyveld , a former executive editor and foreign correspondent for The New York Times, who won the 1986 Pulitzer Prize for nonfiction for his book “Move Your Shadow: South Africa, Black and White,” 86, Jan. 5 “We had long hair and beards and were looking very bedraggled. Our feet were in tatters — I don’t think we looked very much like soldiers .” — Maj. Mike Sadler , a legendary Second World War navigator who guided Britain’s SAS in daring behind-the-lines night raids, describing crossing 180 kilometres of North African desert on foot, 103, Jan. 4 “These days anybody is a celebrity and, frankly, there’s nothing to celebrate . Reality TV? I live my life in reality. I want (to watch) something special, not pretty people with little talent trying to get famous.” — Actor David Soul , blond half of crime-fighting duo “Starsky & Hutch” in the popular 1970s TV series, 80, Jan. 4