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AUSTIN, Texas — State lawmakers are reviving an effort to allow the State of Texas to govern the city of Austin. State Rep. Briscoe Cain , a Republican from Deer Park, filed House Bill 274 ahead of the upcoming legislative session. It would allow the legislature to create a "District of Austin." It is a bill that state lawmakers have introduced before, but it has never gained traction. In a press release, Cain cited bad governing, homicide rates, violent crime and other public safety-related concerns as reasons for "Austin's declining ability to govern as the state capital effectively." He said it highlights "systemic leadership failures, compounded by the defunding of police and policies that deprioritize public safety, leaving the state capital exposed to unacceptable risks." "Our state employees and visitors to the Capitol deserve to feel safe," Cain said in a statement . "The City of Austin has failed to govern responsibly, and its negligence endangers those who come here to serve Texans and our constituents who participate in state government." By sheer numbers, Austin has seen an uptick in homicides since the pandemic, spiking to 88 homicides per year in 2021. The annual number, however, has stayed below that level in the years since. So far this year, the Austin Police Department said it has investigated 65 homicides , which is not far off of last year's total of 73. Looking at that data compared to population growth, the homicide rate rose to about nine people killed per 100,000 residents in 2021, and that number has been hovering between six and eight homicides per 100,000 residents in the years since. The legislation would establish the District of Austin from the current boundaries of the city of Austin. The district would follow the current laws in Austin. However, state lawmakers would have the power to amend or repeal laws, ordinances or policies they do not like. The Lieutenant Governor and Speaker of the House would need to approve any amendment to the district's charter. Cain proposed the bill back in 2021, but it did not pass. State Rep. Jared Patterson proposed a similar bill in 2023 that also failed in committee. In a post on X on Monday, Cain said he felt compelled to re-file it this year. "For far too long, city leaders have thumbed their nose at the Capitol and turned their backs on their own citizens," Cain's post read. "A District of Austin will keep residents and visitors safe." Re-filed legislation I first filed in 2021 to create the District of Austin. For far too long, city leaders have thumbed their nose at the Capitol and turned their backs on their own citizens. A District of Austin will keep residents and visitors safe. #txlege https://t.co/kDUvAr05Er "This is a red meat bill from Republicans. This is a sort of a wish list kind of thing for Republicans over the last couple of legislative sessions," Scott Braddock, editor of the Quorum Report, said. "This is virtue signaling from Republicans. They argue that Austin is too liberal and sucks, so the state of Texas, which Republicans run, should run it instead." The resolution is a constitutional amendment to allow the Legislature to create a district that serves as the seat of government. If it were to pass the Legislature, it would still need to be approved by voters. But Braddock said there is almost no chance it would get that far. "Two-thirds of the members of the Texas House and Texas Senate would have to vote for it, and then it would be voted on by the people of Texas," Braddock said. "The problem with that, for Republicans, is that there are no Democrats who would vote for this, certainly not enough to get to 100 votes in the Texas House, which is a requirement for this to pass." Austin is a home-rule city, meaning it operates under a charter. That city charter is considered Austin's constitution. In response, Austin Mayor Kirk Watson cited the fact that U.S. News and World Report named Austin one of the best places to live based on the high quality of life, strong job market and overall desirability and value. "Austin is a pretty great town. It's a great town to start a career or business," Watson said in a statement. "It's a great town for innovators and people who are vibrant, vital and looking to the future with new ideas. It's a great town to have fun, enjoy good food and even better music." Watson also pointed out that the Milken Institute ranked Austin as the best-performing large city in 2024. He said the proposed bill from state lawmakers would not do much to address the challenges the city is facing. "The Texas Legislature has been hostile to all Texas cities in recent years, but it's long had a special and unnecessary antipathy for its state capital," Watson said. "It's been an effective political tool for some in control of the Capitol but isn't particularly helpful when we're actually trying to solve our shared problems." Cain said the city's "focus on controversial political initiatives rather than infrastructure and public service has raised questions about its ability to manage the responsibilities of hosting the state capital." "This is about more than governance – it's about safety, accountability, and protecting the integrity of Texas' state government," Cain said in a statement. "Austin's failures are not just an embarrassment; They threaten the people who live and work here and the citizens who visit. The District of Austin will provide the focused, accountable leadership necessary to address these challenges head-on." If it were to pass, the District of Austin would be established on Jan. 1, 2026. You can read the full text of the bill here . The 89th legislative session starts on Jan. 14.The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) ordered federal supervision of Google on Friday (Dec. 6) after a contested designation. The regulator published an order establishing supervisory authority over Google Payment Corp., saying that this is its second supervisory designation order in a contested matter, according to a Friday press release . “While Google Payment Corp. is already subject to CFPB’s enforcement jurisdiction, the CFPB has determined that Google Payment Corp. has met the legal requirements for supervision,” the release said. “The CFPB is making this order public to provide transparency about how it assesses risks using consumer complaints and other factors.” “Importantly, the CFPB’s order does not constitute a finding that the entity has engaged in wrongdoing,” the release said. “The CFPB’s order does not require the CFPB to conduct a supervisory examination.” Reached by PYMNTS, a Google spokesperson said in an emailed statement that Google is suing the CFPB and Rohit Chopra , in his official capacity as director of the CFPB, over this matter. “This is a clear case of government overreach involving Google Pay peer-to-peer payments, which never raised risks and is no longer provided in the U.S., and we are challenging it in court,” José Castañeda , a Google spokesperson, said in the statement. The CFPB said in its press release that it is responsible for supervising a wide range of financial firms, including nonbank entities, to ensure they are complying with federal consumer financial protection laws; that it must issue a notice to an entity not currently subject to a supervisory examination; and that the entity can either consent to supervision or contest the notice. “Typically, the notices have pointed to consumer complaints and other indicators of risk to consumers,” the release said. “Supervisory exams are a confidential process that help companies identify and rectify potential violations of law. Most entities have decided to consent to supervision.” It was reported in November that the CFPB aimed to place Google under formal federal supervision . The Washington Post reported Nov. 14 and said in a post on X that the move “could subject the technology giant to the regular inspections and other rigorous monitoring that the government imposes on major banks.”
Whether you like it not, we are living in a right-handed world. Although our hands are strikingly similar, it is strange that some people choose one hand over the other as the instrument of their will. The other hand remains as an assistant or an understudy. In schools, universities and work places right-handed people outnumber the lefties. This has been happening over the millennia. The strangest phenomenon is that lefties who belong to a small minority of humankind insist that they should use their left hands. In the good old days a left-handed child was admitted to a school with much trepidation. The right-handed students were rather curious to know how a lefty could write or draw. Sometimes such a child had to be provided with a special desk and chair. However, a lefty soon learned the art of throwing a ball with his left hand and adjusting himself to a right-handed world by doing various activities backward. During the first half of the 20th century there was much prejudice against left handers, especially in North America, Latin America and Europe. During penmanship classes they usually received a ruler across their knuckles. As there were no religious obstacles to overcome, anti-lefty sentiments declined over the years. Percentage With the dramatic increase in left-handers, people began to understand that lefties are quite normal. According to a British study, the number of left-handers increased four-fold during the past 100 years. As a result, about 13 percent men and 11 percent women are left-handers today. About one hundred years ago the number of left-handers remained just three percent. With the rapid increase of left-handers right-handers began to adopt a softer attitude towards them. However, it did not happen in Asian countries as in the West. It was mainly due to long-standing social taboos and prejudices against left-handers. One redeeming factor was that the number of left-handed people in Asian countries was less than those in North America, Latin America and Europe. So far there is no scientific reason why it happened so. In certain countries people thought that left-handed people were suffering from a mental illness. Some parents tried to prevent their children being left-handers by tying a wooden rod to their left arms and forced them to use their right hands. Most children, however, did not like the treatment they received from their parents. In fact, they hated being alienated from others in the family. Right-minded world With all the advancement in science and education, lefthanders still face difficulties when they begin to live in a right-minded world. They soon find that most of the ordinary devices such as desks, band instruments, lockers, microscopes and pencil sharpeners are made for right-handed people. I remember a teacher warning a left-handed child that he would never succeed in life if he did not use his right hand. However, after completing his studies successfully, the child became a medical specialist. Many left-handed boys and girls have tried to use their right hands but they never succeeded. The plight of left-handers in some parts of India is deplorable. My visits to rural homes confirmed that there was much resistance to left-handedness. Even beggars were not willing to accept donations offered with someone’s left hand. Women who are about to get married are warned against the use of their left hands. They were forced to use their right hands for cooking and serving food. Those who did not heed such warnings were punished severely. Even in Korea it was considered rude to offer money with your left hand. The situation in Sri Lanka is not much different. One day a bhikkhu refused to accept food offered by a woman with her left hand. There was discrimination against lefties even in the English language. In American English a left-handed compliment is a statement that seems to express admiration or praise but at the same time insulting. For many centuries the English word ‘left’ connoted craziness or dubiousness. The original meaning of ‘left’ in Old English is ‘weak.’ The left-handed side was regarded as the weaker side of the body. The French word for the left is ‘gauche’ which means clumsy or inappropriate. Even in Japan a business demotion is ‘sasen’ which literally means ‘moved to the left.’ The Korean word ‘jawcheon’ carries the same dual meaning. In India, brides who are considered bad looking are called ‘daavi’ meaning second rate or left. They may appear to be trifling but language can betray man’s deepest superstitions and prejudices despite religious teachings. Anti-left bias Some religions are full of anti-left bias. You are supposed to use your left hand for cleaning yourself after using the toilet. Meals should be taken or handed over using your right hand. The left hand is there to assist you when necessary. Buddhist and Hindu pilgrims should walk round shrines clockwise so that their right hands are closest to the sacred object. In certain religions the right hand symbolises salvation and the left hand equates with damnation. In Judaism the evil serpent in the Garden of Eden is named ‘Sammael’ meaning ‘left.’ The Bible says when God returns to earth “He shall separate them one from another as a shepherd divideth his sheep from his goats. He shall set the sheep on his right hand but the goats on the left.” Today the old taboos and ideas are fast disappearing. In modern Japan left-handedness is no longer a cause for social ostracism. South Korea has provided left-handed desks to classrooms. In most developed countries parents and teachers accept left-handedness as normal. Even industrialists are producing left-handed scissors, corkscrews and pencil-sharpeners. This is welcome news to lefties all over the world. Although science has not found the real cause of left-handedness, scientists view it as another natural phenomenon. They advise parents and teachers not to force children to use their right hands. Today it is a welcome sight to see lefties rendering their services as normal people. Still they have to use door knobs, cameras, fishing reels and guns produced for right-handed people. [email protected]‘Never Compromise Your Worth, Hold Your Head High’: Aishwarya Rai Bachchan Shares Post on Violence Against Women Amid Rumours of Divorce With Husband Abhishek Bachchan
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Trump threatens 100% tariff on the BRIC bloc of nations if they act to undermine US dollar WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump is threatening 100% tariffs against a bloc of nine nations if they act to undermine the U.S. dollar. His threat was directed at countries in the so-called BRIC alliance, which consists of Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran and the United Arab Emirates.. Trump says he wants a commitment from the bloc that it will not create a new currency or otherwise try to undermine the U.S. dollar. Emboldened 'manosphere' accelerates threats and demeaning language toward women after US election CHICAGO (AP) — An emboldened fringe of right-wing “manosphere” influencers has seized on Donald Trump’s presidential win to justify and amplify misogynistic derision and threats online. Many have appropriated a 1960s abortion rights rallying cry, declaring “Your body, my choice,” and have been using it publicly on college campuses and even in public schools. While none of the current online rhetoric is being amplified by Trump, experts say many young men see the former president’s return to the White House as vindication of their views on women. For many women, the words are a worrying sign of what might lie ahead as some men perceive the election results as a rebuke of reproductive rights and women’s rights. Young men swung to the right for Trump after a campaign dominated by masculine appeals WASHINGTON (AP) — Young men shifted toward Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential election in a change from recent years, when most young male voters backed the Democratic candidate. Young white men already supported him in 2020 and shifted slightly farther right this time. Young Latino men were about evenly split between the two candidates. Most young Black men backed Democrat Kamala Harris, though about a third supported Trump. Trump's campaign for the Oval Office was dominated by appeals to traditional masculinity, conveyed in appearances in nontraditional media. His campaign believed that tactic would boost his support among men who otherwise do not pay attention to political media. After entering Aleppo, Syrian insurgents advance to a nearby province. Assad says he'll defeat them BEIRUT (AP) — Thousands of Syrian insurgents have taken over most of Aleppo, establishing positions in the country’s largest city and controlling its airport before expanding their shock offensive to a nearby province. They faced little to no resistance from government troops Saturday, according to fighters and activists. Thousands of fighters also moved on, facing almost no defense from government forces. They seized towns and villages in northern Hama, a province where they had a presence before being expelled by government troops in 2016. They claimed to have entered the city of Hama. In his first public comments since the offensive began, President Bashar Assad said Syria will continue to “defend its stability and territorial integrity against terrorists and their supporters.” An Israeli strike in Gaza kills World Central Kitchen workers. Israel says 1 was an Oct. 7 attacker DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — An Israeli airstrike on a car in the Gaza Strip killed five people including employees of World Central Kitchen. The charity says it is “urgently seeking more details” Saturday after Israel’s military said it targeted a World Central Kitchen worker who had been part of the Hamas attack that sparked the war. The charity says it is “heartbroken” and adds that it had no knowledge anyone in the car had alleged ties to the Oct. 7, 2023 attack. It says it is pausing operations in Gaza. It paused them earlier this year after an Israeli strike killed seven of its workers. Also on Saturday, Hamas released a new hostage video of Israeli-American Edan Alexander. Lebanese fishermen hope ceasefire with Israel means normal life returning TYRE, Lebanon (AP) — The ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah is bringing hope for normality back to many in southern Lebanon. That includes fishermen who’ve long launched their single-engine wooden boats into the Mediterranean at dawn. For months, Israel imposed a siege that kept hundreds of fishermen at this ancient Phoenician port ashore. That upended their lives and dealt the industry a major blow. The port siege also cut people off from key ingredients for traditional Lebanese dishes. As war devastated their country, the loss of fish damaged a deep association with home. Now, the possibility of renewed fishing is helping fuel hope. Heavy snow blankets parts of the US during busy holiday travel weekend BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — The first big snowfall of the season is blanketing towns in upstate New York and northwestern Pennsylvania as the hectic holiday travel and shopping weekend winds down. Numbing cold and heavy snow could persist into next week and cause hazards in the Great Lakes, Plains and Midwest regions. A state of emergency has been declared for parts of New York, making it problematic for Thanksgiving travelers. This week’s blast of frigid Arctic air also brought bitterly cold temperatures of 10 to 20 degrees Fahrenheit below average to the Northern Plains. Cold air is expected to move over the eastern third of the U.S. by Monday with temperatures about 10 degrees below average. Southwest Airlines says it is ending cabin service earlier to reduce chance of injury Southwest Airlines is ending its cabin service earlier starting next month. Beginning on Dec. 4, a company spokesperson says flight attendants will begin preparing the cabin for landing at an altitude of 18,000 feet instead of 10,000 feet. The company says it's making the changes to reduce the risk of in-flight turbulence injuries. For passengers, that means they will need to return their seats to an upright position or do other pre-landing procedures earlier than before. While turbulence-related fatalities are quite rare, injuries have piled up over the years. What to know about the plastic pollution crisis as treaty talks conclude in South Korea BUSAN, South Korea (AP) — The world’s nations will wrap up negotiating a treaty this weekend to address the global crisis of plastic pollution. The world produces more than 400 million tons of new plastic yearly. That could climb about 70% by 2040 without policy changes. China was by far the biggest exporter of plastic products in 2023, followed by Germany and the United States. Less than 10% of plastics are recycled. Many plastics are used for packaging. Every day, the equivalent of 2,000 garbage trucks full of plastic are dumped into the world’s oceans, rivers and lakes. Romania's parliamentary vote risks being overshadowed by presidential race chaos BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) — Romanians are preparing to go to the polls in a parliamentary vote that will determine a new government and prime minister to lead the European Union and NATO member country. However, Sunday's vote is sandwiched between a two-round presidential race and is overshadowed by controversies and chaos following the outcome of the first vote. While the president has significant decision-making powers in areas such as national security and foreign policy, the prime minister is the head of the nation’s government. Sunday’s vote will determine the formation of the country’s 466-seat legislature.Rock Island rolls again, remains unbeaten at 3-0
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In 1977, the sitcom Happy Days launched its fifth season with a time-honored TV trope, sending its motley cast of characters on vacation. Scouted by Hollywood producers, Fonzie ( Henry Winkler ) and the cast fly to L.A. where the Fonz auditions to become the next James Dean . But while in Cali he is also (randomly) challenged by a local to jump over a shark on water skis (which he does). The ridiculousness of the plot line later caused two University of Michigan students to coin the phrase "jumping the shark" and create the website jumptheshark.com , which called out the point in a creative project where the storyline charges past the point of relevance and believability into something outlandish. Because in what semi-realistic world is a Milwaukee greaser vaulting a shark on water skis? To raise a similar question: in what semi-realistic world is a gladiator vaulting from one ship to another in a flooded version of the Roman Coliseum while fully grown (and voracious) sharks swim nearby? In the sequel to a Best Picture-winning film, apparently. 🤩 📺 SIGN UP for Parade's Daily newsletter & get the scoop on the latest TV news & celebrity interviews delivered right to your inbox 🤩 🎥 I'm of course referring to Gladiator II , which has been teasing fans with its Jaws -meets- The Hunger Games -style gladiatorial battle since the trailer dropped. The original Gladiator , which won five Oscars following its release in 2000, saw the sacked Roman general Maximus ( Russell Crowe ) seeking vengeance on the new emperor Commodus ( Joaquin Phoenix ) for murdering his wife and son. Now, over two decades later (in the film and real life), the story picks back up with Maximus' son Lucius Verus ( Paul Mescal ) following a similar journey. At the end of Gladiator , Lucius is sent away from Rome by his mother Lucilla ( Connie Nielsen ), fearing that he will be murdered by power-hungry politicians. As the sequel begins, Lucius is living in the African kingdom of Numidia (modern-day Algeria) with his wife, when the Romans, led by Marcus Acacius ( Pedro Pascal ) siege the city as part of Rome's eternal (and largely inexplicable) land grab. Lucius' wife is killed and Lucius is dragged to Rome as a slave to begin his training as a gladiator. Meanwhile back in the capital, Lucilla has remarried Marcus Acacius and the empire is ruled by a pair of brothers (both of whom need to head back to Sephora to get their foundations re-matched to their skin tone). Geta ( Joesph Quinn ) is the slightly more hinged of the pair, with Caracalla ( Fred Hechinger ) becoming overly attached to his pet monkey seemingly due to some sort of STI that's eroding his brain. The brothers are hosting a gladiator festival. Lucius is competing. His mom is watching. He wants to murder her new husband. Various action sequences ensue. Related: Everything You Need to Know about the 2024 Oscars, Including the Winners Paramount Pictures On the whole, Gladiator II sticks closely to the plot of Gladiator in the standard "requel" format we've seen used in films like Scream (the fifth one), Jurassic World and Twisters . Requels, however, work best when either a) the original wasn't that great to begin with ( Top Gun: Maverick , Mad Max: Fury Road ), or b) the new film makes some big changes ( Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle , Creed ). It's much more difficult to create a new classic when you're working from a beloved piece of IP—the Terminator , Jurassic Park and Indiana Jones reboots all being obvious examples. The path set before Gladiator II , therefore, was fraught from the start. The original Gladiator is an astonishing feat of not only directing and acting but also craftsmanship. Not only does it hold up marvelously, but it was filmed in that glorious window in the late '90s where action scenes were still almost completely created using practical effects and CGI was just brought in to touch things up. Outdoing the original would be a Herculean task. That's probably why the project has been in development since 2001, with director Ridley Scott relaying updates every few years. At one point Crowe was set to return and battle his way back from purgatory; at another Chris Hemsworth was set to lead. The final form of the sequel, however, is mostly the original with Crowe's role split between Mescal and Pascal and Phoenix's given to Quinn and Hechinger. Gladiator II is basically the Shein dupe of Gladiator , where everything is just a little shittier than the original. From the opening naval battle, shoddy Marvel-esque CGI drags down the artistic quality of the film, while none of the leads are quite as starkly drawn (via the script or acting) as their original counterparts. The only moments that veer off from the original are the outlandish action sequences, like the aforementioned shark battle, a Coliseum face-off with a rhinoceros, and a scuffle with the most wackadoo set of CGI monkey/humanoid creatures I've ever seen. While I'm not going to be a stickler for historical accuracy (several historians quit working on the original Gladiator , and I can't imagine they returned for this one), I wish the movie had either stuck with the (sort of) serious tone of the original or gone full camp. Gladiator II instead seems conflicted as to whether it's aiming to be The Fast and the Furious or Saving Private Ryan . Related: 33 Academy Award Contenders for 2025 You Need to Watch Paramount Pictures Firmly on the Vin Diesel side of the rubric, however, is Denzel Washington , playing the gladiator-trafficking Macrinus. Macrinus is the bisexual menace that Carrie Bradshaw warned us about, strutting around Rome flaunting cleavage, munching on grapes and swindling senators out of their estates. Washington, channeling Lady Gaga in House of Gucci , seems to be the only cast member informed by Scott of the movie's tone. A scene involving Washington and a severed head is easily the film's best, and he seems poised for another Oscar run. On the Saving Private Ryan side of things, Scott is returning to this "Rome as a metaphor for the American dream" idea that creeps up briefly in the original. However, due to Gladiator II 's end game, this idea that Rome was a beautiful democracy that has been tarnished by greed appears in a more earnest way. Historically this grafting seems dubious, but based on the fact we just saw a man name a monkey as Roman consul, the abrupt turn into modern American politics just seems a little silly. And also given how often straight men think about the Roman Empire , I doubt we need them believing that's the historical golden era we should be aiming to emulate. Overall, Gladiator II is a fun ride and worth watching. Sure the action sequences jump the shark, but perhaps the film should have done even more shark-jumping. I just wouldn't recommend rewatching Gladiator in the leadup. It's sort of like how you shouldn't do a taste test between gluten free cookies and the real deal. Let your foggy memory make up for the gap in quality. Rating: B- Related: The Best Movies of 2024 (So Far)FMC Corp. stock underperforms Thursday when compared to competitors despite daily gains
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Mariah Carey using artificial intelligence to address her most devoted Spotify fans? The pop diva says that’s just simply fantasy. The “All I Want for Christmas Is You” and “Fantasy” hit maker on Thursday debunked the speculation surrounding her fan message, which made the internet rounds amid Spotify’s annual Wrapped campaign earlier this week. In brief videos shared via Spotify, Carey and other artists including Kali Uchis and Taylor Swift thanked their top fans on the streaming platform for their support. In Carey’s fan message, which some users reposted to X (formerly Twitter), the singer tells her fan base — a.k.a. lambs — “your support throughout the years is the greatest gift I can ask for.” In the video, Carey sits still on a dimly lighted set in front of Christmas trees and wearing her signature Santa Claus-inspired dress. The video quickly sparked AI speculation on social media. “THIS HAS TO BE AI,” one user tweeted on Wednesday. While other fans echoed suspicions of AI use and joked about the singer’s stiff demeanor (“blink twice if ur ok, ” a user wrote), others seemingly took a closer look at the pop star’s face — particularly her eyes. One user on Thursday wrote that the singer was “definitely reading off a teleprompter” in her video. The Grammy winner finally took matters into her own hands Thursday evening and revealed the culprits behind her bizarre video. “Bad lighting and a red lip have you all thinking this is AI??” Carey tweeted . “There’s a reason I’m not a fan of either of those things,” she said before touting the next stop on her annual Christmas tour. The self-appointed Queen of Christmas, who stopped by the Hollywood Bowl in November, celebrates the 30th anniversary of her album “Merry Christmas” this year. The LP included her infectious holiday hit “All I Want for Christmas Is You,” which has consistently climbed the charts since 2019. In October, Carey told Times critic Mikael Wood that “it’s happened so many times that I’m thrilled.” “And should it happen again, I would be even more thrilled,” she added. Though Carey might be most known for her Christmas classic, she encouraged her top Spotify fans — suspicious of AI use or not — to keep an eye out this week for more. “I can’t wait to share new music with you soon,” she said.Putin approves federal budget for 2025-2027
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