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Fundraising is already underway for Niagara’s annual Stockings of Love campaign — shopping, stuffing and delivering thousands of filled stockings to seniors living on their own or in long-term care homes. But as the campaign grows bigger, extending into communities outside St. Catharines for the first time, it’s asking Niagara residents for help to achieve its goal of more than 3,000 stockings. “We’re bigger because we’re reaching more people, meaning we need more financial donations and stuffed stockings, we just need more,” said founder Janice Ford-Spencer. “I need donations earlier than later — now — so I can sleep at night.” Ford-Spencer launched the campaign in 2018 with the hopes of putting smiles on faces of seniors in her Port Dalhousie community. She knew support around the holidays was geared towards families and children but saw a void in what was being provided to local seniors. Now, seven years later, there are more seniors living in homes or living on their own who are hungry and society “tends to want to forget them.” “They’re not the ones at the pulse of the conversation when people are sitting around the table talking about the state of affairs that our societies are in. They’re not the main topic,” said Ford-Spencer. “Bottom line, it’s a question of respect and teaching the right lessons to our young.” Each year the fundraiser has doubled its number of stockings and donations, providing more than 2,000 stockings to seniors in 2023. This year, the hope is to surpass 3,000. Stockings are filled with gifts geared to any gender and can include slippers, body lotion, crossword puzzles, playing cards, cosmetic case, scarves, tissue, hand sanitizer, writing pads, herbal teas, snacks and more. A large portion of stockings go to seniors living in long-term care homes, but the campaign also works with local community organizations and churches to identify seniors on their own in need of a gift and some cheering up. “Who’s at home alone, who’s that widow struggling who’s lost their spouse that year and doesn’t have children. These people are also hungry (and) can be alone and not have anyone see them on Christmas, so I find them,” she said. “It’s about honouring them and their lives while they’re still here.” This season Ford-Spencer is hoping to extend the project’s reach beyond St. Catharines. She has a small group set up in Niagara Falls and Grimsby volunteering to help seniors in their area, taking “baby steps,” with the goal to add more communities in the years ahead. “It was rather St. Catharines-based. There would be the odd, outside-the-boundaries, deliveries to recipients ... that’s happening, that’s very exciting,” she said. “The more seniors in the Niagara region we can reach, just the better it is and the happier everyone is.” As a volunteer-driven organization — Ford-Spencer calls volunteers her “elves” who return to fill stockings every year — the campaign is a win-win for every person involved. “The person who wants to make up the stocking loves to do that, remind them of their childhood and who doesn’t love that memory of getting one from Santa, and the recipients and the volunteers ... love coming to the workshop, the headquarters, and stuffing stockings,” she said. “I think that’s one of the reasons why it’s so successful and at the end of the day, it’s helping the people who are usually the forgotten ones.” In addition to collecting $25 pre-stuffed stockings, Ford-Spencer said they are also raising funds to purchase stockings and stuffers for people who cannot get to the drop-off locations. The campaign runs through December 20. For more stocking stuffer ideas or to see a full list of drop-off locations visit the Stockings of Love Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/stockingsoflove.seniorsaloneatchristmas/ Donations are welcome by e-transfer: stockingsoflove1@gmail.com
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Share Tweet Share Share Email This year has seen Cardano (ADA) climb by over 175% of its original value, while Stellar (XLM) has more than tripled. Both projects are making huge waves in different ways. The research-driven and sustainability oriented Cardano has continued to have a stern focus on decentralized applications that are scalable and secure. In contrast, Stellar (XLM) has been focused on enhancing cross-border transactions. Currently seeing widespread attention in its presale, Lunex Network ($LNEX) is emerging as the next big challenger in DeFi. So what will 2024 and the rest of 2025 bring for these hot assets? Cardano (ADA) Expands Further Into The NFT Space Cardano (ADA) has been busy building significant partnerships in climate restoration, decentralized finance (DeFi), and NFTs. These collaborations will spread Cardano’s reach and demonstrate how versatile its blockchain technology is. Cardano (ADA) has also deployed a highly advanced scaling solution, Midgard, which employs multi-signature tech to bolster Cardano’s security. Stellar (XLM) Launches Protocol 20 To Improve Efficiency Protocol 20 is a major development that Stellar developers have been fine tuning over the last quarter. This update will improve network performance and security for Stellar (XLM) users and simplify Stellar transactions. This was a record year for Stellar, with its net value rising by over 300%, and analysts are curious about how the asset will fare in 2025. Lunex Network Delivers Advanced Features for Traders Lunex Network ($LNEX) is offering something fresh for traders, businesses, and developers. It comes packed with powerful trader tools to enhance the process. Its native portfolio tracker outshines standard exchange tools. For traders managing a variety of investments, this tracker is perfect. It lets users monitor ETFs, stocks and cryptocurrencies, allowing multifaceted traders to keep a firm grasp on their overall trading position. At its core is the $LNEX token, built to perform well even in uncertain markets. Token holders earn passive income through an 18% share of platform transaction fees, while the system’s limited supply of 8 billion tokens creates scarcity that could boost long-term value as adoption grows. Developers are also showing interest in Lunex Network ($LNEX). Its infrastructure includes 65 remote procedure call (RPC) nodes, ensuring fast and reliable communication between decentralized applications (dApps) and the blockchain. This setup supports seamless dApp development and enhances the platform’s appeal. The Lunex Network Presale Sees Huge Traction Lunex Network ($LNEX) is making waves with a design that appeals to a broad audience including traders, developers, and businesses. By combining an easy-to-use interface with advanced technical features and the potential of its $LNEX token, it offers an exciting prospect for forward-thinking investors. Currently in the seventh stage of its presale, tokens are available at just $0.0033. Analysts are projecting an impressive 1,800% growth by 2024, positioning Lunex Network as a standout opportunity for traders seeking a solid foundation for long-term success. As the cryptocurrency landscape evolves, projects like Cardano (ADA), Stellar (XLM), and Lunex Network ($LNEX) showcase the diversity and innovation within the industry. With each focusing on distinct areas—scalable dApps, efficient cross-border transactions, and trader-focused DeFi solutions—they highlight the potential for blockchain technology to revolutionize various sectors. Investors and enthusiasts are keeping a close eye on these projects, eager to see how they will shape the future of decentralized finance in 2024 and beyond. You can find more information about Lunex Network (LNEX) here: Website: https://lunexnetwork.com Socials: https://linktr.ee/lunexnetwork Related Items: Cardano (ADA) , Lunex Network Share Tweet Share Share Email Recommended for you Cardano Whales Quietly Accumulate an RWA Altcoin Set to Surge from $0.004 to $1 in 2025 Litecoin and Shiba Inu Holders Are Eyeing Big Gains After Investing in This Low-Cap Crypto Gary Gensler Set To Resign In January, What Does This Mean For Crypto? Can Pepe & Shiba Inu Reward Holders This Winter? Comments'I’m not sure what there was to gain...' – Sky journalist questions Ange Postecoglou’s comments following 1-1 draw vs Rangers
Super-wealthy tech titans are lining up to make outsized donations to President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration fund. Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook, Jeff Bezos of Amazon and Sam Altman of Open AI are the latest moguls to each pony up identical $1 million gifts to the fund bankrolling the glitzy Jan. 20 return to power for Trump. Amazon will also stream the event on its Prime Video platform, a freebie valued at another $1 million. The flood of cash comes as the billionaires hope to improve their up-and-down relationship with Trump , who makes little secret of his plan to play favorites with companies and individuals perceived as supporters of him and his MAGA agenda. Trump has regularly trashed both Zuckerberg and Bezos in the past, but the moguls have worked hard to make peace with him. Zuckerberg has already journeyed to Mar-a-Lago to meet with Trump over the Thanksgiving holiday while Bezos recently told a conference that he is “optimistic” about the new administration, especially Trump’s stated plans to slash regulations. Altman said Friday he is forking over his own seven-figure donation in his personal capacity, but admitted he hopes it makes Trump look favorably on requests to prioritize investments in artificial intelligence. “Trump will lead our country into the age of AI, and I am eager to support his efforts to ensure America stays ahead,” Altman said in a statement. Trump has forged a very close relationship in recent months with Elon Musk , the owner of Tesla, X and SpaceX who is considered the world’s richest man. Trump has appointed Musk to a newly created post aimed at cutting government spending and brushed off concerns that Musk could exploit his power to protect his companies’ multi-billion dollar government contracts or influence policy to benefit them or hurt tech rivals . Despite the potential for conflicts of interest, there is nothing illegal or even improper about the donations. Inaugural committees are required to disclose the source of their fundraising, but not how they spend the money. Corporations have traditionally made up a large share of donors to presidential inaugurals, with an exception in 2009, when then-President-elect Barack Obama refused to accept corporate donations. He reversed course for his second inaugural in 2013 after he won reelection. Facebook did not donate to either Joe Biden’s 2021 inaugural or Trump’s 2017 inaugural. Google donated $285,000 each to Trump’s first inaugural and Biden’s inaugural, according to Federal Election Commission records. Microsoft gave $1 million to Obama’s second inaugural, but only $500,000 to Trump in 2017 and Biden in 2021. Amazon had donated roughly $58,000 to Trump’s 2017 inaugural, much lower than the $1 million it now plans to donate. The company also streamed Biden’s inauguration on Prime Video in 2021.KARACHI: Pakistan Peoples Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto has said he considered Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto’s legacy the solution to all problems. “The PPP is present in every corner of the country,” he said in his speech on the party’s Foundation Day via video link from Karachi Saturday. He added: “Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto laid the foundation of democracy in Pakistan. Bilawal reaffirms party’s commitment to supporting Palestinian cause He said that Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto gave the country a constitution. Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto made Pakistan a nuclear power. He considered Shaheed Bhutto’s legacy the solution to all problems. “Under the visionary leadership of Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, the party gifted the nation its first democratic constitution in 1973, ensuring equal rights and representation for all citizens. It was also Quaid-e-Awam who initiated Pakistan’s nuclear program, cementing the country’s defense capabilities,” Bilawal said while emphasizing the PPP’s pivotal role in shaping Pakistan’s history. Bilawal continued: “Bhutto brought about a revolution by giving the slogan of Roti Kapra Makan.” “Shaheed Bhutto not only laid the foundation of democracy. He listed the party’s feats and praised the worker’s sacrifices for strengthening democracy.” The PPP pioneered groundbreaking reforms in land redistribution, labor rights, and education, laying the foundation for social progress. He also paid glowing tribute to the sacrifices of Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto, who championed democracy with unmatched courage and inspired millions with her relentless dedication. Shaheed Benazir, the first woman to lead a Muslim-majority nation, not only strengthened democracy but also empowered women, advanced social welfare, and led efforts in developing cruise missile technology. He said during President Asif Ali Zardari’s first tenure, the PPP government reaffirmed its unwavering commitment to equity by solidifying provincial autonomy through the landmark 18th Amendment and launching the transformative Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP), a lifeline that has since uplifted millions of underprivileged citizens. “The Pakistan Peoples Party has always been the voice of the marginalized, the defender of workers’ and peasants’ rights, and a staunch advocate for the empowerment of women and minorities. Since its inception, the PPP has remained steadfast in its mission to create a peaceful, progressive, and prosperous Pakistan,” said the PPP Chairman. He commended the resilience and loyalty of PPP workers, calling them the backbone of the party’s enduring strength and success. Reaffirming the PPP’s commitment to its foundational ideals, he vowed to continue the fight against oppression, inequality, and injustice. “As we celebrate this historic day, let us renew our pledge to uphold the party’s principles and work tirelessly for the welfare of the people. Together, we will fulfil the vision of a democratic and inclusive Pakistan,” the Chairman added. Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari thanked the party members and supporters for commemorating Foundation Day with enthusiasm and unity, honoring the sacrifices of those who laid down their lives for the cause of democracy and freedom.
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By MICHELLE L. PRICE and ROB GILLIES NEW YORK (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump’s recent dinner with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his visit to Paris for the reopening of the Notre Dame Cathedral were not just exercises in policy and diplomacy. They were also prime trolling opportunities for Trump. Related Articles National Politics | Biden issues veto threat on bill expanding federal judiciary as partisan split emerges National Politics | Trump lawyers and aide hit with 10 additional felony charges in Wisconsin over 2020 fake electors National Politics | After withdrawing as attorney general nominee, Matt Gaetz lands a talk show on OANN television National Politics | What will happen to Social Security under Trump’s tax plan? National Politics | Republican-led states are rolling out plans that could aid Trump’s mass deportation effort Throughout his first term in the White House and during his campaign to return, Trump has spun out countless provocative, antagonizing and mocking statements. There were his belittling nicknames for political opponents, his impressions of other political figures and the plentiful memes he shared on social media. Now that’s he’s preparing to return to the Oval Office, Trump is back at it, and his trolling is attracting more attention — and eyerolls. On Sunday, Trump turned a photo of himself seated near a smiling first lady Jill Biden at the Notre Dame ceremony into a social media promo for his new perfume and cologne line, with the tag line, “A fragrance your enemies can’t resist!” The first lady’s office declined to comment. When Trudeau hastily flew to Florida to meet with Trump last month over the president-elect’s threat to impose a 25% tax on all Canadian products entering the U.S., the Republican tossed out the idea that Canada become the 51st U.S. state. The Canadians passed off the comment as a joke, but Trump has continued to play up the dig, including in a post Tuesday morning on his social media network referring to the prime minister as “Governor Justin Trudeau of the Great State of Canada.” After decades as an entertainer and tabloid fixture, Trump has a flair for the provocative that is aimed at attracting attention and, in his most recent incarnation as a politician, mobilizing fans. He has long relished poking at his opponents, both to demean and minimize them and to delight supporters who share his irreverent comments and posts widely online and cheer for them in person. Trump, to the joy of his fans, first publicly needled Canada on his social media network a week ago when he posted an AI-generated image that showed him standing on a mountain with a Canadian flag next to him and the caption “Oh Canada!” After his latest post, Canadian Immigration Minister Marc Miller said Tuesday: “It sounds like we’re living in a episode of South Park.” Trudeau said earlier this week that when it comes to Trump, “his approach will often be to challenge people, to destabilize a negotiating partner, to offer uncertainty and even sometimes a bit of chaos into the well established hallways of democracies and institutions and one of the most important things for us to do is not to freak out, not to panic.” Even Thanksgiving dinner isn’t a trolling-free zone for Trump’s adversaries. On Thanksgiving Day, Trump posted a movie clip from “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation” with President Joe Biden and other Democrats’ faces superimposed on the characters in a spoof of the turkey-carving scene. The video shows Trump appearing to explode out of the turkey in a swirl of purple sparks, with the former president stiffly dancing to one of his favorite songs, Village People’s “Y.M.C.A.” In his most recent presidential campaign, Trump mocked Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, refusing to call his GOP primary opponent by his real name and instead dubbing him “Ron DeSanctimonious.” He added, for good measure, in a post on his Truth Social network: “I will never call Ron DeSanctimonious ‘Meatball’ Ron, as the Fake News is insisting I will.” As he campaigned against Biden, Trump taunted him in online posts and with comments and impressions at his rallies, deriding the president over his intellect, his walk, his golf game and even his beach body. After Vice President Kamala Harris took over Biden’s spot as the Democratic nominee, Trump repeatedly suggested she never worked at McDonalds while in college. Trump, true to form, turned his mocking into a spectacle by appearing at a Pennsylvania McDonalds in October, when he manned the fries station and held an impromptu news conference from the restaurant drive-thru. Trump’s team thinks people should get a sense of humor. “President Trump is a master at messaging and he’s always relatable to the average person, whereas many media members take themselves too seriously and have no concept of anything else other than suffering from Trump Derangement Syndrome,” said Steven Cheung, Trump’s communications director. “President Trump will Make America Great Again and we are getting back to a sense of optimism after a tumultuous four years.” Though both the Biden and Harris campaigns created and shared memes and launched other stunts to respond to Trump’s taunts, so far America’s neighbors to the north are not taking the bait. “I don’t think we should necessarily look on Truth Social for public policy,” Miller said. Gerald Butts, a former top adviser to Trudeau and a close friend, said Trump brought up the 51st state line to Trudeau repeatedly during Trump’s first term in office. “Oh God,” Butts said Tuesday, “At least a half dozen times.” “This is who he is and what he does. He’s trying to destabilize everybody and make people anxious,” Butts said. “He’s trying to get people on the defensive and anxious and therefore willing to do things they wouldn’t otherwise entertain if they had their wits about them. I don’t know why anybody is surprised by it.” Gillies reported from Toronto. Associated Press writer Darlene Superville contributed to this report.Suspect in the killing of UnitedHealthcare’s CEO struggles, shouts while entering courthouseWASHINGTON (AP) — Carmelo Pacheco's 18 points helped Mount St. Mary's defeat Howard 79-75 on Saturday. Pacheco shot 6 for 8 from beyond the arc for the Mountaineers (5-2). Dallas Hobbs shot 5 of 16 from the field, including 1 for 8 from 3-point range, and went 6 for 7 from the line to add 17 points. Terrell Ard Jr. had 16 points and shot 4 of 6 from the field and 8 of 8 from the free-throw line. Anwar Gill finished with 18 points for the Bison (3-5). Blake Harper added 15 points, seven rebounds and two steals for Howard. Joshua Strong also had 12 points. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .