phlboss ph If you’re itching for a fall-colored mountain getaway, the , or the are obvious options. While these destinations are undeniably stunning, let us point you in the direction of the Smoky Mountains, which boast one of the longest fall seasons in the country, offering a picturesque escape that’s often overlooked. Known as the “Gateway to the Great Smoky Mountains,” Gatlinburg, is an ideal fall retreat for those seeking more than just the typical mountain experience. Though this quaint town — with a population of just 3,650 – is known for its quirky tourist attractions and kitschy charm, it also harbors a side that’s perfect for a more refined, adult-oriented adventure. Beyond the themed restaurants and eccentric hotels, Gatlinburg offers luxury forested accommodations, unique shops, and scenic activities that make it an enchanting destination for a romantic autumn escape. Disclaimer: if late-night bar hopping is part of your fall plans, Gatlinburg... . The town’s nightlife winds down early, with most bars nestled within restaurants closing by 11 p.m. Gatlinburg isn’t a party destination, but it can be a fun-and-flirty mountain getaway with the right itinerary. Where To Stay If you’re planning an adults-only mountain getaway, you need to make sure you do it proper. This means, sleeping among the trees, luxury style, with no kids in sight. You won’t find anything better for price and accomodations than . Located right off the Great Smoky National Park highway, Treehouse Grove offers 16 treehouses that are fitted with luxury features to make your stay comfortable. The road leading to the treehouses follows a little creek into the woods about two or three miles. I absolutely loved pulling up to The Cherry treehouse, surrounded by views of the Smoky Mountains while hearing the quietness of the forest. It’s on the end of one of the little treehouse “neighborhoods,” making it a little more secluded. I was immediately greeted with the fresh smell of wood as soon as you walked in, which to me made it even more alluring and sexy. At night, it was so peaceful sitting out on the private deck overlooking base of the Smoky Mountains and hearing the coyotes howl all around you. Day 1 After waking up to the sounds of the trees in your treehouse, get your day started by exploring downtown. Parking is available all over downtown Gatlinburg, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t come with a price. Expect to pay $20-30 anywhere in Gatlinburg regardless of how long you’re parked there, so pick a spot and stay there all day to make it worth it. Gatlinburg is known for its little shops, and you won’t be disappointed by “The Village.” You can’t miss it, since there’s a wooden arching sign leading to what I can best describe as a real-life version of Shrek’s mystical town of The Land Of Far Far Away. Here you’ll find cute cobblestone alleyways mirroring an old world village full of unique boutiques, eateries, and of course, obscure attractions that will give you a good laugh. It’s also a perfect place to sit down and people watch, read a book in a little alleyway corner, or just find some shade since shade is few and far between in the rest of downtown Gatlinburg. I won’t sugarcoat it, most of the attractions in Gatlinburg are cheesy. But I’m here to tell you that the mirror maze is actually really freaking cool. Do yourself a favor and pay $1 extra for the 3D glasses. It took me 20 minutes to find my way out, but I took my time because I loved the psychedelic rock music that soundtracked my journey and it was such a vibe that I decided to take my sweet time. With the glasses on, it’s actually really hard to find your way around and it makes for a fun and flirty experience with your partner. I’ll be honest, I actually never heard of until I was on the chondola (part chair lift, part Gondola) going up to it. Little did I know this would be the highlight of the whole trip. Translating to “the place of high ground” in Cherokee, this mountaintop adventure park is very unassuming since the journey starts in downtown Gatlinburg. After a brief 15 chondola ride you enter a beautiful 70-acre mountain amusement park fit for all ages. Going at sunset is the move here as you’ll encounter less kids as the night grows darker. The first point to head to: Cliff Top Grill & Bar. If you can secure a table outside, you’ll be treated to a breathtaking dining experience with 360-degree views of the Smoky Mountains. This is even better if you time it with the sunset, which paints a beautiful watercolor glow over the mountains. I was very surprised at how good the food was here, offering a little something for everyone. The 14-ounce Rocky Top Ribeye with the restaurant’s blue cheese sauce on top melted in my mouth. Going on a post-dinner walk lends great health benefits, and Anakeeskta is the perfect place for this. The Appalachian bluegrass music played over the speakers throughout the park creates a great outdoor atmosphere to explore with its treetop adventures, mountain coasters, ziplines, and more. It’s the 11pm walk though that completely turns this into a trippy adults-only experience. If you go this late, you will get the darkest landscape to fully enjoy this illuminating woods walk, but also bypass any families with little kids that can threaten the peaceful experience. The one-mile walk takes you through a heavily wooded trail where you encounter lighting, projection mapping, and ethereal sounds. I ended up doing this during a full moon, which made it even more magical. It’s truly an amazing experience to share with your lover or friends. Day 2 Inspired by Nashville’s Sun Records, Sun Diner is known as “Tennessee’s favorite diner.” While the original location sits next to the Johnny Cash Museum in Nashville, its Gatlinburg location does the trick of transporting you to a ‘50s eatery soundtracked by black and white videos of Sun Records artists and the label’s famous rockabilly sound. You never know what you’ll walk into at Sun Diner. With it being on Gatlinburg’s main strip, it gets quite a lot of foot traffic and it doesn’t take reservations. Don’t let that deter you though. The aroma of pancakes and syrup will pull you in from the street, and soon enough you’ll be sitting on one of its cherry chrome red stools watching the kitchen staff cook up your food. The boasts a great variety of southern comfort food named after Sun Records’ artists. Its biggest weakness? The syrup. You’ll find different flavored bottles of Sun Diner “maple syrup” on your table but if you take a look at the ingredients list, you’ll find it to all be high fructose corn syrup. If you can turn a blind eye to this or just order something that doesn’t need syrup, then it’s great. Remember when I said that parking in Gatlinburg was expensive? Make sure you keep your parking spot all day. After having your brunch at Sun Diner, walk 900 feet to so you can walk off the food 500 feet above Gatlinburg. Located at the top of the iconic SkyLift sitting at 1,800 feet above sea level, the Gatlinburg SkyBridge is the longest pedestrian cable bridge in North America and was a great way to overlook Gatlinburg and the surrounding Smoky Mountains. Depending on the time of year you go, you’ll be treated to summer’s lush greenery or fall’s colorful mountainous landscape without needing to hike to get the views. Halfway through the 700-foot-long bridge, you’ll come across a section of glass, where you get to walk across 30 feet of a see-through floor with views 500 feet below you. A ticket to the SkyPark will also grant you access to , a leisurely hike in the mountains that grants you views of the famous SkyBridge, as well as the , offering outdoor seating areas, tiered waterfall, firepit, and overall serene landscape of Gatlinburg. Believe it or not, it’s still pretty warm in Gatlinburg during the fall season. If you find yourself in need of an experience out of the sun, it’s definitely worth checking out Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies. Be warned, you will encounter children here. But the darkened and cool rooms of the aquarium make up for it and are a great way to spend the hotter hours of the afternoon as you gawk at 12-foot sharks, sea turtles, stingrays, and underwater tropical creatures. The leafy seadragons were the coolest to see. I definitely recommend making sure you have a decently full belly before going here. The one little restaurant is overpowered by the smell of fish and has the darkest “dining room” I’ve ever seen. There aren’t many fancy restaurants in Gatlinburg, making one of the best by default. Default or not, this former mountain lodge turned “food and spirit outpost” is a local favorite due to its exquisite steakhouse dining experience boasting forested views. Get here a little early for your reservation to enjoy its outdoor patio space adorned with spiral fire lanterns and a firepit to sip on one of its 170 different bourbon labels for a pre-dinner treat. Everyone always expects fresh bread and butter to be brought to the table upon waiting on drinks and appetizers, but here they do things differently. Instead, you’re brought its acclaimed baked cornbread in a mini cast iron skillet, doused in butter. Beware though, as it’s so warm and delicious that you can easily ruin your whole dinner. I literally had to ask the waiter to take it away it was so good. I’m always a sucker for scallops no matter where I go, and I was happily treated to three hugely plump scallops that melted in my mouth and held a peppery crunch after taste. The Nashville Hot Oysters are something worth checking out as well. These spicy fried fresh shucked oysters have pickled shallot and pickle juice “caviar.” The fried component was a bit overbearing but the pickle brined flavor was a treat for the senses. The New York Strip steak is amazing. It’s cooked to a perfect medium rare. Day 3 A trip to Gatlinburg isn’t complete without spending some time in the most popular National Park in the United States. While it is a highly trafficked fall destination – greeting an average of 13 million visitors every year – there’s plenty of space to enjoy all of its incredible hiking trails and gorgeous drives without the crowds. Great Smoky Mountains National Park offers some of the most breathtaking autumn hikes, where you can immerse yourself in vibrant fall foliage through some easier hikes than those in Colorado or Maine. To fully experience the fall colors, plan your visit around mid-October when the colors are most vibrant and widespread across the park. , so I took some of her recommendations and added in my own: : Easy to moderate. The trail is paved the entire way, and the elevation gain is only about 300 feet. : The roundtrip distance is 2.4 miles. The Laurel Falls Trail is one of the most popular hikes in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and for good reason. The relatively easy 2.4-mile roundtrip hike leads to a cascading 80-foot waterfall, the titular Laurel Falls. The paved trail winds through a lush forest, with plenty of opportunities to spot wildlife and hike among fall flowers and yellow-hued trees along the way. Distance: 11 miles The Alum Cave Trail to Mount LeConte is a challenging but rewarding hike rated as the number 1 hike in the park on AllTrails. But with a total of 11 miles out and back, with an elevation gain of over 2,700 feet, it’s not for beginners. The first part of the trail is relatively easy but becomes steeper and more challenging as you get closer to Alum Cave, a large rock overhang that was once used to mine alum. As you ascend to Mount LeConte, you’ll pass through tunnels of rhododendron and catch panoramic views of the Smokies draped in autumn colors. From Alum Cave, the trail continues up a series of switchbacks to the top of Mount LeConte, with 360-degree panoramic views of the multi-colored surrounding mountains. Distance: 1.3 miles roundtrip Clingman’s Dome Observation Tower Trail offers a short and rewarding hike to the highest point not just in Great Smoky Mountains National Park but in all of Tennessee. Climb the 54-foot observation tower for breathtaking panoramic views of the surrounding mountains where, on a clear day, you can see up to 100 miles into Tennessee, North Carolina, and sometimes even Georgia and Virginia. Standing at 6,643 feet, temperatures at the top can be 10-20 degrees Fahrenheit cooler than in the lowlands, and the famous Smokies’ clouds and fog are also common, so there’s a possibility of limited views. Luckily, the hike is easy if you end up in the clouds. Distance: 8 miles round trip This hike along the Appalachian Trail offers some of the best vistas in the Smokies. Charlies Bunion is a rocky outcrop with panoramic views of the mountains, which are especially vibrant during peak fall foliage. The trail also provides glimpses of diverse forest types, showcasing a rich tapestry of fall colors. Distance: 5.4 miles round trip Rainbow Falls is the tallest single-drop waterfall in the park, and the trail leading to it is lined with vibrant fall foliage. The combination of the colorful leaves and the waterfall makes this a popular autumn hike, so going earlier in the day to encounter less people is recommended. The trail continues beyond the falls to Mount LeConte for those seeking a longer adventure.

Bills clinch the AFC's No. 2 seed with a 40-14 rout of the undisciplined JetsBrock Bowers sets NFL rookie records as the Raiders roll to a 25-10 victory over the Saints

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ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — Josh Allen threw two touchdown passes and ran for another score, and the Buffalo Bills clinched the AFC’s No. 2 seed with a 40-14 rout of the unraveling and undisciplined New York Jets on Sunday. The Bills put the game away by capitalizing on two Jets turnovers and scoring three touchdowns over a 5:01 span in the closing minutes of the third quarter. Buffalo’s defense forced three takeaways overall and sacked Aaron Rodgers four times, including a 2-yard loss for a safety in the second quarter. Allen had a short and efficient outing, finishing 16 of 27 for 182 yards with a and a 14-yarder to Keon Coleman before giving way to backup Mitchell Trubisky with Buffalo leading 33-0 through three quarters. And Trubisky piled on by completing a 69-yard touchdown pass to practice squad call-up Tyrell Shavers 2:23 into the fourth quarter. Allen’s two-TD passing outing was the 64th of his career to match Peyton Manning for the third most in a player’s first seven NFL seasons. Patrick Mahomes holds the record with 67 two-TD outings in that span, followed by Dan Marino’s 65. Allen also became the NFL’s first player with five consecutive 40-TD seasons, while his 1-yard score was the 65th rushing TD of his career, matching the team record held by Thurman Thomas. The five-time defending AFC East champion Bills improved to 13-3 to match a franchise single-season record, and will open the playoffs hosting the conference’s seventh-seeded team in two weeks. The outing was a meltdown for Rodgers and the Jets (4-12), who will finish with five or fewer wins for the seventh time over a 14-season playoff drought — the NFL’s longest active streak. Rodgers, who entered the game with 499 career TD passes and looking to become just the fifth player to reach 500, instead was shut out and replaced by Tyrod Taylor with 12:37 remaining. Discipline was an issue for a Jets team that fell to 2-9 since Jeff Ulbrich took over as interim coach. New York finished with 16 accepted penalties for 120 yards. Taylor accounted for New York’s only points with a 9-yard TD pass to Garrett Wilson and a 20-yarder to Tyler Conklin in a game played in blustery, unseasonably warm conditions, with temperatures in the mid-50s Farenheit (10 Celsius) and winds gusting up to 35 mph (56 kmph). Rodgers finished 12 of 18 for 112 yards with two interceptions after entering the game having thrown only one in his past eight outings. He was also sacked four times, pushing his career total to 568, moving ahead of Tom Brady (565) and into first place on the NFL list. The outing became a comedy of errors for the Jets. Trailing 7-0 after Allen’s 1-yard run, New York’s three possession of the first half ended with turning the ball over on downs Buffalo’s 24; Rodgers being intercepted at his own 17 by ; and being sacked for a safety by A.J. Epenesa. The bottom fell out to close the third quarter when Rodgers’ being intercepted by Christian Benford led to Cooper’s leaping TD grab put Buffalo up 19-0. James Cook scored on a 1-yard run on Buffalo’s next possession with 1:15 left, and Coleman’s touchdown with 12 seconds left in the third was set up after Wilson lost a fumble. The Bills finished their third season with a perfect record, and first since 1990, by going 8-0 at home. They've won 11 straight regular-season home games dating to last season since dropping a 24-22 decision to Denver on Nov. 13. Jets CB Sauce Gardner aggravated a hamstring injury in the first half and was ruled out in the third quarter. Jets: Close the season hosting the Miami Dolphins. Bills: Play their regular-season finale at the New England Patriots. AP NFL:

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Jonathan Marchessault scored two goals and had an assist to lead the Nashville Predators to a 5-2 win over the Carolina Hurricanes on Monday night. Steven Stamkos, Ryan O’Reilly and Mark Jankowski also scored and Juuse Saros made 25 saves for the Predators, winners of three of their last four games. Filip Forsberg had three assists. Jordan Staal and Sebastian Aho scored and Dustin Tokarski made 20 saves for Carolina. Stamkos scored the game’s first goal with 6:26 remaining in the first period. Marchessault doubled Nashville's lead with 8:15 remaining in the second, converting on a tap-in off of a cross-ice pass by Tommy Novak. O’Reilly and Jankowski briefly gave Nashville an early third period 4-0 lead before Staal and Aho combined for goals 40 seconds apart to make it 4-2. Marchessault added an empty-net goal late for Nashville. Takeaways Hurricanes: Carolina allowed its first power-play goal in the month of December when O’Reilly scored on the man advantage 30 seconds into the third period. Nashville Predators center Jonathan Marchessault (81) skates the puck past Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Dmitry Orlov (7) during the second period of an NHL hockey game Monday, Dec. 23, 2024, in Nashville, Tenn. Credit: AP/George Walker IV Predators: The Predators have won consecutive games for the first time since winning three-straight from Oct. 22-26. They will need more of the same if they aim to compete for a playoff spot. Key moment Jankowski's goal at 2:52 of the third gave Nashville a 4-0 lead. The goal provided insurance as the Hurricanes scored a pair of goals soon thereafter to get back in the game. Key stat Marchessault has scored in four straight games and has equaled a career high with points in seven consecutive games. He has seven goals and four assists over that span. Up next Following the three-day holiday break, the Hurricanes visit the New Jersey Devils on Friday night, while the Predators visit the St. Louis Blues on Friday night. Nashville Predators defenseman Roman Josi (59) skates the puck past Carolina Hurricanes left wing Eric Robinson (50) during the third period of an NHL hockey game Monday, Dec. 23, 2024, in Nashville, Tenn. The Predators won 5-2. Credit: AP/George Walker IV __ AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

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Kelowna, Vernon teams crowned B.C. U18 curling champs in KimberleyLast week, Zack Rosenblatt, Dianna Russini and Michael Silver of The Athletic dropped a bombshell exposé on the New York Jets and team owner Woody Johnson, outlining the various examples of dysfunction within the organization. That report included a number of details about the increasing involvement of Johnson's teenage sons, Brick and Jack, within the organization. The pair reportedly are invited to meetings in team facilities; send articles to their father regarding the team that are believed to influence his decision-making process by some within the organization; are allowed into the locker room on game days (and allowed to invite friends); and Brick even presented a game ball to Garrett Wilson after an October win before quarterback Aaron Rodgers could present one to interim head coach Jeff Ulbrich after his first win upon taking over for the fired Robert Saleh. With that report making the rounds, Rodgers joked on Monday during his weekly appearance on The Pat McAfee Show that he wouldn't be upset if he was released this offseason by Brick Johnson: "I've never been released before, so being released would be a first. Being released by a teenager, that would also be a first," he said. "Hey, you know, I'm open to everything, and I find the comedy in all of it. If that happens, it's a great story." It wouldn't be surprising if the Jets cut ties with Rodgers, namely because he would be due a $35 million option for 2025 and would carry a dead cap charge of $63 million into the 2026 season. Cutting him this offseason, meanwhile, would carry a dead cap charge of $49 million, which they likely would spread out over two seasons by making him a post-June 1 designation—$14 million in 2025 and $35 million in 2026. Expensive, no doubt, but less restrictive than what they'd be facing in 2026 by keeping him around. It will ultimately depend on when, exactly, Brick Johnson is comfortable absorbing the dead cap charge.

Kai Trump shows Elon Musk awkwardly tutoring Trump in rocket scienceGOP Gov. Claims Musk Is Too Rich to Be Corrupted by Conflicts of Interest

World Madam 2024 International Culture Week Ended in New York - Chan Laifong from MACAO Won World Madam 2024 Global Overall Champion 12-24-2024 07:02 PM CET | Leisure, Entertainment, Miscellaneous Press release from: Getnews / PR Agency: PRChoices World Madam 2024 Champions Crowned in Prestigious Global Competition. December 12 marked a momentous occasion as Dr. Djibril Diallo, former United Nations General Assembly Press Secretary, chaired the World Madam 2024 Annual Review Committee, alongside a distinguished 13-member jury led by Daniel del Valle Blanco, Chairperson of the Youth Advisory Committee of UN-Habitat. Following an intense review of videos, live speeches, and talents, Chan Laifong of Macao and Liora Michelle Green of America emerged tied as the World Madam 2024 Global Overall Champions. Additionally, Rokhaya Niang of Senegal and three other influential women were awarded the title of World Madam 2024 Global Honorary Champions, while Shayana Rex of Canada claimed the World Miss 2024 Overall Champion title, and Helena Hou of New Zealand was named the World Junior 2024 Overall Champion. Participants from over 20 countries brought vibrancy and diversity to the event, celebrating global culture and the accomplishments of women worldwide. Image: https://www.globalnewslines.com/uploads/2024/12/ef9bbf9ec640cbc54aac3174306f25fb.jpg World Madam International Culture Week, hosted by World Madam Foundation and jointly presented by World Madam Group, took place from December 10th to 15th locally in New York. UN ambassadors, elites from all walks of life and candidates from all regions attended the event ceremoniously in batches. Image: https://www.globalnewslines.com/uploads/2024/12/fdb31b4ca866a82aad6f8255b28345cc.jpg The award ceremony took place at Oheka Castle, the largest private castle in New York, with over 200 distinguished attendees. Among them were Anni Huang, founder of the World Madam Foundation and World Madam Global Brand; Lisa Chen, Global Authentication Officer; Cici Zhang, Europe Authentication Officer; Fei Fang, U.S. Authentication Officer; Adem Erol, Turkey Chief Executive; Xuefen Mo, New Zealand Chief Executive; Alice Liao, Canada Chief Executive; Lily Yan, Northern California Chief Executive; Alan Yang, Director of World Madam Group; Zaozao Wang, 2021 World Madam Global Audience Choice Champion; Lili Han, 2022 World Madam Global Overall Champion; Sepideh Behboudi, 2023 World Madam Global Overall Champion; as well as representatives of the World Madam regional organizing committee and professionals from fields such as art, education, finance, diplomacy, and media. Image: https://www.globalnewslines.com/uploads/2024/12/4dfe5a98c27ec2522d668ecece414292.jpg At the award ceremony, the World Madam Global Organizing Committee presented the Star Organizing Committee Award to the New Zealand Organizing Committee and the World Madam Lifetime Achievement Award to Xuefen Mo. Peter Cheng, Director of the Chinese-American Planning Council (CPC) Fushou Senior Center, which has been sponsored multiple times by the World Madam Foundation, expressed sincere gratitude and presented honorary medals. Image: https://www.globalnewslines.com/uploads/2024/12/b03095f642961e36390457c069650e6b.jpg On the afternoon of December 13, World Madam representatives attended the UNCA 2024 Annual Ceremony, supported by the World Madam Foundation. Amina Mohammed, Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations, along with ambassador representatives, had a cordial discussion with Anni Huang, a World Madam representative, and posed for a group photo. On December 14, some award winners, along with their friends and relatives, shared their experiences in New York at a reception party hosted by Anni Huang. The event concluded with the blessings of all representatives and award winners, bringing the World Madam 2024 International Culture Week to a successful close. "WORLD MADAM" is an international brand with global influence. The term "madam" in WORLD MADAM is derived from the French word "madame," a polite and formal form of address for women in both English and French, pronounced as "ma dame." Registered and initiated by Anni Huang in Canada, it now operates globally through a dual-headquarters model based in China and America under the World Madam Group, with support from the World Madam Foundation. The mission of WORLD MADAM is to establish female role models, promote the development of female talents, support social stability, and provide assistance to underprivileged women and children, thereby contributing to global peace and development. Guided by the concept of "One Small Step for Madams, One Giant Leap for the World," WORLD MADAM has evolved into a comprehensive service platform empowering women worldwide. Through cultural activities showcasing female charm and sharing their inspirational stories, WORLD MADAM aims to advance global female entrepreneurship and employment by driving commercial initiatives and opportunities. Image: https://www.globalnewslines.com/uploads/2024/12/4cf3959d17dd7400ecb8ef3a7b12af76.jpg Over the years, the brand has been regarded as a symbol of modern women's fashion culture and has even been referred to by experts in the field as the "Oscar" of the women's world. Since its foundation, hundreds of international events have taken place, attracting millions of women from various countries and regions. These women have not only showcased their personal talents and charm but have also embodied the core values of the World Madam brand, further enriching its depth and significance. In terms of brand activities, World Madam emphasizes innovative and diverse development. It has organized selection events and award ceremonies in non-traditional formats, along with hundreds of charity dinners. In 2024, through partnerships with international organizations such as the United Nations, it showcased cultural initiatives like the "EmpowerHER" series. To date, by collaborating with nearly 100 international and local agencies and brands from various countries and regions, World Madam has successfully completed its global brand expansion. It has garnered approval and support from local governments as well as praise and congratulations from multinational dignitaries and celebrities. As a result, World Madam has enhanced its social influence and solidified its position as a leading platform for women worldwide. According to De Wet, World Madam Group Global Secretary, as of December 2024, the World Madam brand has secured over 80 independent intellectual property rights worldwide, established more than 100 city meeting rooms and partner agencies, and hosted over 100 large-scale series events. It has also made charitable donations exceeding 100 instances. Nearly 1 million women have participated in its activities, either directly or indirectly, and it once set a record with over 2 million people watching its events online globally, attracting coverage from more than 700 mainstream media outlets. In 2024, World Madam launched the "Double 100" initiative, in which 100 madams endorsed 100 brands, fostering stronger connections with other international brands. Looking ahead, World Madam aims to continue creating a diversified, open, and inclusive career development platform for women worldwide. Through brand cooperation and connections, it seeks to spread positive energy and contribute further to society through continuous innovation and cross-cultural development strategies. After years of development, World Madam has established a framework centered on international cultural activities as its main axis, gradually expanding its cooperation with the global female and household consumer goods supply chain. It employs a modern operational model that integrates both online and offline platforms. Additionally, World Madam has introduced a salary incentive mechanism to support women worldwide in their entrepreneurial and employment endeavors, forming the Version 1.0 World Madam brand commercial closed-loop layout. In 2024, keynote speeches and a series of activities led by Anni Huang, the founder of World Madam, have consistently elevated the brand's influence to new heights. In 2025, World Madam Group plans to accelerate its brand upgrade to Version 2.0 and expand into the education and multimedia sectors. Looking ahead, the group aims to leverage its platform to establish a global live video streaming system, prioritizing support for unemployed women affected by family obligations or postpartum challenges. By helping these women return to work or start new businesses, World Madam seeks to empower them while further enhancing its global influence and appeal. These initiatives will not only solidify the brand's social responsibility but also underscore its global leadership in advocating for women's empowerment and development. WORLD MADAM List of Winners of the 2024 Global Annual Selection I. WORLD MADAM GROUP: 1. World Madam 2024 Global Honorary Champion - Rokhaya Niang | SENEGAL - Nonhlanhla Jiyane | SOUTH AFRICA - Saran Sompare | REPUBLIC OF GUINEA 2. World Madam 2024 Global Overall Champion - Chan Laifong | MACAO - Liora Michelle Green | AMERICA 3. World Madam 2024 Global Audience Choice Champion - Xiangling Huang | CANADA - Naomi Parisette | AMERICA 4. World Madam 2024 Global Wisdom Champion - Chen Yun | CANADA 5. World Madam 2024 Global Talent Champion - Cheng Zou | AMERICA 6. World Madam 2024 Global Elegance Champion - Yelin Liu | KOREA 7. World Madam 2024 Global Runner-up - Jocelyn Bullock | VIETNAM - Haixiang Wang | CHINA 8. World Madam 2024 Global Third Place - Xiaoying Wu | CHINA - Weiyan Huang | CANADA 9. World Madam 2024 Global Charity Ambassador - Xu Ling | CANADA 10. World Madam 2024 Global Best in Family Harmony - Chum Yee Yan | SINGAPORE 11. World Madam 2024 Global Most Inspirational - Sophia So | THAILAND II. WORLD MISS GROUP 1. World Miss 2024 Global Overall Champion - Shayana Rex | CANADA 2. World Miss 2024 Global Audience Choice Champion - Xiaojing Xu | CHINA 3. World Miss 2024 Global Elegance Champion - Aislinn Evans | AMERICA 4. World Miss 2024 Global Wisdom Champion - Haitong Huang | CHINA 5. World Miss 2024 Global Talent Champion - Desseri Dubhnath | GUYANA 6. World Miss 2024 Global Best in Vitality - Maria Belen Paz Soldan De Ugarte | BOLIVIA - Daniela Maria Vasquez Segovia | EL SALVADOR 7. World Miss 2024 Global Most Fashionable - Jasmine Metivier | FRANCE III. WORLD JUNIOR GROUP 1. World Junior 2024 Global Overall Champion - Helena Hou | NEW ZEALAND 2. World Junior 2024 Global Best Wisdom Award - Helena Hou | NEW ZEALAND 3. World Junior 2024 Global Audience Choice Champion - Tiffany Chen | AMERICA 4. World Junior 2024 Global Most Talent Award - Tiffany Chen | AMERICA MEDIA CONTACTS: Dr. Jeannie Yi Author, CEO IYAC International Young Artist Corporation 917-933-4222 jeannieyi@icloud.com [mailto:jeannieyi@icloud.com] https://mainstfilm.com [ https://mainstfilm.com/ ] Aaron Paul CEO AP Music & Productions 347-526-8178 apmusicandproductions@gmail.com [mailto:apmusicandproductions@gmail.com] www.aaronpaulmusic.com [ http://www.aaronpaulmusic.com/ ] Media Contact Company Name: AP Music & Productions Contact Person: Aaron Paul, CEO Email: Send Email [ http://www.universalpressrelease.com/?pr=world-madam-2024-international-culture-week-ended-in-new-york-chan-laifong-from-macao-won-world-madam-2024-global-overall-champion ] Phone: 347-526-8178 Country: United States Website: http://www.aaronpaulmusic.com This release was published on openPR.

President-elect Trump wants to again rename North America’s tallest peak

When I think back on what I read his year, on what stuck, and stuck , refusing to unstick, the common denominator was my surprise at my own surprise. A fresh take! A subject I’d assumed I knew! An antidote to heard-it-all-before-ism, that cynicism we develop from having access to every story ever told, every opinion ever voiced and every song ever sung, behind a black mirror in your pocket. Cults? Bret Anthony Johnston’s “We Burn Daylight” found a love story in the old ugliness of Waco. Dystopia? The heroine of Anne de Marcken’s “It Lasts Forever and Then It’s Over” is dead, yet still longing for a failed world. Chicago’s Jesse Ball, never at a loss for experimenting, returned with “The Repeat Room,” mashing Kafka, fascism and our courts into a revealing sorta-thriller. And those aren’t even three of my 10 favorite books of 2024. Surely you have your own? Social media is awash in lists of reads from last month, last week, last year, driven by the same shock of recognition that there’s plenty new under the sun. “Craft: Stories I Wrote for the Devil,” by Chicago’s Ananda Lima, impressively remade the Faustian bargain. James Marcus’ “Glad to the Brink of Fear: A Portrait of Ralph Waldo Emerson”; Alexis Pauline Gumbs’ “Survival is a Promise: The Eternal Life of Audre Lorde”; Keith O’Brien’s “Charlie Hustle: The Rise and Fall of Pete Rose and the Last Glory Days of Baseball” — each a cool breeze in the typically formal category of biography. Ian Frazier’s “Paradise Bronx” found a wandering epic in the history of a neglected borough; Tana French continued to retool detective writing in “The Hunter”; and Katherine Rundell’s “Vanishing Treasures” not only brought a strange, hilarious appreciation to endangered animals, her underrated fantasy “Impossible Creatures” invented a world of new ones. Rebecca Boyle’s glowing history “Our Moon” looked into the sky and reminded us that seeing something every day is not the same as knowing it. None of those books are in my top 10, either. That’s how much good stuff there was. What follows then are 10 favorites, the stickiest of stickers, in no order. If you need a stack of fresh takes for 2025, start here: “Keeping the Faith: God, Democracy and the Trial That Riveted a Nation” by Brenda Wineapple: If you’re eager for answers to the presidential election, start here. If you’re merely looking for gripping history you assumed you knew — ditto. Wineapple, one of our great contemporary American historians, recounts the players, causes and events leading to the Scopes Monkey Trial of 1925. A Tennessee school teacher, accused of teaching evolution, was defended by Chicago’s Clarence Darrow. But as Wineapple shows with impeccable research and accessible storytelling this was never about proving science, but about harnessing intolerance and exploiting the national tension between ignorance and truth. Wineapple doesn’t explicitly lay out the trial’s resonance 100 years later. She doesn’t need to. “Headshot” by Rita Bullwinkel: Debut novel of the year, a sports drama that doesn’t find headlong momentum in triumph but how a group of teenage girls define themselves through competition and each other. Structured around seven bouts at an amateur tournament in Nevada, Bullwinkle’s novel pulls readers in and out of real-time thoughts, pausing over futures. One boxer will be a wedding planner; another won’t be able to hold a cup of tea, her teen boxing reaching out into old age. In their minds is where the action is most brutal: Some can’t shake tragedies; some find themselves fond of violence. Bullwinkle keeps us in the moment, never parsing their psychology, and certainly not leading us toward cinematic bombast. One fighter, as she wins, notices “warmth radiating through her chest.” But it’s a warmth, Bullwinkle writes, “she’ll feel again very few times in her life.” “James” by Percival Everett: I didn’t want to include this. If only because, if you’re up on literary fiction, you expect it. This is the book of the year , an instant classic. What’s left to say? Well, it’s one of the few instances when the hype matches the quality. Everett, whose decades of obscurity are now gone, is on all burners here — humor, pacing, language, making room for a reader to rest. His companion to “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” is too alive to be a 21st-century corrective. Reading Twain is not necessary, only knowing that Everett’s James was Twain’s simple and loyal Jim. And James is boundless, turning on and off his intellect to appease white people, noting the irony of having to pretend that he doesn’t understand the word “irony,” always playing the long game to escape from slavery: “I never felt more exposed or vulnerable as I did in the light of day with a book open.” “Cue the Sun! The Invention of Reality TV” by Emily Nussbaum: You’re wondering: Do we need this book? Nussbaum, who won a Pulitzer Prize as TV critic for the New Yorker, asks it herself. Then directs us to a better question: Who knew the development of the most hated TV genre offered so much insight into social experiments, human cruelty, technology and the blur between high and low art? It’s a poke through roots (“The Gong Show,” cinema verite) and a cache of interviews (including Rodney Alcala, the killer subject of Netflix’s “Woman of the Hour”). Nussbaum is such a fun guide you reveal in your own rubbernecking even as you sweat the apocalyptic ramifications of, she writes, “filmmaking that has been cut with commercial contaminants, like a street drug, in order to slash the price and intensify the effect.” “The History of Sound: Stories” by Ben Shattuck: Ever close a book and just ... sigh? There’s nothing overtly gimmicky to the dozen stories in this graceful collection, rooted in New England pubs and logging camps and prep schools, spanning the 1600s to now. Shattuck — whose excellent “Six Walks” retraced the footsteps of Thoreau — is more interested in natural echos of ambivalence, uniting characters across stories without fuss, in sometimes funny ways. One tale, a harrowing account of a lost utopian community in backwoods Maine, is revisited in another tale, but as an academic paper written centuries later that gets the history of that community completely wrong. A (faux) Radiolab transcript about the mysterious photo of an extinct seabird is matched later to a bittersweet response, the story of the struggling husband who snapped the picture. If it sounds like last year’s “North Woods” (also set in New England, spanning centuries), that’s not a bad thing. “The Unseen Truth: When Race Changed Sight in America” by Sarah Lewis: Lewis, a Harvard University cultural historian with a specialty in how visual arts shape the world, is one of a few innovators worthy of that overused title “disruptor.” She works here in the period from the Civil War to Jim Crow, showing how civic leaders (Woodrow Wilson, P.T. Barnum) willfully disregarded evidence that race was a myth, establishing racial hierarchy. It’s a fascinating history of cultural blindness, centered on the Caucasus region in Europe, from which we derive “caucasian,” and where scholars rooted whiteness. Americans sympathized with the Caucasus people as they went to war against Russia — and then photos circulated showing a population far from just white. It’s a handsome, art-filled book about how choosing to ignore facts creates the illusion of truth. “Everyone Who is Gone is Here: The United States, Central America and the Making of a Crisis” by Jonathan Blitzer: Clarity. If there’s something Blitzer, a New Yorker staff writer, brings to the intractable debate on immigration, it’s an accessible, unimpeachable clear-eyed account of how the US came to the assumption that fixing the border crisis was either simple (“Deport!”) or, as he quotes Rahm Emanuel, so broken it’s “the third rail of American politics.” This urgent, sad freight train of reporting doesn’t offer solutions, but rather, a compelling origin tale for why the influx of Central America migrants and the fear of immigration in the United States are pure cause-and-effect, and how the U.S. bears responsibility. We meet families, policymakers, border officials, activists, and get a history lesson full of military actions perpetrated by U.S. corporations, cash and politics. “The Secret History of Bigfoot: Field Notes on a North American Monster” by John O’Connor: Ignore the title. This isn’t that book. It’s a tale of how folklore gathers steam, why we believe what we want to believe, and what happens when “the unbelievable is the only thing people believe,” facts be damned. O’Connor, a journalist from Kalamazoo, Michigan, cleverly uses the legend of Sasquatch and those who think too much about him to explore the persistence of hope beyond hope. Along the way, it’s also an entertaining travelogue of local legends, true believers and the sort of dense acreage seen from planes that could hold anything — right? O’Connor himself is skeptical of a massive wildman on the loose, but gracefully honors the metaphor and sacred beliefs required for myths, zeroing with wit and curiosity why it’s an essential fact of humanity that we need mystery to go on. “Lazarus Man” by Richard Price: I think of Price, that great chronicler of city life, author of “Clockers,” screenwriter for “The Wire,” as a community novelist, in the tradition of “Winesburg, Ohio” and “The Bridge of San Luis Rey.” No more so than with this discursive, pointedly meandering novel, his first in a decade. His writing mimics hardboiled noir then settles on the multitudes, the granular detail, staccato dialogue. Loiters are “a languid pride of lions.” A sudden apartment collapse generates a “night-for-day rolling black cloud.” That mysterious implosion of a five-story apartment complex in East Harlem is just a catalyst for a cataloging of the lives transformed in its aftermath: the unlikely media star created by merely surviving, a cop sleeping with her partner, a mortician who wants his card thrust into the hands of whoever watches the rescue. And on. Why the building fell is an afterthought to the ways we doubt ourselves, transcend and move on, imperfectly. “Orbital” by Samantha Harvey: Speaking of rhapsodic community novels. Here is the story of six astronauts on the international space station, circling Earth at 17,000 miles per hour, on an average day, peering down at a seemingly uninhabited planet. Or as Harvey describes, only alive when day goes to night and lights flick on. This is a novel of distance and perspective, with no real plot. Aliens wander past, but don’t invade. The station turns without incident. No one goes nuts. And yet, in lyrical bursts, our travelers soak in cosmic hugeness: “Sometimes they want to see the theatrics, the opera, the earth’s atmosphere, airglow, and sometimes it’s the smallest things, the lights of fishing boats off the coast of Malaysia.” Harvey is out to reclaim wonder itself from everyday lack of interest — and in a way, reclaim the novel as a place for feeling . Mission accomplished.

Article content Christmas is looking sparse and uncertain for more than 60 residents — including about 25 children — displaced by the city’s shutdown of the Edmonton apartment building where a security guard was killed Dec. 6. Boards were nailed over windows Monday as the City of Edmonton declared the 36-unit building at 10603 107 Ave. unsafe for human habitation. As recently as Sunday night, there was an overdose in the building — and residents say another security guard had been attacked with bear spray just days before security guard Harshandeep Singh, 20, was shot to death in a stairwell. Evan Rain and Judith Saulteaux, both 30, have been charged with first-degree murder and possessing a prohibited weapon in relation to Singh’s death. ‘Serious safety concerns’ David Jones, manager of the City of Edmonton community standards branch, said the difficult decision to displace residents two days before Christmas was made in consultation with the Residential Inspection Safety Compliance Team (RISC), the Edmonton Police Service, Edmonton Fire Rescue Services, Alberta Health Services, and Occupational Health and Safety. “The building has been the site of numerous violations, and we have been provided with substantial evidence of non-compliance with business licensing conditions that were put in place to protect people living in and visiting the building,” said Jones in a Monday afternoon statement. “After a thorough assessment by our city’s Residential Inspection Safety Compliance team ... we determined that immediate action was needed to protect building residents. “The safety and well-being of residents, neighbors and the community is our top concern. Unfortunately, safety concerns have escalated with two separate shooting incidents, one resulting in a fatality, and conditions in the building have deteriorated in the past month,” he said. “This decision was not taken lightly, but ultimately this is not a safe space for the residents, especially children and their families. The building poses an imminent risk to residents, those visiting the building and the public in the immediate area.” He said the city, in partnership with the Government of Alberta and the Canadian Red Cross, is providing immediate temporary housing and transportation for all evacuated residents. The City of Edmonton is the entity responsible to carry out the emergency order under Section 551 of the Municipal Government Act to immediately close the property, relocate the residents and board up the building. “Specific issues impacting the safety and well-being of residents include significant safety and security concerns, building management, neglect of those concerns, inadequate maintenance and an active pest infestation, to name a few,” said Jones. “The safety and security issues were tragically emphasized on December 6, when a security guard working at the building was shot and killed on site. Since then, the city has received concerning information, leading us to conclude that the safety and security of the building have not improved, and that there remains a serious risk of harm to people living in or visiting the building. “Until the safety, security and public health issues are addressed, the property poses an imminent and unacceptable safety risk.” Jones added that the city is doing everything it can to move resident families and individuals into safe, temporary housing, and is working with partners to secure long-term housing for them. “Any time a decision is made to evacuate people from their homes, the city applies great thought and consideration to the circumstances,” Jones said. The apartment building will remain closed until safety concerns are resolved and the property owner meets the business licence conditions for health, safety, and security. Businesses on the first floor in the same building are not impacted by the residential closure, Jones said. The city has had an open investigation on the property. “Significant efforts have been made to incentivize and compel building management to address concerns and incremental progress was being made. However, over the last five years and through 60 inspections, 25 citations have been issued in relation to the property and numerous serious issues remain unresolved,” said a Monday afternoon news release issued by the City of Edmonton. “The issues identified include significant safety and security concerns, neglect of maintenance, active pest infestations and other conditions that severely compromise the safety and well-being of residents,” the release said. ‘Always on guard’ Troubles beset the residents of the building before and after the fatal shooting of 20-year-old security guard Harshandeep Singh. Just days before the NorQuest College business major was slain in the stairwell, another security guard had been blasted with bear spray. “Three days before, another security guard got bear maced by somebody upstairs,” said Tammi Comeau, a building resident who called 911 after she and her son heard the Dec. 6 gunshots that led to Singh’s death. Now temporarily housed in a double-queen hotel room along Gateway Boulevard in south Edmonton, the Comeaus including their dog Fancy, await news from Homeward Trust of another rental property. Comeau said she felt huge relief leaving the building at the corner of 107 Avenue and 106 Street. “I was always on guard there,” she said. A rampant cockroach infestation wasn’t even the worst problem plaguing the residents. After the family moved into the building on their arrival from New Brunswick, it became clear their new home had issues. Comeau said she has administered Naloxone to revive one of her neighbours while crack and meth in the building were readily available and overdoses, including one Sunday night, were common. She said her family is also dealing with fixing their work truck after its windshield was smashed out but she feels for other families from the building who not only are displaced but have no Christmas tree or presents to put under it for their children. jcarmichael@postmedia.comAP Business SummaryBrief at 1:39 p.m. EST