Timeline: Jimmy Carter, 1924-2024Big Things first appeared in Australia in the 1960s, beginning with the Big Scotsman (1962) in Medindie, South Australia, the Big Banana (1964) in Coffs Harbour, New South Wales, and the Big Murray Cod (1968) in Tocumwal, NSW. These structures were inspired by earlier North American examples, such as Lucy the Elephant (1882) in New Jersey, and several big doughnuts in California . While they differed in subject matter, all aimed to attract the attention of passing motorists: in the 1950s–1960s, private car ownership had soared and highway construction spread. Towns and regions across Australia, New Zealand and North America used oversized landmarks to get travellers to stop, take a photo and hopefully spend money at local businesses. As awareness of these giant landmarks grew, so did the desire of other communities to have their own. Within a few decades, Australia’s Big Things had become a beloved fixture of road trips and summer holidays. A big cultural impact My research shows the number of Big Things being constructed in Australia hit an initial peak in the 1980s before experiencing a temporary decline. By the 2000s, however, towns as far afield as Tully in Queensland ( Big Golden Gumboot ), Cressy in Tasmania ( Big Trout ), and Exmouth in Western Australia ( Big Prawn ) were reviving the tradition. Soon, Big Things became firmly entrenched in Australian popular culture: featuring on limited edition Redheads matchboxes (2010), and on sets of Australia Post stamps (2007 and 2023). But some of the older structures experienced declining popularity: the Big Wool Bales in Hamilton, Victoria (closed 2020), Victoria’s Giant Gippsland Earth Worm in Bass (closed 2020) and the Big Cask Wine in Mourquong, NSW (closed 2012), survive only in holiday photos and people’s memories. Icons like Larry the Lobster (Kingston, SA), the Big Prawn (Ballina, NSW), and the Big Pineapple (Nambour, Queensland) have battled changes in ownership , threat of demolition , and closure . Read more: Australia's ‘big’ problem – what to do with our ageing super-sized statues? Despite these challenges, and debates over heritage conservation, construction of these giant landmarks has not slowed. The Big Bogan was erected in 2015 in Nyngan, NSW, by community members who were eager to encourage visitors to the area. A local progress association in the small town of Thallon in Queensland unveiled William the Big Wombat in 2018, also with the aim to bring attention to the area. Similar hopes were held for the Big Watermelon erected in 2018 (Chinchilla, Queensland), and the Big Tractor (Carnamah, WA) which opened this year . Through my research, I spoke with many people involved with projects such as these, and they said they’d selected objects that were iconic to their area. This could be a product they specialise in, a local native animal, or, in the case of the Big Bogan, a joke based on the name of nearby Bogan River. Most builders openly acknowledge their primary motivation is to promote the region, attract tourist dollars and investment, and revive towns that have seen better days. But do Big Things actually achieve these goals? Unfortunately, there is no easy answer. An economic return? Local economies are complex, as are the reasons people choose to visit. Many Big Things are constructed on the sides of highways that connect Australia’s numerous regional towns. People who stop for photos may not set out with the goal of visiting that Big Thing – it may simply be convenient to take a break there while on the way somewhere else. And if people do stop, it doesn’t guarantee they will spend more than the cost of filling up their car with petrol, if that. Over the years, tourism researchers have developed several different models for calculating the impact of rural and regional tourism on local economies. However, none of these approaches has proven to be universally effective. Most scholars agree tourists aren’t likely to travel long distances for any one reason . They will consider a range of factors including food and accommodation, and the closeness of numerous attractions. In other words: building a Big Thing won’t guarantee a sustained increase in tourism to the area on its own. Communities should factor this in when considering erection of a Big Thing, especially given the cost of construction. The Big Mango in Bowen reportedly cost $A90,000 when it was built in 2002, while the organisers of the Big Tractor in Carnamah raised more than $600,000 to cover its price tag. The spread of social media and easy access to media outlets via the internet offers communities another reason to build Big Things, however. Australians are not the only ones fascinated by Big Things, and when a new one is unveiled — or an existing one goes “missing”, as the Big Mango did in 2014 — it is often covered by the press and then shared online. These giant landmarks are also highly “Instagrammable”: a 2015 survey revealed that six of Australia’s 20 most Instagrammed tourist attractions were Big Things. This sort of coverage doesn’t necessarily guarantee the long-term revival of a town’s economy. But it can help to remind people of the town’s existence, and it gives locals a memorable image on which to build.77ph bet 。

Davis & Jackson Spark 97-81 Win Over Campbell

Jimmy Carter had the longest post-presidency of anyone to hold the office, and one of the most active. Here is a look back at his life. 1924 — Jimmy Carter was born on Oct. 1 to Earl and Lillian Carter in the small town of Plains, Georgia. 1928 — Earl Carter bought a 350-acre farm 3 miles from Plains in the tiny community of Archery. The Carter family lived in a house on the farm without running water or electricity. 1941 — He graduated from Plains High School and enrolled at Georgia Southwestern College in Americus. 1942 — He transferred to Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta. 1943 — Carter’s boyhood dream of being in the Navy becomes a reality as he is appointed to the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. 1946 — He received his naval commission and on July 7 married Rosalynn Smith of Plains. They moved to Norfolk, Virginia. 1946-1952 — Carter’s three sons are born, Jack in 1947, Chip in 1950 and Jeff in 1952. 1962-66 — Carter is elected to the Georgia State Senate and serves two terms. 1953 — Carter’s father died and he cut his naval career short to save the family farm. Due to a limited income, Jimmy, Rosalynn and their three sons moved into Public Housing Apartment 9A in Plains. 1966 — He ran for governor, but lost. 1967 — Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter’s fourth child, Amy, is born. 1971 — He ran for governor again and won the election, becoming Georgia’s 76th governor on Jan. 12. 1974 — Carter announced his candidacy for president. 1976 — Carter was elected 39th president on Nov. 2, narrowly defeating incumbent Gerald Ford. 1978 — U.S. and the Peoples’ Republic of China establish full diplomatic relations. President Carter negotiates and mediates an accord between Egypt and Israel at Camp David. 1979 — The Department of Education is formed. Iranian radicals overrun the U.S. Embassy and seize American hostages. The Strategic Arms Limitations Treaty is signed. 1980 — On March 21, Carter announces that the U.S. will boycott the Olympic Games scheduled in Moscow. A rescue attempt to get American hostages out of Iran is unsuccessful. Carter was defeated in his bid for a second term as president by Ronald Reagan in November. 1981 — President Carter continues to negotiate the release of the American hostages in Iran. Minutes before his term as president is over, the hostages are released. 1982 — Carter became a distinguished professor at Emory University in Atlanta, and founded The Carter Center. The nonpartisan and nonprofit center addresses national and international issues of public policy. 1984 — Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter volunteer one week a year for Habitat for Humanity, a nonprofit organization that helps needy people in the United States and in other countries renovate and build homes, until 2020. He also taught Sunday school in the Maranatha Baptist Church of Plains from the mid-’80s until 2020. 2002 — Awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. 2015 — Carter announced in August he had been diagnosed with melanoma that spread to his brain. 2016 — He said in March that he no longer needed cancer treatment. 2024 — Carter dies at 100 years old. Sources: Cartercenter.org, Plains Historical Preservation Trust, The Associated Press; The Brookings Institution; U.S. Navy; WhiteHouse.gov, Gallup

Hezbollah fires more than 180 rockets and other projectiles into Israel, wounding at least 7 BEIRUT (AP) — Hezbollah has fired at least 185 rockets and other projectiles into Israel, wounding seven people in the militant group's heaviest barrage in several days. Sunday's attacks in northern and central Israel came in response to deadly Israeli strikes in central Beirut on Saturday. Israel struck southern Beirut on Sunday. Meanwhile, negotiators press on with cease-fire efforts to halt the all-out war. And Lebanon's military says an Israeli strike on a Lebanese army center in the southwest killed one soldier and wounded 18 others. Israel's military has expressed regret and said its operations are directed solely against the militants. Israel cracks down on Palestinian citizens who speak out against the war in Gaza UMM AL-FAHM, Israel (AP) — In the year since the war in Gaza broke out, Israel's government has been cracking down on dissent among its Palestinian citizens. Authorities have charged Palestinians with “supporting terrorism” because of posts online or for demonstrating against the war. Activists and rights watchdogs say Palestinians have also lost jobs, been suspended from schools and faced police interrogations. Palestinians make up about 20% of Israel's population. Many feel forced to self-censor out of fear of being jailed and further marginalized in society. Others still find ways to dissent, but carefully. Israel's National Security Ministry counters that, “Freedom of speech is not the freedom to incite.” Israel says rabbi who went missing in the UAE was killed TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Israel says the body of an Israeli-Moldovan rabbi who went missing in the United Arab Emirates has been found, citing Emirati authorities. The statement from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office on Sunday said Zvi Kogan was killed, calling it a “heinous antisemitic terror incident.” It said: “The state of Israel will act with all means to seek justice with the criminals responsible for his death." Kogan went missing on Thursday, and there were suspicions he had been kidnapped. His disappearance comes as Iran has been threatening to retaliate against Israel after the two countries traded fire in October. The rising price of paying the national debt is a risk for Trump's promises on growth and inflation WASHINGTON (AP) — Donald Trump has big plans for the economy. He also has big debt problem that'll be a hurdle to delivering on those plan. Trump has bold ambitions on tax cuts, tariffs and other programs. But high interest rates and the price of repaying the federal government’s existing debt could limit what he’s able to do. The federal debt stands at roughly $36 trillion, and the spike in inflation after the pandemic has pushed up the government’s borrowing costs such that debt service next year will easily exceed spending on national security. Moscow offers debt forgiveness to new recruits and AP sees wreckage of a new Russian missile KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a law granting debt forgiveness to new army recruits who enlist to fight in Ukraine. The measure, whose final version appeared on a government website Saturday, underscores Russia’s needs for military personnel in the nearly 3-year-old war, even as it fired last week a new intermediate-range ballistic missile. Russia has ramped up military recruitment by offering increasing financial incentives to those willing to fight in Ukraine. Ukraine’s Security Service on Sunday showed The Associated Press wreckage of the new intermediate-range ballistic missile that struck a factory in the central Ukrainian city of Dnipro on Thursday. Forecasts warn of possible winter storms across US during Thanksgiving week WINDSOR, Calif. (AP) — Forecasters in the U.S. have warned of another round of winter weather that could complicate travel leading up to Thanksgiving. California is bracing for more snow and rain while still grappling with some flooding and small landslides from a previous storm. The National Weather Service has issued a winter storm warning for California's Sierra Nevada through Tuesday, with heavy snow expected at high elevations. Thousands remained without power in the Seattle area on Sunday after a “bomb cyclone” storm system hit the West Coast last week, killing two people. After Trump's win, Black women are rethinking their role as America's reliable political organizers ATLANTA (AP) — Donald Trump's victory has dismayed many politically engaged Black women, and they're reassessing their enthusiasm for politics and organizing. Black women often carry much of the work of getting out the vote, and they had vigorously supported the historic candidacy of Kamala Harris. AP VoteCast, a survey of more than 120,000 voters, found that 6 in 10 Black women said the future of democracy was the single most important factor for their vote this year, a higher share than for other demographic groups. But now, some Black women are renewing calls to emphasize rest, focus on mental health and become more selective about what fight they lend their organizing power to. Pakistani police arrest thousands of Imran Khan supporters ahead of rally in the capital ISLAMABAD (AP) — A Pakistani security officer says police have arrested thousands of Imran Khan supporters ahead of a rally in Islamabad to demand the ex-premier’s release from prison. Khan has been behind bars for more than a year. But he remains popular and his party says the cases against him are politically motivated. Police Sunday arrested more than 4,000 Khan supporters in eastern Punjab province, a Khan stronghold. They include five parliamentarians. Pakistan has sealed off the capital with shipping containers. It also suspended mobile and internet services “in areas with security concerns.” Uruguay's once-dull election has become a dead heat in the presidential runoff MONTEVIDEO, Uruguay (AP) — Uruguayans are heading to the polls to choose their next president. In Sunday's election, the candidates of the conservative governing party and the left-leaning coalition are locked in a close runoff after failing to win an outright majority in last month’s vote. It's a hard-fought race between Álvaro Delgado, the incumbent party’s candidate, and Yamandú Orsi from the Broad Front, a coalition of leftist and center-left parties that governed for 15 years until the 2019 victory of center-right President Luis Lacalle Pou — overseeing the legalization of abortion, same-sex marriage and the sale of marijuana in the small South American nation. Chuck Woolery, smooth-talking game show host of 'Love Connection' and 'Scrabble,' dies at 83 NEW YORK (AP) — Chuck Woolery, the affable, smooth-talking game show host of “Wheel of Fortune,” “Love Connection” and “Scrabble” who later became a right-wing podcaster, skewering liberals and accusing the government of lying about COVID-19, has died. He was 83. Mark Young, Woolery’s podcast co-host and friend, said in an email early Sunday that Woolery died at his home in Texas with his wife, Kristen, present. Woolery, with his matinee idol looks, coiffed hair and ease with witty banter, was inducted into the American TV Game Show Hall of Fame in 2007 and earned a daytime Emmy nomination in 1978. He teamed up with Young for the podcast “Blunt Force Truth” and became a full supporter Donald Trump.

The stock market crashed on Black Friday in October 1929. All the way through college, instructors repeated this fact. Black Friday evoked the aura of gloom and doom. Then, during the past 40 years, overzealous marketers decided to goose holiday sales by creating a new meaning for Black Friday. This one crashes your credit card while supposedly boosting the stock market. Every year at this time, people inexplicably stand in line at big-box stores waiting to save $20 to $100 on a TV, smartphone, tablet or new pair of snowshoes. It’s almost as if merchants slipped something into the water supply that turns consumers into shopaholics. This column explains technology, so what does that have to do with Black Friday (or more recently, Cyber Monday)? Many of the products offered at discounts on Black Friday are discontinued models that manufacturers and merchants eagerly desire to clear from the stock room to make space for the new models arriving in January. There’s nothing wrong with buying the current product rather than the forthcoming one. New models generally offer nominal improvements over the existing models. Most people won’t notice if the TV screen is 5 percent brighter or the laptop is 5 percent faster. You probably won’t see any improvements in snowshoes or bicycles. Most stores offer a limited number of Black Friday “door busters.” If they only have half a dozen in stock, and you’re the seventh person in line, then you’re out of luck. No snowchecks! Beware of “house brands.” These may be a good bargain all year round depending on what company actually manufactures them. Stores benefit from greater markups on house brands so they can afford to advertise them as teasers for Black Friday. Also be aware of custom models from major brands. When you try to compare the Samsung on sale at the big-box store with what looks like the identical model at a local retailer, you may not notice the model number is a digit or two different. This may mean nothing, or it may mean a lot. You are not privy to what is behind the screen. When a company such as Best Buy orders 50,000 of a certain custom TV, you can bet LG and Samsung will jump to keep the contents and price precisely where the jumbo retailer specifies. Even if you snare a real bargain at the big-box store, the onus is on you to transport it home, set it up and learn how to operate it. Obviously, this is easier with a laptop or food processor than a 65-inch TV. Most local merchants attempt matching the prices of big-box stores on standard model numbers. When you buy from locally owned merchants, they usually go the literal extra mile to deliver. They also often set up the product (and offer to haul the box away) and frequently provide brief tutorials on how to use the product. Should there be a problem with the gear, you won’t have to stand in line at a customer service counter for half an hour to have a rude person tell you it’s your problem. Depending on the equipment, manufacturers insist on directly servicing it, but at least the local shop will provide initial advice and, if necessary, advocacy with the manufacturer. Local Champaign-Urbana electronics retailers include, in alphabetical order: Glenn Poor’s Audio-Video, Good Vibes, Picture Perfect Technologies and Premier Sound & Design. There also are a few independent computer stores such as EP Computer, Illini Tech Center, Micro Systems, Ramjet and Simplified Computers. So, when Black Friday rolls around, relax. Savor your coffee or tea at the usual hour at home rather than shivering in a long line at a faceless national chain. Think about what your time is worth verses what you might save. Your best bargain is time to yourself and/or with your family at home, a true Thanksgiving.Here's what to know about the new funding deal that countries agreed to at UN climate talks (World)Giants star WR Malik Nabers (toe) says he's a game-time decision

Dejan Kulusevski cannot wait to play Man City again after Tottenham run riotSuperTruth Acquires imaware and Enables Future Of Reliable AI Data Management and Better Health Outcomes