Conservative opposition brews against Trump leniency toward TikTokWorkplace safety advocates sue for records in three Amazon deathsGREGG Wallace may be entirely edited out of the next series of MasterChef to ensure it can be broadcast. It's been a tumultuous week for the greengrocer, 60, who quit the BBC show as he is investigated for a barrage of off-screen misconduct complaints. But Gregg completed filming the upcoming installment alongside his co-host John Torode , 59, just last month. While The Professionals spin-off continues to air, MasterChef Celebrity's Christmas specials have been canned. The Beeb has stated its future will depend on the results of an ongoing investigation. And a production insider has claimed removing Gregg from the episodes is a viable option. read more on Gregg Wallace The source told MailOnline , "John and Gregg were always shot with separate cameras. "Any two-shots or wide angles featuring both presenters can be edited. Removing Gregg entirely is a challenging but achievable task." John has continued filming abroad, with Irish chef Anna Haugh stepping in to replace Gregg. Anna, a familiar face to the show’s audience, joined John to provide feedback to contestants in Gregg’s absence. Most read in Reality Filming for the upcoming season concluded earlier this week. The series had been scheduled for a Spring 2025 release, but its air date is now uncertain. Despite the sudden change, production sources praised the smooth transition. Another source said, "It couldn’t have gone better given the circumstances. Anna Haugh was brilliant, and the team worked hard to keep the atmosphere calm for the amateur finalists." Editing Gregg out of pre-recorded material is not without precedent for the BBC. In past instances, individuals accused of misconduct have been removed from shows before broadcast. A contestant on RuPaul's Drag Race was removed from an entire season following accusations of inappropriate behavior. And TV presenter Jay Blades , who was charged last month with physically and emotionally abusing his wife, has not been featured in episodes of The Repair Shop that were pre-recorded. Representatives for Banijay and Gregg have been contacted for comment. Tonight, The Sun revealed John repeatedly raised concerns about Gregg's behaviour on MasterChef — but no action was taken. The chef was unhappy about some of Wallace’s on-set language and was aware of his bullish reputation, pals say. The Aussie is understood to have spoken to officials at production firm Banijay about his co-host. He and actress wife Lisa ­Faulkner are now keen to publicly distance themselves from the scandal, viewing it as a PR disaster. Last night, a source said: “John is not stupid — of course, he was aware of some of Gregg’s less savoury behaviour . He did not condone it, and nor did he engage with it. He does not have a machismo sense of humour and when he made that comment about the pair of them not being friends in real life , he knew what he was doing. “It was his way of distancing himself when attempts to do it otherwise failed. “He repeatedly flagged his behaviour and poor-taste remarks to execs on set and made clear he wasn’t happy. It was never a formal ­complaint, rather a series of spoken concerns raised. “He does not know whether any formal record was ever made but the sense he got was that bosses needed to protect the ­MasterChef brand at all costs and that meant turning a blind eye. “He and Lisa are mortified with the fall-out, and are considering hiring a PR to help handle the situation and extract themselves as quickly as possible.” Wallace is accused of making sexual remarks to staff and guests across multiple programmes over 17 years, as well as allegations of groping colleagues and contestants . He denies any behaviour of a sexually harassing nature and has stepped back from MasterChef while Banijay UK investigates. This week, John wrote on Instagram: “I love my job, and I love MasterChef. I love being part of it and will continue to be part of it. “The thought of anyone who has appeared on our show not having a brilliant experience is awful to hear and I have found the recent Press reports truly upsetting. John is not stupid — of course, he was aware of some of Gregg’s less savoury behaviour. He did not condone it, and nor did he engage with it “But as I hope everyone appreciates, there is an investigation under way, which I fully support, so I cannot make any further comment at this stage, and I hope that you all understand and respect my silence on the matter moving forward.” His wife Lisa, 52, whom he met on Celebrity MasterChef in 2010, reposted his message. They and Wallace, 60, no longer follow each other on Instagram — a move the Londoner prompted as he is reportedly devastated that his co-presenter did not back him. John was best man at his co-host’s fourth wedding in 2016. READ MORE SUN STORIES But in an interview the following year, he said pair “weren’t really friends” — which Wallace later claimed earned him a “telling off” from BBC bosses. A spokesperson for John, who has presented MasterChef with Wallace since 2005, did not respond to requests for comment. Gregg Wallace has been a familiar face on TV for years now thanks to his role as a judge on MasterChef - but let's take a closer look at his career so far... Gregg Wallace left school at 15 and started his career working on a fruit and veg stall in London. In 1989, he started George Allan's Greengrocers, a company that grew to a turnover of £7.5 million. Gregg's experience in the world of fruit and veg lead to him co-hosting Veg Talk on BBC Radio 4 with Charlie Hicks for seven years. He then became the first host of Saturday Kitchen in 2002, a role he held for a year before being replaced by Antony Worrall Thompson in 2003. At the same time, Gregg presented a number of food-related TV specials, including Veg Out for the Discovery Channel. Gregg landed his most notable TV role as a co-presenter and judge on BBC's competitive cooking show MasterChef in 2005. He stars alongside John Torode . In 2010 Gregg pursued another life-long dream of opening a restaurant. He opened the establishment Wallace & Co. in Putney. Then, in 2012, he opened Gregg's Bar & Grill in a joint venture with the Bermondsey Square Hotel. Gregg then scored a hosting gig with the BBC, presenting the documentary Supermarket Secrets in August 2013. Unfortunately, times were tough for Gregg, and in the same month, it was reported that one of his companies, West Veg Limited, had folded, owing more than £500,000. In 2014, both of his restaurants folded, with Wallace & Co owing suppliers £150,000. However, his TV career continued to thrive, and in 2015 became the regularly host of the award-winning documentary food series Eat Well for Less? Gregg helmed the show for eight years before stepping away. He also competed on Strictly Come Dancing . Gregg then made Telly history again when he revived the BBC's historical game show Time Commanders. More recently, the celebrity chef has presented a number of travel programmes such as Big Weekends with Gregg Wallace, South Africa with Gregg Wallace, and the food mockumentary, Gregg Wallace: The British Miracle Meat .777 x 。

DEAN McCullough and Ant McPartlin came face-to-face on I'm A Celebrity tonight after fans said they spotted a feud between them. Radio 1 DJ Dean has done several dreaded Bushtucker Trials - therefore spending a lot of time with Ant and Dec. 4 Ant McPartlin came face to face with Dean McCullough again Credit: Erotreme 4 Radio DJ Dean has done several Bushtucker Trials to date Credit: Eroteme 4 Danny and Dean faced another disgusting trial Credit: ITV In tonight's (November 22) episode, Dean and McFly star Danny Jones took on the latest trial, High Street Of Horrors. Shortly after their arrival, Ant acknowledged past tension between the two. He told the celebrity campmate: "Dean, I'm not angry anymore, I'm just disappointed." The trial itself comprised three shops, each containing a number of stars to win for camp. Read more on I'm A Celeb GUT PUNCH I'm A Celeb's Dean in swipe at Ant in awkward moment as he quits another trial Ant’s Wrath Ant McPartlin SLAMS 'useless' Dean McCullough after he loses another trial Overall, the objective was to locate all of them within the allotted time for their shopping spree. The first stop, Grim Grocers had three stars on offer with three minutes to find them. Danny, in his eagerness, tripped over when the klaxon sounded. In their effort, the duo won a total of eight stars for camp altogether. Most read in I’m A Celebrity 2024 'FIGHTER' Tulisa's ex makes surprise admission about her changing face amid heath battles FAMILIAR FACE Maura Higgins breaks her silence on awkwardly sharing a camp with ex’s dad Mum's the word Inside I'm A Celeb star Tulisa's turbulent relationship with mum beaten down I’m A Celeb’s Sam Thompson begs producers to check on 'missing’ campmate At the same time, new additions Reverend Richard Coles and Maura Higgins continued their deceit of the main camp. Arriving before Danny and Dean, they pretended to have already done the trial miserably - winning no stars. Fuming Dean McCullough takes a swipe at Ant in awkward moment after he QUITS another I'm A Celeb Bushtucker Trial Reverend Richard joked: “I’m really consumed with guilt!” A twist after the trial saw Dean go back to the Junkyard with Maura and Reverend Richard. Ant previously addressed the "feud" with Dean during Thursday's episode of ITV2 spin-off show Unpacked. The star admitted he was "annoyed" at the DJ for screaming 'I'm A Celeb' and quitting the task early - and being "unprofessional" in how he dealt with it. He said: "My annoyance came across on screen and it was quite unprofessional and I'm not happy about it." Dec sarcastically responded "I think you hid it quite well, Ant...I think you hid it quite well." Ant went on: "You get to the point when you think 'what are you doing?'" Taking to social media, viewers at home shared their observations. I'm A Celebrity 2024 i'm A Celebrity is back for its 24th series, with a batch of famous faces living in the Aussie jungle. The Sun's Jake Penkethman takes a look at the stars on the show this year.. Coleen Rooney - Arguably the most famous name in the camp, the leading WAG, known for her marriage to Wayne Rooney , has made a grand return to TV as she looks to put the Wagatha Christie scandal behind her. The Sun revealed the mum-of-four had bagged an eye-watering deal worth over £1.5million to be on the show this year making her the highest-paid contestant ever. Tulisa - The popstar and former X Factor judge has made her triumphant TV comeback by signing up to this year's I'm A Celeb after shunning TV shows for many years. Known for being a member of the trio, N-Dubz, Tulisa became a household name back in 2011 when she signed on to replace Cheryl on ITV show The X Factor in a multi-million pound deal. Alan Halsall - The actor, known for playing the long-running role of Tyrone Dobbs on ITV soap opera Coronation Street, was originally signed up to head Down Under last year but an operation threw his scheduled appearance off-course. Now he has become the latest Corrie star to win over both the viewers and his fellow celebrities. Melvin Odoom - The Radio DJ has become a regular face on TV screens after rising to fame with presenting roles on Kiss FM, BBC Radio 1 and 4Music. Melvin has already been for a spin on the Strictly dancefloor and co-hosted The Xtra Factor with Rochelle Humes in 2015 but now he is facing up to his biggest challenge yet - the Aussie jungle . GK Barry - The UK's biggest social media personality, GK, whose real name is Grace Keeling, has transformed her TikTok stardom into a lucrative career. Aside from her popular social media channels, she hosts the weekly podcast, Saving Grace, and regularly appears on ITV talk show, Loose Women. She has even gone on to endorse popular brands such as PrettyLittleThing, KFC and Ann Summers. Dean McCullough - A rising star amongst this year's bunch of celebs , Dean first achieved notability through his radio appearances on Gaydio and BBC Radio 1. He was chosen to join the BBC station permanently in 2021 and has featured prominently ever since. He has enjoyed a crossover to ITV over the past year thanks to his guest slots on Big Brother spin-off show, Late & Live. Oti Mabuse - The pro dancer has signed up to her latest TV show after making her way through the biggest programmes on the box. She originally found fame on Strictly Come Dancing but has since branched out into the world of TV judging with appearances on former BBC show The Greatest Dancer as well as her current role on ITV's Dancing On Ice . Danny Jones - The McFly star was drafted into the programme last minute as a replacement for Tommy Fury. Danny is the second member of McFly to enter the jungle , after Dougie Poynter won the show in 2011. He is also considered a rising star on ITV as he's now one of the mentors on their Saturday night talent show, The Voice , along with bandmate Tom Fletcher. Jane Moore - The Loose Women star and The Sun columnist is braving the creepy crawlies this year. The star is ready for a new challenge - having recently split from her husband . It will be Jane's first foray into reality TV with the telly favourite having always said no to reality shows in the past. Barry McGuigan - Former pro boxer Barry is the latest fighting champ to head Down Under following in the footsteps of Tony Bellew and Amir Khan. It comes after a tough few years for Irish star Barry, who lost his daughter Danika to bowel cancer . He told The Late Late Show in 2021: "She was such an intrinsic part of the family that every day we ache." Maura Higgins - The Irish TV beauty first found fame on Love Island where she found a brief connection with dancer Curtis Pritchard . Since then, she has competed on Dancing On Ice as well as hosting the Irish version of the beauty contest, Glow Up. Since last year, she has been working on building up her career in the US by being the social media correspondent and host of Aftersun to accompany Love Island USA. She even guest hosted an episode of the spin-off, Love Island Games, in place of Maya Jama last year. Rev. Richard Coles - Former BBC radio host the Rev Richard Coles is a late arrival on I’m A Celebrity , and he's ready to spill the beans on his former employer. The former Communards and Strictly star , said the BBC did not know its a**e from its elbow last year. An insider said: "Rev Coles will have a variety of tales to tell from his wild days as a pop star in the Eighties, through to performing on Strictly and his later life as a man of the cloth." One wrote on X: “im not angry” “im just disappointed” ant is so fed up with dean." Another added: "dying at how obvious it is that ant cannot stand dean." Read more on the Scottish Sun COMIC'S CASTLE Still Game star takes £150,000 hit to offload luxury £4m Scots castle HITTING THE HIGH NOTES Much-loved pub named best music bar in Scotland While a third commented: "Ant & Dec absolutely despise Dean don’t they #ImACeleb." I'm A Celebrity continues on ITV1 and ITVX. 4 Dean didn't looked impressed Credit: ITVTrump has promised again to release the last JFK files. But experts say don’t expect big revelationsTarabot Foundation's CEO Dr. Fatima Al Bakheet and Nuzol Al Ansari Project Recognized at HBC 2024 International Awards 12-05-2024 11:50 PM CET | Industry, Real Estate & Construction Press release from: ABNewswire Image: https://www.abnewswire.com/uploads/3c3ee6b82cb506251befe14ee236dc40.PNG Riyadh, KSA - Tarabot Foundation's CEO Dr. Fatima Al Bakheet and Nuzol Al Ansari Project achieved outstanding recognition at the HBC 2024 International Awards held on November 9 in Riyadh. The ceremony celebrated international excellence and drew distinguished guests, including H.E. Almarri Lieutenant General Mohammed Ahmed, Director General of the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs - Dubai; His Excellency Dr. Engineer Saad bin Ahmed Al Muhannadi, President of Qatar's Public Works Authority; His Excellency Dr.Wahdan Al Qadi, CEO of the Saudi Investment Fund for Events; and Dr. Emmanuel Cerroni, Director General of HBC. Image: https://www.abnewswire.com/uploads/0d34ee7a83e98e0787a3f0e6f8089b0b.PNG Achievements of Nuzol Al Ansari Project at HBC 2024: * Project Gold Award: The Nuzol Al Ansari Project was celebrated for providing innovative housing solutions that address social challenges. The project exemplifies sustainability and community empowerment by offering dignified living conditions to underserved populations. * Women Leadership Gold Award: Dr. Fatima Al Bakheet was recognized for her exceptional leadership business and initiatives Management. Her innovative approaches to CSR projects and initiatives have driven organizational excellence and positioned Tarabot as a leader non-profit organization. Image: https://www.abnewswire.com/uploads/5b2662a2e102f89bbe24079c61762639.PNG Event Highlights: The HBC 2024 Awards recognized 60 winners across 28 categories, representing over 5,000 assessment hours and 3,741 applications. With the global launch of the Intelligent Sustainable Excellence (ISE) Model and the introduction of the HBC Quality of Life Award, the event underscored a commitment to advancing standards that enhance societal well-being. Congratulations to Tarabot Foundation for its accomplishments. This award underscores its dedication to social impact and sustainable development. For more information, please visit https://www.hbcworld.org/cases Media Links: https://tarabot.org.sa/ https://x.com/tarabotorg?s=11&t=R2erNI74Vk9LVZkO4wkvzQ https://www.instagram.com/tarabotorg?igsh=Zzk0ZTcyaDAwdXR4 https://snapchat.com/t/nltOE4dk Media Contact Company Name: Harvard Business Council Contact Person: Media Relations Email:Send Email [ https://www.abnewswire.com/email_contact_us.php?pr=tarabot-foundations-ceo-dr-fatima-al-bakheet-and-nuzol-al-ansari-project-recognized-at-hbc-2024-international-awards ] Country: United States Website: https://hbcworld.org/cases This release was published on openPR.

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — There's more than just school pride and bragging rights to all that bellyaching over who might be in and who might be out of college football 's first 12-team playoff. Try the more than $115 million that will be spread across the conferences at the end of the season, all depending on who gets in and which teams go the farthest. According to the College Football Playoff website , the 12 teams simply making the bracket earn their conferences $4 million each. Another $4 million goes to conferences whose teams get into the quarterfinals. Then, there's $6 million more for teams that make the semifinals and another $6 million for those who play for the title. Most of this bonanza comes courtesy of ESPN, which is forking over $1.3 billion a year to televise the new postseason. A lot of that money is already earmarked — more goes to the Big Ten and Southeastern Conference than the Big 12 or Atlantic Coast — but a lot is up for grabs in the 11 games that will play out between the opening round on Dec. 20 and the final on Jan. 20. In all, the teams that make the title game will bring $20 million to their conferences, all of which distribute that money, along with billions in TV revenue and other sources, in different ways. In fiscal 2022-23, the Big Ten, for instance, reported revenue of nearly $880 million and distributed about $60.5 million to most of its members. The massive stakes might help explain the unabashed lobbying coming from some corners of the football world, as the tension grows in advance of Sunday's final rankings, which will set the bracket. Earlier this week, Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark lit into the selection committee, which doesn't have a single team higher than 15 in the rankings. That does two things: It positions the Big 12 as a one-bid league, and also threatens to makes its champion — either Arizona State or Iowa State — the fifth-best among conference titlists that get automatic bids. Only the top four of those get byes, which could cost the Big 12 a spot in the quarterfinals — or $4 million. “The committee continues to show time and time again that they are paying attention to logos versus resumes,” Yormark said this week, while slamming the idea of teams with two losses in his conference being ranked worse than teams with three in the SEC. The ACC is also staring at a one-bid season with only No. 8 SMU inside the cut line of this week's projected bracket. Miami's loss last week all but bumped the Hurricanes out of the playoffs, a snub that ACC commissioner Jim Phillips said left him “incredibly shocked and disappointed." “As we look ahead to the final rankings, we hope the committee will reconsider and put a deserving Miami in the field," Phillips said in a statement. The lobbying and bickering filters down to the campuses that feel the impact. And, of course, to social media. One of the most entertaining episodes came earlier this week when athletic directors at Iowa State and SMU went back and forth about whose team was more deserving. There are a few stray millions that the selection committee cannot really influence, including a $3 million payment to conferences that make the playoff. In a reminder that all these kids are going to school, after all, the conferences get $300,000 per football team that meets academic requirements to participate in the postseason. (That's basically everyone). Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-footballPride, Bragging Rights and More Than $115M at Stake When Final College Playoff Rankings Come Out

Facing rising competition in the AI chip space, Nvidia is reportedly turning to robotics. The $3.3 trillion company, whose tech has helped drive the rise of artificial intelligence (AI), will launch the next version of compact computers for humanoid robots — dubbed Jetson Thor — in the first half of next year, the Financial Times (FT) reported Sunday (Dec. 29). According to the report, Nvidia is jockeying to become the top platform in what it argues is a coming robotics boom. “The ChatGPT moment for physical AI and robotics is around the corner,” Deepu Talla , Nvidia’s vice president of robotics, told the FT, adding that he believes the market is at a “tipping point.” The FT report noted that this effort comes as Nvidia is expecting more competition for its chips from rivals like AMD , as well as cloud computing titans like Google and Amazon. Now, the company is investing in the “physical AI” space to help the new robotics firms grow. For example, it joined Microsoft and OpenAI in a February funding round that valued humanoid robotics company Figure AI at $2.6 billion . While Nvidia does not break out figures for its robotics product sales, the FT report said that this part of its business represents a smaller share of its revenue. Data center revenue, for example, made up around 88% of the $35.1 billion in sales Nvidia reported in the third quarter . In other robotics/AI news, PYMNTS wrote recently about research at MIT that developed an AI system that could let warehouse robots deftly handle odd-shaped packages and navigate crowded spaces without putting human workers in danger. It’s a breakthrough happening at a moment when retailers and logistics companies are facing increasing pressure to automate amid surging eCommerce demand. Although robots excel at repetitive tasks such as moving pallets, MIT’s PRoC3S technology could finally solve the long-standing challenge of robots safely performing more complex warehouse jobs that usually require human dexterity and spatial awareness. “In theory, PRoC3S could reduce a robot’s error rate by vetting its initial LLM-based assumptions against more specific and accurate understandings of the warehouse environment,” Erik Nieves , CEO and co-founder at Plus One Robotics , told PYMNTS. “Think about it like this: A warehouse robot operating solely on LLM guidance has been described how to complete a task. The PRoC3S concept goes one step further by placing a digital robot in a simulated environment of that task. It’s essentially the difference between classroom instruction and a really good field trip.” As PYMNTS has reported, robotics and AI technologies are transforming traditional distribution yards via specialized autonomous vehicles outfitted with robotic arms that can handle complex tasks such as connecting brake lines and positioning trailers, operating alongside human workers.Mayfield throws 5 TD passes as Bucs rout Panthers, keep playoff hopes aliveWASHINGTON – Jimmy Carter, the earnest Georgia peanut farmer who as United States president struggled with a bad economy and the Iran hostage crisis but brokered peace between Israel and Egypt and later received the Nobel Peace Prize for his humanitarian work, died at his home in Plains, Georgia, on Sunday, the Carter Center said. He was 100. “My father was a hero, not only to me but to everyone who believes in peace, human rights, and unselfish love,” said Chip Carter, the former president’s son. “My brothers, sister, and I shared him with the rest of the world through these common beliefs. The world is our family because of the way he brought people together, and we thank you for honoring his memory by continuing to live these shared beliefs.” A Democrat, he served as president from January 1977 to January 1981 after defeating incumbent Republican President Gerald Ford in the 1976 US election. Carter was swept from office four years later in an electoral landslide as voters embraced Republican challenger Ronald Reagan, the former actor and California governor. Carter lived longer after his term in office than any other US president. Along the way, he earned a reputation as a better former president than he was a president – a status he readily acknowledged. His one-term presidency was marked by the highs of the 1978 Camp David accords between Israel and Egypt, bringing some stability to the Middle East. But it was dogged by an economy in recession, persistent unpopularity and the embarrassment of the Iran hostage crisis that consumed his final 444 days in office. In recent years, Carter had experienced several health issues including melanoma that spread to his liver and brain. Carter decided to receive hospice care in February 2023 instead of undergoing additional medical intervention. His wife, Rosalynn Carter, died on November 19, 2023, at age 96. He looked frail when he attended her memorial service and funeral in a wheelchair. Carter left office profoundly unpopular but worked energetically for decades on humanitarian causes. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002 in recognition of his “untiring effort to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts, to advance democracy and human rights, and to promote economic and social development.” Carter had been a centrist as governor of Georgia with populist tendencies when he moved into the White House as the 39th US president. He was a Washington outsider at a time when America was still reeling from the Watergate scandal that led Republican Richard Nixon to resign as president in 1974 and elevated Ford from vice president. “I’m Jimmy Carter and I’m running for president. I will never lie to you,” Carter promised with an ear-to-ear smile. Asked to assess his presidency, Carter said in a 1991 documentary: “The biggest failure we had was a political failure. I never was able to convince the American people that I was a forceful and strong leader.” Despite his difficulties in office, Carter had few rivals for accomplishments as a former president. He gained global acclaim as a tireless human rights advocate, a voice for the disenfranchised and a leader in the fight against hunger and poverty, winning the respect that eluded him in the White House. Carter won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002 for his efforts to promote human rights and resolve conflicts around the world, from Ethiopia and Eritrea to Bosnia and Haiti. His Carter Center in Atlanta sent international election-monitoring delegations to polls around the world. A Southern Baptist Sunday school teacher since his teens, Carter brought a strong sense of morality to the presidency, speaking openly about his religious faith. He also sought to take some pomp out of an increasingly imperial presidency – walking, rather than riding in a limousine, in his 1977 inauguration parade. The Middle East was the focus of Carter’s foreign policy. The 1979 Egypt-Israel peace treaty, based on the 1978 Camp David accords, ended a state of war between the two neighbors. Carter brought Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin to the Camp David presidential retreat in Maryland for talks. Later, as the accords seemed to be unraveling, Carter saved the day by flying to Cairo and Jerusalem for personal shuttle diplomacy. The treaty provided for Israeli withdrawal from Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula and establishment of diplomatic relations. Begin and Sadat each won a Nobel Peace Prize in 1978. By the 1980 election, the overriding issues were double-digit inflation, interest rates that exceeded 20% and soaring gas prices, as well as the Iran hostage crisis that brought humiliation to America. These issues marred Carter’s presidency and undermined his chances of winning a second term. On November 4, 1979, revolutionaries devoted to Iran’s Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini had stormed the US Embassy in Tehran, seized the Americans present and demanded the return of the ousted shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, who was backed by the United States and was being treated in a US hospital. The American public initially rallied behind Carter. But his support faded in April 1980 when a commando raid failed to rescue the hostages, with eight US soldiers killed in an aircraft accident in the Iranian desert. Carter’s final ignominy was that Iran held the 52 hostages until minutes after Reagan took his oath of office on January 20, 1981, to replace Carter, then released the planes carrying them to freedom. In another crisis, Carter protested the former Soviet Union’s 1979 invasion of Afghanistan by boycotting the 1980 Olympics in Moscow. He also asked the US Senate to defer consideration of a major nuclear arms accord with Moscow. Unswayed, the Soviets remained in Afghanistan for a decade. Carter won narrow Senate approval in 1978 of a treaty to transfer the Panama Canal to the control of Panama despite critics who argued the waterway was vital to American security. He also completed negotiations on full US ties with China. Carter created two new US Cabinet departments – education and energy. Amid high gas prices, he said America’s “energy crisis” was “the moral equivalent of war” and urged the country to embrace conservation. “Ours is the most wasteful nation on earth,” he told Americans in 1977. In 1979, Carter delivered what became known as his “malaise” speech to the nation, although he never used that word. “After listening to the American people I have been reminded again that all the legislation in the world can’t fix what’s wrong with America,” he said in his televised address. “The threat is nearly invisible in ordinary ways. It is a crisis of confidence. It is a crisis that strikes at the very heart and soul and spirit of our national will. The erosion of our confidence in the future is threatening to destroy the social and the political fabric of America.” As president, the strait-laced Carter was embarrassed by the behavior of his hard-drinking younger brother, Billy Carter, who had boasted: “I got a red neck, white socks, and Blue Ribbon beer.” Carter withstood a challenge from Massachusetts Senator Edward Kennedy for the 1980 Democratic presidential nomination but was politically diminished heading into his general election battle against a vigorous Republican adversary. Reagan, the conservative who projected an image of strength, kept Carter off balance during their debates before the November 1980 election. Reagan dismissively told Carter, “There you go again,” when the Republican challenger felt the president had misrepresented Reagan’s views during one debate. Carter lost the 1980 election to Reagan, who won 44 of the 50 states and amassed an Electoral College landslide. James Earl Carter Jr. was born on October 1, 1924, in Plains, Georgia, one of four children of a farmer and shopkeeper. He graduated from the US Naval Academy in 1946, served in the nuclear submarine program and left to manage the family peanut farming business. He married his wife, Rosalynn, in 1946, a union he called “the most important thing in my life.” They had three sons and a daughter. Carter became a millionaire, a Georgia state legislator and Georgia’s governor from 1971 to 1975. He mounted an underdog bid for the 1976 Democratic presidential nomination, and out-hustled his rivals for the right to face Ford in the general election. With Walter Mondale as his vice presidential running mate, Carter was given a boost by a major Ford gaffe during one of their debates. Ford said that “there is no Soviet domination of Eastern Europe and there never will be under a Ford administration,” despite decades of just such domination. Carter edged Ford in the election, even though Ford actually won more states – 27 to Carter’s 23. Not all of Carter’s post-presidential work was appreciated. Former president George W. Bush and his father, former President George H.W. Bush, both Republicans, were said to have been displeased by Carter’s freelance diplomacy in Iraq and elsewhere. In 2004, Carter called the Iraq war launched in 2003 by the younger Bush one of the most “gross and damaging mistakes our nation ever made.” He called George W. Bush’s administration “the worst in history” and said Vice President Dick Cheney was “a disaster for our country.” In 2019, Carter questioned Republican Donald Trump’s legitimacy as president, saying “he was put into office because the Russians interfered on his behalf.” Trump responded by calling Carter “a terrible president.” Carter also made trips to communist North Korea. A 1994 visit defused a nuclear crisis, as President Kim Il Sung agreed to freeze his nuclear program in exchange for resumed dialogue with the United States. That led to a deal in which North Korea, in return for aid, promised not to restart its nuclear reactor or reprocess the plant’s spent fuel. But Carter irked Democratic President Bill Clinton’s administration by announcing the deal with North Korea’s leader without first checking with Washington. In 2010, Carter won the release of an American sentenced to eight years hard labor for illegally entering North Korea. Carter wrote more than two dozen books, ranging from a presidential memoir to a children’s book and poetry, as well as works about religious faith and diplomacy. His book “Faith: A Journey for All,” was published in 2018. – Rappler.com