Australian star Steve Smith has admitted he reflected on critics questioning whether his eyes and reflexes were fading by stepping forward and moving closer to the bowler. He believed batting out of his crease takes the game to the bowler but also makes it harder for him to be trapped lbw. “You’ve got to have faith, I was hitting the ball really nicely and people were saying “Is he too old? Are his eyes going?” So I thought I would go out of my crease and make my impact point closer to the bowler, so it all comes a bit quicker,” Smith told Fox Sports this morning. “I think my eyes are still there which is nice. For me, it is about keeping the faith and knowing that I’m hitting the ball well. There is a difference between being out of form and out of runs - I was just out of runs and I’ve played long enough to know that things can turn around quickly.” There could be a hint of rain later today but, otherwise, looks to be a brilliant day for cricket. Ricky Ponting has had this to say on Seven about Virat Kohli turning back to address hecklers after his dismissal at the MCG on day two. Click here to read more about Kohli’s struggles. Virat Kohli came close to an angry confrontation with the crowd after he was involved in a calamitous run out in which veteran spinner Nathan Lyon later pinned him as the guilty party. Kohli was almost out of sight from the crowd in the players’ race after his dismissal before he returned to glare at hecklers. An ICC official then placed a consolatory arm around his shoulder and shepherded him down the race. It is not clear from the video of the incident that surfaced on social media on Friday night what sparked Kohli’s backturn, and though boos were clearly audible, no racial or personal abuse could be heard. Cricket Australia and the Melbourne Cricket Club had not received a complaint from the Board of Control for Cricket in India at the time of publication. The BCCI have been contacted for comment. Click here to read the story. G’day everyone. I’m Roy Ward and welcome to our Boxing Day Test live blog. We are at day three of this match and it really feels like both this match and this series are both on the line today as Australia tries to bowl out India and the tourists aim for a mid-innings recovery after falling to 5-164 at stumps yesterday. India trails by 310 runs and have the dangerous Rishbah Pant and Ravindra Jadeja at the crease, both are capable of posting big scores. Scott Boland, Pat Cummins and the rest of the Australian attack will aim to break this partnership up early and then power through the tail. Play begins at 10.30am AEDT. Enjoy the hours to come.Pegasystems stock soars to 52-week high of $91.5877seven77d 。

World leaders react to former U.S. President Jimmy Carter’s death

Jimmy Carter: Many evolutions for a centenarian ‘citizen of the world’

Donald Trump has urged the US Supreme Court to pause a federal TikTok law that would ban the popular social media app or force its sale, with the Republican US President-elect arguing that he should have time after taking office to pursue a "political resolution" to the issue. or signup to continue reading TikTok and its owner ByteDance are fighting to keep the popular app online in the United States after Congress voted in April to ban it unless the app's Chinese parent company sells it by January 19. They have sought to have the law struck down, and the Supreme Court has agreed to hear the case. But if the court does not rule in ByteDance's favour and no divestment occurs, the app could be effectively banned in the United States on January 19, one day before Trump takes office. "This case presents an unprecedented, novel, and difficult tension between free-speech rights on one side, and foreign policy and national security concerns on the other," Trump said in a filing on Friday. "Such a stay would vitally grant President Trump the opportunity to pursue a political resolution that could obviate the Court's need to decide these constitutionally significant questions," the filing added. Free speech advocates separately told the Supreme Court on Friday that the US law against Chinese-owned TikTok evokes the censorship regimes put in place by the United States' authoritarian enemies. Trump indicated earlier this week that he favoured allowing TikTok to keep operating in the United States for at least a little while, saying he had received billions of views on the social media platform during his presidential campaign. The US Justice Department has argued that Chinese control of TikTok poses a continuing threat to national security, a position supported by most US lawmakers. TikTok says the Justice Department has misstated the social media app's ties to China, arguing that its content recommendation engine and user data are stored in the United States on cloud servers operated by Oracle Corp. The company added that content moderation decisions that affect US users are made in the United States. DAILY Today's top stories curated by our news team. WEEKDAYS Grab a quick bite of today's latest news from around the region and the nation. WEEKLY The latest news, results & expert analysis. WEEKDAYS Catch up on the news of the day and unwind with great reading for your evening. WEEKLY Get the editor's insights: what's happening & why it matters. WEEKLY Love footy? We've got all the action covered. WEEKLY Every Saturday and Tuesday, explore destinations deals, tips & travel writing to transport you around the globe. WEEKLY Going out or staying in? Find out what's on. WEEKDAYS Sharp. Close to the ground. Digging deep. Your weekday morning newsletter on national affairs, politics and more. TWICE WEEKLY Your essential national news digest: all the big issues on Wednesday and great reading every Saturday. WEEKLY Get news, reviews and expert insights every Thursday from CarExpert, ACM's exclusive motoring partner. TWICE WEEKLY Get real, Australia! Let the ACM network's editors and journalists bring you news and views from all over. AS IT HAPPENS Be the first to know when news breaks. DAILY Your digital replica of Today's Paper. Ready to read from 5am! DAILY Test your skills with interactive crosswords, sudoku & trivia. Fresh daily! Advertisement AdvertisementDrone operators worry that anxiety over mystery sightings will lead to new restrictions

Thirteen community organizations in Montreal's Ahuntsic-Cartierville borough had until 5 p.m. Friday to vacate their long-time home, but they refuse to pack up. Instead, they're fighting the eviction, which was ordered by the building's owner, the Centre de services scolaires de Montréal (CSSDM). The school service centre has been renting the space to the organizations for about 20 years, but now plans to use the property for a French-language learning centre Among the groups being evicted is Service de nutrition et d'action communautaire (SNAC), which offered food assistance to 1,970 households over the last year, feeding nearly 4,000 people from their location in the C entre communautaire d'Ahuntsic on Laverdure Street . 13 community groups, under 1 roof, face eviction by Montreal school service centre There is also an organization that supports people dealing with addiction, homelessness and mental health issues. There's a daycare and Rue Action Prévention Jeunesse , a youth advocacy group, as well. There's even a francisation centre already on site, offering French-language classes. There are services for seniors, a meals-on-wheels program and educational services, too, said Rémy Robitaille, head of Solidarité Ahuntsic , the council representing the groups getting evicted . "We won't move from here, even if they told us to move at 5 p.m. tonight," he said, noting the community groups are challenging the eviction in court. The organizations say they have nowhere to relocate after months of struggling to find something affordable. CSSDM says council refused to sign lease Rémy Robitalle, head of Solidarité Ahuntsic, said the eviction saga has dragged on since 2022, beginning with a 200 per cent rent increase. (Gabriel Guindi/CBC) The landlord, the CSSDM , said in a statement Friday that it is facing a sustained increase in educational needs in the Ahuntsic - Cartierville sector, particularly for francisation programs offered in adult education. At the same time, the Complexe William- Hingston , which houses the CSSDM's current francisation centre, is being renovated and the the programming there needs to be relocated to the Centre communautaire d'Ahuntsic , the statement said . "To fulfil our primary mission of providing education and to avoid a service disruption in the absence of any other facility capable of accommodating all our students, we are compelled to reclaim full possession of the building," it said. Given Solidarité Ahuntsic's repeated refusals, since 2018, to sign a lease with the CSSDM , the organizations are currently occupying the premises under a month-to-month tolerance lease, the statement added. The eviction is a lawful step, the CSSDM said, and legal proceedings are ongoing. The council has refused rent increases for six years while the school service centre continues to pay electricity, heat and maintenance, it said. Several politicians have condemned the decision to force the groups out, including Québec solidaire MNA Haroun Bouazzi, who represents the Maurice-Richard riding, which includes parts of Ahuntsic-Cartierville and Montréal-Nord. Bouazzi has called the eviction a disaster for the neighbourhood's social and community safety net, noting that 25,000 people rely on the organizations' services each year. Bouazzi is urging the Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) government to intervene and grant a reprieve. He has been lobbying for the government to delay the eviction since the spring. Along with a petition, he submitted a detailed demand to the government, explaining the urgency of the situation, but said the only response he got was one deferring responsibility to the CSSDM. The CSSDM argues the eviction is necessary to provide French courses, but Bouazzi points out that French-language programming is already available there. 3-year eviction delay needed Efforts to delay the eviction for three years have been supported by Ahuntsic-Cartierville borough mayor Émilie Thuillier and federal MP Mélanie Joly, who represents the riding of Ahuntsic-Cartierville. The three-year reprieve would allow the organizations to relocate to a new facility in the Écoquartier Louvain, a social development planned for the borough but for which construction has not begun. The development, which will include 800 to 1,000 housing units, is expected to accommodate co-operatives and a shared space for community groups as well. "All the community organizations will have a place together in the new centre, but we need time to build it," Thuillier said. In the meantime, officials are urging the Quebec government to give the CSSDM more funds so it can find more suitable premises for the francisation centre it wants to create. Bouazzi said the building is very old and that, before it can be used as a learning centre, it would need extensive renovations that would take four years — longer than the community groups need to relocate. The Centre communautaire d'Ahuntsic houses 13 community organizations, all of which are facing eviction. (Julie Marceau/Radio-Canada) "I have a hard time thinking that this government will destroy the social mesh we have here," he said. "I am sure that what they want is noble and positive, but now that we understand the consequences, we have to stop this madness." Ministry declines to intervene Robitaille noted that the groups' trouble with their landlord began in 2022, when the CSSDM increased their rent by 200 per cent. The organizations attempted to refuse the rent increase, but the CSSDM threatened to sell the building. When the organizations offered to buy it, the service centre instead opted to retake it for educational purposes. Robitaille said it's not clear to him why the CSSDM wants to evict the organizations so soon. "It's strange they want to remove the francisation courses that we already give to around 400 people a year," he said, noting the renovations to get the building up to code will be costly, but the government has been cutting back on subsidies for French-language classes . The Ministry of Education issued a statement Friday afternoon, saying the CSSDM owns the building and is responsible for its use, including surplus properties. "If the CSSDM needs the space for students, the educational mission must always take priority," the ministry said.

James Fontanella-Khan and Antoine Gara in New York, and Colby Smith , James Politi and Alex Rogers in Washington Your guide to what the 2024 US election means for Washington and the world The richest man in the world tried to doom Scott Bessent’s bid to become Treasury secretary less than a week ago. Last Saturday, the billionaire entrepreneur and Donald Trump confidant Elon Musk said the Wall Street investor’s appointment as Treasury secretary would amount to “business-as-usual”. After Musk’s tweet on X, Bessent’s odds of getting the job on the prediction exchange Polymarket fell. The following day the president-elect’s transition team opened up the search, homing in on three new candidates, Apollo Global chief Marc Rowan, former Federal Reserve official Kevin Warsh and Tennessee senator Bill Hagerty. Rowan, who was in Hong Kong, cut his Asian trip short so he could be interviewed by Trump. He spoke at a conference on Tuesday alongside the chief executives of Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley, then boarded a private jet for an 18-hour flight so he could be at Trump’s estate at Mar-a-Lago on Wednesday afternoon. Some content could not load. Check your internet connection or browser settings. Hagerty, meanwhile, had travelled with Trump and Musk to the latest SpaceX launch in Texas, stoking speculation that he was emerging as the preferred nominee. This, just as Warsh, a rising star in Republican economic policymaking circles, was starting to emerge as Wall Street’s favoured pick. But those three new candidacies were sideshows in the battle to win the top cabinet role running the world’s largest economy. By Friday, Trump had gone full circle, returning to Bessent, the South Carolinian hedge fund manager, as his choice. Trump’s pick seemed to signal that he, not Musk or anyone else seeking influence over him, would make the big calls. “Scott is widely respected as one of the world’s foremost international investors and geopolitical and economic strategists” and was “widely respected” the president-elect said. “He will help me usher in a new golden age for the United States”. The infighting between the candidates for the Treasury job was extraordinarily bitter over just a few short days, making Bessent’s comeback all the more dramatic. At one point, his critics began circulating via chat groups documents — seen by the Financial Times — purporting to show the poor performance of his Key Square Group hedge fund. Others questioned Bessent’s close ties to George Soros, the liberal hedge fund veteran for whom he worked and later sought funding from to seed Key Square. Some, including Musk, threw their weight behind Howard Lutnick, a fellow Wall Street investor who co-led Trump’s transition team and had put his name forward for the Treasury role. The Bessent camp retaliated by sharing a new set of documents — seen by the FT — asserting that Key Square had stellar returns, especially during the pandemic, an indication that the hedge fund manager had the skills to weather tough economic conditions. As the rhetoric sharpened, some Republican donors and people involved in the selection process privately complained about Lutnick’s behaviour, arguing he was too brash and outspoken for a position that requires discipline in managing the markets. One person close to Trump went so far as to accuse Lutnick of “abusing his position to put his candidacy ahead of everybody else”. That Trump was being so careful about his Treasury choice suggested a level of uncertainty that he had not shown in his other choices, which came in rapid succession after he won the election on November 5. Trump knew that he could not afford a mis-step. He had to find a person wedded to the populist economic policies he championed on the campaign trail, including sweeping tariffs. But he also needed someone he could trust to protect the metric he cared about most: the US stock market. As he weighed the decision, Trump also withheld any nominations for other important economic posts, including director of the National Economic Council, chair of the White House Council of Economic Advisers, commerce secretary and US trade representative. But by Tuesday one piece of the puzzle had been solved. Lutnick would be commerce secretary, which has sweeping responsibilities, including over export controls. Trump said that Lutnick would also have oversight of USTR, the agency that runs US trade policy that normally has its own role in the cabinet. Sensing an opening, finance billionaires in Trump’s orbit lobbied for Rowan, with some texting their support of him directly to the president. Financial figures in Trump’s inner circle made pitches, too, as did a Trump family member. People close to Rowan told the FT he was interested in taking the role and many executives inside Apollo began to believe he could leave the firm he had built into a $700bn-in-assets colossus. The billionaire investor’s meeting with Trump went well on Wednesday, but Rowan also made it clear that while he was honoured to serve the incoming president, he would not be a yes man, said a person with knowledge of the matter. That independence probably hurt his candidacy, said a person close to him. By Thursday it became clear that it would be a race between Warsh and Bessent. A free-trader with traditional views about the need for a strong US dollar and an independent Fed, Warsh was seen as a potential counterweight to some of Trump’s more radical plans for the economy. He had also made it clear that his priority was to become Fed chair once Jay Powell stepped down in May 2026. Recommended Lutnick’s camp was also in favour of Warsh, according to people briefed about the matter. One option floated was for Warsh to stay in the role until the Fed chair opened up, they added. But that plan appeared too convoluted, opening the way for Bessent to boomerang back into the pole position. His bid was boosted by the support of powerful people in Maga circles, especially Steve Bannon, Trump’s former political strategist, and Lindsey Graham, the Republican senator from South Carolina, cementing his stature as a consensus candidate. Accolades rolled in, including from Larry Kudlow, Trump’s former National Economic Council director, who told the FT that Bessent was “absolutely first rate” and an “excellent choice”. But others lamented the decision. An influential investor said that Rowan would have been a better choice. “Marc manages nearly a trillion dollars, he’s the smartest guy on Wall Street and populists fear smart people,” said the investor. “Bessent is likely to follow Trump’s lead.” Still, as Trump hoped, there was a sense of relief among many Wall Street investors, some of whom took to Musk’s social media site X to show their support. “Scott will be instrumental in unleashing the animal spirits of Trump’s economic plan while also being vigilant against the enemies of our great country,” investor Kyle Bass wrote.

A Connecticut couple has been charged in Minnesota with being part of a shoplifting ring suspected of stealing around $1 million in goods across the country from the upscale athletic wear retailer Lululemon. Jadion Anthony Richards, 44, and Akwele Nickeisha Lawes-Richards, 45, both of Danbury, Connecticut, were charged this month with one felony count of organized retail theft. Both went free last week after posting bail bonds of $100,000 for him and $30,000 for her, court records show. They're due back in Ramsey County District Court in St. Paul on Dec. 16. According to the criminal complaints, a Lululemon investigator had been tracking the pair even before police first confronted them on Nov. 14 at a store in suburban Roseville. The investigator told police the couple were responsible for hundreds of thousands of dollars in losses across the country, the complaints said. They would steal items and make fraudulent returns, it said. Police found suitcases containing more than $50,000 worth of Lululemon clothing when they searched the couple's hotel room in Bloomington, the complaint said. RELATED STORY | Florida social media influencer arrested for stealing from Target According to the investigator, they were also suspected in thefts from Lululemon stores in Colorado, Utah, New York and Connecticut, the complaint said. Within Minnesota, they were also accused of thefts at stores in Minneapolis and the suburbs of Woodbury, Edina and Minnetonka. The investigator said the two were part of a group that would usually travel to a city and hit Lululemon stores there for two days, return to the East Coast to exchange the items without receipts for new items, take back the new items with the return receipts for credit card refunds, then head back out to commit more thefts, the complaint said. In at least some of the thefts, it said, Richards would enter the store first and buy one or two cheap items. He'd then return to the sales floor where, with help from Lawes-Richards, they would remove a security sensor from another item and put it on one of the items he had just purchased. Lawes-Richards and another woman would then conceal leggings under their clothing. They would then leave together. When the security sensors at the door went off, he would offer staff the bag with the items he had bought, while the women would keep walking out, fooling the staff into thinking it was his sensor that had set off the alarm, the complaint said. Richards' attorney declined to comment. Lawes-Richards' public defender did not immediately return a call seeking comment Monday. "This outcome continues to underscore our ongoing collaboration with law enforcement and our investments in advanced technology, team training and investigative capabilities to combat retail crime and hold offenders accountable," Tristen Shields, Lululemon's vice president of asset protection, said in a statement. "We remain dedicated to continuing these efforts to address and prevent this industrywide issue." The two are being prosecuted under a state law enacted last year that seeks to crack down on organized retail theft. One of its chief authors, Sen. Ron Latz, of St. Louis Park, said 34 states already had organized retail crime laws on their books. "I am glad to see it is working as intended to bring down criminal operations," Latz said in a statement. "This type of theft harms retailers in myriad ways, including lost economic activity, job loss, and threats to worker safety when crime goes unaddressed. It also harms consumers through rising costs and compromised products being resold online." Two Minnesota women were also charged under the new law in August. They were accused of targeting a Lululemon store in Minneapolis.

Letters to the Editor | November 27, 2024

Crosby breaks Lemieux's Penguins career assists record in 3-2 victory over the IslanderseBullion, Inc. ( OTCMKTS:EBML – Get Free Report )’s share price rose 11.1% during trading on Friday . The company traded as high as $0.77 and last traded at $0.77. Approximately 320 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 100% from the average daily volume of 787,805 shares. The stock had previously closed at $0.69. eBullion Stock Performance The business has a 50 day moving average of $0.69 and a two-hundred day moving average of $0.95. eBullion Company Profile ( Get Free Report ) eBullion, Inc provides precious metals spot contract trading services for gold and silver trading through electronic trading platform located in Hong Kong. The company was incorporated in 2013 and is based in Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for eBullion Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for eBullion and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks closed at more records after Donald Trump’s latest talk about tariffs created only some ripples on Wall Street. The S&P 500 rose 0.6% to reach another all-time high. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 0.3% to its own record set the day before, while the Nasdaq composite rose 0.6% as Big Tech stocks helped lead the way. Stock markets abroad saw mostly modest losses, after President-elect Trump said he plans to impose sweeping tariffs on Mexico, Canada and China as soon as he takes office. U.S. automakers and other companies that could be hurt particularly by such tariffs fell. THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.

The United States saw an 18.1% increase in homelessness this year, a dramatic rise driven mostly by a lack of affordable housing as well as devastating natural disasters and a surge of migrants in several parts of the country, federal officials said Friday. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development said federally required tallies taken across the country in January found more than 770,000 people were counted as homeless — a number that misses some people and does not include those staying with friends or family because they don't have a place of their own. That increase comes on top of a 12% increase in 2023, which HUD blamed on soaring rents and the end of COVID-19 pandemic assistance. The 2023 increase also was driven by people experiencing homelessness for the first time. The numbers overall represent 23 of every 10,000 people in the U.S., with Black people being overrepresented among the homeless population. People are also reading... A man walks past a homeless encampment Oct. 25, 2023, in downtown Los Angeles. "No American should face homelessness, and the Biden-Harris Administration is committed to ensuring every family has access to the affordable, safe, and quality housing they deserve," HUD Agency Head Adrianne Todman said in a statement, adding that the focus should remain on "evidence-based efforts to prevent and end homelessness." Among the most concerning trends was a nearly 40% rise in family homelessness — one of the areas that was most affected by the arrival of migrants in big cities. Family homelessness more than doubled in 13 communities impacted by migrants including Denver, Chicago and New York City, according to HUD, while it rose less than 8% in the remaining 373 communities. Almost 150,000 children experienced homelessness on a single night in 2024, reflecting a 33% jump from last year. Disasters also played a part in the rise in the count, especially last year's catastrophic Maui wildfire, the deadliest U.S. wildfire in more than a century. More than 5,200 people were in emergency shelters in Hawaii on the night of the count. Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries agents assist state police as they order people living in a homeless encampment to move to a different designated location during a sweep ahead of a Taylor Swift concert in New Orleans. "Increased homelessness is the tragic, yet predictable, consequence of underinvesting in the resources and protections that help people find and maintain safe, affordable housing," Renee Willis, incoming interim CEO of the National Low Income Housing Coalition, said in a statement. "As advocates, researchers, and people with lived experience have warned, the number of people experiencing homelessness continues to increase as more people struggle to afford sky-high housing costs." Robert Marbut Jr., the former executive director of the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness from 2019 to 2021, called the nearly 33% increase in homelessness over the past four years "disgraceful" and said the federal government needs to abandon efforts to prioritize permanent housing. "We need to focus on treatment of substance use and mental illness, and bring back program requirements, like job training," Marbut said in an email. The numbers also come as increasing numbers of communities are taking a hard line against homelessness. People living in a homeless encampment pick up belongings Oct. 23 after Louisiana State Police ordered them to move to a different designated location during a sweep ahead of a Taylor Swift concert in New Orleans. Angered by often dangerous and dirty tent camps, communities — especially in Western states — have enforced bans on camping. That follows a 6-3 ruling this summer by the Supreme Court that found outdoor sleeping bans don’t violate the Eighth Amendment. Homeless advocates argued that punishing people who need a place to sleep would criminalize homelessness. There was some positive news in the count, as homelessness among veterans continued to trend downward. Homelessness among veterans dropped 8% to 32,882 in 2024. It was an even larger decrease for unsheltered veterans, declining 11% to 13,851 in 2024. "The reduction in veteran homelessness offers us a clear roadmap for addressing homelessness on a larger scale," Ann Oliva, CEO of the National Alliance to End Homelessness, said in a statement. "With bipartisan support, adequate funding, and smart policy solutions, we can replicate this success and reduce homelessness nationwide. Federal investments are critical in tackling the country's housing affordability crisis and ensuring that every American has access to safe, stable housing." Several large cities had success bringing down their homeless numbers. Dallas, which worked to overhaul its homeless system, saw a 16% drop in its numbers between 2022 to 2024. Los Angeles, which increased housing for the homeless, saw a drop of 5% in unsheltered homelessness since 2023. A rat sniffs the hand of a sleeping man experiencing homelessness Dec. 18 in downtown Los Angeles. California, the most populous state in the U.S., continued to have the nation's largest homeless population, followed by New York, Washington, Florida and Massachusetts. The sharp increase in the homeless population over the past two years contrasts with success the U.S. had for more than a decade. Going back to the first 2007 survey, the U.S. made steady progress for about a decade in reducing the homeless population as the government focused particularly on increasing investments to get veterans into housing. The number of homeless people dropped from about 637,000 in 2010 to about 554,000 in 2017. The numbers ticked up to about 580,000 in the 2020 count and held relatively steady over the next two years as Congress responded to the COVID-19 pandemic with emergency rental assistance, stimulus payments, aid to states and local governments and a temporary eviction moratorium. Emergency housing resources for older Americans in need Emergency housing resources for older Americans in need Homelessness is intertwined with the cost of living, and the high cost of living is hitting older adults fairly hard. A Westat survey for the Department of Health and Human Services found that older adults are the fastest-growing cohort of the homeless population. Emergency housing for seniors can keep that number from climbing higher. Caring.com details how to access it. The number of homeless seniors isn't based solely on people remaining homeless as they age; it also includes those whose first experience with homelessness came after they turned 50. In 2023, The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) reported that 1 in 5 homeless people were over the age of 55. For seniors and other older adults, fixed incomes make it hard to battle the ever-increasing cost of expenses. Endhomelessness.org cites that 2.35 million older adults are paying over half of their limited income to rent. Based on Caring.com's July 2024 survey of seniors in the workforce , that's exactly why 1 in 15 retired seniors worry about losing their homes. Shelter use in homeless people older than 51 has gone up over 10% from 2007 to 2017, according to the HUD. But luckily, so has the number of shelters. Between 2022 and 2023, the HUD reports that emergency shelters added 28,760 more beds in emergency shelters, though this is a reduction in the amount of beds available during the thick of the COVID-19 pandemic. What Is Emergency Housing? Emergency homeless assistance, or emergency housing, is a temporary solution. It's designed to provide shelter while those facing housing instability figure out their next step. Emergency housing for homeless seniors gives someone the immediate ability to remain housed and safely sheltered. Local nonprofits are often involved in placing people experiencing homelessness or housing instability into emergency shelters. Low-income seniors, seniors who are low on funds and might not make rent, or seniors who need to leave their homes for other reasons can use emergency housing. How To Find Emergency Housing For Seniors Many cities have their own emergency housing programs. There are also nationwide programs that provide emergency housing for seniors. The internet is the fastest tool for locating local emergency housing. Libraries have free internet access, for those who might not have a computer or Wi-Fi to begin their search. The list below leads to websites that include phone numbers for emergency homeless assistance. Senior Programs for Emergency Housing Crisis Hotline 2-1-1 Seniors in need of immediate assistance and resources should call 2-1-1 or contact the United Way online . The 2-1-1 crisis hotline partners with United Way, which is committed to helping homeless seniors find local shelters or access transitional housing. The service can also connect seniors with other resources, including food, mental health support, or funding for health care expenses. Calling 2-1-1 is often required as a prerequisite before trying to get into a shelter or obtaining other assistance. Because 2-1-1 is for people in crisis, there are no eligibility requirements. However, some programs seniors may access through 2-1-1 do have eligibility requirements. Seniors can simply dial 2-1-1 from nearly anywhere in the U.S. to be put in touch with the programs and resources they need. Housing Choice Voucher Program Designed specifically for seniors, people with disabilities, and low-income families, the Housing Choice Voucher Program is a federal program offering low-income housing options and rent assistance. These vouchers are available through your local public housing agency (PHA). This program enables and encourages participants to choose their own housing. Housing options don't need to be a part of subsidized housing projects, but there are limits on unit size. Typically, participants must pay 30% of their monthly adjusted income towards their rent, and the voucher program pays the remainder. Applicant income and family size help the PHA determine eligibility. Citizenship and eligible immigration status also play a factor. The family's income cannot exceed 50% of the median income for the county or metropolitan area where they're applying to live. Of the vouchers, 75% must go to people whose income is at or less than 30% of their area's median income. Contact your local public housing agency . Section 202 Supportive Housing for the Elderly Program The Section 202 program helps expand the supply of affordable housing with supportive services for seniors. This program gives low-income seniors options that allow them to live independently, with support for cooking, cleaning, transportation, etc. This program is open to any very low-income household that has at least one person 62 years old or older. Applicants must submit an application in response to a Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) posted on Grants.gov . U.S Department of Housing and Urban Development-VA Supportive Housing Voucher (HUD-VASH) The HUD-VASH program was created as emergency homeless assistance for veterans. Its goal is to give homeless veterans access to permanent housing through public housing authorities. Veterans receive rental assistance through the HUD Housing Choice Voucher program and additional case management services through the VA. By December 2023, the HUD had allocated nearly 112,000 vouchers to help house veterans nationwide. To help veterans achieve stability and remain housed, VA case managers may connect veterans with support services such as health care, mental health treatment, and substance use counseling. If you or your loved one is a low-income senior with eligible military service, you may apply. Your local VA can tell you if your service qualifies you for HUD-VASH. Senior veterans may apply online or call (877) 424-3838. Emergency Housing Resources by State Click here to learn more about the emergency housing options for seniors available in your state. The Bottom Line Low-income seniors who aren't in assisted living or independent living communities might find themselves facing housing instability. Emergency housing for seniors can help you or your loved one seek shelter. Crisis hotlines and public housing agencies can offer support. Senior Emergency Housing FAQ Finding emergency housing for seniors depends heavily on your area. The first step is to call the Crisis Hotline at 2-1-1. Finding a shelter takes less time than applying and getting approved for low-income housing voucher programs. The 2-1-1 hotline can direct you to local resources and locators. Yes and no. The duration depends on the type of housing. Shelters have limits that vary. Some shelters allow people to stay for up to six months, though that can vary based on demand. Seniors can remain in Section 202 supportive housing as long as they meet age and income requirements. Yes. Many counties have financial emergency programs that help seniors handle home repairs or short-term financial crises like utility shutoff. These programs allow the senior to focus their funds on their rent or mortgage. This story was produced by Caring.com and reviewed and distributed by Stacker Media. Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter.The Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-7) take on a fellow NFC South foe when they host the Carolina Panthers (4-11) on Sunday, December 29, 2024 at Raymond James Stadium, and if you’re looking for best bets, we have them. BetMGM is one of the most trusted Sportsbooks in the nation. Start with as little as $1 and place your bets today . Don’t miss a touchdown this NFL season. Catch every score with NFL RedZone on Fubo. What is Fubo? Fubo is a streaming service that gives you access to your favorite live sports and shows on demand. Sign up today and watch seven hours of commercial-free football from every NFL game every Sunday. Think you know who will win the game? Sign up at BetMGM and place your bet today. Want to bet on this game’s spread? Head to BetMGM and place your wager today. Want to bet on the over/under in this matchup? Make your wager at BetMGM . Not all offers available in all states, please visit BetMGM for the latest promotions for your area. Must be 21+ to gamble, please wager responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, contact 1-800-GAMBLER .After the recent discovery of a destructive mussel in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, some experts say California officials have failed to effectively enforce laws designed to protect waterways from invaders carried in ships’ ballast water. A state law enacted 20 years ago has required California officials to inspect 25% of incoming ships and sample their ballast water before it’s discharged into waterways. But the tests didn’t begin until two years ago — after standards for conducting them were finally set — and testing remains rare. State officials have sampled the ballast water of only 16 vessels out of the roughly 3,000 likely to have emptied their tanks nearshore. Experts say stronger regulations are needed, as well as better enforcement. “It’s not really a surprise that another invasive species showed up in the Delta,” said Karrigan Börk, a law professor and the interim director of the UC Davis Center for Watershed Sciences. “It’s likely to continue happening.” Native to eastern Asia, the mussels — detected near the Port of Stockton, in a small San Joaquin Valley reservoir and several other Delta locations — were the first to be detected in North America. If the mollusc evades eradication efforts, it could spread over vast areas of California and beyond, crowd out native species and clog parts of the massive projects that export Delta water to cities and farms. RELATED COVERAGE US budget airlines are struggling. Will pursuing premium passengers solve their problems? Airline CEOs and Buttigieg fight over regulations with only weeks left Delta CEO says the Trump administration will reverse government ‘overreach’ seen under Biden Ted Lempert, a former Bay Area Assemblymember who authored a 1999 state law aimed at preventing ships from bringing invasive species into California, said state officials “apparently took their eyes off the ball.” “We were trying to get ahead of the game, so I’m really frustrated that after all these years some of the events we were trying to prevent have come to pass,” he said. But the prospect of an invasive species colonizing a new region frequented by ships “is a numbers game” that can happen even under the most rigorous regulations and enforcement, said Greg Ruiz, a marine ecologist with the Marine Invasions Research Laboratory at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center. “This is not a failure in the system,” he said. Ballast water is stored in tanks to stabilize vessels at sea. Often taken on at the port of departure and released at the port of arrival, it is a global vector of invasive species, including pathogens that cause human diseases. To address the threat to ecosystems and water supplies, the State Lands Commission, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Coast Guard enforce a suite of overlapping regulations. The goal of these state and federal rules is to reduce as much as possible the number of living organisms in discharged ballast water. Vessel operators can achieve this by exposing their ballast water to ultraviolet light, filtering it and treating it with chlorine, which is then removed before discharge. ‘Highest standards in the world.’ But are they enforced? About 1,500 ships a year entering California waters release ballast water, according to Chris Scianni, environmental program manager of the State Lands Commission’s Marine Invasive Species Program. To check for compliance, officials board and inspect nearly all of them, plus another thousand vessels prioritized for inspection for other reasons, Scianni said. During these inspections, officers review ballast water logbooks and reporting forms, interview crew members, inspect water treatment equipment, and occasionally take water samples for testing. “We’re the only entity in the world that’s doing this right now,” Scianni said. A 2003 state law declares that the State Lands Commission “shall take samples of ballast water, sediment, and biofouling from at least 25% of vessels” subject to invasive species regulations. But commission officials told CalMatters they interpret it to mean that 25% of ships must be inspected, with no specific requirements for sampling. Sampling for some ships began in 2023, after the commission enacted standards for how the tests are conducted. It’s a considerable endeavor : A cubic meter of water — which weighs a metric ton — must be collected from a ship. It can take an hour to draw, and it must be done while the vessel is actively discharging. Hours more may pass before results are ready. Federal officials have their own ballast oversight program. It leans on a system of self-reporting by vessel operators — which critics consider a weak tool for ensuring compliance. An EPA spokesperson said the agency “can assess compliance with (the rules) either through a desk audit or an on-site inspection.” Many experts told CalMatters that the state and federal limits on how many organisms are allowed in discharged water are adequate but that enforcement is lacking. “We had the highest (ballast water management) standards in the world, but they were never actually enforced because the state couldn’t come up with a set of technologies to implement them,” said Ben Eichenberg, a staff attorney with the group SF Baykeeper. Ted Grosholz, a professor emeritus with the UC Davis Coastal and Marine Sciences Institute said “the standards are very exacting...The problem we have is compliance. How many ships coming in with ballast water can we really sample and verify? Enforcement officials can’t watch everyone.” Smithsonian’s Ruiz said state records show that all documented ballast discharges at the Port of Stockton since 2008 have followed state regulations. Ships that discharge, however, occasionally remain uninspected as they enter a port. And some vessel operators may cheat, filling their ballast tanks with clean ocean water to pass off a faulty water treatment system as functional. Moreover, even treated ballast water can contain high levels of zooplankton. Ruiz, who has studied California’s data on ship arrival and locations of the mussels, said it’s probable the golden mussel entered the Delta at least a year ago and even possible that it’s been there for a decade or more, adding that “it could even have happened in the pre-treatment (of ballast water) era.” Somehow, the creature slipped through the cracks and made itself a new home in what has been called one of the most invaded estuaries on the planet. It’s an outcome that Lempert as an assemblymember tried to prevent a quarter-century ago, when he authored the Ballast Water Management for Control of Non-indigenous Species Act . The law required incoming vessels to either retain their ballast water, drain it while simultaneously refilling with new water hundreds of miles out at sea, or use an “environmentally sound” treatment system. It tasked the California State Lands Commission with monitoring vessels for compliance. California has since enacted a complex system of regulations: In 2003, the Marine Invasive Species Act expanded the scope of Lempert’s legislation. Three years later, the Legislature required the commission to set limits on organism concentrations in ballast water; these “ standards of performance ” were implemented in 2022. While the standards allow minute levels of organisms in the water, the goal is “zero detectable living organisms” by 2040. Several federal laws also aim to protect U.S. waters from creatures like the golden mussel. Penalties for breaking ballast management rules have been modest. At the state level, violations have resulted in 24 fines in the past six years, totaling just over $1 million. Federal fines are rare, with just nine penalties issued amounting to about $714,000 in the EPA’s Pacific Southwest region since 2013. Commission officials said “the frequency of noncompliant discharges ... has dropped dramatically since our enforcement regulations (with penalties) were adopted in 2017.” Can ballast water be sterilized? California officials say achieving the law’s goal of zero organisms in ballast water discharged into waterways is infeasible. It would require a network of treatment plants at coastal ports, costing $1.45 billion over 30 years. The shipping industry would face another $2.17 billion in costs for installing systems capable of transferring ballast water to the floating treatment plants. But Eichenberg said some ships already use commercially available systems that consistently, and by a wide margin, outperform industry standards. He said the state’s failure to require that vessels use the most advanced treatment systems available — technology capable of nearly sterilizing ballast water — has culminated in the golden mussel’s arrival. “Something like this was bound to happen eventually,” he said. State and federal performance standards — modeled after international standards — limit the concentration of living zooplankton-sized organisms, like mussel larvae, in ballast water before discharge to 10 per cubic meter. For smaller organisms, allowances are higher. But even in ballast water that has undergone treatment in approved systems, zooplankton concentrations can be off-the-charts for reasons not always clear, according to Hugh MacIsaac, an aquatic invasive species researcher at the University of Windsor in Ontario, who has studied the spread of the golden mussel in South America and central China. Treating ballast water doesn’t necessarily work. A study in Shanghai found up to 23,000 zooplankton-sized organisms per cubic meter in the ballast water of half of ships sampled, MacIsaac said. Ruiz, at the Smithsonian research center, said the study’s sample size of 17 ships is too small to be representative and that such high concentrations are abnormal in the United States. “We sample vessels here, and that’s not what we see coming into the U.S.,” he said. Ship operators have shifted radically in the past 20 years “from no management to a nearly complete use of open-ocean exchange to, now, an almost complete transition to ballast treatment technology,” Ruiz said. Attention turns to federal rules The federal government, not state agencies, will soon become the key player in ballast management. That’s because new EPA rules, which are likely at least 18 months away from full implementation, will preempt state regulations. The new rules — which state officials will help enforce — will keep the existing standards for organism concentrations, but prevent states from implementing their own rules that exceed federal standards. For example, California’s goal of zero detectable organisms in ballast discharge will be nixed. Nicole Dobrosky, the State Lands Commission’s chief of environmental science, planning and management, said states can petition the federal government for changes to the rules. Shippers welcome the shift to national rules that align with international standards, said Jacqueline Moore, Long Beach-based vice president of the Pacific Merchant Shipping Association . “An international industry by nature, the maritime community always appreciates consistent standards across the board, and across the ocean in this case,” Moore said. “It’s much easier for everyone.” But the change of regulatory oversight concerns Marcie Keever, the oceans and vessels program director with Friends of the Earth. She said that to date the State Lands Commission has been the more active enforcer. Preempting state laws with federal standards that she says are too weak “will essentially give the shipping industry a free pass to pollute...These shipping companies are self-reporting pollution instances, and no one is doing anything about it except for the state.” In 1973, the EPA exempted ballast water from the Clean Water Act. Eventually forced by court rulings to comply with the act, the agency released its newest standards in October for limiting organism concentrations in ballast water. Keever said the EPA is not setting the bar as high as it should. “We’re still basically at the same place we were at 20 years ago,” Keever said. “The EPA has never set what we see as the best available technology for ballast water discharges.” More than 150 environmental groups made similar claims in a 2022 letter to President Joe Biden, arguing that the technology exists now to almost entirely sterilize ballast water. “(W)e have the technical ability to efficiently remove or kill organisms that are trapped in a tank of water,” they wrote. “For half a century federal law has required EPA to use that ability to protect the environment and public health — yet EPA still refuses to do so.” The EPA disagrees with the criticism. Joshua Alexander, press officer with the agency’s Region 9 San Francisco office, told CalMatters that “the EPA concluded that these standards (in the new rules) are the most stringent ones that the available ballast water test data can support.” Can anything stop the mussel invasion? October’s discovery of the golden mussel in California is being treated urgently by state and federal officials. The creatures have wreaked havoc on water supply and hydroelectric facilities in South America, and they are spreading rapidly through central China. In the Great Lakes, invasive zebra mussels cause $300 to $500 million in damages annually to power plants and other water infrastructure — the types of impacts officials in California hope to avoid. Tanya Veldhuizen, the Department of Water Resources’ special projects section manager, said officials are considering the use of chemicals to remove the creatures from pumps, intakes and pipelines of the massive State Water Project, which transports water to farms and cities. Several scientists told CalMatters that with most nonnative species, eradication is only possible early in the game — meaning management officials often have one shot at success. Biologist Andrew Chang, who works at the Smithsonian research center’s Marin County field lab, noted an old adage in invasion ecology — containing the spread of a nonnative species is like trying to put toothpaste back into a tube. “The more time that passes, the process of putting the toothpaste back in the tube gets messier and messier,” Chang said. University of Windsor’s MacIsaac thinks California may be on the cusp of an unstoppable mussel invasion. “This is an enormous problem for your state,” he said. ___ This story was originally published by CalMatters and distributed through a partnership with The Associated Press.