Lisa Simpson once said during an episode of “The Simpsons:” What could be more exciting than the savage ballet that is pro football? On Monday night, the entire Simpsons universe gets to experience it in a way not many could have imagined. The prime-time matchup between the Cincinnati Bengals and Dallas Cowboys will also take place at Springfield’s Atoms Stadium as part of “The Simpsons Funday Football” alternate broadcast. The altcast will be streamed on ESPN+, Disney+, and NFL+ (on mobile devices). ESPN and ABC have the main broadcast, while ESPN2 will carry the final “ManningCast” of the regular season. The replay will be available on Disney+ for 30 days. Globally, more than 145 countries will have access to either live or on replay. “We’re such huge football fans, and the Simpsons audience and the football audience, I feel, are like the same audience of just American families and football. And the Simpsons are so much a part of the DNA of the American family and culture that for us to, like, mush them together in this crazy video game, it’s so fun,” said Matt Selman, executive producer of “The Simpsons.” While the game is the focal point, the alternate broadcast, in some ways, will resemble a three-hour episode of “The Simpsons.” It starts with Homer eating too many hot dogs and having a dream while watching football. Homer joins the Cowboys in the dream while Bart teams up with the Bengals. Lisa and Marge will be sideline reporters. “That’s the beginning of the story, and the story continues through the entire game until Homer wakes up from his dream at the end of the game. It is like a complete story, and the NFL game will happen in between. It’s just going to be an amazing presentation with tons of surprises,” said Michael “Spike” Szykowny, ESPN’s VP of edit and animation. This is the second year ESPN has done an alternate broadcast for an NFL game. It used the characters from “Toy Story” for last year’s Sunday morning game from London between the Atlanta Falcons and Jacksonville Jaguars. “The Simpsons” has featured many sports-themed episodes during its 35 seasons. Even though “Homer at the Bat” remains the consensus favorite sports episode for many Simpsons fans, there have been football ones such as “Bart Star” and “Lisa The Greek.” There also was a Super Bowl-themed one after Fox’s broadcast of Super Bowl 33 between Denver and Atlanta in 1999. Even though “The Simpsons” remains a staple on Fox’s prime-time schedule, it is part of the Disney family after their acquisition of 20th Century Fox in 2019. All 35 seasons are on Disney+. The show’s creators have worked with ESPN and the NFL to make sure the look and sound is definitely Simpsonsesque. The theme song is a mash-up of “The Simpsons” opening and “Monday Night Football’s” iconic “Heavy Action.” There have also been pre-recorded skits and bits to use during the broadcast featuring Simpson’s legendary voices Hank Azaria, Nancy Cartwright, Dan Castellaneta, Julie Kavner, and Yeardley Smith. The telecast will be entirely animated, with the players’ movements in sync with what is happening in real-time on the field. That is done through player-tracking data enabled by the NFL’s Next Gen Stats system and Sony’s Beyond Sports Technology. While Next Gen Stats tracks where players are on the field with a tracking chip in the shoulder pads, there is skeletal data tracking and limb tracking data — which uses 29 points per player — to get closer to the player’s movements. The other data tracking will allow Beyond Sports and Disney to add special characters to the game. For example, there might be a play where Lisa catches the ball and goes 30 yards instead of Cincinnati’s Tee Higgins. “Lisa is much smaller than the rest of the players. So, in real life, the ball would go over her head, but now, with data processing, we can take the ball and make it go exactly into her hands. So for the viewer, it still looks believable, and it all makes sense,” said Beyond Sports co-founder Nicolaas Westerhof. The other major challenge is making “The Simpsons” two-dimensional cartoon characters into 3-D simulations. Szykowny and his team worked to make that a reality over the past couple of months. “That’s a big leap of faith for them to say, hey, we trust you to make our characters 3-D and work with it. Our ESPN creative studio team has done a wonderful job,” Szykowny said. Lisa, Krusty, Nelson, Milhouse and Ralph will be with Bart and the Bengals; while Carl, Barney, Lenny and Moe join up with with Homer and the Cowboys. The broadcast will also feature ESPN personalities Stephen A. Smith, Peyton Manning and Eli Manning. ESPN’s Drew Carter, Mina Kimes and Dan Orlovsky will call the game from Bristol, Connecticut, and also be animated. They will wear Meta Quest Pro headsets to experience the game from Springfield using VR technology. For Kimes, being part of the broadcast and being an animated Simpsons character is a dream come true. She is a massive fan of the show and has a framed photo of Lisa Simpson — who she said is a personal hero and icon — as part of her backdrop when she makes appearances on ESPN NFL shows from her home in Los Angeles. “I didn’t have any input, and I didn’t see anything beforehand, so I wasn’t sure if it would look like me, but it kind of does, which is very funny,” said Kimes, who drew Simpsons characters when she was a kid. “To see the actual staff turn me into one was a dream.” Even though the Bengals (4-8) and Cowboys (5-7) have struggled this season, Selman thinks both teams have personalities that appeal to “The Simpsons” universe. “We were just so lucky also that the Cowboys are sort of like a Homer Simpson-type team, American team, and Mike McCarthy might be a Homer-type guy, one might imagine,” he said. ”And then you have Joe Burrow on the other side who is a cool young, spiky-haired, blonde bad boy -- he’s like Bart. And that fits our character archetypes so perfectly. “If Homer is mad at Bart and has a hot dog dream while watching ’Monday Night Football’, and then it’s basically McCarthy versus Burrow, Homer versus Bart, and that’s the simple father versus son strangling — Homer strangling Bart dynamic that has been part of the show for 35 years. I don’t know if that would have worked as well if it was like Titans versus Jacksonville. We would have found something. We would have made it work.” AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nflWASHINGTON — The House on Wednesday passed a $895 billion measure that authorizes a 1% increase in defense spending this fiscal year and would give a double-digit pay raise to about half of the enlisted service members in the military. The bill is traditionally strongly bipartisan, but some Democratic lawmakers opposed the inclusion of a ban on transgender medical treatments for children of military members if such treatment could result in sterilization. It passed by a vote of 281-140 and next moves to the Senate, where lawmakers sought a bigger boost in defense spending than the current measure allows. The Pentagon and the surrounding area is seen Jan. 26, 2020, from the air in Washington. Lawmakers are touting the bill's 14.5% pay raise for junior enlisted service members and a 4.5% increase for others as key to improving the quality of life for those serving in the U.S. military. Those serving as junior enlisted personnel are in pay grades that generally track with their first enlistment term. Lawmakers said service member pay failed to remain competitive with the private sector, forcing many military families to rely on food banks and government assistance programs to put food on the table. The bill also provides significant new resources for child care and housing. "No service member should have to live in squalid conditions and no military family should have to rely on food stamps to feed their children, but that's exactly what many of our service members are experiencing, especially the junior enlisted," said Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Ala., chairman of the House Armed Services Committee. "This bill goes a long way to fixing that." The bill sets key Pentagon policy that lawmakers will attempt to fund through a follow-up appropriations bill. The overall spending tracks the numbers established in a 2023 agreement that then-Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., reached with President Joe Biden to increase the nation's borrowing authority and avoid a federal default in exchange for spending restraints. Many senators had wanted to increase defense spending some $25 billion above what was called for in that agreement, but those efforts failed. Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., who is expected to serve as the next chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said the overall spending level was a "tremendous loss for our national defense," though he agreed with many provisions within the bill. "We need to make a generational investment to deter the Axis of Aggressors. I will not cease work with my congressional colleagues, the Trump administration, and others until we achieve it," Wicker said. Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., speaks with reporters Nov. 21 on Capitol Hill in Washington. House Republicans don't want to go above the McCarthy-Biden agreement for defense spending and are looking to go way below it for many non-defense programs. They are also focused on cultural issues. The bill prohibits funding for teaching critical race theory in the military and prohibits TRICARE health plans from covering gender dysphoria treatment for children under 18 if that treatment could result in sterilization. Rep. Adam Smith of Washington state, the ranking Democratic member of the House Armed Services Committee, said minors dealing with gender dysphoria is a "very real problem." He said the treatments available, including puberty blockers and hormone therapy, have proven effective at helping young people dealing with suicidal thoughts, anxiety and depression. "These treatments changed their lives and in many cases saved their lives," Smith said. "And in this bill, we decided we're going to bar service members' children from having access to that." Smith said the number of minors in service member families receiving transgender medical care extends into the thousands. He could have supported a study asking medical experts to determine whether such treatments are too often used, but a ban on health insurance coverage went too far. He said Speaker Mike Johnson's office insisted on the ban and said the provision "taints an otherwise excellent piece of legislation." Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, called the ban a step in the right direction, saying, "I think these questions need to be pulled out of the debate of defense, so we can get back to the business of defending the United States of America without having to deal with social engineering debates." Smith said he agrees with Roy that lawmakers should be focused on the military and not on cultural conflicts, "and yet, here it is in this bill." Branden Marty, a Navy veteran who served for 13 years, said the loss of health coverage for transgender medical treatments could prompt some with valuable experience to leave the military, affecting national security because "we already struggle from a recruiting and retention standpoint." He also said the bill could regularly force service members into difficult choices financially. "It will be tough for a lot of them because of out-of-pocket expenses, especially enlisted members who we know already struggle with food insecurity," said Marty, the father of a transgender teenager. "They don't get paid very much, so they're going to be making a lot of choices on a day-to-day, tactical level." House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., responds to reporters Dec. 6 during his weekly news conference at the Capitol in Washington. Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, the House Democratic leader, said his team did not tell Democrats how to vote on the bill. "There's a lot of positive things in the National Defense Authorization Act that were negotiated in a bipartisan way, and there are some troubling provisions in a few areas as well," Jeffries said. Overall, 81 Democrats voted for the bill and 124 against it. On the Republican side, 200 voted for the bill and 16 against it. "It's disappointing to see 124 of my Democrat colleagues vote against our brave men and women in uniform over policies that have nothing to do with their intended mission," Johnson, R-La., said. The defense policy bill also looks to strengthen deterrence against China. It calls for investing $15.6 billion to build military capabilities in the Indo-Pacific region. The Biden administration requested about $10 billion. On Israel, the bill, among other things, includes an expansion of U.S. joint military exercises with Israel and a prohibition on the Pentagon citing casualty data from Hamas. The defense policy bill is one of the final measures that lawmakers view as a must-pass before making way for a new Congress in January. Rising threats from debt collectors against members of the U.S. armed forces are undermining national security, according to data from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), a federal watchdog that protects consumer rights. To manage the impact of financial stress on individual performance, the Defense Department dedicates precious resources to improving financial literacy, so service members know the dangers of notorious no-credit-check loans. “The financial well-being of service members and their families is one of the Department’s top priorities,” said Andrew Cohen, the director of financial readiness in the Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense at the Pentagon. But debt collectors are gaining ground. Last quarter, debt collection complaints by U.S. military service members increased 24% , and attempts to collect on “debts not owed” surged 40%. Complaints by service members against debt collectors for deceptive practices ballooned from 1,360 in the fourth quarter of 2023 to 1,833 in the first quarter of 2024. “There’s a connection between the financial readiness and the readiness of a service member to perform their duty,” said Jim Rice, Assistant Director, Office of Servicemember Affairs at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Laws exist to protect the mission readiness of U.S. troops from being compromised by threats and intimidation, but debt collectors appear to be violating them at an alarming pace. “If they’re threatening to call your commander or get your security clearance revoked, that’s illegal,” says Deborah Olvera, financial readiness manager at Wounded Warriors Project, and a military spouse who’s been harassed herself by a collection agency that tried to extort money from her for a debt she didn’t owe. But after she requested the name of the original creditor, she never heard from them again. “The financial well-being of service members and their families is one of the Department’s top priorities.” —Andrew Cohen, Director of Financial Readiness at the Pentagon Under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, it’s illegal for debt collectors to threaten to contact your boss or have you arrested because it violates your financial privacy. The FDCPA also prohibits debt collectors from making false, deceptive, or misleading representations in connection with the collection of a debt, even for borrowers with bad credit scores. But according to the data, debt collectors are increasingly ignoring those rules. “Debt collection continues to be one of the top consumer complaint categories,” said a spokesperson at the Federal Trade Commission. The commission released a report earlier this year revealing that consumers were scammed $10 billion in 2023, a new benchmark for fraud losses. In his book Debt: The First 5,000 Years, David Graeber argues that debt often creates a relationship that can feel more oppressive than systems of hierarchy, like slavery or caste systems because it starts by presuming equality between the debtor and the creditor. When the debtor falls into arrears, that equality is then destroyed. This sense of betrayal and the subsequent imbalance of power leads to widespread resentment toward lenders. Photo Credit: Olena Yakobchuk / Shutterstock The debt collector reportedly harassing military service members most was Resurgent Capital Services, a subsidiary of collection giant Sherman Financial Group. The company tacks on accrued interest and junk fees and tries to collect on debts purchased for pennies on the dollar from cable companies, hospitals, and credit card companies, among others. Sherman Financial Group is run by billionaire Benjamin Navarro, who has a reported net worth of $1.5 billion, according to Forbes. Sherman Financial also owns subprime lender Credit One Bank and LVNV Funding, which outsource collections to Resurgent Capital. According to CFPB data, the second worst offender is CL Holdings, the parent company of debt-buyer Jefferson Capital Systems. The company has also been named in numerous complaints to the Better Business Bureau for alleged violations of the FDCPA, such as failing to properly validate debts or update credit reports with accurate information. Under the leadership of CEO David Burton, Jefferson Capital Systems is a wholly-owned subsidiary of CompuCredit Corporation, which markets subprime credit cards under the names Aspire, Majestic, and others. The third most referenced debt collector is publicly traded Portfolio Recovery Associates [NASDAQ: PRAA], which was forced to pay $27 million in penalties for making false representations about debts, initiating lawsuits without proper documentation, and other violations. Portfolio Recovery Associates is run by CEO Vikram Atal. Fourth place for alleged worst offender goes to Encore Capital Group [NASDAQ ECPG], which was required to pay $42 million in consumer refunds and a $10 million penalty for violating the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act. Encore collects under its subsidiary Midland Credit Management Group. These debt collectors all operate under a veritable shell game of company and brand names, almost none of which are disclosed on their websites, sending consumers on a wild goose chase to try and figure out how they’re related to each other. But despite their attempts to hide their tracks behind a smoke screen of subsidiaries, a leopard can’t change its spots, and the CFPB complaint database makes it harder for them to try. Photo Credit: Bumble Dee / Shutterstock Although widely considered a consumer-friendly state, complaints spiked most in California, which saw a 188% increase in complaints filed from the fourth quarter of 2023 to the first quarter of 2024. California is home to 157,367 military personnel, making it the most populous state for active-duty service members. The second-largest increase in debt collection complaints was in Texas, which saw a 66% jump from the fourth quarter of 2023 to the first quarter of 2024. The U.S. Department of Defense reports 111,005 service members stationed in the Lone Star State, which is the third-most populous state for active-duty military. The rising trends do not correlate to the number of military personnel by state. Complaints against debt collectors in Virginia, the second most populous state with 126,145 active duty personnel, decreased by 29% in the same quarter-over-quarter period. And complaints filed quarter-over-quarter in North Carolina, the fifth most populous state with 91,077 military personnel, decreased by 3% in the same period. The third largest percentage increase in debt collection complaints was from service members stationed in Maryland, where alleged harassment reports jumped 112% from the fourth quarter of 2023 to the first quarter of 2024. Maryland ranks number 12 with just 28,059 active duty service members. Fourth place goes to Ohio – the 28th most populous active-duty state – where complaints doubled, followed by Arizona – the 15th most populous military state – where complaints were up 70% in the same quarter-over-quarter period. Photo Credit: PeopleImages.com - Yuri A / Shutterstock In 2007, Congress passed the Military Lending Act to cap the cost of credit to a 36% annual percentage rate, inclusive of junk fees and late charges, for active duty military service members. That rate is still considerably higher than average credit card rates, which range from 8% for borrowers with excellent credit scores to as high as 36% for borrowers with bad credit. But lenders still get hauled into court for violating the MLA. Don Hankey, the billionaire subprime auto lender who funded Donald Trump’s $175 million appeal bond , is among those violators. His company, Westlake Financial, which markets high-interest car loans for bad credit, has been sued twice by the Department of Justice for harassing military service members. In 2017, the DoJ alleged Hankey’s Westlake Financial illegally repossessed at least 70 vehicles owned by military service members. Westlake Financial paid $700,000 to settle the charges. In 2022, Westlake Financial paid $250,000 for allegedly cheating U.S. troops out of interest rates they were legally entitled to. Westlake Financial continues to receive complaints from military service members alleging abusive debt collection practices on its no-credit-check loans. A steady year-over-year increase in the number of complaints filed against Westlake Financial continued from 2020 to 2023. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau data shows a 13% increase in the number of complaints against the company from 2020 to 2021, a 28% increase from 2021 to 2022, and a torrential 119% surge from 2022 to 2023. The numbers suggest systemic complaint-handling processes and inadequate customer service resources. Photo Credit: Cynthia Shirk / Shutterstock On May 16, 2024, a deceptively named predatory lending industry front group dubbed the Community Financial Services Association of America (CFSA) lost a legal attempt to defund the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. In an effort to deprive Americans of essential consumer protections, the lobby group argued that the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s funding structure was unconstitutional. But the Supreme Court denied its claim. In a 7-2 ruling, the Court held that the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s funding structure is indeed constitutional. That means the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau cannot be defunded, but it does not mean the agency cannot be defanged. The New York Times suggested that Hankey’s incentive to finance Trump’s $175 million bond could have been a reciprocity pledge to neuter the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau if Trump wins the upcoming U.S. presidential election. If Trump wins a second term, he could replace Consumer Financial Protection Bureau director Rohit Chopra, an American consumer advocate, with a predatory lending advocate. In 2020, the Trump Administration secured a Supreme Court ruling that made it easier for the president to fire the head of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. The ruling struck down previous restrictions on when a president can fire the bureau’s director. Like other federal agencies, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has also been confronted for overstepping its bounds, pushing too far, and acting unfairly against entities it regulates. Photo Credit: Lux Blue / Shutterstock Seasonality and rising interest rates do not explain the increase in debt collection complaints from service members. The surge in complaints is not tied to predictable seasonal fluctuations or changes in interest rates. The increase in debt collection complaints by service members may point to underlying systemic issues, such as aggressive and predatory debt collection practices that exploit the unique financial vulnerabilities of service members, who face frequent relocations and deployments. Debt Complaints by Service Members The 24% spike in debt collection complaints exhibits no correlation to fluctuations in interest rates. 30-Year Fixed Mortgage Rates Pandemic stimulus checks were also not a factor. COVID-19 relief benefit checks went through three major rounds during the pandemic. The final round of Economic Impact Payments went out in March 2021 . To better understand the rising trend of debt collection complaints, we calculated the increase in the total number of complaints and the percentage increase quarter-over-quarter. For example, New Jersey has the second largest percentage increase in complaints quarter-over-quarter, but the total number of complaints increased by just 16. The data for this study was sourced from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) complaint database. The dataset specifically targeted complaints filed by U.S. military service members, identified using the tag “Servicemember” within Q4 2023 and Q1 2024. Readers can find the detailed research methodology underlying this news story in the accompanying section here . For complete results, see U.S. Troops Face Mounting Threats from Predatory Debt Collectors on BadCredit.org . Homelessness reached record levels in 2023, as rents and home prices continued to rise in most of the U.S. One group was particularly impacted: people who have served in the U.S. military. "This time last year, we knew the nation was facing a deadly public health crisis," Jeff Olivet, executive director of the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness, said in a statement about the 2023 numbers. He said the latest homelessness estimates from the Department of Housing and Urban Development "confirms the depth of the crisis." At least 35,000 veterans were experiencing homelessness in 2023, according to HUD. While that's about half of what it was in 2009—when the organization began collecting data—things have plateaued in recent years despite active efforts to get that number to zero. Although they make up just 6.6% of the total homeless population, veterans are more likely to be at risk of homelessness than Americans overall. Of every 10,000 Americans, 20 were experiencing homelessness. Of veterans living in the United States, that number jumps to 22, HUD data shows. Complicated by bureaucracy, family dynamics, and prejudice, the path from serving in the military to homelessness is a long one. According to a 2022 study by Yale School of Medicine researchers, homelessness typically occurs within four years of leaving the military, as veterans must contend with the harsh reality of finding a job in a world where employers struggle to see how skills on the battlefield transfer to a corporate environment. These days, veterans also deal with historically high rent and home prices, which causes many to rely on family generosity while figuring out a game plan. Stacker examined academic studies, analyzed government data, and spoke with members of the Biden administration, experts, and former members of the armed forces to see the struggles members of the military face when leaving the armed forces. The Department of Veterans Affairs offers transition assistance to the roughly 250,000 service members who leave each year. However, those programs can be burdensome and complex to navigate, especially for those who don't have a plan for post-military life. Only a small portion of veterans have jobs lined up when they leave, according to 2019 Pew Research. Many also choose to live with relatives until they get on their feet, which can be longer than anticipated. Some former service members are unsure what kind of career they'd like to pursue and may have to get further education or training, Carl Castro, director of the Military and Veteran Programs at the Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work at the University of Southern California, told Stacker. "It takes years for that kind of transition," Castro said. Many have trouble finding a job after leaving the service, even if they are qualified. Some employers carry misconceptions about those who have served. A 2020 analysis from the journal Human Resource Management Review found that some veterans face hiring discrimination due to negative stereotypes that lead hiring managers to write them off as a poor culture fit. Underemployment, or working low-wage jobs below their skill level, is also an issue. While the unemployment rate for veterans was 3% in March 2024, a study released by Penn State at the end of 2023 found three years after leaving the service, 61% of veterans said they were underemployed because of perceived skill mismatches . This phenomenon can have long-term economic effects, and eventually, that frustration can boil over, strain relationships, and potentially lead to housing instability. Working, especially a low-wage job, is not protection against homelessness. A 2021 study from the University of Chicago found half of people living in homeless shelters and 2 in 5 unsheltered people were employed, full or part-time. High rents make it difficult to save up, even when applying for a VA loan—a mortgage backed by the Department of Veterans Affairs that typically has more favorable terms. While the VA does not require a downpayment, some lenders, who ultimately provide the loan, do. They're not entirely risk-free either, and veterans can still lose their homes if they are unable to keep up with their mortgages. In November 2023, the VA put a six-month pause on foreclosures when an NPR investigation found thousands of veterans were in danger of losing their homes after a COVID forbearance program ended. Biden officials pointed to high rents and the end of COVID-era housing restrictions like eviction moratoriums to explain the spike in Americans experiencing homelessness. In the last year, homelessness rose 12%—to more than 650,000 people—the highest level since data began being collected in 2007. Overall, more than half of people experiencing homelessness in 2023 live in states with high living costs. Most were in California, followed by New York and Florida. Western states, including Montana and Utah, experienced massive population growth during the pandemic, becoming hubs for remote workers who drove home prices and rents even further. For veterans, housing costs certainly play a role, but those who leave the military also face systemic barriers. "It's worrying there are people that continue to fall through the cracks," said Jeanette Yih Harvie, a research associate at Syracuse University's D'Aniello Institute for Veterans and Military Families. Just under a quarter of adults experiencing homelessness have a severe mental illness , according to 2022 HUD survey data. They are also likely to have chronic illnesses but are unable to maintain preventative care, which only exacerbates these problems. Veterans facing homelessness are more likely to have experienced trauma , either before or after joining the military, according to Yale researchers who analyzed the 2019-2020 National Health and Resilience in Veterans Study. Childhood trauma was among the most significant commonalities among vets who become homeless. Substance use disorder is also widespread and can indicate an undiagnosed mental illness . Racial and ethnic disparities are at play, too. A 2023 study in the Journal of Psychiatric Research showed that Hispanic and Black veterans were more likely to screen positive for PTSD, and Hispanic veterans were more likely to report having suicidal ideation. Overall, access to mental health care has improved in the last decade or so. In December 2023, the VA announced it would open nine additional counseling centers. However, the stigma of getting help remains, especially after years of being conditioned to be self-reliant and pull oneself up by their bootstraps. That help, in the form of public policy, is slowly working to catch up to the need. In 2023, the Biden administration invested millions into research programs and studies on suicide prevention by the VA office in addition to a proposed $16 billion to improve quality and lower-cost mental health care services for veterans. And, in February of this year, HUD and the VA announced they would give up to $14 million in vouchers to public housing agencies for veterans experiencing homelessness. The program would also offer case management and other services. Still, with a culture that pushes people to keep going, it can be challenging for servicemembers to take advantage of these opportunities, Harvie said. "When you've been doing that for the last 15 or 20 years, it's difficult to stop and say, 'I'm the person that needs help.'" Story editing by Kelly Glass. Copy editing by Kristen Wegrzyn. Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter.
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TORONTO, Nov. 22, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Mink Ventures Corporation (TSXV:MINK) (“ ” or the “ “) today announced that the Board of Directors has approved the grant of an aggregate number of 500,000 incentive stock options to its officers and directors. The exercise price of the stock options granted is $0.10 per common share. Subject to the rules of the TSX Venture Exchange and the Company’s Stock Option Plan, the options have a term of ten years and will expire on November 22, 2034. Mink Ventures Corporation (TSXV:MINK) is a Canadian mineral exploration company exploring for critical minerals in Ontario, Canada. It has a highly prospective, nickel copper cobalt exploration portfolio, with its Montcalm project, which now covers ~100 km adjacent to Glencore’s former Montcalm Mine with historical production of 3.93 million tonnes of ore grading 1.25% Ni, 0.67% Cu and 0.051% Co (Ontario Geological Survey, Atkinson, 2010), as well as its expanded Warren Project. These complementary nickel copper cobalt projects have excellent access and infrastructure and are in close proximity to the Timmins Mining Camp. The Company has 22,456,488 common shares outstanding. For further information about Mink Ventures Corporation please contact: Natasha Dixon, President & CEO, T: 250-882-5620 E: or Kevin Filo, Director, T: 705-266-6818 or visit .The Secret to Nvidia’s Unexpected Stock Dip Revealed
Not long ago, someone asked about the Rialto Theater that once stood at the southeast corner of Walnut and Pine streets in Lockport. It was recently featured on the Niagara History Center Facebook page. While looking into the history of a property, it is always interesting to learn what was on the site before and after a particular structure was there. On the 1851 map of the village of Lockport, the earliest one that includes names, the southeast corner of Walnut and Pine is occupied by Dr. C. Hill. A quick check of the 1856 Lockport Directory reveals his first name as “Caleb.” He was born in Orwell, Vermont, in 1802 and graduated from the Vermont Academy of Medicine in 1827. Dr. Hill was still living in Vermont in 1830 at about which time he married Fannie Bacon; their son and only child, Linnaeus, was born in 1832. In 1840, the family was residing in Ridgeway in Orleans County. When Dr. Hill moved to Lockport is unclear, but he was there by 1850. In an 1890 reminiscence in the Lockport Daily Journal, it is stated that, “Dr. Hill, formerly in company with Dr. J. H. Helmer, lived here for some years and built the home now occupied by James Jackson, Jr....” Not much could be learned about Dr. Hill’s tenure in Lockport. At least one local physician, Dr. Peter Faling of Gasport, wrote that he had studied under Dr. Hill in Lockport in the 1850s. One lasting connection the Hills had to this area was their daughter-in-law, Elizabeth Van Horn. She was the daughter of John Van Horn and granddaughter of James Van Horn of Newfane. Linnaeus and Elizabeth married in 1856 and moved to Brooklyn. Dr. and Mrs. Hill sold the house at Walnut and Pine a year later and also moved to Brooklyn where Dr. Hill died in 1863 at the age of 61. Before Dr. Hill left Lockport, his house and property were purchased for $7,000 by his partner, Dr. Josiah H. Helmer, who, within a short time, sold it to Dr. Samuel S. Thorn for the same amount (about $270,000 in 2024). In 1860, Dr. Thorn sued Dr. Helmer for selling him the property “above its estimated value.” Thorn won a $1,000 ($38,500) judgment against Helmer. Dr. Thorn did not keep the property for very long and soon moved to Toledo, Ohio. The next owner of the house was James Jackson, Jr. The address was 33 Walnut Street (later changed to 106 Walnut) and Jackson would reside there for 30 years until his death in 1891. He was born January 26, 1825 in Medina, where he also married Lizzie Gurden, in 1845, and his only child, J. Carl, was born a year later. The family moved to Lockport in about 1855 and Jackson opened his first lumber yard at Clinton and Mill streets a few years later. Lizzie died in 1861 and Jackson later married Emily Fitch. By the mid-1860s, Jackson was involved in the political life of the village. He was elected to the New York State Assembly as a Democrat representing Lockport for one term in 1864. Three years later he was elected Mayor of Lockport for one term. He ran for the 29th New York District in the U.S. Congress in 1868 and was defeated. In 1873, Jackson was elected a New York State Canal Commissioner for a three-year term. He re-entered politics in 1886 when he ran again for Congress, this time in the 33rd District. His opponent was Civil War hero Col. John B. Weber of Buffalo, who won the election. Following this defeat, Jackson retired from politics and concentrated on his business and community activities. In 1872, Jackson acquired the Van Valkenburgh lumber mill on East Market Street, about where Widewaters is today. This greatly increased his business as well as his assets; the 1870s was a good decade for him. He improved and expanded both of his lumber mills as well as his home and property at Walnut and Pine streets. A sketch of Jackson’s house in the 1878 Illustrated History of Niagara County shows a quaint Gothic-style home with gingerbread trim. The home and property were the scene of many social and charity events. By the 1870s, Jackson had turned the mill businesses over to his son, J. Carl, but he retained offices in several other companies including president of the Farmers’ & Mechanics’ Bank, treasurer of the Merchant’s Gargling Oil Company, vice-president of the Lockport Pulp Company, as well as member of the boards of the Holly Manufacturing Company, the Union Printing & Publishing Company and several others. Jackson died suddenly of a stroke on March 6, 1891, at the age of 66, in the Gilsey House Hotel while on a business trip to New York City. His body was brought back to Lockport for burial in Cold Spring Cemetery. Following Jackson’s death, his wife Emily remained in the home for a few years but later moved just across Walnut Street to the Blackley Flats Apartments. There were reports in the newspapers that the Jackson property was being considered for development including an apartment building in 1895, and the new Federal Building/Post Office in 1899. Neither project came to fruition and the home was turned into a boarding house. In 1912, the property was sold at public auction for back taxes. Emily Jackson died the following year, on January 14, 1913, at the age of 72. Six months later the house was heavily damaged in a fire caused by a flying ember from another fire on Buffalo Street. This ended the story of the nearly 65-year-old, once beautiful home. By the end of 1913, Lockport entertainment mogul Henry Thurston, who already owned the Temple Theater on Walnut Street, announced plans to build an open “Airdome” on the former Jackson property, primarily to hold sporting events. A few years later, he enclosed the arena, calling it Thurston’s “Auditorium.” With the growing popularity of motion pictures, Thurston once again transformed his venue at Walnut and Pine streets, this time into the Rialto Theater. The business was operated by the Schine Corporation. The new theater opened on November 11, 1924 to two sold out shows, with 1,500 people for each show, and a crowd of at least that number waiting to get into each performance. Gloria Swanson in “Wages of Virture” was the first movie presented there. A novelty of the new theater was the chance for the audience to see themselves on the big screen in the “Civic and Industrial Review of Lockport,” which featured films of the city’s business, industrial, retail and public places. Throughout the 1930s and 1940s, even with competition from the Hi-Art and the Palace, the Rialto continued to attract a crowd with first-run movies and short features. The theater was remodeled and updated over the years and the main entrance was moved from Pine Street to the Walnut Street side. The last year the Rialto was in operation was in 1957. It was torn down in 1962 for a parking lot for the nearby M & T Bank. Later a small branch bank was built on the site.Lekano World - Official Trailer Check out the Lekano World trailer for this social MMO on Unreal Engine 5, inspired by 90s and 2000s pop culture. Lekano World is available in Steam Early Access. The Click and Caps mini-game, which gives a peek into the Lekano World game, is free to play now on Steam.In Lekano World, explore an open world, interact with fantastic creatures called Lekamons, and enjoy various fun and competitive mechanics.
Unlock Codes for Pressure in Roblox! Discover Hidden Secrets with Future UpdatesThe Bosler Memorial Library will celebrate its 125th birthday in 2025. Every resident of Carlisle and Cumberland County should recognize and be proud of this fact. If the Bosler Memorial Library does not receive increased funding from the Cumberland County commissioners, it will be forced to make difficult decisions regarding operating hours, collections, programs, services and staffing. Libraries serve as a conduit to access information and to learn, encourage social inclusion and equity, foster civic engagement, create a bridge to resources and community involvement, and promote economic vitality within the community (Scott, R., 2011). When political jurisdictions come under budget constraints (real, imagined or manufactured), elected and appointed officials will look to reduce or eliminate budget line items that are soft and vulnerable targets. Cuts to public libraries can be such targets. For budget hawks, the existence of vast amounts of information, most of it free, on the Internet suggests that public libraries have outlived their usefulness, that they have become irrelevant. (Barclay, D., 2017). Not so! In the 10-year period 1993-2013, there was a dramatic increase in the number of visits to libraries—497,600,000 more! This despite the use of the aforementioned Internet (Barclay, D., 2017). There are several reasons people are still drawn to public libraries. The one big, obvious reason is that the physical space offered cannot be replicated in the online environment. This is a compelling enough reason to support and embrace the public library system. There are, of course, many other reasons. So, I urge the Cumberland County commissioners to increase funding to the county library system. And, I urge all the citizens of Cumberland County to reach out to the commissioners and encourage them to find sufficient room in the budget to support the county libraries. Thomas J. Arminio Captain, USN (Ret.) Carlisle Get opinion pieces, letters and editorials sent directly to your inbox weekly!
It’s knockout or nothing for Graham McCormack in Waterford on Saturday night. The Limerick native renews acquaintances with fierce rival Craig McCarthy on the War in Waterford bill and says he is coming with one thing on his mind, securing a stoppage. ‘G Train’ says the handbrake is off as he plans to steamroll the hometown fighter. McCormack felt harshly done by on the cards the last time the pair met at the SETU Arena and wants to take it out of the judge’s hands this time round. Although that may not be his sole reason for wanting to get a KO, it appears he wants to inflict maximum damage on a boxer he doesn’t see eye to eye with. “I’m coming to knock him out,” he tells Irish-boxing.com. “I’m not coming down there for anything else That’s a fact. I’m not goin’ to say ‘oh I just want to win’. I don’t want to win I want to knock him out. I’m coming down there to knock him out. That’s all that’s in my head is to knock him out. That’s what me and Shaun Kelly are training for. “We’ve got a great game plan, he’s a great coach and we know what we need to do to get the win.” The former BUI Celtic Champion isn’t certainly isn’t shying away from the tension between the pair. In fact, he is feeding off it going into one of the biggest grudge matches in Irish boxing. “This is the fight to settle it! I feel like I was robbed, he feels like he won. This time I’m not coming there for a points win, I’m coming knock him out,” he adds. The Treaty County favourite believes it’s the perfect match-up for all involved including the promoters, the boxers and the fans. “It’s it’s guaranteed fireworks. It’s going to be a great fight. “We’ve all said what we needed to say. Let’s f**king have it in the middle of the ring,”Gus Atkinson claimed a superb hat-trick as England took command of the second Test against New Zealand, knocking over the home side’s tail in style. The Surrey seamer took out Nathan Smith, Matt Henry and Tim Southee with three successive deliveries, the 15th time an English bowler has achieved the feat in Test cricket. Atkinson turned the heat on the Black Caps in his ninth over, racking up three different modes of dismissal to end their innings on 125 and hand the tourists a lead of 155. The 26-year-old uprooted Smith’s middle stump with the third ball of his over, then had Henry backing away from a short ball that he fended to Ben Duckett at gully. Last man Tim Southee stood between Atkinson and a place in the history books but had no answer as the ball came full and straight, smashing his front pad dead in front of middle stump. Southee reviewed the lbw decision in hope more than expectation but England’s celebrations were already well under way. Rod Tucker raised his finger for a second time to seal the deal, with Atkinson registering the 50th Test hat-trick in world cricket – 47 in the men’s game and three in the women’s. The last player to get one was South Africa’s Keshav Maharaj in 2021, with Moeen Ali the most recent to do so for England, against the Proteas at the Oval in 2017. Stuart Broad took two in his career, making Atkinson the 14th England player on the list. Brydon Carse had earlier dismissed Tom Blundell and Will O’Rourke in the space of three deliveries as New Zealand lost their last five batters for 39.
Why I constantly seek out ventures that push me beyond my comfort zone – AtimoeJaylen Blakes, Maxime Raynaud and Oziyah Sellers combined for 35 points in a 47-point, first half explosion Saturday afternoon and Stanford ran away from California for an 89-81 Atlantic Coast Conference road win in Berkeley, Calif. Raynaud and Blakes finished with 20 points apiece for the Cardinal (8-2, 1-0 ACC), who won their first ever game in ACC competition. Andrej Stojakovic had a game-high 25 points and Jovan Blacksher Jr. added 14 for the Golden Bears (6-3, 0-1), who dropped their second in a row after a 6-1 start. Playing just its second true road game of the season, Stanford scored 14 of the game's first 18 points and never looked back. Raynaud and Ryan Agarwal hit 3-pointers in the run. Blakes had 14 points, Raynaud 11 and Sellers 10 in the first half, which ended with Stanford in front 47-31. Cal was still down 81-65, after two free throws by Stanford's Chisom Okpara with 3:58 remaining before making a little run. Mady Sissoko converted a three-point play and Rytis Petraitis and Joshua Ola-Joseph connected on consecutive 3-pointers in a 9-0 flurry that made it a seven-point game with still 2:13 to go. It got as close as six when Stojakovic drilled a 3-pointer with 1:21 left, but Okpara and Blakes dropped in late layups to keep the hosts at arm's length. Seven of the nine Cardinal who saw action hit at least half his field goal attempts, led by Raynaud's 8-for-15 and Blakes' 7-for-13. Stanford finished 52.6 percent as a team. Both were deadly from the 3-point line as well, with Raynaud going 4-for-6 and Blakes 2-for-4. With Sellers adding 3-for-6, the Cardinal made 11 of their 23 attempts (47.8 percent) from beyond the arc. Raynaud also found time for five blocks, while Agarwal and Aidan Cammann shared Stanford rebound honors with seven. Blakes complemented his 20 points with a team-high six assists and two blocks. The Cardinal registered 19 assists on 30 baskets, while Cal had just five on its 30 hoops. Agarwal and Okpara each also scored in double figures with 11 points. Facing his old team for the first time after transferring to Cal over the summer, Stojakovic shot 11-for-25. The Golden Bears finished at 42.3 percent overall and 38.1 percent (8 of 21) on 3-pointers. Ola-Joseph and Sissoko, who had 11 points, were the game's leading rebounders with eight apiece. -Field Level MediaNSW Premier visits Autism Community Network's Autistic Adults Social Club
Paediatric Rehabilitation: Know-Why Is It Necessary
Harris scores 16 as South Carolina Upstate beats Western Carolina 74-68Kakko's late goal lifts Rangers past Canadiens 4-3
CULLOWHEE, N.C. (AP) — Brit Harris' 16 points helped South Carolina Upstate defeat Western Carolina 74-68 on Saturday night. Harris shot 6 of 9 from the field and 3 of 5 from the free-throw line for the Spartans (4-8). Carmelo Adkins added 14 points while going 5 of 8 (2 for 4 from 3-point range) while they also had five rebounds. Karmani Gregory shot 4 for 13 (0 for 3 from 3-point range) and 3 of 5 from the free-throw line to finish with 11 points. The Catamounts (3-5) were led in scoring by Bernard Pelote, who finished with 14 points. Cord Stansberry added 14 points and three steals for Western Carolina. CJ Hyland finished with nine points and four assists. Both teams next play Saturday. South Carolina Upstate visits South Carolina and Western Carolinaplays UNC Asheville on the road. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .
Advisors Asset Management Inc. cut its stake in shares of Landstar System, Inc. ( NASDAQ:LSTR – Free Report ) by 26.6% during the third quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 743 shares of the transportation company’s stock after selling 269 shares during the period. Advisors Asset Management Inc.’s holdings in Landstar System were worth $140,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Bayesian Capital Management LP purchased a new stake in Landstar System during the first quarter valued at about $219,000. B. Riley Wealth Advisors Inc. lifted its position in shares of Landstar System by 72.1% in the 1st quarter. B. Riley Wealth Advisors Inc. now owns 2,554 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $452,000 after acquiring an additional 1,070 shares in the last quarter. Comerica Bank grew its position in Landstar System by 18.5% during the 1st quarter. Comerica Bank now owns 31,154 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $6,005,000 after purchasing an additional 4,853 shares in the last quarter. Cetera Advisors LLC grew its position in Landstar System by 9.4% during the 1st quarter. Cetera Advisors LLC now owns 1,811 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $349,000 after purchasing an additional 156 shares in the last quarter. Finally, EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC raised its stake in Landstar System by 13.8% during the 1st quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 595 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $115,000 after purchasing an additional 72 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 97.95% of the company’s stock. Landstar System Stock Performance Shares of LSTR opened at $185.92 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $6.57 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 31.89 and a beta of 0.81. The company’s fifty day moving average is $184.24 and its 200-day moving average is $183.63. The company has a quick ratio of 2.21, a current ratio of 2.21 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.04. Landstar System, Inc. has a 12 month low of $165.39 and a 12 month high of $201.40. Landstar System Announces Dividend The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 10th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, November 19th will be given a dividend of $0.36 per share. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, November 19th. This represents a $1.44 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.77%. Landstar System’s payout ratio is currently 24.70%. Insider Buying and Selling at Landstar System In related news, CFO James P. Todd sold 1,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, November 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $184.32, for a total value of $184,320.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now directly owns 14,083 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,595,778.56. This trade represents a 6.63 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link . Corporate insiders own 1.00% of the company’s stock. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth Several analysts have recently commented on LSTR shares. Raymond James cut Landstar System from an “outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating in a research report on Friday, November 15th. The Goldman Sachs Group decreased their price objective on Landstar System from $165.00 to $158.00 and set a “sell” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, October 9th. Evercore ISI dropped their target price on Landstar System from $165.00 to $160.00 and set an “in-line” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, October 30th. Stephens decreased their price target on shares of Landstar System from $190.00 to $180.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, October 30th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price objective on shares of Landstar System from $184.00 to $188.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 30th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating and twelve have assigned a hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $174.25. Get Our Latest Stock Analysis on LSTR Landstar System Profile ( Free Report ) Landstar System, Inc provides integrated transportation management solutions in the United States, Canada, Mexico, and internationally. It operates through two segments: Transportation Logistics and Insurance. The Transportation Logistics segment offers a range of transportation services, including truckload and less-than-truckload transportation, rail intermodal, air cargo, ocean cargo, expedited ground and air delivery of time-critical freight, heavy-haul/specialized, U.S.-Canada and U.S.-Mexico cross-border, intra-Mexico, intra-Canada, project cargo, and customs brokerage, as well as offers transportation services to other transportation companies, such as third party logistics and less-than-truckload services. See Also Five stocks we like better than Landstar System How to Plot Fibonacci Price Inflection Levels The Latest 13F Filings Are In: See Where Big Money Is Flowing 2 Rising CRM Platform Stocks That Can Surge Higher in 2025 3 Penny Stocks Ready to Break Out in 2025 Market Cap Calculator: How to Calculate Market Cap FMC, Mosaic, Nutrien: Top Agricultural Stocks With Big Potential Want to see what other hedge funds are holding LSTR? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Landstar System, Inc. ( NASDAQ:LSTR – Free Report ). Receive News & Ratings for Landstar System Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Landstar System and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .