Actor Jeremy Renner hospitalized in 'critical but stable condition' following snow plowing accident: report

Actor Jeremy Renner was reportedly hospitalized following a snow plowing accident on Sunday in Reno, Nevada.

A spokesperson for Renner told Deadline the actor was listed in “critical but stable condition with injuries suffered after experiencing a weather related accident while plowing snow earlier today.”

The spokesperson said he is with his family and “receiving excellent care,” according to Deadline.

Actor Jeremy Renner arrives for the premiere of Warner Bros. Pictures and New Line Cinema's "Tag," held at Regency Village Theatre on June 7, 2018, in Westwood, California.

Actor Jeremy Renner arrives for the premiere of Warner Bros. Pictures and New Line Cinema’s “Tag,” held at Regency Village Theatre on June 7, 2018, in Westwood, California.
(Albert L. Ortega)

Renner has a home near Mt. Rose-Ski Tahoe, an area that was hit on New Year’s Eve by a winter storm that saw 35,000 homes lose power. 

YOUTUBE STAR KEENAN CAHILL DEAD AT THE AGE OF 27 AFTER COMPLICATIONS FROM OPEN HEART SURGERY

Renner, best known for playing the superhero Clint Barton, or “Hawkeye,” in multiple Marvel movies and Disney+ television shows, was reportedly airlifted to the hospital. 

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Jeremy Renner arrives at the 2014 Film Independent Spirit Awards, in Santa Monica, Calif. 

Jeremy Renner arrives at the 2014 Film Independent Spirit Awards, in Santa Monica, Calif. 
(Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP, File)

The two-time Oscar nominee currently stars in the Paramount+ series “Mayor of Kingstown.”  The second season of the show is set to begin airing on January 15.

Renner was previously nominated for Best Actor at the 2010 Academy Award’s for his performance in “The Hurt Locker.” 

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The following year, Renner was nominated for Best Supporting Actor for his role in “The Town.”

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[World] Lula sworn in as Brazil president as predecessor Bolsonaro flies to US

But diversity and inclusion too was a big part of today’s inauguration. With Mr Bolsonaro abandoning his final official duty of passing on the presidential sash, it was left to Eni Souza, a rubbish picker, to do the honours. And standing next to Lula was an indigenous leader, a black boy and a disabled influencer. In this country where racism is all too common, it was an important image that will endure.

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Ukraine faces grim start to 2023 after fresh Russian attacks

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukrainians faced a grim start to 2023 as Sunday brought more Russian missile and drone attacks following a blistering New Year’s Eve assault that killed at least three civilians across the country, authorities reported.

Air raid sirens sounded in the capital shortly after midnight, followed by a barrage of missiles that interrupted the small celebrations residents held at home due to wartime curfews. Ukrainian officials alleged Moscow was deliberately targeting civilians along with critical infrastructure to create a climate of fear and destroy morale during the long winter months.

In a video address Sunday night, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy praised his citizens’ “sense of unity, of authenticity, of life itself.” The Russians, he said, “will not take away a single year from Ukraine. They will not take away our independence. We will not give them anything.”

Ukrainian forces in the air and on the ground shot down 45 Iranian-made explosive drones fired by Russia on Saturday night and before dawn Sunday, Zelenskyy said.

Another strike at noon Sunday in the southern Zaporizhzhia region killed one person, according to the head of the regional military administration, Alexander Starukh. But Kyiv was largely quiet, and people there on New Year’s Day savored the snippets of peace.

“Of course it was hard to celebrate fully because we understand that our soldiers can’t be with their family,” Evheniya Shulzhenko said while sitting with her husband on a park bench overlooking the city.

But a “really powerful” New Year’s Eve speech by Zelenskyy lifted her spirits and made her proud to be Ukrainian, Shulzhenko said. She recently moved to Kyiv after living in Bakhmut and Kharkiv, two cities that have experienced some of the heaviest fighting of the war.

Multiple blasts rocked the capital and other areas of Ukraine on Saturday and through the night, wounding dozens. An AP photographer at the scene of an explosion in Kyiv saw a woman’s body as her husband and son stood nearby.

Ukraine’s largest university, the Taras Shevchenko National University in Kyiv, reported significant damage to its buildings and campus. Mayor Vitali Klitschko said two schools were damaged, including a kindergarten.

The strikes came 36 hours after widespread missile attacks Russia launched Thursday to damage energy infrastructure facilities. Saturday’s unusually quick follow-up alarmed Ukrainian officials. Russia has carried out airstrikes on Ukrainian power and water supplies almost weekly since October, increasing the suffering of Ukrainians, while its ground forces struggle to hold ground and advance.

Nighttime shelling in parts of the southern city of Kherson killed one person and blew out hundreds of windows in a children’s hospital, according to deputy presidential chief of staff Kyrylo Tymoshenko. Ukrainian forces reclaimed the city in November after Russia’s forces withdrew across the Dnieper River, which bisects the Kherson region.

When shells hit the children’s hospital on Saturday night, surgeons were operating on a 13-year-old boy who was seriously wounded in a nearby village that evening, Kherson Gov. Yaroslav Yanushevych said. The boy was transferred in serious condition to a hospital about 99 kilometers (62 miles) away in Mykolaiv.

Elsewhere, a 22-year-old woman died of wounds from a Saturday rocket attack Saturday in the eastern town of Khmelnytskyi, the city’s mayor said.

Instead of New Year’s fireworks, Oleksander Dugyn said he and his friends and family in Kyiv watched the sparks caused by Ukrainian air defense forces countering Russian attacks.

“We already know the sound of rockets, we know the moment they fly, we know the sound of drones. The sound is like the roar of a moped,” said Dugin, who was strolling with his family in the park. “We hold on the best we can.”

While Russia’s bombardments have left many Ukrainians without heating and electricity due to damage or controlled blackouts meant to preserve the remaining power supply, Ukraine’s state-owned grid operator said Sunday there would be no restrictions on electricity use for one day.

“The power industry is doing everything possible to ensure that the New Year’s holiday is with light, without restrictions,” utility company Ukrenergo said.

It said businesses and industry had cut back to allow the additional electricity for households.

Zelenskyy, in his nightly address, thanked utility workers for helping to keep the lights on during the latest assault. “It is very important how all Ukrainians recharged their inner energy this New Year’s Eve,” he said.

In separate tweets Sunday, the Ukrainian leader also reminded the European Union of his country’s wish to join the EU. He thanked the Czech Republic and congratulated Sweden, which just exchanged the EU’s rotating presidency, for their help in securing progress for Ukraine’s bid.

Meanwhile, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said the Western military alliance’s 30 members need to “ramp up” arms production in the coming months both to maintain their own stockpiles and to keep supplying Ukraine with the weapons it needs to fend off Russia.

The war in Ukraine, now in its 11th month, is consuming an “enormous amount” of munitions, Stoltenberg told BBC Radio 4′s “The World This Weekend” in an interview that aired Sunday.

“It is a core responsibility for NATO to ensure that we have the stocks, the supplies, the weapons in place to ensure our own deterrence and defense, but also to be able to continue to provide support to Ukraine for the long haul,” he said.

Achieving the twin goals “is a huge undertaking. We need to ramp up production, and that is exactly what the NATO allies are doing,” Stoltenberg said.

The NATO chief said that while Russia has experienced battlefield setbacks and the fighting on the ground appears at a stalemate, “Russia has shown no sign of giving up its overall goal of taking control over Ukraine.” he said.

“The Ukrainian forces have had the momentum for several months but we also know that Russia has mobilized many more forces. Many of them are now training.

“All that indicates that they are prepared to continue the war and also potentially try to launch a new offensive,” Stoltenberg said.

He added that what Ukraine can achieve during negotiations to end the war will depend on the strength it shows on the battlefield.

“If we want a negotiated solution that ensures that Ukraine prevails as a sovereign, independent, democratic state in Europe, then we need to provide support for Ukraine now,” Stoltenberg said,

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For more AP stories on the war in Ukraine, go to https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine.

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Biblical site where Jesus healed blind man excavated for public view: ‘Affirms Scripture’

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JERUSALEM — The Israel Antiquities Authority, the Israel National Parks Authority and the City of David Foundation announced days before the new year that the Pool of Siloam, a biblical site cherished by Christians and Jews, will be open to the public for the first time in 2,000 years in the near future.

“The Pool of Siloam’s excavation is highly significant to Christians around the world,” American Pastor John Hagee, the founder and chairman of Christians United for Israel, told Fox News Digital. “It was at this site that Jesus healed the blind man (John:9), and it is at this site that, 2,000 years ago, Jewish pilgrims cleansed themselves prior to entering the Second Temple. 

“The Pool of Siloam and the Pilgrimage Road, both located within the City of David, are among the most inspiring archeological affirmations of the Bible. 

“Christians are deeply blessed by the City of David’s work and Israel’s enduring commitment to ensuring religious freedom to all who visit and live in the Holy Land, especially Jerusalem — the undivided capital of Israel.”

‘JESUS’ FACE’ UNCOVERED AT ANCIENT CHURCH IN THE ISRAELI DESERT

Ze’ev Orenstein, the director of international affairs for the City of David Foundation in Jerusalem, told Fox News Digital, “One of most significant sites affirming Jerusalem’s Biblical heritage — not simply as a matter of faith, but as a matter of fact — with significance to billions around the world, will be made fully accessible for the first time in 2,000 years.”

The Pool of Siloam is situated in the southern portion of the City of David and within the area of the Jerusalem Walls National Park.

CHURCH OF THE APOSTLES DISCOVERED NEAR SEA OF GALILEE, ARCHAEOLOGISTS SAY

A small section of the pool, which has been fully excavated, has been accessible to the public for several years. The vast majority of the pool is being excavated and will either be opened piecemeal or once the entire site is unearthed. The archeological project to fully excavate the pool will last a few years. There is a plan for space for visitors to the pool to view the ongoing excavation.

“Despite ongoing efforts at the United Nations and Palestinian leadership to erase Jerusalem’s heritage, in a few years time, the millions of people visiting the City of David annually will literally be able to walk in the footsteps of the Bible, connecting with the roots of their heritage and identity,” Orenstein noted. 

The pool was first built roughly 2,700 years ago as part of Jerusalem’s water system in the eighth century B.C. The construction unfolded during the reign of King Hezekia as cited in the Bible in the Book of Kings II, 20:20, according to the two Israeli agencies and the City of David Foundation. 

According to estimates, the Pool of Siloam passed through many stages of construction and reached the size of 1¼ acres.

“When I think of this news, I think of another phrase from the Hebrew Bible, ‘My ears have heard of you, but now my eyes have seen you,'” Rev. Johnnie Moore, president of the Congress of Christian Leaders, told Fox News Digital. 

ANCIENT CITY GATE FROM THE TIME OF KING DAVID DISCOVERED IN ISRAEL

“This news means that one of the most important archeological discoveries in history can soon be seen by visitors from all over the world. It will affirm all they believe. Having faith is part of worshipping God, but faith alone isn’t required to believe. There are historic facts attesting to the truth of Scripture.”

Moore, who is the on the advisory board of The Combat Antisemitism Movement, added, “In the Pool of Siloam, we find evidence of history preserved for us, revealed at just the right time. This is a truly historic event. Theologically, it affirms Scripture, geographically it affirms history and politically it affirms Israel’s unquestionable and unrivaled link to Jerusalem. Some discoveries are theoretical. This one is an undeniable. It is proof of the story of the Bible and of its people, Israel.”

A stroke of luck revealed the pool in 2004 when infrastructure work carried out by the Hagihon water company uncovered some of the pool’s steps. The Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA), under supervision of professors Roni Reich and Eli Shukron, launched a survey. As a result, the northern perimeter, as well as a small section of the eastern perimeter of the Pool of Siloam, were uncovered.

“The perimeter of the pool was built as a series of steps, allowing the bathers to sit and immerse themselves in the waters of the pool,” according to the IAA.

Mayor of Jerusalem Moshe Lion, said, “The Pool of Siloam in the City of David National Park in Jerusalem is a site of historic, national and international significance. After many years of anticipation, we will soon merit being able to uncover this important site and make it accessible to the millions of visitors visiting Jerusalem each year.”

 

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2022 in review: The biggest lowlights and hot takes on MSNBC, CNN, from ‘reparations’ to Jesus the ‘groomer’

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MSNBC and CNN, have faced a tumultuous year in the media landscape, leading to the announcement of layoffs and the departure of big-name network figures.

At the beleaguered Warner Bros. Discovery-owned CNN, the network continued its downward trajectory of 2021, with the resignation of Jeff Zucker, the decision to scrap CNN+ streaming service after just one month, and a flurry of December layoffs. 

Meanwhile, MSNBC fared better by comparison, but still suffered losses as did much of the industry. NBCUniversal, the parent company of NBC News and MSNBC, will lay off employees in the broadcast and cable TV networks, according to a Business Insider report. MSNBC has also faced the difficult task of attempting to replace Rachel Maddow, who now only works one-night-a-week, lacking viewers that previously flocked to the network during her time slot.

THIS IS CNN? BELEAGUERED NETWORK HAS TUMULTUOUS YEAR, MARKED BY HIGH-PROFILE FIRINGS, CONTINUED RATINGS WOES

In addition to the behind-the-scenes difficulties, both CNN and MSNBC engaged in several on-air segments that left viewers shocked, angered, and logging into social media to take part in the controversy. 

In late November, MSNBC analysts Maria Hinijosa and Fernand Amandi agreed that there is no “crisis” at the border while appearing on “The Mehdi Hasan Show.”

During the segment, guest host Paola Ramos even objected to the border photos MSNBC was running behind her, saying, “Look, first of all, we should stop using the kind of, actually even the kind of imagery being shown right now. You know, we should not be perpetuating a conversation about a crisis that is a human drama but that this United States is not being overrun, flooded by uncontrollable situations on the border. That’s not happening in terms of tens of thousands of people trying to get [in] — no!” 

MSNBC also received backlash after analyst Matthew Dowd claimed that Jesus Christ, if he were alive today, would be called a “groomer,” “socialist,” and “woke” by conservatives. 

While appearing on “Deadline: White House,” Dowd was asked by Nicolle Wallace how some conservations were using the “perversion” of faith as a “political cudgel” in the “culture war” over policies affecting young kids. 

“The entire message of the gospels of the Easter holidays was love one another. And I have said this before, and I’ll say it again: If Jesus Christ was alive today, He would be called a groomer, He would be called woke, and He would be called a socialist if He was alive today,” Dowd replied.

MSNBC GUEST WANTS TO ‘MAKE SWEET LOVE’ TO SUPREME COURT LEAKER, ‘JOYFULLY ABORT’ FETUS IF SHE GETS PREGNANT

Following the Supreme Court leaked draft opinion that showed Roe v. Wade was headed for a reversal, MSNBC host Ayman Mohyeldin started laughing after a guest declared she want to “make sweet love” to whoever leaked the draft. However, she did not stop there. 

 “I would like to find out who the leaker is. So I can make sweet love to that person because that person is a hero,” guest Laurie Kilmartin said, prompting laughter from the MSNBC host.

“A lot of people are saying the leaker could be a conservative. If the leaker is a Republican, and if I get pregnant during our love making, I will joyfully abort our fetus,” Kilmartin added.

In the lead up to the midterm elections, MSNBC guest Elie Mystal received intense backlash for comments he directed at then-Republican Georgia Senate candidate Herschel Walker and the Republican Party.

During a segment on MSNBC’s “The Cross Connection with Tiffany Cross,” Mystal called out Walker as “what Republicans want from their Negroes” in a Black candidate. This came months after Mystal penned a column calling Walker’s campaign “an insult to Black people.”

Walker later responded to Mystal’s comments, saying, “Shame on MSNBC and shame on him. I’m going to pray for both of them because they need Jesus.”

Over on CNN, most of the segments that generated significant social media attention came from “Don Lemon Tonight” before the network host was moved to CNN’s new morning show, named “CNN This Morning.” Lemon insists he was not demoted. 

In one segment, Lemon was shut down by acting director of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) National Hurricane Center after he asked about the effect climate change had on Hurricane Ian.

“I don’t think you can link climate change to any one event. On the whole, on the cumulative, climate change may be making storms worse. But to link it to any one event, I would caution against that,” Jamie Rhome told Lemon after being repeatedly asked how climate change was linked to the hurricane. 

Lemon then said he grew up in Florida and added that something was making these storms intensify, despite Rhome’s comments. 

DON LEMON ROASTED OVER ROYAL EXPERT’S ANSWER ON BRITAIN PAYING REPARATIONS: ‘HE WAS NOT READY FOR THIS’

In another segment, following the death of Queen Elizabeth, British royals expert Hilary Fordwich stunned the CNN anchor into silence with her argument that African slave owners owe “reparations” rather than the British Empire.

“Some people want to be paid back and members of the public are wondering, ‘Why are we suffering when you are, you have all this vast wealth?’ Those are legitimate concerns,” Lemon stated.

Fordwich agreed that the desire for reparations is alive and well, though those who want it can look to African slavers.

“I think you’re totally right. If reparations need to be paid, we need to go right back to the beginning of that supply chain and say, ‘Who was rounding up their own people and having them handcuffed in cages. Absolutely, that’s where they should start,” she said. 

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Fox News’ Lindsay Kornick and Hanna Panreck. 

 

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Theodore Roosevelt’s Smith & Wesson revolver fetches nearly $1 million at auction: ‘Fantastic condition’

Latest & Breaking News on Fox News 

A gun belonging to former President Theodore Roosevelt was auctioned off recently for nearly $1 million.

Roosevelt’s iconic Smith & Wesson New Model No. 3 Single Action Revolver sold for $910,625 at Rock Island Auction Company’s December Premier Auction.

The total realized price was within its estimated value range of $800,000 to $1.4 million, according to information shared with Fox News Digital. 

RARE CIVIL WAR, WWI MILITARY ITEMS MADE BY TIFFANY & CO. TO HIT ILLINOIS AUCTION BLOCK

Rock Island Auction Company is based in Illinois. 

Joel Kolander, interactive production manager, said in an interview that this price is historically high for a collectible firearm. He also described the iconic gun as being in “fantastic condition” even though it’s well over a century old.

“We’re thrilled any time a gun approaches that million-dollar mark,” he said of the collectible. 

“A few years ago that was almost unthinkable, so firearms as a collecting genre has really come a long way.”

The Smith & Wesson was first presented to Roosevelt on May 12, 1898.

That was the same day he left for San Antonio to train the Rough Riders, according to Rock Island.

THEODORE ROOSEVELT STATUE REMOVED FROM FRONT OF NYC’S MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY

Even though the intention was to carry this revolver into war against Spain, documentation from Roosevelt’s bodyguard revealed that the president instead kept the gun on his bedside table.

The revolver became known in the White House as a “nightstand gun.”

Ahead of the auction, Kolander mentioned that many of these historic items are often undervalued.

This is, in part, because they’re an “atypical canvas,” compared to other collectibles such as luxury cars or sports memorabilia.

AUCTION AMAZEMENT: BRITISH MAN TO SELL OFF COLLECTION OF AUTOGRAPHS FROM ALL 46 US PRESIDENTS

“You can be involved in several different genres of collecting and still have firearms appeal to you,” he said.

“So, their undervaluing is really a little bit of a bewilderment to me,” he also said.

And when it comes to Roosevelt’s gun, Kolander explained that it’s priced “remarkably low” compared to other genres, especially since it’s an item that belonged to one of the most famous presidents in U.S. history.

He added that the revolver “also has a pretty intrinsic value as a high art object.”

“It shows both how far fine arms have come in recent years and how far there is to go,” he said.

ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY, NOV. 21, 1864, ABRAHAM LINCOLN ‘PENS’ LETTER TO MRS. BIXBY

Rock Island Auction Company wrapped up its weekend-long auction with a volume of more than $18.3 million.

“Over the span of three days, history was brought to life, with immense firearms artistry on display, and one of the most historic lineups to date,” the company said in a statement to Fox News Digital. 

“This sale had it all: rarity, beauty, history and so much more.”

Other historic items sold include outlaw Jesse James’ attributed Smith & Wesson Schofield revolver and holster, which fetched $152,750.

A Cuno Helfricht Master engraved Colt Model 1877 Lightning double action revolver sold way past its estimate, at a realized $323,125, Rock Island told Fox News Digital. 

An extremely rare, exhibition-grade Gustave Young engraved gold Winchester Model 1866 rifle gaveled for a “monumental” $211,500.

Meanwhile, Abraham Lincoln’s Civil War presentation carbine only sold for $105,000, which Kolander said “seems like a steal.”

Rock Island specializes in selling fine and collectible arms as the no. 1 firearms-based auction house in the world.

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Rock Island has been at the “top of the industry” since 2003, Kolander said.

It continues to sell collectibles such as swords, military artifacts and western art.

“There’s an opportunity [for bidders] in the firearms collectibles field,” he said. 

“They’re really undervalued.”

 

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New Year’s resolutions: Celebrity trainer Jillian Michaels shares the best way to stick to goals in 2023

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Celebrities are no different from the rest of us when it comes to choosing goals for the new year.

Whether trying to eat healthier or exercise more, Fox News Digital spoke with experts to figure out the best way to keep your New Year’s resolutions.

Celebrity fitness trainer Jillian Michaels explained how important it is to “emotionally connect to your why.” Michaels has coached celebrities including P!nk and Julia Roberts.

CELEBRITY NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS: BLAKE SHELTON, GWEN STEFANI, JESSIE JAMES DECKER AND MORE ON 2023 GOALS

“Change is work,” Michaels told Fox News Digital. “But work that has a purpose becomes passion. Work that doesn’t have a purpose feels punishing.”

The former “Biggest Loser” trainer emphasized that connecting to “your why” allows you to continue with your goals throughout the entire year.

“The key with the new year is, is grabbing the momentum of it,” she added. “Allowing it to kind of inspire you. And inspiration is this external source that gives you a jumpstart. But with that jumpstart, you need to define a lasting sense of motivation to carry you through these habits and behaviors consistently. And that’s the why part.”

NEW YEAR’S EVE IN TIMES SQUARE: HERE’S WHAT GOES INTO MAKING THE BALL SPARKLE FOR THE BIG DROP

Life coach Susie Moore also emphasized connecting to “the why,” along with two other ways to remain successful.

Moore is a former Silicon Valley sales director turned advice columnist. Her confidence coaching and life advice has been shared by celebrities such as Kris Jenner, Arianna Huffington and Sara Blakely.

“Those of us who manage to maintain and stick with our resolutions, I’ve observed, have three core qualities,” Moore told Fox News Digital.

First, Moore explained that it’s important to recognize priorities.

“So in life, it’s very easy to get sucked in, almost like a plastic bag floating in the wind, you know, paying attention to other people, unless you’re very clear with what your own priorities are.”

“Sometimes we think, you know, we don’t have enough time,” Moore further explained. “Time’s running out, but it’s not a shortage of time. That’s the problem. It’s a shortage of focus. And when we know what our priorities are, we can make decisions based on the lens of the clarity of priorities.”

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Second, Moore said to create boundaries based on your priorities.

“When we have priorities, when we honor our time and have a clear understanding of what time goes where in our life and who gets access to what, it’s very easy to stay on track versus being constantly distracted,” she continued.

Lastly, Moore emphasized that being connected to “your why” is essential.

“Like, why is this your priority?” she told Fox News Digital. “And I think that often when we imagine our life in the future, one day we can imagine we’re looking back at this year, back at this stage in life that we’re in and ask ourselves, you know, am I happy that I spent that time in my life doing this? And why does it matter?”

“When we know our priorities, we’re clear on our boundaries, and we’re connected to our why, our actions then naturally become easier.”

The three most common New Year’s resolutions for 2023 are to exercise more, eat healthier and lose weight, according to the Statista Global Consumer Survey. Those three resolutions were also the top for 2022.

Another common goal for Americans is to save money.

Jessie James Decker’s New Year’s resolution is to continue her “Dancing with the Stars” workout regimen.

“I want to maintain the ‘Dancing with the Stars’ figure that I got out of the show. That was life changing. To be honest, I’d never gotten in that kind of shape before, and I’ve always been kind of a workout nut,” she told Fox News Digital. “But I really enjoyed that fitness journey on that show.”

Country music star Blake Shelton told Fox News Digital his New Year’s resolution is to drink one less alcoholic drink a day. However, he said his new show “Barmageddon” will likely make achieving that goal more difficult. He joked it will likely force him to have “two more drinks a day.”

 

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'Have you heard I was 83?': Hoyer on stepping back from House leadership



CNN
 — 

The top three House Democrats who are stepping back from their leadership spots did not coordinate on their decisions to do so, outgoing Majority Leader Steny Hoyer said Sunday, adding that “the timing was right.”

“Have you heard I was 83?” Hoyer quipped about his age in an interview with CNN’s Dana Bash on “State of the Union.”

Hoyer’s departure from his leadership post, as well as the decisions by Nancy Pelosi and Jim Clyburn, both 82, to step down as House speaker and majority whip, respectively, represent a generational change for the Democratic Party in the chamber.

“I think all of us have been around for some time and pretty much have a feel for the timing of decisions. And I think all three of us felt that this was the time,” Hoyer told Bash.

House Democratic leaders, front row from left, Steny Hoyer, Jim Clyburn and Nancy Pelosi walk out of the West Wing of the White House in Washington, DC, on October 15, 2013.

Hoyer noted that the trio has led the House Democratic Caucus “for a long time.”

“In that capacity, I think each of us made an individual decision. The timing was right,” he said.

House Democrats chose current Caucus Chair Hakeem Jeffries of New York, 52, to replace Pelosi as top Democrat in the chamber. Massachusetts Rep. Katherine Clark, 59, who will serve as minority whip, and California Rep. Peter Aguilar, 43, who will lead the caucus, are a generation younger than their predecessors.

The octogenarians, however, are still expected to have a presence in the incoming Congress. Clyburn will serve in a slightly demoted leadership role as assistant leader (the party’s No. 4 position), while Pelosi was recently designated “speaker emerita.” Hoyer said Sunday that he expects to still advise the new Democratic leaders.

“Mr. Jeffries and I have talked. I think he wants me to continue to give advice and counsel and to be involved in decision making – albeit not as majority leader,” the Maryland Democrat told Bash.

Reflecting on his career in leadership, Hoyer praised two people who he said will be remembered by history as giants: the late civil rights icon and longtime congressman John Lewis and Pelosi.

“I think we have a very respectful relationship,” Hoyer said of Pelosi, with whom he has worked for years. “I think we have a business-like relationship but I like Nancy and I admire Nancy greatly. She is an extraordinary human being. She’s indefatigable. She has extraordinary energy.”

He added: “And I think she’s probably the most effective political leader that I’ve worked with over the years.”

Reminiscing on interning with the Baltimore-born Pelosi in the office of Maryland Rep. Daniel Brewster in the 1960s, Hoyer told Bash: “I think that story doesn’t get enough play.”

“Nancy was sitting in the front office as receptionist, and I was sitting right behind her in sort of a little divided half wall handling academy appointments, opening mail, doing things that interns do or part-time employees do, and we were there together. Some 40 years later, we became the speaker and the majority leader,” he said.

The two lawmakers, however, have not always had a straightforward relationship.

Hoyer remarked that he was “obviously disappointed” when Pelosi endorsed Pennsylvania Rep. John Murtha over him to become majority whip in 2006, though Hoyer won that race “pretty handily,” he recalled.

A few years earlier, in 2001, Pelosi had defeated Hoyer to become House Democratic whip.

Asked whether he would’ve liked to have become speaker had Pelosi not been in the picture, Hoyer replied: “Who wouldn’t? What politician in the House of Representatives would not like to be the speaker? Of course, I would.”

“But very frankly, as I remarked to one reporter, I said I’m not sure I could have done a better job than Nancy and maybe not as good a job as Nancy,” he told Bash.

Hoyer said he has not ruled out running for Congress in 2024: “I may. I may.”

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At least 4 dead after helicopters collide on the Gold Coast near Sea World in Australia

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At least four people are dead, and three others critically injured after two helicopters collided on Australia’s Gold Coast near a Sea World theme park Monday afternoon.

Police said the crash drew emergency aid from beachgoers who had been enjoying the water during the southern summer. Police official Gary Worrell said people on Jet Skis, family boaters and others rushed to help.

Queensland Police confirmed the crash via Twitter, but did not provide details.

“Seaworld Drive in Main Beach has been closed off due to a helicopter crash. Motorists and pedestrians are urged to avoid the area,” the agency said in its tweet.

MAN SURVIVES NEARLY 24 HOURS IN SHARK-INFESTED WATER BY CLINGING TO PIECE OF WOOD

The Queensland Ambulance Service said 13 patients were being assessed, according to 9News Australia. 

Police confirmed to the outlet that one of the helicopters was able to land successfully after the aircraft “came into contact with each other.” 

Footage of the crash showed a helicopter shortly after takeoff being clipped by another helicopter flying over the water, according to the Associated Press.

Pictures and video from the scene show wreckage covering a sand island close to the coast. Numerous emergency personnel were seen on the sand island assisting with the incident.

AUSTRALIA OPPOSES UNESCO ADDING GREAT BARRIER REEF TO ENDANGERED LISTING

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk called the accident an “unthinkable tragedy.”

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau was investigating the collision, chief commissioner Angus Mitchell said.

The Gold Coast region is at its busiest in January, the peak time for holidays in Australia’s summer.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

 

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[World] Dubai scraps 30% alcohol tax and licence fee in apparent bid to boost tourism

BBC News world 

Image source, Getty Images

Dubai has scrapped its 30% alcohol tax in an apparent bid to boost tourism.

It will also stop charging for personal alcohol licences – something anyone who intends to drink needs to carry.

Dubai has been relaxing laws for some time, allowing the sale of alcohol in daylight during Ramadan and approving home delivery during the pandemic.

This latest move is thought to be an attempt to make the city more attractive to foreigners, in the face of competition from neighbours.

The two companies which distribute alcohol in Dubai, Maritime and Mercantile International (MMI), and African & Eastern, said they would reflect the cut in tax for consumers.

“Since we began our operations in Dubai over 100 years ago, the emirate’s approach has remained dynamic, sensitive and inclusive for all,” MMI spokesman Tyrone Reid told AP.

“These recently updated regulations are instrumental to continue ensuring the safe and responsible purchase and consumption of alcoholic beverages in Dubai and the UAE.”

It is not clear if the move, which took effect on Sunday, will be permanent. The Financial Times described the move as a one-year trial, citing “industry executives informed of the decision”.

Expatriates outnumber nationals by nine to one in Dubai, known as the Gulf’s “party capital”, and residents commonly drive to Umm al-Quwain and other emirates to buy alcohol in bulk.

Dubai has historically managed to attract more tourists and wealthy foreign workers than its neighbours, in part because of its tolerance of a more liberal lifestyle.

But now it faces increasing competition from rivals developing their hospitality and finance sectors.

Non-Muslims in Dubai must be at least 21 years old to drink alcohol, and carry an alcohol licence – a plastic card issued by police.

While bars and nightclubs rarely ask to see the cards, those consuming alcohol without it can face fines or arrest.

 

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