Cold and wind will challenge those attending some of the biggest Thanksgiving Day parades next week.
The most notable parade is the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in the heart of New York City.
Following some tricky travelling weather on Wednesday, Thanksgiving Day will be dry with sunshine.
Cold and wind will challenge those attending some of the biggest Thanksgiving Day parades next week
Thanksgiving is anticipated as a brisk day for New York City. Wind gusts on Thursday morning are expected to be between 20 and 30 mph. There could be a few isolated gusts to 35 mph.
These winds will make it feel even colder than the afternoon high in the lower 30s. Parade-time temperatures will be in the 20s, and will likely be in the teens early.
Not only will the winds make it feel colder, but they could also cause problems for the large floats and those helping to carry balloons.
Also in the I-95 corridor, the 6ABC Dunkin’ Donuts Thanksgiving Day Parade in Philadelphia will be fighting similar wind gusts.
Temperatures on Thursday morning for the oldest Turkey Day Parade in the country will also be in the 20s.
In the Midwest, the America’s Thanksgiving Parade in Detroit and the McDonald’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in Chicago will both be battling the cold. Like the Northeast, temperatures will be in the mid-20s for the morning, rising to the lower 30s in the afternoon.
Wind speeds are expected to be at or below 10 mph, so it will not feel quite as cold.
Vinnie Jones revealed he has had several lumps removed after being diagnosed with skin cancer.
The 48-year-old actor and footballer noticed a small blemish below his eye in February, thinking it was “a blackhead or a wart”.
A check-up revealed it was melanoma, the most serious type of skin cancer, which kills 1,300 men and 900 women every year.
Doctors have since found more tumors, but Vinnie Jones told The Sun he would fight it with “everything I’ve got”.
“When the doctor said I had skin cancer, the first thing I thought was <<how long have I got?>>” Vinnie Jones told the newspaper.
“It’s weighing very heavily on me all the time,” he said.
Malignant Melanoma is largely preventable by avoiding strong sunlight and using high-factor sun creams.
Vinnie Jones revealed he has had several lumps removed after being diagnosed with skin cancer
Treatment is more likely to be successful if melanoma is spotted early.
Vinnie Jones said that, subsequent to the removal of the tumor under his eye, doctors had found more cancer in the same area and, two months ago, he had a third operation to remove a tumor from the back of his head.
He blamed his outdoor lifestyle for the cancer – noting that after growing up on the football pitch, he had moved to Los Angeles to pursue a film career.
Now working with the Melanoma Research Foundation, Vinnie Jones urged people to be more aware of exposure to the sun.
“Footballers never put on sunblock and they should all be wearing it,” he said.
“Kids should all be wearing it every time they play sport.”
“If you spot something on your skin that doesn’t feel right… get it checked out immediately.”
Vinnie Jones also revealed his wife Tanya had been fighting skin cancer, a result of drugs she had been taking since having a heart transplant 26 years ago.
The star, who has appeared in films including X-Men: The Last Stand and Lock,Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, was previously captain of the Welsh Football Team and played for Wimbledon, Chelsea and QPR, among others.
Vinnie Jones’ revelation comes days after fellow actor Hugh Jackman disclosed he had been treated for skin cancer.
Willie Nelson has decided to suspend his tour after three members of his band were hurt when their bus plowed into a bridge pillar in Texas during rainy conditions.
The Texas Department of Public Safety says Willie Nelson was not aboard in the weather-related accident around 3:30 a.m. CST Saturday on Interstate 30 near Sulphur Springs, 75 miles northeast of Dallas.
Willie Nelson has decided to suspend his tour after three members of his band were hurt when their bus plowed into a bridge pillar in Texas
A statement posted on Willie Nelson’s website, hours after the accident, says this year’s tour has been suspended indefinitely.
Trooper Sylvia Jennings says seven people were on the westbound bus, including the driver who was dealing with wet roads and high winds.
Two band members have minor injuries while the third was seriously hurt. All were transported to a Sulphur Springs hospital. Their names and conditions weren’t immediately released.
More than 100,000 people are protesting against Ukrainian government’s move to delay the EU trade deal under pressure from Russia.
Opposition leaders joined the Kiev protest, said to be the largest since the Orange Revolution in 2004.
Police fired tear gas as protesters tried to break through a cordon around government buildings.
A pro-government rally a few miles away attracted about 10,000 people.
Kiev police said they had fired tear gas after protesters threw a smoke grenade at officers in an attempt to break into the Cabinet of Ministers building.
Police fired tear gas as protesters tried to break through a cordon around government buildings
Ukraine made the decision on the EU deal last week, saying it could not afford to break ties with Moscow. Russia is trying to bring Kiev into its own customs union.
Russian President Vladimir Putin accused the EU of blackmailing Ukraine to sign the deal during a summit in Vilnius next week.
People arrived at the rally, on European Square, with families and children, many holding banners with slogans like “I want to live in Europe” or “Ukraine is part of Europe”.
Several rallies in Kiev and other cities have been held over the last few days, but Sunday’s has been the largest so far.
World heavyweight boxing champion Vitali Klitschko, who leads the Udar movement and attended Friday’s rally, was not present.
Ukrainian news agency Unian said he had been flying back from the US after celebrating his daughter’s birthday but his plane was not allowed to land in Kiev because of weather conditions.
On Friday, Ukrainian PM Mykola Azarov said the decision not to sign the deal was motivated solely by economics and was “tactical”. He said it did not alter Ukraine’s overall development strategy.
The Ukrainian government says it is now looking into setting up a joint commission to promote ties between Ukraine, Russia and the EU.
The new Iran nuclear deal has been called a “historic mistake”by Israel and some Republicans in US Congress.
“What was achieved last night in Geneva is not a historic agreement. It was a historic mistake,” Israel’s PM Benjamin Netanyahu told a cabinet meeting Sunday morning.
“Today the world become a much more dangerous place, because the most dangerous regime in the world took a significant step towards getting the most dangerous weapon in the world.”
The agreement between Iran and the US, France, Germany, Britain, China and Russia aims to halt the progress of the Iranian nuclear program and rolls back key parts of it.
Earlier, Israel’s Deputy Defense Minister Danny Danon called the agreement “extremely dangerous for the free world.”
“It goes without saying that all options remain on the table and that Israel has the capability – and the responsibility – to defend itself using any means necessary,” Danny Danon said in a statement.
The West and Israel fear that Iran has been seeking to develop a nuclear weapons capability. Tehran denies this, saying its nuclear program is a peaceful energy project.
The White House has tried to reassure Israel that its fear that a deal would leave it vulnerable was unfounded. Late Saturday, President Barack Obama admitted huge challenges remain and said Iran’s promises will be put to the test over the next six months.
“As we go forward, the resolve of the United States will remain firm, as will our commitment to our friends and allies – particularly Israel and our Gulf partners, who have good reason to be skeptical about Iran’s intentions,” the president said.
Israel’s PM Benjamin Netanyahu called the new nuclear agreement with Iran as a historic mistake
Emphasizing the US commitment to Israel as well as his personal relationship with Benjamin Netanyahu, John Kerry said on Sunday that the two allies continue to share the same strategy and the US will not tolerate a nuclear Iran threatening Israel.
“There is no difference whatsoever between the United States and Israel about what the end goal is,” John Kerry said.
Earlier in the news conference, John Kerry said the agreement could not have been reached without the Iranians’ decision to come to the negotiating table. He said the next phase of talks, while even more difficult will also be more important
“If this first step leads to what is our ultimate goal – which is a comprehensive agreement – that will make the world safer,” he said.
An agreement with Iran will likely also affect US relations with Saudi Arabia, a Sunni nation, which is threatened by signs of improved US relations with Shiite Iran.
The UAE officially has welcomed the deal but at least one senior Gulf diplomat was much more critical and expressed skepticism over the deal.
The deal stipulates that Iran will commit to halt uranium enrichment above 5% and also to neutralize its stockpile of near-20% uranium. The Islamic Republic has also committed to halt progress on its enrichment capacity. Iran will also halt work at its plutonium reactor and provide access to nuclear inspectors.
In exchange, the US and its allies have agreed to offer Iran “modest relief” from economic sanctions and access to a portion of the revenue that the country has been denied through these sanctions. No new sanctions will be imposed.
The Obama administration also faces skeptics in Congress. Reaction poured in late Saturday and early Sunday and appeared to be divided along party lines.
Rep. Ed Royce, R-California, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, warned that the deal does not meet the standards necessary to protect the US and its allies.
“Instead of rolling back Iran’s program, Tehran would be able to keep the key elements of its nuclear weapons-making capability. Yet we are the ones doing the dismantling – relieving Iran of the sanctions pressure built up over years,” Ed Royce said in a statement.
House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, R-Virginia, echoed those concerns, saying in a statement he found it “troubling” that the agreement “still permits the Iranians to continue enriching.”
“Iran’s long history of noncompliance with the U.N. Security Council is well known, as is its use of secret facilities to pursue its nuclear program,” Eric Cantor added.
Texas actress Shannon Guess Richardson, who is accused of mailing ricin-laced letters to President Barack Obama and New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, has reached a plea deal with federal prosecutors, according to federal court documents.
Shannon Guess Richardson, 36, whose acting career included minor television roles, had attempted to blame her husband for sending the letters in May that tested positive for the presence of ricin, according to prosecutors.
Notice of the plea deal was filed on Thursday in US District Court for the Eastern District of Texas.
Shannon Guess Richardson is accused of mailing ricin-laced letters to President Barack Obama and NY Mayor Michael Bloomberg
Shannon Guess Richardson was arrested in June and a federal grand jury accused her in a three-count indictment of mailing the letters to Barack Obama, Michael Bloomberg and Mark Glaze, the director of Mayors Against Illegal Guns, a group founded by Bloomberg that lobbies for stricter gun laws.
Ricin, a highly toxic substance, is found naturally in castor beans, but it takes a deliberate act to make ricin and use it to poison people, according to the CDC. Exposure to even a small amount can cause death and no known antidote exists.
Shannon Guess Richardson is charged with one count of making a threat against the president of the US and two counts of mailing threatening communications. She faces up to five years in prison on each count if convicted.
According to court documents, the letters read, in part: “You will have to kill me and my family before you get my guns. Anyone wants to come to my house will get shot in the face.”
The Day of the Doctor – Doctor Who 50th anniversary episode – was broadcast in 94 countries at the same time as it aired on BBC One on Saturday night.
Doctor Who fans have praised the show as “epic” and “phenomenal”.
Featuring three Doctors – Matt Smith, David Tennant and John Hurt – The Day of the Doctor delved deep into the character’s psyche over 75 minutes.
There were also cameos from former star Tom Baker, and Peter Capaldi, who replaces Smith later this year.
“It’s the most ambitious episode we’ve ever done,” said the show’s boss, Steven Moffat, ahead of the premiere.
Featuring three Doctors, The Day of the Doctor delved deep into the character’s psyche over 75 minutes
Opening with the show’s original credit sequence from 1963, the special featured the Daleks and the return of shape-shifting aliens the Zygons, who first appeared in 1975.
But the principal villain was potentially the Doctor himself.
Steve Moffat’s story played with the idea, introduced when the science-fiction show re-launched in 2005, that the Doctor was the “last of the Time Lords”.
It transpired that John Hurt’s version of the Doctor had taken the decision to commit mass genocide in order to halt a “Great Time War” – and the 75-minute episode saw him fighting to come to terms with that decision, aided by two future versions of himself.
Speaking immediately after the show ended, star Matt Smith said: “I think what’s really clever about it is that what he [Steve Moffat] has managed to do is change the mythology of the character – which, after 50 years, is an achievement.”
Aside from the emotional drama, the episode was filled with comedic moments – including a proposal, a marriage and “a machine that goes ding”.
The show was also crammed with special effects, leaping from modern London to the planet of Gallifrey and Elizabethan England.
“I don’t think it bears any resemblance to what we were doing,” said Carole Ann Ford, who starred in the very first episode 50 years ago.
Screened in 3D in more than 1,500 cinemas in 94 countries – from Russia to Ecuador – the episode attracted hundreds of fans in fancy dress, from bow ties to Dalek outfits.
A gala screening at the BFI in London was attended by Matt Smith, John Hurt, Steven Moffat and their co-star Jenna Coleman.
Afghan elders Loya Jirga has backed a security pact with the US allowing thousands of American troops to remain after combat operations end in 2014.
However, the assembly also called on President Hamid Karzai to sign the deal this year.
Hamid Karzai had told the opening session of the assembly that the deal would be signed after elections in 2014.
The US has said it is neither “practical nor possible” to delay the signing.
More than 2,000 elders have been meeting behind closed doors for the past few days.
They endorsed the security deal in a resolution.
The past few days have seen tense diplomatic telephone exchanges between Secretary of State John Kerry and President Hamid Karzai.
Afghan elders Loya Jirga has backed a security pact with the US allowing thousands of American troops to remain after combat operations end in 2014
Washington insists the deal – which has taken months to negotiate – must be signed before the end of this year in order to secure plans for how many troops will remain in Afghanistan beyond 2014.
Opening the four-day grand assembly of elders on Thursday, Hamid Karzai urged delegates to approve the deal.
The president said a number of world leaders – including from Russia, China, and India – were backing the accord, and that it would provide the security Afghanistan needed, as well as the foundation for forces from other NATO countries who were assisting Afghan troops.
But he appeared to set a new condition, saying any pact would not be signed until after presidential elections.
That vote will be held in April. Hamid Karzai has served two terms so cannot stand again.
State department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said: “We believe that signing sooner rather than later is essential to give Afghans certainty about their future before the upcoming elections, and enable the United States and other partners to plan for US presence after 2014.
“It is neither practical nor possible for us to further delay because of the uncertainty it would create.”
The deal under discussion may see 15,000 foreign troops remain after 2014, although the US says it has not yet taken a decision on any presence.
While the Loya Jirga can amend or reject clauses in the pact, its decisions are not binding. The deal will also have to be approved by parliament.
Security is tight for the meeting after a suicide bombing last weekend near the huge tent where it is being held.
The Taliban has branded the meeting a US-designed plot, and has vowed to pursue and punish its delegates as traitors if they approve the deal.
Iran has agreed, after days of intense talks in Geneva, to curb some of its nuclear activities in return for about $7 billion in sanctions relief.
President Barack Obama welcomed the deal, saying it included “substantial limitations which will help prevent Iran from building a nuclear weapon”.
Iran agreed to give better access to inspectors and halt some of its work on uranium enrichment.
However, Iranian negotiators insisted they still had a right to nuclear power.
Tehran denies repeated claims by Western governments that it is seeking to develop nuclear weapons. It insists it must be allowed to enrich uranium to use in power stations.
After four days of negotiations, representatives of the so-called P5+1 group of nations – the US, the UK, Russia, China, France and Germany – reached an agreement with Iran in the early hours of Sunday.
The specifics of the deal have yet to be released, but negotiators indicated the broad outlines:
Iran will stop enriching uranium beyond 5%, the level at which it can be used for weapons research, and reduce its stockpile of uranium enriched beyond this point
Iran will give greater access to inspectors including daily access at Natanz and Fordo nuclear sites
In return, there will be no new nuclear-related sanctions for six months
Iran will also receive sanctions relief worth about $7 billion on sectors including precious metals
Secretary of State John Kerry said the agreement would make the region safer for its allies, including Israel.
Iran has agreed, after days of intense talks in Geneva, to curb some of its nuclear activities in return for about $7 billion in sanctions relief
However, the Israeli government criticized the deal and said Israel did not feel bound by it.
“This is a bad agreement that gives Iran what it wanted: the partial lifting of sanctions while maintaining an essential part of its nuclear programme,” said a statement issued by the office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The Israeli comments came as it was revealed that the US and Iran had held a series of face-to-face talks over the past year that were kept secret even from their allies.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said it was an opportunity for the “removal of any doubts about the exclusively peaceful nature of Iran’s nuclear programme”.
Mohammad Javad Zarif insisted that Iran had not given up its right to enrich uranium.
“We believe that the current agreement, the current plan of action as we call it, in two distinct places has a very clear reference to the fact that Iranian enrichment programme will continue and will be a part of any agreement, now and in the future,” he said.
The US state department gave more details of the deal, insisting that most sanctions would remain in place.
Restrictions on Iran’s petrochemical exports and some other sectors would be suspended, bringing in $1.5 billion in revenue.
Barack Obama warned that if Iran fail to keep its commitments, “we will turn off the relief and ratchet up the pressure”.
This deal may be the most significant agreement between the world powers and Iran for a decade.
Negotiators had been working since Wednesday to reach an agreement that was acceptable to both sides.
As hopes of a deal grew stronger, foreign ministers of the P5+1 joined them in Geneva.
It only became clear that a breakthrough had been made in Geneva early on Sunday.
Thanksgiving travelers in the East and South on Tuesday and Wednesday will face trouble as a storm brings most areas rain but could also bring heavy snow to a narrow swath.
However, much of the rest of the nation will be dry.
The same storm affecting the Southwest with snow, ice, rain and thunderstorms this weekend will reach the Southeast with rain Tuesday. From there the storm will turn up the East Coast, tracking into colder air, perhaps causing even greater travel disruptions.
AccuWeather.com COO Evan Myers said: “If the storm hugs the coast and develops to its full potential, it could be a flight nightmare, not only for travelers in the East, but also throughout the nation.”
After drenching coastal Texas on Monday, the storm will cruise eastward along the Gulf coast Monday night and Tuesday.
Travel delays on the I-10 and I-20 corridors are in store from Louisiana to Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia and northern Florida from rain-soaked highways and poor visibility from downpours.
The rain can be heavy enough and cloud ceilings low enough to delay flights at New Orleans, Atlanta and other airports in the region.
Thanksgiving travelers in the East and South on Tuesday and Wednesday will face trouble as a storm brings most areas rain but could also bring heavy snow to a narrow swath
During Tuesday night, the drenching rain will begin to swing northeastward across South and North Carolina to Virginia, along the I-95 and I-85 corridors.
Right along the Gulf coast and over part of the southern Atlantic Seaboard, there is also the potential for strong to locally severe thunderstorms.
The exact track and intensity of the storm as it swings up or slips off the East Coast Tuesday night into Wednesday night are still in question and hold the key to dry weather versus rain versus snow in some locations.
Even if rain were to fall over much of the area, it would be enough to slow travel on the highways and delay a number of flights. Gusty winds would also factor in to delays along the coast, even if the storm were to roll out to sea.
Rain is the most likely form of precipitation from Virginia to near New York City then southeastern New England, with the air simply being too warm or the warm waters of the Atlantic Ocean exerting its influence. This includes Richmond, Virginia, Washington, D.C., Baltimore and Philadelphia.
If fresh cold air invades the storm, then there could be a period of snow over the mountains from northern West Virginia and western Maryland to central and northeastern Pennsylvania, upstate New York and western and northern New England. If this scenario pans out, major travel disruptions could be in store for portions of I-80, I-81, I-87, I-90 and I-91.
Only if the storm were to strengthen a great deal and draw more cold air in would there be a change from rain to snow in New York City, Hartford, Connecticut, and Boston.
For those traveling on Thanksgiving Day, the storm or its near-miss will likely have exited much of the region. However, some rain or snow is still possible early in the day in northern New England.
More details on the track of the storm and forecast for the Northeast will be released on AccuWeather.com as they becomes available.
A storm is forecast to move in from the Pacific Ocean during the middle of the week.
This storm will has a chance of bringing rain to the I-5 corridor in California to part of Oregon Wednesday into Thanksgiving Day.
As a result, there is a chance of wet weather and perhaps travel delays from San Francisco to Los Angeles. Some snow is possible in the Sierra Nevada and over Donner Pass along I-80.
Much of the rest of the nation will have good travel conditions.
Beware, aircraft and flight crews originating from the South and Northeast could be delayed, perhaps causing ripple-effect problems with a few flights throughout the nation.
There will be bands of lake-effect snow over the Upper Midwest, due to fresh cold air moving in Tuesday and Wednesday. The lake-effect snow should diminish in most locations by Thanksgiving Day.
People are already lining up at a local Best Buy store in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, for this year’s Black Friday deals.
One shopper claims he started waiting in line on Monday evening (November 18) – 10 days before Black Friday.
He set up a tent complete with all the necessary luxuries for living the Black-Friday-line high life, including a bed, a microwave, a television and of course, a heater, because it’s really cold in Ohio around this time of year.
People are already lining up at a local Best Buy store in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, for this year’s Black Friday deals
Another Black Friday shopper is waiting in the line as well, and both of them have friends and family who volunteer to take turns waiting in line and working different shifts so that they can go take showers, and you know, live their lives. They have Thanksgiving dinner in the tents with the whole family, but this is part of an 11-year tradition for this Black Friday shopper, who was even talked into continuing the tradition by his kids when he contemplated quitting a few years ago.
Best Buy hasn’t even officially published its Black Friday advertisements yet; those will likely arrive on Sunday (November 24), but thanks to websites dedicated to Black Friday shopping, folks can get a peek at leaked circulars for different stores, including Best Buy. One of the biggest deals is for the iPad Air, which will see a discount between $50-$70 off. The store will even have iPad 2 units selling for just $299, which is a $100 savings from the original $399 price tag.
Best Buy will open at 6 p.m. on Thanksgiving evening (November 28), and they will hand out tickets for the doorbuster items two-hours before the store opens.
Henrique Capriles – Venezuela’s opposition leader – has told a crowd of supporters not to feel intimidated and to vote in upcoming local elections.
Speaking in the capital, Caracas, Henrique Capriles said not voting on December 8 could be “very costly”.
Henrique Capriles was speaking as thousands turned out for a day of protest.
On Wednesday, the National Assembly gave President Nicolas Maduro controversial new powers to rule by decree.
Nicolas Maduro says the powers will enable him to fight corruption and fix the economy.
The National Assembly’s measure allows Nicolas Maduro to govern without consulting parliament for 12 months.
Despite being a big oil producer, Venezuela is facing shortages of food and other essential goods, as well as power cuts and 54% inflation.
Henrique Capriles has told a crowd of supporters not to feel intimidated and to vote in upcoming local elections
Nicolas Maduro has already forced retailers to slash prices by up to 60%, as part of his fight against what he calls “economic sabotage”.
The government has also imposed strict controls over the sale of foreign currency, to combat a growing black market in dollars.
The opposition accuses Nicolas Maduro of planning to use his new powers to suppress its activities.
Local elections will take place in two weeks.
“Everybody has to overcome their fears and vote. Voting doesn’t cost a thing, but not doing it can be very costly,” Henrique Capriles, who narrowly lost to Nicolas Maduro in April’s presidential election, told the crowd on Saturday.
Henrique Capriles said two of his aides were detained without explanation on Thursday night.
He accused Nicolas Maduro of being too cowardly to arrest him, relying instead on detaining people around him.
“Why don’t they come for me? Maduro, don’t be a coward, come on,” Henrique Capriles told supporters.
One of those arrested was man in charge of organizing Henrique Capriles’ travel agenda, Alejandro Silva.
The government confirmed two members of the opposition had been arrested, accused of planning to provoke disturbances during Saturday’s protests.
Duck Dynasty stars are entering the children’s publications sphere with a picture book, Everything’s Better With a Beard.
Publisher Simon & Schuster will release Everything’s Better With a Beard in March 2014. The photographic picture book has a simple message: Slap some facial hair on everything -from rubber duckies to sunflowers to trucks – and it’s instantly better.
Simon & Schuster will release Everything’s Better With a Beard in March 2014
Everything’s Better With a Beard, written by Si, Willie, Phil, Jase, Jep and Alan Robertson, will be full of homespun Duck Dynasty wisdom that kids will love.
“Kay has set up a special section in their house for all the grandchildren that is filled with children’s books,” Willie Robertson said in a press release.
“We’re proud to now have books with our names on them to add to the collection, and we’re happy to promote beards any time we get a chance.”
The home of Duck Dynasty’s family has become a huge tourist draw over the years.
On any given day the Official Duck Commander hometown tour takes visitors to 26 locations featured on the show, including the Duck Commander Store and Warehouse, Haskell’s Donuts, Debbie’s Snowballs, and Danken Trail.
Now, Monroe, Louisiana, is pulling out all the stops for some serious holiday festivities.
Throughout December there will be a host of events, which include meet and greets featuring the stars themselves, a massive laser light show-and lots and lots of camouflage.
Get involved in the fun on Saturday, December 14, as Monroe’s Downtown RiverMarket presents A Very Merry Commander Christmas– an event featuring appearances by members of the Robertson family.
Get working on growing out your beard and don’t pack your razor, as organizers hold a star of Duck Dynasty look-a-like contest.
On December 14, Monroe’s Downtown RiverMarket presents A Very Merry Commander Christmas, an event featuring appearances by members of the Robertson family
Get your game face on for the Duck Commander Duck Derby on the Ouachita River. In the afternoon, approximately 10,000 plastic ducks will float down from near the Endom Bridge for the duck race. Prizes will be awarded.
Later in the day, Louisiana’s favorite first family will serve as the grand marshals.
A boat flotilla will make its way to The Downtown RiverMarket, culminating in a laser light show and live music.
“The whole family is excited to ride down the river in the ‘Duck the Halls’ flotilla, and then for the grand finale, the night ends with the biggest laser light show our area has ever seen,” said Korie Robertson.
“It is going to be a great day for families to come out and enjoy.”
Not only is it guaranteed to be a fun day, Korie Robertson says she’s excited to be part of the event because it benefits the Food Bank of Northeast Louisiana.
“Christmas is about family, giving to others, and enjoying time together, but most importantly, Christmas is about celebrating Jesus’ birth,” she said.
Monroe has more to offer this holiday season than A Very Merry Commander Christmas. Make your holiday trip complete with some Commander Christmas shopping.
You can visit the family’s new shop to find great, unique gifts for those on your list this year.
“Rebecca, our oldest daughter, and I just opened a fun new clothing and gift boutique, Duck and Dressing, that we are really excited about, and, of course, fans are always welcome to stop by our warehouse and visit the Duck Commander store,” Korie Robertson said.
You can even try Willie and Miss Kay Robertson’s recipes during your trip at Willie’s Duck Diner.
Korie Robertson says besides Willie’s, Cotton, is their go-to restaurant.
“It’s in downtown Monroe in a cool, old building that overlooks the Ouachita River,” Korie Robertson said.
“You have to try the duck wraps and the duck fat fries; so good!”
For a sweet snack, stop by Not Just Pie, where Korie Robertson recommends the delicious blueberry creme pie.
Duck Dynasty’s Reed Robertson, the eldest son of Jase and Missy Robertson, admitted that the pressures of being on a hit television show changed him, and not necessarily for the better.
In a new film by the Christian group IamSecond, Reed Robertson said: “A couple years ago, I started to get real cynical and looking at everything like <<That’s wrong>>, or <<They are looking at that wrong>> because I thought I had it all figured out.”
“I guess I got really caught up in thinking that I was better than everyone else because of who my family was.”
The changes in Reed Robertson’s personality caused his friends and loved ones to begin avoiding him. He grew angry and depressed, and after getting snubbed by his pals after church one day, he “finally hit rock bottom.”
“No one wanted anything to do with a cynical person like me,” he said.
“I told my youth minister that I was, I pretty much told him that I wanted to kill myself.”
Reed Robertson, the eldest son of Jase and Missy Robertson, admitted that the pressures of being on a hit television show changed him
Reed Robertson, now 18, wrote a suicide note, but after speaking with his parents, Jase and Missy Robertson, he had a change of heart.
“My mom was devastated of course. She’s crying and all this kinda stuff. She’s thinking where she went wrong and it wasn’t her at all,” he said.
“My dad told me, he said, <<That is the most selfish thing that you can do… Leave this world because you can’t take it>>. And I really believe that that’s true.”
Now, Reed Robertson said his situation has turned around and he’s “back on track with Jesus”.
“I just thought about, like, <<I’m about to leave all these people that I could have a really huge impact with>>,” he said.
“I was finally free of doubts, of having an attitude of being cynical, and I remember being so relieved. And Jesus brings that relief. I think who taught me that was the men in my life and my family.”
The 30-minute documentary The Robertsons also recently shed light on past issues regarding Reed’s grandparents, where it was revealed that Phil Robertson’s one-time drinking problem almost destroyed his family.
Duck Dynasty will return on December 11 with the Robertson family’s annual Christmas special.
Addressing the delegates of the European Olympic Committees at the Vatican on Saturday, Pope Francis has warned that the commercialization of sport may undermine its spiritual values.
Pope Francis told Olympic leaders that looking for profit and victory at all costs risked reducing athletes “to mere trading material”.
“Sport is harmony, but if money and success prevail as the aim, this harmony crumbles,” the Pope said.
The pontiff has struck a different tone to his predecessor on a range of issues.
Pope Francis said recently the Church was too focused on preaching about abortion, gay people and contraception.
He played basketball as a young man and is a keen supporter of his local San Lorenzo football club in Buenos Aires.
Pope Francis told Olympic leaders that looking for profit and victory at all costs risked reducing athletes to mere trading material
Pope Francis had two days of meetings with leaders of the world of sport. He met Sepp Blatter, the head of the International Football Federation (FIFA) and International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach.
He has also been talking about the spiritual values of team games with the rugby squads of Italy and Argentina – ahead of their encounter in Rome.
“Rugby is like life because we are all heading for a goal. We need to run together and pass the ball from hand to hand until we get to it,” Pope Francis told the rugby players.
Addressing the delegates of the European Olympic Committees at the Vatican on Saturday, the Pope said: “When sport is considered only in economic terms and consequently for victory at every cost, it risks reducing athletes to mere trading material from whom profits are extracted.”
Thomas Bach presented the Pope with the Olympic Order in Gold, telling him: “You truly understand the joy in human spirit that sport can bring but just as much the deeper values that it can nurture.”
Sepp Blatter gave Pope Francis a special Latin edition of the FIFA magazine.
Mount Etna has erupted again, showering volcanic ash on towns dotting the mountain’s slopes and nearby Taormina.
Etna is Europe’s most active volcano erupting occasionally. Its last major eruption occurred in 1992.
Etna is Europe’s most active volcano erupting occasionally
The eruption Saturday did not force any evacuations, but a highway was closed for half an hour as a precaution. Italian authorities also briefly closed two of four air corridors serving the nearby Catania airport but air traffic was not interrupted.
Dennis Rodman plans to visit North Korea for an exhibition basketball tour late next month.
In an interview with The Associated Press, Dennis Rodman said he’ll be accompanied on the trip by a dozen or so former NBA players. But he refused to name names.
“I have seven people right now,” he said.
“I talked to a couple of guys last week. Lot of guys are saying, <<OK, great. I’ll go. We’ll go>>. But I’m not saying this to get people to go over there to prove a point — <<OK, great, let’s go over there and make a difference.>>”
Back in the news as a self-appointed ambassador and friend of Kim Jong-un, Dennis Rodman returned Thursday to where he won the last three of his five NBA championships playing alongside Michael Jordan. On a promotional tour to pitch a vodka brand, Dennis Rodman held court downtown amid camera flashes.
Dennis Rodman, 52, said he wouldn’t talk about his relationship with Kim Jong-un or North Korean politics, including its widely condemned human-rights record and secretive nuclear weapons program. Though he eventually touched on those subjects, Dennis Rodman glossed over several related questions and largely ignored a challenge to his answer about whether North Korea was holding US citizens as hostages, including 85-year-old Korean War veteran Merrill Newman.
Dennis Rodman plans to visit North Korea for an exhibition basketball tour late next month
The Swedish Embassy is negotiating on behalf of Newman because the US has no diplomatic ties to North Korea. Dennis Rodman’s friendship with Kim Jong-un has afforded him the kind of access denied statesmen from the West and even President Barack Obama.
Dennis Rodman came under criticism for being “naive” during a previous visit to North Korea, where he was photographed often with Kim Jong-un, and some members of the diplomatic community fear his antics could further aggravate already-sensitive negotiations.
He said his reasons for returning to North Korea were much more personal and beyond that, Kim Jong-un’s motives were not his concern.
“Like I told you, this is not all about trying to create this major buzz,” Dennis Rodman said.
“Because I don’t want my friend to sit there and say I been doing this all along to slip in some information on him. I don’t want that. That’s why I’m not doing that. We’re friends and that’s it.
“This ain’t about me trying to be a politician and try to get some scoop on him and stuff like that. … He’s my friend first. Other than that, I don’t give a damn what … he does.”
Khloe Kardashian has open up about Kris Jenner’s separation from her stepfather, Bruce Jenner, and how it has affected the family.
“It wasn’t some huge shock for the older kids,” the reality star said during an interview with The Kyle and Jackie O Show in Sydney, Australia, on November 21.
“[They’ve been] living apart for maybe like a year now,” she confirmed.
“I even said on the show, <<Once you guys put that much space in between you guys, I don’t think you will ever move back together>>,” she added.
“<<Because you kind of get comfortable in that space>>. So I wasn’t for him moving out in the first place. I just kind of saw it going down this road.”
Khloe Kardashian has open up about Kris Jenner’s separation from her stepfather, Bruce Jenner
The transition may not have been too tough on Kim, Kourtney and Rob Kardashian, but the decision to begin a new chapter proved to be a bit more difficult for younger sisters Kendall and Kylie, Bruce Jenner’s biological kids.
“They have a harder time kind of understanding it,” Khloe Kardashian admitted.
“They were like, <<Well, why don’t you guys just get a divorce then?!>>.”
But as it turns out, the change actually helped their parents’ relationship.
“They’re nicer to each other [now]. My mom could get frustrated with him very quickly. Or he would always want to play golf and be gone,” she said, but now “he actually wants to come over more and be around us more. I would say it’s a really positive thing. My mom and him, there’s no animosity”.
As for dating post-split, that’s apparently a different story.
“[They aren’t] looking to be with other people right now,” Khloe Kardashian explained.
Paris shootings suspect Abdelhakim Dekhar has been charged with attempted murder and kidnapping.
Abdelhakim Dekhar was arrested in a car park in Paris on Wednesday after French police launched a large-scale manhunt.
He is suspected of threatening a TV station a week ago, before attacking Liberation newspaper office and Societe Generale HQ on Monday.
Prosecutors have said that samples of DNA from Abdelhakim Dekhar, 48, matched that from the crime scenes.
Abdelhakim Dekhar’s lawyer, Remi Lorrain, has complained of “violations of his right to be presumed innocent”.
Abdelhakim Dekhar has been charged with attempted murder and kidnapping
The spate of attacks started on Friday November 17, when a gunman threatened the Paris TV station, BFMTV.
Then on Monday, a photographer’s assistant was seriously hurt in a shooting at the left-wing newspaper, Liberation, before shots were fired in front of the headquarters of the Societe Generale bank in the Paris business district of La Defense.
Abdelhakim Dekhar was arrested on Wednesday in an underground car park in the Paris suburb of Bois-Colombes following a tip-off from a member of the public.
He was found in a semi-conscious state after an apparent suicide attempt.
The French authorities say Abdelhakim Dekhar was jailed in 1998 for his role in a string of fatal shootings in Paris and he was sentenced to four years in jail, but was released soon after the verdict, having already served his time in pre-trial detention.
Turkish ambassador to Cairo has been expelled, a day after PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan called for Egypt’s ousted President Mohamed Morsi to be freed.
Relations with Ankara would be lowered to charge d’affaires, officials said.
On Friday, PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan repeated his criticism of the July overthrow of Mohamed Morsi and urged the Egyptian authorities to free him.
Egypt’s foreign ministry accused Recep Tayyip Erdogan of provocation and interfering in his country’s internal affairs.
Responding to Cairo’s decision to expel Ambassador Huseyin Avni Botsali, Turkey also announced the downgrading of ties and barred the Egyptian ambassador, declaring him “persona non grata”.
Turkey has been a vocal critic of the military overthrow of Mohamed Morsi, who is in prison awaiting trial on charges of inciting murder and violence.
Responding to Cairo’s decision to expel Ambassador Huseyin Avni Botsali, Turkey also announced the downgrading of ties and barred the Egyptian ambassador
He is one of thousands belonging to the Islamist Muslim Brotherhood who have been detained in a crackdown the interim authorities have portrayed as a struggle against “terrorism”.
Hundreds of people have also been killed in clashes with security forces.
Recep Tayyip Erdogan renewed his criticisms on Friday, condemning the violent dispersal of pro-Morsi protesters in August.
Egypt’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Badr Abdelatty accused Recep Tayyip Erdogan of “interfering in Egypt’s internal affairs”.
He said Turkey was “attempting to influence public opinion against Egyptian interests, supported meetings of organizations that seek to create instability in the country”.
A bitter row over the August crackdown led both countries to recall their ambassadors.
Turkey’s ambassador to Cairo returned in September, but the Egyptian ambassador to Turkey was never reinstalled.
Recep Tayyip Erdogan, like Mohamed Morsi, has his roots in political Islam. Ankara and Istanbul have hosted a series of meetings of the international Muslim Brotherhood.
Amphotericin B, a drug commonly used to beat severe fungal infections, can make flu far worse, animal studies suggest.
The effects in people are still uncertain, but doctors have called for it to be assessed “urgently”.
Amphotericin B is given to people needing chemotherapy or a bone marrow transplant.
The findings, in the journal Cell Reports, showed the drug interfered with the way the body defended itself against flu.
Amphotericin B is given to people needing chemotherapy or a bone marrow transplant
Previous research had shown that the protein IFITM3 makes it harder for a flu virus to infect the body.
Mice that are unable to produce the protein are more vulnerable to infection and will have more severe symptoms.
Now researchers at the University of Massachusetts and the Sanger Institute in the UK have shown that an antifungal drug destroys IFITM3 and leaves mice susceptible to flu.
Prof. Abraham Brass, from the University of Massachusetts Medical School, said: “Sometimes a very useful drug can also have unforeseen effects.
“We now see that a major part of the body’s natural defenses to influenza virus is rendered inactive by Amphotericin B.
“While these studies don’t confirm that such an interaction may translate into clinical relevance for patients, it does suggest that some vigilance is warranted, especially for patients who are undergoing treatment for cancer and may already have suppressed immune systems.”
China has created an “air-defense identification zone” over an area of the East China Sea, covering islands that are also claimed by Japan.
China’s Defense Ministry said aircraft entering the zone must obey its rules or face “emergency defensive measures”.
The zone came into effect from 10:00 local time on Saturday.
The islands, known as Senkaku in Japan and Diaoyu in China, are a source of rising tension between the countries.
In its statement, the Defense Ministry said aircraft must report a flight plan, “maintain two-way radio communications”, and “respond in a timely and accurate manner” to identification inquiries.
“China’s armed forces will adopt defensive emergency measures to respond to aircraft that do not co-operate in the identification or refuse to follow the instructions,” said the statement.
China has created an “air-defense identification zone” over an area of the East China Sea, covering islands that are also claimed by Japan
A map posted on Twitter by state news agency Xinhua showed the zone covering a wide area of the East China Sea, including regions very close to South Korea and Japan.
Responding to questions about the zone on an official state website, a defense ministry spokesman, Yang Yujun, said China set up the area “with the aim of safeguarding state sovereignty, territorial land and air security, and maintaining flight order”.
“It is not directed against any specific country or target,” he said, adding that China “has always respected the freedom of over-flight in accordance with international law”.
“Normal flights by international air liners in the East China Sea Air Defence Identification Zone will not be affected in any way.”
There has been no response so far from Japan.
The islands have been a source of tension between China and Japan for decades.
In 2012, the Japanese government bought three of the islands from their Japanese owner, sparking mass protests in Chinese cities.
Since then, Chinese ships have repeatedly sailed in and out of what Japan says are its territorial waters.
In September this year, Japan said it would shoot down unmanned aircraft in Japanese airspace after an unmanned Chinese drone flew close to the disputed islands.
China said that any attempt by Japan to shoot down Chinese aircraft would constitute “an act of war”.
Last month Japan’s defense minister, Itsunori Onodera, said China’s behavior over the disputed East China Sea islands was jeopardizing peace.
Secretary of State John Kerry has arrived in Geneva for Iran nuclear talks involving the UK, Russia, France, China and Germany after three days of lower-level meetings.
The foreign ministers hope to close a deal for Iran to curb uranium enrichment in return for a loosening of sanctions.
But Iran insists it must be allowed to enrich uranium for power stations, and denies it is seeking nuclear weapons.
Some US politicians say they will push for more sanctions if the talks fail.
Secretary of State John Kerry has arrived in Geneva for Iran nuclear talks
Negotiators have been working since Wednesday to try to find an agreement that is acceptable to both sides.
The talks had been scheduled to conclude on Friday, but were extended amid hopes of a possible breakthrough.
The state department said John Kerry, who arrived in Geneva early on Saturday, had the goal of “continuing to help narrow the differences and move closer to an agreement”.
John Kerry’s participation in itself does not prove a deal is at hand, but it does show that the talks may have reached a critical stage.
The other ministers from the so-called P5+1 group of nations were also arriving on Saturday.
French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius told reporters as he arrived: “I want a deal, but a solid deal, and I am here to work toward that end.”
