Michael Irvin breaks down whether the Buffalo Bills can finally end the Kansas City Chiefs' undefeated streak in this pivotal matchup. He analyzes the key factors at play as Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen go head-to-head.

After a brief meeting with representatives of the state health services, Okypy, the perennially angry leader of Pasyki (government doctors union), Sotiris Koumas walked out because his members would not be paid the amount he was demanding for work done in 2023. Shortly after the meeting he appeared on a lunch-time news show on CyBC […]

Rep. Juan Ciscomani has been projected as the winner in the race for Arizona's 6th Congressional District, one of the most closely watched House races in the country.

Welcoming the Supreme Court’s direction on bulldozer ‘justice’, the SP chief says from now onwards, the bulldozer will remain parked in garage forever

The Bermuda men’s national volleyball team were back in action competing in the 2024 ECVA senior men’s championships. Bermuda took on St. Eustatius and picked up a 3 – 0 victory to move to 1 & 1. Bermuda won the first set 25-11, before winning the second set 25-18, and then they closed it out […]

Biden and Trump have sharply criticized each other for years, and their respective teams hold vastly different positions on policies from climate change to Russia to trade.

Religious policy: Constantine is perhaps best known for being the first Christian Roman emperor; his reign was certainly a turning point for the Church. In February 313, Constantine met with Licinius in Milan where they developed the Edict of Milan. The edict stated that Christians should be allowed to follow the faith of their choosing. This removed penalties for professing Christianity (under which many had been martyred in previous persecutions of Christians) and returned confiscated Church property. The edict protected from religious persecution not only Christians but all religions, allowing anyone to worship whichever deity they chose. A similar edict had been issued in 311 by Galerius, then senior emperor of the Tetrarchy; Galerius' edict granted Christians the right to practice their religion but did not restore any property to them. The Edict of Milan included several clauses which stated that all confiscated churches would be returned as well as other provisions for previously persecuted Christians. ... Constantine did not patronize Christianity alone, however. After gaining victory in the Battle of the Milvian Bridge (312), a triumphal arch-the Arch of Constantine-was built (315) to celebrate it; the arch is decorated with images of Victoria and sacrifices to gods like Apollo, Diana, and Hercules, but contains no Christian symbolism. In 321, Constantine instructed that Christians and non-Christians should be united in observing the venerable day of the sun, referencing the esoteric eastern sun-worship which Aurelian had helped introduce, and his coinage still carried the symbols of the sun cult until 324. Even after the pagan gods had disappeared from the coinage, Christian symbols appeared only as Constantine's personal attributes: the chi rho between his hands or on his labarum, but never on the coin itself. Even when Constantine dedicated the new capital of Constantinople, which became the seat of Byzantine Christianity for a millennium, he did so wearing the Apollonian sun-rayed Diadem. -- The reign of Constantine established a precedent for the position of the emperor as having some influence within the religious discussions going on within the Catholic Church of that time, e.g., the dispute over Arianism. Constantine himself disliked the risks to societal stability that religious disputes and controversies brought with them, preferring where possible to establish an orthodoxy. The emperor saw it as his duty to ensure that God was properly worshiped in his empire, and that what proper worship consisted would be determined by the Church. In 316, Constantine acted as a judge in a North African dispute concerning the validity of Donatism. After deciding against the Donatists, Constantine led an army of Christians against the Donatist Christians. More significantly, in 325 he summoned the Council of Nicaea, effectively the first Ecumenical Council (unless the Council of Jerusalem is so classified). Nicaea was dealt mostly with Arianism. Constantine also enforced the prohibition of the First Council of Nicaea against celebrating the Lord's Supper on the day before the Jewish Passover (14th of Nisan) (see Quartodecimanism and Easter controversy). Constantine made new laws regarding the Jews. They were forbidden to own Christian slaves or to circumcise their slaves.

In Rick Warren To Be Featured At Desiring God 2010 - I was among the few who broke the story that Dr. Piper had made the ill-advised decision to invite Leadership Network's propped-up Purpose Driven Pope Rick Warren to DG 2010 as a keynote speaker. Then, as I shared in Rick Warren Doctrinal And Sound?, unfortunately it got even worse when Dr. Piper decided to defend his decision: At root I think [Rick Warren] is theological and doctrinal and sound. ... So whether one even knows it or not, Warrengate still is slowly simmering; Dr. Piper's choice here has had the rippling effect of people, even outside of any discernment ministries, beginning to look a little closer at his theology, educational background, and associations; e.g. his charismatic bent, his connection to Fuller Theological Seminary, and with the late Ralph Winter. I had received a tip from a source back in June of this past year; and as I followed up on it, it would eventually lead me to discover some disturbing information which I orginally began sharing in Questions Concerning Dr. John Piper and Dr. John Piper And Unanswered Questions. When I wrote those initial articles Dr. Piper was on his much talked about sabbatical; now however, he is back and a few of the mystic books I pointed in the latter piece are no longer in the BBC online library. ... What I just showed you here should give us real concern as the obstensibly Reformed, "happy," and "romantic," Calvinist Dr. John Piper is sounding less like a charismatic and more like a mystic as he points us to apostate teachers of Roman Catholicism and its spiritually bankrupt mysticism; and from what we can see, this has been going on for quite some time now. Perhaps, now that his discernment is so far off he's even promoting the double-minded Rick Warren, the time has finally arrived for some of his DG speakers to take a closer look at what's going on in this neo-Reformed camp.

Today we feature an interview with Fr. Joseph about his brand new book - Defeating Sin: Overcoming Our Passions and Changing Forever

Fr. Apostolos Hill delivers a homily about the 1st Ecumenical Council and how only the God-man Jesus Christ is the Bridge that unites Heaven and Earth.

Among the greatest struggles in the Christian life are the "little things"—the day-to-day "bad habits" by which we continually fall, and which seem to trap us in our sin. Is there a way out? In this week's episode, Fr. Dcn. Matthew examines the Fathers on sin as habits, how these habits enslave us—and most importantly, how we can overcome our shackles and progress toward the Kingdom.

Among the greatest struggles in the Christian life are the "little things"—the day-to-day "bad habits" by which we continually fall, and which seem to trap us in our sin. Is there a way out? In this week’s episode, Archimandrite Irenei examines the Fathers on sin as habits, how these habits enslave us—and most importantly, how we can overcome our shackles and progress toward the Kingdom.

Do we overcome the darkness by fighting against it? Or is there an easier way?

England's review of their last-gasp defeat by Australia was "brutal" but exactly what the squad needed, says wing Ollie Sleightholme.

Mark Allen suffers a shock second-round 4-3 defeat by Oliver Lines at the Northern Ireland Open at the Waterfront Hall.

World number one Judd Trump fails to reach a tournament quarter-final for the first time in 2024 after a last-16 defeat by China's Xu Si in the International Championship in Nanjing.

Warren Gatland's Wales equal the country's record losing international streak of 10 successive Test defeats after Fiji triumph in Cardiff.

Gareth Anscombe insists Wales have the talent to beat Australia and avoid their longest losing streak.

Northern Ireland Football League chief executive Gerard Lawlor says criticism in the wake of Larne's 4-1 defeat by Shamrock Rovers was "over the top".

Defending champion Mark Allen advances to the semi-finals of the Champion of Champions tournament by beating Jak Jones 6-4 in the Group One final.

Derry City manager Ruaidhri Higgins reacts to his side's disappointing 2-0 defeat by Drogheda in the FAI Cup.

Policy and Resources will review infrastructure projects after deputies rejected income tax plans.

Norwich City defender Shane Duffy urges the team to learn quickly and "crack on again" following two defeats away from home in the space of four days.

Natalia Silva, Steve Garcia, Cody Durden, and Yanal Ashmouz also secure victories at the MMA event

An undated image shows Pakistan's baseball team poses with national flag Arab Classic Dubai 2024 championship. — APP/File

DUBAI: Pakistan’s baseball team clinched the Arab Classic Dubai 2024 championship as the team trampled the hosts United Arab Emirates with an...

TJ Bamba scored 14 points and Villanova beat Georgetown 70-54 on Friday night, handing the Hoyas their 12th straight loss.

Voters in Colorado, Kentucky and Nebraska on Tuesday rejected school choice ballot measures that would have let parents spend state education dollars on private and public charter schools.

Democrat Angela Alsobrooks won the Senate race in deep-blue Maryland on Tuesday over Republican Larry Hogan, a former two-term governor who failed to convert his popularity into an upset win.

Last season, Maryland beat Indiana so bad that the Hoosiers fired their offensive coordinator less than 24 hours later. How much things can change in just one year, as Indiana is at 4-0 in 2024 as they await the Terrapins on Saturday.

Kamala Harris's defeat runs deeper for Democrats than its surface appearance. Even at first sight, it was stunning: Ms. Harris didn't just lose the presidency but, unthinkably, the popular vote too.

Democratic U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar has won a fourth term, defeating anti-establishment Republican and former NBA player Royce White in Minnesota's top election matchup.

by Suzette Smith

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Good Morning, Portland! We're still "turning and turning in the widening gyre" over here, and we may be for quite some time.

IN LOCAL NEWS:
• Last night's round of election results arrived without any notable changes in the Portland City Council races. News editor Courtney Vaughn writes: "With Keith Wilson securing the mayor’s seat the day prior, results in City Council districts largely held firm."

• While the national election results have been [understatement incoming] pretty distressing, local races are lined with silver. The Columbian reports Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez has maintained her lead over far-right, perennial challenger Joe Kent. The Oregonian has a good breakdown of the race and history of Gluesenkamp Perez's hard-fought win.

• PCC Automotive Service Technology Program instructor Jay Kuykendall has been named this year's Educator of the Year by the North American Council of Automotive Teachers, Portland Tribune reports. "Kuykendall oversees the auto shop lab and teaches engine performance classes, along with elective courses like Subaru U, electrified vehicles and light-duty diesel."

• Beloved local coffee chain Jim and Patty's Coffee announced earlier this week that it will close its remaining two locations, in Beaverton and in Portland, on November 11. "Thank you all from the bottom of our hearts for your support..." owner Patty Roberts wrote. "Now I will need to find a job. If anyone has any ideas for an old lady who has been off the job market for over 40 years, let me know!" ???? For more backstory, check out this Mercury piece about the struggling coffee shops from October.

• There was once a time in Portland when one could easily—well, depending on connection issues—rent a cheery little blue and white hybrid car to drive. The little smart cars were great for unforgiving rain showers and surprisingly solid in the snow. Car2Go merged with Reachnow in 2018, then tanked in 2019. In 2021, Free2Move announced it would drop a "fleet of 200 Jeep Renegades" for Portland consumers to rent, but the cumbersome cars departed once more in 2023. This week MSN reposted that story from 2023, so some people have been letting us know about it. Sorry about MSN, and this all happened last year. Still fun to revisit this tweet:

so let me get this straight

car2go joins sharenow, while reachnow becomes reachnow pic.twitter.com/gJi7R6YZ8e

— Cabel Sasser (@cabel) March 4, 2019

• Politicians are politicians, but I find Sen. Jeff Merkley's vibe calming:

          View this post on Instagram                      

A post shared by Senator Jeff Merkley (@senjeffmerkley)

• Every week, the Mercury gives out free tickets to local shows and this week we've got sweet tix for Reverend Horton Heat, Des Demonas, Karina Rykman and moooore—check'm out and win with our Free Ticket Thursday giveaway!

IN NATIONAL / INTERNATIONAL NEWS:
• I can't immediately find who said this, but I think it's a valid concern: As we watch the transition back to a Trump administration presidency, the cabinet appointments are probably going to feel like being repeatedly punched in the face. President-elect Donald Trump named Florida strategist Susie Wiles as his White House chief of staff on Thursday. Wiles has run his political operation for nearly four years, making her one of the few people to survive at his side for any length of time. What's Wiles deal? Nepo baby. Ronald Reagan campaign staffer. Wiles has been credited with putting Rick Scott in Florida's governor’s office. Associated Press has a nice, long profile on her this morning. Is she going to tear the tampon machine out of the White House bathroom again? We're watching.

• A Biden administration initiative known as “Keeping Families Together” was struck down by a Texas-based US District judge yesterday; Judge J. Campbell Barker argued that the Biden administration had overstepped its authority with its attempt to lessen barriers to citizenship for undocumented immigrants married to US citizens.

• Soccer fans did violence again, but this time it might be motivated by cultural and political friction. NPR reports that "leading political figures in the Netherlands have condemned the violence that followed a match between a Dutch team Ajax and Tel Aviv's Maccabi. According to NPR, "Dutch police said 62 people have been arrested following several clashes." Amsterdam mayor Femke Halsema described local men seeking out Israeli fans on scooters. Dutch police chief Peter Holla said fans of Tel Aviv Maccabi had "set a Palestinian flag on fire in the city and attacked a taxi." Dutch authorities have banned demonstrations through the weekend.

• Happy Martian New Year... soon! In Scientific American Phil Plait writes: "Why would anyone pick November 12 as New Year’s Day for Mars? And why does our official reckoning of Martian time set the eons-old Red Planet only in its 38th year? The answer involves a combination of natural cycles and the human need to impose order via somewhat arbitrary timekeeping—pretty much like on Earth."

• And now we part—wishing a fine weekend to my naysayers and hatchet men in the fight against violence.

The actions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the Kursk region of Russia produced a bombshell effect in media space. Yet, Armed Forces of Ukraine are doomed to lose. The operation of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the Kursk region came as a surprise for Russia. Ukraine was competent in conducting it tactically with quick breakthroughs and deployment of second echelons under the protection of electronic warfare. Ukrainian soldiers managed to dig in in a number of settlements, and it will take the Russian troops some time to annihilate the enemy there. The Russian Armed Forces have no other option but to create a sanitary zone in the Sumy region.

[Sports] :
South Korea defeated Oman three to one, achieving its first win in the current World Cup qualifying campaign.  The South Korean national soccer team, led by head coach Hong Myung-bo, played Oman on Tuesday at the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex in Muscat in the second Group B match in the third round of the ...

[more...]

[Sports] :
The North Korean women's football team defeated the world's top ranked U.S. squad in the semifinals of the 2024 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup under way in Colombia, moving a step closer to winning their third World Cup title. North Korea claimed a one-nil victory over the U.S. in the ...

[more...]

Multi-Conveyor has built a series of carbon and mild steel constructed modular plastic belt conveyors.

Author claims Trump will lead America into a failed economy: "If Trump is elected we will not need to worry about the economy because we will not have one."

Matt Horn persevered through the pandemic to open his West Oakland restaurant Horn Barbecue—to the delight of hungry crowds

Analyst Jean Bricmont offers a deep analysis of how France's left-leaning coalition swept a plurality of seats in the recent snap elections.

Marjorie Kelly's new book critiques the U.S. economy's embrace of "wealth supremacy," and explores alternate models of democratic economies.

The Food Processing Suppliers Association (FPSA) today announced the launch of the 2015 Defeat Hunger℠ campaign which is scheduled to run from the spring of 2015 through the last day of PROCESS EXPO, September 18th at Chicago’s McCormick Place.

Two special events—SAVE FOOD and DEFEAT HUNGER—will take once again at PROCESS EXPO 2015, scheduled for September 15-18 at Chicago’s McCormick Place.

At this point, it may be fair to say President Joe Biden’s criticisms of his predecessor have nothing to do with principles. It was all politics, all the way down.

It’s not often that something almost universally unexpected happens in American politics. Frequent public opinion polls and a variety of political media usually give political junkies a good idea of what to expect next.

Folk punk hits different in the UK…

Boxer Nikki Bascome claimed a unanimous points win over American Rashad Kilpatrick in the co-main event at The Shed in Dockyard yesterday [May 25]. Bascome dominated his opponent throughout the eight-round welterweight contest to improve his record in the paid ranks to 14 wins and one defeat. The 33-year-old wrote on Instagram: “Thank you God […]

While it made up ground in later returns after Tuesday's election, the measure was rejected on 51% of city ballots counted so far, according to the latest results released by the Denver Elections Division on Friday evening.