winph.6 Navy QB Blake Horvath's 95-yard TD run in Armed Forces Bowl win is longest play in school historyThe BDN Editorial Board operates independently from the newsroom, and does not set policies or contribute to reporting or editing articles elsewhere in the newspaper or on bangordailynews.com . One of the most consequential election days in Maine will take place on Wednesday, and Maine voters won’t be the ones determining the outcome. Not directly, at least. Maine continues to be an outlier, and not in a good way , for the manner in which we choose four important roles in state government. Rather than having voters or the governor decide who serves in the prominent positions of attorney general, secretary of state, treasurer and auditor, the Maine constitution and state law place these choices in the hands of lawmakers. The result is a frustratingly insular process that often prioritizes connections in August above the preferences of Maine people across the state, and sometimes even qualifications. This typically leads to state lawmakers and former lawmakers of the Legislature’s majority party being chosen for the roles that oversee key elements of the Maine government’s lew enforcement efforts, election administration, finances and accountability to the people. If there ever were a political swamp to drain, this process should be at the top of the list. Rather than serving as political resume builders for connected politicians with higher ambitions, or safe landing spots for those termed out of their current positions, these weighty offices should be based on the will and needs of the people. And when one of these so-called constitutional officers is running for reelection, it should be the people of Maine assessing their performance and qualifications to keep serving, not their political allies (and to a lesser extent, foes). Yes, Maine voters have collectively determined the partisan makeup of the Legislature based on who they have sent to represent their respective districts in Augusta. But that coupled with popularity inside the party apparatuses should not be the deciding factor for who serves in these roles. The individual qualifications and actions of potential office holders should be assessed by voters. Allowing the majority party in Augusta to play a game of political musical chairs with critical elements of state government, and to do so with the use of secret ballots in party caucuses that shield individual lawmakers from scrutiny during the process, reeks of backroom dealmaking. That is probably why Maine stands almost entirely alone in choosing these state officers this way. Mainers rightly like to tout ways in which our state lives up to its motto and leads. However, this is one instance where we clearly need to follow most other states by changing the process for selecting constitutional officers. Consider the current race for attorney general, and the controversy surrounding Attorney General Aaron Frey’s romantic relationship with a subordinate. His Democratic allies in Augusta may be more inclined to look past that “ error in judgment ,” as Frey himself has described his failure to disclose the relationship sooner. We have to assume that voters would be less likely to excuse or ignore this situation as Frey seeks the same office again. Frey entered Tuesday’s party caucus as one of two Democratic options for attorney general, along with Kennebec and Somerset County District Attorney Maeghan Maloney. The expected Republican choice, attorney Robert Charles, has an impressive resume but is sadly almost an afterthought given the slim but continued Democratic control of the State House. He shouldn’t be an afterthought, and almost certainly wouldn’t be if voters were the ones making this choice. In a statewide vote, we have to imagine it would be a close contest rather than a seemingly pre-determined outcome. Either way, it should be up to voters rather than lawmakers. The status quo gives too much power to lawmakers without providing enough transparency or accountability. Wednesday should be the last time the Legislature does this particular dance. Lawmakers should recognize the flaws of this process, and finally support efforts this legislative session to update the Maine Constitution and state statute to put these decisions in the hands of Maine voters. More articles from the BDN

Browns get 497-yard performance from QB Jameis Winston and lose anyway in season long gone sour

Wall St. gains ground as it notches a winning week and another Dow recordWASHINGTON (AP) — For years, Pat Verhaeghe didn’t think highly of Donald Trump as a leader. Then Verhaeghe began seeing more of Trump’s campaign speeches online and his appearances at sporting events. There was even the former president’s pairing with Bryson DeChambeau as part of the pro golfer’s YouTube channel series to shoot an under-50 round of golf while engaging in chitchat with his partner. “I regret saying this, but a while ago I thought he was an idiot and that he wouldn’t be a good president,” said the 18-year-old first-time voter. “I think he’s a great guy now.” Verhaeghe isn't alone among his friends in suburban Detroit or young men across America. Although much of the electorate shifted right to varying degrees in 2024, young men were one of the groups that swung sharply toward Trump. More than half of men under 30 supported Trump, according to AP VoteCast , a survey of more than 120,000 voters, while Democrat Joe Biden had won a similar share of this group four years earlier. White men under 30 were solidly in Trump’s camp this year — about 6 in 10 voted for Trump — while young Latino men were split between the two candidates. Most Black men under 30 supported Democrat Kamala Harris, but about one-third were behind Trump. Young Latino men’s views of the Democratic Party were much more negative than in 2020, while young Black men’s views of the party didn’t really move. About 6 in 10 Latino men under 30 had a somewhat or very favorable view of the Democrats in 2020, which fell to about 4 in 10 this year. On the other hand, about two-thirds of young Black men had a favorable view of the Democrats this year, which was almost identical to how they saw the party four years ago. “Young Hispanic men, and really young men in general, they want to feel valued," said Rafael Struve, deputy communications director for Bienvenido, a conservative group that focused on reaching young Hispanic voters for Republicans this year. “They're looking for someone who fights for them, who sees their potential and not just their struggles.” Struve cited the attempted assassination of Trump during a July rally in Pennsylvania as one of the catalyzing moments for Trump’s image among many young men. Trump, Struve said, was also able to reach young men more effectively by focusing on nontraditional platforms like podcasts and digital media outlets. “Getting to hear from Trump directly, I think, really made all the difference," Struve said of the former president's appearances on digital media platforms and media catering to Latino communities, like town halls and business roundtables Trump attended in Las Vegas and Miami. Not only did Trump spend three hours on Joe Rogan's chart-topping podcast, but he took up DeChambeau's “Break 50” challenge for the golfer's more than 1.6 million YouTube subscribers. Trump already had an edge among young white men four years ago, although he widened the gap this year. About half of white men under 30 supported Trump in 2020, and slightly less than half supported Biden. Trump's gains among young Latino and Black men were bigger. His support among both groups increased by about 20 percentage points, according to AP VoteCast — and their feelings toward Trump got warmer, too. It wasn’t just Trump. The share of young men who identified as Republicans in 2024 rose as well, mostly aligning with support for Trump across all three groups. “What is most alarming to me is that the election is clear that America has shifted right by a lot,” said William He, founder of Dream For America, a liberal group that works to turn out young voters and supported Harris’ presidential bid. With his bombastic demeanor and a policy agenda centered on a more macho understanding of culture , Trump framed much of his campaign as a pitch to men who felt scorned by the country’s economy, culture and political system. Young women also slightly swung toward the former president, though not to the degree of their male counterparts. It's unclear how many men simply did not vote this year. But there's no doubt the last four years brought changes in youth culture and how political campaigns set out to reach younger voters. Democrat Kamala Harris' campaign rolled out policy agendas tailored to Black and Latino men, and the campaign enlisted a range of leaders in Black and Hispanic communities to make the case for the vice president. Her campaign began with a flurry of enthusiasm from many young voters, epitomized in memes and the campaign's embrace of pop culture trends like the pop star Charli XCX's “brat” aesthetic . Democrats hoped to channel that energy into their youth voter mobilization efforts. “I think most young voters just didn’t hear the message,” said Santiago Mayer, executive director of Voters of Tomorrow, a liberal group that engages younger voters. Mayer said the Harris campaign’s pitch to the country was “largely convoluted” and centered on economic messaging that he said wasn’t easily conveyed to younger voters who were not already coming to political media. “And I think that the policies themselves were also very narrow and targeted when what we really needed was a simple, bold economic vision,” said Mayer. Trump also embraced pop culture by appearing at UFC fights, football games and appearing alongside comedians, music stars and social media influencers. His strategists believed that the former president’s ability to grab attention and make his remarks go viral did more for the campaign than paid advertisements or traditional media appearances. Trump's campaign also heavily cultivated networks of online conservative platforms and personalities supportive of him while also engaging a broader universe of podcasts, streaming sites, digital media channels and meme pages open to hearing him. “The right has been wildly successful in infiltrating youth political culture online and on campus in the last couple of years, thus radicalizing young people towards extremism,” said He, who cited conservative activist groups like Turning Point USA as having an outsize impact in online discourse. “And Democrats have been running campaigns in a very old fashioned way. The battleground these days is cultural and increasingly on the internet.” Republicans may lose their broad support if they don't deliver on improving Americans' lives, Struve cautioned. Young men, especially, may drift from the party in a post-Trump era if the party loses the president-elect's authenticity and bravado. Bienvenido, for one group, will double down in the coming years to solidify and accelerate the voting pattern shifts seen this year, Struve said. “We don’t want this to be a one and done thing,” he said. Associated Press writer Joey Cappelletti in Lansing, Michigan, and AP polling editor Amelia Thomson-DeVeaux contributed to this report.

Young men swung to the right for Trump after a campaign dominated by masculine appeals

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Mathieu Olivier is having a great season. He’s in his prime , at 27, and has collected nine points (six goals) in 20 games since the start of the campaign. For a support player and a guy who’s known as a tough guy, that’s more than excellent. That’s why his name has been circulating in Montreal over the past month. He’d be a perfect fit for the Canadiens, in the sense that he’s got qualities that can help the club right now. After all, we’re talking about a guy who works his butt off on the ice time after time, and in Montreal, we know that such players are rare these days. That said, the Québécois is aware of the rumours about him. He doesn’t want to worry about it because he’s concentrating on his game , but it’s playing on his mind all the same: It’s hard not to hear them unless you live under a rock [...] I have family and friends in Quebec, so it comes back to my ears a bit. – Mathieu Olivier The quote above comes from a TVA Sports article : Mathieu Olivier is well aware of what’s being said about him in Montreal: https://t.co/x5mslGPMGJ – TVA Sports (@TVASports) November 27, 2024 It must be special. It’s easy to get distracted, after all: he’s from Quebec... And his name has been mentioned in some Montreal rumors. But if it’s not in Montreal (many would like it to be), we can still expect to see Mathieu Olivier change addresses between now and the next NHL trade deadline. He’s in the final year of his contract ($1.1 million per season), and there are bound to be several clubs interested in his services in the coming months. That said, if Kent Hughes can’t get him in the next few months, he should at least try to bring him to town in the off-season. Because it seems to me that players with heart like him would be a welcome addition to the Montreal line-up. No? Overtime – Too bad. Jonathan Drouin has been particularly unlucky so far this season: https://t.co/7cL2kqYER8 – TVA Sports (@TVASports) November 27, 2024 – He’s going to be good. Lukas Dostal this season: – 5-7-2 record – .922 save percentage – 13.2 goals saved above expected (1st in NHL) – 35 shots against/game (most in NHL) Anaheim arguably has the best goalie in the league and they’re still 13th in the West. pic.twitter.com/tU25GAdkI8 – Big Head Hockey (@BigHeadHcky) November 27, 2024 – An issue to keep an eye on. There’s a lot of interest in the NHL. https://t.co/FDicPPTFcl – TVA Sports (@TVASports) November 27, 2024 – News in MLB: Wonder where he’ll sign. https://t.co/9qEx0j9Z4K – Passion MLB (@passion_mlb) November 27, 2024 This article first appeared on Dose.ca and was syndicated with permission.

Mathieu Olivier knows his name is circulating in MontrealOn Jan. 29, 1969, as it was later confirmed, Air Force Capt. Robert Holton of Butte, Montana, made the ultimate sacrifice for his country when his F4 Phantom Fighter was shot down over Laos during the Vietnam War. Sue MacPherson, who hung out with Holton as a teenager, got a silver POW-MIA bracelet with his name on it in 1972. The military presumed him dead in 1973 but he remained missing, so MacPherson kept the bracelet on. But she did more than that. Sue MacPherson stands for a portrait on Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024 in her home in Butte. She was living in Billings in 1972 and saw the mother of Navy pilot Rodney Knutson of Montana, a POW in Vietnam, on a TV show promoting POW-MIA awareness. “So I contacted her to see what I could do and told her I had a friend who was MIA and she put me in touch with another lady who was doing some stuff,” MacPherson said. “We opened a little office and sold POW-MIA bracelets in Billings, and we got the schools to get POW flags,” she said. “We just did a lot of awareness.” She’s done a lifetime of that now and her never-ending efforts are why she’s among this year’s class of Local Heroes in Butte. “Sue is great example of honor and commitment to our veterans and Butte,” Mary McMahon said in her nomination of MacPherson. MacPherson was at the state Capitol in Montana in 1973 when the Freedom Tree was planted in honor of Holton and other POW-MIAs from Montana. Sue MacPherson stands for a portrait on Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024 in her home in Butte. In 2009, when MacPherson moved back to Butte, she visited the Freedom Tree and found its plaque covered in pine needles. “It was like they were forgotten so I went on a campaign,” she said. She contacted the governor’s office, got volunteer bricklayers to help, raised $2,500 that paid for a bench and a granite monument, and the American Legion of Helena donated a new plaque. It honors the 22 MIAs from Montana who were lost during the Vietnam War, including nine not listed on the original 1973 plaque, with asterisks denoting those whose remains were since found and returned home. MacPherson, then Gov. Steve Bullock and others rededicated the Freedom Tree at the upgraded site in 2015. In January 2017, remains were excavated at a crash site in Laos and later verified as those of Capt. Holton. They were returned to Butte and Holton’s brother, Bill, in July 2017. Hundreds lined streets as Holton’s casket was escorted into town by 70 motorcycle riders and 20 other vehicles, and Holton was buried at Sunset Memorial Park west of Butte the next day. MacPherson delivered the final touch when she took off her bracelet and laid it on top of the casket to be buried with her lifelong friend. MacPherson co-chaired local efforts this year to bring The Wall That Heals to Butte. The traveling replica of the Vietnam Memorial in Washington, D.C., was at Father Sheehan Park for five days this summer. During an opening ceremony, MacPherson read the names of at least 22 men who were from Butte or joined military here and were killed in Vietnam. She helped track down some of their family members so they could attend. MacPherson has a new mission now of promoting the In Memory Program, which honors those who served in Vietnam and later died. It is led by the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund. “I’m kind of on the move, letting people know about it, helping them make an application if they need help,” MacPherson said. “I think every Vietnam veteran should be honored, especially the way they were treated when they came home.” To this day, MacPherson said, MIAs are not forgotten. “They’re finding them every day,” she said. They’re finding soldiers from World War II, which is unbelievable to me. I’m so proud that we’re continuing the search.” Knutson, the Montana POW, survived years of captivity and is living in Montana today. MacPherson had lunch with him this summer. For more information on the In Memory Program, visit Mike Smith is a reporter at the Montana Standard with an emphasis on government and politics. Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Government and Politics Reporter {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items.

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (AP) — It wasn’t how Duke drew up the final play, but it worked out perfect for the Blue Devils in Saturday’s 23-17 victory over Wake Forest. Maalik Murphy threw a 39-yard touchdown pass to Jordan Moore as time expired, allowing Duke to end the regular season with three consecutive victories. Murphy said he realized he took too long to make a decision after the last snap. “I knew at that point I had to make a play,” he said. “The damage was already done, time was ticking.” With the score tied at 17, the Blue Devils (9-3, 5-3 Atlantic Coast Conference) moved 76 yards in 1:22 after forcing a Wake Forest punt. It appeared that Duke might run out of time in the slow-developing play, but Moore improvised and broke free along the right side, caught the ball at the 10-yard line and spun into the end zone to complete a comeback from 14 points down in the second half. “The play that Maalik and Jordan put together was magical,” Duke coach Manny Diaz said. “Nobody thought a 5-yard route would turn into a (long) touchdown.” So instead of a long field-goal attempt, Duke had something better. “I just decided to take it down the field,” Moore said. “I think that’s a testament to our chemistry. ... Maalik had the confidence in himself to make that kind of play.” It resulted in Duke’s sixth victory by seven points or less. “It’s like a perfect exclamation point to our season,” Diaz said. “An unbelievable way to finish our season.” Murphy racked up with 235 yards on 26-for-34 passing. Moore, who was down with an injury after a reception earlier in the second half, made five catches for 98 yards. Hank Bachmeier threw for 207 yards and a touchdown as Wake Forest (4-8, 2-6) ended its second straight four-win season with a four-game losing streak. “A heartbreaking loss,” Demon Deacons coach Dave Clawson said. “It’s a tough way to lose a game and a tough way to end the season.” Tate Carey’s 8-yard run, Matthew Dennis’ 37-yard field goal and Horatio Fields’ 9-yard reception across 11 minutes of game time gave Wake Forest a 17-3 lead with nine minutes left in the third quarter. Duke took advantage of a short field following a punt, moving 42 yards in four plays to score on Star Thomas’ 3-yard run. The Blue Devils recovered a fumble on the ensuing kickoff and converted on Murphy’s 2-yard run with 12:57 left to pull even. “What has been proven is that we’re mentally tough,” Diaz said. “We’re not going to do everything perfect.” Taylor Morin became Wake Forest’s all-time leader in receiving yards with 2,974. He picked up 47 yards on eight catches on Saturday. Morin, in his fifth season, passed former NFL player Ricky Proehl, who had 2,929 yards in the late 1980s. Duke: The Blue Devils have secured at least a nine-win season for the second time in three seasons, this one coming in Diaz’s first season. They racked up a 4-0 record against in-state opponents, including comebacks to top North Carolina and Wake Forest. “Every quest that we have for championships starts in our own state,” Diaz said. Wake Forest: The Demon Deacons punted on their final three possessions of the season. They finished with a 1-6 record in home games. “It’s been a tough year, a long year, and I’m proud of our team and how hard they fought,” Clawson said. Duke: Awaits a bowl invitation Wake Forest: Enters the offseason with a losing record for the third time in five seasons. Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

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Saturday Night Live has lined up its last trio of hosts for 2024. After a season full of nostalgic bits, political bites, and even some emotional moments, Season 50’s first stretch will conclude with three back-to-back-to-back episodes in December. Here’s what to know about how to tune in for the last three episodes of the year.0 Yes! Saturday Night Live is new this weekend, on Saturday (December 7), with Gladiator II star Paul Mescal hosting and Shaboozey as musical guest. This marks Shaboozey’s first stint on SNL . After this week’s episode, two more consecutive shows have been announced. On December 14, Chris Rock will host for the fourth time, with Gracie Abrams as the musical guest of the week, making her SNL debut in support of her new album The Secret of Us . Then, on December 21, for the holiday episode, Martin Short will host for the third time, and Hozier will take the stage as musical guest, his second stint on the show in support of his new album Unreal Unearth . Saturday Night Live airs on Saturday evenings at 11:30 p.m. ET on NBC. Episodes are also available to stream Peacock , which boasts a sprawling library of all 49 seasons. SNL kicked off its 50th season early in October. Here’s a list of the episodes so far. The show will celebrate its 50th anniversary with an NBC special airing Sunday, February 16. Find out everything to know about that right here . More Headlines:

Chargers’ leading rusher J.K. Dobbins sidelined by sprained kneeBrowns get 497-yard performance from QB Jameis Winston and lose anyway in season long gone sour