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2025-01-08   

casino fb777 STEPPING through the doors of the UK's strictest pub offers an instant trip back in time - before punters paid more attention to their texts than fellow drinkers. Kevin Moran, 84, landlord of The Nag’s Head on Kinnerton Street in London for about 42 years, operates a strict no phones policy. No children are allowed through the doors, and apparently hogging the fire is deemed a bar-worthy offence. Other strict rules include no coats draped on chairs, no swearing, and no turning up drunk. With just a sip left of my pint, Kevin told me I was hogging the fire, despite the fact he too was standing in front of its warming flame. He added that it was normal to receive a telling off for hogging the fire for too long as he grew up alongside his six brothers. READ MORE ON UK NEWS In the lead up to being invited to leave, I'd had a somewhat pleasant time in The Nag's Head. Aside from the £15 minimum card machine spend, that is, which meant a trip to the nearby ATM. The day before my visit, I phoned Kevin to ask if the rumours he was the UK's strictest landlord were true. He grumbled: “So what are you calling me for then?" and hung up the phone. Most read in The Sun The Nag's Head, down a quiet, picturesque road, was once a boozer for the stable hands and footmen who worked nearby. Built around the 1800s it received a resurgence in the 1950s. On either side of the pub's front room are two narrow wooden staircases. One leading to an upstairs bar, while another leads down into another seating area. I greeted Kevin and after some negotiations, which included being told to put my phone away, I asked about the collection of beers on tap. He pointed to each beer and bellowed "Lager. Lager. Ale. Guinness." and so on. I thanked him for his generous explanation and ordered his finest IPA. Then I was warned cash wasn't an option, with the card machine boasting a hefty minimum spend. Kevin explained he chooses the beers on tap and then passed me a beer guide which he features in. He was kind enough to let me sit at my table with it. In my cosy corner near the fire, Kevin pointed to a hook for me to hang my coat, politely, I would add. But this wasn't the same reception I saw another customer receive. Looking around, it’s clear to see the pub is Kevin’s pride and joy - with war memorabilia covering every inch of the walls. In reference to a TripAdvisor review, I asked Kevin why children aren’t allowed in. He produced a loud wailing sound and said “no one wants to hear that”. Kevin then took a small glass of stout to the fire and watched the room omnisciently. He isn’t just a pub landlord, whether you like it or not, he is part of the furniture. Although there was only a handful of customers, conversations felt open to the floor, with Kevin chipping in occasionally. Be it to remind you of a rule or to provide you with a coin to try one of his vintage coin-operated arcade games. You could spend hours in this pub, studying each picture, medal, and ornament which Kevin can provide a whole backstory for. But it's not for everyone. If you’re looking for a family friendly boozer, to speak privately with a friend, or even to sip a pint while scrolling on social media, it's not for you. This is Kevin's pub and Kevin's rules. As a former squaddie, he told The Sun: "I was a miner in Durham aged 14 and we used to to to pubs and working men's clubs where you weren't interrupted by people on phones." He adds that phones could be an "invasion of privacy" for his customers, especially if pictures are taken. There are exceptions, with tourists usually allowed to take photos if they ask, but it's up to Kevin if he lets them. He said: "I make the rules and I don't have to give you a reason. It's my rules and my pub." Learned from his Army days, stationed in Germany and Scandinavia during the Cold War, he finds discipline lacking from many modern punters. He said: "Coming in drunk I think is ridiculous... discipline is worse today than when I went into the pub game 50 years ago." Another reason is carrying on the tradition of the "real English pub" because, having travelled the world, he knows "you don't get them anywhere else". He loves that The Nag's Head is "still a pub", in contrast to its chain-owned competitors. The publican said: "It's about independence. I think I've done well to achieve that in central London. "You go to Manchester, Newcastle, Birmingham and the pubs are all big company owned so you get the same thing. There's nobody who tells you that you're a bit ugly or that you're a handsome sod." Kevin says he won’t be retiring any time soon. He mentioned his sons, so perhaps he’ll pass the mantle to them at some point. No phones No children £15 minimum card spend but prefers cash No swearing No turning up drunk Hang your coat on the hooks provided After I left the pub, I spoke with a few customers. Karl and Leigh, visiting from Kent, had been drinking while I was in the pub - I'd spotted Kevin tell the couple to hang their coats up. Leigh said: “I put my coat on the table and he told me to put it on the hook. But I think he’s [Kevin] very old school, very very old school.” Karl said: “Same, if you put your coat on the stool, you have to put it on the hook. He’s an old man isn’t he, he’s stuck in his ways.” But the couple would gladly visit again. Two brothers, visiting from Scotland, shared what they thought. David said: “My brother took his phone out and he wasn’t very happy about that but apart from that it’s a nice, normal pub, it’s quite quiet and yeah it’s just a nice place. “Probably quite unusual nowadays, with the phone thing, and there’s no TV but it’s good though, I enjoyed it.” “We’re just visiting London for a couple of days and someone told us about it. It’s a nice pub, I’d definitely go back.” Later on in the evening, I came across The Nag’s Head’s neighbours. Emma, who works next door, said: “We have a good relationship with the pub owners and we’ll definitely go in and have a few drinks on a Friday and a Thursday evening usually. “But we just respect and appreciate the fact they have the rules and we adhere to them. “I haven’t had a negative experience there. Everyone’s really friendly, we often hear chit chats outside because we’re just next door, but it’s all good.” Meanwhile, standing just outside the pub were two happy customers. Ella, from Blackpool said: “I’m a northerner and I love it. I think it's so cute but we have a Nag’s Head in Manchester - rough and ready, this is very cute and quaint. The guy is lovely." While Imi, a local, said: “The no phones thing I see and I actually think it’s a really good idea.” READ MORE SUN STORIES Ella added: “I respect the no phones thing because people are trying to enjoy the environment and obviously you being on your phone isn’t very sociable.” And Imi laughed: “I like it, I think it’s a good thing to enforce and there’s so many pubs in London, if you don’t like it, go somewhere else.”

KALAMAZOO, Mich. (AP) — Freshman Justus McNair made a 3-pointer from midcourt just before the final buzzer to cap Valparaiso's game-closing 29-4 run and the Beacons knocked off Western Michigan 76-73 on Friday. Valpo trailed 69-47 with 6:51 remaining. Tied at 73-all, Western Michigan's Donovan Williams came up short on a 3-pointer from the corner and McNair grabbed the rebound with about four seconds left before racing the other way for a one-footed runner at the horn. Cooper Schwieger scored 17 of his 19 points in the second half for the Beacons (6-5). Jefferson Monegro scored 13 points while going 4 of 15 from the floor, including 0 for 3 from 3-point range, and 5 for 9 from the line. McNair had 13 points and went 5 of 7 from the field (2 for 4 from 3-point range). Chansey Willis Jr. finished with 16 points, seven rebounds and seven assists for the Broncos (3-8). Owen Lobsinger added 14 points for Western Michigan. Brandon Muntu finished with 12 points. Monegro scored eight points in the first half and Valparaiso went into halftime trailing 42-26. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .

FORT MYERS, Fla. (AP) — Zavian McLean scored 18 points to lead FGCU and Michael Duax secured the victory with a free throw with 21 seconds left as the Eagles defeated Florida International 60-59 on Sunday. McLean shot 7 for 12, including 2 for 5 from beyond the arc for the Eagles (2-5). Rahmir Barno scored 11 points and added five assists and three steals. Jevin Muniz shot 2 of 7 from the field and 5 for 5 from the line to finish with nine points. Jayden Brewer finished with 18 points and eight rebounds for the Panthers (2-5). Jonathan Aybar added 12 points for Florida International. Dashon Gittens also had seven points and eight rebounds. McLean scored 14 points in the first half and FGCU went into the break trailing 30-29. Barno scored a team-high nine points for FGCU in the second half. FGCU outscored Florida International by two points over the final half. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .8 Thanksgiving mistakes: Frozen or overcooked turkey, too many sides and other common holiday miscuesAptorum Group Limited Reports Financial Results and Business Update for the Six Months Ended June 30, 2024Delta Capital Partners Welcomes Accomplished Professionals to C-Suite

For the past 15 years I have been studying the work of Sister Helen Prejean, the social justice activist best known for her book “Dead Man Walking” and her fight against execution in the U.S. Because she has donated her papers to DePaul University, I have been able to read scores of communications in person. All are fascinating. Some are to potentates — presidents and governors, popes and bishops. Others are to celebrities and influencers. But most are to and from persons she accompanied as they waited for the justice system to decide their future. Seen in their original, each card and each letter shows not only the respect with which they were infused but the degree to which they were prized. Cards, letters, clippings saved by those behind bars bear signs of having been read repeatedly — words underlined, corners bent, paper worn thin from repeated touch. I write of this today because several Illinois legislators are suggesting that Illinois intervene between our incarcerated citizens and their loved ones. “Mail scanning,” the concept being proposed, would have the Department of Corrections hire a for-profit company to seize correspondence sent to a correctional center, scan it onto copy paper or digitize it onto a screen, then destroy the original. Ironically, this draconian approach is intended to address a problem only tangentially related — an influx of contraband into prisons. Recent studies, being explained by other legislators, reveal that contraband is more often introduced by individuals who come and go, including staff, than by mail. Disrupting mail is not the solution . Indeed, scanning would contravene one of IDOC’s most important roles: preparing persons to return to society. As James Swansey, policy manager at Restore Justice in Chicago, wrote of the supportive communication he received, “I would read and reread these letters from my grandmother, who passed away in the early years of my incarceration. She showed me nothing but support and encouragement in these letters, and I used them as motivation for years.” The reflection affirms research that argues that those who experience humane care and retain connection with family throughout their incarceration are more likely to return home as caring citizens, not persons to be feared . Susanne Dumbleton, Ph.D., professor emeritus, DePaul University; board member, Restore Justice Upset by Biden? Wait for Trump’s pardons If you are outraged by Biden’s pardoning of his son, just wait until it is President-elect Donald Trump’s turn. Melanie Wojtulewicz, West Lawn Biden did right thing To those wringing hands and gnashing teeth over the Hunter Biden pardon: Imagine for one minute what crimes Trump would excuse if any of his children were involved. The younger Biden’s conviction and pending sentence were part of a clear political persecution and the elder did the right thing. John Hankes, Streeterville Shame on Biden Despite stating that he would not interfere and pardon his son, President Joe Biden did. Biden said the cases were a “miscarriage of justice.” Biden is blaming politics for his son being charged. Forget the fact that his son pleaded guilty. Hunter Biden was convicted of three felonies, one for buying a gun illegally. Democrats are always blaming illegal guns as being the cause of violence, which they are. Hunter was convicted of buying a gun illegally and now he has been pardoned. How many similar cases will be up for review now that Biden has pardoned his son? He’s pardoned because he is the president’s son, not because he is innocent. Any wonder why so many voted Republican in the last election? People are tired of the lies. Janice Montgomery, Gage Park Hunter is the ‘nobody’ who is ‘above the law’ Many pundits and pols proclaimed that “nobody is above the law” in reference to Trump’s legal battles. Their mantra was underscored by President Biden’s public pledges not to pardon Hunter Biden’s crime convictions. Well, either the president lied, or Hunter is a “nobody” and above the law. Mike Cook, Bourbonnais ‘Horrified’ by Netanyahu I am repeatedly horrified by Benjamin Netanyahu and how he has abandoned the Jewish values I, and I’m sure he, grew up with. The recent car bombing is just his latest attack on the wonderful World Central Kitchen. Even if it is true that one person in the car took part in the horrendous Oct. 7 attacks, why not just arrest him? Why kill five people? It seems to me that Netanyahu is once again killing members of this organization to make it impossible for them to get personnel to feed the civilians in Gaza he seems to be determined to starve to death. Why are we continuing to support and supply him when he has ignored our warnings and deadlines? Most Israelis do not support him, so why should we? Joyce Porter, Oak Park Pro teams go too far with the flag I heartily agree with letter writer Bob Chimis (“ Enough with giant U.S. flags at NFL games ”) that what he aptly calls “forced patriotism” devalues our genuine love of country. Whether it’s a military flyover or the unfurling of a ridiculously large flag at an NFL game, people should realize that it’s first and foremost a slick marketing move by professional sports teams and their owners to draw a direct connection between sports and patriotism. Tom Conway, Forest Park A Trump ‘hoax’? OK, MAGA. All the grocery prices will be very low. Gas prices will be like $2 a gallon. No more people in the country illegally. I can’t wait. Or, is it all a hoax? We will see. Jake Getter, HuntleyOrange County’s top committed football recruits, Dec. 2

A 17-year-old hockey player in New York died after a “sudden medical event” during a game on Saturday evening, leaving a community shocked by the tragic loss. Connor Kasin was a 12th grade student at Massapequa High School, Fox News reported on Sunday. The outlet noted that first responders were called to the scene when the incident occurred. When the young man collapsed, several people at the game performed CPR until first responders arrived to take over: In a letter to faculty and students, the school said, “It is heartbreaking to report that Connor did not survive. His passing is devastating to the Massapequa community, and we offer our deepest condolences to Connor’s family and friends.” Kasin apparently lost consciousness between periods of the game at the Town of Oyster Bay Ice Skating Center in Bethpage, Long Island, per SILive.com: Kasin was rushed to the hospital as well before it was announced he had passed away. His cause of death is unknown. Authorities said no criminality is suspected. Ironically, Kasin, who competed for the Sharks Elite Youth Hockey team, was taking part in a charity game in memory of Sabrina Navaretta, who died in a car crash last year. Navaretta was a Syosset HS graduate. The charity contest was hosted by a foundation looking to raise funds to offer support to grieving parents who lost a child. “I’m hurt. I’m honesty still stunned,” one young community member said of the news. “Just pray for him and pray for the people around him. It’s honestly, it’s very sad. Heartbreaking.” One of his coaches, Jeff Tempone, said , “It was devastating. He’s a 17-year-old kid. He’s got his whole life ahead of him.” In September, a Florida high school football player collapsed on the field during a game and died, Breitbart News reported, noting it was one of “a string of several teen athlete deaths across the nation.”David Hilzenrath, Jodie Fleischer, Cox Media Group | (TNS) KFF Health News In March, newly installed Social Security chief Martin O’Malley criticized agency “injustices” that “shock our shared sense of equity and good conscience as Americans.” He promised to overhaul the Social Security Administration’s often heavy-handed efforts to claw back money that millions of recipients — including people who are living in poverty, are elderly, or have disabilities — were allegedly overpaid, as described by a KFF Health News and Cox Media Group investigation last year. “Innocent people can be badly hurt,” O’Malley said at the time. Nearly eight months since he appeared before Congress and announced a series of policy changes, and with two months left in his term, O’Malley’s effort to fix the system has made inroads but remains a work in progress. For instance, one change, moving away from withholding 100% of people’s monthly Social Security benefits to recover alleged overpayments, has been a major improvement, say advocates for beneficiaries. “It is a tremendous change,” said Kate Lang of Justice in Aging, who called it “life-changing for many people.” The number of people from whom the Social Security Administration was withholding full monthly benefits to recoup money declined sharply — from about 46,000 in January to about 7,000 in September, the agency said. Asked to clarify whether those numbers and others provided for this article covered all programs administered by the agency, the SSA press office did not respond. Another potentially significant change — relieving beneficiaries of having to prove that an overpayment was not their fault — has not been implemented. The agency said it is working on that. Meanwhile, the agency seems to be looking to Congress to take the lead on a change some observers see as crucial: limiting how far back the government can reach to recover an alleged overpayment. Barbara Hubbell of Watkins Glen, New York, called the absence of a statute of limitations “despicable.” Hubbell said her mother was held liable for $43,000 because of an SSA error going back 19 years. “In what universe is that even legal?” Hubbell said. Paying down the overpayment balance left her mother “essentially penniless,” she added. In response to questions for this article, Social Security spokesperson Mark Hinkle said legislation is “the best and fastest way” to set a time limit. Establishing a statute of limitations was not among the policy changes O’Malley announced in his March congressional testimony. In an interview at the time, he said he expected an announcement on it “within the next couple few months.” It could probably be done by regulation, without an act of Congress, he said. Speaking generally, Hinkle said the agency has “made substantial progress on overpayments,” reducing the hardship they cause, and “continues to work diligently” to update policies. The agency is underfunded, he added, is at a near 50-year low in staffing, and could do better with more employees. The SSA did not respond to requests for an interview with O’Malley. O’Malley announced the policy changes after KFF Health News and Cox Media Group jointly published and broadcast investigative reporting on the damage overpayments and clawbacks have done to millions of beneficiaries. When O’Malley, a former Democratic governor of Maryland, presented his plans to three congressional committees in March, lawmakers greeted him with rare bipartisan praise. But the past several months have shown how hard it can be to turn around a federal bureaucracy that is massive, complex, deeply dysfunctional, and, as it says, understaffed. Now O’Malley’s time may be running out. Lang of Justice in Aging, among the advocacy groups that have been meeting with O’Malley and other Social Security officials, said she appreciates how much the commissioner has achieved in a short time. But she added that O’Malley has “not been interested in hearing about our feelings that things have fallen short.” One long-standing policy O’Malley set out to change involves the burden of proof. When the Social Security Administration alleges someone has been overpaid and demands the money back, the burden is on the beneficiary to prove they were not at fault. Cecilia Malone, 24, a beneficiary in Lithonia, Georgia, said she and her parents spent hundreds of hours trying to get errors corrected. “Why is the burden on us to ‘prove’ we weren’t overpaid?” Malone said. It can be exceedingly difficult for beneficiaries to appeal a decision. The alleged overpayments, which can reach tens of thousands of dollars or more, often span years. And people struggling just to survive may have extra difficulty producing financial records from long ago. What’s more, in letters demanding repayment, the government does not typically spell out its case against the beneficiary — making it hard to mount a defense. Testifying before House and Senate committees in March, O’Malley promised to shift the burden of proof. “That should be on the agency,” he said. The agency expects to finalize “guidance” on the subject “in the coming months,” Hinkle said. The agency points to reduced wait times and other improvements in a phone system known to leave beneficiaries on hold. “In September, we answered calls to our national 800 number in an average of 11 minutes — a tremendous improvement from 42 minutes one year ago,” Hinkle said. Still, in response to a nonrepresentative survey by KFF Health News and Cox Media Group focused on overpayments, about half of respondents who said they contacted the agency by phone since April rated that experience as “poor,” and few rated it “good” or “excellent.” The survey was sent to about 600 people who had contacted KFF Health News to share their overpayment stories since September 2023. Almost 200 people answered the survey in September and October of this year. Most of those who said they contacted the agency by mail since April rated their experience as “poor.” Jennifer Campbell, 60, a beneficiary in Nelsonville, Ohio, said in late October that she was still waiting for someone at the agency to follow up as described during a phone call in May. “VERY POOR customer service!!!!!” Campbell wrote. “Nearly impossible to get a hold of someone,” wrote Kathryn Duff of Colorado Springs, Colorado, who has been helping a disabled family member. Letters from SSA have left Duff mystified. One was postmarked July 9, 2024, but dated more than two years earlier. Another, dated Aug. 18, 2024, said her family member was overpaid $31,635.80 in benefits from the Supplemental Security Income program, which provides money to people with little or no income or other resources who are disabled, blind, or at least 65. But Duff said her relative never received SSI benefits. What’s more, for the dates in question, payments listed in the letter to back up the agency’s math didn’t come close to $31,635.80; they totaled about a quarter of that amount. Regarding the 100% clawbacks, O’Malley in March said it’s “unconscionable that someone would find themselves facing homelessness or unable to pay bills, because Social Security withheld their entire payment for recovery of an overpayment.” He said that, starting March 25, if a beneficiary doesn’t respond to a new overpayment notice, the agency would default to withholding 10%. The agency warned of “a short transition period.” That change wasn’t automated until June 25, Hinkle said. The number of people newly placed in full withholding plummeted from 6,771 in February to 51 in September, according to data the agency provided. SSA said it would notify recipients they could request reduced withholding if it was already clawing back more than 10% of their monthly checks. Nonetheless, dozens of beneficiaries or their family members told KFF Health News and Cox Media Group they hadn’t heard they could request reduced withholding. Among those who did ask, roughly half said their requests were approved. According to the SSA, there has been almost a 20% decline in the number of people facing clawbacks of more than 10% but less than 100% of their monthly checks — from 141,316 as of March 8 to 114,950 as of Oct. 25, agency spokesperson Nicole Tiggemann said. Meanwhile, the number of people from whom the agency was withholding exactly 10% soared more than fortyfold — from just over 5,000 to well over 200,000. And the number of beneficiaries having any partial benefits withheld to recover an overpayment increased from almost 600,000 to almost 785,000, according to data Tiggemann provided. Lorraine Anne Davis, 72, of Houston, said she hasn’t received her monthly Social Security payment since June due to an alleged overpayment. Her Medicare premium was being deducted from her monthly benefit, so she’s been left to pay that out-of-pocket. Davis said she’s going to need a kidney transplant and had been trying to save money for when she’d be unable to work. Related Articles National News | Today in History: November 22, John F. Kennedy is assassinated in Dallas National News | ACLU sues government for records detailing Trump’s mass deportation plan National News | US towns plunge into debates about fluoride in water National News | Today in History: November 21, Las Vegas hotel fire claims 85 lives National News | Trump-nominated judge says blanket pardons for Capitol rioters would be ‘beyond frustrating’ A letter from the SSA dated April 8, 2024, two weeks after the new 10% withholding policy was slated to take effect, said it had overpaid her $13,538 and demanded she pay it back within 30 days. Apparently, the SSA hadn’t accounted for a pension Davis receives from overseas; Davis said she disclosed it when she filed for benefits. In a letter to her dated June 29, the agency said that, under its new policy, it would change the withholding to only 10% if she asked. Davis said she asked by phone repeatedly, and to no avail. “Nobody seems to know what’s going on” and “no one seems to be able to help you,” Davis said. “You’re just held captive.” In October, the agency said she’d receive a payment — in March 2025. Marley Presiado, a research assistant on the Public Opinion and Survey Research team at KFF, contributed to this report. ©2024 KFF Health News. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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