The Flaws Of Meritocracy

By Jerrelle Guy, The New York Times Amid all of the activity Christmas morning — hosting family, prepping dinner, sharing gifts, tidying up and being present enough to truly experience the moment — it can be challenging to pick a dish that strikes the sweet spot between effortless and impressive, one that adds joy (but not stress) to the occasion. Perhaps you already have dishes in mind.

When the Colorado Avalanche shifted to special teams during practice Monday, the 10 guys who Jared Bednar would most like to use on the power play were on the ice. Those 10 guys will comprise the first and second power-play units Tuesday night against the league-leading Winnipeg Jets. On Dec. 31, in game No.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Chiefs coach Andy Reid is planning to give running back Isiah Pacheco most of the week off to rest his sore ribs. Reid hasn’t decided who else will get time off before their regular-season finale in Denver. The Chiefs (15-1) already have clinched the No. 1 seed in the AFC playoffs, and with it the lone first-round bye, rendering their game against the Broncos meaningless to them.

By CHARLES ODUM ATLANTA — Quinn Ewers showed off his diplomatic skills on Monday when the Texas quarterback was asked about a verbal challenge from Arizona State counterpart Sam Leavitt leading up to their College Football Playoff quarterfinal matchup. Ewers, after all, has good experience in letting his play on the field settle quarterback debates.

By RUSS BYNUM, SHARON JOHNSON and BILL BARROW PLAINS, Ga. (AP) — Johnny Jones found out about Jimmy Carter’s death within a matter of minutes. That’s how it works in a small town, even for a former U. S. president and Nobel Peace Prize winner known throughout the world. “Somebody texted my wife and told her about it — that’s when I found out,” Jones said Monday, a day after the 39th president died at the age of 100, surrounded by family in the one-story house he and his late wife, Rosalynn, built before he launched his first political campaign more than 60 years ago. “His presence here in Plains has really boosted the morale of everyone who lives here,” said Jones, 85, as he recalled warm exchanges with “Mr.

A local sauce slinger said business hasn’t been too hot. Merfs Condiments, which said its hot sauce could once be found in 700 restaurants and another 400 stores, will close early next year. “The product is in high demand, but I can’t make any money,” said Kelly Schexnaildre, owner of Merfs, which is named after her dog Murphy.