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ATLANTA (AP) — Jimmy Carter, the peanut farmer who tried to restore virtue to the White House after the Watergate scandal and Vietnam War, then rebounded from a landslide defeat to become a global advocate of human rights and democracy, has died. He was 100 years old . The Carter Center said the 39th president died Sunday afternoon, more than a year after entering hospice care , at his home in Plains, Georgia, where he and his wife, Rosalynn, who died in November 2023, lived most of their lives. The center said he died peacefully, surrounded by his family. As reaction poured in from around the world, President Joe Biden mourned Carter’s death, saying the world lost an “extraordinary leader, statesman and humanitarian” and he lost a dear friend. Biden cited Carter’s compassion and moral clarity, his work to eradicate disease, forge peace, advance civil and human rights, promote free and fair elections, house the homeless and advocacy for the disadvantaged as an example for others. “To all of the young people in this nation and for anyone in search of what it means to live a life of purpose and meaning – the good life – study Jimmy Carter, a man of principle, faith, and humility,” Biden said in a statement. “He showed that we are a great nation because we are a good people – decent and honorable, courageous and compassionate, humble and strong.” Biden said he is ordering a state funeral for Carter in Washington. A moderate Democrat, Carter ran for president in 1976 as a little-known Georgia governor with a broad grin, effusive Baptist faith and technocratic plans for efficient government. His promise to never deceive the American people resonated after Richard Nixon’s disgrace and U.S. defeat in southeast Asia. “If I ever lie to you, if I ever make a misleading statement, don’t vote for me. I would not deserve to be your president,” Carter said. Carter’s victory over Republican Gerald Ford, whose fortunes fell after pardoning Nixon, came amid Cold War pressures, turbulent oil markets and social upheaval over race, women’s rights and America’s role in the world. His achievements included brokering Mideast peace by keeping Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin at Camp David for 13 days in 1978. But his coalition splintered under double-digit inflation and the 444-day hostage crisis in Iran. His negotiations ultimately brought all the hostages home alive, but in a final insult, Iran didn’t release them until the inauguration of Ronald Reagan, who had trounced him in the 1980 election. Humbled and back home in Georgia, Carter said his faith demanded that he keep doing whatever he could, for as long as he could, to try to make a difference. He and Rosalynn co-founded The Carter Center in 1982 and spent the next 40 years traveling the world as peacemakers, human rights advocates and champions of democracy and public health. Awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002, Carter helped ease nuclear tensions in North and South Korea, avert a U.S. invasion of Haiti and negotiate cease-fires in Bosnia and Sudan. By 2022, the center had monitored at least 113 elections around the world. Carter was determined to eradicate guinea worm infections as one of many health initiatives. Swinging hammers into their 90s, the Carters built homes with Habitat for Humanity. The common observation that he was better as an ex-president rankled Carter. His allies were pleased that he lived long enough to see biographers and historians revisit his presidency and declare it more impactful than many understood at the time. Propelled in 1976 by voters in Iowa and then across the South, Carter ran a no-frills campaign. Americans were captivated by the earnest engineer, and while an election-year Playboy interview drew snickers when he said he “had looked on many women with lust. I’ve committed adultery in my heart many times,” voters tired of political cynicism found it endearing. The first family set an informal tone in the White House, carrying their own luggage, trying to silence the Marine Band’s traditional “Hail to the Chief" and enrolling daughter, Amy, in public schools. Carter was lampooned for wearing a cardigan and urging Americans to turn down their thermostats. But Carter set the stage for an economic revival and sharply reduced America's dependence on foreign oil by deregulating the energy industry along with airlines, trains and trucking. He established the departments of Energy and Education, appointed record numbers of women and nonwhites to federal posts, preserved millions of acres of Alaskan wilderness and pardoned most Vietnam draft evaders. Emphasizing human rights , he ended most support for military dictators and took on bribery by multinational corporations by signing the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. He persuaded the Senate to ratify the Panama Canal treaties and normalized relations with China, an outgrowth of Nixon’s outreach to Beijing. But crippling turns in foreign affairs took their toll. When OPEC hiked crude prices, making drivers line up for gasoline as inflation spiked to 11%, Carter tried to encourage Americans to overcome “a crisis of confidence.” Many voters lost confidence in Carter instead after the infamous address that media dubbed his “malaise" speech, even though he never used that word. After Carter reluctantly agreed to admit the exiled Shah of Iran to the U.S. for medical treatment, the American Embassy in Tehran was overrun in 1979. Negotiations to quickly free the hostages broke down, and then eight Americans died when a top-secret military rescue attempt failed. Carter also had to reverse course on the SALT II nuclear arms treaty after the Soviets invaded Afghanistan in 1979. Though historians would later credit Carter's diplomatic efforts for hastening the end of the Cold war, Republicans labeled his soft power weak. Reagan’s “make America great again” appeals resonated, and he beat Carter in all but six states. Born Oct. 1, 1924, James Earl Carter Jr. married fellow Plains native Rosalynn Smith in 1946, the year he graduated from the Naval Academy. He brought his young family back to Plains after his father died, abandoning his Navy career, and they soon turned their ambitions to politics . Carter reached the state Senate in 1962. After rural white and Black voters elected him governor in 1970, he drew national attention by declaring that “the time for racial discrimination is over.” Carter published more than 30 books and remained influential as his center turned its democracy advocacy onto U.S. politics, monitoring an audit of Georgia’s 2020 presidential election results. After a 2015 cancer diagnosis, Carter said he felt “perfectly at ease with whatever comes.” “I’ve had a wonderful life,” he said. “I’ve had thousands of friends, I’ve had an exciting, adventurous and gratifying existence.” Sanz is a former Associated Press reporter.Amid widespread protests in Kenya this summer over a controversial finance bill, the country's Communications Authority announced it did not intend to shut down internet access. The next day, however, Kenya experienced a countrywide loss in internet connectivity. The main internet service providers said the outage on June 25 was caused by an issue with undersea cables. But the incident caught the attention of digital rights groups, who said the timing of the outage "strongly suggests" an intentional action. Various governments have used such shutdowns to maintain control, these groups say. Many governments justify the shutdowns as moves to promote public order and safety, Nompilo Simanje, Africa advocacy and partnerships lead at the International Press Institute, told VOA. "The key reasons really are to restrict communication, restrict free expression, restrict online mobilization, restrict online freedom of assembly and association, and also restrict access to information," she said. Access 'could be about life and death' Digital watchdogs have documented several cases across the African continent in recent months where access to the internet or social media was blocked or cut off at crucial moments. It isn't always clear if the cases are the result of a direct order, but the timing often suggests it is, analysts say. Within the past year, digital rights group Access Now has documented shutdowns in Kenya, Mozambique, Tanzania, Mauritius and Equatorial Guinea. Nearly all take place alongside events such as protests or elections. But these shutdowns can be harmful to the country's residents, Felicia Anthonio, campaign manager at Access Now, told VOA. "It not only disrupts the flow of information, it also makes it impossible for people to access information in a timely manner," Anthonio said. "When we are talking about crisis situations, information can be like a lifeline, and so, disrupting access could be about life and death in conflict situations." Governments that restrict internet access in one instance are likely to do so again, Anthonio said. Before the June incident in Kenya, access to the messaging app Telegram was blocked in November 2023 during national examinations. At the time, the move was presented as a way to prevent cheating during exams. Access to Telegram was stifled again last month during national examinations, which lasted over three weeks and extended into the week after examinations finished, according to James Wamathai, advocacy director for the Bloggers Association of Kenya. "It was really a huge inconvenience," Wamathai, who lives in the capital, Nairobi, told VOA. Local media reported that Kenya's Communications Authority had ordered the block to prevent cheating. Many people were unable to contact friends or relatives who lived in countries that had banned WhatsApp. Kenyans do not have a lot of experience with internet shutdowns, Wamathai told VOA, and many residents do not know how to install workarounds like virtual private networks or VPNs. The current government under President William Ruto is the first to enact such restrictions, he said. Kenya is a part of the Freedom Online Coalition, a group of 42 countries that advocate for online freedom around the world. Anthonio said it is "depressing and sad" to see a member of the coalition engage in such practices. The Kenyan Embassy in Washington did not respond to a request for comment. Anthonio said democratic and repressive regimes alike have enforced restrictions similar to those experienced in Kenya. "It's really hard to tell what the motivation is, aside from the fact that the government just wants to exert control to show that they are in authority and can restrict people's rights when they please," Anthonio said. Mauritius for example, planned to impose an internet shutdown for 10 days ahead of its November election. Authorities said the block was an effort to control illegal publications that may "threaten national security and public safety," Anthonio said. She added that this rationale is just "jargon" that governments use to justify shutdowns. The shutdown in Mauritius came as a direct order from the government. After protests from media and opposition parties, the ban was lifted after 24 hours. The ban was troubling to rights groups. Simanje of IPI said Mauritius "has generally had a very good track record of internet access, online safety and promotion of digital rights." Periodic outages Other African countries have experienced shutdowns on several occasions. In Tanzania, Access Now has documented several internet and social media outages or blocks. Access to the social media platform X was blocked in late August, around the same time that online activists began a campaign highlighting murders, kidnappings and disappearances within the country. This suggested the block was an official order, Access Now reported at the time. Tanzania's embassy in Washington refutes that claim. "We would like to assure you that this information is false," a spokesperson told VOA via email. In July and August, the island of Annobon in Equatorial Guinea experienced a total internet shutdown, leaving its residents "completely cut off from the world," according to Access Now. This came as a response to protests against the deterioration of the country's environment due to mining activities, Anthonio said. Similarly in late October, Mozambique experienced internet connectivity problems after national election results were announced. These shutdowns took place in the middle of violent protests against the reelection of the party in power, which left at least 11 people dead, according to a report by Al Jazeera. The Equatorial Guinea, Mozambique and Mauritius embassies in Washington did not respond to VOA's requests for comment.

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KENT, Ohio (AP) — Jalen Sullinger led Kent State with 25 points and secured the victory with a 3-pointer with 43 seconds remaining as the Golden Flashes knocked off Heidelberg 84-80 on Sunday night. Sullinger shot 9 of 20 from the field, including 4 for 10 from 3-point range, and went 3 for 4 from the line for the Golden Flashes (9-3). VonCameron Davis scored 21 points while shooting 8 for 13 (1 for 3 from 3-point range) and 4 of 4 from the free-throw line and added five rebounds and five assists. Mike Bekelja had 14 points and shot 4 for 5 from beyond the arc and 2 of 4 from the free-throw line. Eric Panning finished with 18 points, seven rebounds and two steals for the Student Princes. Manny Hill added 15 points and seven rebounds for Heidelberg. Elijah Harden had 15 points. Sullinger scored 11 points in the first half and Kent State went into halftime trailing 42-36. Davis scored 15 points in the second half. Kent State outscored Heidelberg by 10 points over the final half. Kent State hosts Ball State in its next matchup on Saturday. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .