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bratz genie magic Turkey calls for reconciliation between Syria government and opposition to end conflictOn Christopher and Hudson in the West Village, two women named Millie and Mary sit in a red-and-green shed. Their door is wide open despite the freezing temperatures—mostly so anyone can poke their head in but also so they can write your Christmas wish on the front of it in blue Sharpie. (Current wishes include love, success, and Taylor Swift tickets.) But don’t get used to them. They’re only here for five weeks and for one reason: to sell Christmas trees. Millie and Mary, who asked to be identified only by first names, drove down from Quebec, Canada, right after Thanksgiving. A tree farm company provided them with firs, their shed, and a baler. (Which, as it turns out, can be used more for just trees: Last night, two drunk men paid them $20 to be netted themselves.) Over the first few days, they decorated the stand, painting their shed and carving wooden ornaments that Millie tells me cost, well, whatever: “We tell people it’s in between a dollar and a million,” she says. Then she reveals her Christmas wish: “We’re hoping for a million,” she adds, laughing. They also decorate themselves: Mary has pink gems across her teeth and often accessorizes with a colorful balaclava. Both try to wear either red or green each day, under pairs of Carhartt overalls. (Carhartt has recently seen a surge in popularity with celebrities —but its designs were originally conceived for railroad workers in the Gilded Age.) “We like having colorful items that we can mix and match to do a nice look,” she says. On Christmas Eve, their job is done. That night, they’ll go do karaoke with some other tree sellers around their age, whom they met at 32nd and Third. “One of them is my new lover too,” Mollie says, full of joy. “We have lovers that are Christmas tree sellers!” In 1851, a Catskills woodsman named Mark Carr recognized the growing popularity of Christmas trees in the United States; they had been introduced by German immigrants decades prior. So he loaded up his cart, parked it on the corner of Greenwich and Vesey streets, and sold his so-called mountain oddities to citizens of New York City. (The rent he paid to do so? $1.) By 1871, Christmas had been declared a national holiday, and Carr was just one of many tree salesmen in town. Over the next 150 years, New York went from a trading port to a global metropolis—but the process of buying a Christmas tree stayed almost exactly the same. You don’t need any permits or special certificates from the state to sell trees. You just need permission from the landlord who owns the building you operate in front of. So every year in late November, hundreds of sellers still collect their mountain oddities of balsam and Fraser firs to quite literally set up shop in New York City...just like Carr did centuries ago. They don’t have much time to make their money. Like milk, their product has a strict sell-by date: December 24. Some operators and their employees are native New Yorkers. But many hail from tree-lined lands north: Vermont, New Hampshire, or Quebec. Since renting an apartment isn’t logistically or financially feasible, they sleep in their vans or makeshift bunk beds they’ve built in their sheds. Several workers I spoke to seem to enjoy what’s colloquially known as van life: living in a motor vehicle full time or part-time. (Mollie and Mary, for example, met while hitchhiking.) Others use the income to support a passion. “I sell Christmas trees so I can paint when I get home,” says Gabe Tempesta, as he gestures toward an oil painting that rests against a chain-link fence. Young children run around him as he pulls out balsam firs to show their parents, later brushing the needles off his green wool sweater and vintage Carhartt pants. (He buys them on eBay: Carhartt in the ’90s, he tells me, was just made better.) Tempesta has done this job for around 13 years. At first, he was just helping the owner of a Vermont Christmas tree farm sell his stock. But now the owner is retiring. Tempesta is taking over his lots and growing his own trees up north. Once his trees reach maturity—in 8 to 10 years—he’ll be a one-stop tree shop. Tempesta is just one of many tree salesmen who have been in New York for a decade or more. Vermont-based entrepreneur Billy Romp and his family have had a stand on Jane Street and Eighth Avenue for 35 years. They’re now beloved New York holiday figures: In 1998, Romp published a memoir, Christmas on Jane Street , and went on Good Morning America to promote it. Then there’s Greg Walsh. On a 30-degree December Saturday, I stand outside his trailer at the Greenwood Park Beer Garden as he asks me what Santa hat I prefer. It’s not really a question because within half a second he answers it himself: He’s going to wear his old one, with the frayed rim and ragged pom-pom. The hat’s got character, as does Walsh, who has spent much of his life embodying a real-life Santa Claus who sells balsams, Frasers, Nordmanns, and nobles (the Cadillac of Christmas trees, according to Walsh). Born and raised in Woodside, Queens, he got into the tree trade on a whim: One summer day, when he was 18, he noticed a fruit seller outside St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Manhattan. He asked him how he got the job. The stall attendant introduced him to his boss, who hired him on the spot. Soon enough they became partners—and switched to selling Christmas trees when demand for fruit cooled in the colder months. Thirty-five years later, he runs seven locations around the city (six in Brooklyn, one in Manhattan) under the banner of Greg’s Trees. On the night I visit, he’s having a tree-lighting ceremony for anyone and everyone who stops by. There’s a wreath-making station, plenty of candy, and a giant throne where kids can take pictures with Santa. In past years, that was Walsh. But not this time. He’s currently going through chemotherapy and feared his beard wouldn’t be long enough. So a friend will play the big man instead, and he’ll attend in his Santa hat, red sweatshirt, and New York Jets joggers. (His dental assistant kindly volunteered to be an elf.) We ask him to sit on the throne for a portrait. Walsh obliges, telling us a colorful story about how he acquired it from the Brooklyn Navy Yard. Afterward, I wish him luck with his treatment. “Life is short for all of us,” he says. Then he turns into his trees, bellowing a hearty “ho ho ho” as he goes.

Seas to Skies Conference: A Successful Summit for a Greener FutureANKARA, Turkey (AP) — The recent rapid advance by opposition fighters in Syria shows that Syrian President Bashar Assad must reconcile with his own people and hold dialogue with the opposition, the Turkish foreign minister said Monday. At a joint news conference in Ankara with his Iranian counterpart, Hakan Fidan said Turkey and Iran, which support opposing sides in Syria’s civil war, have agreed to resume diplomatic efforts along with Russia to restore calm days after insurgents launched a lightning offensive and captured almost all of the country’s largest city, Aleppo. The swift advance by fighters that Turkey supports was a huge embarrassment for Assad and it comes at a time when his allies — Iran and groups it backs and Russia — are preoccupied with their own conflicts. The push is among the rebels’ strongest in years and raises the prospect of another violent front reopening in the Middle East when U.S.-backed Israel is fighting Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon, both Iranian-allied groups. Fidan, whose country has backed forces opposed to Assad, blamed the recent flare-up of the conflict on the Syrian government’s refusal to enter a dialogue with the opposition that Turkey supports. “Recent developments show once again that Damascus must reconcile with its own people and the legitimate opposition,” the Turkish minister said. “Turkey is ready to make all the necessary contribution toward this.” Fidan’s comments emerged amid Turkish frustration that recent efforts toward a reconciliation with Assad have fallen flat. The comments indicated that the shock offensive launched by opposition fighters could be aimed at pressuring the Syrian leader to engage in political talks. Turkey has been seeking to normalize ties with Syria to address security threats from groups affiliated with Kurdish militants along its southern border and to help ensure the safe return of more than 3 million Syrian refugees. Assad has insisted that Turkey’s withdrawal of its forces from northern Syria be a condition for any normalization between the two countries. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who visited Assad on Sunday before traveling to Ankara, reiterated Tehran’s full support for the Syrian government. Iran has been one of Assad’s principal political and military supporters and has deployed military advisers and forces after 2011 protests against Assad’s rule turned into an all-out war. Iranian-backed Iraqi militias have deployed in Syria to back the government’s counteroffensive against the insurgents, an Iraqi militia official and a war monitor said Monday. According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based opposition war monitor, some 200 Iraqi militiamen riding on pickups crossed into Syria overnight through the strategic Bou Kamal crossing. They were expected to deploy in Aleppo to support the Syrian army’s pushback against the insurgents, the monitor said. Meanwhile, Associated Press video showed armed insurgents at Aleppo's international airport, one of them standing on a Syrian government flag and others tearing down a poster of Assad. Insurgents were also seen mounting abandoned aircraft and walking around airport grounds strewn with weapons and ammunition boxes. The rebel offensive in Syria has caused concern among neighboring countries that the conflict could spill over. In Iraq, Interior Ministry spokesperson Brig. Gen. Miqdad Miri said security forces have deployed in greater numbers to protect their large border with Syria. Fidan reiterated Turkey’s support for Syria’s territorial integrity, but suggested that Turkey would not hesitate to intervene against Syrian Kurdish militia groups that Turkey considers to be terrorists if they “exploit the environment of instability.” “It was a mistake to ignore the legitimate demands of the opposition and for the (Syrian) regime not to sincerely engage in the political process,” Fidan said. Turkey, he added, "will never, ever allow terrorist organizations that seek to exploit the environment of instability," Fidan said. “We will eliminate any threat to our national security and our people wherever it emerges.” Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan expressed hope that the instability in Syria would come to an end “in line with the legitimate demands of the Syrian people.” He spoke Monday at a joint news conference with the president of Montenegro. Both Fidan and Araghchi said Turkey, Iran and Russia would convene a new three-way meeting to address the conflict in Syria. "We have decided to hold closer consultations and dialogue, and with God’s permission, we will cooperate to further improve the situation toward peace and stability in our region,” Araghchi said. Russia, whose intervention in Syria’s civil war on behalf of Assad was crucial in turning the conflict in his favor, has said it will continue to support him. “We continue our contacts at the appropriate level,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters Monday. “A position will be formed regarding what is needed to stabilize the situation.” The U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, said the Assad regime has ignored Security Council resolutions and refused to come to the table. “We are watching that situation very closely, and we will continue to engage with partners in the region to find a path for the situation to go back to calm,” she said. As Syrian and Russian jets continued pounding targets, two airstrikes hit a group of four hospitals and the health directorate building in Idlib city, the Syrian Civil Defense force that operates in opposition-held areas, known as the White Helmets, said. Two people in Idlib University Hospital died after their oxygen machines turned off following the strikes. Ceiling panels and doors at the hospital were blown off, while ambulances and vehicles outside were severely damaged according to footage taken by journalist with The Associated Press at the hospital. At least 15 civilians were killed in Idlib city and province, according to the White Helmets. Syrian Kurds were fleeing the fighting in large numbers after Turkish-backed rebels seized Tel Rifaat from rival U.S.-backed Kurdish authorities. The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces largely withdrew and called for a humanitarian corridor to allow people to leave safely in convoys toward Aleppo and later to Kurdish-led northeast regions. Chehayeb reported from Beirut. Associated Press writers Nasser Karimi in Tehran, Iran, and Qassim Abdul-Zahra in Baghdad contributed to this report.

NEW YORK — Same iconic statue, very different race. With two-way star Travis Hunter of Colorado and Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty leading the field, these certainly aren't your typical Heisman Trophy contenders. Sure, veteran quarterbacks Dillon Gabriel from top-ranked Oregon and Cam Ward of No. 15 Miami are finalists for college football's most prestigious award as well, but the 90th annual ceremony coming up Saturday night at Lincoln Center in New York City offers a fresh flavor this year. To start with, none of the four are from the powerhouse Southeastern Conference, which has produced four of the past five Heisman winners — two each from Alabama and LSU. Jeanty, who played his home games for a Group of Five team on that peculiar blue turf in Idaho more than 2,100 miles from Manhattan, is the first running back even invited to the Heisman party since 2017. After leading the country with 2,497 yards rushing and 29 touchdowns, he joined quarterback Kellen Moore (2010) as the only Boise State players to be named a finalist. People are also reading... "The running back position has been overlooked for a while now," said Jeanty, who plans to enter the 2025 NFL draft. "There's been a lot of great running backs before me that should have been here in New York, so to kind of carry on the legacy of the running back position I think is great. ... I feel as if I'm representing the whole position." With the votes already in, all four finalists spent Friday conducting interviews and sightseeing in the Big Apple. They were given custom, commemorative watches to mark their achievement. "I'm not a watch guy, but I like it," said Hunter, flashing a smile. The players also took photos beneath the massive billboards in Times Square and later posed with the famous Heisman Trophy, handed out since 1935 to the nation's most outstanding performer. Hunter, the heavy favorite, made sure not to touch it yet. A dominant player on both offense and defense who rarely comes off the field, the wide receiver/cornerback is a throwback to generations gone by and the first full-time, true two-way star in decades. On offense, he had 92 catches for 1,152 yards and 14 touchdowns this season to help the 20th-ranked Buffaloes (9-3) earn their first bowl bid in four years. On defense, he made four interceptions, broke up 11 passes and forced a critical fumble that secured an overtime victory against Baylor. Hunter played 688 defensive snaps and 672 more on offense — the only Power Four conference player with 30-plus snaps on both sides of the ball, according to Colorado research. Call him college football's answer to baseball unicorn Shohei Ohtani. "I think I laid the ground for more people to come in and go two ways," Hunter said. "It starts with your mindset. If you believe you can do it, then you'll be able to do it. And also, I do a lot of treatment. I keep up with my body. I get a lot of recovery." Hunter is Colorado's first Heisman finalist in 30 years. The junior from Suwanee, Georgia, followed flashy coach Deion Sanders from Jackson State, an HBCU that plays in the lower level FCS, to the Rocky Mountains and has already racked up a staggering combination of accolades this week, including The Associated Press player of the year. Hunter also won the Walter Camp Award as national player of the year, along with the Chuck Bednarik Award as the top defensive player and the Biletnikoff Award for best wide receiver. "It just goes to show that I did what I had to do," Hunter said. Next, he'd like to polish off his impressive hardware collection by becoming the second Heisman Trophy recipient in Buffaloes history, after late running back Rashaan Salaam in 1994. "I worked so hard for this moment, so securing the Heisman definitely would set my legacy in college football," Hunter said. "Being here now is like a dream come true." Jeanty carried No. 8 Boise State (12-1) to a Mountain West Conference championship that landed the Broncos the third seed in this year's College Football Playoff. They have a first-round bye before facing the SMU-Penn State winner in the Fiesta Bowl quarterfinal on New Year's Eve. The 5-foot-9, 215-pound junior from Jacksonville, Florida, won the Maxwell Award as college football's top player and the Doak Walker Award for best running back. Jeanty has five touchdown runs of at least 70 yards and has rushed for the fourth-most yards in a season in FBS history — topping the total of 115 teams this year. He needs 132 yards to break the FBS record set by Heisman Trophy winner Barry Sanders at Oklahoma State in 1988. In a pass-happy era, however, Jeanty is trying to become the first running back to win the Heisman Trophy since Derrick Henry for Alabama nine years ago. In fact, quarterbacks have snagged the prize all but four times this century. Gabriel, an Oklahoma transfer, led Oregon (13-0) to a Big Ten title in its first season in the league and the No. 1 seed in the College Football Playoff. The steady senior from Hawaii passed for 3,558 yards and 28 touchdowns with six interceptions. His 73.2% completion rate ranks second in the nation, and he's attempting to join quarterback Marcus Mariota (2014) as Ducks players to win the Heisman Trophy. "I think all the memories start to roll back in your mind," Gabriel said. Ward threw for 4,123 yards and led the nation with a school-record 36 touchdown passes for the high-scoring Hurricanes (10-2) after transferring from Washington State. The senior from West Columbia, Texas, won the Davey O'Brien National Quarterback of the Year award and is looking to join QBs Vinny Testaverde (1986) and Gino Torretta (1992) as Miami players to go home with the Heisman. "I just think there's a recklessness that you have to play with at the quarterback position," Ward said. 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