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Cowboys roughed up by Eagles and Jerry Jones catches grief from Philly fans
By KATE BRUMBACK ATLANTA (AP) — A judge is weighing whether a Georgia state Senate committee has the right to subpoena testimony and documents from Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis as it looks into whether she has engaged in misconduct during her prosecution of President-elect Donald Trump. The Republican-led committee sent subpoenas to Willis in August seeking to compel her to testify at its September meeting and to produce scores of documents. The committee was formed earlier this year to examine allegations of “various forms of misconduct” by Willis, an elected Democrat, during her prosecution of Trump and others over their efforts to overturn the former president’s 2020 election loss in Georgia. Willis’ attorney, former Democratic Gov. Roy Barnes, told Fulton County Superior Court Judge Shukura Ingram during a hearing Tuesday that although the Georgia General Assembly has subpoena power, that power is not automatically conferred on a single legislative chamber or its committees. Even if the committee did have such power, he argued, the subpoenas in question are overly broad and not related to a legitimate legislative need. Barnes said the focus on Willis and her investigation into Trump shows that the committee was politically motivated and not a legitimate inquiry into the practices of district attorneys’ offices: “What they were trying to do is chill the prosecution of Donald Trump and find out what they had.” Josh Belinfante, a lawyer representing the lawmakers, said there is nothing in the Georgia Constitution that prohibits the Senate from issuing a subpoena. The duly formed interim committee is looking into whether new legislation is needed to regulate the practices of district attorneys’ offices in the state, he argued. “They are investigating and making an inquiry into these allegations that may show that existing state laws, including those establishing the processes for selecting, hiring and compensating special assistant district attorneys, are inadequate,” Belinfante said. The resolution creating the committee focused in particular on Willis’ hiring of special prosecutor Nathan Wade , with whom she had a romantic relationship , to lead the prosecution against Trump and others. It says the relationship amounted to a “clear conflict of interest and a fraud upon the taxpayers” of the county and state. One of the committee’s subpoenas orders Wills to produce documents related to Wade, including documents related to his hiring and payment, documents related to money or items of value that Wade and Willis may have exchanged, text messages and emails between the two, and their phone records. The committee also requested any documents her office sent in response to requests from the U.S. House, as well as communications Willis and her office had with the White House, the U.S. Justice Department and the House relating to the 2020 presidential election. And they asked for documents related to federal grant money Willis’ office has received. Before the deadlines in the subpoenas, Willis challenged them in court. Willis’ challenge was pending in mid-September when she skipped a hearing during which the committee members had hoped to question her. In October, the committee asked Ingram to require Willis to comply with the subpoenas. The committee’s lawyers wrote in a court filing that Willis’ failure to do so had delayed its ability to finish its inquiry and to provide recommendations for any legislation or changes in appropriations that might result. Barnes also argued that once the regular legislative session has adjourned, which happened in March this year, legislative committees can meet to study issues and come up with recommendations but do not have the power to compel someone to appear or produce documents. Belinfante rejected that, saying the state Constitution expressly permits the creation of interim committees and allows them to make their rules. Even if these subpoenas were validly issued, Barnes argued, they ask for too much, including private and personal information that is not a legitimate target of a legislative subpoena. Belinfante said the lawmakers are simply trying to do their jobs. He asked that Willis be ordered to appear before the committee in early January. He also asked that she be ordered to provide the requested documents and explain what privilege justifies any that are excluded. With a glaring lack of state case law on the issue of the General Assembly’s subpoena power, that’s one issue Ingram will have to address. She said she will consider the arguments and release her order as soon as she can. Willis and Wade have acknowledged that they had a relationship but have said it began after he was hired and ended before the indictment against Trump was filed. Trump and other defendants argued that the relationship created a conflict of interest that should disqualify Willis and her office from continuing with her prosecution of the case. Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee ruled in March that Willis’ actions showed a “tremendous lapse in judgment,” but he did not find a conflict of interest that would disqualify Willis. He said she could continue her prosecution as long as Wade stepped aside, which he did. Trump and others have appealed that ruling to the Georgia Court of Appeals, and that appeal remains pending.Like most of life’s better ideas, the genesis of this article was in the pub. It came via a discussion about the merits or otherwise of Tottenham Hotspur ’s football team. You know the drill: they’re great to watch, can beat the best and lose to the worst. Spurs gonna Spurs, etc. The pub-based chat, though, became particularly heated when the topic turned to expected goals (xG). Advertisement “Spurs’ underlying xG numbers are pretty good, so I’d expect them to climb the table,” The Athletic opined. “Mate, seriously do not talk to me about xG, that’s just fancy journalism bulls*** that you lot use to make a point.” Enter this article’s protagonist, Dominic Townsend. Dom is a Wycombe Wanderers fan, middle class, educated to degree level and a likeable, right-minded fellow. He absolutely cannot stand xG and its use in modern mainstream media. What followed in The Salisbury, a cracking traditional boozer in Haringey, north London, was a wine-fuelled debate for the ages, arguing the toss over the merits or otherwise of xG and other data terms. At its conclusion, Dom was angry/drunk enough to accept the challenge of repeating his views to an international audience via the medium of the internet and agreed to continue the xG debate with a proper data expert. Enter The Athletic ’s very own Duncan Alexander, an ex-Opta OG in xG. Duncan is also a Wycombe fan — but, incredibly, the pair have never met. So what is xG? Why do we use it? What other data terms might cross over into the mainstream? And what about xA, PSxG, PPDA, field tilt, duels and progressive passes and carries? Dom v Duncan. Let battle the duel commence. Expected goals (xG) Dominic Townsend: “I should probably start by saying I actually work for a data company, so despite Tim’s protestations I’m definitely not anti-data. Expected goals, I’ve had explained to me a couple of times and I broadly get what it is. I think ‘possible goals’ is a better way of putting it. “I also think the xG figure should start at a hundred, and then every time you miss a chance it takes a certain percentage off. I don’t understand how you could have more possible/expected goals than you actually score, because there’s illogicality there.” Advertisement Duncan Alexander: “Well, not really. But yeah.” Townsend: “And it isn’t used in the right way on television. It gets flashed up on (BBC’s) Match of the Day and everyone is expected — pun intended — to know what it means, but I’m not sure everyone does. I don’t hear many other people talking about xG in a pub.” Alexander: “Maybe you’re going to the wrong pubs.” Townsend: “Haha, well maybe I’m not !” Alexander: “I think it has crossed into common parlance with younger generations.” Townsend: “You’re calling me old, basically.” Alexander: “Well, you’re younger than me, but yes. I think you make some really good points. The name... I worked with the person who basically invented the model, or borrowed it from ice hockey. He’ll admit as well that the name isn’t great — it makes people think it’s predicting stuff that’s happening in the future. “It’s a measure of chance quality. To your point about how you can have more expected goals than actual goals in a game... the easiest example to use is a penalty, which has a .78 xG rating because historically 78 per cent of penalties are scored. “And then a shot from the ‘D’ just outside the box probably has a 0.04 xG rating because four per cent of those shots go in.” Townsend: “OK, so that makes sense.” Alexander: “There’s an awful lot of data behind it — probably more than half a million shots are in the database. “It’s at its best when judging a team over a longer period. If you look at rolling xG over a large amount of games you can see where a team’s good and bad form kicks in. It’s OK in a one-off game scenario, and sort of OK in a one-off shot. The xG rolling average can show a team’s form over time “The other thing people sometimes get the wrong end of the stick is; ‘How can you measure Lionel Messi and Che Adams (editor: apologies to Che Adams) on the same expected goals basis, because they’re obviously different players in terms of skill and quality?’. “But the point is you’re rating everyone above or below the average. Messi has outscored his xG pretty much every season he’s played football. Son Heung-min at Spurs, Harry Kane ; these players consistently overperform.” Townsend: “So, hang on. Is xG a worldwide average based on overall stats and positions of shots, or is it a team stat against the average? I guess what I’m trying to say is: if you’re saying Messi, Kane and Son outperform xG, is that because it’s a worldwide average?” Alexander: “Essentially yes, although it’s not worldwide. Opta, the most common model, is taken from 10 or 11 leagues. Advertisement Townsend: “OK so how about if Liverpool and Southampton play each other and have the same xG of 2.10... but it’s not the same xG is it, because Liverpool’s players would be expected to score more goals because they have better players? Alexander: “Well that’s where the name doesn’t quite fit and possible goals would work better.” Townsend: “I think that’s the problem, you’ve just explained it to me and I’ve followed what you said but I still have a question mark around certain aspects. “And I guarantee you most pundits that use xG numbers in their analysis have no idea and wouldn’t be able to explain what you just did .” Alexander: “I won’t mention who it was but I was once on a Premier League programme with an ex-player talking about xG, he didn’t understand its usage but after 45 minutes of me going through the semi-famous Manchester United win at Arsenal when they battered them on xG but lost 3-1, he got it. He had a moment of realisation. “So yeah, you’re right. But it has only existed in the professional game for over a decade and it wasn’t until 2017 that it was pushed to the media. So certain old dogs just won’t have learned the new tricks. “I remember looking at Twitter the night Match of the Day first flashed up xG alongside shots, yellow cards and, yeah, it didn’t go down well. Seven years later, there are clearly still some sceptics...” Townsend: “Haha, yes. OK, just clarify something for me. Paul Gascoigne at Euro 96, that famous chance against Germany when the cross comes in and he slides in to score, but doesn’t actually touch the ball. It’s a huge chance for a goal, but not a shot, so is xG registered for that?” Alexander: “That’s a very good point. Opta have a metric called ‘Big Chance’ and that Gazza one would go down as one and get an xG value. It’s a niche example for data people: how can you get xG from a shot you didn’t have?” Townsend: “So it does count?” Alexander: “Yeah, but they’re rare. A better example is probably the Alejandro Garnacho overhead kick at Goodison Park last season. That had maybe a six per cent xG because his body was in a good position in the box, you’d expect to score a decent amount of goals from there, but what he actually did with his back to goal was a one-in-10,000 thing... xG didn’t take into account he was facing the wrong way and acrobatically flinging himself. “That’s why doing individual shot xG isn’t the perfect use. Where it really has powerful value is looking at how a team does over a season or multiple seasons.” Goal of the Season | Premier League 2023/24 🥇 Alejandro Garnacho (for Manchester United vs. Everton ) “Audacious acrobatics and devastating footwork... There have been plenty of brilliant goals this season, but none come close to this one.” #TAFCAwards | #MUFC pic.twitter.com/68gSOEdbd0 — The Athletic | Football (@TheAthleticFC) May 21, 2024 Townsend: “The thing is — and obviously The Athletic is leading the charge here — it’s appealing to the way Americans talk about sport. I think that’s probably fine. But there are certain things that don’t translate as well. The Gascoigne one, let’s say wingers hit the byline and cross just over a striker’s head 20 times in a game, does that count? Because it’s a goal opportunity but the striker may have mistimed their run.” Alexander: “Well, that’s where we bring in our good friend expected assists (xA).” Expected assists (xA) Alexander: “How do you credit players for good passes that are not taken advantage of? Or how do you credit players who consistently do things that go unrecognised? “The Steven Gerrard figure, Hollywood-balling it across the pitch, or playing through balls, they get a lot of credit, but what about the player consistently making those passes that open up space? That’s the logic behind xA. You award a value to each pass, given how the sequence of play then progresses. Advertisement “Rather than just looking at each bit of the game as an individual pass, cross, header, etc, you start linking everything together and assigning value. “A difficult pass at the start of a chain, because it moves the opposition around, might lead to a good chance. So it’s a way of rewarding those players further back. How do you value Rodri , etc?” Townsend: “That’s a really interesting one. As you’ll know, having supported a lower league club, there are certain players who really stand out in games for being a class above League One /League Two level, but that class might not be properly reflected in their goals/assists numbers because their team-mates are crap. “When every pundit and journalist is asking what a team actually needs, xA can help fill in those gaps.” Alexander: “Data is not there to try to solve football. Or to turn football into a spreadsheet. What it’s there for is to explain stuff and add context to things we all know.” Townsend: “This is where I come back to pundits, because I feel it’s their responsibility to use the incredible amount of data available to them to back up their points. “Some of them, you can tell, were good players and think they’re above data because it’s all (points to forehead) up here.” Alexander: “That’s definitely true, but also if you’re on Match of the Day, that’s for a general football audience. My mum watches Match of the Day... no offence to my mum, I’ve told her about xG. “You do get some people who know about data in football who think they know better than an ex-pro, but in reality, they don’t because they’ve never played at that level. “Conversely, a lot of ex-pros don’t think they need to know about data because they scored a hat-trick at Mansfield once. “In the spirit of open-mindedness, whatever your position or knowledge base or history, everyone can enhance their understanding and knowledge of football at any point.” Post-shot expected goals (PSxG) Alexander: “Right, so xG is where the shot is taken from, but then if that shot is on target you can measure how likely it is that it would have been a goal. I.e., if you shoot at the top or bottom corner, it’s got a higher chance of being scored than if you hit it in the middle of the goal. “The most common usage is for goalkeepers. If they’ve saved 10 shots on target but all those shots were in the middle of the goal where they’re probably stood, then that’s valued less than if the shots were aimed at the top corner. Advertisement “It’s essentially an evolution and an add-on to the main xG model.” Townsend: “See, again, I like that as a metric but the name is terrible. Post-shot?” Alexander: “Yeah, to be honest, it can be xGOT (expected goals on target).” Townsend: “We really need to talk about the whole naming thing. At what point did the whole media industry get in a room and go: ‘Right, you know football has existed for 100-odd years and everyone is fine with shots, saves, assists, tackles, closing down...’.” Alexander: “Well, you say that...” Townsend: “Basically we’re going to get to change all these terms with weird naming conventions and we’re not going to tell anyone about it.” Alexander: “Yeah, that’s my fault, basically. But to be honest that happens in football all the time. If you go back and look at the reports of John Barnes’ home debut for Liverpool in 1987, it says he scored one and made one, which he did. Now, we’d say he got a goal and an assist, but ‘assists’ weren’t around then, that terminology came from American sport in the 1990s.” “People would have valued an assist in the 1890s, there just wasn’t the terminology. In the same way xG would have been understood in a different way... someone runs through on goal in 1905 for The Wednesday and they miss the shot, people would have said, ‘He should have scored that’. Essentially that’s still xG, but they were wearing more hats.” Townsend: “So for PSxG, the concept works well but again it’s about presenting it in a certain way. So the keeper is in the form of their life and this is why, here’s the data which backs it up.” Alexander: “Any kind of acronym, it’s not particularly helpful to start throwing letters around, speaking of which...” PPDA (passes per defensive action) Alexander: “This is an interesting one because it’s pretty basic and measures a team’s press. “If you’ve got a PPDA of 10, the opposition are having 10 passes for every defensive action you’re doing against them.” Townsend: “What’s a defensive action?” Alexander: “A tackle, a challenge, an aerial duel, any kind of defensive interaction from the offensive players.” Townsend: “So, tackle one to tackle two, there are 10 passes occurring?” Alexander: “Yes and some games that might be 25... it’s a proxy for the higher the figure, the less you are pressing or being intense against that team, because you’re allowing them to have 25 passes before you tackle or press them. Advertisement “Again, over a longer period of time, a PPDA for a season tallies that the lowest figures are for the teams that press the most and the highest figures are the ones who sit off and are passive or reactive. “It’s pretty simple. Just two numbers divided by each other. And it correlates pretty well with what happens on the pitch.” Townsend: “I like that a lot. That should be used more commonly, you hear so much about whether teams press high or not.” Alexander: “Of all the stats that get explained, that’s the one people go; ‘Oh yeah, fair enough, good, I like it’.” Townsend: “Good, I like it.” Duels Townsend: “This sounds quite medieval.” Alexander: “Duels have an interesting backstory. When Opta was in its infancy, it started working on English football and in England we like tackles. But in Germany, they value a metric called duels so when Opta started working with the Bundesliga , German clients asked them why Opta didn’t have duels data. “Essentially, any time two players from opposite teams come together it can be classed as a duel. So, it’s a composite metric of tackles, aerial challenges, dribbles, etc. “Aerial duels are a particularly good metric and high numbers tend to directly relate to players who are good in the air, like Chris Wood .” Townsend: “So it’s the number of duels and then the percentage of duels won? And that’s based on the duels you’ve won against everyone, not just your battles against a certain player?” Alexander: “Yeah, that’s right.” Townsend: “That’s absolutely reasonable. The word has been in medieval parlance for centuries. Well done the Germans.” Field Tilt Alexander: “Field tilt is a slightly improved version of possession: it’s the proportion of touches a team has in the final third. “You ignore the middle bit of the pitch, you just look at the defensive and attacking thirds and you say; ‘If Man City have got a field tilt of 82 per cent, they’re having loads of the ball in the attacking third’. Advertisement “If a team averages a 70 per cent field tilt over a season, you know they’ve been possession-heavy on the front foot.” Townsend: “Again, I get it, but again I’m going to sound like a broken record because I’ve got an issue with the name. It just makes me think of a sloping pitch.” Alexander: “Just imagine yourself in a pub shouting; ‘Come on, we’ve got to turn this field tilt around’.” The Athletic’s matchday snapshot from December’s Manchester Derby Townsend: “Can you see the traditional list of shots, fouls, corners evolving over time so that in 10 years we’ve got PPDA and field tilt being used in the mainstream media? “Because when I’m in the States, they have the most unbelievable rolling sports coverage and they go over every single play in detail. All of this parlance that’s coming into football feels influenced by the States. “Certain sports do lend themselves more naturally to stats — stop-start games like American Football, basketball, cricket and rugby, for example. “I think the difficulty over here is that, broadly speaking, you’ve got Match of the Day which clearly doesn’t have enough time. Sky Sports’ Monday Night Football is the only long-form mainstream show that uses data well. “And to be honest xG is actually one of the most complicated things we’ve explained today but it’s used the most, whereas some of the others like PPDA which are easier to understand and really helpful, don’t get used.” Alexander: “Yeah... I can’t argue with some of that. I do think as time goes on, people in their 20s now and younger are using those terms more. Terminologies become outdated and we’re in a permanent cycle of ‘In my day’. “I’m pretty sure when we’re old, we’ll say to some kid on a hoverboard: ‘In my day we called it xG’.” Progressive passes and carries Alexander: “Right, so this is related to metrics like xA. Data for a specific pass doesn’t tell you that much, but if you then ascribe value to a good pass, or a cross-field pass that opens up the pitch, or a pass that takes out four opposition players, progressive passes is a way of applying value to that. Advertisement “It’s the same with carries. Rather than just dribbles, which is going past a player, with carries you can measure distance. So players who have carries over 10 yards and then end with a key pass or a shot, it’s a better way of valuing what a player does. Townsend: “The very obvious comparison there would be yards carried in American Football? I think that makes a lot of sense. And progressive passes, does that mean forward passes?” Alexander: “At The Athletic , we count a completed pass as ‘progressive’ if it’s at least 10 metres long and moves the ball at least 25 per cent of the remaining distance to goal...” GO DEEPER Why progressive actions are football's most important metrics Townsend: “I like the idea of being able to judge someone via these metrics... it takes the fun out of saying; ‘My player’s better than yours, mate’. But as someone who likes to win arguments, having more data is probably quite handy. “Basically, where we’ve got to with all this is 1) I agree with pretty much everything you’ve said but 2) Everyone needs a Duncan in the pub with you to explain all this.” Alexander: “I’m happy to go to any pub in any town and offer that service.” Townsend: “Just make sure you call it ‘possible goals’.” (Top photos: Getty Images; design by Demetrius Robinson)By Kimberly Palmer, NerdWallet The investing information provided on this page is for educational purposes only. NerdWallet, Inc. does not offer advisory or brokerage services, nor does it recommend or advise investors to buy or sell particular stocks, securities or other investments. The start of a new year can bring a surge of motivation around setting new goals, including financial resolutions. One way to help those goals become reality, financial experts say, is to make them as specific as possible. Then, track your progress, while allowing flexibility for unexpected challenges. “It’s easier to track progress when we know where we are going,” says Sylvie Scowcroft, a certified financial planner and founder of The Financial Grove in Cambridge, Massachusetts. That’s why she encourages her clients to set clearly defined goals, often related to paying off a specific debt, saving a certain amount per month or improving their credit score. Here are more tips from financial experts about crafting 2025 financial goals : Trying to accomplish too much can feel overwhelming. Instead, pick your priorities, says Cathleen Tobin, CFP and owner of Moonbridge Financial Design in Rhinebeck, New York. She suggests focusing on those big, often emotionally-driven goals to find motivation. “It’s more compelling than just a number,” she says. For example, do you want to make sure you’re on track for retirement or save money for a house? “Start there.” Scowcroft says she sees clients get tripped up by selecting overly broad goals, such as “get better with money.” Instead, she encourages people to select specific action items, such as “sign up for a budgeting tool and set aside time each month to learn where my money is going.” That level of specificity provides direction so you know what steps to take next, she adds. For example, if your top priority is to become debt-free, then your specific goal might be to pay off an extra $200 of your debt balance each month. Tobin says labeling savings accounts so they correspond with goals can also help. An emergency fund could be named something like “Peace of mind in 2025,” so you remember why you’re saving every time you make a transfer. “It’s more motivating than just ‘emergency fund,’” Tobin says. Measuring your progress as the year unfolds is also a critical component of successful goal setting, Tobin says. She compares it to weight loss. If you want to lose 20 pounds by June, then you need to lose about a pound a week for the first six months of the year. Similarly, she says it helps to break savings goals into microsteps that specify what you need to do each week. Schedule a weekly or monthly check-in with yourself to make sure you are meeting those smaller goals along the way. You might want to review your debt payoff progress or check your credit score , for example. “Being able to break it down into steps that can be done each week or twice a month really helps,” Tobin says. If your goal is to save more money , then setting up an automatic transfer each month can help turn that goal into reality, as long as you know you have the money in your checking account to spare. “It reduces the mental load,” says Mike Hunsberger, CFP and owner of Next Mission Financial Planning in St. Charles, Missouri, where he primarily supports veterans and current members of the military. He recommends starting small to ease into the change. “I wouldn’t jump to double what you’re currently saving,” he says. For example, when it comes to saving in a retirement account, if you’re starting with a 3% contribution, you might want to bump it up to 4%, then slowly increase it from there. “My number one piece of advice is to start small, but make sure you scale over time,” Hunsberger adds. “Because it’s gradual, you probably won’t notice it impacting your lifestyle.” “Stay flexible,” Scowcroft says. “Part of it is just being kind to yourself and not being too rigid.” When unexpected challenges come up, such as a big unplanned expense, you might have to pause making progress on your goal and reset. You might even need to change your goal. Scowcroft says that doesn’t mean you “failed,” just that life changed your plans. Dwelling on any negativity won’t help your forward progress. Sharing your goals with a friend can also make it easier to reach them, Scowcroft says. “It really helps to have an accountability buddy,” she says. She suggests putting a regular “money date” with your friend on the calendar so you can ask each other how you’re doing, brainstorm any challenges or even budget together side-by-side . “It’s a fun excuse to meet up with a friend.” More From NerdWallet Kimberly Palmer writes for NerdWallet. Email: kpalmer@nerdwallet.com. Twitter: @kimberlypalmer. The article The Secret to Making Successful Financial New Year’s Resolutions originally appeared on NerdWallet .
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Tel Aviv, Israel, Nov. 25, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Jeffs' Brands Ltd (“Jeffs’ Brands” or the “Company”) (Nasdaq: JFBR, JFBRW), a data-driven e-commerce company operating on the Amazon Marketplace, announces transformative initiatives by its wholly owned subsidiary, Fort Products Ltd. (“Fort”), to reshape pest control solutions and online shopping experiences, as previously announced on November 14, 2024 and November 18, 2024. With a creative move, Fort has partnered with leading digital developers to create an AI-based mobile application, offering customers innovative pest control solutions. This platform is designed to identify pests using AI technology to deliver tailored treatment recommendations, providing seamless access to Fort’s top-tier products. The app is expected to launch in the first half of 2025, aiming to enhance Fort’s ecosystem and aiming to position it as a leader in both e-commerce and pest control innovation. In addition, Fort is embracing the future of online payments by integrating cryptocurrency options, including Bitcoin, into its online platform. It is expected that starting in Q1 2025, customers will have the ability to pay with Bitcoin and other major cryptocurrencies to purchase Fort’s pest control solutions on its online platform, reflecting Fort’s commitment to adapting to emerging trends and meeting the preferences of tech-savvy customers globally. AI App Features: Bitcoin Payment Integration Highlights: These developments align with Fort’s vision of blending traditional product excellence with cutting-edge technology, seeking to redefine customer engagement and expand market opportunities globally. About Jeffs’ Brands Ltd Jeffs' Brands aims to transform the world of e-commerce by creating and acquiring products and turning them into market leaders, tapping into vast, unrealized growth potential. Through the Company’s management team’s insight into the FBA Amazon business model, it aims to use both human capability and advanced technology to take products to the next level. For more information on Jeffs’ Brands Ltd visit https://jeffsbrands.com . Forward-Looking Statement Disclaimer This press release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, that are intended to be covered by the “safe harbor” created by those sections. Forward-looking statements, which are based on certain assumptions and describe our future plans, strategies and expectations, can generally be identified by the use of forward-looking terms such as “believe,” “expect,” “may,” “should,” “could,” “seek,” “intend,” “plan,” “goal,” “estimate,” “anticipate” or other comparable terms. For example, we are using forward-looking statements when discussing successful development of the AI powered mobile app and cryptocurrency payment options, its availability for use by customers, its enhancement of Fort’s product ecosystem, the elevation of Fort’s presence in the pest control sector and in e-commerce, the creation of opportunities for market expansion and customer engagement and the Company’s commitment to adapting to emerging trends. Forward-looking statements are neither historical facts nor assurances of future performance. Instead, they are based only on our current beliefs, expectations and assumptions regarding the future of our business, future plans and strategies, projections, anticipated events and trends, the economy and other future conditions. Because forward-looking statements relate to the future, they are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks and changes in circumstances that are difficult to predict and many of which are outside of our control. Our actual results and financial condition may differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements. Therefore, you should not rely on any of these forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause our actual results and financial condition to differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements include, among others, the following: our ability to adapt to significant future alterations in Amazon’s policies; our ability to sell our existing products and grow our brands and product offerings, including by acquiring new brands; our ability to meet our expectations regarding the revenue growth and the demand for e-commerce; the overall global economic environment; the impact of competition and new e-commerce technologies; general market, political and economic conditions in the countries in which we operate; projected capital expenditures and liquidity; the impact of possible changes in Amazon’s policies and terms of use; the impact of the conditions in Israel, including the recent attacks by Hamas, Iran, and other terrorist organizations; and the other risks and uncertainties described in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2023, filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), on April 1, 2024 and our other filings with the SEC. We undertake no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether written or oral, that may be made from time to time, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise. Investor Relations Contact: Michal Efraty Adi and Michal PR- IR Investor Relations, Israel michal@efraty.comTransforming control rooms: How technology enhances efficiency in manufacturing
Airports and highways are expected to be jam-packed during Thanksgiving week, a holiday period likely to end with another record day for air travel in the United States. AAA predicts that nearly 80 million Americans will venture at least 50 miles from home between Tuesday and next Monday, most of them by car. However, travelers could be impacted by ongoing weather challenges and those flying to their destinations could be grounded by delays brought on by airline staffing shortages and an airport service workers strike . Here's the latest: U.S. airlines are preparing for a Thanksgiving holiday rush, and so are the U.S. Postal Service, United Parcel Service and FedEx. Shipping companies will deliver about 2.2 billion packages to homes and businesses across the U.S. from Thanksgiving to Dec. 31, said Satish Jindel, a shipping and logistics expert and president of ShipMatrix. That’s down from 2.3 billion packages last year. Because the shopping period is a week shorter than in 2023, consumers are shopping further ahead of Black Friday and more purchases are taking place in physical stores, he said. The number of holiday package shipments grew 27% in 2020 and by more than 3% the following year during the pandemic. The numbers have been falling since then, with a projected decline of about 6% this holiday season. Looking to de-stress while waiting for your flight? Many airports have a fleet of therapy dogs — designated fidos and puppers that are eager to receive pets and snuggles from weary travelers. Rules and schedules vary from airport to airport, but the group AirportTherapyDogs uses online crowdsourcing to share the locations of therapy dogs across its various social media accounts. Today, Gracie, a toy Australian shepherd, and Budge, an English bulldog, wandered the concourses at Denver International Airport, and an American Staffordshire Terrier named Hugo greeted travelers at Punta Gorda Airport in Florida. Some airports even feature other therapy pals. San Francisco International Airport’s fleet of animals includes a Flemish Giant rabbit and a hypoallergenic pig. “We cannot live on the wages that we are being paid,” ABM cabin cleaner Priscilla Hoyle said at a rally earlier Monday. “I can honestly say it’s hard every single day with my children, working a full-time job but having to look my kids in the eyes and sit there and say, ‘I don’t know if we’re going to have a home today.’” Timothy Lowe II, a wheelchair attendant, said he has to figure out where to spend the night because he doesn’t make enough for a deposit on a home. “We just want to be able to have everything that’s a necessity paid for by the job that hired us to do a great job so they can make billions,” he said. ABM said it is “committed to addressing concerns swiftly” and that there are avenues for employees to communicate issues, including a national hotline and a “general open door policy for managers at our worksite.” Employees of ABM and Prospect Airport Services cast ballots Friday to authorize the work stoppage at Charlotte Douglas International Airport, a hub for American Airlines. They described living paycheck to paycheck while performing jobs that keep planes running on schedule. Most of them earn $12.50 to $19 an hour, union officials said. Rev. Glencie Rhedrick of Charlotte Clergy Coalition for Justice said those workers should make $22 to $25 an hour. The strike is expected to last 24 hours. Several hundred workers participated in the work stoppage. Forty-four fights have been canceled today and nearly 1,900 were delayed by midday on the East Coast, according to FlightAware . According to the organization’s cheekily named MiseryMap , San Francisco International Airport is having the most hiccups right now, with 53 delays and three cancellations between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. EST. While that might sound like a lot of delays, they might not be so bad compared to last Friday when the airport suffered 671 delays and 69 cancellations. In an apparent effort to reduce the headaches caused by airport line cutting, American Airlines has rolled out boarding technology that alerts gate agents with an audible sound if a passenger tries to scan a ticket ahead of their assigned group. This new software won’t accept a boarding pass before the group it’s assigned to is called, so customers who get to the gate prematurely will be asked to go back and wait their turn. As of Wednesday, the airline announced, the technology is now being used in more than 100 U.S. airports that American flies out of. The official expansion arrives after successful tests in three of these locations — Albuquerque International Sunport, Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport and Tucson International Airport. ▶ Read more about American Airlines’ new boarding technology Travel can be stressful in the best of times. Now add in the high-level anxiety that seems to be baked into every holiday season and it’s clear travelers could use some help calming frazzled nerves. Here are a few ways to make your holiday journey a little less stressful: 1. Make a checklist of what you need to do and what you need to bring 2. Carry your comfort with you — think noise-canceling headphones, cozy clothes, snacks and extra medication 3. Stay hydrated 4. Keep up to date on delays, gate changes and cancellations with your airline’s app ▶ Read more tips about staying grounded during holiday travel Thanksgiving Day takes place late this year, with the fourth Thursday of November falling on Nov. 28. That shortens the traditional shopping season and changes the rhythm of holiday travel. With more time before the holiday , people tend to spread out their outbound travel over more days, but everyone returns at the same time, said Andrew Watterson, the chief operating officer of Southwest Airlines . “A late Thanksgiving leads to a big crush at the end,” Watterson said. “The Saturday, Sunday, Monday and Tuesday after Thanksgiving are usually very busy with Thanksgiving this late.” Airlines did a relatively good job of handling holiday crowds last year, when the weather was mild in most of the country. Fewer than 400 U.S. flights were canceled during Thanksgiving week in 2023 — about one out of every 450 flights. So far in 2024, airlines have canceled about 1.3% of all flights. Drivers should know that Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons will be the worst times to travel by car, but it should be smooth sailing on freeways come Thanksgiving Day, according to transportation analytics company INRIX. On the return home, the best travel times for motorists are before 1 p.m. on Sunday, and before 8 a.m. or after 7 p.m. on Monday, the company said. In metropolitan areas like Boston, Los Angeles, New York, Seattle and Washington, “traffic is expected to be more than double what it typically is on a normal day,” INRIX transportation analyst Bob Pishue said. Federal Aviation Administration Administrator Mike Whitaker said last week that he expects his agency to use special measures at some facilities to deal with an ongoing shortage of air traffic controllers. In the past, those facilities have included airports in New York City and Florida. “If we are short on staff, we will slow traffic as needed to keep the system safe,” Whitaker said. The FAA has long struggled with a shortage of controllers that airline officials expect will last for years, despite the agency’s lofty hiring goals. 5. Auto club and insurance company AAA predicts that nearly 80 million Americans will venture at least 50 miles from home between Tuesday and next Monday. Most of them will travel by car. 6. Drivers should get a slight break on gas prices . The nationwide average price for gasoline was $3.06 a gallon on Sunday, down from $3.27 at this time last year. 7. The Transportation Security Administration expects to screen 18.3 million people at U.S. airports during the same seven-day stretch. That would be 6% more than during the corresponding days last year but fit a pattern set throughout 2024. 8. The TSA predicts that 3 million people will pass through airport security checkpoints on Sunday; more than that could break the record of 3.01 million set on the Sunday after the July Fourth holiday. Tuesday and Wednesday are expected to be the next busiest air travel days of Thanksgiving week. ▶ Read more about Thanksgiving travel across the U.S. Workers who clean airplanes, remove trash and help with wheelchairs at Charlotte’s airport, one of the nation’s busiest, went on strike Monday to demand higher wages. The Service Employees International Union announced the strike in a statement early Monday, saying the workers would demand “an end to poverty wages and respect on the job during the holiday travel season.” The strike was expected to last 24 hours, said union spokesperson Sean Keady. Employees of ABM and Prospect Airport Services cast ballots Friday to authorize the work stoppage at Charlotte Douglas International Airport, a hub for American Airlines. The two companies contract with American, one of the world’s biggest carriers, to provide services such as cleaning airplane interiors, removing trash and escorting passengers in wheelchairs. ▶ Read more about the Charlotte airport workers’ strike Parts of the Midwest and East Coast can expect to see heavy rain into Thanksgiving, and there’s potential for snow in Northeastern states. A storm last week brought rain to New York and New Jersey, where wildfires have raged in recent weeks, and heavy snow to northeastern Pennsylvania. The precipitation was expected to help ease drought conditions after an exceptionally dry fall. Heavy snow fell in northeastern Pennsylvania, including the Pocono Mountains. Higher elevations reported up to 17 inches (43 centimeters), with lesser accumulations in valley cities including Scranton and Wilkes-Barre. Around 35,000 customers in 10 counties were still without power, down from 80,000 a day ago. In the Catskills region of New York, nearly 10,000 people remained without power Sunday morning, two days after a storm dumped heavy snow on parts of the region. Precipitation in West Virginia helped put a dent in the state’s worst drought in at least two decades and boosted ski resorts as they prepare to open in the weeks ahead. ▶ Read more about Thanksgiving week weather forecasts Two people died in the Pacific Northwest after a rapidly intensifying “ bomb cyclone ” hit the West Coast last Tuesday, bringing fierce winds that toppled trees and power lines and damaged homes and cars. Hundreds of thousands lost electricity in Washington state before powerful gusts and record rains moved into Northern California. Forecasters said the risk of flooding and mudslides remained as the region will get more rain starting Sunday. But the latest storm won’t be as intense as last week’s atmospheric river , a long plume of moisture that forms over an ocean and flows over land. “However, there’s still threats, smaller threats, and not as significant in terms of magnitude, that are still going to exist across the West Coast for the next two or three days,” weather service forecaster Rich Otto said. As the rain moves east throughout the week, Otto said, there’s a potential for heavy snowfall at higher elevations of the Sierra Nevada, as well as portions of Utah and Colorado. California’s Mammoth Mountain, which received 2 feet (0.6 meters) of fresh snow in the recent storm, could get another 4 feet (1.2 meters) before the newest system clears out Wednesday, the resort said. Another round of wintry weather could complicate travel leading up to the Thanksgiving holiday, according to forecasts across the U.S., while California and Washington state continue to recover from storm damage and power outages. In California, where two people were found dead in floodwaters on Saturday, authorities braced for more rain while grappling with flooding and small landslides from a previous storm . Here’s a look at some of the regional forecasts: 9. Sierra Nevada: The National Weather Service office issued a winter storm warning through Tuesday, with heavy snow expected at higher elevations and wind gusts potentially reaching 55 mph (88 kph). Total snowfall of roughly 4 feet (1.2 meters) was forecast, with the heaviest accumulations expected Monday and Tuesday. 10. Midwest and Great Lakes: The Midwest and Great Lakes regions will see rain and snow Monday and the East Coast will be the most impacted on Thanksgiving and Black Friday, forecasters said. 11. East Coast: A low pressure system is forecast to bring rain to the Southeast early Thursday before heading to the Northeast. Areas from Boston to New York could see rain and breezy conditions, with snowfall possible in parts of northern New Hampshire, northern Maine and the Adirondacks. If the system tracks further inland, there could be less snow and more rain in the mountains, forecasters said. ▶ Read more about Thanksgiving week weather forecastsSANTA CLARA — Brandon Allen prepared as if he was the 49ers’ starting quarterback all week, but the reality didn’t hit home until Friday, when Brock Purdy again missed practice. “I know he had a plan for his shoulder all week, rest it a little bit on Wednesday and we’d split reps,” Allen said of Purdy. “I think the plan Thursday was to come out and practice. I guess in warmups it just wasn’t feeling right. I found out (Friday).” Allen, a 32-year-old veteran in his ninth season, will start Sunday when the 49ers (5-5) visit the Green Bay Packers (7-3) at Lambeau Field. Purdy was ruled out with a shoulder injury sustained in a 20-17 loss to Seattle , the first time he has missed a start because of injury after 31 regular-season and six postseason starts. Here are five things to know about Allen: 1. Arkansas roots The Fayetteville, Arkansas native’s father Bobby spent more than 20 years as an Arkansas assistant coach. After a redshirt season in 2011, Allen played in 42 games with 38 starts for the Razorbacks. As a senior, Allen completed 57.4 percent of his passes for 3,440 yards, 30 touchdowns and eight interceptions as Arkansas went 8-5. His brother Austin took over as the Arkansas quarterback. In his ninth season, only Joe Ferguson (11 seasons) of the Buffalo Bills has more time in the NFL among Arkansas quarterbacks. 2. Professional route Drafted in the sixth round by the Jacksonville Jaguars, Allen spent his rookie season behind Blake Bortles and Chad Henne as a third-string quarterback and did not play. He was claimed off waivers by the Los Angeles Rams in 2017 and played behind Jared Goff and Sean Mannion before being signed by the Denver Broncos in 2019. Allen won his first start against Cleveland 24-19 in Week 9 of that season, passing for 193 yards and two touchdowns. Allen signed with Cincinnati in 2020, spent time on the practice squad and was promoted to the active roster in November. Subbing for Joe Burrow, Allen had his career-best game, passing for 371 yards and two touchdowns in a 37-31 win. Allen is 2-7 as an NFL starter with 1,611 yards passing, 10 touchdowns, six interceptions and a 78.0 passer rating. 3. Signing with the 49ers Allen became a 49er on May 8, 2023, signing as a free agent. The 49ers, who up to that point seldom kept a third quarterback on the 53-man roster, kept Allen as a No. 3 all season behind Purdy and Sam Darnold after the previous year’s injuries to Trey Lance, Jimmy Garoppolo, and finally Purdy in the NFC Championship Game. Allen did not take a snap. 4. Installed as No. 2 QB Allen signed another one-year contract with the 49ers for one year and $1.21 million (which is more than the $985,000 that Purdy makes on his rookie deal). The 49ers also signed Joshua Dobbs to a one-year, guaranteed $2.35 million contract. Allen and Dobbs competed throughout training camp, with Allen earning the nod from coach Kyle Shanahan. “You’ve got to make a decision. Usually I don’t want to have to make it,” Shanahan said. “I want it to be that obvious, let it play out. Brandon had the head start just being here. I thought he did some better things in practice.” 5. Familiarity with the system While in Denver, Allen’s offensive coordinator was Rich Scangarello, who was the quarterbacks coach under Shanahan in 2017-18. In Los Angeles, the head coach was Sean McVay and the offensive coordinator was Matt LaFleur, both of whom run variations of the Shanahan offense. In 2018, Zac Taylor was his quarterbacks coach with the Rams. Taylor, upon being hired as head coach in Cincinnati, signed Allen to back up Burrow.Bank of America signs again with FIFA for US-hosted Club World Cup that still has no TV deals
EAST LANSING, Mich. — The sight was a common one for Andrew Kolpacki. For many a Sunday, he would watch NFL games on TV and see quarterbacks putting their hands on their helmets, desperately trying to hear the play call from the sideline or booth as tens of thousands of fans screamed at the tops of their lungs. When the NCAA's playing rules oversight committee this past spring approved the use of coach-to-player helmet communications in games for the 2024 season, Kolpacki, Michigan State's head football equipment manager, knew the Spartans' QBs and linebackers were going to have a problem. "There had to be some sort of solution," he said. As it turns out, there was. And it was right across the street. Kolpacki reached out to Tamara Reid Bush, a mechanical engineering professor who not only heads the school's Biomechanical Design Research Laboratory but also is a football season ticket-holder. Kolpacki "showed me some photos and said that other teams had just put duct tape inside the (earhole), and he asked me, 'Do you think we can do anything better than duct tape,?" Bush said. "And I said, 'Oh, absolutely.'" Bush and Rylie DuBois, a sophomore biosystems engineering major and undergraduate research assistant at the lab, set out to produce earhole inserts made from polylactic acid, a bio-based plastic, using a 3D printer. Part of the challenge was accounting for the earhole sizes and shapes that vary depending on helmet style. Once the season got underway with a Friday night home game against Florida Atlantic on Aug. 30, the helmets of starting quarterback Aidan Chiles and linebacker Jordan Turner were outfitted with the inserts, which helped mitigate crowd noise. DuBois attended the game, sitting in the student section. "I felt such a strong sense of accomplishment and pride," DuBois said. "And I told all my friends around me about how I designed what they were wearing on the field." All told, Bush and DuBois have produced around 180 sets of the inserts, a number that grew in part due to the variety of helmet designs and colors that are available to be worn by Spartan players any given Saturday. Plus, the engineering folks have been fine-tuning their design throughout the season. Dozens of Bowl Subdivision programs are doing something similar. In many cases, they're getting 3D-printed earhole covers from XO Armor Technologies, which provides on-site, on-demand 3D printing of athletic wearables. The Auburn, Alabama-based company has donated its version of the earhole covers to the equipment managers of programs ranging from Georgia and Clemson to Boise State and Arizona State in the hope the schools would consider doing business with XO Armor in the future, said Jeff Klosterman, vice president of business development. XO Armor first was approached by the Houston Texans at the end of last season about creating something to assist quarterback C.J. Stroud in better hearing play calls delivered to his helmet during road games. XO Armor worked on a solution and had completed one when it received another inquiry: Ohio State, which had heard Michigan State was moving forward with helmet inserts, wondered if XO Armor had anything in the works. "We kind of just did this as a one-off favor to the Texans and honestly didn't forecast it becoming our viral moment in college football," Klosterman said. "We've now got about 60 teams across college football and the NFL wearing our sound-deadening earhole covers every weekend." The rules state that only one player for each team is permitted to be in communication with coaches while on the field. For the Spartans, it's typically Chiles on offense and Turner on defense. Turner prefers to have an insert in both earholes, but Chiles has asked that the insert be used in only one on his helmet. Chiles "likes to be able to feel like he has some sort of outward exposure," Kolpacki said. Exposure is something the sophomore signal-caller from Long Beach, California, had in away games against Michigan and Oregon this season. Michigan Stadium welcomed 110,000-plus fans for the Oct. 26 matchup between the in-state rivals. And while just under 60,000 packed Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon, for the Ducks' 31-10 win over Michigan State three weeks earlier, it was plenty loud. "The Big Ten has some pretty impressive venues," Kolpacki said. "It can be just deafening," he said. "That's what those fans are there for is to create havoc and make it difficult for coaches to get a play call off." Something that is a bit easier to handle thanks to Bush and her team. She called the inserts a "win-win-win" for everyone. "It's exciting for me to work with athletics and the football team," she said. "I think it's really exciting for our students as well to take what they've learned and develop and design something and see it being used and executed." Get local news delivered to your inbox!
A 9th telecoms firm has been hit by a massive Chinese espionage campaign, the White House saysJones alleges fraud and collusion marred the bankruptcy auction in which The Onion was named the winning bidder on November 14 over a company affiliated with him. US bankruptcy judge Christopher Lopez had been scheduled to hear an emergency motion to disqualify The Onion’s bid, but decided to put it off until either December 9 or December 17. That is also when the judge will hear arguments on a request to approve the sale of Infowars to The Onion. Mr Lopez said similar arguments are being made in both requests. He could allow The Onion to move forward with the sale, order a new auction or name the other bidder as the winner. At stake is whether Mr Jones gets to stay at Infowars’ studio in Austin, Texas, under a new owner friendly to him, or whether he gets kicked out by The Onion. The other bidder, First United American Companies, runs a website in Mr Jones’s name that sells nutritional supplements. Regardless, Mr Jones has set up a new studio, websites and social media accounts that would allow him to keep airing his show. His personal account with 3.3 million followers on the social platform X was not part of the sale, although Mr Lopez will be deciding whether it should be included in the liquidation and sold off later. In a new court filing on Monday, lawyers for X objected to any sale of the accounts of both Mr Jones and Infowars, saying X is the owner of the accounts and that it has not given consent for them to be sold or transferred. Mr Jones has praised X owner Elon Musk on his show and suggested that Mr Musk should buy Infowars. Mr Musk has not responded publicly to that suggestion and was not among the bidders. Mr Jones’ bankruptcy and the liquidation of his assets came about after he was ordered to pay nearly 1.5 billion dollars (£1.19 billion) to relatives of victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in Newtown, Connecticut. Mr Jones was found liable for defamation and emotional distress damages in lawsuits in Connecticut and Texas for repeatedly calling the 2012 shooting that killed 20 first graders and six educators a hoax staged by actors to increase gun control. Proceeds from the liquidation are to go to Mr Jones’s creditors, including the Sandy Hook families who sued him. Mr Jones alleged The Onion’s bid was the result of fraud and collusion involving many of those families, the humour site and a court-appointed trustee who is overseeing the liquidation. First United American Companies submitted a 3.5 million dollar (£2.7 million) sealed bid, while The Onion offered 1.75 million dollars (£1.3 million) in cash. But The Onion’s bid also included a pledge by Sandy Hook families to forego some or all of the auction proceeds due to them giving other creditors a total of 100,000 dollars (£79,400) more than they would receive under other bids. The trustee, Christopher Murray, said that made The Onion’s proposal better for creditors and he named it the winning bid. He has denied any wrongdoing. Mr Jones and First United American Companies claimed that the bid violated Mr Lopez’s rules for the auction by including multiple entities and lacking a valid dollar amount. Mr Jones also alleged Mr Murray improperly cancelled an expected round of live bidding and only selected among the sealed bids that were submitted. Mr Jones called the auction “rigged” and a “fraud” on his show, which airs on the Infowars website, radio stations and his X account. In a court filing, Mr Murray called the allegations “a disappointed bidder’s improper attempt to influence an otherwise fair and open auction process”. Mr Lopez’s September order on the auction procedures made a live bidding round optional. It gave broad authority to Mr Murray to conduct the sale, including the power to reject any bid, no matter how high, that was “contrary to the best interests” of Mr Jones, his company and their creditors. Hi friends! I wanted to give a quick update on The Onion’s purchase of InfoWars, which we can’t wait to relaunch as the dumbest site on the internet. Long and short of it: We won the bid and — you're not going to believe it — the previous InfoWars folks aren't taking it well. — follow @bencollins on bluesky (@oneunderscore__) November 16, 2024 But at a November 14 hearing, Mr Lopez said he was concerned about the process and transparency. “We’re all going to an evidentiary hearing and I’m going to figure out exactly what happened,” he said. “No one should feel comfortable with the results of this auction.” The assets of Infowars’ parent company, Free Speech Systems, that were up for sale included the Austin studio, Infowars’ video archive, video production equipment, product trademarks, and Infowars’ websites and social media accounts. Mr Jones is appealing the 1.5 billion dollar (£1.19 billion) in judgments citing free speech rights but has acknowledged that the school shooting happened. Mr Jones has brought in millions of dollars a year in revenue by hawking nutritional supplements, clothing, survival gear and other merchandise from his Infowars Store website, according to court documents. Many of Mr Jones’ personal assets, including real estate as well as guns and other personal belongings, also are being sold as part of the bankruptcy.Ministers have been warned that efforts to save the NHS and grow the economy will fail unless they tackle the housing crisis, as a damning report reveals millions of people are living in substandard homes that risk worsening their health. In total, 4.5 million people aged 50 or above with an existing health condition in England are living in poor-quality housing with one or more problems such as rising damp, rot or decay that may be making them even sicker, the Centre for Ageing Better analysis found. Of those, 1.7 million are aged 70 or over. Keir Starmer has promised to reduce NHS waiting times and make the UK the fastest-growing major economy by the end of Labour’s first term in government. But ministers have been told that the drive to stabilise the health service and deliver sustained economic growth will flop unless the country’s subpar housing stock is urgently improved. Dr Carole Easton, the chief executive of the Centre for Ageing Better, a charity tackling inequalities in ageing, said its report exposed how the housing crisis was putting millions of older people with health conditions “in harm’s way”. “This is obviously terrible for those individuals who live in homes that carry a very real risk of making them sick, particularly when winter comes around. “But it is also very bad news for the country. Older workers living in homes that are making their health conditions worse are going to be less likely to be able to work and help grow the economy. “Older people whose serious health conditions are made worse by their homes will require treatment, putting additional winter pressures on our health system. All could be averted if we tackled poor-quality housing with the urgency and priority it demands.” The report looked at people aged 50 and above with health conditions affected by substandard living conditions, including respiratory diseases, congestive heart failure, heart disease, neurological disease and lung conditions such as asthma. Housing problems identified included rising damp, water leaks, bad condensation, electrical or plumbing problems, rot and decay, being too cold in the winter, and structural issues. The analysis also uncovered significant inequalities. Almost half (46%) of black, Asian or minority ethnic people aged 50 or above with one of the health conditions specified had at least one problem with their home. This compared with about one in three (32%) white people. Sign up to First Edition Our morning email breaks down the key stories of the day, telling you what’s happening and why it matters after newsletter promotion People aged 50 or over from a black, Asian or minority ethnic background and with a health condition were also twice as likely to have five or more problems with their housing compared with white people. Those aged 50 and above with a health condition negatively affected by poor housing conditions and with a significant issue in their own home were most likely to live in London (52%), followed by the north-east (35%) and the north-west (35%). Holly Holder, the deputy director for homes at the Centre for Ageing Better, said: “No one should have to live in a home that damages their health, yet it is the norm for far too many people in England today. By failing to address poor-quality homes we are limiting the lives of some of the country’s poorest and most vulnerable people. “We are calling on the government to fix this hidden housing crisis by delivering a national strategy to tackle poor-quality housing across all tenures and committing to halving the number of non-decent homes over the next decade.” A government spokesperson said: “Despite the challenging inheritance faced by this government, through our ‘Plan for Change’ we’re taking action to improve housing conditions across all tenures and ensure homes are decent, safe and warm – especially for the most vulnerable.”
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GENEVA (AP) — World Cup sponsor Bank of America teamed with FIFA for a second time Tuesday, signing for the Club World Cup that still has no broadcast deals just over six months before games start. Bank of America became FIFA’s first global banking partner in August and sealed a separate deal for a second event also being played in the United States, two days before the group-stage draw in Miami for the revamped 32-team club event . It features recent European champions Real Madrid, Manchester City and Chelsea. “FIFA is going to take America by storm and we’re going to be right at their side,” the bank’s head of marketing, David Tyrie, said in a telephone interview Tuesday. Bank of America joins 2026 World Cup sponsors Hisense and Budweiser brewer AB InBev in separately also backing the club event, and more deals are expected after Saudi Arabia is confirmed next week as the 2034 World Cup host. While games at the next World Cup, co-hosted with Canada and Mexico, will be watched by hundreds of millions globally mostly on free-to-air public networks, the Club World Cup broadcast picture is unclear. FIFA has promised hundreds of millions of dollars in prize money for the 32 clubs to share but is yet to announce any broadcast deals for the month-long tournament. It is expected to land on a streaming service. “You have to think about how you are going to connect with these fans,” Tyrie told the Associated Press from Boston. “TV is one, sure, social media is a big avenue. “The smart marketing capabilities are able to say ‘Hey, we need to tilt this one a little bit more away from TV-type marketing into social-type marketing.’ We have got a pretty decent strategy that we’re putting in place to do activation.” Engaging Bank of America’s customers and 250,000 employees are key to that strategy, Tyrie said. “It’s going to be for our clients, and entertainment, it’s going to be for our employees in creating excitement. All of the above.” The Club World Cup will be played in 12 stadiums across 11 cities, including Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, N.C, and Lumen Field where the hometown Seattle Sounders play three group-stage games. European powers Madrid, Man City and Bayern Munich lead a 12-strong European challenge. Teams qualified by winning continental titles or posting consistently good results across four years of those competitions. The exception is Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami, who FIFA gave the entry reserved for a host nation team in October based on regular season record without waiting for the MLS Cup final. LA Galaxy hosts New York Red Bulls playing for that national title Saturday. Messi’s team opens the FIFA tournament June 15 in the Miami Dolphins’ Hard Rock Stadium and will play its three group games in Florida. “The more brand players you bring in, the bigger the following you have got,” Tyrie acknowledged, though adding Messi being involved was “not a make or break for the event.” The Club World Cup final is July 13 at Met Life Stadium near New York, which also will host the World Cup final one year later. AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
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