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Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Save articles for later Add articles to your saved list and come back to them any time. Got it Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size Miriam Gluyas has been up since 4am in the Melbourne morning to make it here for our lunch, which will not trouble this masthead’s budget. She is warm and bright in a tomato-red cardigan, fitting apparel for the Commissioner of the Salvation Army. Not for us, a flash restaurant in Sydney’s down-town. Gluyas, who is “65 but feels 35”, has invited me to dine as the organisation’s clients do – modestly and communally. We are at William Booth House, a Salvos-run rehabilitation facility in Surry Hills. It is poised on a hip patch of Sydney real estate, amid minimalist clothing boutiques and cafes where the baristas are extremely serious about coffee. It would be worth a fortune, but like nearby Foster House, a facility for the homeless, it is badly in need of refurbishment. Advertisement “We want to give people who use our services some dignity,” Gluyas tells me. “For that we need to upgrade. So we are going to donors and the government to seek support.” The lunchroom is a cheerful, stainless-steel kitchen, cafeteria-style affair, staffed by residents and scattered with rehab attendees, one of whom sits next to Miriam and chats easily to her. We serve ourselves. On the menu is a Greek-style grilled chicken wrap with yoghurt sauce and salad. We drink tap water from mugs. It’s simple and delicious. Simple and delicious food is available at the Salvos – like this Greek-style chicken wrap. Credit: Louise Kennerley Gluyas is the Salvos’ Big Cheese – the head of an organisation with 8000 employees, about $735 million in property assets and a net income of $22.9 million, according to the December 2023 Annual Report. But she does not have Big Cheese-energy. She also does not get paid Big Cheese-bucks – her pay packet is about $500 a week. Advertisement Sure, she gets the use of a house and a vehicle thrown in, but I cannot think of any other boss who draws a salary of $26,000 a year. It’s radically counter-cultural. “I don’t like a command-and-control leadership,” Gluyas says. “I like a leadership that says, ‘Let’s come together, let’s wrestle and get to the best outcome’.” A structural flaw of the lunch interview is the fact that the interviewee has to do almost all the talking, and doesn’t get a chance to eat. But that’s not my problem. I begin with asking Miriam about her own background, which she says was as obliviously happy as they come – so much so, that she says she “probably didn’t even realise that people went through difficult stuff”. “I would call myself very blessed to have grown up in a family where you could be anything, do anything.” Advertisement She was raised in Ballarat, with loving parents and grandparents, the eldest of three siblings, in a strongly Salvation-Army household, going back generations to her Scottish forebears. Loading She barracked for the Geelong Cats and attended Clarendon Presbyterian Ladies College. “It didn’t work,” she quips, meaning the “Ladies” part. Her mother May was a ten-pound Scottish migrant who ran her own small businesses, including a babywear shop and a ladies’ apparel store. Her father, Les, was a builder. “I think my parents were ahead of their time, but I didn’t realise it,” Gluyas says. “They both worked. They always said to me, ‘Be whatever you want. Do whatever you want’.” The family was close-knit but full of robust kitchen table debate, especially about politics. Her father Les was always Gluyas’ chief sparring partner. Now aged 88, he still is. I ask what the fault lines of their discussions are. Advertisement “He would come from the very white ... there’s only one side of politics for him,” Gluyas says carefully. “So we would debate about that, especially when I was working at Auburn with asylum seekers and refugees. We would probably debate about most things.” Gluyas wanted to be a professional golfer or a sports teacher but ended up training as a Salvation Army officer, graduating aged 24 in 1983. She has worked “all over NSW and Queensland”, but her career highlights were “planting” (starting up) a new church in Newcastle in the mid-1990s, running a church in Auburn in Sydney’s western suburbs in the 2000s, and a three-year mission in Papua New Guinea in the early 2010s. Miriam Gluyas as a young Salvation Army cadet. The Auburn church attracted congregants from 26 different nations, many of them refugees and asylum seekers. There was also a cohort of methadone users. Gluyas learnt that years of drug abuse can ruin teeth, which in turn can result in self-esteem issues and social rejection. So the Salvos offered dental care. “Beautifully, one of the dentists out there said, ‘Everything would change if they could get their teeth back’,” Gluyas recounts. “So he would redo their teeth and to see them come back and say ‘Finally, I am game enough to smile and get a job!’” Advertisement One of Gluyas’ most memorable clients at the Auburn centre was a young girl from Sierra Leone. “She had been in two refugee camps where she was not sure if she would survive,” Miriam says. “When she arrived in Australia, she was placed in Year 10, but she was years behind in her schooling.” With support and tuition from the Salvation Army, she finished the HSC, went on to university and is now a registered nurse. “I remember sitting at a table with someone once and people were saying, ‘Those people should have to learn English before they come here’, and I remember reacting and saying, ‘How dare you say that? You don’t know their stories’,” Gluyas says. “But then I had to stop and think, ‘I didn’t know their stories before either’. If you don’t know, you don’t know.” Gluyas speaking to some of the staff at the Salvation Army kitchen in Surry Hills, where people in need of food can have a meal. Credit: Michael Quelch Gluyas has managed a few nibbles of her lunch before I hit her with a big question – I ask her what the voice of God sounds like to her. She answers by telling me about her mother. When Gluyas was working in Papua New Guinea, her mother, who suffered from dementia towards the end of her life, used to phone and beg her daughter to come home. Gluyas was in knots about what to do, until one night as she was jogging around the Salvos’ compound, God spoke to her. “He said, ‘I never want you to worry about a title or a position any more. Go home and look after your mum’.” Gluyas did what she was told, and got another seven years with her mother, but when her mum died in 2021 during lockdown, it was “incredibly sad” and Gluyas had “a little argument with God”. “I said, ‘You could have waited because I would really have liked to be there with my dad at her funeral’,” she says. “But then I thought, ‘It is what it is, and many other people have been through the same thing’.” Gluyas is too nice, too clever and too unassuming to bite on any questions about politics. But she says the impact of the cost of living crisis is “huge”, and is forcing people to make impossible choices between paying power bills and buying food. “It’s just becoming overwhelming, like a blanket over people, they think, ‘How will I do this?’” Last week, the Salvation Army put out a press release saying it expected this Christmas to be the hardest in its 140-year history in terms of the volume and widespread nature of need across the country. Gluyas says the Salvos are seeing “people who have never come before and are actually embarrassed to come”. Having seen the effects of gambling addiction, she supports cashless gambling cards and banning gambling advertisements. “It’s all right to say at the end of the Footy Tab ad, ‘You are likely to lose’ or whatever, but I think, ‘Why bother?’” While some faith groups want to retain exemptions to anti-discrimination laws, the Salvation Army has a formal “Commitment to Inclusion” which encompasses “people of all cultures, languages, abilities, sexual orientations, gender identities, gender expressions and intersex status”. “I think there is a massive degree of loneliness,” Gluyas says of the Salvos’ mission. “A lot of people come into our centres because they’re lonely, and they’re after real community.” By now I have polished off my chicken wrap and Gluyas has barely touched hers, and I do start to feel bad about it. Gluyas is so thoroughly equable and kind that it is starting to rub off on me. I tell her I worry she will be hungry later. “That’s fine!” she says. “It’s totally fine.” She takes a few more bites before we make her work again, this time to pose for the photographer. Loading Ghoulishly desperate to discover Gluyas’ dark side, I ask her if she ever feels despondent. “Look, I am a pretty positive, upbeat person,” she says. She pauses for a moment to reflect, and then says that the only thing she gets despondent about is “attitudes”. Characteristically, she refrains from mentioning the people whose attitudes sadden her. “You have to hear the story behind the person, and then you’ll start to think differently,” she says. “Why is someone lying in the doorway? What is their story? How did they end up getting there? You will usually find a pretty powerful story there.” Start the day with a summary of the day’s most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. 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EMERGENCY drivers can rush to crash scenes faster thanks to new artificial intelligence tech. Ambulances, snow plows, and public transportation have access to smarter, safer routes through a platform that cuts the number of red traffic lights they meet. LYT uses AI and cloud-based technology to communicate with traffic signals and request green lights when certain vehicles come to intersections. The traffic solution is already installed in multiple cities across America, as Laramie Bowron, LYT's vice president of sales, said the tech is "widely used" on emergency vehicles. "Our sweet spot is really using AI and being completely hardware-free," Bowron told The U.S. Sun. "So being able to give the right traffic signal to the right vehicle at any time." READ MORE ON CARS The company reports a 69% increase in how quickly the average emergency vehicle can get to a crash site. It even shaved over a half hour off the average response time in one city. Fremont Fire Department in the Bay Area of San Francisco, California , previously took 46 minutes to get from one side of the city to the other, Bowron said. Now, it only takes 14 minutes to cross town, FFD confirmed. Most read in Motors "It saves lives," Bowron said. "So that agency doesn't need to build another fire station, actually, because they can [travel] so much broader. "It's so cool to see this in action." A Fremont Fire spokesperson told The U.S. Sun, "In the tests that have been conducted you can clearly see that LYT-AI has improved the Fremont Fire Department’s ability to respond. "The amount of time reduced during each response, as a result of LYT-AI, is dependent on the time of day and traffic." HOW IT WORKS The tech functions by connecting with GPS devices on vehicles. Everything you need to know about the latest developments in Artificial Intelligence How does Artificial Intelligence work - and is it always correct? What is the popular AI Chat GPT and how does it work? How do you use Google's latest AI chatbot Bard? What is the AI image generator Lensa AI and how can you use it How do you use Snapchat's My AI tool? What are the best things to ask Chat GPT? What are the funniest things to ask Chat GPT? Then, LYT sends messages to the traffic signals that are connected to the internet. The outcome is a consistent, reliable green light for emergency vehicles, giving them a clear and quick path to where they're needed. Plus, LYT has a route prediction tool that leads drivers to take the best path possible. "We can see where an incident is, we can see where the vehicle is, and based on historical travel patterns, we can predict the route that the vehicle will take and clear each corridor," Bowron said. "We can actually help guide the vehicle to where we think it's going to go." CONCERT CONGESTION Aside from minimizing first responders' reaction time, the tech was also used to eliminate traffic outside Taylor Swift concerts. Swift's wildly popular global Eras tour filled stadiums across the country - leading to bumper-to-bumper traffic surrounding venues. This created a perfect opportunity for LYT to clear up chaos. In addition, LYT is currently working to help snow plow drivers travel through intersections more easily. "I would say that our technology on snow most closely mirrors the technology that we give to fire police and services," Bowron said. Read More on The US Sun The company is testing LYT.snow to quickly clear roads and save money for cities with the improvements. The tech is currently implemented on a 70-mile toll road as it's piloted in major cities across America.The almost $200b a year we give away to people who really do not need it
Giants' 10th straight loss showed once again that they need a young QBFerrari, an iconic name in luxury automobiles, will continue manufacturing its vehicles in its Maranello headquarters, including the highly anticipated electric model set for release next year. This was confirmed by CEO Benedetto Vigna at the Reuters NEXT conference in New York. Despite potential tariffs introduced under Donald Trump's presidency, Vigna emphasized, 'We make cars in Maranello.' He expressed confidence that demand will remain strong, noting the firm's resilience in facing new regulatory challenges. Stepping into the future, Ferrari plans to unveil its first electric car in late 2025 with pricing reflective of its brand's prestige. Meanwhile, the company expands its offerings to accept cryptocurrency payments, while steering clear of direct investments in them. Additionally, Ferrari announced a collaboration with Cadillac's Formula One team, supplying engines and gearboxes from 2026, marking its continued presence in the racing arena. (With inputs from agencies.)As TikTok bill steams forward, online influencers put on their lobbying hats to visit WashingtonNone
Stocks wavered on Wall Street in afternoon trading Thursday, as gains in tech companies and retailers helped temper losses elsewhere in the market. The S&P 500 was down less than 0.1% after drifting between small gains and losses. The benchmark index is coming off a three-day winning streak. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 6 points, or less than 0.1%, as of 1:52 p.m. Eastern time. The Nasdaq composite was down less than 0.1%. Trading volume was lighter than usual as U.S. markets reopened after the Christmas holiday. Chip company Broadcom rose 2.9%, Micron Technology was up 1% and Adobe gained 0.8%. While tech stocks overall were in the green, some heavyweights were a drag on the market. Semiconductor giant Nvidia, whose enormous valuation gives it an outsize influence on indexes, slipped 0.1%. Meta Platforms fell 0.7%, Amazon was down 0.6%, and Netflix gave up 1.1%. Tesla was among the biggest decliners in the S&P 500, down 1.9%. Health care stocks helped lift the market. CVS Health rose 1.7% and Walgreens Boots Alliance rose 3% for the biggest gain among S&P 500 stocks. Several retailers also gained ground. Target rose 2.8%, Best Buy was up 2.2% and Dollar Tree gained 2.7%. Retailers are hoping for a solid sales this holiday season, and the day after Christmas traditionally ranks among the top 10 biggest shopping days of the year, as consumers go online or rush to stores to cash in gift cards and raid bargain bins. U.S.-listed shares in Honda and Nissan rose 4% and 16%, respectively. The Japanese automakers announced earlier this week that the two companies are in talks to combine. Traders got a labor market update. U.S. applications for unemployment benefits held steady last week , though continuing claims rose to the highest level in three years, the Labor Department reported. Treasury yields turned mostly lower in the bond market. The yield on the 10-year Treasury fell to 4.57% from 4.59% late Tuesday. Major European markets were closed, as well as Hong Kong, Australia, New Zealand and Indonesia. Trading was expected to be subdued this week with a thin slate of economic data on the calendar. Still, U.S. markets have historically gotten a boost at year’s end despite lower trading volumes. The last five trading days of each year, plus the first two in the new year, have brought an average gain of 1.3% since 1950. So far this month, the U.S. stock market has lost some of its gains since President-elect Donald Trump’s win on Election Day, which raised hopes for faster economic growth and more lax regulations that would boost corporate profits. Worries have risen that Trump’s preference for tariffs and other policies could lead to higher inflation , a bigger U.S. government debt and difficulties for global trade. Even so, the U.S. market remains on pace to deliver strong returns for 2024. The benchmark S&P 500 is up roughly 26% so far this year and remains near its most recent all-time high it set earlier this month — its latest of 57 record highs this year. Wall Street has several economic reports to look forward to next week, including updates on pending home sales and home prices, a report on U.S. construction spending and snapshots of manufacturing activity. AP Business Writers Elaine Kurtenbach and Matt Ott contributed.Empty Stocking Fund, Dec. 23, 2024
Blair Raughley via AP 's brother-in-law is championing her publicly following the actress's complaint filed against her director and costar . Johnson left a comment on an Instagram post from about the complaint, which includes Lively's and claims that Baldoni, 40, launched a retaliatory public smear campaign to "destroy" her reputation. "Her complaints were filed during the filming. On record. Long before the public conflict," wrote Johnson, 54, who is the husband of Lively's half-sister . "The cast unfollowed him for a reason. Read this article before spiting [sic] ignorance." "His PR team was stellar. Gross and disgusting but highly effective," Johnson continued. "Read the article, their text message exchanges and his PR campaign strategy to bury her by any means necessary. No one is with out faults. But the public got played." Instagram Related: Months after on the set of the adaptation of the , Blake, 37, said in the filing, obtained by PEOPLE, that following Baldoni's alleged behavior, "behind closed doors she has suffered from grief, fear, trauma, and extreme anxiety." A precursor to filing a discrimination lawsuit in California, the complaint states there was a meeting held to address Baldoni's alleged actions and "the hostile work environment that had nearly derailed production." It was attended by various producers, along with Lively's husband . The complaint also alleges that Sony Pictures, who distributed the film, and Wayfarer Studios, of which Baldoni is co-chairman and co-founder, approved of Blake's requests. However, the actress claims in the filing that Baldoni then took part in a "social manipulation" campaign to "destroy" her reputation soon after. Blake's complaint includes screenshots of alleged texts and emails between members of Baldoni's team planning the smear campaign. John Nacion/Variety via Getty (2) Related: Johnson made further comments on the ' Instagram post, including pointing out that no one is perfect, including his sister-in-law — and that while "mistakes were made," Lively is only human. "Just IMAGINE being a stay at home , married to the busiest man in Hollywood and at the same time being a girl boss running multiple companies while writing, producing, running non profits and working 16+ hour days from home so you can be with your kids ... he continued. "Launching 2 you been working on/developing for many years (launch scheduled by distributors, not you, btw) all while getting attacked by a VERY expensive because you filed a sexual harassment claim for the very film you have to go out and promote with just the right tone or you get cooked!? Looks like she's doing a hell of a job to me and trying to do good things for the right reasons." Johnson then appeared to reference resurfaced videos that went viral earlier this year documenting . "But yeah let's post from our couch how much we hate her for making mistakes," Johnson wrote. "That makes sense. I mean, she's been rude in these interviews that magically played on repeat. I saw it. None of us have ever been wrong or mean. Never. We should discount decades of good for those few bad moments. Glad the microscope isn't on me every day of my life." He also replied to one commenter, "To clarify, to ME a 'girl boss' means a woman that is kicking a$$ as an in what has been previously dominated by men, and showing they are every bit as capable and qualified if not more so in that space. She's my hero as is any woman charging it like this. You're free to define it as you wish, but that's on you." Since filing her complaint, Lively has received support from various prominent figures, from author to director . "@blakelively, you have been nothing but honest, kind, supportive and patient since the day we met," Hoover wrote alongside a photo of herself and Lively hugging at a screening of the film. "Thank you for being exactly the human that you are. Never change. Never wilt." Read the original article on
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