NoneChristmas: NSCDC deploys 1550 officers in Abia
ORLANDO, Fla. — UCF coach Gus Malzahn is resigning after four seasons with the school. ESPN’s Pete Thamel was the first to report the move, which will see Malzahn to leave to take the offensive coordinator job at Florida State. Malzahn previously worked with FSU coach Mike Norvell during their time at Tulsa under then-coach Todd Graham from 2007-08. The Knights ended a disappointing 4-8 season in which they lost eight of their last nine games, the longest losing streak since 2015. Malzahn, 59, was in the fourth year of a contract through 2028. His buyout, it is reported, would have been $13.75 million. He finished 27-25 at UCF but lost 16 of his last 22 games and was a dismal 4-14 in two seasons in the Big 12. After back-to-back nine-win seasons in 2021-22, the Knights went 6-7 in 2023 and 4-8 in 2024. This season started with high expectations as Malzahn made sweeping changes to the program. He retooled the strength and conditioning department and hired Ted Roof and Tim Harris Jr. as defensive and offensive coordinators, respectively. He also added nearly 50 new players to the roster, leaning heavily on the transfer market. UCF started by winning its first three games against New Hampshire, Sam Houston and a thrilling comeback at TCU, but offensive struggles saw the Knights tumble through a TBD-game losing streak to finish the season. Terry Mohajir hired Malzahn on Feb. 15, 2021, six days after he was hired to replace Danny White. The move came eight weeks after Malzahn had been fired at Auburn after eight seasons of coaching the Tigers. The two briefly worked together at Arkansas State in 2012 before Malzahn left for the Auburn job. “When he [Mohajir] offered the job, I was like, ‘I’m in.’ There wasn’t thinking about or talking about ...,” Malzahn said during his introductory press conference. “This will be one of the best programs in college football in a short time. This is a job that I plan on being here and building it.” UCF opened the 2021 season with non-conference wins over Boise State and Bethune-Cookman before traveling to Louisville on Sept. 17, where quarterback Dillon Gabriel suffered a fractured collarbone in the final minute of a 42-35 loss. Backup Mikey Keene would finish out the season as Gabriel announced his intention to transfer. The Knights would finish the season on the plus side by accepting a bid to join the Big 12 Conference in September and then by defeating Florida 29-17 in the Gasparilla Bowl. Malzahn struck transfer portal gold in the offseason when he signed former Ole Miss quarterback John Rhys Plumlee. Plumlee, a two-sport star with the Rebels, helped guide UCF to the American Athletic Conference Championship in its final season. However, Plumlee’s injury forced the Knights to go with Keene and freshman Thomas Castellanos. The team finished with losses to Tulane in the conference championship and Duke in the Military Bowl. Plumlee would return in 2023 as UCF transitioned to the Big 12 but would go down with a knee injury in the final minute of the Knights’ 18-16 win at Boise State on Sept. 9. He would miss the next four games as backup Timmy McClain took over the team. Even on his return, Plumlee couldn’t help UCF, on a five-game losing streak to open conference play. The Knights got their first Big 12 win at Cincinnati on Nov. 4 and upset No. 15 Oklahoma State the following week, but the team still needed a win over Houston in the regular-season finale to secure a bowl bid for the eighth straight season. From the moment Malzahn stepped on campus, he prioritized recruiting, particularly in Central Florida. “We’re going to recruit like our hair’s on fire,” Malzahn said at the time. “We’re going to go after the best players in America and we’re not backing down to anybody.” From 2007 to 2020, UCF signed 10 four-star high school and junior college prospects. Eight four-star prospects were in the three recruiting classes signed under Malzahn. The 2024 recruiting class earned a composite ranking of 39 from 247Sports, the highest-ranked class in school history. The 2025 recruiting class is ranked No. 41 and has commitments from three four-star prospects. Malzahn has always leaned on the transfer market, signing 60 players over the past three seasons. Some have paid huge dividends, such as Javon Baker, Lee Hunter, Kobe Hudson, Tylan Grable, Bula Schmidt, Amari Kight, Marcellus Marshall, Trent Whittemore, Gage King, Ethan Barr, Deshawn Pace and Plumlee. Others haven’t been as successful, such as quarterback KJ Jefferson, who started the first five games of this season before being benched for poor performance. Jefferson’s struggles forced the Knights to play musical chairs at quarterback, with true freshman EJ Colson, redshirt sophomore Jacurri Brown and redshirt freshman Dylan Rizk all seeing action at one point or another this season. This season’s struggles led to several players utilizing the NCAA’s redshirt rule after four games, including starting slot receiver Xavier Townsend and kicker Colton Boomer, who have also entered the transfer portal. Defensive end Kaven Call posted a letter to Malzahn on Twitter in which he accused the UCF coaching staff of recently kicking him off the team when he requested to be redshirted. Get local news delivered to your inbox!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 forecastsORLANDO, Fla. — UCF coach Gus Malzahn is resigning after four seasons with the school. ESPN’s Pete Thamel was the first to report the move, which will see Malzahn to leave to take the offensive coordinator job at Florida State. Malzahn previously worked with FSU coach Mike Norvell during their time at Tulsa under then-coach Todd Graham from 2007-08. The Knights ended a disappointing 4-8 season in which they lost eight of their last nine games, the longest losing streak since 2015. Malzahn, 59, was in the fourth year of a contract through 2028. His buyout, it is reported, would have been $13.75 million. He finished 27-25 at UCF but lost 16 of his last 22 games and was a dismal 4-14 in two seasons in the Big 12. After back-to-back nine-win seasons in 2021-22, the Knights went 6-7 in 2023 and 4-8 in 2024. This season started with high expectations as Malzahn made sweeping changes to the program. He retooled the strength and conditioning department and hired Ted Roof and Tim Harris Jr. as defensive and offensive coordinators, respectively. He also added nearly 50 new players to the roster, leaning heavily on the transfer market. UCF started by winning its first three games against New Hampshire, Sam Houston and a thrilling comeback at TCU, but offensive struggles saw the Knights tumble through a TBD-game losing streak to finish the season. Terry Mohajir hired Malzahn on Feb. 15, 2021, six days after he was hired to replace Danny White. The move came eight weeks after Malzahn had been fired at Auburn after eight seasons of coaching the Tigers. The two briefly worked together at Arkansas State in 2012 before Malzahn left for the Auburn job. “When he [Mohajir] offered the job, I was like, ‘I’m in.’ There wasn’t thinking about or talking about ...,” Malzahn said during his introductory press conference. “This will be one of the best programs in college football in a short time. This is a job that I plan on being here and building it.” UCF opened the 2021 season with non-conference wins over Boise State and Bethune-Cookman before traveling to Louisville on Sept. 17, where quarterback Dillon Gabriel suffered a fractured collarbone in the final minute of a 42-35 loss. Backup Mikey Keene would finish out the season as Gabriel announced his intention to transfer. The Knights would finish the season on the plus side by accepting a bid to join the Big 12 Conference in September and then by defeating Florida 29-17 in the Gasparilla Bowl. Malzahn struck transfer portal gold in the offseason when he signed former Ole Miss quarterback John Rhys Plumlee. Plumlee, a two-sport star with the Rebels, helped guide UCF to the American Athletic Conference Championship in its final season. However, Plumlee’s injury forced the Knights to go with Keene and freshman Thomas Castellanos. The team finished with losses to Tulane in the conference championship and Duke in the Military Bowl. Plumlee would return in 2023 as UCF transitioned to the Big 12 but would go down with a knee injury in the final minute of the Knights’ 18-16 win at Boise State on Sept. 9. He would miss the next four games as backup Timmy McClain took over the team. Even on his return, Plumlee couldn’t help UCF, on a five-game losing streak to open conference play. The Knights got their first Big 12 win at Cincinnati on Nov. 4 and upset No. 15 Oklahoma State the following week, but the team still needed a win over Houston in the regular-season finale to secure a bowl bid for the eighth straight season. From the moment Malzahn stepped on campus, he prioritized recruiting, particularly in Central Florida. “We’re going to recruit like our hair’s on fire,” Malzahn said at the time. “We’re going to go after the best players in America and we’re not backing down to anybody.” From 2007 to 2020, UCF signed 10 four-star high school and junior college prospects. Eight four-star prospects were in the three recruiting classes signed under Malzahn. The 2024 recruiting class earned a composite ranking of 39 from 247Sports, the highest-ranked class in school history. The 2025 recruiting class is ranked No. 41 and has commitments from three four-star prospects. Malzahn has always leaned on the transfer market, signing 60 players over the past three seasons. Some have paid huge dividends, such as Javon Baker, Lee Hunter, Kobe Hudson, Tylan Grable, Bula Schmidt, Amari Kight, Marcellus Marshall, Trent Whittemore, Gage King, Ethan Barr, Deshawn Pace and Plumlee. Others haven’t been as successful, such as quarterback KJ Jefferson, who started the first five games of this season before being benched for poor performance. Jefferson’s struggles forced the Knights to play musical chairs at quarterback, with true freshman EJ Colson, redshirt sophomore Jacurri Brown and redshirt freshman Dylan Rizk all seeing action at one point or another this season. This season’s struggles led to several players utilizing the NCAA’s redshirt rule after four games, including starting slot receiver Xavier Townsend and kicker Colton Boomer, who have also entered the transfer portal. Defensive end Kaven Call posted a letter to Malzahn on Twitter in which he accused the UCF coaching staff of recently kicking him off the team when he requested to be redshirted. 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After quarterback Gardner Minshew suffered a season-ending broken collarbone against the Denver Broncos on Sunday, the Las Vegas Raiders got one of their quarterbacks back from injury. The team announced Monday that Aidan O'Connell, who has been out with a hand injury, returned to practice. The Raiders placed O'Connell on the injured reserve in late October due to a broken thumb. Amid O'Connell's injury, Las Vegas picked up Desmond Ridder to serve as the backup. Minshew, who joined the Raiders after a successful season with the Indianapolis Colts a year ago, had 2,013 passing yards, nine touchdowns and 10 interceptions before going down with the injury. Ridder replaced him on Sunday and completed five of his 10 passes for 64 yards. O'Connell, who has played four games this season, has 455 passing yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions. There was some indecision from the Raiders on whether to start O'Connell or Minshew earlier this season, but now O'Connell may get his chance to be the starter for the rest of the year. Head coach Antonio Pierce said that he could be ready to go for Friday's game against the Kansas City Chiefs, but he will need to see O'Connell make some strides this week. "Just seeing him being able to grip the ball comfortably — hopefully there's no pain there — and just being able to be efficient," Pierce said, per The Athletic's Tashan Reed . "To put a player out there that's hurting or injured still, that's not in the benefit of the player or the team." At this point in the season, there's not much O'Connell can do for the Raiders. They lost their seventh consecutive game on Sunday to drop to 2-9 on the year and are likely out of the playoffs barring a late-season miracle. The rest of the season for O'Connell will likely be more about proving himself as a capable starter for Las Vegas.
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — The New York Giants organization got exactly what it deserved in getting blown out by Baker Mayfield and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Giants were embarrassed in Sunday's 30-7 loss , taunted by Mayfield after a touchdown run just before halftime. And then they saw their fans walk out on them again when the Bucs extended their lead to 30-0 and sent New York (2-9) to its sixth straight loss. The losing streak is the longest for the Giants since 2019, when they dropped a franchise-record nine straight games to finish 4-12. That led to the firing of coach Pat Shurmur after two seasons. Third-year coach Brian Daboll is clearly in trouble, with the Giants guaranteed a second straight losing season. They were 6-11 in a 2023 season that featured a lot of injuries. Daboll, who denies he has lost the team, isn't the only one whose job is in jeopardy. General manager Joe Schoen is on the hot seat and so is this entire franchise, which is celebrating its 100th year. It's one thing to lose. It's quite another to give up, and that's what the organization did when it decided to bench Daniel Jones a week ago and then release him on Friday after the 27-year-old asked co-owner John Mara to let him walk away. While he wasn't playing well, Jones was the Giants' best quarterback. He gave them more a of chance to win than either Tommy DeVito or Drew Lock. Removing him from the picture was all but certain to make the Giants worse, even if it was a good business decision. If Jones was hurt and unable the pass his physical before the 2025 season, the team would have been on the hook for a $23 million cap hit. The problem is the players care about now. By getting rid of Jones and elevating DeVito to the starting role, the front office was telling the team it didn't care about winning with seven games left in the season. So the players gave a lackluster effort. Defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence called the team soft. Rookie receiver Malik Nabers said he was sick of losing. Left tackle Jermaine Eluemunor said he saw a lack of effort by some players. What they all were saying was they were angry at being betrayed. Money is never more important than winning, and the Giants made that mistake. At this point in the season? Nothing. The offense once again. The Giants have scored a league-low 163 points, including only 60 in six games at MetLife Stadium, where they are winless this season. They have scored in double figures at home twice. Daboll's team has been held scoreless in the first half in three of 11 games and it has been held without a first-half touchdown seven times. Daboll said he will continue to call the offensive plays. S Tyler Nubin. The rookie has had a team-high 12 tackles in each of the last two games. His 81 tackles for the season are just two behind team leader Bobby Okereke. RB Tyrone Tracy. The rookie leads Giants running backs with 587 yards on 116 carries — a 5.1-yard average for the fifth-round pick. But holding onto the ball has been a big issue. Tracy's fumble in overtime cost New York a chance to win in Germany against Carolina. He also lost the ball in the third quarter at the Bucs 5-yard line with New York down 23-0. It earned him a seat on the bench. LT Jermaine Eluemunor (quad) and OLB Azeez Ojulari (toe) left Sunday's game in the first quarter. Chris Hubbard filled in at tackle and the Giants luckily got back DL Kayvon Thibodeaux this past week after he missed five games with a broken wrist. DeVito was banged up but Daboll expects him to start against the Cowboys. 10 — The Giants have gone 10 consecutive games without an interception, tying the NFL record held by the 1976-77 San Francisco 49ers and the 2017 Oakland — now Las Vegas — Raiders. The Giants and Raiders now share the single-season mark. 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Read more here.Special counsel moves to abandon election interference and classified documents cases against TrumpThe president of the Manitoba Teachers’ Society won’t seek re-election following a first term marked by infighting and low morale across the union’s operational ranks. Shortly after the final bell rang for winter break, Nathan Martindale took to social media to announce he will carry out his two-year appointment that ends in the spring and step away from labour relations after that. “After many conversations with my family and deep reflection on their needs, I have made the decision to not run for a second term as MTS president,” he wrote in a post uploaded to Facebook Friday. Martindale, a special education resource teacher in Winnipeg, has spent the last 12 years in full-time union roles. Since the turn of the century, all of his predecessors — including former presidents James Bedford, Norm Gould, Paul Olsen, Pat Isaak, Brian Ardern and Jan Speelman — have served two consecutive terms. Bedford told the Free Press he does not know details, aside from surface-level ones, but his friend and former colleague’s departure, as well as other recent high-profile exits from MTS, suggests “something’s gone badly off the rails.” Between 2011 and 2017, Martindale represented colleagues in the Winnipeg Teachers’ Association. He later joined the union’s governing board better known as “PX” — internal shorthand for the MTS provincial executive. “I have often been required to be out of town, as well as attend numerous evening and weekend obligations, all of which have taken me away from my family,” he wrote on his personal social media page. “With the ongoing needs of my family, including supporting my child with Type 1 diabetes, I know it is now time to prioritize being present for them.” Martindale first assumed an interim president role on Feb. 24, 2023 — the day of Bedford’s mid-term retirement — before he won an internal election that spring. Per union bylaws, PX members are each elected to serve a two-year appointment. The president and vice-president are eligible for re-election for one additional term. Other members can serve up to three consecutive terms. Martindale was not made available for an interview on the subject. His office indicated the union leader is not taking any reporter calls over the holidays. Among many congratulatory comments and messages of thanks that users made on his post, Bedford wrote that it was an honour to work alongside Martindale. His original comment — which has since been edited — also stated, “It is unfortunate that you will likely be replaced by someone less caring, less experienced, and less dedicated to representing all members.” It was liked by a number of union representatives, including Jonathan Waite from the Seine River Teachers’ Association, PX member Sean Giesbrecht and Chris Darazsi, president of the local in the River East Transcona School Division. Lise Legal, president of the Pembina Trails Teachers’ Association, replied with a demand for Bedford’s “beyond disrespectful” sentence be deleted. The public exchange was made against the backdrop of a third-party probe into the union’s embattled headquarters on Portage Avenue. Bedford said he made the comment out of frustration that his “extraordinarily dedicated” successor is leaving and “a great team” is falling part. The union’s work environment became “highly political” during his tenure from 2019 to 2023, he added. MTS hired a consulting firm at the start of the school year to investigate workplace culture, harassment and morale concerns raised by staff members who are in charge of servicing more than 16,600 public school teachers. Three different people have assumed the executive director role — the non-partisan counterpart to Martindale, and senior leader in charge of managing members of Teamsters Local Union 979 — over the last 13 months. Teamsters Canada spokesman Christopher Monette, who has been critical of MTS leaders for failing to provide a harassment-free work environment and viewing staff as “adversaries,” declined to weigh in on internal politics Monday. “MTS has made efforts over the past months to address workplace concerns. While encouraging, we believe it is too early to provide a final assessment and will reserve further comments for now,” Monette said in an email. He noted that Teamsters continues to pursue outstanding grievances related to workplace issues that will be brought to an arbitrator in the new year. Martindale’s lengthy social media post touted negotiating the first provincewide collective agreement for teachers, navigating the classroom complexities of the COVID-19 pandemic and joining the Manitoba Federation of Labour as highlights during his time at MTS. He also acknowledged the union’s success in “slamming the door” on Bill 64, controversial Progressive Conservative proposed legislation that sought to eliminate Manitoba’s elected school boards in 2021.
Nissan has unveiled plans to work towards a merger with fellow Japanese auto heavyweight, Honda. The two firms have penned a memorandum of understanding (MOU) aimed at uniting under a joint holding company, setting the stage for what could become the world's third-largest car maker, with a value exceeding $50bn (approximately £40bn). The Sunderland-based Nissan workforce, around 6,000 strong, alongside many more jobs in the North East through its supply chain, may be looking to a future shaped by this merger. Since March, Nissan and Honda have collaborated on electric vehicle technology, but now are negotiating a full-blown merger as Nissan grapples with sales declines and a signal of 9,000 job cuts globally. The automakers said the potential deal "is aimed to serve as an option to maintain global competitiveness" and for the two companies to continue to deliver "more attractive products and services to customers worldwide". Makoto Uchida, Nissan's President and CEO, said: "Today marks a pivotal moment as we begin discussions on business integration that has the potential to shape our future. If realized, I believe that by uniting the strengths of both companies, we can deliver unparalleled value to customers worldwide who appreciate our respective brands." He further commented, "Together, we can create a unique way for them to enjoy cars that neither company could achieve alone.", reports Business Live . Honda executive officer Toshihiro Mibe emphasized the importance of combining forces, stating: "Creation of new mobility value by bringing together the resources including knowledge, talents, and technologies that Honda and Nissan have been developing over the long years is essential to overcome challenging environmental shifts that the auto industry is facing. Honda and Nissan are two companies with distinctive strengths." The companies outlined the potential merger's considerable advantages, focusing on the potential to standardise vehicle platforms and pool expertise concerning research and development efforts. They also touched upon the expected savings, indicating these would arise from "the integration of systems and back-office operations", clarifying that there would be no impact on manufacturing sites. These updates come against a backdrop of widespread turmoil within the car industry; this isn't isolated to Nissan alone. Ford reveals plans to cut 4,000 roles across Europe, and Stellantis announces the impending closure of its Vauxhall factory in Luton, jeopardising 1,100 jobs. Meanwhile, car manufacturers have expressed their discontent towards the UK's zero emissions vehicle mandate, prompting a responsive assessment from the incoming Government.
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No. 22 Xavier aims to keep its perfect record intact Monday night in Fort Myers, Fla., when it takes on South Carolina in the Fort Myers Tip-Off. The Musketeers (5-0) are coming off an 80-55 victory on Wednesday over Siena, while the Gamecocks (3-2) beat Mercer on Thursday 84-72. Against Mercer, South Carolina sank a season-best 12 3-pointers -- tied for the fourth-most in a single game under third-year coach Lamont Paris. Jamarii Thomas, a senior transfer from Norfolk State, had 19 points and swished 4 of 5 shots from behind the arc. "Thomas got some good, clean looks," Paris said. "It was good to see those guys make their shots. Hopefully it gets those guys going in the right direction." On the season, the Gamecocks are making 7.8 3-pointers per game and shooting 32.5 percent from deep. Senior guard Jacobi Wright makes a team-best 1.8 3-pointers per game and shoots 37.5 percent from behind the arc. At 13.0 ppg, he is second on the team behind Collin Murray-Boyles (15.8). Xavier is allowing eight makes from deep per game and is letting opponents shoot 38.5 percent from behind the arc, which ranks 337th in the country. And despite an undefeated record so far for the Musketeers, third-year coach Sean Miller is worried about his players developing bad habits. "We have a virus that everybody is looking at the stat sheet, trying to get as many points as they possibly can," Miller said after the win over Siena. "They want to win, but they really want to win and score. We need a couple of guys that are willing to rebound, defend, make the extra pass, play at a high level defensively and understand what makes a team great." Marcus Foster did a decent job of doing a little bit of everything for Xavier against Siena, piling up 12 points, five rebounds, five assists and a steal. It was the first double-digit scoring outing for Foster -- a grad transfer from Furman -- in a Xavier uniform. Since 2008, Xavier is 25-11 against teams from the Southeastern Conference, but it hasn't played South Carolina in that stretch. --Field Level Media
The dividend yield of the S&P 500 has decreased in recent years due to the dominance of growth stocks in the index and stock prices outpacing dividend growth rates. With the index now yielding just 1.3%, investors looking for stocks to boost their passive income stream may want to consider higher-yielding options. Chevron ( CVX 1.20% ) , United Parcel Service ( UPS 2.47% ) , and the chemical specialist Dow ( DOW 2.15% ) yield 4.5%, 5.3%, and 7%, respectively, at the time of this writing. All three companies have sold off in recent months and are hovering around 52-week lows. Here's why three Motley Fool contributors think the sell-off in these dividend stocks is a buying opportunity for patient investors. Chevron stands to improve its free cash flow with its acquisition of Hess Scott Levine (Chevron): With the gift-giving season upon us, many investors are taking time off from their holiday shopping to tend to their financial goals for the coming year. For any of them dedicated to ramping up their passive income streams in 2025, Chevron warrants close consideration -- especially now. Currently, the stock is sitting in the bargain bin, providing investors with a great opportunity to load up on shares along with their 4.5% forward dividend yield. It's a powerhouse when it comes to generating cash. For example, the company has consistently outperformed one of its closest peers, ExxonMobil (NYSE: XOM) , over the past five years in generating free cash flow (FCF). CVX free cash flow per share (annual), data by YCharts . And Chevron can excel even further at generating FCF should it succeed in acquiring Hess (NYSE: HES) , which seems even more likely now that the Federal Trade Commission has given the transaction the green light after completing an antitrust review. According to management, the acquisition will assist in growing revenue and FCF beyond the five-year production and FCF growth rates it had previously projected, extending it into the 2030s. With greater FCF, the company can continue hiking its dividend, as it has for more than 35 years. Chevron had expected to complete the acquisition in the first half of 2024, but it's now facing an arbitration panel with ExxonMobil, which has raised objections to the deal. This has clearly spooked investors into thinking it is in jeopardy despite both parties remaining confident it will ultimately proceed. Reflecting the market's skepticism, Chevron stock is now changing hands at 7.2 times operating cash flow, a discount to its five-year average cash flow multiple of 8.3. For those looking to strengthen their dividend income in the new year, the stock now provides a great option. The key metrics are moving in the right direction for UPS Lee Samaha ( UPS ) : It's been a difficult period for United Parcel Service. An unexpected slowdown in package deliveries due to a weak economy and a costly labor dispute hit the company hard. As such, UPS spent most of the last couple of years battling elevated costs (partly associated with the new labor contract) and weakening delivery volumes. These pressures have challenged UPS' business model emphasizing targeted, higher-margin deliveries rather than chasing volume growth. As such, the company appears to have taken on a higher quantity of lower-revenue-per-piece deliveries this year, hurting margins. Moreover, UPS has work to do to meet its full-year guidance this year. That said, most key metrics are moving in the right direction, and the company is set for an earnings recovery in 2025. The increased costs associated with the labor contract are now in the numbers, making comparisons easier. And UPS has cut capacity and 12,000 jobs to reduce costs and adjust to the market. Meanwhile, delivery volumes are growing again, and the overcapacity that dogged package delivery is being worked through. At the same time, it continues to grow in its targeted end markets like small and medium-size businesses (SMBs) and healthcare, while investing in productivity-enhancing technology such as automation and smart warehouses. All of this suggests UPS will at least maintain its dividend in 2025 as management prepares for a multi-year recovery, starting in 2025, when Wall Street expects a 17% improvement in earnings. Dow is an industry-leading company with an ultra-high yield Daniel Foelber (Dow): In the last two months, shares of commodity chemical giant Dow are down over 25% and were replaced by Sherwin-Williams in the Dow Jones Industrial Average . The stock hit a fresh four-year low on Thursday, the day after the Federal Reserve indicated the pace of its rate cuts could be slower than initially expected. Dow and its peers are highly sensitive to interest rates. It is a capital-intensive business, so higher capital costs mean higher interest expenses. However, the more significant impact of extended higher rates could be a prolonged slowdown in global demand for Dow's products, especially in Europe and China. Business has been terrible in these markets for Dow, which has compressed its margins to razor-thin levels. Since earnings are down, it doesn't look like a particularly cheap stock. However, evaluating cyclical companies based on trailing earnings can be a bad idea, since the valuation will look dirt cheap during periods of expansion and more expensive during downturns. Analyst consensus estimates for 2025 earnings per share (EPS) sit at $3.21 compared to projections for $2.09 in 2024. However, those revisions could come down under the assumption that interest rates stay higher for longer. Dow's earnings have been all over the place in recent years -- with $8.38 in EPS in 2020 and less than a dollar in 2023. Instead of getting too caught up in the near-term results, it's better to look at how the company is positioned to manage through the cycle and grow over time. Dow has a fairly strong balance sheet and an investment-grade credit rating . Since spinning off from DowDuPont in 2019, the company has kept its quarterly dividend at $0.70 per share, or $2.80 per year -- which has been a wise move given the turbulence across the industry. Some investors may want to wait and see how management responds to the possibility of higher interest rates for a longer time before buying the stock. The company will report fourth-quarter and full-year 2024 earnings on Jan. 30, which will likely provide clearer insight into where it could be headed. However, Dow has fallen so deep into the bargain bin that it's worth buying for investors with a long time horizon. The 7% yield makes it one of the highest-yielding stocks in the S&P 500, and provides a worthwhile incentive to hold it through what is sure to be another volatile year in 2025.Burt, the huge Australian crocodile who had a cameo in ‘Crocodile Dundee,’ dies at 90
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