NASA says 20% of workforce to depart space agency
Around 3,870 individuals are expected to depart, but that number may change in the coming days and weeks, the spokesperson said, adding that the remaining number of employees at the agency would be around 14,000.
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The Guardian
2 hours ago
- The Guardian
Celtics co-owner set to buy WNBA's Connecticut Sun for record $325m
A group led by Celtics minority owner Steve Pagliuca has reached a deal to buy the Connecticut Sun for a record $325m and move the team to Boston, according to a person familiar with the sale. The franchise wouldn't play in Boston until the 2027 season. Pagliuca also would contribute $100m for a new practice facility in Boston for the team, the person said. The person spoke to the Associated Press on condition of anonymity on Saturday because the deal hasn't been publicly announced. The sale is pending approval of the league and its Board of Governors. 'Relocation decisions are made by the WNBA Board of Governors and not by individual teams,' the league said in a statement. The Sun have played one regular season game at TD Garden eac of the last two years, including one against Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever in July. The league has announced five expansion teams that will begin play over the next five seasons with Portland (2026), Toronto (2026), Cleveland (2028), Detroit (2029) and Philadelphia (2030) joining the WNBA. Each paid a then-record $250m expansion fee. Nine other cities bid for expansion teams, including Houston, which the league singled out as getting a team in the future when it announced Cleveland, Detroit and Philadelphia in June. Boston did not. 'No groups from Boston applied for a team at that time and those other cities remain under consideration based on the extensive work they did as part of the expansion process and currently have priority over Boston. Celtics' prospective ownership team has also reached out to the league office and asked that Boston receive strong consideration for a WNBA franchise at the appropriate time.' The Boston Globe first reported the sale. The Sun are owned by the Mohegan Tribe, which runs the casino where the team has played since 2003. The Tribe bought the franchise for $10m and relocated it from Orlando that year. The Connecticut franchise was the first in the league to be run by a non-NBA owner and also became the first to turn a profit. The team announced in May that it was searching for a potential buyer for the franchise and had hired investment bank Allen & Company to conduct the probe. The WNBA has experienced rapid growth the last few seasons and ownership groups have been investing more into their teams, including player experiences. That has come in the way of practice facilities. The Sun are one of the few teams in the league that haven't announced any plans for a new training facility. Connecticut practices either at the arena in the casino or a local community center. Despite the lack of facilities, the Sun have been one of the most successful teams in the league, making the postseason in 16 seasons, including a run of six straight semifinal appearances. But the team was hit hard this offseason with the entire starting five from last season leaving either via free agency or trade. Connecticut are currently in last place in the WNBA at 5-21. The team sent out a letter to season ticket holders last week saying they'd still be playing at the casino next year. The last team to be sold in the WNBA was in 2021 when real estate investor Larry Gottesdiener led a group that bought the Atlanta Dream for under $10m. A year earlier, Mark Davis paid roughly $2m for the Las Vegas Aces.
Daily Mail
3 hours ago
- Daily Mail
JEFF PRESTRIDGE: Why is it so difficult to get our pensions in one place?
Nothing is straightforward when it comes to pensions. Complexity rules. It's one of the reasons more than 40 per cent of working age people are not saving enough for retirement. Many just don't understand the myriad rules governing pension contributions, permitted tax breaks and how funds at retirement can be turned into hard cash. As a result, they desist from long-term saving when they should be embracing it. This complexity extends to when people attempt to put their pension affairs in good order. Long gone are the days when people retired after working all their life for one employer. Now, unlike our parents who had one works pension to see them through retirement, we have a mishmash of pensions – some good, others not fit for purpose. Some we may have forgotten about or struggle to track down. Research by financial services company Hargreaves Lansdown shows more than one in five people have lost track of pensions accumulated over a lifetime of work. To address this, consumer groups have repeatedly called for the setting up of an online dashboard, allowing people to see in one place key details on all of the pension plans they have accumulated over their working life. Such a dashboard would be a game-changer, allowing people to piece together their pension jigsaw – and enable them to make better choices when saving and at the point of retirement. Yet despite promises by previous governments to get it off the ground, it has yet to see the light of day. Although a quango called the Pensions Dashboards Programme has been tasked with delivering the scheme, the project trundles on at a snail's pace. Pensions minister Emma Reynolds says the Government is committed to getting a dashboard over the line. But I doubt it will be fully operational before the next General Election in 2029. In light of such slow progress, Labour should listen to those calling for new rules governing pension switches. Pension switching and consolidation of plans makes great sense for many savers, giving them greater control over their long-term finances and the opportunity to benefit from lower fund fees. It's not for everyone. Some older pensions can include valuable benefits that would be lost if transferred to another provider. Yet overall, it is good for consumers and should be hiccup-free. Sadly, it isn't. Many providers make life difficult for want-away customers by dragging out transfers over many weeks and sometimes months. Scandalous. PensionBee, a relatively new pension kid on the block, wants the Government to introduce a ten-day pension switching guarantee, backed by law. It would be similar to the seven-day current account switching service (CASS) launched 12 years ago to stop banks dilly-dallying on account transfer requests. CASS's data indicates that of the 11.9 million current account switches completed since 2013, 99.6 per cent have been within the required seven working days. PensionBee's Lisa Picardo says pension switching delays 'have real opportunity costs – hampering engagement, costing people real money, limiting their choices and undermining trust in the whole pensions system'. To prompt change, PensionBee has set up a petition calling for 'faster, electronic pension transfers'. Bafflingly, there's no specific mention of the ten-day switching guarantee, nor the compensation savers should (must) get if the guarantee is breached. And the petition's title – 'legislate to mandate offer of electronic pension transfers and higher standards' – reads like it has been dreamt up by an actuary who has spent too much time immersed in the complexities of pensions. I can only assume there is method in the madness. As I said at the start, nothing is straightforward when it comes to pensions. Find the petition at Cashless tills have invaded our shops Paying for goods with cash at a supermarket should be a given. But many stores are rapidly turning invasive self-checkout services into near cashless zones. Think 1963 horror film The Day Of The Triffids, about an invasion of carnivorous plants. For example, at Marks & Spencer's store at London Paddington (the railway station I commute into and from five days a week), there are only a handful among the phalanx of self-checkout terminals that now accept cash. Debra Morrison, chief executive of charity CLASP, based in my home town of Wokingham in Berkshire, is a passionate advocate for cash. CLASP provides invaluable support to people with learning difficulties, encouraging them to express themselves, participate in a wide range of events, and live more independently. Its work is enlightening. Debra says cash is vital for most CLASP members who need to budget carefully and don't use credit and debit cards. It is also key for the elderly and others who eschew other payment methods. Debra is backing an petition – find it online at – calling for an end to the discrimination of cash users at self-service checkouts. Financial inclusion is an imperative. I urge you to sign the petition. Shame on Barclays for axeing ANOTHER service I hadn't heard of Barclays' 'sterling home service' until a neighbour of my partner mentioned it a few days ago. The service, introduced during the 2020 lockdown, enables people to order cash and have it delivered to their home rather than trundle off in search of a cash machine or a Barclays branch still open (good luck there). It has been a godsend for Edna who was 90 a couple of weeks ago and is not as mobile as she once was. It has enabled her to pay cash for at-home care, food deliveries and other needs besides. Sadly for Edna and other elderly people, Barclays is withdrawing the service on October 9. It says it was only meant to be temporary – and given it is now only used by a 'very small number of customers' (its words, not mine), it must be given the chop. The bank says the Ednas of this world can still get cash in other ways: via an ATM, getting cashback at a retailer or by asking for an 'authorised user' to be added to their account who can get cash out for them. Interestingly, it didn't mention the other option: withdrawing cash over the counter at a local Barclays branch. I draw two conclusions from this. Either Barclays feels it has shut so many branches (1,236 since 2015) that such an option is not worth mentioning. In Edna's case, the local Barclays in Wokingham, Berkshire, shut two years ago – and is now an ugly, empty shell. Or, that the days of permitted big cash withdrawals over the counter at Barclays' branches are drawing to an end. PS: There is worrying evidence that banks and retailers are turning their backs on cheques. If you have had difficulties banking a cheque or making a payment by cheque, email me at
Daily Mail
3 hours ago
- Daily Mail
FLOURISHING AFTER 50: I've found love again - but now my kids are worried they'll lose their inheritance
Dear Vanessa, I never thought I'd be writing to you, but here I am at 56, divorced for 10 years, and finally with a man who makes me feel alive again. We met on a hiking trip, and it's been wonderful – until we started talking about moving in together. He wants us to sell our homes and buy something new. I have more equity, so naturally, I'd be putting in more. My kids are worried I'll lose their inheritance if things don't work out. He thinks I'm overthinking it and that love means trusting each other. After everything I've been through, I just want to protect myself and my future. But I don't want money fears to ruin what could be the best chapter of my life. How do couples in their 50s blend finances without breaking their relationship? Wishing for guidance, Linda. Linda, congratulations on finding love again. Many people in their 50s believe that part of their life is over, so it's wonderful you've found happiness. You're also wise to pause and think before making big financial moves. Love is about trust, but later-in-life relationships often come with complex money matters that need clear agreements. When you've spent decades building your assets and raising children, combining finances isn't as simple as when you were younger. A co-habitation or prenuptial agreement can outline exactly what would happen if you separated. Far from being unromantic, it creates confidence that both of you will be treated fairly, allowing you to enjoy the relationship without financial anxiety hanging over you. If you decide to buy a home together, you don't need to split ownership 50/50. Many couples use arrangements where each person owns a percentage of the property that matches what they've contributed. This also allows you to leave your share to your children rather than it automatically passing to your partner if something happens to you. It's one of the most effective ways to protect family inheritance while still buying together. At 56, your pension and retirement savings are key to your long-term security. Putting too much of your equity into a shared home may leave you with less flexibility later to invest, increase your pension contributions, or cover healthcare needs. While your main home usually isn't counted in means-tested benefits, locking up most of your wealth in property can limit your options if life changes. Keeping some money separate can help you maintain independence and peace of mind well into your 70s and beyond. Money can be an uncomfortable topic, especially after divorce, but having open and calm conversations now is crucial. A financial adviser who understands blended families can model different scenarios for you – whether you keep separate homes, buy together equally, or use different ownership shares – so you can see exactly what's at stake. If you don't have an adviser, you can use my free service to find one who's right for you here. With professional advice and the right agreements in place, you can protect your children's inheritance, safeguard your retirement, and still build a secure and happy future with your new partner. Wishing you happiness and peace of mind,
