Latest news with #AndrewSullivan
Yahoo
28-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Prudential Financial (NYSE:PRU) Urges Shareholders To Reject Chairman-CEO Role Separation Proposal
Recent developments at Prudential Financial involved the company filing a definitive proxy statement to urge shareholders against a proposal by investor John Chevedden to separate the roles of Chairman and CEO. This arises amidst fluctuations in their share price with a 3% movement last week, likely influenced by prevailing economic concerns, including high inflation and weak consumer sentiment that impacted the broader market, with key indexes like the Dow Jones experiencing near 2% declines. Prudential's positioning against the shareholder proposal may communicate a commitment to its current leadership strategy amidst the volatile market conditions. Buy, Hold or Sell Prudential Financial? View our complete analysis and fair value estimate and you decide. AI is about to change healthcare. These 24 stocks are working on everything from early diagnostics to drug discovery. The best part - they are all under $10b in market cap - there's still time to get in early. Over the last five years, Prudential Financial has delivered a total shareholder return of 216.06%, reflecting a robust combination of share price appreciation and consistent dividend payouts. While recent performance has trailed the broader market and the US Insurance industry over the past year, Prudential remains committed to rewarding shareholders through a combination of dividend increases and share buybacks. Notably, the company declared a quarterly dividend of US$1.35 per share as of February 2025, marking the 17th consecutive year of increases—a testament to its reliable shareholder return policy. Prudential's expansion efforts and strategic partnerships have significantly shaped its performance over the years. The collaboration with Dai-ichi Life Holdings and Dimensional Fund Advisors are aimed at enhancing product distribution and income strategies. Additionally, leadership transitions, including Andrew Sullivan's appointment as CEO, are poised to bring fresh perspectives and growth opportunities. While the company faces challenges such as foreign exchange impacts and underwriting volatility, its continued investments in diversified distribution and capital efficiency initiatives are set to influence potential future growth positively. Our expertly prepared valuation report Prudential Financial implies its share price may be lower than expected. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Companies discussed in this article include NYSE:PRU. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@ Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
17-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
After Trump halted funding for Afghans who helped the US, this group stepped in to help
WASHINGTON (AP) — When Andrew Sullivan thinks of the people his organization has helped resettle in America, one particular story comes to mind: an Afghan man in a wheelchair who was shot through the neck by a member of the Taliban for helping the U.S. during its war in Afghanistan. 'I just think ... Could I live with myself if we send that guy back to Afghanistan?' said Andrew Sullivan, executive director of No One Left Behind. 'And I thankfully don't have to because he made it to northern Virginia.' The charitable organization of U.S. military veterans, Afghans who once fled their country and volunteers in the U.S. is stepping in to help Afghans like that man in the wheelchair who are at risk of being stranded overseas. Their efforts come after the Trump administration took steps to hinder Afghans who helped America's war effort in trying to resettle in the U.S. No One Left Behind helps Afghans and Iraqis who qualify for the special immigrant visa program, which was set up by Congress in 2009 to help people who are in danger because of their efforts to aid the U.S. during the Afghanistan and Iraq Wars. President Donald Trump in January suspended programs that buy flights for those refugees and cut off aid to the groups that help them resettle in the U.S. Hundreds who were approved for travel to the U.S. had visas but few ways to get here. If they managed to buy a flight, they had little help when they arrived. The White House and State Department did not respond to requests for comment. Meanwhile, the situation for Afghans has become more tenuous in some of the places where many have temporarily settled. Pakistan, having hosted millions of refugees, has in recent years removed Afghans from its country. increased deportations. An agreement that made Albania a waystation for Afghans expires in March, Sullivan said. Hovering over all of this is the fear that the Trump administration may announce a travel ban that could cut off all access from Afghanistan. In an executive order signed on Inauguration Day, Trump told key Cabinet members to submit a report within 60 days that identifies countries with vetting so poor that it would 'warrant a partial or full suspension' of travelers from those countries to the U.S. U.S. State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce said Monday that the review was ongoing and no list had been finalized. But groups that work with Afghans are worried. When funding was suspended, No One Left Behind stepped in. Their goal is to make sure Afghans with State Department visas don't get stuck overseas. Other organizations — many who got their start helping Afghans during the U.S. military's chaotic withdrawal from Kabul in 2021 — are doing the same. To qualify for this visa, Afghans must prove they worked for the U.S. for at least one year. That means tracking down documentation from former supervisors, who were often affiliated with companies no longer in business. They also undergo extensive vetting and medical checks. 'Our view was, OK, we've got to act immediately to try and help these people,' said Sullivan. 'We've been in kind of an all-out sprint.' The organization has raised money to buy flights and help Afghans when they land. Between February 1 and March 17, the group said it successfully booked flights for 659 Afghans. It also launched a website where visa holders can share information, giving Sullivan's group a starting point to figure out where they might live in the U.S. Sullivan and the organization's 'ambassadors' — Afghans and Iraqis who already have emigrated to the U.S., many through the special immigrant visa program — have gone to Albania and Qatar to help stranded Afghans. Aqila is one of those ambassadors who went to Albania. The Associated Press is identifying Aqila by her first name because her family in Afghanistan is still at risk. Aqila said many of the families didn't know what would happen when they arrived in America. Would they be homeless? Abandoned? One man feared he'd end up alone in the airport parking lot because his contact in America — a long-haul trucker — couldn't come pick him up. She assured him that someone would be there. They gave them cards with contact information for attorneys. They printed papers with information about their rights in English, Dari, and Pashto. No One Left Behind reached out to family members and friends in the U.S. to help with the transition when they landed in America. Mohammad Saboor, a father of seven children, worked as an electrician and A/C technician with international and U.S. forces for 17 years. Two months ago, he and his family boarded a plane to Albania in anticipation of soon being able to go to America. They landed in California on March 12, exhausted but safe The next day he and his family explored their new apartment in the Sacramento suburb of Rancho Cordova. Saboor said he hasn't felt safe in Afghanistan since the Taliban took over the country in August 2021. He worried that he'd be killed as retribution for the nearly two decades he'd worked with the U.S. and its allies. He wondered what kind of future his children would have in a Taliban-controlled Afghanistan. The family picked the suburb in the hope that the large Afghan population in the Sacramento area would help them get settled and find work. He envisions a bright future in America, where his kids can go to school and eventually give back to the country that took his family in. Arriving in the U.S., he said, gave them a 'great feeling.' 'I believe that now we can live in a 100% peaceful environment,' he said. Sullivan said he hopes there will be exceptions for Afghans in the special immigrant visa program if a travel ban is imposed. They've been thoroughly vetted, he said, and earned the right to be here. 'These are folks that actually served shoulder-to-shoulder with American troops and diplomats for 20 years,' he said. Aqila, the Afghan ambassador, said it's stressful to hear stories of what people went through in Afghanistan. But the reward comes when she sees photos of those who have arrived in America. 'You can see the hope in their eyes,' she said. 'It's nice to be human. It's nice be kind to each other.'
Associated Press
17-03-2025
- Politics
- Associated Press
After Trump halted funding for Afghans who helped the US, this group stepped in to help
WASHINGTON (AP) — When Andrew Sullivan thinks of the people his organization has helped resettle in America, one particular story comes to mind: an Afghan man in a wheelchair who was shot through the neck by a member of the Taliban for helping the U.S. during its war in Afghanistan. 'I just think ... Could I live with myself if we send that guy back to Afghanistan?' said Andrew Sullivan, executive director of No One Left Behind. 'And I thankfully don't have to because he made it to northern Virginia.' The charitable organization of U.S. military veterans, Afghans who once fled their country and volunteers in the U.S. is stepping in to help Afghans like that man in the wheelchair who are at risk of being stranded overseas. Their efforts come after the Trump administration took steps to hinder Afghans who helped America's war effort in trying to resettle in the U.S. No One Left Behind helps Afghans and Iraqis who qualify for the special immigrant visa program, which was set up by Congress in 2009 to help people who are in danger because of their efforts to aid the U.S. during the Afghanistan and Iraq Wars. President Donald Trump in January suspended programs that buy flights for those refugees and cut off aid to the groups that help them resettle in the U.S. Hundreds who were approved for travel to the U.S. had visas but few ways to get here. If they managed to buy a flight, they had little help when they arrived. The White House and State Department did not respond to requests for comment. Meanwhile, the situation for Afghans has become more tenuous in some of the places where many have temporarily settled. Pakistan, having hosted millions of refugees, has in recent years removed Afghans from its country. increased deportations. An agreement that made Albania a waystation for Afghans expires in March, Sullivan said. Hovering over all of this is the fear that the Trump administration may announce a travel ban that could cut off all access from Afghanistan. In an executive order signed on Inauguration Day, Trump told key Cabinet members to submit a report within 60 days that identifies countries with vetting so poor that it would 'warrant a partial or full suspension' of travelers from those countries to the U.S. U.S. State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce said Monday that the review was ongoing and no list had been finalized. But groups that work with Afghans are worried. When funding was suspended, No One Left Behind stepped in. Their goal is to make sure Afghans with State Department visas don't get stuck overseas. Other organizations — many who got their start helping Afghans during the U.S. military's chaotic withdrawal from Kabul in 2021 — are doing the same. To qualify for this visa, Afghans must prove they worked for the U.S. for at least one year. That means tracking down documentation from former supervisors, who were often affiliated with companies no longer in business. They also undergo extensive vetting and medical checks. 'Our view was, OK, we've got to act immediately to try and help these people,' said Sullivan. 'We've been in kind of an all-out sprint.' The organization has raised money to buy flights and help Afghans when they land. Between February 1 and March 17, the group said it successfully booked flights for 659 Afghans. It also launched a website where visa holders can share information, giving Sullivan's group a starting point to figure out where they might live in the U.S. Sullivan and the organization's 'ambassadors' — Afghans and Iraqis who already have emigrated to the U.S., many through the special immigrant visa program — have gone to Albania and Qatar to help stranded Afghans. Aqila is one of those ambassadors who went to Albania. The Associated Press is identifying Aqila by her first name because her family in Afghanistan is still at risk. Aqila said many of the families didn't know what would happen when they arrived in America. Would they be homeless? Abandoned? One man feared he'd end up alone in the airport parking lot because his contact in America — a long-haul trucker — couldn't come pick him up. She assured him that someone would be there. They gave them cards with contact information for attorneys. They printed papers with information about their rights in English, Dari, and Pashto. No One Left Behind reached out to family members and friends in the U.S. to help with the transition when they landed in America. Mohammad Saboor, a father of seven children, worked as an electrician and A/C technician with international and U.S. forces for 17 years. Two months ago, he and his family boarded a plane to Albania in anticipation of soon being able to go to America. They landed in California on March 12, exhausted but safe The next day he and his family explored their new apartment in the Sacramento suburb of Rancho Cordova. Saboor said he hasn't felt safe in Afghanistan since the Taliban took over the country in August 2021. He worried that he'd be killed as retribution for the nearly two decades he'd worked with the U.S. and its allies. He wondered what kind of future his children would have in a Taliban-controlled Afghanistan. The family picked the suburb in the hope that the large Afghan population in the Sacramento area would help them get settled and find work. He envisions a bright future in America, where his kids can go to school and eventually give back to the country that took his family in. Arriving in the U.S., he said, gave them a 'great feeling.' 'I believe that now we can live in a 100% peaceful environment,' he said. Sullivan said he hopes there will be exceptions for Afghans in the special immigrant visa program if a travel ban is imposed. They've been thoroughly vetted, he said, and earned the right to be here. 'These are folks that actually served shoulder-to-shoulder with American troops and diplomats for 20 years,' he said. Aqila, the Afghan ambassador, said it's stressful to hear stories of what people went through in Afghanistan. But the reward comes when she sees photos of those who have arrived in America. 'You can see the hope in their eyes,' she said. 'It's nice to be human. It's nice be kind to each other.'
Boston Globe
13-03-2025
- Politics
- Boston Globe
Veterans race to bring Afghan allies to US before Trump travel ban
Advertisement 'We have been engaged in high-intensity, frenetic work,' said Andrew Sullivan, a military veteran and the executive director of No One Left Behind, a nonprofit whose team has been working marathon days to raise money and arrange flights. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up Amid the chaotic pullout from Afghanistan in August 2021, the US military helped evacuate 78,000 Afghans who worked as interpreters and in other capacities during the war. Tens of thousands of others who aided US forces are still trying to reach the United States. The wartime allies can apply for a Special Immigrant Visa, which allows them to travel to the United States with their families and receive permanent residence. Many have been waiting for months or longer in neighboring Pakistan and in Albania and Qatar to complete processing by US authorities. In his first term, Trump initially sought to bar nationals from seven majority Muslim countries — Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen — from entering the United States. This time, Afghanistan is among the countries whose citizens could be categorically blocked, according to US officials. The officials said that Cuba and Venezuela could also be added. If Trump includes Afghanistan in a new travel ban, Afghans who helped the United States could be stranded indefinitely. After his inauguration, the president also signed an executive order that paused funding for refugee resettlement, suspending travel to the United States for thousands of people around the world who had been screened and approved for entry. Advertisement Afghans who had obtained Special Immigrant Visas were not barred from relocating to the United States. But in shutting down refugee admissions, the State Department canceled the contracts that had also covered the costs of transporting the Afghan allies. Suddenly they had to pay their own way, and many could not afford the cost. 'People with visas in their passports saw their pathway to safety stripped away overnight,' said Sonia Norton, advocacy director for No One Left Behind, which is based in Arlington, Va. The organization's main role had been to supplement government support by providing Afghan families with loans to buy cars, further their education and adjust to the United States. After the executive orders, it quickly pivoted to an emergency fund-raising campaign. About 37,000 Afghans, and their families, have been issued Special Immigrant Visas since 2009, when the program began. The Taliban, which rules Afghanistan, regards those Afghans as traitors. Thousands have faced retaliatory violence and hundreds have been killed for assisting the United States, according to a 2022 report by No One Left Behind. At the time that Trump signed the executive orders in January, some 1,000 Afghans and their family members had visas to come to the United States. Returning to Afghanistan is not an option for them, Sullivan said. 'There's a very real chance that they could get kicked back to the Taliban with a US visa in their passport, and that could be deadly to these allies,' Sullivan, 38, who was an Army infantry company commander in Afghanistan, said in an interview from Doha, Qatar, where his team was on the ground in recent days. Advertisement 'If we don't know what's going to happen with immigration policy, we're not going to sit idly by,' he said. 'We're going to come and support them.' The White House did not respond to request for comments on the impact of the executive orders or the effects of a potential travel ban on Afghans who supported the US mission. Aman Jafari, who interpreted for Navy SEALs, arrived in Portland, Ore., from Albania on March 5 with his wife and four young children. 'When Mr. Trump canceled flights, we didn't have money to book our own flights to America,' said Jafari, 33. 'We just worried terribly what would happen next.' Then No One Left Behind stepped in, he said. On Tuesday, Sullivan arrived in Los Angeles from Doha to meet potential donors. Evelyn Moore, 67, who has no military connections, said she had donated to the organization's effort because Trump's policies could have 'dire consequences' for those who risked their lives for the United States. 'We must keep our allies on a path to the U.S., as promised,' she said. By the end of this week, No One Left Behind hopes to have flown to the United States every Afghan who already has a visa. It must also help them get on their feet in their adopted country. Trump's executive order halted funding to nonprofits like the International Rescue Committee and HIAS, which used to provide services such as rental assistance and job placement to refugees and Afghan allies for at least 90 days after their arrival. No One Left Behind has partnered with community organizations and volunteers in cities like Portland, Rochester, N.Y., and Sacramento, Calif., to fill the void. Advertisement Jafari's family is living in an Extended Stay America hotel outside Portland while he waits for an apartment to be leased for his family. Rent will be paid by No One Left Behind and a local group, the Afghan Support Network, until Jafari becomes self-sufficient. 'I am so glad that I arrived in America,' he said. 'I want to work hard for my family to have a good and bright future.' This article originally appeared in
New York Times
13-03-2025
- Politics
- New York Times
Veterans Race to Bring Afghan Allies to U.S. Before Trump Travel Ban
The fate of thousands of Afghans waiting to reach the United States after serving with American troops was thrown into limbo after President Trump took office. Now military veterans are scrambling to bring as many of them as possible to the country before the administration introduces a travel ban that could restrict their entry. In an executive order on Jan. 20, Mr. Trump instructed cabinet members, including the secretary of state, to compile a list of countries 'for which vetting and screening information is so deficient as to warrant a partial or full suspension on the admission of nationals from those countries.' The order called for the list to to be completed within 60 days. As that deadline nears, supporters of the Afghan allies have accelerated efforts to bring those eligible to the United States. 'We have been engaged in high-intensity, frenetic work,' said Andrew Sullivan, a military veteran and the executive director of No One Left Behind, a nonprofit whose team has been working marathon days to raise money and arrange flights. Amid the chaotic pullout from Afghanistan in August 2021, the U.S. military helped evacuate 78,000 Afghans who worked as interpreters and in other capacities during the war. Tens of thousands of other who aided U.S. forces are still trying to reach the United States. The wartime allies can apply for a Special Immigrant Visa, which allows them to travel to the United States with their families and receive permanent residence. Many have been waiting for months or longer in neighboring Pakistan and in Albania and Qatar to complete processing by U.S. authorities. In his first term, Mr. Trump barred nationals from seven majority Muslim countries — Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen — from entering the United States. This time, Afghanistan is among the countries whose citizens could be categorically blocked, according to U.S. officials. The officials said that Cuba and Venezuela could also be added. If Mr. Trump includes Afghanistan in a new travel ban, Afghans who helped the United States could be stranded indefinitely. After his inauguration, the president also signed an executive order that paused funding for refugee resettlement, suspending travel to the United States for thousands of people around the world who had been screened and approved for entry. Afghans who had obtained Special Immigrant Visas were not barred from relocating to the United States. But in shutting down refugee admissions, the State Department canceled the contracts that had also covered the costs of transporting the Afghan allies. Suddenly they had to pay their own way, and many could not afford the cost. 'People with visas in their passports saw their pathway to safety stripped away overnight,' said Sonia Norton, advocacy director for No One Left Behind, which is based in Arlington, Va. The organization's main role had been to supplement government support by providing Afghan families with loans to buy cars, further their education and adjust to the United States. After the executive orders, it quickly pivoted to an emergency fund-raising campaign. About 37,000 Afghans, and their families, have been issued Special Immigrant Visas since 2009, when the program began. The Taliban, which rules Afghanistan, regards those Afghans as traitors. Thousands have faced retaliatory violence and hundreds have been killed for assisting the United States, according to a 2022 report by No One Left Behind. At the time that Mr. Trump signed the executive orders in January, some 1,000 Afghans and their family members had visas to come to the United States. Returning to Afghanistan is not an option for them, Mr. Sullivan said. 'There's a very real chance that they could get kicked back to the Taliban with a U.S. visa in their passport, and that could be deadly to these allies,' Mr. Sullivan, 38, who was an Army infantry company commander in Afghanistan, said in an interview from Doha, Qatar, where his team was on the ground in recent days. 'If we don't know what's going to happen with immigration policy, we're not going to sit idly by,' he said. 'We're going to come and support them.' No One Left Behind, established in 2014, has raised millions of dollars in a matter of weeks from veterans and other Americans to buy airplane tickets for Afghan families who had already been cleared to travel to the United States from Albania, Qatar and Pakistan. Several veteran groups, including Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, have voiced concern for the fate of the Afghan allies. Three Republican members of Congress said in a letter to President Trump that his executive orders had resulted in the 'immediate shutdown' of Afghan relocation efforts. 'These are not random applicants or illegal migrants who've crossed the southern border,' said the March 4 letter signed by Michael Lawler of New York, Michael McCaul of Texas and Richard Hudson of North Carolina. 'For many Afghans in the pipeline, staying in Afghanistan is a death sentence,' they said. The White House did not respond to request for comments on the impact of the executive orders or the effects of a potential travel ban on Afghans who supported the U.S. mission. Aman Jafari, who interpreted for U.S. Navy Seals, arrived in Portland, Ore., from Albania on March 5 with his wife and four young children. 'When Mr. Trump canceled flights, we didn't have money to book our own flights to America,' said Mr. Jafari, 33. 'We just worried terribly what would happen next.' Then No One Left Behind stepped in, he said. On Tuesday, Mr. Sullivan arrived in Los Angeles from Doha to meet potential donors. Evelyn Moore, 67, who has no military connections, said she had donated to the organization's effort because Mr. Trump's policies could have 'dire consequences' for those who risked their lives for the United States. 'We must keep our allies on a path to the U.S., as promised,' she said. By the end of this week, No One Left Behind hopes to have flown to the United States every Afghan who already has a visa. It must also help them get on their feet in their adopted country. Mr. Trump's executive order halted funding to nonprofits like the International Rescue Committee and HIAS, which used to provide services such as rental assistance and job placement to refugees and Afghan allies for at least 90 days after their arrival. No One Left Behind has partnered with community organizations and volunteers in cities like Portland, Rochester, N.Y., and Sacramento to fill the void. Mr. Jafari's family is living in an Extended Stay America hotel outside Portland while he waits for an apartment to be leased for his family. Rent will be paid by No One Left Behind and a local group, the Afghan Support Network, until Mr. Jafari becomes self-sufficient. 'I am so glad that I arrived in America,' he said. 'I want to work hard for my family to have a good and bright future.'
