Latest news with #BillHammond
Miami Herald
16-05-2025
- Miami Herald
Tarpon Lodge attracts gamefish that serious anglers have on their bucket list
Here at the northern end of Pine Island, it feels like you're a world away from the vibrant streets and nightlife of nearby Fort Myers. Especially if you're staying at the charming Tarpon Lodge, a legitimate Old Florida establishment that celebrates its 100th anniversary next year. The lodge got its name from the bucket list gamefish that attracts anglers from around the world seeking to hook up with the silver king, the nickname given to the regal tarpon. This time of year, the fish migrate through Pine Island Sound, which offers a panoramic view from the lodge's dining room, which attracts locals and visitors who come for the fresh red snapper and tripletail, and several of its 22 units. Those who bring boats to the lodge's docks can visit neighboring Cabbage Key and eat at its Island Inn Restaurant, as well as South Seas Resort on Captiva Island, which has condos for rent, swimming pools, a nine-hole par-3 golf course, and several restaurants specializing in fresh seafood as it rebuilds in the wake of recent hurricane damage. Along with tarpon, visitors can tangle inshore with snook, sea trout and redfish, or head out to the passes among the islands of Captiva, North Captiva and Boca Grande. There you will find tarpon rolling on the surface as they gulp air, as well as schools of permit, which are next on the bucket list. Permit look like silver platters and fight hard as they turn their wide bodies against the current. Head a little farther west into the Gulf of Mexico and you can fish wrecks and rock piles for grouper, mangrove snapper, cobia, jacks and sharks, while sea turtles come to the surface on their way to area beaches to lay their eggs. I fished the area with members of the Association of Great Lakes Outdoor Writers, better known as AGLOW. The organization has members from 40 states, and several were eager to check off species from their personal fish lists. Rob Shane, who lives in Washington, D.C., where he works for the American Sportfishing Association, a trade organization that is a leader in promoting recreational fishing as well as fisheries conservation, was after snook. While we headed across the sound to some mangrove islands that captain Bill Hammond of Endless Summer Charters had grown up fishing, Shane talked about issues that affect Florida anglers. Among them are shark interactions, i.e. sharks that eat fish before they can be reeled in. Solutions include studying the use of magnetic technology to deter sharks from going after hooked and released fish and allowing the killing of shark species that are thriving. Another concern is NOAA's Amendment 59, which would ban bottom fishing for 55 species from Melbourne to the Georgia border for three months to protect red snapper, whose stocks are soaring. The amendment is based on unreliable data that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration itself estimated to be off by 30 to 40 percent. After arriving at a tiny island that had been hammered by Hurricane Milton, Hammond instructed us to cast live pilchards on lightweight St. Croix spinning outfits to the island. Shane was soon hooked up to a whopper of a sea trout, a 26-incher. At the next spot, Shane added a keeper redfish that Hammond released. At the next spot, a mangrove shoreline, Hammond pointed out that the water was far back in the trees and that's where the fish were. As the tide fell, the fish moved out and Shane was soon catching and releasing one snook after another by casting his bait to the edge of the mangroves, giving him an inshore grand slam. The next day, Hammond and I went offshore with captain CJ LaFauci, who runs one of Hammond's three boats, and Cristian Simpkins of Wisconsin. After trying for tarpon, which rolled all around us but ignored our live crabs, we headed about 10 miles to a rockpile in the Gulf. LaFauci put out a chum bag and used scissors to cut chunks of frozen herring that he added to the chum slick. First we free-lined live pilchards back to the fish in the slick, which produced mangrove snappers, jacks and blue runners. We switched to a bottom rig, with a hook above a weight that kept the rig on the bottom. The results were immediate, as we caught mangrove snappers, Simpkins landing a huge 21-incher, and a snook. The best fish was yet to come. On the way back to Tarpon Lodge, LaFauci stopped by the permit grounds, where he could see schools of the fish just below the surface. Using a live crab, Simpkins soon hooked one of his bucket-list fish. The permit made several long runs, ripping line off the reel spool, but Simpkins fought it expertly. After he got the fish close enough to the boat for LaFauci to net it, an out-of-breath Simpkins was all smiles as he held the fish of his lifetime.
New York Post
16-05-2025
- Politics
- New York Post
Progressive era is over, NY's leaky mega-budget and other commentary
Culture critic: Progressive Era Is Over 'The decline of woke isn't merely a 'vibe shift,'' posits Eric Kaufmann at The Wall Street Journal. 'It marks the end of the 60-year rise of left-liberalism in American culture. We are entering a post-progressive era.' The cultural left's push for 'next-level DEI policies' sparked 'an enduring antiwoke reaction.' Even 'immigration attitudes have turned restrictionist after decades of liberalization.' 'Confronted by this broad-based rejection, progressive activists have lost confidence and energy.' And making it worse is that 'culturally inflected problems elude progressive solutions.' That has cost 'cultural progressivism' considerable influence. So, yes, we're 'leaving the age of progressive confidence behind.' But what replaces it 'as our cultural lodestar will become evident only in the fullness of time.' Eye on Albany: Our Leaky Mega-Budget Advertisement 'New York's budget has sprung its first major leak just five days after being finalized,' chortles Empire Center's Bill Hammond. He notes a move by feds to close 'a loophole in the Medicaid financing system' exploited by the state. Billions in increased Medicaid spending — plus $2 billion in 'rate hikes' for providers — was predicated on revenue from the 'newly enacted MCO tax.' The scheme allowed the state to 'keep the federal matching aid as net revenue.' The amended rule allows the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to 'start withholding federal matching funds for those taxes as soon as the regulation takes effect,' possibly this summer. Without the MCO tax revenue, New York's Medicaid 'fiscal cliff appears to be just two or three months away.' Liberal: The Dems' Political Monopoly 'One-party political rule by Democrats in big cities,' notes The Liberal Patriot's John Halpin, is the 'the largest monopoly of them all.' Yet the 'anti-monopoly and abundance policy concepts' currently en vogue around housing, energy infrastructure, and transportation aren't applied to the political monopoly Dems enjoy. 'In America's biggest cities, this translates into enervated municipal governments that coast from election to election with little outside challenge.' So 'schools don't get fixed. New housing or other development gets stalled. Roads, transportation, and other public utility projects get screwed up and delayed with massive cost overruns. Crime goes unaddressed. Public spaces and parks go to seed.' In other words, 'concentrated, one-party political power' is just one of many 'forms of misrule that lead to poor policy outcomes.' Advertisement Conservative: A Sick ICC Coverup Freshly exposed allegations might explain why International Criminal Court top prosecutor Karim Khan issued 'an arrest warrant against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and then-Defense Minister Yoav Gallant,' observes Commentary's Seth Mandel. 'A female employee of Khan's testified that she had been repeatedly sexually assaulted' by him and was bullied into covering it up. After learning of the allegations, Khan canceled trips to Israel and Gaza; 'two weeks later he issued the arrest warrants.' The accuser wrestled with coming forward because she didn't want to derail the warrants; Khan believed they 'would insulate him from criticism from many of the ICC member states.' According to testimony, he 'explicitly tied the rape allegations to the Israeli warrants.' 'There is obviously no defense of the arrest warrants' legitimacy now.' Advertisement Libertarian: Power AI With Nukes! Nuclear power would 'allow the U.S. to make advancements in AI with minimal greenhouse gas emissions,' reports Reason's Jeff Luse. That's badly needed: 'Goldman Sachs projects that AI will increase data center power demand by 160 percent nationwide through 2030.' Texas, 'the fastest-growing consumer of electricity in the nation,' will need to add 'the energy equivalent of 30 nuclear power plants by 2030 to meet demand.' The good news? 'Last Energy is preparing to deliver . . . 30 of its 20-megawatt reactors in Haskell County, Texas, to service data centers across the state.' Up to now, the company 'has focused on growing its business abroad because of stringent federal regulations.' New nuclear energy projects 'will only be as cost-effective and efficient as regulations allow.' — Compiled by The Post Editorial Board
New York Post
05-05-2025
- Health
- New York Post
Medicaid reform, now or never, GOP savings may cost NY $5B and other commentary
From the right: Medicaid Reform, Now or Never 'Republicans would be making a terrible blunder to let' Democrats' fear-mongering about Medicaid reform 'intimidate them from fixing the program,' warns The Wall Street Journal's editorial board. Under the ObamaCare law's Medicaid expansion, the feds pay states more for eligible 'prime-age adults' than 'for pregnant women, the disabled and other low-income populations.' Huh! 'You won't find many voters who think the federal government should focus scarce health resources on working-age men over poor children and pregnant women. Yet that is what the perverse financing formula encourages.' Fact is, 'the GOP can make the strong and accurate argument that fixing this bias in federal payments is shoring up the program to better serve the vulnerable,' and 'Republicans may not get another opening for decades to fix the core problems in Medicaid.' Eye on NY: GOP Savings May Cost State $5B The stakes for New York 'are high' as Republicans eye Medicaid savings from targeting the 'so-called expansion population,' notes the Empire Center's Bill Hammond. These are under-65, non-disabled adults 'with income up to 138 percent of the federal poverty level.' ObamaCare made them Medicaid-eligible, with the feds funding 90% of the costs, instead of the 50% it pays for most Medicaid recipients in New York. Republicans may make the feds' share 50% for these people as well, which could cost New York state 6% of its funding, or $5.3 billion, based on 2023 numbers. Amazingly, such changes 'would be unlikely to reduce' federal Medicaid spending for New York 'in absolute terms.' They'd merely 'slow growth compared to current trends.' Ed desk: The School-Closures Obscenity Teachers and administrators simply 'didn't care about having kids in school' during COVID, David Zweig recalls at New York magazine; 'a series of falsehoods' related to risk birthed the 'fantastical list of demands' from teachers unions and others around reopening. Recall too that the American Academy of Pediatrics was 'very strongly in favor of getting kids into schools, but as soon as Trump came out in favor of reopening, they completely reversed their position.' 'Childhood is achingly brief.' The pandemic saw little kids miss a year or more of 'running around in a playground with friends' as they were forced to wither away 'in the gray light of their Chromebooks.' The idea that this 'wasn't a tremendous harm is absurd.' Space beat: The Trouble With Hubble 'Without question, the Hubble Space Telescope is a marvel of technology,' gushes Mark Whittington at The Hill. The last mission to the 35-year-old instrument was in 2009; it 'has been operating ever since then without a servicing mission.' Now 'not only is Hubble's orbit starting to decay,' but just 'two of its six gyroscopes are functioning.' Yes, 'the Hubble was designed to be serviced by a space shuttle orbiter.' But the option of 'using a SpaceX Crewed Dragon' to 'boost the telescope's orbit,' after which 'spacewalking astronauts would perform repairs and enhancements,' risks 'the astronauts breaking the space telescope.' Bigger-budget ideas: a SpaceX Starship could simply 'lift huge space telescopes with many times the Hubble's capabilities' into orbit. Libertarian: Ax Regs That Limit US Workers 'At the core of Trump's economic vision is sincere worry about the decline in prime-age male labor-force participation,' observes Reason's Veronique de Rugy. That decline 'has real social consequences' as 'economic insecurity among non-college-educated men fuels declining marriage rates, weaker communities, and more public health crises.' Yet the issue is 'more complicated than Trump's 'China stole our jobs' narrative,' and is 'rooted in problems that tariffs and industrial policy won't fix.' A 'thicket' of government regulations has erected 'huge hurdles to interstate mobility, effectively locking people into stagnant local economies.' 'We must remove the obstacles and perverse incentives that make living with economic stagnation too rational a choice for too many people.' The key to 'restoring work force participation' would be 'tearing down barriers' erected by the government. — Compiled by The Post Editorial Board
Yahoo
26-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Top U.S. Patriotic Apparel Brand Deploys Kornit Digital's Flagship Apollo System to Unlock the Agility of Digital Printing
Grunt Style significantly increases production speed and shortens reaction time for surging customer demand – powered by the automated Kornit Apollo direct-to-garment digital print solution. Addition of digital production to existing screen printing ensures no item is ever out of stock as demand grows for patriotic apparel ROSH-HA`AYIN, Israel, March 26, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Kornit Digital LTD. (NASDAQ: KRNT) ('Kornit' or the 'Company'), a global pioneer in sustainable, on-demand digital fashion and textile production technologies, today announced that Grunt Style – one of America's most recognized patriotic apparel brands – is making a bold move from analog screen printing to digital production with Kornit Apollo. This strategic shift provides Grunt Style the agility necessary to eliminate stock shortages, produce at record speeds, and meet demand with unmatched efficiency, all while supporting a commitment to high-quality, American-made apparel. Founded in 2009 by a former Army Drill Sargent, Grunt Style has built a fiercely loyal following by combining disruptive marketing, premium apparel, and an unapologetic commitment to American pride. With 17 retail stores and distribution across more than 2,500 locations, the brand required a production solution that could scale with e-commerce and retail demand – without delays or waste. The Kornit Apollo direct-to-garment platform is specifically designed to address these needs with a solution that revolutionizes the supply chain by unlocking new levels of speed and flexibility. Apollo is unmatched in the market, setting the bar for high speed, retail quality direct-to- garment digital printing – enabling customers to gain a competitive edge through: Unmatched speed with ability to produce up to 400 garments per hour Automated loading and unloading of garments Auto-sized pallet shifting per garment size One-step system managed by a single operator 'Speed, efficiency and quality are critical to our success at Grunt Style – and Kornit Apollo delivers. With the power to manage fully automated, on-demand production, we're now able to eliminate stock shortages, produce at record speeds, and scale seamlessly – without compromising our commitment to premium apparel,' said Bill Hammond, CFO/COO at Grunt Style. 'This isn't just an upgrade; it's a fundamental shift in how we're able to meet customer demand in real-time.' 'Apparel isn't just about the garments; its a new form of self-expression. That's why brands such as Grunt Style have become so popular, as consumers want to share their love of country and community with great looking fashion garments,' said Ronen Samuel, Chief Executive Officer at Kornit Digital. 'For brands and producers, speed and agility are the key factors that truly define success in today's apparel market – and Apollo is designed from the bottom up to meet these requirements. With Apollo, there's virtually no limit to what our customers can achieve. This is the future of on-demand production.' To learn more about Kornit Apollo and how it's revolutionizing the transition from screen to digital production, visit About Kornit DigitalKornit Digital (NASDAQ: KRNT) is a worldwide market leader in sustainable, on-demand, digital fashion, and textile production technologies. The company offers end-to-end solutions including digital printing systems, inks, consumables, software, and fulfillment services through its global fulfillment network. Headquartered in Israel with offices in the USA, Europe, and Asia Pacific, Kornit Digital serves customers in more than 100 countries and states worldwide. To learn more about how Kornit Digital is boldly transforming the world of fashion and textiles, visit Kornit Media ContactCraig LibrettPublic Ingrid Van LoockePublic Relations – Europeingrid@ in to access your portfolio
