Latest news with #Caffrey
Irish Daily Mirror
31-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Daily Mirror
Farrell and McGeeney battle will be 'quite personal' as Dubs and Armagh face off
It was at the Olympia Theatre a few years back that Paul Caffrey last crossed paths with Kieran McGeeney. Copperface Jacks The Musical was on and Caffrey was in attendance with Cathal Jackson, the owner of the legendary nightclub that spawned the show, and much else besides. 'Pillar' and McGeeney picked up seamlessly, just as they will whenever they bump into each other again in the future. That's the nature of their relationship and, Caffrey senses, McGeeney's with those whom he will share the Croke Park sideline with tomorrow. 'I had a great chat, that's just the way he would be,' says Caffrey. 'He was with his wife Maura that night. 'I'd send him the odd text or WhatsApp after big games or before them and he'd always come back to me, be very respectful to me and all that, so I'd imagine that's the way he operates with the likes of Dessie or Mick Galvin or these fellas that would still touch base with him.' As it happens, it was in Coppers that Dessie Farrell and McGeeney first made acquaintance in the late '90s, which led to the Armagh centre-back throwing in his lot with Na Fianna. Managed by Caffrey and with Galvin having joined from St Oliver Plunkett's, they won three Dublin Championships in-a-row, a Leinster title and reached the 2000 All-Ireland club final, losing to Crossmaglen Rangers. Farrell and McGeeney were also key figures in the formative years of the Gaelic Players' Association and well beyond, serving as chief executive and secretary respectively. In 2002, they faced off in an All-Ireland semi-final, with Farrell placed at centre-forward to keep the shackles on his clubmate rather than the other way around, though he carried shoulder and calf injuries into the game and made little impact. Armagh squeezed through and Tommy Lyons's Dublin reign fizzled out. 'That Dublin team wasn't the same after,' says Caffrey, a Dublin selector at the time. 'We had a great chance of getting to the All-Ireland final in 2002 and we had huge momentum and who knows what would have happened had we got there. Armagh took their opportunity and went on and won their All-Ireland. 'So these matches, they can have a significant part in history in the following year or two and how things pan out for teams.' Armagh came to Croke Park for a League opener the following February. A crowd of 54,000 turned up to see them beat the Dubs by 11 points. 'I remember talking to Geezer actually about that game. He said they put huge emphasis on hammering us, in terms of the young players that we were trying out that day, to really go hard after us, not to give us any hope. 'They went really hard to put a bit of fear into Dublin in relation to the Armagh jersey and subsequently got us in in the Championship.' That was a qualifier match in which Paddy McKeever and, more famously, Stephen Cluxton was sent off and while Armagh couldn't retain their title from there, they remained a force at the back end of the Championship for years afterwards while Dublin struggled to get a grip on Leinster. Farrell finished with Dublin in 2005, Caffrey's first year as manager, while McGeeney went until 2007 with Armagh before moving straight into management with Kildare. Farrell threw himself into the Dublin underage scene and worked his way up while this is McGeeney's 36th consecutive season involved at senior inter-county level. 'As individuals, they're just two hugely, hugely driven guys,' states Caffrey. 'There's lots of fellas that are serious about football but if you look at the two fellas, the careers they put in after they finished playing, like it's up there with Sean Boylan in terms of the longevity, in terms of what these guys have done year after year after year. 'It's nearly like an addiction to them that there's been, there's been no break. Like Dessie has done it all; the minor up, up through the 21 grade and now in the senior grade. 'A lot of people expected him to step back this year but no, he still is willing to put the hard yards in and try and come back with a newly-formed team with so many retirements.' They first met as managers in a League tie more than three years ago. Farrell had come off a difficult season which had seen him suspended for breaching the Covid training ban and Dublin relinquish their All-Ireland, while impatience with McGeeney was growing in Armagh with League promotions all he had to show for his five years in the job. Since then, Farrell delivered an All-Ireland that was all his in 2023, while McGeeney silenced his critics last year. 'In the eyes of the public these two men are viewed quite differently after winning the two All-Irelands that they have won,' Caffrey explains. 'Dessie overseeing the reintroduction of McCaffrey, Mannion and Cluxton and a winning formula, and for Dublin to achieve that All-Ireland for a lot of them players was quite incredible. 'Geezer finally succeeds and wins a fantastic All-Ireland, beating Kerry in a semi-final and producing a brilliant second half to beat a much-fancied Galway team in the All-Ireland final. 'They're looked on in a different light by the GAA public now. They're not only two of the greatest players that ever played the game but also two of the greatest managers that have ever managed.' And their friendship will drive them to get one over on the other tomorrow. 'I'd think it would be quite personal, yeah,' Caffrey insists. 'Be under no illusion - whoever wins this game is in a much stronger position than the losing manager going forward on Sunday. That's why I don't rule out the draw. 'I think there's more than bragging rights on the table in relation to Geezer versus Dessie. This certainly could shake up the rest of the Championship.'
Irish Examiner
23-05-2025
- Sport
- Irish Examiner
John Martin's hat-trick sees Shelbourne edge thriller with Sligo Rovers
Shelbourne 3 Sligo Rovers 2 John Martin was the hero as Shelbourne got back to winning ways in a 3-2 thriller with Sligo Rovers at Tolka Park. Gareth McElroy had given his side a surprise lead early on, but Martin hit back with three unanswered strikes to prove the matchwinner, despite star in the making Owen Elding setting up an extremely nervy ending. The impressive visitors, who made just one change from the side that brilliantly overcame Galway United last week, got the dream start in the third minute. Gareth McElroy easily shrugged off his marker Kameron Ledwidge before confidently heading down past the helpless Lorcan Healy. On his 100th appearance in red, Evan Caffrey tried desperately to level immediately after but saw his curling effort sail just over. Irish under-21 International Jad Hakiki looked to get one over on his former side, cutting inside on his right foot and unleashing a thunderous strike that went inches wide. The champions would grab the equaliser just after the half hour mark. Martin showed great movement in the area to get across Sligo stopper Sam Sargeant and calmly finish Caffrey's delicious low cross from the left. Just six minutes later, the hosts were ahead through the same combination that brought about the opener. Caffrey again cut inside onto his right and crossed to the back post to find Martin, who gladly headed home unchallenged. Martin must have thought three points were on the way when he completed his hat-trick 13-minutes after the restart following a chaotic goalmouth scramble. The home side's celebrations were cut short just a minute later when Owen Elding responded with a goal of the season contender, striking beautifully into the top corner from almost 30-yards out. John Russell then threw the kitchen sink for the remaining minutes with a front two of Francely Lomboto and Wilson Waweru proving a handful and looking dangerous from set pieces. But Damien Duff's charges dug deep to repel everything that was thrown at them to hold on for three points. Shelbourne: Healy; Coyle, Ledwidge, Wilson; O'Sullivan, McInroy, Lunney, Chapman, Caffrey; Wood (Odubeko, 70'), Martin (Kelly, 84'). Sligo Rovers: Sargeant; Reynolds (Lintott, 46'), McElroy, Mahon, Hutchinson; Hakiki, Wolfe (Lomboto, 70'), Elding, Mallon (Manning, 46'), Fitzgerald; Kavanagh (Waweru, 70'). Referee: Aaron O'Dowd (Dublin).
Time Magazine
14-05-2025
- Health
- Time Magazine
What to Do If Fluoride Is Removed From Your Water
Right now, it's politically hot to spit out fluoride. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has long railed against fluoride in public water supplies, claiming that it correlates to lower IQs in kids. (Research suggests that fluoride may be linked to lower IQ scores only at very high exposures.) Dozens of places in the U.S.—including Miami-Dade County, Fla., Peshtigo, Wis., and the entire state of Utah —have recently passed restrictions banning the fluoridation of public water supplies. Florida just announced plans to ban fluoride beginning July 1, 2025. More states and localities may follow suit after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced on May 13 that it is taking steps to remove ingestible fluoride supplements prescribed to children from the market. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) also said in April that it's studying the health risks of fluoride, and Kennedy has signaled that the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will stop recommending water fluoridation. These concerns contrast with the views of most U.S. dentists and pediatricians, who advise that fluoride is safe in small doses and one of the few bright spots in the fight against cavities since its addition to water in 1945. About 1 in 4 kids have dental decay by kindergarten, with those at lower economic levels affected most. 'I am concerned about the fluoride issue,' said Dr. Mike Simpson, a Republican congressman from Idaho, to Kennedy during a May 14 congressional hearing. 'I've seen the benefits, having been a practicing dentist for 22 years.' 'If you are successful in banning better put a lot more money into dental education, because we're going to need a whole lot more dentists,' Simpson said. Here's what you should do if your water stops being fluoridated, and what to know about the various sources of the mineral. Why fluoride helps Fighting cavities is important throughout life, but especially during childhood, from infancy through early adolescence. 'There is a critical window for getting fluoride to protect teeth as they're developing,' says Dr. Erica Caffrey, clinical assistant professor at the University of Maryland School of Dentistry. When kids miss this window, they have more cavities and, as adults, higher rates of dental disease. 'Treatment is a much different game' than prevention, Caffrey says. An expensive game at that: the U.S. spends billions of dollars treating cavities, even though they're preventable. Caffrey deals with serious complications from dental disease in her Maryland practice, including kids with swollen faces and so much pain they can't eat. Sometimes their dental infections spread elsewhere in the body, causing dehydration and fatigue. 'What affects your teeth can also affect cardiac health and your child's behavior, nutrition, and speech,' Caffrey says. Fluoride helps protect teeth by making the hard outer layer—the enamel—more resistant to acid attacks by bacteria and sugars. When acid starts to wear down enamel, fluoride draws in calcium and phosphate to rebuild the weakened areas, in a process called remineralization. When fluoridated, drinking water applies fluoride to the teeth continually and passively, without people needing to think about it. 'The fluoride sits in the oral environment and makes the teeth stronger over time,' Caffrey says. This is critical for the millions of Americans who struggle to access dental care. Most Americans still live in places with fluoridated water, but if your child's water supply is not fluoridated, professional associations of dentists and pediatricians recommend liquid or chewable sources of fluoride for every patient 6 months to 12 years. Talking with your health care providers about fluoride supplements to help ward off dental decay. Diet and dental hygiene Cavities are mainly caused by eating excess sugar and refined carbohydrates. Just by having a healthier diet, people can reduce their vulnerability to cavities and the need for fluoride supplements to make up for its absence from community drinking water. Refined carbs are processed by the bacteria in our mouths, creating the acid that breaks down tooth enamel. When bacteria are fed less, it's harder for them to create the tiny holes in teeth known as cavities, Caffrey explains. Liquids, such as juice and soda, are especially problematic because they soak the teeth in sugars, she adds. Sugar-free soda doesn't help much; the carbonation harms the enamel because it's acidic. 'The fundamental cause of cavities is sugar and starches,' says Dr. Philippe Hujoel, professor of oral health sciences at the University of Washington, so limiting intake is important for dental health. Talk with your dentist or primary care doctor about replacing these foods with fruits, vegetables, and lean proteins for oral and overall health, especially if your community doesn't fluoridate the water. You could also opt for foods that are naturally higher in fluoride, such as tea, shrimp, and, if you can tell from the label, products grown or packaged in other communities that do fluoridate the water, Caffrey recommends. It's just as important to reduce risk through good oral hygiene: brushing in the morning and before bed, flossing once per day, and attending regular dental checkups. Varnishes Fluoride is most effective for oral health when it's topical, or applied directly to the teeth. This is 'the predominant effect of fluoride,' Wright says. Your dentist may recommend a topical fluoride, depending on your diet and dental hygiene. One option is painting the teeth with a concentrated form of fluoride, called varnish. It sticks to the enamel, gradually releasing fluoride that bolsters the tooth surface. Applied by a dentist, pediatrician, or nurse, these treatments are especially recommended for kids and adults with high risk of tooth decay. An extensive research review found that fluoride varnish lowers the risk of cavities in kids and adolescents by about 40%—and it has this benefit regardless of whether kids live in communities with fluoridated water. Varnish offers significant protection on its own, even without other fluoride exposures. It's applied as frequently as every three months for children with high cavity risk. Toothpaste and mouth rinse Another topical approach is fluoridated toothpaste. 'Using toothpaste with fluoride twice per day is among the most critical ways to prevent dental disease,' Caffrey says. Researchers have found that using fluoridated toothpaste regularly is protective enough that access to fluoridated water offers only a small additional benefit. Children under 3 should brush with no more than a rice-grain-sized smear of fluoridated toothpaste on a soft toothbrush. For ages 3-6—after which kids can typically rinse with water and spit out the paste—a slightly larger pea-sized dollop suffices. After age 6, a slim ribbon is okay. Depending on your oral health, dentists may also recommend a mouth rinse with fluoride. Rinses can help kids with braces, who may have a harder time reaching the whole tooth. 'As with anything, there's such a thing as too much fluoride,' Caffrey explains, but 'it takes a significant amount of ingested fluoride daily to get into the worry zone.' Hujoel is more concerned about this threshold. 'There are many fluoride exposures' even without fluoridated water, such as fluoride in food, he says. 'You can easily go above the recommended dose.' One risk, researched by Hujoel, is fluorosis, a condition causing mild discoloration of teeth. Discuss cumulative intake with a dentist to better understand your personal risk. Bottled fluoride Bottled water with fluoride is another supplement option. In communities without fluoridated water—like Clifton, N.J., where pediatrician Dr. Bob Jawetz practices—it's ideal to combine bottled fluoride water with a topical supplement (like toothpaste, mouth rinse, and/or a varnish), Jawetz says. Although topical fluoride has the strongest effect, when you drink fluoride, too, it's absorbed into the inner structure of the tooth, providing some degree of additional benefit. Prescription gels, drops, and chewables Some fluoride supplements are prescribed, including stronger versions of the mouth rinses, but also lozenges and tablets that can be chewed and swished around the mouth. To maximize fluoride's effect, keep them in the mouth for 1-2 minutes before swallowing. You could also dissolve such chewables into water, in which case 'you're back to water fluoridation,' Wright says. Kids too young for chewables might instead be prescribed drops or gels. A 2015 review found gels—a topical treatment applied in a tray—are effective without adverse effects, but Caffrey rarely uses them because kids could end up swallowing more than is ideal, she says. Dentists may recommend these supplements in communities lacking fluoridated water for infants whose teeth haven't erupted yet. Follow the recommended dose. Your dentist may advise minimizing other fluoride sources to reduce risk of fluorosis. The consequences of forgoing fluoride Removing fluoridated water can negatively impact kids who may not brush regularly or optimally, and whose diets may increase cavity risk, Caffrey says. 'When you take a blanket health measure away, such as community water fluoridation, the most at-risk children are the ones likely to suffer most.' 'The dental community is very worried' about fluoride's removal from the water, Wright says. 'Increasing the burden on an already-stressed health care system is going to be challenging to manage.'
The Guardian
22-04-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
Nationals MP accused of ‘fobbing off' Gippsland constituents concerned by Dutton's nuclear plan
The Victorian Nationals MP in a region earmarked for a nuclear reactor by Peter Dutton has failed to meet with key constituents and community groups despite calling for 'conversation' on the issue. The Loy Yang coal-fired power station in Victoria's Latrobe Valley, in Darren Chester's Gippsland electorate, is one of seven locations shortlisted for nuclear reactors under the energy policy the Coalition will take to the 3 May election. Chester has not expressed a personal position on nuclear energy but has called for 'a calm and rational conversation' based on 'facts, technology and environmental science' rather than fear, politics and 'media-driven hyperbole'. Speaking on ABC Gippsland radio, he said despite 'small protests' at his office, 'a lot of other people contact me and say, 'This is a policy direction we need to go in.'' But several constituents have told Guardian Australia their attempts to raise concerns have been ignored. Sign up for the Afternoon Update: Election 2025 email newsletter East Gippsland resident Nola Kelly said she emailed Chester twice in early 2024 to request information about the Coalition's nuclear policy but received a generic response. She then made three phone calls between December and March requesting a meeting and was eventually told due to parliamentary commitments and the election a meeting 'may be a while off'. Kelly says she was being 'fobbed off' because she is a member of the Greens, though she said she was seeking answers as a constituent and not as a political activist. 'I'm no radical,' she said. 'I'm 76 – I'm not chaining myself to poles. I just want to have a conversation like he says he wants.' Dan Caffrey, president of the Latrobe Valley Sustainability Group, said he contacted Chester's office in August 2024 but was told the MP was unavailable until after Christmas. In February, he was asked to send his questions by email. Caffrey sent 20 questions to Chester, who replied, but Caffrey claims he did not answer them directly. In his response, seen by Guardian Australia, Chester wrote: 'Given neither of us are nuclear energy experts, I believe it is appropriate to wait for the full site analysis … before making any final decisions. Your opposition to the plan is noted.' 'No one is telling him they don't want nuclear because he won't let them,' Caffrey said. Dave Sweeney, a prominent anti-nuclear campaigner with the Australian Conservation Foundation, said Chester had agreed to meet him during the February sitting week in Canberra after they briefly spoke during the parliamentary inquiry into nuclear in December. But when Sweeney followed up to confirm the meeting, he says he was told the MP's schedule was full. 'He's telling people, 'I want a mature conversation.' But if your position is critical or hostile, he doesn't want to hear it,' Sweeney said. He intended to raise concerns about nuclear power's significant water requirements and the difficulty of rehabilitating the Loy Yang site, which he said could take 20 years. Wendy Farmer, president of Voices of the Valley – a group founded after the 2014 Hazelwood mine fire – and organiser of Nannas Against Nuclear, said Chester and his staff had been largely unresponsive to weekly peaceful protests outside his electorate office. 'We've been told they'll consult with us for two and a half years, but then they will do it anyway with no right to veto,' Farmer said. 'How is that listening to the community?' Sign up to Afternoon Update: Election 2025 Our Australian afternoon update breaks down the key election campaign stories of the day, telling you what's happening and why it matters after newsletter promotion She said Chester agreed to meet with her and Environment Victoria's Latrobe Valley organiser, Hayley Sestokas. But when Sestokas followed up by email to schedule the meeting, Chester declined and said he was 'well aware' of the organisation's position. 'I don't see any point to meeting again at this stage,' he wrote. Sestokas replied: 'You agreed to meet us early this year. Are you withdrawing your previous offer?' Sestokas, who lives in Orbost and has family in Morwell, said the proposed meeting would have included a range of local teachers, engineers, health workers and First Nations people. 'Yes, I'm with Environment Victoria, but I'm also a local community member, a volunteer and a constituent,' she said. Meanwhile in the central west of New South Wales, the former Nationals MP turned independent member for Calare, Andrew Gee, said the Coalition had not properly explained its plans to the communities that would be most affected. Lithgow, part of the Calare electorate, is about 25km from a proposed nuclear site at Mount Piper power station. 'While there are people for and against on either side of the ledger, the message that has come through loud and clear is that people want the details of this plan, and they haven't been provided,' he said. 'Why haven't Coalition leaders been to Lithgow to properly explain the policy?' Community environment groups in the central west also expressed their frustration about the lack of consultation. 'We just don't like being bulldozed over,' said Chris Jonkers, the vice-president of the Lithgow Environment Group. Jonkers said people in the community held serious concerns about water usage, long project timelines and costs, and warned of legal challenges if the Coalition pushed ahead. Nick King, the president of the Central West Environment Council, said he expected strong community opposition if the Coalition formed government and genuinely pursued the plans. Guardian Australia contacted Chester for comment but did not receive a response before publication.
Yahoo
14-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Is Merck & Co. (NYSE:MRK) a Cheap NYSE Stock to Invest in According to Hedge Funds?
We recently published a list of the 11 Cheap NYSE Stocks to Invest in According to Hedge Funds. In this article, we are going to take a look at where Merck & Co. (NYSE:MRK) stands against other cheap NYSE stocks. On March 26, Jack Caffrey of JPMorgan Asset Management provided an analysis of market trends in a discussion on CNBC's 'Squawk Box'. He emphasized diversified portfolios built around different exposures during periods of volatility. Caffrey believes in the importance of 'time in the market' over 'timing the market'. He highlighted the difficulty in predicting when fear or euphoria will dominate, as some of the best market days follow extreme pessimism. Caffrey also discussed the October sell-offs in 2022 and 2023, where many strategists expected further market tests at levels like 3200 or 3300 on the S&P 500. However, instead of panic selling, the market experienced rebounds in 2023 and 2024. He observed that implied volatility reached the high 20s during recent corrections, but did not indicate widespread panic. Caffrey also discussed how the MAG7 drives market trends. While these stocks led growth in early 2020, their momentum eventually faded. This led to corrections instead of broadening. Investors began exploring second and third derivative trades stemming from AI developments, such as increased electricity demand and improvements in natural gas markets. He noted that mean reversion often occurs when primary trades become well-understood and widely owned. He suggested that markets would likely be led by earnings rather than valuation. Caffrey acknowledged that while some stocks within the MAG7 have posted earnings growth that makes their valuations more reasonable, traders are increasingly seeking opportunities in overlooked sectors like energy and businesses benefiting from a weaker dollar. For instance, oil prices have remained down despite energy leading the market performance this year. Stimulus measures in Europe are also shifting from monetary to fiscal policies, which creates additional opportunities for investors. We sifted through the Finviz stock screener to compile a list of the top NYSE-listed stocks. We then selected the 11 stocks with a forward P/E ratio under 15, as of April 8, that were also the most popular among elite hedge funds and that analysts were bullish on. The stocks are ranked in ascending order of the number of hedge funds that have stakes in them, as of Q4 2024. The hedge fund data was sourced from Insider Monkey's database which tracks the moves of over 900 elite money managers. Why are we interested in the stocks that hedge funds pile into? The reason is simple: our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. Our quarterly newsletter's strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 373.4% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 218 percentage points (see more details here). A close-up of a person's hand holding a bottle of pharmaceuticals. Forward P/E Ratio as of April 8: 9.02 Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 91 Merck & Co. (NYSE:MRK) is a healthcare company that operates through two segments: Pharmaceutical and Animal Health. The company offers human health pharmaceuticals for various areas, which include oncology, vaccines, hospital acute care, cardiovascular, and neuroscience among others. It also provides veterinary pharmaceuticals, like vaccines and health management solutions and services. The company's Keytruda sales increased by 18% year-over-year in 2024 and reached $29.5 billion. In Q4 alone, these sales surged by 21% and generated $7.8 billion, which was driven by global demand across both metastatic and earlier-stage cancers. On February 24, DBS analyst Nico Chen reaffirmed a Buy rating on the company while also maintaining his $100 price target due to Keytruda's rapid growth. Merck & Co. (NYSE:MRK) has secured regulatory approvals for Keytruda-based regimens in China, Japan, and the US. It will also be seeking regulatory approval for other treatments by mid-2025, such as its investigational doravirine/islatravir (DOR/ISL) two-drug HIV-1 regimen. This new treatment proved as effective as standard therapies in two studies of adults with controlled HIV after 48 weeks. GreensKeeper Asset Management stated the following regarding Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) in its Q3 2024 investor letter: 'Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) was our second-largest detractor this quarter, declining -8.3%. MRK's leading HPV vaccine, GARDASIL 9, faced challenges internationally due to inventory buildup within its Chinese distributor, which is expected to reduce shipments for the remainder of 2024. Despite this short-term impact, the long-term outlook for GARDASIL 9 remains promising. Meanwhile, the company's $27 billion Keytruda cancer juggernaut continues to grow at a healthy clip, powering earnings growth.' Overall, MRK ranks 10th on our list of cheap NYSE stocks to invest in according to hedge funds. While we acknowledge the growth potential of MRK, our conviction lies in the belief that AI stocks hold great promise for delivering high returns and doing so within a shorter time frame. There is an AI stock that went up since the beginning of 2025, while popular AI stocks lost around 25%. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than MRK but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock. READ NEXT: 20 Best AI Stocks To Buy Now and 30 Best Stocks to Buy Now According to Billionaires Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey. Sign in to access your portfolio
