Latest news with #DavidHouston
Daily Record
07-08-2025
- Daily Record
Body found in search for missing Scot after heartbreaking early morning discovery
A man's body was found in a wooded area in Ayrshire in the early hours of the morning A body has been found in a wooded area during the search for a missing Scots man. David Houston vanished from Kilwinning in North Ayrshire on Tuesday, August 5, with his disappearance sparking an urgent police appeal. The 47-year-old was last seen at around 4.15pm on Tuesday, on Bradshaw Street in Saltcoats. Cops previously said they were becoming "increasingly concerned" for David's wellbeing. People in the vicinity were being urged people to keep an eye out for him and authorities were carrying out a number of enquiries in a bid to trace him. However, in the early hours of the morning, at around 3:10am on Thursday, August 7, police were sadly made aware of the body of a man found in a wooded area. The discovery was made off the B785 at Eglington Park in Kilwinning. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. Formal identification has still to take place. However, David's family have been made aware of the latest development. The death is not being treated as suspicious and a report will be sent to the Procurator Fiscal in due course. Todd Ferguson, Independent Unionist Councillor for North Ayrshire, wrote in tribute to his 'best friend'. He said: "I'm devastated to hear this news. David was my best friend growing up and I have so many fond memories of our adventures together. "My thoughts and prayers are with all of his family and friends at this incredibly difficult time."
Yahoo
07-08-2025
- Yahoo
Police 'increasingly concerned' after man vanishes from busy area
Police are becoming 'increasingly concerned' for a missing man after he vanished. Officers are appealing for help to trace David Houston, who has been reported missing from Kilwinning, North Ayrshire. The 47-year-old was last seen shortly after 4pm on Tuesday, August 5, on Bradshaw Street in Saltcoats. He is described as being white, around 5ft 9 inches tall, with dark grey hair and of medium build. It is believed he is wearing navy blue trousers, a khaki lightweight jacket, and possibly carrying a black rucksack with green trim. READ MORE: Vulnerable OAP died after escaping Glasgow care home as firm slammed READ MORE: Person rushed to hospital after Glasgow's M8 forced to close amid incident Sergeant Craig Turnbull said: 'We are becoming increasingly concerned for David and are carrying out a number of enquiries to trace him. 'I am appealing to anyone who has seen him, or who may have information about his current whereabouts, to get in touch with us as soon as possible'. A Police Scotland spokesperson added: "Anyone with information is asked to contact Police Scotland by calling 101 and quoting reference 1156 of August 6, 2025."
Yahoo
14-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Diamondback Energy (NasdaqGS:FANG) Stock Rises 10% Over Last Week
Diamondback Energy recently experienced a board change with the retirement of David L. Houston. Over the last week, the company's share price rose by 10%, a notable performance given the flat market conditions during the same period. This upward movement in Diamondback's stock might have been bolstered by the executive transition, suggesting enhanced investor confidence or anticipation of a strategic evolution. Despite the lack of broader market momentum, the shareholder return reflects a distinct trajectory that might be influenced by internal corporate adjustments rather than external economic factors. We've discovered 3 risks for Diamondback Energy (1 makes us a bit uncomfortable!) that you should be aware of before investing here. Outshine the giants: these 25 early-stage AI stocks could fund your retirement. The recent board change might signal a shift in investor sentiment, contributing to the recent 10% rise in Diamondback Energy's share price. While this indicates potential investor optimism regarding strategic adjustments, the company has actually achieved a total return of 311.97% over the past five years. This long-term growth underscores the company's strong performance, vastly exceeding the returns over the past year, where it underperformed the US Oil and Gas industry, which achieved a return of only 3.5%. The company's strategic focus on reducing capital expenditure and prioritizing share buybacks suggests that Diamondback Energy is looking to sustain its cash flow and improve net margins. However, these moves must be carefully balanced to ensure continued revenue growth, as forecasted revenue growth of 5% annually is expected to lag behind the broader US market growth of 8.7%. In terms of earnings, maintaining the current level of US$3.95 billion hinges on efficient capital allocation and market conditions, despite a challenging global oil landscape. The current share price of US$131.98, while appreciating recently, shows a discount when compared to the consensus price target of approximately US$181.84, suggesting potential upside according to analyst forecasts. Investors should weigh the recent executive changes and strategic decisions against these forecasts, considering the potential impact on the company's future earnings and revenue projections in an evolving market. As always, individuals should analyze these factors based on their interpretations of the company's prospects. Our expertly prepared valuation report Diamondback Energy 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 NasdaqGS:FANG. This article was originally published by Simply Wall St. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@ Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
BBC News
29-05-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Trinity Hospice: 'Our crucial service needs more financial support'
The level of state funding for end-of-life care has become unsustainable, the director of a Lancashire hospice celebrating its 40th anniversary has Houston, chief executive of Trinity Hospice in Blackpool, said government funding "doesn't go far enough to enable us to continue to grow our services and meet the increasing needs of people for dedicated hospice care".Trinity accepted its first patient on 3 June 1985 after years of fundraising to build a hospice to service the Fylde Department for Health and Social Care said hospices carry out "incredible work" and that is why it recently announced the "largest investment in hospices in a generation". The department said it was working to make sure the sector was sustainable for the long Houston said the hospice, in the Bispham area of the town, used to have 40% of its annual £12.5m covered by the government but that has since dropped to 26%.He said: "It means our community – the people we serve – are left to fill the gap."He added the service was also crucial to relieve end-of-life pressures felt in local hospitals. The hospice was developed by local GP Dr David Cooper, who believed everyone living in Blackpool, Fylde and Wyre had the right to good end-of-life Cooper said: "There have been many hurdles to overcome, financial, political and administrative but with the help of the local community, various levels of the NHS management and government ministers, we have reached our 40th year."He urged local people to continue their "ongoing support in any way you can so it "can succeed for another 40 years, at least".Last year, Trinity's community palliative care team supported 1,594 patients, while 362 patients were admitted into the hospice. 'Meant so much' Among those paying homage to the hospice was Anne Nolan of 1970s girl band The Nolans, whose late sisters Bernie and Linda received care Nolan said Bernie died in the hospice in 2013, adding: "At that time, we weren't The Nolans. We were treated with all the compassion and care that everyone else receives at Trinity."Ms Nolan said Trinity "meant so much" to her sister Linda."She spoke so often about the wonderful people she had met at the hospice and honestly, I don't know what she'd have done without them," she said. "And although her final days were at the hospital, a Trinity nurse came to see us to make sure we were alright." Listen to the best of BBC Radio Lancashire on Sounds and follow BBC Lancashire on Facebook, X and Instagram. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230.
Yahoo
06-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Amid Polarization, Civics Education Enjoys Bipartisan Support, Survey Finds
Americans want civics — even the role of politically charged topics like immigration and gun control — taught in school. Since 2021, there's been increasing bipartisan support for students to learn about how the government works, a new survey finds. The increases, while modest, are being driven by Republicans. Greater percentages of GOP voters say they want students to study social safety net programs like welfare and Medicaid. While there's still a partisan divide on such topics, 51% of Republicans support students learning about income inequality, compared to 46% in 2021. Support among Democrats held steady at 87%. 'People are supportive of schools teaching about controversial topics from multiple perspectives,' said Morgan Polikoff, a University of Southern California education professor and co-author of the study, drawn from a sample of 4,200 adults, including almost half with school-age children. 'They don't want teachers to be putting their thumb on the scale in terms of one perspective being better than the other.' Get stories like this delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for The 74 Newsletter Get stories like this delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for The 74 Newsletter The shift comes even as Americans of all political stripes give schools low marks on preparing students to be good citizens, with just 29% offering them an A or B grade. But the increasing support among Republicans for teaching issues frequently labelled divisive surprised researchers, suggesting that many conservatives don't necessarily want to limit what children learn in school — a frequent criticism lodged by critics on the left. Most red states have either banned or considered legislation outlawing the teaching of what Republicans consider divisive concepts. Critics say the mandates have silenced teachers interested in presenting a full account of American history, including its darker chapters. Related The survey also shows Republicans want more attention paid to current events, such as the benefits and challenges of Medicare and Social Security (69%, up from 62% in 2021). The share of Republicans who believe schools should teach about racism also increased, from 54% to 58%. 'Contrary to the conventional wisdom, there are still plenty of educational issues that garner bipartisan support in this polarized era,' said David Houston, an assistant education professor at George Mason University. 'Finding these points of convergence is an important and necessary step toward building broad and durable support for public education in both red and blue communities and from one presidential administration to the next.' Jonathan Butcher, a senior research fellow at the right-wing Heritage Foundation, said he prefers a 'more conservative approach' to civics that would focus on the Constitution and structures like the electoral college. But he said it's also 'certainly justifiable' for schools to teach students how to interpret the news of the day — like why Democrats held up signs reading 'Save Medicaid' during President Donald Trump's speech to Congress Tuesday night. 'As we teach students about civics, they should understand how Medicaid came to be, what the relationship is between taxpayers and Medicaid,' he said. 'Students should have enough background knowledge and an understanding of how policies have been formed that they can understand what was happening.' Related Florida is among the red states that prohibit teachers from discussing topics like institutional prejudice or gender equity. The state's law bans educators from teaching that someone might be 'inherently racist, sexist, or oppressive.' The law is 'commonly known for restricting instruction,' said Stephen Masyada, director of the Florida Joint Center for Citizenship at the University of Central Florida. But he thinks that characterization ignores that the legislation also requires students to learn about 'the ramifications of prejudice, racism and stereotyping on individual freedoms.' The state mandates lessons, for example, on the Ocoee Election Day Massacre in 1920, when a white mob killed dozens of Black citizens and ran hundreds more out of town in a violent attempt to keep them from voting. Many conservatives want schools to address those topics 'with nuance,' Masyada said, and to connect 'the promises of the founding era' to overcoming oppression and bias. Some current examples of civics education remain too liberal for many Republicans. 'We the People: Civics that Empower All Students,' a training program for teachers in grades four through eight, was among the programs eliminated in the U.S. Department of Education's sweeping cancellations of teacher preparation grants last month. The program equips teachers to focus on topics like the Bill of Rights, but also encourages civic engagement. Some conservatives argue that such projects emphasize liberal causes like abortion rights or climate activism. The department said grantees 'were using taxpayer funds to train teachers and education agencies on divisive ideologies.' Related The USC survey shows that the percentages of Republicans saying schools should teach the contributions of women and minorities throughout history — topics that could be construed as promoting diversity, equity and inclusion — were relatively flat or saw a small decline. Among Democrats, however, there were increases. 'Everybody likes civic education, but they like it for different reasons,' said Marcie Taylor-Thoma, director of the Maryland Council for Civic and History and a former social studies coordinator for the state. Democrats, she said, think students should learn about their civil rights and 'critically analyze what's going on in our country.' But Republicans' view of civics is 'very nationalistic' she said. There's little disagreement, however, over teaching students about the U.S. Constitution. Ninety-three percent of Democrats and 95% of Republicans said it's important for any civics curriculum to cover the rights and principles outlined in the founding document. It's a cause that many chapters of Moms for Liberty, a conservative advocacy group, have taken up in recent years, and a Trump executive order calls for schools to recognize Constitution Day annually on Sept. 17. There was scant support in the survey for students participating in protests during school hours — only 24% liked the idea — but the largest partisan split was over reciting the Pledge of Allegiance. Forty-four percent of Democrats support that tradition, compared with 84% of Republicans. Debates over requiring students to recite the pledge have erupted in recent years in Maryland and Vermont. Given the negative attitudes of many respondents toward the role schools play in preparing students for civic life, researchers thought support would be higher for a common political proving ground: student government. But less than three-fourths of respondents favor student participation in school elections, like voting for student council leaders. That finding was unexpected, said Anna Saavedra, lead author and a research scientist at USC's Center for Applied Research in Education. 'Having a class president is a pretty standard part of most schools,' she said. 'Seeing such low support was a little surprising. It's a way for kids to practice voting, running a platform and participating in a democratic process.' Polikoff said it's not surprising that there are differences of opinion over activities like requiring community service as part of classwork (73% of Republicans compared with 80% of Democrats) or honoring veterans and military service (92% of Republicans and 78% of Democrats). Local context, he said, will continue to influence how deep teachers can take classroom discussions on potentially controversial topics. 'I don't think that we would expect that the civics curriculum is going to look exactly the same in rural Republican Wisconsin as it's going to look in Oakland Unified [in California],' he said. 'In both places, there is room for diverse perspectives. The reality is, every classroom is purple to at least some extent.' Some educators, however, still tiptoe around topics in the news. 'It's been a challenge to teach lately,' said Jenny Morgan, a veteran eighth grade U.S. History teacher in the West Salem, Wisconsin, district, which she described as 'very, very Republican.' She's tried to avoid discussing President Donald Trump's and Elon Musk's makeover of the executive branch, but she did recently teach a lesson on tariffs, which Trump is charging Canada, China and Mexico. The discussion prompted a recent debate between two students on opposite sides of the political spectrum. 'The Democratic student was trying to explain why tariffs aren't good and talked about how prices are going to go up. The other kid was saying 'Oh no, they won't go up,' ' Morgan said. 'It was just an interesting conversation between the two eighth grade boys. You could tell they were getting current events at home.'
