Latest news with #Eales
NZ Herald
08-05-2025
- NZ Herald
Palmerston North hydroponics retailer takes Reddit to court to take down posts and unmask user identities
While they have their suspicions about who might be behind the posts, they can't prove it because users on the forum aren't required to use their real names. Some of the posts, which are all live on a subpage of the website called r/NZtrees, where users generally share tips on how to grow cannabis, are almost three years old. The case is being heard in the Palmerston North District Court where Cozens and Eales have sought an order for Reddit to take down the posts, to publish a correction, and to give the pair a right of reply in a way the court determines. All these remedies are available to the court under the Harmful Digital Communications Act. Cozens and Eales are also seeking an order that Reddit tell the court who the anonymous posters are, however, such an order can only be made to an Internet Protocol Address Provider (IPAP), also known as an Internet Service Provider. Their application did not identify a specific IPAP that would be subject to the order if it were to be made by the court. At a hearing on the matter held in March, Cozens told the court that Reddit was operating in New Zealand, but had no physical office in the country as far as he was aware. 'If Reddit is doing nothing to allow these posts to continue…then how are we allowing them to operate in NZ?' he asked. 'In the meantime, my business is suffering, and people have lost their jobs.' Judge Stephanie Edwards advised at that hearing that there was an extent to which New Zealand law could apply overseas. 'There are plenty of companies that operate here that aren't based here,' she said. Following the hearing, Judge Edwards ordered that a technical adviser be appointed to assess the feasibility of the orders Cozens and Eales were seeking, and how realistic it would be to enforce those orders. Today, the case returned to court, and lawyers for Reddit submitted that it had proactively removed nine of the posts which they considered had violated its rules. However, they advised that others remained up and Reddit would not be disclosing the identities of its users. Advertisement Advertise with NZME. Judge Edwards offered Cozens the opportunity to withdraw his claim on the basis that Reddit had removed some of the posts, and warned him that if he lost in court, he'd be liable to pay legal fees. Cozens, who is self-represented, said he understood the potential consequences and opted to continue his case. The court's technical adviser returned his report, but only ten minutes before the hearing began. Given the parties and the judge had limited time to consider the report, Judge Edwards scheduled another hearing for a later date. Cozens asked what would happen in the meantime, and claimed that he would continue to be the subject of abuse on the website. He claimed he was getting 'hammered daily' by these kinds of posts, and Reddit doesn't do anything about it. 'The post is absolutely disgusting. I'm getting this daily, they're not.' Reddit's lawyers offered to provide Cozens with a direct email to help him report posts and comments on the site.
New York Post
24-04-2025
- Business
- New York Post
Miranda Devine: Leftists to blame for much of the US housing crisis — as almost a third of Americans are ‘housing-poor'
It was typical of Joe Biden's presidency that, when faced with a difficult problem, he would take the cynical approach of finding a scapegoat to blame while making a promise he never intended to keep. His response to the housing affordability crisis last year was a textbook case: blame 'rent-gouging' landlords and greedy realtors, make the false promise that his administration would build 2 million new homes via more deficit spending, and hope nobody asks questions — a safe bet, considering the incurious media that surrounded him. 'Folks are tired of being played for suckers and I'm tired of letting them be played for suckers,' Biden said in a campaign speech hammering his scapegoats last year. Having promised to lower housing costs during his State of the Union address earlier in the spring, Biden's fiery rhetoric showed he had not the faintest idea how to solve the problem. During his presidency, the cost of a median-price home more than doubled, and rents soared to record highs, according to a Heritage Foundation paper, 'Biden's Housing Headache.' In several cities, it takes more than the entire median household after-tax income to afford a median-price home. Housing-poor adults Almost one-third of American adults are 'housing-poor,' spending 30% or more of their income on a place to live. The result is that Americans 'increasingly live out of their cars because they can't afford housing.' Some cities have taken to reserving parking lots exclusively for homeless workers. Young people have all but given up on the American dream of homeownership that their parents and grandparents achieved. 'The Biden administration has effectively transformed homeownership into a luxury outside the reach of the middle class,' wrote the authors. It should not be this way. But Damian Eales, the CEO of (a fellow News Corp. company), has a plan. His 'Let America Build' campaign launched this week identifies urgent policy changes that would increase housing supply and make homeownership affordable. For instance, relaxing zoning restrictions around transit hubs to allow for development of multi- family housing would go a long way to solving the problem of 4 million 'missing' homes. 'I want America to build more homes,' says Eales. 'The real reason housing is unaffordable is not realtors' commissions. It's a lack of supply and that's a political issue.' In its latest 'Housing Report Card,' has identified states that have successfully met housing demand and those that are failing. No surprise that New York comes in third to last with an F grade, worse even than California. The median listing price for a house in New York is $664,622 while median household income is $81,057. In South Carolina, the most affordable state, the median listing price was almost half at $354,429 while median household income is $64,898. Eales points out that Texas, the third-most affordable state with a median listing price at $370,663, has just 9% of the population of America but represents 15% of new homes being built. By contrast, California (median listing price $756,185) has 12% of the nation's population but only builds about 7% of its new homes. 'In other words it is taking more than it's giving and the upshot is that it is exporting people to Texas,' says Eales. New York is even worse: With 6% of the population, it represents just 3% of new homes being built. Perverse incentive Housing over the past half-century has become a wealth-building vehicle that requires values to increase significantly over time, a perverse incentive achieved only by limiting supply. According to statistics compiled by the National Zoning Atlas for 170,000 New Yorkers are living with family or friends because they can't afford to buy their own place. 'There is demand for more housing units in the metro area that could be met by building more, but there simply aren't enough homes to meet the need,' says Sara Bronin, founder & CEO of Land Use Atlas, Inc. With a complex building code more than 1,000 pages long, 'zoning significantly constrains housing production in New York State,' she says. Get Miranda's latest take Sign up for Devine Online, the newsletter from Miranda Devine Thanks for signing up! Enter your email address Please provide a valid email address. By clicking above you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Want even more news? Check out more newsletters For instance, in Westchester County, multifamily housing is allowed on only 5% of land, and very little is permitted around transit stations. Westchester is exceptionally well served by the Metro-North Railroad, which connects directly to Grand Central Terminal, so relaxing zoning laws around stations as has happened in New Rochelle and White Plains would boost housing supply and stimulate local economies while preserving the semi-rural atmosphere of the rest of the county where half the land is zoned for 1-acre lots. Bronin has logged zoning conditions for every transit station in New York state, and found that only a handful allow for multifamily development. 'Much of the land around transit stations is owned by the state or independent authorities,' Bronin says. 'I am a huge fan of the idea that New York state should consider transit-oriented zoning legislation that requires all jurisdictions with train stations to build multifamily dwellings around them. We're not talking about skyscrapers but reasonably sized developments. Even a small town can support four- or five-story apartment buildings.' Property developers are not investing in multifamily projects in New York City because 'the cash and time costs associated with receiving approval from the city and the restrictions around what can be built is slowing housing-inventory growth in the metropolitan area.' In other words, politicians accommodating NIMBY tastes have pushed up housing prices by 'manufacturing scarcity,' to borrow a phrase from the hot new book for Democrats, 'Abundance,' by Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson. Blue state scarcity The authors point out the scarcity of housing is most acute in the richest cities in blue states governed by progressive elites. Between 1940 and 1950, America built 8.5 million new housing units, they say. But in the late 1970s, home construction started to fall behind the pace of population growth, and the cost of housing relative to wages began to rise. 'After the Great Recession, the housing market crashed, and home construction in the 2010s was obliterated.' 'Today, the average number of dwellings per thousand people in the developed world is about 470, according to the OECD [Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development]. France and Italy have nearly 600. Japan and Germany have about 500. The US has only about 425 . . . The result is a housing crisis of staggering proportions.' It means residents of blue states and cities are voting with their feet. In 2023, New York lost 284,000 more residents than it gained. 'Young families are leaving large urban metros so quickly that several counties — including those encompassing Manhattan, Brooklyn, Chicago, Los Angeles and San Francisco — are on pace to lose 50% of their under-5 childhood population in the next 20 years.' Michael Bloomberg once declared when he was mayor that housing in New York City was 'a high-end product, maybe even a luxury product.' But that's not a healthy situation, and leads to a city of vast wealth disparities where nobody wants to live.
BBC News
18-03-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Club sets date to celebrate with fans
Newcastle United's chief executive Darren Eales has announced the club will celebrate their Carabao Cup win with the fans on Saturday 29 March, with more details to on the triumphant win at Wembley on BBC Radio Newcastle, Eales said: "It was so wonderful for all of the supporters and the whole occasion was wonderful with the scarves and flags and the way the players played from the first minute."They were incredible, but at the end you could see what it meant to all of the supporters and this is why we're in the game and involved in football."It is all just so exciting and Eddie Howe is just an amazing manager."Listen to the full interview on BBC Sounds
New York Times
06-03-2025
- Business
- New York Times
Newcastle announce season ticket price rise for third successive season
Newcastle United have announced a five per cent increase in season ticket prices for the 2025-26 season. It marks the third successive season that the club have raised season ticket prices by five per cent. The increase comes despite calls from the Newcastle United Supporters' Trust (NUST) in January to freeze ticket prices and 'recognise the financial strain many fans are facing'. Advertisement Newcastle chief executive officer Darren Eales said the decision was taken 'reluctantly' but that it was ultimately 'unavoidable'. The club's fan advisory board said they were 'hugely disappointed' and 'unanimously rejected' the decision. Newcastle follow Arsenal in increasing supporter costs for next season, with The Athletic reporting on Tuesday the north London side are set to increase their ticket prices by an approximate average of 3.7 per cent. Other Premier League sides, including Liverpool, Brentford and West Ham United, have all opted to freeze prices for the 2025-26 campaign. Newcastle had their transfer activity limited in the summer to ensure they abided by the Premier League's profitability and sustainability rules (PSR), and ticket prices is one source used to maximise their revenue streams. Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Eales stressed the need for the club to remain competitive against sides with bigger revenues. GO DEEPER What Newcastle's accounts tell us about spending power, PSR and the value of the Champions League 'Raising ticket prices is a decision we make reluctantly but it is one that is unavoidable if we are to keep pace and build towards our collective ambitions,' Eales said in a statement. 'In a world of profit and sustainability rules, we must continue to face up to challenging decisions and find a balance that keeps football affordable while ensuring the club is able to compete. Without this approach, achieving the sustainable success we all crave simply becomes impossible.' The rise also comes amid a number of Newcastle supporters already coming off a long-term season ticket price freeze after the club introduced fixed-term price freezes ahead of the 2010-11 season. A statement from Newcastle's fan advisory board read: 'Against the backdrop of the long-term deal ending and the announcement made by the club earlier this week regarding improved financial performance for the year to 30 June 2024, we reject the choice made by the club to increase the cost of all adult season tickets by a further 5 per cent. Advertisement 'We are hugely disappointed and request full consultation on all future ticketing decisions. This includes, individual match tickets, cup schemes and memberships.' Junior season ticket costs at St James' Park will remain frozen for the 2025-26 campaign and concession prices will also still be offered, while the price rise will not impact fixtures in domestic cup competitions. A 12-month direct debit scheme has also been introduced. GO DEEPER Isak's future, Newcastle's transfer plans and more - an audience with Darren Eales, analysed PSR has definitely restricted Newcastle's post-takeover rise and the club are adamant that every revenue stream must be maximised to try and bridge the gap to those above. However, for those supporters coming off the long-term frozen deal, who are already facing a significant rise in their season-ticket price, a further five per cent increase will be difficult to stomach. For those who were already paying full price, three successive annual rises of five per cent during a cost-of-living crisis in one of the poorest areas of the country will hit hard. The Newcastle Fan Advisory Board (FAB) announced that they 'unanimously reject' the decision and expressed their 'huge disappointment', with supporter groups writing to Eales in January, requesting a price freeze. The Newcastle United Supporters Trust (NUST) also used #StopExploitingLoyalty in their response to Newcastle's decision. Beyond the most important economic effect supporters will feel from the increase, many may also question why prices are rising when Newcastle have failed to strengthen their first XI for three successive windows. Wor Flags, the supporters' group responsible for pre-match displays at St James' Park, even pointed out on social media that many tickets in the Gallowgate End at St James' Park will be more expensive in 2025-26 than those in several areas of The Kop at Anfield. Advertisement With matchday revenue (£50.1m) also now the lowest of the club's three main income streams, according to the club's accounts for 2023-24, and only producing 15.6 per cent of their entire £320.3m annual revenue, it is questionable how much of a difference their five per cent rise will actually make. Newcastle insist that every penny counts in a PSR world and will allow the club to better bolster Eddie Howe's squad, but this latest decision has prompted anger and resentment among their fanbase. ()
Reuters
05-03-2025
- Business
- Reuters
Newcastle under no pressure to sell best players, says CEO Eales
March 5 (Reuters) - Newcastle United want to hold on to their best players and are not under any pressure to part with their top assets, Chief Executive Officer Darren Eales said amid speculation that striker Alexander Isak could leave the Premier League club. Despite being under contract until 2028, Isak, who has scored 22 goals in 31 appearances in all competitions this season, has been linked with a move to top European clubs including fellow Premier League sides Liverpool and Arsenal. However, Eales said Newcastle intends to open up negotiations to extend the 25-year-old Swedish international's contract in the summer. "They're all under long-term contracts. We have no intention at all of those players being moved on. We're not under the gun or anything like that," Eales told British media. "We've got an ownership that is ambitious and wants the best for the club. So from that perspective, it would be crazy for us to consider it. "We're striving, as a club, to be at the top table. We want our best players here. I think it shows the value of Isak that they talk about him all the time. We're not looking to move any player on." Eales said the club, who are sixth in the Premier League standings and three points behind fourth-placed Manchester City after 27 matches, is excited about the summer transfer window. Newcastle reported revenue of 320 million pounds ($409.12 million) for the financial year ending June 2024, a 28% increase from 250 million pounds in 2023, driven by higher income following their return to the Champions League last season. "It is a new (Profit and Sustainability Rules) cycle, so that's good news for us. Ultimately, it's about getting the players that (manager) Eddie (Howe) wants in his positions. There's real alignment in that respect," Eales added.
