Latest news with #HarleyDavidson
Fox News
a day ago
- Politics
- Fox News
Trump hung up on CNN reporter when asked about resurfaced Epstein photos
A CNN reporter said President Donald Trump hung up on him on Tuesday during an interview about disgraced predator Jeffrey Epstein. CNN's Andrew Kaczynski said he spoke to Trump on the phone for his Tuesday story about resurfaced photos of Epstein at the president's 1993 wedding until Trump hung up on him. "We were not on the phone very long. I think our call was about 30 seconds or so. But when I asked him about the wedding photo, he said – he sort of paused for a second and then said, 'You've got to be kidding me,' before calling CNN 'fake news' and then hanging up on me," the reporter said. CNN's story centered on "uncovered archived video footage and photos" depicting the relationship between Trump and Epstein in the 90s. In the report, he featured photos of Epstein attending Trump's wedding to Marla Maples in 1993, as well as footage of the real estate mogul and Epstein talking and laughing together at a Victoria's Secret fashion show in New York in 1999. Kaczynski also published photos of Trump and two of his children alongside Epstein at the opening of the Harley Davidson Café in New York taken by photographer Dafydd Jones in 1993. "The new footage and photos, which have not been widely reported and pre-date any of Epstein's known legal issues, come amid renewed scrutiny of Trump's past relationship with Epstein," Kaczynski reported, elsewhere noting that the images were found on Google Images and Shutterstock, a major online licensed image provider. A 2002 New York Magazine Epstein profile piece reported Trump saying, "I've known Jeff for 15 years. Terrific guy. He's a lot of fun to be with." Trump in 2019 described having a "falling out" with Epstein 15 years prior, noting they stopped talking around that time. Epstein was arrested and charged with sexually abusing underage girls in 2006 and arrested again on federal sex trafficking charges in 2019. Trump has tried to dissuade public interest in the so-called "Epstein files" in recent weeks, calling it a waste of time and "hoax." Epstein committed suicide in his jail cell in 2019, according to officials. His death fueled conspiracy theories, among them that someone killed him to protect names of powerful people on his supposed underage girls "client list." Trump's relationship with Epstein has come under newfound scrutiny this month as Trump's Department of Justice (DOJ) and the FBI released a memo this week concluding that Epstein died by suicide in his cell and there is no "client list." The memo has prompted skepticism that the administration is being transparent enough on the issue and calls from both Republicans and Democratic Party members to release everything pertaining to the Epstein files. White House spokesman Steven Cheung dismissed CNN's article in a statement. "These are nothing more than out-of-context frame grabs of innocuous videos and pictures of widely attended events to disgustingly infer something nefarious. The fact is that The President kicked him out of his club for being a creep. This is nothing more than a continuation of the fake news stories concocted by the Democrats and the liberal media, just like the Obama Russiagate scandal, which President Trump was right about," he told Fox News Digital.
The Irish Sun
3 days ago
- Automotive
- The Irish Sun
Huge UK car dealership in £2million debt after sudden collapse as administrators swoop in
A MAJOR car dealership has fallen into £2million debt after the business fell into administration. Administrators for cash-strapped Marsh Holdings Limited, based in Exeter, Devon, said the firm cannot pay back its unsecured creditors. 2 Marsh Holdings Ltd fell into administration last December Credit: Google maps 2 The firm held franchises for the likes of Harley Davidson in Plymouth Credit: Google maps The firm held franchises for the likes of Harley Davidson in Plymouth and Southampton, Triumph in Plymouth and Yamaha in Exeter. The dealership was forced to shut down all five showrooms last December - just months after it sold its Kia franchise to another group. Administrators at Westcotts Business Recovery are currently selling the Triumph and Harley-Davison showrooms at Plymouth for £1.55million which is less than £1.9million estimated market value. A huge portion of the firm's debt will be paid off with that money but the sum will not cover compensation to unsecured creditors. read more on motors Unpaid debt The dealership's three subsidiaries have a combined debt of £2.3million which will likely go unpaid, according to The administrators said: "It is not anticipated that a dividend will be paid to unsecured creditors." The firm owes ££1.161million to NatWest bank which holds security over the Plympton premises. In addition, the business has preferred claims for unpaid salaries and holiday pay totalling an estimated £69,385. Most read in Motors Lastly, HM Revenue and Customs is expecting payment of £360,000 for VAT, PAYE and workers' National Insurance. However, an offer of £1.55million has been accepted which will pay in full the outstanding balance at the bank, HMRC and the salaries. Edinburgh Cybersecurity Giant Adarma Collapses with 173 Jobs Lost 'Period of uncertainty in the economy' Just three months prior to the closure, the company reported "strong cash reserves". However, accounts for the group, which were filed at the end of last September, show it made an operating loss of £852,399. Taking into account the £1.2m second payment for the sale of Kia Taunton, it clocked up a profit of just £27,526 for the year, according to The firm blamed their recent issues on a 'period of uncertainty in the economy' along with continued poor weather, excessive supply and stock from their manufacturer partners, as well as recent budget announcements. A notice on the company's used car website said at the time: 'Sadly, we are devastated to announce that we have had to cease trading with immediate effect. We want to assure you that every possible effort was made to try and avoid this decision, but making it now is the only way we can minimise the impact on all those affected. 'We recognise there will be those of you that have concerns and matters outstanding and we want to assure you we are doing everything we possibly can to resolve these. 'We kindly ask that you are patient whilst we work to ensure these are dealt with quickly.' Company Rescue claims the firm employed 62 people at its showrooms and had a turnover of £30million. The Sun has reached out to Westcotts Business Recovery for a comment.
Scottish Sun
3 days ago
- Automotive
- Scottish Sun
Huge UK car dealership in £2million debt after sudden collapse as administrators swoop in
The firm is selling its dealerships below the market value PAY BACK Huge UK car dealership in £2million debt after sudden collapse as administrators swoop in Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A MAJOR car dealership has fallen into £2million debt after the business fell into administration. Administrators for cash-strapped Marsh Holdings Limited, based in Exeter, Devon, said the firm cannot pay back its unsecured creditors. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 2 Marsh Holdings Ltd fell into administration last December Credit: Google maps 2 The firm held franchises for the likes of Harley Davidson in Plymouth Credit: Google maps The firm held franchises for the likes of Harley Davidson in Plymouth and Southampton, Triumph in Plymouth and Yamaha in Exeter. The dealership was forced to shut down all five showrooms last December - just months after it sold its Kia franchise to another group. Administrators at Westcotts Business Recovery are currently selling the Triumph and Harley-Davison showrooms at Plymouth for £1.55million which is less than £1.9million estimated market value. A huge portion of the firm's debt will be paid off with that money but the sum will not cover compensation to unsecured creditors. Unpaid debt The dealership's three subsidiaries have a combined debt of £2.3million which will likely go unpaid, according to Car Dealer Magazine. The administrators said: "It is not anticipated that a dividend will be paid to unsecured creditors." The firm owes ££1.161million to NatWest bank which holds security over the Plympton premises. In addition, the business has preferred claims for unpaid salaries and holiday pay totalling an estimated £69,385. Lastly, HM Revenue and Customs is expecting payment of £360,000 for VAT, PAYE and workers' National Insurance. However, an offer of £1.55million has been accepted which will pay in full the outstanding balance at the bank, HMRC and the salaries. Edinburgh Cybersecurity Giant Adarma Collapses with 173 Jobs Lost 'Period of uncertainty in the economy' Just three months prior to the closure, the company reported "strong cash reserves". However, accounts for the group, which were filed at the end of last September, show it made an operating loss of £852,399. Taking into account the £1.2m second payment for the sale of Kia Taunton, it clocked up a profit of just £27,526 for the year, according to Car Dealer Magazine The firm blamed their recent issues on a 'period of uncertainty in the economy' along with continued poor weather, excessive supply and stock from their manufacturer partners, as well as recent budget announcements. A notice on the company's used car website said at the time: 'Sadly, we are devastated to announce that we have had to cease trading with immediate effect. We want to assure you that every possible effort was made to try and avoid this decision, but making it now is the only way we can minimise the impact on all those affected. 'We recognise there will be those of you that have concerns and matters outstanding and we want to assure you we are doing everything we possibly can to resolve these. 'We kindly ask that you are patient whilst we work to ensure these are dealt with quickly.' Company Rescue claims the firm employed 62 people at its showrooms and had a turnover of £30million. The Sun has reached out to Westcotts Business Recovery for a comment.
Forbes
17-07-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Silent Risks In The Boardroom: Why Board Self-Evaluations Matter More Than Ever
Silent Risks in the Boardroom Most director resignations are a routine part of an ongoing board refreshment process that takes place at a relatively tempered pace. But some resignations are abrupt and noisy, as illustrated by a recent exit at Harley-Davidson. That situation is a great example of governance issues escaping the boardroom into press headlines, impacting public trust and market value. But do boardroom dynamics need to breakdown like this? No. When boards treat self-evaluations as a strategic priority, they're better positioned to identify and address issues before they blow up the boardroom. Board Evaluations Are More Than Just Compliance Exercises Board evaluations are widely practiced. They are required of NYSE-listed companies and most Nasdaq-listed companies do them as well. However, not all board evaluation processes are particularly meaningful. Many boards still treat them as compliance exercises rather than real opportunities to improve board processes. As a result, they often miss the mark. According to PwC's 2024 Annual Corporate Directors Survey, 35% said their assessments were too much of a check-the-box exercise. This passive approach means that board refreshment is more about age and tenure than driven by performance. In Agenda's Q1 2025 Directors' and Officers' Outlook Survey, most boards cited retirement age or term limits, not skills gaps or performance, as the reason for turnover. Indeed, there is a clear reluctance in boardrooms to provide personalized feedback. Only 26% said skills gaps would influence refreshment, and a mere 3% cited performance as a driver for board refreshment. Spencer Stuart's 2024 Board Index, which focuses on S&P 500 boards, found similar results, reporting that only 47% include individual director assessments. Making The Most Of The Evaluation Process There is no one-size-fits all way to conduct board evaluations. The key to choosing the right type of evaluation is a high degree of self-awareness and honesty about what is likely to work best for the individual board members involved in the board evaluation process. In the best case, a board's chairman or lead director will be able to assess what would work for a board in any given board evaluation cycle. This might include asking fellow board members what they feel would be helpful . . . and paying attention not just to the words, but also the tone and body language when board members respond. What follows are some questions that might guide a board's evaluation process. Note: using the same process every time tends to diminish the process's effectiveness. Consider making changes from time to time. At What Level Should The Evaluation Take Place? CII (the Council of Institutional Investors) recommends in its policies on corporate governance that boards conduct evaluations at the board, committee and individual director levels. And while many boards do at least one of those, relatively few go all the way. According to ESGauge data reported by Agenda, just 52.4% of S&P 500 companies conducted evaluations across all three dimensions in 2024, up only slightly from 51.4% the year before. There are, of course, good reasons some boards decline to conduct individual evaluations. Some boards fear that individual feedback could become political. Others argue that the board functions as a group and should be assessed as such. Consider, too, that individual evaluations are inevitably both hugely time-consuming and intrusive. Bluntly, they are the colonoscopy of board evaluations—perhaps worth doing sometimes but surely not required every time. Who Should Lead The Board Evaluation? Who leads the evaluation process matters. Often, it's the general counsel, the chair of the nominating and governance committee or the board chair. Some boards turn to third-party consultants or legal counsel, especially when tensions exist or feedback could become sensitive. There are pros and cons to internal and external approaches. Insiders often understand board culture and personalities better, which can lead to deeper insights. But that may also introduce blind spots. When trust is low and board dynamics are strained, insiders tend to be less effective compared to an outside facilitator who can offer neutrality. Some boards prefer that counsel conduct the evaluations in order to maintain attorney-client privilege. However, this only works if the purpose for involving counsel is to obtain legal advice. How Transparent Should The Process Be? In most cases, board evaluations are about ensuring that a well-functioning board remains that way. It's perfectly acceptable to state that things seem fine; we want to ensure that's true. A good board evaluation benefits from everyone understanding that it's OK to mention relatively small things, e.g., 'I don't get enough airtime' or 'I feel that we call questions too quickly/not quickly enough.' The spirit here is that tackling small things keeps them from becoming big issues later. On the other hand, your board may be using the evaluation process as a way to retire board members whose skills are no longer relevant to the company. In this case, it is best to be upfront about this. It's not easy to reach consensus that the board needs new skills and wants to implement a fair process to discern who is staying, but the outcomes will ultimately be better in the long run. Consider, too, that when boards intentionally tie evaluation results to refreshment planning, they are better positioned to fill expertise gaps and align with company strategy. What about people not in the boardroom like investors? Investors don't expect boards to disclose every detail of an evaluation, but they do want to know that an effective process is in place. Board Evaluations Are A Risk Mitigation Tool No one wants to serve on a board whose governance failures make headlines. One way to avoid this is to take corporate hygiene, especially board evaluations, seriously. Effective board evaluations can lead to robust discussions that help surface friction and disagreements in a constructive way. This is surely a better process than letting things fester, which only leads to turmoil that distracts management and ultimately may destroy shareholder value.
Telegraph
17-07-2025
- General
- Telegraph
Telegraph style book: Hh
H hang: People are hanged but pictures are hung H-bomb: Uses a hyphen, but nuclear weapon is often the better term Habsburg: Not Hapsburg hairdryer: Not hairdrier halal: Permissible under Islamic law Hallowe'en: With the apostrophe Hamas: Is a terrorist organisation. Do not call its members 'militants' or similar Hamleys: No apostrophe handover: no hyphen hardliner: Be very selective in its use hard-pressed: Is becoming clichéd and ubiquitous. Use only if all else fails hare-brained: Not hair Haringey: Is a north London borough, one ward of which is Harringay Harley-Davidson HarperCollins: One word Harper's Bazaar Harpers & Queen Harrods: No apostrophe Harvey Nichols hawks and doves: Use sparingly in descriptions of the relative levels of aggression or conciliation between two factions head teacher: two words. If a school explicitly calls theirs a headmaster or headmistress use that instead head-butt: Is tautological. Use butt healthcare heartbreak: Tabloid, avoid heart condition: Avoid. Every heart has some condition heart failure: Is often a sign of death, not its cause heart-rending: Not heart-wrenching Heathcliff heatwave: Is one word Hello! The magazine Helmand hiccup: Not hiccough Hi-De-Hi! High Church hijab: A covering for the head but not the face. Do not confuse with burka or niqab, which do cover the face hijack: The seizure of any vehicle - land, sea or air - without lawful reason. The original meaning of criminals stealing from criminals is too restrictive. Skyjacking may still be used Hindi (language), Hindu (religion), Hindustani was a pidgin Hindi used by British soldiers in India Hinkley Point C (Hinkley Point is also fine, if there is no chance of confusion with the other stations). Hinckley, Leicestershire hi-tech Hezbollah: Not Hizbollah historic: Important in history 'historic structures in Pompeii; the historic moment when the Berlin Wall fell' historical: Concerned with history or established by history. 'A historical novel, historical abuse allegations' hoard: a store of food or treasure: horde: a multitude Hobson's Choice: Is not the lesser of two evils. It is not a choice at all hoi polloi: A way of referring to common people, and an elitist term usually used by people who consider themselves to be above the masses. Hoi is the definite article, so don't say 'the' hoi polloi hold-up: For delays or crimes, but hold up as a verb Holiday, Billie Holland: Use the Netherlands unless talking about that specific region Holocaust: Cap up when used to describe the Nazi genocide. Lower case in other uses, but ensure you use it legitimately to describe mass destruction Holy Communion: Takes caps Holyrood: (One 'L') is the Scottish Parliament; Holyroodhouse the King's residence homeowner home town homeopathy homogeneous: Having the same constituent elements throughout, used for people, communities etc that have homogeneity. Do not confuse it with: homogenous, which is a form of milk homosexual: Is outdated as a noun or adjective. Use gay Hooray Henrys horrify: Use only literally, and therefore sparingly Horse Guards Parade horse riding: Just say 'riding' horsy hosepipe hotspot housebuilders Howards End Howerd, Frankie: late comedian HRH/HM as the abbreviations for His/Her Royal Highness and His/Her Majesty are styles, not titles hummus: Is food, humus is compost Humphrys, John hyperthermia: Condition of having body-temperature much above normal hypothermia: Condition of having body-temperature much below normal.
