Latest news with #Hud
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
The truths behind José Aldo's weight-cut revelation, and why it signals the clear end of his decorated career
Have you seen the video of a young José Aldo shopping for his first suit? If you've been on any form of the MMA internet over the last decade or so, probably you have. It is memorable, wholesome content, and so it gets shared a lot because there isn't much from here that fits into that category. What made it so charming at the time was his boyish enthusiasm. Aldo, already a champion by this point, seemed positively tickled as he tried on sport coats and hats — while still wearing his fight shorts below the waist. Advertisement He was in his mid-twenties but in that moment seemed much younger. Just a kid, really. Amazed and amused by everything. Watching it now I can't help but think of Paul Newman in 'Hud,' the part where he recalls once being so young that he 'hadn't had enough of nothing.' Now it seems that maybe Aldo has had enough. The man who lost a unanimous decision to Aiemann Zahabi at UFC 315 on Saturday is around 15 years older than the kid who giggled his way through that purchase of a suit. But it's more than just the years and we all know it. It's the things those eyes have seen since then. It's the miles on his body. More than anything, though, maybe it's all the joys and sorrows, having been to the mountaintop and tumbled back down. Aldo's explanation of his own retirement considerations was especially eloquent on social media the day after his loss. He'd prepared hard for the fight, Aldo wrote, still dreaming of becoming a UFC champion again at the age of 38. Advertisement 'But while cutting weight, something inside me said: 'You don't ned to do this anymore.' And I listened.' Buried in that succinct description are some truths about this sport. For instance, it's telling that the revelation came to him when he was cutting weight — not when he was training or actually fighting. As anybody who's done it knows, weight-cutting time is a psychological minefield. You can end face-to-face with some hard questions about yourself in that sauna or scalding bath. It's a time of suffering. And when fighters are dialed in and hungry (both literally and figuratively), that suffering can be a weirdly positive part of the pre-fight ritual. It focuses the mind on the battle to come. Advertisement But if you aren't totally committed anymore — if you don't really want it the way you used to want it — maybe the suffering just feels like pointless misery. You might start to ask yourself: why am I doing this? And you might find that you no longer have an answer that works. Chances are that every fighter will get there eventually. Aldo was simply good enough for long enough that he got there while still in the UFC. Consider how incredible it is that he started out back when the UFC's parent company didn't see much in the way of viable commercial potential for any fighter below 155 pounds. He was already at the top of the featherweight division when the UFC absorbed the bulk of the WEC's roster. He entered the UFC as the reigning champ of a new division (buying his first suit to mark the occasion), then stayed at the top for the next four-plus years. He's also the rare fighter who moved down in weight late in his career and somehow made it look like a good idea. When does that ever happen? He logged 42 MMA bouts, from favela fight night events in Rio de Janeiro to a packed hockey arena in Canada, and the worst you can say about his eventual decline is that he went from utterly dominant to merely very good. Advertisement To last so long in this sport, you need more than talent and skill. The fight game chews through talent all the time, quickly and without sentiment. You need to have some kind of fire burning there in the engine room of your heart. Some fighters feed that fire with childhood rage or lingering fears on inadequacy. Others feed it with their egos, some deep need to stand above everyone else and look smirking down. Whatever it is, though, eventually the fuel runs out. You burn through it. The better you are at this sport, the longer they want you to keep doing it. That means eventually you use up all the stuff that got you here in the first place. It's only a question of when. Aldo has options. He's already tried stepping away before, only to find that the desire to punch someone for money in one combat sport or another did not entirely depart. Maybe he'll discover the same again this time and end up in some celebrity-adjacent boxing match before long. Still, to hear yourself asking why you're doing this on the night before a UFC fight — and to have no compelling answers left — must feel like the clear end of something. And if Aldo has finally had enough, you can look at his résumé and know he came by the feeling honestly.
Yahoo
30-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
HUD chief showcases how private-public partnerships uplift economically neglected areas in Philly tour
Housing and Urban Development Secretary Scott Turner is reinvigorating the private sector's role in aiding economically distressed areas that have been neglected for decades – including touring areas of Philadelphia that have seen massive development since he served in the first Trump administration. "The last five years have brought $84 billion of private investment. One million people have gotten lifted off the poverty rolls. Home values and Opportunity Zones have risen, while rents did not go up. And so the Opportunity Zones initiative is not only about economic development, but it's about community development. Families are able to build brand-new foundations for their lives," Turner told Fox News Digital in an exclusive interview from Philadelphia. Turner traveled to the City of Brotherly Love on Thursday to meet with local community and business leaders to discuss and tour recently revitalized areas of the city and Opportunity Zone projects, which are defined as economically distressed areas across the nation that incentivize investment and economic development through federal tax benefits to investors. Opportunity Zones were created under the first Trump administration through the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. Turner served as the executive director of the White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council during the first Trump administration, as well as led the Opportunity Zones Initiative. Hud Chief Puts Illegal Aliens Living In Government-funded Housing On Notice: Americans Are 'Our Only Priority' Now that Turner is serving as the secretary of HUD in the second Trump administration, he previewed his excitement over "Opportunity Zones 2.0" that will make the program "even better than before." Read On The Fox News App "I'm very excited about the extension, the continuation of Opportunity Zones. And Opportunity Zones 2.0, if you will, and my estimation will be even better. So I'm looking forward to working with Sen. Tim Scott, Congress, the White House, and our private partners to make this even better than before," he said. Turner spent Thursday meeting with local leaders at the Philadelphia Housing Authority, before touring a grocery store built in a North Philadelphia neighborhood, Sharswood-Blumberg, that has historically been rocked by crime and economic struggles. The grocery store, called Grocery Outlet, is part of a mixed-use development project that came about after HUD announced a $30 million Choice Neighborhoods Grant in 2020 that attracted an additional $517 million in private and public investments. The development includes a community center that houses the Philadelphia Housing Authority, a health clinic and additional housing. Hud Ends Fha Mortgages For Illegal Immigrants: 'Should Benefit Americans Who Play By The Rules' Turner also toured a newly completed building in Philadelphia's Fishtown neighborhood, called The Battery, which is an Opportunity Zone Development that has provided nearly 200 apartment units nestled along the Delaware River with views of Philadelphia's skyline. The building is also home to a luxury boutique hotel called Riversuites at The Battery. Hud Terminates Obama-era Housing Rule That Trump Warned Would 'Destroy' Home Values The building previously served as a power plant that was built just after World War I, before it was shuttered and sat vacant for decades with no hope of revitalization due to its lofty costs and work to rehab, according to investors and local development leaders who joined Turner on his tour of the building. The building's prospects turned around in 2020, as the area's Opportunity Zone designation and tax incentives to preserve historic properties attracted $154 million in investments. Now, the building showcases modern living spaces, while preserving its turn-of-the-century architecture in an area of Philadelphia that had previously been neglected for housing and economic opportunities. "I'm very excited. We're here at the Battery in Philadelphia, which is an Opportunity Zone project. It's a mixed-use development. This is an old factory that they repurposed this building to bring mixed-use, economic development and community development using the Opportunity Zone initiative. I'm so excited to see," Turner told Fox News Digital from The Battery's rooftop, which boasts the energy plant's old smokestacks that have been transformed into private terraces. Hud Offices Became As Vacant As A 'Spirit Halloween' Store Under Biden: Admin Sources "There's living space here. There's commercial space here. And people in this area now can utilize this… 50 years this place was dilapidated and closed. And now, through the investment of Opportunity Zones… this is a thriving place that Philadelphians can once use again," he added. Turner explained to Fox Digital that developments in Opportunity Zones impact families and entire communities, while also rallying economic opportunities for private investors. "Philadelphia has done a great job as it pertains to Opportunity Zones… And I would say, and I will say, there's a lot of excitement from our private development people, and partners around the country about the extenuation of Opportunity Zones. Families are impacted. We're mission-minded at HUD. It's economic development, it's community development. Our mission is to be a blessing to the people that we serve. Having public-private partnerships allows us and helps us to do this for the people of America, and Opportunity Zones is a major factor in that," he said. Philadelphia has been rocked by crime, fentanyl addiction and homelessness in recent years, which were three issues that spiraled nationwide amid and following the coronavirus pandemic. Turner highlighted to Fox News Digital that "government is not the answer" to issues related to America's housing crisis, homelessness, drug addiction and crime, but instead must operate as a "partner" to the private sector, faith-based programs and nonprofits. "Homelessness is a big deal in our country," he said. "It went up 18% in the last year – over 770,000 people on one single night in January of 2024 were homeless, and that's unacceptable. With record funding coming from HUD, we still have a homelessness crisis in our country." Liberal North Carolina City's Dei Plan For Hurricane Relief Shut Down By Hud Secretary "Public-private partnerships are vital to eradicating homelessness," he continued. "Faith-based institutions, nonprofit institutions that are doing the work on a daily basis, we have to partner. The federal government is not the answer. The federal government is a great partner, a great facilitator. But it's the private sector, it's faith-based, it's the nonprofits that really have their hands to the plow and their feet on the ground, that are doing the everyday work." Hud Sec Carson And Rollins: Opportunity Zones Key To Lifting People Out Of Poverty The HUD secretary has been on an immigration blitz, including joining forces with Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem last week to form a new interagency initiative aimed at ensuring that federal housing funds do not go to illegal immigrants. The pair of Trump officials signed a Memorandum of Understanding Monday that solidified the partnership in its effort to end "wasteful misappropriation" of taxpayer-funded public housing resources that previously benefited illegal immigrants who flooded the nation under the Biden administration. Turner said illegal immigrants taking advantage of government-funded housing are "on notice" that he and HUD are prioritizing only Americans for housing. "Those that are here illegally, that are living in HUD-funded public housing, we're putting (them) on notice this is not acceptable," Turner said. "We will not have it anymore." "At HUD, we only serve one out of four Americans that we should be serving, and that has to come to an end," Turner continued. "And so we're not only making it a priority, but we are making that our only priority, that American citizens will benefit from hard-working American taxpayer dollars."Original article source: HUD chief showcases how private-public partnerships uplift economically neglected areas in Philly tour
Yahoo
28-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
HUD chief puts illegal aliens living in government-funded housing on notice: Americans are 'our only priority'
PHILADELPHIA — Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Scott Turner warned illegal immigrants living in government-funded housing, telling Fox News Digital in an exclusive interview that HUD is prioritizing only Americans under the Trump administration. "Those that are here illegally, that are living in HUD-funded public housing, we're putting (them) on notice this is not acceptable," Turner told Fox News Digital from Philadelphia, as he toured the city's recent HUD successes and met with local housing and business leaders. "We will not have it anymore," "At HUD, we only serve one out of four Americans that we should be serving, and that has to come to an end," Turner continued. "And so we're not only making it a priority, but we are making that our only priority, that American citizens will benefit from hard-working American taxpayer dollars." The HUD secretary has been on an immigration blitz, including joining forces with Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem to form a new interagency initiative aimed at ensuring that federal housing funds do not go to illegal immigrants. The pair of Trump officials signed a Memorandum of Understanding Monday that solidified the partnership in its effort to end "wasteful misappropriation" of taxpayer-funded public housing resources that previously benefited illegal immigrants who flooded the nation under the Biden administration. Hud Ends Fha Mortgages For Illegal Immigrants: 'Should Benefit Americans Who Play By The Rules' "American tax dollars should be used for the benefit of American citizens, especially when it comes to an issue as pressing as our nation's housing crisis," Turner said Monday. "This new agreement will leverage resources, including technology and personnel, to ensure American people are the only priority when it comes to public housing. We will continue to work closely with DHS to maximize our resources and put American citizens first." Read On The Fox News App On Wednesday, Turner announced that his department had axed taxpayer-backed Federal Housing Administration (FHA) mortgages for illegal immigrants. Turner said after announcing the change that HUD-backed mortgages should benefit Americans "who play by the rules and work hard, not those who enter our country illegally." Hud Joins Forces With Dhs To Ensure Federal Housing Resources Go To Us Citizens, Not Illegal Immigrants Turner told Fox News Digital Thursday that the Biden administration rolled out "harmful" immigration policies that worsened homelessness across the U.S. and prioritized illegal immigrants over U.S. citizens in need of housing. "We have a homelessness and we have a housing affordability crisis," he said. "During the Biden administration, there were very harmful, irresponsible border security and immigration policies. They prioritized illegal aliens over American citizens." Hud Terminates Obama-era Housing Rule That Trump Warned Would 'Destroy' Home Values Turner highlighted to Fox News Digital that "government is not the answer" to issues related to America's housing crisis, homelessness, drug addiction and crime, but instead must operate as a "partner" to the private sector, faith-based programs and nonprofits. "Homelessness is a big deal in our country," he said. "It went up 18% in the last year — over 770,000 people on one single night in January of 2024 were homeless, and that's unacceptable. With record funding coming from HUD, we still have a homelessness crisis in our country." Hud Offices Became As Vacant As A 'Spirit Halloween' Store Under Biden: Admin Sources "Public-private partnerships are vital to eradicating homelessness," he continued. "Faith-based institutions, nonprofit institutions that are doing the work on a daily basis, we have to partner. The federal government is not the answer. The federal government is a great partner, a great facilitator. But it's the private sector, it's faith-based, it's the nonprofits that really have their hands to the plow and their feet on the ground, that are doing the everyday work." Turner cited that crime, drug use and illegal immigration have all compounded the U.S.' housing crisis. Turner traveled to Philadelphia on Thursday to visit "Opportunity Zones" in the City of Brotherly Love. HUD's Opportunity Zones are defined as economically distressed areas across the nation that incentivize investment and economic development through federal tax benefits to investors. Liberal North Carolina City's Dei Plan For Hurricane Relief Shut Down By Hud Secretary The HUD secretary previously served as the executive director of the White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council during the first Trump administration, and he led the Opportunity Zones Initiative to revitalize economically distressed areas with affordable housing, and the launch of new businesses — such as the creation of grocery stores in food deserts often found in inner cities. Fox News Digital's Alec Schemmel and Louis Casiano contributed to this report. Original article source: HUD chief puts illegal aliens living in government-funded housing on notice: Americans are 'our only priority'
Yahoo
07-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
HUD secretary directs agency to ban transgender women from federally funded women-only shelters
On his first day in office, Eric Turner made a bold move as Secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). He directed agency staff to suspend all pending and future enforcement actions related to the Obama-era Equal Access Rule, which required HUD-funded programs and shelters to determine eligibility based on a person's self-identified gender. Turner said that the move was part of President Donald Trump's agenda to "restore biological truth to the federal government." "We want to protect the ladies entering any HUD facilities," Turner told reporters Thursday, adding that he wants to "restore equal rights, but no extra rights." The Secretary added that most of the females who utilize HUD shelters already come from domestic violence situations, and he wants to ensure that their tragedies are not exacerbated when they turn to the federal government for help. Trump's Pick As Hud Secretary, A Former Nfl Player, Says He Wants To Help Americans Get Off Government Aid Turner's directive follows Trump's Day One executive order terminating federal diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives and mandating the federal government only recognize two genders, male and female. This week, Trump signed an executive order preventing biological males who identify as females from competing on women's sports teams, as well as another prohibiting minors from receiving puberty blockers or transition surgery. Read On The Fox News App Under the 2016 Equal Access Rule that Turner is rescinding, homeless shelters, domestic violence shelters and other federally funded HUD-assisted housing programs were prohibited from requiring people to prove they are biologically female. Following Turner's directive, this will no longer be prohibited. In 2018, nine California women filed a lawsuit against a local women's shelter in Fresno, which operates with public funds, for allegedly forcing them to take showers alongside a biological male who identified as a woman and who they claimed sexually harassed them. 15 STATE AGs VOW TO PROTECT TRANS PROCEDURES FOR MINORS DESPITE TRUMP EXECUTIVE ORDER Last year, police in Greenville, South Carolina, arrested a transgender woman, Michelle Silva Perez, for stabbing a shelter employee after Perez was admitted to the emergency shelter meant only for women and mothers. The facility, which receives both state and federal funding, said it would have acted differently if it had known that the suspect was not a biological woman. Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for comment but did not receive a response by publication article source: HUD secretary directs agency to ban transgender women from federally funded women-only shelters
