Latest news with #McCormick
CNN
16 hours ago
- General
- CNN
A private company runs the control tower where a B-52 got too close to a passenger jet. It is more common than you might think
The control tower where a Delta Air Lines regional jet had to perform an 'aggressive maneuver' to avoid colliding with an Air Force B-52 bomber isn't staffed by the Federal Aviation Administration, but rather air traffic controllers working for a private company. It's more common than most fliers may think. About half of the control towers at civilian airports in the US are operated under contract by private companies, according to the FAA. Most are at smaller airports, like Minot International. On Friday, the B-52 bomber was conducting a flyover at the North Dakota State Fairgrounds, near the Minot airport that, 'was planned in advance and approved by the Federal Aviation Administration,' according to a statement from Minot Air Force Base. 'The tower did not advise of the inbound commercial aircraft,' the statement said. The passenger plane wasn't told about the bomber either, according to a video filmed inside the plane by a passenger and posted on TikTok. The pilot of the Delta jet, operated by regional carrier SkyWest Airlines, can be heard telling passengers that the aircraft was 'kind of, sort of coming at us' and it was safest to turn sharply to pass behind it. SkyWest, the FAA, and the military are all investigating what went wrong. The Minot International Control Tower is operated by Midwest ATC, which declined to comment to CNN. It operates 93 towers in the United States and handles more than eight million passengers a year. The company is a long-term provider of contract tower services, according to Michael McCormick, an associate professor and program coordinator of air traffic management at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. Despite these towers not being operated by the FAA, McCormick said there's no reason to believe they are not safe. 'In fact, the contract controllers at these towers are all former FAA or US military air traffic controllers,' he said. An audit, conducted in 2020 by the Department of Transportation's Office of Inspector General, found that contract towers are more cost effective than comparable FAA towers and have similar safety records. The FAA notes, 'all of the approximate 1,400 contract controllers meet the same qualification and training requirements as FAA air traffic controllers.' The Minot Tower is also one of the 171 federal contract towers represented by the National Air Traffic Controllers Association, the major air traffic controller union, who also represents FAA controllers. Some contracted towers are located at small airports in Albany, Georgia; Brownsville, Texas; and Key West, Florida. In cities with major airports, contracted towers operate at smaller fields like Houston Executive, Detroit City and Miami-Opa Locka Executive Airport. The FAA's Contract Tower Program started in 1982 to allow employees of private companies to staff towers, rather than FAA employees. McCormick said it was a result of the 1981 air traffic controllers' strike when 12,000 members walked off the job. After a shortage plagued the industry, low activity towers were at risk of being shut down to provide staffing at busier towers, he explained. 'That is when they came up with the Contract Tower Program where they would actually provide opportunity for contractors to take over those initial control towers that they were going to shut down,' McCormick said. Since then, he said, the program has grown. Generally, McCormick said, the towers are usually not equipped with radar displays. Controllers primarily rely on position reports from the aircraft and looking out the windows. While investigators have not made public what caused the close call in Minot, McCormick said the communication with the two planes doesn't appear to have been accurate, ultimately leading to the regional pilot's evasive maneuver. Overall, McCormick said having contracted towers increases safety – because the alternative for many of these small airports might be no tower at all. 'The contract tower program has operated safely, effectively and efficiently,' McCormick said. 'The contractors have provided great services, but at the same time, oversight needs to be strong.'
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Lamb Weston (LW) Q2 Earnings: What To Expect
Potato products company Lamb Weston (NYSE:LW) will be announcing earnings results this Wednesday before market hours. Here's what to expect. Lamb Weston beat analysts' revenue expectations by 2.4% last quarter, reporting revenues of $1.52 billion, up 4.3% year on year. It was a very strong quarter for the company, with a solid beat of analysts' EBITDA estimates and an impressive beat of analysts' gross margin estimates. Is Lamb Weston a buy or sell going into earnings? Read our full analysis here, it's free. This quarter, analysts are expecting Lamb Weston's revenue to decline 1.6% year on year to $1.59 billion, improving from the 4.9% decrease it recorded in the same quarter last year. Adjusted earnings are expected to come in at $0.63 per share. Analysts covering the company have generally reconfirmed their estimates over the last 30 days, suggesting they anticipate the business to stay the course heading into earnings. Lamb Weston has missed Wall Street's revenue estimates five times over the last two years. Looking at Lamb Weston's peers in the shelf-stable food segment, some have already reported their Q2 results, giving us a hint as to what we can expect. McCormick posted flat year-on-year revenue, meeting analysts' expectations, and Simply Good Foods reported revenues up 13.8%, in line with consensus estimates. McCormick traded up 3.6% following the results while Simply Good Foods was also up 1.7%. Read our full analysis of McCormick's results here and Simply Good Foods's results here. Investors in the shelf-stable food segment have had steady hands going into earnings, with share prices up 1.5% on average over the last month. Lamb Weston is down 11% during the same time and is heading into earnings with an average analyst price target of $62.59 (compared to the current share price of $48.15). Today's young investors likely haven't read the timeless lessons in Gorilla Game: Picking Winners In High Technology because it was written more than 20 years ago when Microsoft and Apple were first establishing their supremacy. But if we apply the same principles, then enterprise software stocks leveraging their own generative AI capabilities may well be the Gorillas of the future. So, in that spirit, we are excited to present our Special Free Report on a profitable, fast-growing enterprise software stock that is already riding the automation wave and looking to catch the generative AI next. StockStory is growing and hiring equity analyst and marketing roles. Are you a 0 to 1 builder passionate about the markets and AI? See the open roles here.
Fast Company
2 days ago
- Business
- Fast Company
Pumpkin Spice Latte returns to Starbucks on Aug. 26
Want a little autumn in your August? You're in luck. Starbucks said Monday that its Pumpkin Spice Latte will return to store menus in the U.S. and Canada on Aug. 26. The Pumpkin Spice Latte is Starbucks' most popular seasonal beverage, with hundreds of millions sold since the espresso drink's 2003 launch. It's also produced a host of imitations. Dunkin' introduced pumpkin-flavored drinks in 2007; it will beat Starbucks to market this year when its fall menu debuts on Aug. 20. McDonald's introduced a pumpkin spice latte in 2013. Here's a look at the Pumpkin Spice Latte by the numbers: — 100: Number of Starbucks stores that sold the Pumpkin Spice Latte during a test run in Vancouver and Washington in 2003. The following year it launched nationally. — 79: Number of markets where Starbucks sold the Pumpkin Spice Latte in 2024. At the time, the company had stores in 85 markets around the world. It now operates in 88 markets. — $36.2 billion: Starbucks' net revenue in its 2024 fiscal year, which ended last September. Starbucks' net revenue was $4.1 billion in 2003, when the Pumpkin Spice Latte first went on sale. — 33.8%: Increase in mentions of pumpkin spice on U.S. menus between the fall of 2014 and the fall of 2024, according to Technomic. — 4: Number of spices in McCormick's Pumpkin Pie Spice. They are cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and allspice. — 2022: The year Merriam-Webster added 'pumpkin spice' to the dictionary. Less common, it said, is the term 'pumpkin pie spice.' — 3: The Pumpkin Spice Latte was the third seasonal beverage introduced by Starbucks, after the Eggnog Latte and the Peppermint Mocha. — Sept. 8: Date the Pumpkin Spice Latte went on sale in 2015. The on-sale date has edged earlier since then. — 24%: Amount foot traffic rose at U.S. Starbucks last year on Aug. 22, the day the Pumpkin Spice Latte went on sale, according to The company compared traffic that Thursday to the previous eight Thursdays. — 45.5%: Amount foot traffic rose at Starbucks stores in North Dakota on Aug. 22, 2024, the most of any state, according to Foot traffic in Mississippi rose the least, at 4.8%. — 42,000: Number of members of the Leaf Rakers Society, a private Facebook group Starbucks created in 2018 to celebrate fall all year long.
Miami Herald
2 days ago
- Business
- Miami Herald
PGA Bringing HBCU Golf to South Florida
In a major move for diversity in golf, Florida Memorial University (FMU) is bringing HBCU pride to the fairway. Located in Miami Gardens, FMU-South Florida's only Historically Black College or University- will launch its first-ever collegiate Golf Club, thanks to an Equipment Grant from the PGA TOUR's Cognizant Classic in The Palm Beaches. The program is scheduled to officially tee off in Spring 2026, with plans to join intercollegiate competition by 2027. But this isn't just about launching a golf team. It's about leveling the playing field, with some help from the PGA. "This grant is more than just golf clubs and gear. It's a doorway to access, exposure, and equity," said FMU Interim President William C. McCormick, Jr., an avid golfer and the first FMU alum to lead the university. "Golf is a game of discipline, integrity, strategy, and connection. Our students deserve every opportunity to discover and benefit from that experience." The grant will provide student-athletes with everything they need to get started-from clubs and training equipment to access to local courses and mentorship opportunities. FMU hopes to build not just a team, but a movement that introduces students of color to a sport often perceived as exclusive and inaccessible. "We're thrilled to support FMU and its mission to provide students exposure to the game," said Todd Fleming, Executive Director of the Cognizant Classic. "The opportunity to enrich the lives of young people through the game we love is a privilege." The support from the Cognizant Classic-South Florida's marquee PGA TOUR event-marks a significant push toward expanding golf's reach in Black communities. It aligns with FMU's broader strategy of diversifying its athletic offerings and preparing students for success on and off the course. For FMU, golf isn't just a sport-it's a tool for professional development and personal growth. The university aims to use the program to promote: Networking and leadership skills are critical for post-graduate successMental and physical wellness through focused, low-impact playIncreased representation in golf, from players to industry leaders "Historically, golf has been out of reach for many in our community," McCormick said. "This changes that. It's about planting a seed that can grow into an opportunity for generations to come." While the FMU Golf Club will start as a student organization in 2026, the long-term vision is competitive. By 2027, FMU intends to field a team in the Sun Conference, competing with other NAIA schools. It's part of a larger blueprint for elevating HBCU athletics strategically, inclusively, and boldly. "Florida Memorial University continues to rise," said McCormick. "This new golf program is another example of how we're writing our future-boldly, purposefully, and inclusively." HBCU visibility in golf is gaining momentum-and FMU is taking the lead in South Florida, one swing at a time. The post PGA Bringing HBCU Golf to South Florida appeared first on HBCU Gameday. Copyright HBCU Gameday 2012-2025
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
A look at Starbucks and its Pumpkin Spice Latte, which returns to US menus Aug. 26
Want a little autumn in your August? You're in luck. Starbucks said Monday that its Pumpkin Spice Latte will return to store menus in the U.S. and Canada on Aug. 26. The Pumpkin Spice Latte is Starbucks' most popular seasonal beverage, with hundreds of millions sold since the espresso drink's 2003 launch. It's also produced a host of imitations; Dunkin' introduced pumpkin-flavored drinks in 2007, while McDonald's brought them to its menu in 2013. Here's a look at the Pumpkin Spice Latte by the numbers: — 100: Number of Starbucks stores that sold the Pumpkin Spice Latte during a test run in Vancouver and Washington in 2003. The following year it launched nationally. — 79: Number of markets where Starbucks sold the Pumpkin Spice Latte in 2024. The company has stores in 85 markets around the world. — $36.2 billion: Starbucks' net revenue in its 2024 fiscal year, which ended last September. Starbucks' net revenue was $4.1 billion in 2003, when the Pumpkin Spiace Latte first went on sale. — 33.8%: Increase in mentions of pumpkin spice on U.S. menus between the fall of 2014 and the fall of 2024, according to Technomic. — 4: Number of spices in McCormick's Pumpkin Pie Spice. They are cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and allspice. — 2022: The year Merriam-Webster added 'pumpkin spice' to the dictionary. Less common, it said, is the term 'pumpkin pie spice.' — 3: The Pumpkin Spice Latte was the third seasonal beverage introduced by Starbucks, after the Eggnog Latte and the Peppermint Mocha. — Sept. 8: Date the Pumpkin Spice Latte went on sale in 2015. The on-sale date has edged earlier since then. — 24%: Amount foot traffic rose at U.S. Starbucks last year on Aug. 22, the day the Pumpkin Spice Latte went on sale, according to The company compared traffic that Thursday to the previous eight Thursdays. — 45.5%: Amount foot traffic rose at Starbucks stores in North Dakota on Aug. 22, 2024, the most of any state, according to Foot traffic in Mississippi rose the least, at 4.8%. — 42,000: Number of members of the Leaf Rakers Society, a private Facebook group Starbucks created in 2018 to celebrate fall all year long. Dee-ann Durbin, The Associated Press Error while retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data
