Latest news with #McDonnell
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Boeing expands STL footprint with billion-dollar expansion
ST. LOUIS – The demolition of two buildings, vital to the history of St. louis and even the survival of the United States, is nearly complete. Somehow, it's been happening very much 'under the radar.' That's no longer the case after an exclusive FOX 2 News report. The structures are known simply as Buildings 1 & 2 and yet they are arguably among the most important buildings ever in St. Louis, perhaps only behind the Gateway Arch. 'We kind of earned the nickname over the years … 'Fighterland USA' … and that's still what we do here today: we build fighter jets,' said Allison Balderrama, a Boeing historian in St. Louis. 'Over the 60 or so years that we had those buildings, we built more than 10,000 aircraft (there).' Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now The buildings, which were once emblazoned with the massive red McDonnell-Douglas neon sign, are now being demolished as part of Boeing's $1.8 billion expansion in St. Louis. This will add more than a million square feet to its footprint and extend the 'Fighterland' legacy that began when Curtiss-Wright Aviation constructed the buildings and produced over 2,000 aircraft for World War II. 'It's amazing the amount of things we produced there,' Balderrama said. She's also the curator of Boeing's 'Prologue Room,' which is filled with exhibits, models and actually equipment from the rich history of aircraft production in St. Louis In 1946, McDonnell aircraft's FH-1 'Phantom' became the first jet to take off from and land on an aircraft carrier. More revolutionary made-in-St. Louis fighters would follow, including the F-4 'Phantom II,' AV-8B 'Harrier,' F-15 'Eagle' and FA-18 'Hornet.' 'The fighters McDonnell was producing out of there became the premier fighters in the Korean war and the Vietnam war,' Balderrama said. 'A lot of the mainstays throughout the Cold War were built out of those buildings.' So were the Mercury space capsules. 'We had the first spacecraft that put the first Americans into space (in the early 1960's),' she said. The Prologue Room has a piece of the heat shield from Astronaut, Gordon Cooper's 'Faith 7' mission. 46,000 people worked for McDonnell and then McDonnell-Douglas when the buildings reached peak production in the late 60s. Body cam video reveals new details in viral North County K-9 incident When Boeing took over in 1997, St. Louisans were apprehensive about losing jobs and the 'Fighterland' legacy. Former McDonnell-Douglas Chairman John McDonnell was not, telling FOX2 News in late 1996, 'You cannot stay in one place during life. If you try to stay just the way you are, you're not going to be successful.' Boeing is now doubling down on 'Fighterland' in St. Louis. If you shed a tear over Buildings 1 & 2 being demolished, remember how St. Louis got that nickname in the first place. 'That nickname fell away for a few years but we're bringing it back to life,' Balderrama said. 'This is 'Fighterland USA'. This is our bread and butter, what we do best here.' Boeing has landed a reported $20 billion contract to build the U.S. military's next-generation fighter, the F-47, in St. Louis, with a goal of delivering the first aircraft by the year 2030. The deal is expected to bring thousands of new jobs to St. Louis, though a specific number has yet to be revealed. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Irish Sun
4 days ago
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
Armagh GAA legend backs Kieran McGeeney's men to relive historic All-Ireland win over Dublin that ‘remains in my memory'
BETWEEN all the highs and lows with Armagh, Stevie McDonnell remembers Dublin in the rare auld times. The Orchard legend enjoyed a glittering inter-county career, picking up three All-Stars, the 2003 Footballer of the Year prize, seven Ulster titles and an All-Ireland medal between 1999 and 2012. 3 Steven McDonnell won the All-Ireland with Armagh in 2002 Credit: Brendan Moran / SPORTSFILE 3 Armagh beat Dublin in the 2002 All-Ireland semi-final Credit: Pat Murphy/Sportsfile McDonnell put in a summer for the ages when Armagh lifted Sam in 2002, with the Killeavy great firing 0-3 in the seismic 1-12 to 0-14 win over Kerry on the big day. His county's fierce rivalry with Tyrone dominated the northern landscape and the Red Hands knocked them off their perch in the 2003 showpiece. But across all those years and games, the 2002 semi-final win over the Sky Blues tops the lot for atmosphere. Tommy Lyons' Sky Blues meant business as they hunted their first crown since 1995, and the dream Kerry-Dublin final loomed large. Read More on GAA In a rip-roaring second half in front of 79,386 fans, Paddy McKeever bundled into the net at the Canal End before Ciarán Whelan's strike caused Hill 16 to erupt. Ray Cosgrove's sixth point of the afternoon had the teams level before Oisín McConville fisted over to steer Armagh ahead. Cosgrove was the darling of the Hill, and a banker to level the game in front of the old terrace when Enda McNulty fouled him well within range with seconds to go. But the Kilmacud Crokes man was stunned when the ball came off the post, and was eventually cleared by Francie Bellew. It was all over. McDonnell told SunSport: 'I don't think I'm alone in saying this, you're often asked what was the best atmosphere you played in front of and without a shadow of a doubt it was the 2002 semi-final against Dublin . Most read in GAA Football 'Dublin hadn't won Leinster in seven years leading up to that, and Tommy Lyons had them going really well. There was a lot of hype and aura around them at that particular time, and obviously they carried massive support as well. 'The Armagh supporters travelled the length and breadth of the country and were well renowned for the volume that they would take to the occasion, but what an occasion it was. It was just an electric atmosphere and a game that always remains in my memory. Tipperary GAA star 'had to do live apology on RTE' the day after cursing during All-Ireland interview - 'We had that large bit of luck for us at the end with Ray Cosgrove kicking the ball off the post. 'From the season that he had, there was no way we would have thought that he was going to hit the post. Absolutely no way. You never win an All-Ireland without a certain amount of luck, and we got it that day.' Armagh finished the job against the Kingdom, but McDonnell knew they were unstoppable after beating the Dubs. And he says their hunger and desire to win the ball after Cosgrove's miss summed it all up when they bagged Sam for the first time three weeks later. He said: 'With luck, there has to be a desire and a drive to get you over the line as well. 'When the ball broke off the post, there were three Armagh players waiting for it, there were no Dublin players waiting for it and that won us the game. 'We weren't happy or content to watch a ball go over the bar or maybe come off the post. We wanted to make sure that we were the ones reacting to it, and I think it was Justin McNulty that reacted first to getting it. 'If you beat Dublin any given day at all, it's always going to instil belief and particularly that Dublin team at that time, there was just a whole lot of hype about them and they had so many quality players — Stephen Cluxton obviously was starting his career at that stage. 'Alan Brogan had a fantastic season, Bryan Cullen, Jason Sherlock , 'So that definitely gave us the belief and confidence going into the final. 'But the atmosphere we played in for the semi-final, we didn't believe that it could have been outweighed and it certainly wasn't.' ORANGE ONSLAUGHT The buzz of that day was infectious, and over 54,000 turned up at Croker when the counties clashed in the NFL the following year. Armagh won that game, and would repeat the dose all over again in a sizzling All-Ireland third-round qualifier. Croker heaved once more as McDonnell and Cosgrove fired 0-5 each and Cluxton and Paddy McKeever saw red. But the Dubs failed to cope with a second-half orange onslaught, which McDonnell hails as their finest hour. He said: 'I mentioned earlier the best atmosphere I played in front of was the 2002 semi-final. 'And then you're often asked which was the best performance, and for me it was the second half of that qualifier game against Dublin. I think we went in at half-time three or four points down and not playing particularly well — but we came out and gave a masterclass in the second half. 'We just ran riot. I know Stephen Cluxton ended up getting sent off, but that didn't make much of a difference on the overall scheme of things in that game. 'It wouldn't have mattered even if Dublin had 16 players on the field, I think we would have won the game just the way we performed that particular day and that's the way it was. We had the capability and the belief from the previous year of stepping it up when we had to — and that's what we were able to do.' 'I could be eating my words, but I think it will be Armagh by a couple of points.' Dublin finally got one over on the Orchard in a 2010 qualifier before McDonnell called it a day in 2012 — and today's first Championship meeting in 15 years has a familiar ring to it. Armagh are champions, while Dublin are itching to get back to the top and McDonnell knows anything can happen at Croke Park . He said: 'It would take a fairly foolish person to write Dublin off. 'Not too long ago they were going for seven in a row, so what a team they are. They've got quality throughout that squad and if you underestimate them you're going to get caught out. 'I really believe that there's about six teams with realistic chances of going and winning the All-Ireland this year. 'Obviously Armagh and Dublin are in the mix and this has all the raw materials of being an absolute classic. 'Dublin got off to a fantastic start against Galway , I think they were totally the dominant team on that particular day. 'Ciarán Kilkenny was back to his best, pulling the strings from start to finish and really controlled the game at his tempo. 'Armagh, likewise, I thought for 55 minutes of the game against Derry were extremely positive in their performance and then they switched off. 'If they're going to switch off against a team like Dublin they're going to be severely punished. 'I could be eating my words, but I think it will be Armagh by a couple of points.' 3 The Armagh team form a huddle prior to the Bank of Ireland All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Semi-Final against Dublin Credit: Damien Eagers/Sportsfile
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Agilent Braces For Potential US-EU Tariff Hike, Maintains Annual Outlook
Agilent Technologies Inc. (NYSE:A) reported second-quarter 2025 sales of $1.67 billion on Wednesday, almost in line with the consensus of $1.63 billion, representing growth of 6% reported and up 5.3% core year-over-year. The Life Sciences and Diagnostics Markets Group (LDG) reported second-quarter revenue of $654 million, an increase of 8% reported and 3% core year-over-year. LDG's operating margin for the quarter was 19.7%. The Agilent CrossLab Group (ACG) reported second-quarter revenue of $713 million, an increase of 7% reported and 9% core year-over-year. ACG's operating margin for the quarter was 32.4%. The Applied Markets Group (AMG) reported second-quarter revenue of $301 million, a decrease of 1% reported and flat core year-over-year. AMG's operating margin for the quarter was 19.5%.The analytical and clinical laboratory technologies provider reported adjusted earnings of $1.31 per share, up from $1.22 a year ago, beating the consensus of $1.26. 'The Agilent team delivered strong second-quarter results in a highly dynamic market environment,' said Agilent President and CEO Padraig McDonnell. 'That is in large part due to our Ignite Transformation, which is driving our financial success as it's become our core enterprise delivery engine and operating model. Ignite represents a decisive shift to fuel accelerated profitable growth and operational excellence at Agilent.' The company's operating margin was 25.1% as it absorbed some incremental tariff costs. In the earnings conference call, McDonnell said, 'Through our tariff task force enabled by our Ignite operating model, we feel that we are able to mitigate most of the impact in 2025 and fully mitigate in 2026 even when considering recent developments on the U.S.-EU tariffs.' Agilent reaffirmed fiscal 2025 adjusted earnings of $5.54-$5.61 per share compared to the consensus of $5.55. The company raised sales guidance from $6.68 billion-$6.76 billion to $6.73 billion-$6.81 billion compared to the consensus of $6.73 billion. The full-year revenue outlook represents growth of 3.4%-4.6% reported while maintaining core growth of 2.5%-3.5% Based on the current tariff rates, Agilent estimates that the gross incremental tariff exposure in the second half will be $50 million. This is on top of the roughly $10 million already absorbed in the first half. The company anticipates potential additional tariff impacts if U.S.-EU tariffs increase, which could add $40 million in gross exposure in the second half of 2025. The outlook for third-quarter revenue is expected to be $1.65 billion-$1.68 billion versus a consensus of $1.65 billion, representing a growth of 4.2% to 6.1% reported and up 1.7% to 3.6% core. Agilent sees Q3 adjusted earnings of $1.35-$1.37 versus a consensus of $1.39. Price Action: A stock is trading higher by 5.52% to $117 premarket at last check Thursday. Read Next:Image via Shutterstock UNLOCKED: 5 NEW TRADES EVERY WEEK. Click now to get top trade ideas daily, plus unlimited access to cutting-edge tools and strategies to gain an edge in the markets. Get the latest stock analysis from Benzinga? AGILENT TECHNOLOGIES (A): Free Stock Analysis Report This article Agilent Braces For Potential US-EU Tariff Hike, Maintains Annual Outlook originally appeared on © 2025 Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved. Sign in to access your portfolio
Los Angeles Times
14-05-2025
- Politics
- Los Angeles Times
Officers are winning massive payouts in ‘LAPD lottery' lawsuits
In police circles, it's known as the 'LAPD lottery.' Speaking at a city budget presentation this month, Police Chief Jim McDonnell said some officers have sought to 'weaponize' the department's disciplinary system to settle grievances, leaving city taxpayers on the hook for the legal bills. Los Angeles has paid out at least $68.5 million over the last five years to resolve lawsuits filed by officers who claimed to be the victim of sexual harassment, racial discrimination or retaliation against whistleblowers, according to a Times analysis of payout data released by the city attorney's office. Skeptics inside the Los Angeles Police Department write off the claims as opportunistic officers trying to hit the jackpot, twisting paper trails created by the department's much-maligned internal discipline system into the basis for lawsuits. But the officers who sue and their labor attorneys argue the department's continued failure to thoroughly investigate complaints or fix systemic issues leaves no other recourse. Several recent civil trials have resulted in settlements or jury awards in the seven figures or more, including $11.5 million to a former K-9 officer who alleged colleagues spread false rumors about him and mocked his Samoan heritage. Dozens of other suits remain pending, likely leaving the city staring down more substantial payouts in the coming years. The question of how to deal with the suits has emerged as one of the most pressing issues since McDonnell's tenure as chief began in November. Mayor Karen Bass has said the city's $1-billion budget deficit is at least partly driven by expensive legal payouts, as well as emergency response costs related to the Palisades fire and 'downward national economic trends.' Last year, the LAPD's private fundraising arm gave $240,000 to hire an outside consultant to help the department analyze 'the results of litigation to see if there are lessons to be learned from that.' The consultant, Arif Alikhan, the department's former director of constitutional policing, said he and his team are seeking to identify trends of risky behavior, improve tracking of problem employees and hold supervisors accountable for not addressing conduct that exposes the department to liability. Part of the challenge, he said, is that cases take years to resolve, leading to lag time in awareness. 'Then it kind of bubbles up and becomes a bigger issue and then you have multiple people suing.' The city attorney's office, which is responsible for defending the department against lawsuits, said in response to questions from The Times that cases are settled when 'there could be a jury finding of liability, and when we can reach an agreement for a reasonable amount of money.' 'We will always do what is in the best interests of the city and continue to aggressively defend lawsuits—especially when plaintiffs' attorneys try to make a fortune off of the City with unreasonable non-economic damages claims,' the city attorney's office said in a statement. 'Our office will aggressively defend against lawsuits that lack merit, as well as lawsuits in which the plaintiff's attorney is making unreasonable demands for taxpayer dollars to resolve a case.' The LAPD has long wrestled with costly litigation, and many claims by aggrieved officers are dismissed. But according to the data released to The Times, payouts for officer-driven lawsuits have increased recently: At least 13 verdicts or settlements worth $1 million or more have come since 2019, including nine in the last three years. Beyond the cost to taxpayers, the public airing of workplace disputes can prove embarrassing to a department that has long fancied itself a spit-and-polish institution. Take the Transit Services Division, where years of troubles and finger-pointing have led to a snarl of more than half a dozen lawsuits. A former detective, Heather Rolland, received a $949,000 payout after she accused male colleagues of disparaging her for being injured on the job and of fostering a hostile work environment for women who worked in the division, which holds a lucrative contract with the county Metropolitan Transportation Authority to provide security on bus and train lines. Among the male officials mentioned in her lawsuit is Randy Rangel, a former Transit Services sergeant, who filed his own claim against the city alleging he was retaliated against after reporting another officer for abusing his overtime pay. Last month, an L.A. County jury awarded him $4.5 million, which may still be challenged on appeal. One of the witnesses who testified on Rangel's behalf was his former captain, Brian Pratt, who also has a pending suit against the city. Pratt contends he was targeted with an anonymous personnel complaint after accusing a deputy chief of inappropriately using division staff to do nontransit work — a claim the city has denied in court filings. The cycle of litigation continued with an internal affairs detective assigned to investigate Pratt. The detective alleged in a whistleblower claim that his bosses demanded unfavorable findings despite no evidence of wrongdoing. The lawsuit by Det. Hamilton Alvarenga also remains pending, with the city disputing his allegations. Yet another Transit Services supervisor, Ashraf 'Andy' Hanna, is pursuing legal action over what he alleged is a culture of anti-Arab discrimination. Hanna is also named as a defendant in several lawsuits, with co-workers accusing him of workplace hostility, which he disputes. One of his accusers, an officer named Natalie Bustamante, recently settled her sexual harassment lawsuit with the city for an undisclosed sum. LAPD officers are supposed to report wrongdoing — or attempts to cover it up — to their supervisors, internal affairs or the Office of the Inspector General, which can investigate and potentially refer cases of misconduct to the chief for discipline. Those complaints are sealed from the public under state law, but the plaintiffs in several recent civil lawsuits alleged that the internal investigations tended to drag on unnecessarily and rarely led to punishment for the accused. Attorney Matthew McNicholas, who has represented scores of officers in civil lawsuits, said he thinks that the growing payouts are a reflection of the city attorney's hardball approach to civil litigation. This tough stance is costing taxpayers money by insisting on fighting cases even when it was clear they would lose in court, he said. He pointed to the cases of Lou and Stacey Vince, a police couple who filed separate lawsuits against the department for retaliation and discrimination they faced while working in the San Fernando Valley. Lou Vince had alleged mistreatment after he returned from a work injury. In her claim, Stacey Vince said that after speaking up in her husband's defense, she was denied a promotion and moved into a cramped office underneath the gym floor at the Police Academy with no furniture or Wi-Fi. The couple, represented by McNicholas, received nearly $11 million in combined payouts. 'We tried to settle them both for low seven figures,' he said. Joanna Schwartz, a UCLA law professor, said risk managers in L.A. and other cities should be looking for 'policy changes or adjustments to staffing' after getting sued repeatedly. 'Best practices include internally investigating all allegations brought in lawsuits and then reviewing all the information that comes out during the course of discovery and trial,' Schwartz said. The issue is not unique to the LAPD: Los Angeles County spent $150 million last year alone to defend the Sheriff's Department from a slew of legal claims. And employment-related awards are only a fraction of the $358.8 million paid out in all LAPD lawsuits since 2019, including for traffic accidents, crackdowns on protesters and a botched fireworks detonation that leveled several city blocks and left dozens of residents displaced. But the department's handling of workplace complaints has drawn criticism on multiple fronts, including from the Los Angeles Police Protective League. The union for rank-and-file officers, which sometimes helps members bring lawsuits, has cited the large verdicts as a sign senior LAPD officials are turning a blind eye to injustices in the workplace. Last week, Jamie McBride, an outspoken union board member, filed a lawsuit in which he accused an assistant police chief of unfairly reprimanding him for speaking out about the LAPD's grooming policy, the rules for how officers can keep their hair and mustaches. McBride said in his suit that his remarks came during a union meeting in August 2023, when someone in the audience asked whether the department intended to change its rules to allow beards without a medical exemption, which is commonly granted to Black officers with skin conditions that make shaving painful. McBride said he replied, 'Well, I hope not 'cause I think it looks like s—.' He learned, according to his lawsuit, that that the department opened an investigation for what it deemed 'racially discriminatory comments.' McBride's suit argues that his statement — 'however controversial' — was made in the 'context of protected union activity.' The city has not yet filed a response in court to McBride's claim. He didn't respond to a message seeking comment. McBride, who previously received $1.5 million after suing over alleged retaliation by his LAPD supervisors, is part of an internal work group looking at potential changes to the discipline system, along with Deputy Chief Michael Rimkunas, who runs the department's professional standards bureau. Rimkunas defended the department's 'thorough and comprehensive process' for addressing officer complaints, but said he is also pushing for 'additional safeguards to be certain the complaint system is properly used.' He said internal investigators are being more judicious about screening complaints before starting a formal inquiry. Cases involving apparent personality conflicts between employees are referred back to their supervisors for mediation 'within weeks, even when the behavior may not have reached the level of misconduct,' he said. It used to take up to a year, Rimkunas said, to 'reach a point for potential intervention.'
Irish Examiner
13-05-2025
- Sport
- Irish Examiner
Louth 'don't have to listen and talk about' 2010 controversy any more, says McDonnell
Louth veteran Andy McDonnell says there's no 'redemption' for 2010, just a strong sense of satisfaction after finally winning a Leinster SFC medal. McDonnell was the only player, from Louth or Meath, that featured in Sunday's Leinster final having also played in the 2010 decider between the counties. Louth claimed a narrow Croke Park win last weekend to secure their first provincial title since 1957. For some, the breakthrough win drew a line under the 2010 debacle when a late, illegal, Joe Sheridan goal was allowed to stand, sealing a narrow win for the Royal County. "It's just nice to be a Leinster medallist and to park everything that happened a few years ago," said McDonnell, now 34. "That's basically it, we don't have to listen and talk about that any more. It's now, 'Louth are Leinster champions 2025'." The ultra experienced Newtown Blues midfielder said he rarely spoke about the 2010 final and revealed that he carried some of the blame for the agonising loss. His part in the play that led to Sheridan's goal has been largely overlooked with the Meath forward pouncing on a loose ball and diving over the goal line after colleague Seamus Kenny's shot had been blocked by Paddy Keenan. The ball briefly popped up in the air after Kenny's block and both McDonnell and Louth defender Dessie Finnegan collided with each other trying to claim it, allowing Sheridan to intervene. "I was involved, maybe the cause of it," shrugged McDonnell. "Obviously Dessie went up to catch the ball and I kind of (accidentally) flicked it out of his hands. That's how the goal came about. It's nice now 15 years on to say, 'I actually have a medal', to put that to bed. I don't talk about it. There's people saying, 'redemption' and all of this and that but I'm like, 'No, I just go out and play the game and leave it at that'." McDonnell's story and comeback in 2025 is all the more remarkable because he called it quits as a Louth player six years ago, after the 2019 Championship. He was troubled by knee problems and lasted just a single game in 2021 when he tried to make a return under Mickey Harte. "A few physios and doctors would have said to me that it's time to pack it up, three or four years ago," said McDonnell. "But I went to a physio, he's actually a Meath man, Liam Hogan from Curraha. He's involved with Williams Formula One now, as their Performance Coach. "He got me back. He said, 'No, I'll fix you in a couple of months'. It was a lot of rehab, a lot of dark days too in the gym on your own. But he got me back."
