Latest news with #McLennan
Yahoo
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
JUCO World Series bracket, seedings released by NJCAA
GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (KREX) — With all 10 Junior College World Series teams set to begin practicing in Grand Junction Wednesday, the NJCAA released the full seedings Tuesday. The 2025 Alpine Bank JUCO World Series will begin Saturday 9 a.m. at Suplizio Field with a battle between two teams who were here a year ago: Johnson County vs. McLennan. Advertisement Here are the official seedings for the tournament: Walters State 55-6-1 Blinn 46-13 Florida SouthWestern 44-15 Johnson County 51-11 Shelton State 48-12 Florence Darlington Tech 51-10 McLennan 45-16 Salt Lake CC 43-10 Lake Land 42-19 Eastern Oklahoma State 31-25 Here is the official bracket, available at Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to
American Military News
6 days ago
- Politics
- American Military News
Video: US military presence expands in Australia amid tension with China
The U.S. Marine Corps is conducting a major exercise in Australia as the U.S. military increases its military presence in the region amid increased tension with China. According to CBS News, while approximately 200 U.S. Marines were first deployed in 2012 as part of a rotation in Australia's Northern Territory, almost 2,500 Marines are now deployed to the country each year. The outlet noted that the U.S. military's presence in Australia is now greater than at any other time since the end of World War II. CBS News reported that the increased U.S. military presence in Australia comes as Chinese President Xi Jinping is believed to have directed the People's Liberation Army to be prepared to potentially invade Taiwan by 2027. CBS News shared a video on Thursday from an ongoing U.S. Marine Corps exercise in Australia that included both Australian and Japanese troops. The outlet noted that Australian troops are playing the role of enemy combatants as part of Exercise Southern Jackaroo. According to CBS News, Exercise Southern Jackaroo involves over 500 Marines and more than 2,000 total troops and is being conducted in a region larger than the state of Maryland. READ MORE: Pics: China holds war games at new military base near South China Sea Asked about the importance of America's alliances with Australia and Japan, Major Nicholas Foust, the commander of the exercise in Australia with U.S. Marine Rotational Force-Dawin, told CBS News, 'Knowing how one another works is of the utmost importance and being ready to respond is something critical.' CBS News reported that while the United States and its allies are using the military exercise in Australia as a deterrent for Chinese aggression in the Indo-Pacific region, Brigadier Ben McLennan, commander of the Australian Defence Force's 3rd Brigade, acknowledged that the military exercise is a 'rehearsal' for a potential war. 'Every time you commit to an exercise like this, it is a rehearsal — and you treat it as your last opportunity to do so before war arrives,' McLennan told CBS News. 'A rehearsal for a war the likes of which we haven't seen since the Second World War.' McLennan's comments were echoed by Maj. Gen. Ash Collingburn, commander of Australia's 1st Division. 'This exercise is more than just training, it is a rehearsal for the realities of war and a proving ground for partnerships,' Collingburn said. 'Every patrol, every fire mission, every radio check between nations, and every shared hardship under the southern sun – it all matters.'
Daily Record
14-05-2025
- Politics
- Daily Record
Nicola Sturgeon and MSPs lobbied minister over rent cap removal
The former FM was among several SNP politicians who expressed concern over the policy. Nicola Sturgeon lobbied the Scottish Government against its controversial decision to remove rent control protections for hundreds of thousands of tenants. Documents obtained by the Sunday Mail show the former First Minister was among five senior party figures who wrote to housing minister Paul McLennan about their concerns months before the cap on bill increases was abolished. A terrified expectant mother was among members of the public who also contacted McLennan but her appeal fell on deaf ears with the policy being brought in on April 1. And in a letter to McLennan, Sturgeon said she understood that temporary rent controls could not last forever but said: 'I share the fear of extremely high rent increases taking effect when the protection ends. 'It seems to me that a transitional approach is needed.' Public finance minister Ivan McKee said the policy was causing constituents 'significant anxiety' and said: 'Extending it would prevent further hardship for tenants already facing rising costs.' Equalities minister Kaukab Stewart said her constituents were seeing rises 'that far exceed inflation or any justified costs to landlords' and felt the government's renter's rights campaign 'does not adequately protect them'. Children and young people's minister Natalie Don-Innes and former Equalities minister Emma Roddick also wrote expressing similar concerns in February and March this year. Last month landlords were able to raise rental prices in line with what they believe is the 'market rate', having faced a cap of 12 per cent previously. Thousands of tenants have seen their housing costs soar with some fearing homelessness. The government said tenants can appeal any rises but adjudicators can set even higher increases if they see fit - which could act as a deterrent according to campaigners. But Green MSP Maggie Chapman said: 'We want to see protections brought back in until robust rent controls come into action through the Housing Bill and I will be proposing such measures in parliament. 'SNP MSPs must also press the Scottish Government to reinstate temporary protections against rip-off rents.' The Scottish Greens said the level of concern shows a need for protections to be reinstated until the Housing Bill is implemented in 2027, which the government has promised will include rent controls. We previously revealed McLennan failed to carry out any formal impact assessment of the policy prior to implementation. One concerned woman told the minister she was facing a rise of £400 a month - to £1000 - for her home and said: 'I can't afford to move as I don't have funds for a deposit and first months rent. 'I can appeal any further increase but I'm not on a fixed term contract, so not coming to any agreement will result in eviction. 'I'm due to go on maternity leave soon so I'm naturally incredibly anxious, my income is going to be significantly lower and I already struggle to make ends meet on a full time nurse salary. 'I'm worried I'm going to end up homeless.' A low-wage bookseller from Edinburgh told the minister they were 'terrified'. They wrote: 'My bills are going up, my council tax is due to go up and now this news about rent controls terrifies me. 'I work as a bookseller and am not on a very high salary. When I heard the news I literally felt sick with worry. Edinburgh is in the middle of a declared housing crisis and simply scrapping controls is deeply irresponsible and unacceptable.' A Scottish Government spokeswoman said: 'Protections continue to be in place against rent increases above market rent for most private tenants and they should make use of their right to a review of a rent increase. 'There is a need for longer term action on rents to ensure a fairer system for tenants – that is why we are taking forward measures in the Housing Bill to support the introduction of longer-term rent control where this is needed.' Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community!
The Herald Scotland
13-05-2025
- Business
- The Herald Scotland
New housebuilding hits five year Scottish low in housing emergency
Some 20,364 new houses became available in Scotland in 2023/24 - the lowest number outside the Covid pandemic year of 2020/21 since 2018/19. It comes as the number of homes completed under the Affordable Housing Supply Programme has slumped to 8,180 in 2024, again the lowest outside the pandemic year of 2020/21 since 2018. And the number of housing association new homes, typically aimed at the affordable market has dropped from 5,020 in 2022/23 to 3,378 in 2023/24. In the pre-pandemic year of 2018/19 there were 4086 new homes. READ MORE: The Scottish Government officially declared a national housing emergency in May last year, after a number of local authorities had already done so. Housing minister Paul McLennan said he recognised these are "exceptionally challenging times" but accentuated the positives, saying that affordable housing starts and approvals have "increased" in the year to December 2024. Approvals went from 6,191 in 2023 to 6,440 in 2024 while starts rose from 6247 to 6501. But the number of approvals in 2024 is still almost half that agreed in the pre-pandemic years of 2018 when there were 12,478 agreements in place and in 2019 when there were 11,885. Mr McLennan said that the Scottish Government would "continue to work with partners to increase these levels even further". It comes after the First Minister John Swinney was asked to intervene as numbers sleeping rough on the streets of Scotland's biggest city while seeking official help has tripled in the space of just over a year while a key night shelter operated by Homeless Project Scotland faced closure. The number of households officially reporting that they had slept rough in the three months before they sought homeless help in Glasgow shot up from an average of 28 a month in 2022/23, before the city declared a housing emergency to 86-a-month in the first 11 months of 2024 after it. In 2019/20, the year before the Covid pandemic it was at 43-a-month. The Scottish Tenants' Organisation said that Mr McLennan's role should be given Scottish cabinet status to develop an urgently needed national housing action plan to build tens of thousand of new homes to tackle a "housing disaster". "Tackling the housing and homeless emergency has to become the number one priority of the Scottish Government, " they said. "Unless the above is implemented the Scottish Government will continue from one disaster to the next." Affordable housing The Scottish Government has increased funding for affordable housing with a budget of £768 million in 2025/26. But critics say that this has not made up for past cuts and the ability to keep up with of last year, the Scottish Government's affordable homes budget took a cumulative hit of over £280m over the previous three years without taking inflation into account - based against the 2021/22 allocation of £779.776m - despite a pledge by outgoing First Minister Humza Yousaf of a £80m uplift for affordable housing over the next two years. Housing campaigners had been staggered by a £196.08m (26%) cut to the budget in the 2024/25 alone, without taking into account inflation, with the spending plans set at £555.862m before an extra £40m was promised by Mr Yousaf. If the budget had kept up with inflation since 2021/22 in 2024/25, the spending plans would have been at an estimated £985.32m. When inflation has been taken into account, it was estimated last year that instead of getting £2.631bn over the three years - the affordable homes budget was at £2.058bn - a drop of £573m. "Mr McLennan said: "Providing everyone in Scotland the right to a warm, safe and affordable home is essential to our key priority of eradicating child poverty. "We have a strong track record in affordable housing, delivering 136,000 affordable homes including 97,000 for social rent between 2007 and 2024. That's 47% more per head of population than England and 73% more than Wales as of March 2024." The Scottish Government has fallen way behind in a key target in its 2021 Programme for Government to deliver 110,000 social and affordable homes by 2032 with 70% for social rent. As of the start of last year there were had been 19,980 affordable homes completed, that received some sort of public money support in the first two years till March 31 - meaning it was at that point already 2,620 short of an 11,300 homes a year target As of the end of June, with seven-and-a-half years of the target to go 87,527 homes remained to be completed to meet the target, at an average of over 11,670 a year. Mr McLennan added: "Since we declared a housing emergency last May we have been working at pace a range of stakeholders across the housing system to take urgent action. This has involved working closely with those local authorities who are experiencing the greatest and most sustained homelessness and temporary accommodation pressures. We are also engaging the expertise of the Housing to 2040 Strategic Board and Housing Investment Task Force to support the response. Paul McLennan (Image: Jane Barlow/PA Wire) 'Throughout the development of the Housing (Scotland) Bill we have made sure to strike the appropriate balance between protecting tenants and providing incentives for continued investment in the private rented sector through measures such as rent control areas.' 'Throughout the development of the Housing (Scotland) Bill we have made sure to strike the appropriate balance between protecting tenants and providing incentives for continued investment in the private rented sector through measures such as rent control areas.'
Press and Journal
02-05-2025
- Politics
- Press and Journal
Torry Raac campaigners react after SNP minister talks in Aberdeen
Torry Raac campaigners made heartfelt pleas to the SNP housing minister in a face-to-face meeting as they argued residents are caught in the middle of a blame game. Paul McLennan met members of the Torry Community Raac Campaign in Balnagask on Friday for the first time since the crisis unfolded more than a year ago. Affected homeowners handed him around 40 letters penned by local residents and shared their stories in emotional testimony during the one-hour meeting. The potentially dangerous Raac material was discovered in 500 council and private homes in the Balnagask area. Resident Lynn Winstanley, who took part in the meeting, said she felt the minister did listen to their concerns even if it did take him too long to visit. But she said homeowners are caught in the middle of a blame game taking place between the city council, Scottish Government and UK Government over funding. Aberdeen City Council plans to demolish the affected properties by 2028 – despite an ongoing wrangle where some owners are refusing to sell. The Balnagask resident would like to see the Scottish Government set up a fund to ensure homeowners are compensated for the full value of their home. Currently the city council is offering only current market value, with residents facing losses of between £35,000 and £55,000 on average. She said: 'In the middle of all this is human beings here whose lives are being affected morning, noon and night. Their families are being affected. 'For me, I don't care who is to blame, I don't know if anyone is to blame, but they all need to finally come together and sort the problem out.' Ian Lippe, chair of the Torry Community Raac Campaign, said campaigners are being 'pushed from pillar to post' in their fight for funding. He received the valuation from the council for his house in the week leading up to Christmas and looks set to lose about £50,000. The campaigner said: 'There doesn't seem to be any urgency in trying to get a solution for us. It's still very much 'ah we'll see'.' He added: 'What we've always said is give us full value for our houses and you can have our keys tomorrow.' The P&J asked Mr McLennan why it had taken him so long to visit the community when it was well documented that hundreds of families were in crisis. Failing to apologise for his absence, he said he had 'engaged extensively' with the local council, holding around eight to 10 meetings with officials in the past year. The housing minister said building safety is the responsibility of local authorities and said it is for the UK Government to set up a UK-wide fund. But the UK Government claims it is for devolved administrations – such as Holyrood – and relevant local councils. He said Aberdeen City Council had yet to submit any 'detailed proposals' on funding. Aberdeen City Council co-leader Christian Allard, who also met Mr McLennan on Friday, said the council has pushed for funding and funding flexibility 'from the outset'. The SNP councillor added: 'We do need to have a plan from both governments about how we can support local authorities to better support our own tenants and owner occupiers as well.' The P&J last week launched its campaign. It builds on our continuing work to highlight the plight of ordinary people facing ruin through no fault of their own.
