Latest news with #McReynolds
Black America Web
06-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Black America Web
Grammy Winner Jonathan McReynolds Shares Lessons in New Book
Source: Images By Kecia / IMAGES BY KECIA Coming off his 2025 GRAMMY win for Best Gospel Performance/Song, Jonathan McReynolds understands life isn't always wins, but a balance of mountaintop and valley seasons. That's why in his new book, Before You Climb Any Higher: Valley Wisdom for Mountain Dreams , he invites readers to redefine how they view life's lower moments. Known for his soulful music and inspiring storytelling, McReynolds pairs those lyrical qualities with personal experiences and gleaned wisdom to make this point: A great mission requires from us a little grind, a little hustle, a little competition. But also plenty of time in the valley. Not just another self-help book— Before You Climb Any Higher is a candid and introspective guide to discovering rest, renewal, and purpose in the valleys of life. McReynolds draws from his unique perspective as an artist who has reached the proverbial mountaintop—nationwide tours, awards, and millions of fans. Born on the Southside of Chicago, McReynolds has garnered the support and collaboration of artists like Stevie Wonder, Justin Bieber, Maverick City Music, and more. He is a well-admired artist with wisdom to share what success looks like—how it feels to be 'in demand.' Yet, McReynolds admits he's found the most profound growth and peace off the stage in the quiet, reflective spaces of life's 'valleys.' His new book invites readers—no matter what their goals are in life—to discover the beauty and abundance waiting in life's quieter, humbler moments. 'We're often driven by our dreams and ambitions to ascend life's mountains. But even the strongest climbers will grow weary if they don't take the time to rest,' McReynolds shares. 'The valley isn't a place of defeat; it's a place to reconnect with grace, love, and encouragement.' McReynolds adds, 'The valley isn't about finishing, achieving, or producing—it's about being. It's where we are reminded, we are more than our accomplishments.' Through rich anecdotes, relatable reflections, and spiritually fueled guidance, Before You Climb Any Higher empowers readers to stop viewing valleys as setbacks and instead see them as necessary, life-giving pauses in their journeys of success. SEE ALSO Grammy Winner Jonathan McReynolds Shares Lessons in New Book was originally published on
Yahoo
29-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
ArcBest (NASDAQ:ARCB) Reports Sales Below Analyst Estimates In Q1 Earnings
Freight Delivery Company ArcBest (NASDAQ:ARCB) missed Wall Street's revenue expectations in Q1 CY2025, with sales falling 6.7% year on year to $967.1 million. Its non-GAAP profit of $0.51 per share was in line with analysts' consensus estimates. Is now the time to buy ArcBest? Find out in our full research report. Revenue: $967.1 million vs analyst estimates of $994.2 million (6.7% year-on-year decline, 2.7% miss) Adjusted EPS: $0.51 vs analyst estimates of $0.52 (in line) Adjusted EBITDA: $49.28 million vs analyst estimates of $50.08 million (5.1% margin, 1.6% miss) Operating Margin: 0.7%, down from 2.2% in the same quarter last year Free Cash Flow was -$36.84 million compared to -$48.58 million in the same quarter last year Sales Volumes were flat year on year (-6.2% in the same quarter last year) Market Capitalization: $1.37 billion "I want to thank our employees for their commitment to excellence as they serve customers,' said Judy R. McReynolds, ArcBest Chairman and CEO. Historically owning furniture, banking, and other subsidiaries, ArcBest (NASDAQ:ARCB) offers full-truckload, less-than-truckload, and intermodal deliveries of freight. A company's long-term sales performance is one signal of its overall quality. Any business can put up a good quarter or two, but the best consistently grow over the long haul. Unfortunately, ArcBest's 6.7% annualized revenue growth over the last five years was mediocre. This was below our standard for the industrials sector and is a tough starting point for our analysis. We at StockStory place the most emphasis on long-term growth, but within industrials, a half-decade historical view may miss cycles, industry trends, or a company capitalizing on catalysts such as a new contract win or a successful product line. ArcBest's performance shows it grew in the past but relinquished its gains over the last two years, as its revenue fell by 8.1% annually. ArcBest isn't alone in its struggles as the Ground Transportation industry experienced a cyclical downturn, with many similar businesses observing lower sales at this time. We can dig further into the company's revenue dynamics by analyzing its number of units sold, which reached 19,491 in the latest quarter. Over the last two years, ArcBest's units sold averaged 1% year-on-year declines. Because this number is better than its revenue growth, we can see the company's average selling price decreased. This quarter, ArcBest missed Wall Street's estimates and reported a rather uninspiring 6.7% year-on-year revenue decline, generating $967.1 million of revenue. Looking ahead, sell-side analysts expect revenue to grow 5.3% over the next 12 months. Although this projection suggests its newer products and services will catalyze better top-line performance, it is still below the sector average. Unless you've been living under a rock, it should be obvious by now that generative AI is going to have a huge impact on how large corporations do business. While Nvidia and AMD are trading close to all-time highs, we prefer a lesser-known (but still profitable) stock benefiting from the rise of AI. Click here to access our free report one of our favorites growth stories. ArcBest was profitable over the last five years but held back by its large cost base. Its average operating margin of 5.7% was weak for an industrials business. This result isn't too surprising given its low gross margin as a starting point. On the plus side, ArcBest's operating margin rose by 1.6 percentage points over the last five years, as its sales growth gave it operating leverage. This quarter, ArcBest's breakeven margin was down 1.5 percentage points year on year. The reduction is quite minuscule and shareholders shouldn't weigh the results too heavily. We track the long-term change in earnings per share (EPS) for the same reason as long-term revenue growth. Compared to revenue, however, EPS highlights whether a company's growth is profitable. ArcBest's EPS grew at a remarkable 12.9% compounded annual growth rate over the last five years, higher than its 6.7% annualized revenue growth. This tells us the company became more profitable on a per-share basis as it expanded. Diving into ArcBest's quality of earnings can give us a better understanding of its performance. As we mentioned earlier, ArcBest's operating margin declined this quarter but expanded by 1.6 percentage points over the last five years. Its share count also shrank by 11.3%, and these factors together are positive signs for shareholders because improving profitability and share buybacks turbocharge EPS growth relative to revenue growth. Like with revenue, we analyze EPS over a more recent period because it can provide insight into an emerging theme or development for the business. For ArcBest, its two-year annual EPS declines of 32.9% mark a reversal from its (seemingly) healthy five-year trend. We hope ArcBest can return to earnings growth in the future. In Q1, ArcBest reported EPS at $0.51, down from $1.34 in the same quarter last year. This print slightly missed analysts' estimates, but we care more about long-term EPS growth than short-term movements. Over the next 12 months, Wall Street expects ArcBest's full-year EPS of $5.46 to grow 16.9%. It was good to see ArcBest narrowly top analysts' sales volume expectations this quarter. On the other hand, its revenue and EBITDA missed Wall Street's estimates. Overall, this was a mixed quarter. The stock traded up 2.9% to $60.79 immediately after reporting. Is ArcBest an attractive investment opportunity right now? If you're making that decision, you should consider the bigger picture of valuation, business qualities, as well as the latest earnings. We cover that in our actionable full research report which you can read here, it's free. Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
18-03-2025
- Yahoo
Two violence interrupters charged in Minneapolis shooting
Two men who have worked as violence interrupters in Minneapolis have been charged for their alleged involvement in gunfire that erupted last week during a backyard barbecue. Kashmir Khaliffa McReynolds, 35, and Alvin Anthony Watkins Jr., 50, are both charged with reckless discharge of a firearm within city limits. McReynolds is charged with illegally giving a firearm to a convicted felon, and Watkins is charged with being a felon in illegal possession of a firearm. Both are identified in court documents as "working for a community group as armed security." It has since been reported that both have worked for the violence interruption group 21 Days of Peace. Rev. Jerry McAfee, the founder of 21 Days of Peace, said a Facebook post on Saturday that McReynolds was shot and then arrested for "firing his weapon at those who shot him and tried to assassinate him." KSTP has previously reported Watkins' involvement with the organization. According to the criminal complaints, the shooting happened on March 10 in the area of 36th Avenue North and Penn Avenue. Officers were alerted via Shotspotter activation and went to the scene to find "dozens of discharged cartridge casings." Police learned that McReynolds and Watkins were a few blocks away and were suffering from gunshot wounds. McReynolds had been shot in the shoulder and had a bullet graze wound to his neck. He was taken to a hospital and eventually discharged. On the way to the hospital, McReynolds claimed that he had returned fire in the incident but "could not see anyone when he did so," the complaint states. Nearly 70 gunshots were detected on Shotspotter in total, with the exchange of gunfire happening over a period of 90 seconds. Surveillance video captured the shooting, with a crowd of people running towards Penn Avenue after the first shots rang out, including Watkins. McReynolds is seen on video lying on the ground near a tree stump, firing a gun about eight seconds after the initial shots were fired. The complaint details the following: "Thirty-seven seconds after that, [McReynolds] fired multiple times again. The video depicts [McReynolds] then getting up off of the ground and running towards Queen Avenue. [Watkins] is then seen returning to the address on Penn Avenue. [McReynolds] is heard on the video telling [Watkins], 'Grab my chop' multiple times. Chop is a reference to a firearm. [Watkins] responded, 'Where is it at?' [McReynolds] answered that it was in the backseat, and told [Watkins] to 'Load the b—ch!' The video shows that once [McReynolds] made it to Queen Avenue, he fired again multiple times about one minute and 20 seconds after the initial shots were fired. [Watkins] then fired [McReynolds'] second firearm multiple times immediately after [McReynolds] shot from the intersection in the location in the alley. The two then proceed to their respective vehicles and [Watkins] fired again. The two then leave the scene in their respective vehicles." McReynolds told investigators he had been standing near the grill when he saw two people near a garage begin shooting. He also initially claimed that he laid on the ground before getting up and walking between cars and houses to fire towards the muzzle flashes that he had seen. However, video surveillance allegedly contradicted that claim, showing McReynolds shooting while on the ground. He later changed his story, admitting he never saw the shooters and was shooting in the general direction of where the shots were coming from. According to the complaint, McReynolds said he knew from his training and experience that when returning fire, you are supposed to stop firing when the other person stops firing or turns their back. He admitted he knew he should have not fired once the initial shooters stopped shooting, "but his adrenaline was going." When McReynolds was asked if he knew he had a duty to retreat and not shoot, he said he didn't, charges say. Watkins is prohibited from possessing a firearm due to three previous felony-level convictions, according to the complaint. At the time of the shooting, he was on probation. A warrant was issued for Watkins' arrest before he was taken into custody late Monday night, jail records indicate. He was released early Tuesday morning on $100,000 bail and is set to make his first court appearance the same day. McReynolds is also due for a court appearance on Tuesday afternoon. He remains in custody. The charges against McReynolds and Watkins Jr. came on a day that the administration of Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey withdrew a contract proposal to Salem Inc., the nonprofit founded by Rev. McAfee, who also founded 21 Days of Peace. The City of Minneapolis on Friday proposed giving Salem Inc. a $650,000 contract for violence interruption services. The one-year contract, with a two-year renewal option, was set to be considered by the Administration and Enterprise Oversight committee on Monday, only to be withdrawn with no specific reason provided. "We anticipate submitting a new Request for Council Action for consideration by the Committee of the Whole on Tuesday, March 25 that will not include Salem Inc.," a city spokesperson told Bring Me The News. A member of the city's Office of Community Safety told a council committee on Monday that it was "reviewing events that have occurred" since the violence interruption contracts were proposed, the Star Tribune reports. The proposal to include Salem Inc. among the proposal violence interruption contracts had raised eyebrows among some Minneapolis City Council members following a tense appearance by McAfee at a meeting last month. The council held a hearing on a proposal to shift responsibility and funding for group violence intervention programs to Hennepin County, with some council members raising concerns over the use of funding and lack of oversight of the city's Neighborhood Safety Department (NSD), which is led by Minneapolis Public Safety Commissioner Todd Barnette. Council member Robin Wonsley said the proposal followed several complaints received by the council regarding the NSD, citing understaffing that followed "mass resignations," delays in payments on contracts, and a whistleblower alleging fraud and waste within the department. McAfee, who is a pastor at New Salem Missionary Baptist Church, spoke at the meeting and proceeded to make threatening remarks towards some of the council members. "The way you lookin' at me, if you wanna come behind that podium, you do it. I guarantee, I guarantee you will regret it ... I got 40 years of shit in me from seeing my people die," he said. When asked if that was a threat, McAfee said: "I don't make threats, I make promises," and said if he was to be removed from the chamber, his "people" would come. On a later Facebook Live stream, McAfee said that he would keep things peaceful at Thursday's meeting, but he also suggested violence to some with the following statement: "Rev. McAfee ain't hit nobody, I ain't shot nobody. However, I will if I have to. I don't want to. I'm not going to bother anybody, but I'm going to fight for my people." Bring Me The News reached out to McAfee for further comment following Monday's contract withdrawal, but has not received a response.
Yahoo
24-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
1% of Kentuckians carry flood insurance amid deadly disaster
(NewsNation) — Only about 1% of Kentucky residents carry flood insurance despite many parts of the state currently coping with what Gov. Andy Beshear calls 'one of the most significant natural disasters we've seen in our lifetime.' Recent flooding has claimed at least 14 lives this winter, coming less than three years after 44 people were killed in severe floods in 2022. At the time, however, the Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet estimated that 20% of claims were filed by people living outside the high-risk areas. Despite the deadly flooding, some Kentuckians may not be able to afford flood insurance. Meanwhile, others who live in high-risk areas or who have received assistance are required to pay for it. Federal workers sue Elon Musk over email ultimatum In many cases, yearly premiums that may seem manageable for middle-class homeowners have become 'almost impossible' to afford. The two deadly flooding events since 2022 have Kentuckians ready to change their thinking 'dramatically' about whether to pay for flood protection, Michael Weglarz, director of the Risk Management and Insurance program at Eastern Kentucky University, said. 'You don't think it's going to happen,' Weglarz told NewsNation. 'But when it does, you think, 'OK, do I have insurance coverage to provide the protection that we need?'' The Federal Reserve of Cleveland reported that 60% of homes damaged in 2022 were occupied by residents earning $30,000 or less yearly. After that event, flood insurance premiums doubled in some Kentucky counties following the 2022 storms, the Lexington Herald-Leader reported. In Knott County, where 18 people died, FEMA insurance price projections indicated that premiums nearly doubled from $1,347 per year for a single-family home to $2,675. In Martin County, where about 40% of people live in poverty, annual premiums jumped by 290% to a price of $4,509, according to the Kentucky Lantern. Could DOGE layoffs at the IRS impact your tax return? Rising premiums have also become problematic in communities like Hazard, where 15% of the population live on less than $10,000 per year, and 40% live on less than $25,000, R. Scott McReynolds, the executive director of the Housing Development Alliance, said. 'That really makes it unaffordable,' McReynolds told NewsNation. 'It's a real dilemma.' Many of the people McReynolds works with struggle to make ends meet. After flood insurance rates grew substantially after flood events in 2021 and 2022, many people were forced to choose how to best stretch their dollar, he said. 'If it's not part of your mortgage, it's going to be easy to go without it,' McReynolds said. 'That's not a problem until it's a problem, and then, it becomes a big problem.' The average flood insurance premium in Kentucky was $1,287 per year in 2024, according to the Insurance Information Institute. The rate was more than $400 higher than the national average price for policies offered through the Federal Emergency Management Agency's National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). Kentuckians who live in high-risk flooding zones that were mapped out by FEMA and who carry a mortgage through a traditional bank must carry flood insurance. Traditional homeowners insurance does not cover flood damage. Additionally, homeowners who have accepted federal assistance must carry flood insurance, even if a home that was damaged or destroyed by flooding was replaced by a new one, FEMA said. In 2023, FEMA changed its flood insurance pricing policy 'to deliver rates that are actuarially sound, equitable … and better reflect a property's flood risk.' For many, though, the insurance remains too costly as some policyholders will see their premiums double or triple, the Kentucky Lantern reported. 'The problem is, if it's not required, people typically won't buy it,' Weglarz said. Wildfires in California and hurricanes in other parts of the United States have led some insurance companies to pull out of states like Florida due to natural disasters. As of two years ago, in Louisiana, at least 12% of homeowners across the state didn't have any insurance at all. In Florida, homeowners' insurance costs have increased by 102% in the last three years, the Insurance Information Institute told NewsNation. Apple adding 20k jobs with $500 billion investment in US But Weglarz remains uncertain about the issue of how often deadly flooding hits Kentucky could change how insurers react. The Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet considers flooding the most frequent and costliest natural disaster risk facing the state, which Weglarz said carries weight. Weglarz believes some insurers could rethink how much they charge in flood insurance premiums amid the latest flooding. He said for every $1 property insurers receive in premiums, they pay $1.60 in flood damage claims. To change who is required to carry flood insurance, FEMA would need to change its maps that designate high-risk flood areas. Whether this round of deadly flooding is enough to change FEMA's food zone maps that define insurance requirements remains to be determined. A FEMA spokesperson did not respond to questions from NewsNation related to remapping plans. 'These 100-year events are happening more on a regular basis,' Weglarz warns.' No one is immune to these catastrophic events, and you should be prudent in your decision-making.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. 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