Latest news with #MichaelCole
New York Post
a day ago
- Entertainment
- New York Post
WWE announcer Michael Cole makes good on Pat McAfee Pacers bet in raucous scene
WWE announcer Michael Cole made good on his bet with Pat McAfee and donned a Pacers jersey during 'Monday Night Raw' that was broadcasting live from Tulsa, Okla. The pair made a bet two weeks earlier that Cole would wear a Pacers jersey during a broadcast if Indiana defeated the Knicks in the Eastern Conference finals. The Pacers did indeed knock out the Knicks from the postseason in six games, completing the series over the weekend in a 125-108 win to advance to the NBA Finals to face the Oklahoma City Thunder. 3 Michael Cole flexes in a Pacers jersey. @WWE/X Cole was forced to reveal the jersey underneath his dress shirt near the start of Monday's broadcast, which did not sit well with the Oklahoma crowd and delighted McAfee, who then began taunting the fans. 'The Pacers are actually going to be taking on the Oklahoma City Thunder in the NBA Finals,' McAfee said. 'And these people would like to see you pay your debt, sir. He's been working out. He's been running miles and miles and miles. Michael Cole, yeah buddy!' McAfee then started to point out the buff arms of the longtime WWE broadcaster before noting that Cole was sporting a jersey of 'Pacers legend' T.J. McConnell. 'Who's going to come into Oklahoma and do what he did to the New York Knicks in the NBA Finals,' McAfee exclaimed to the crowd, who quickly stared booing. 3 Michael Cole made good on his bet. @WWE/X McAfee is an unabashed Pacers fan and has been a fixture at games at Gainbridge Fieldhouse to support Indiana. He made waves when he called out the 'bigwigs from the big city' during an in-game stoppage in reference to the celebrity contingent of Timothée Chalamet, Ben Stiller and Spike Lee who made the trip to Indiana for the Pacers' Game 4 win over the Knicks. 3 Tyrese Haliburton and the Pacers knocked out the Knicks. AP The NBA Finals begin Thursday in Oklahoma City.
Time of India
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Michael Cole set for tank-top commentary after losing NBA bet to Pat McAfee
WWE commentator is set to swap his usual suit and tie for a tank top on an upcoming episode of Monday Night RAW, all thanks to a playful wager gone wrong. The Indiana Pacers' emphatic 125-108 win over the New York Knicks in Game 6 of the NBA Eastern Conference Finals didn't just secure their spot in the NBA Finals, it also cost Michael Cole a bit of his trademark style. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now A few weeks ago, Cole and his WWE broadcast partner Pat McAfee made a light-hearted bet. If the Knicks advanced, McAfee would have to appear on WWE programming in a full suit. If the Pacers won, Cole would have to call an episode of RAW in a tank top. With Indiana's win, the result of the wager is now official, Cole is going sleeveless. Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton led the charge with 21 points, 13 assists, and six rebounds, while Pascal Siakam delivered a powerful 31-point performance to secure the win and earn the Eastern Conference Finals MVP. The Pacers will now face the Oklahoma City Thunder in the NBA Finals beginning June 5. WWE, quick to embrace cross-promotional moments, has already begun marketing the outcome. The company launched a 'Knicks Choke' t-shirt on WWEShop, showcasing Haliburton mocking the Knicks with a nod to Reggie Miller's iconic gesture from the 1990s. Fans can't wait to see Michael Cole go sleeveless Fans on social media were quick to weigh in on Cole's impending wardrobe change. While some joked about the 'viewer discretion' required for Cole's new look, others expressed surprising enthusiasm. 'Michael Cole in a tank top will still look better than that substitute math teacher,' one user quipped on X (formerly Twitter). Another fan simply said, 'This is going to be good.' The moment reflects WWE's increasing willingness to blend sports, entertainment, and pop culture in unexpected ways. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Cole, a seasoned broadcaster with over two decades of experience, seems to be taking it all in stride. While the exact episode of RAW featuring Cole's new attire hasn't been confirmed, it's expected to happen in the lead-up to WWE's Money in the Bank event on June 7. Until then, fans can only wait to see just how committed Cole is to honoring his end of the bet - no sleeves, no excuses.
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Columbus schools OKs demolition of four buildings
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — The Columbus City Schools Board of Education voted unanimously to demolish four vacant and blighted buildings that used to be schools. Three former middle schools – Monroe, Beery and Linmoor – and the former Beaumont Elementary will be torn down within the next four months. Columbus officer confronts school board after being denied access to school During a presentation at Tuesday's board meeting, current pictures were shown of the four buildings. There was obvious damage to them all, including flooding, leakage, mold and vandalism. 'It is really time, and this board and our community is ready to start taking action on our properties,' Columbus School Board Vice President Jennifer Adair said. Two of the buildings sit on the same sites as current Columbus school buildings, but the other two are on inactive sites and Adair said residents will get a say on the properties' futures. 'There will be community engagement around what happens to those. Those are assets. Those are our community's assets,' Adair said. Mayor: Village won't replace non-working tornado sirens 'We're in the very real working space of reimagining what our buildings look like, what type of curriculum will then align to those facilities in a way that provides the best resources possible for children,' Columbus School Board President Michael Cole said. These demolitions come as the Board of Education is in the middle of a realignment process. Board members voted to close five schools during a December 2024 meeting, and those closures will take effect by the 2026-2027 school year. It is still not known what is happening to the buildings and to the students who were slated to attend those schools. 'The board has well prioritized community insight and feedback on what this process should be, what it is that they'd like to see in their school buildings,' Cole said. Three fugitives arrested during U.S. Marshals operation in Columbus 'As we continue the realignment process, as President Cole outlined, there may be an opportunity or need to continue to talk about demolition, but also in conjunction with building,' Adair said. Board members said there will be an in-depth discussion about the latest on the realignment process during the June 3 board meeting. They urged community members interested in knowing more about the school closures and consolidations to attend in person or watch online. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Business Journals
20-05-2025
- Business
- Business Journals
Table of Experts: Investing in employee health pays off
Portland Business Journal Publisher and President Candace Beeke recently convened a roundtable on how the business community is focusing on the health and wellness of employees. She spoke with Michael Cole, Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Oregon president; Gina Delahunt, Bridgetown Natural Foods vice president of Human Resources; Elizabeth Garvin, Certified Language International senior vice president of Human Resources; Dr. Phil Mitchell, Dispatch Health chief medical officer; and Kathleen Quandee, Pacific Coast Fresh Company vice president of Human Resources. Read on for their thoughts and ideas. Candace Beeke: One's work environment and health benefits have a direct impact on their overall health. What are employers doing to help keep employees and customers healthy? Michael Cole: As a health plan working with employers, a big piece is establishing good partnerships between payers and employer groups. We want to understand employees to make sure we are tackling the biggest and most important problems. We focus on providing education about the tools and benefits out there. The other role we play in the community is working with our health system providers and those facilities to make sure we have affordability and access covered as two of our biggest priorities. For Regence as an employer, physical, emotional, financial and social well-being all matter. We think about those four pillars and try to (find solutions) that meet the needs of our employees. There are things we do to ensure employees are healthy and have access to resources — virtual checkups, biometric screenings, video consultations. We have the Summer Games. Last year, 2,000 employees walked nearly 450 million steps, nearly 225,000 miles, over 30 days. We encourage employees to join a team to be socially connected. We think about emotional intelligence. Learning about behavioral health care and how to take away the stigma; yearly financial wellness checkups; self-guided lessons around social well-being. We are data driven. Engagement — we had close to an 80% participation rate in our employee well-being program. All this matters as we think about reduced absenteeism, competitive advantage in recruiting and retention. Kathleen Quandee: Overall, making sure people know how to use their benefits and be good health care consumers because benefits are expensive. We're always looking at where to spend the money to get the most benefit for our employees. We have a very diverse group of employees. We try to reach out in many languages. It's hard enough to understand your benefits if you speak English. Cost matters for all of us, not just the employee, but also the employer and the health plan. We teach our people how to use benefits and be good consumers. We sit down with every employee in their language of choice and go over the benefits. We spend a lot of time communicating and overcommunicating. We also try to reach the families. For example, when we give a baby gift, we include information about infant health care or about being a new parent. Gina Delahunt: Meet your team members where they are. You can have an amazing benefit plan, but if people don't know how to use it, it's much less valuable. We have 50 different languages, so helping employees understand the plan, find a provider — the sites where you can pick your language make a huge difference to employees learning to trust health care. Many folks who come from non-English-speaking communities are not ready to trust health care, but they do trust us. We need to be that bridge. We find mobile-friendly apps they can use because most of these folks don't have a computer; they're doing all this on their phone. Dr. Phil Mitchell: We meet patients where they are by delivering high-acuity care in their home. It's the ability to care for patients before they get too sick and end up going to the hospital. For folks with lots of chronic conditions, delaying care is going to make things worse. A patient with pneumonia who's seen on day two of their symptoms versus day 10 has a lot better opportunity to get better quicker, get back to work and is healthier in the long run. If you deliver care in the home, the patient is more empowered to speak their mind and make decisions for themselves. Elizabeth Garvin: It's about the benefits being a benefit for your employees to use when they need it. Sometimes access needs to be in a place where they don't need to come and ask someone for it, like a homepage. So the accessibility of the benefit, in general, is important. Beeke: What's the benefit of healthy employees to the business? What emerging trends in benefits are you seeing? Challenges you anticipate in the next three to five years? Garvin: If you have a healthy employee, they're going to come to work, be engaged, be productive. They're going to want to be there without having to think about what's going on at home or within their own bodies or minds. Mental health has gained a lot of traction. There's a long way to go, but I think we're seeing more and more of that pick up speed in the workplace as a need and destigmatizing it. Cost is always going to be a factor. Affordability is the biggest challenge, and balancing that with the need to be competitive, and then providing a meaningful benefit. Cole: About 10%-20% of total population health is tied to actual medical care; the other 80%-90% is social and environmental factors — income, education, social connectedness. It's important to figure out how to use benefits to create connections, positivity and well-being. Affordability and access are still going to be incredibly important. There's a real concern out there in just having registered nurses, primary care doctors available. Affordability will also be a continuing trend at least for the next couple of cycles. The legislative environment is hard to predict, and it impacts things, including safety nets like Medicaid and Medicare. How do we have benefit plans that are bulletproof against some of these macro issues? Quandee: Physical, mental, emotional, social, all types of health — it all works together. With primary care, it will continue to be a challenge to find providers, which is why telehealth and virtual appointments are important. We encourage employees to get a primary care provider while they're healthy because that person becomes their advocate for whatever else they need. We had a consultant who said if you want your money to go far in retirement, the biggest financial decision you can make is to take care of your health. Think about how much money goes into caregivers or the cost of health care as you age. Finding messages like that to share with people when they're younger has to be part of our message. Delahunt: Since Paid Leave Oregon kicked off, we have more people taking advantage of that to have a baby, care for an ailing relative, which is great, but does create an absenteeism issue. How do we staff extra people? We're a low-margin business, so it's something we're trying to wrestle with. We have a recognition program, called Dough, where employees can nominate each other for something they did that was positive. They exchange that 'dough' at a farmstand once a month and they leave with huge sacks full of produce. It's another way to get fresh food into our employees' hands. Mitchell: Timely access to care is going to decrease long-term effects on patients. Patients who have chronic conditions and start to have symptoms typically wait about seven days to go to the emergency department. Maybe they've tried to access primary care, but can't; there's a shortage in many locations. By the time they hit the emergency department, they're much worse off. So timely access to care will get employees back to work in a more appropriate timeframe once their symptoms are understood, potentially treated and on the road to recovery. Virtual services have come out of the pandemic and mobile services will as well. If you can get care in the home, as opposed to waiting at an urgent care or emergency department, you're talking about hours of time — and time is money. Beeke: Health care costs continue to rise. Preventive care or proactively managing health conditions are critical to curbing costs. Any innovative approaches? Cole: Communication continues to be most important. Leveraging technology, having the mobile app, getting the reminder to refill a prescription or about the value of wellness is a very easy one-touch process. There are incentives to participate in wellness — credits, giveaways or awareness campaigns that are continuous and build upon each other. The communication loop is important. We have to continue to leverage tools and educate people about why it's important to engage in preventive care. Mitchell: When I think about social determinants of health, where better to determine that than in the patient's home. Patients can look really well put together when they're in your office. However, in their home, you get to see all of the issues that may be impacting their care, whether it's pets, clutter or other things. We learn a lot about the patient by being in their home. You get to determine if there are obstacles to them being healthy and then make sure to plug that patient into the next care provider. You get an opportunity to see what patients are eating. They can tell you one thing, but when you open the cabinets and the refrigerator, you can see what the truth is and help them. Quandee: A lot of employees may have a dated idea of employee assistance programs, that it's only the crisis hotline. But there are so many services available online, besides during an emergency — financial counseling, services for caregivers and even basic ones for managers and supervisors. There's a wealth of resources out there — leveraging EAPs, bringing people in or having a department webinar viewing party. Beeke: Is anyone measuring ROI with their programs and employee adoption and the value you feel you're seeing? Cole: ROI is usually associated with straight math, and with health care, it's never a straight line. ROI is measured in what doesn't happen — you didn't go to the emergency room or have a more serious event. You're seeing it in the absence of trauma or anxiety. It's a cost being taken out of the system. There's also a lot of workforce mobility. It's hard to track somebody who's in a company for two years and they're moving on. How do you track their wellness journey around ROI? You're paying it forward. Delahunt: Our safety awareness events generally focus on non-work-related topics. It might be winter driving or heat stress, things you can do at home. It's not just about how we can save money. It's how can we keep you healthy and safe, along with your families, at home. We have about 20 different subcommittees. If an employee has an idea, they can get a small group together and form a subcommittee for a short period to focus on something. It doesn't have to be work-related. Helping employees see that safety and their well-being is not just about work. Beeke: If a business doesn't have any of these solutions, programs or initiatives, where is a good place to start? What are the challenges? Garvin: Start with the plan you already have and your employee base. What is it you're trying to solve? Find out what's missing, where are the gaps, and then begin with simple things that can have a high impact. EAP is great. It's not just about calling for mental health help, it's financial help, where to find care providers. If you want to buy a home, what are your next steps? But keep it simple, and you have to manage it. Talk to your broker, plan advisers. You don't have to do it alone. Does it balance with the culture that you have within your organization? Mitchell: Listen to your employees. There are going to be behavioral health issues that you have to address in every organization. Patients who come into the hospital have different reasons for being admitted. They have emphysema, COPD, heart failure, kidney failure. But if you look across the hospital, somewhere between 40%-60% of those patients are there, not only because of that entity, but also because of alcohol abuse or tobacco or some other substance. So have those thoughts in place when you're setting up programs. Quandee: Cost can be a perceived barrier to getting started. But there are a lot of simple things that are very low cost and easy. For example, National Watermelon Day is a big day here — everybody goes home with a watermelon. A lot of people who don't have a primary care provider, or are culturally not used to it, go to the emergency department, even if it's not necessary. You wait forever and it costs you a lot of money. So we had magnets printed for each employee that had their closest urgent care. It could change, and hours could change, but at least it gives them a place to go. We do events throughout the year. We gather free and low-cost activities in our communities — help groups, library, farmers markets, summer camps. You know what a large amount of time it takes to find camps. If we can find some that are subsidized, that's a good service to our employees. Cole: Getting a sense of what's important to employees. Put out a simple survey. They'll give you plenty of feedback. Our Fun Committee is all volunteer. Employees put together things to do throughout the year — an activity or recognizing something or Halloween costumes. It's exciting to see it come to life and create positivity in the workforce. That allows for engagement. Mitchell: Your health plan may already have some in-network solutions; you don't have to invent everything yourself. Look at what the health plan has, and then who are the trusted partners within that, and options for whatever you're looking for. Save yourself the brainwork of having to reinvent the wheel. Beeke: How can we work together to help curb or control health care costs? Cole: Affordability is the top concern amongst employers, members and their families. We've seen close to a 25% increase in costs over a four-year period. We're spending 90 cents of every dollar that comes in on medical care. As a payer, we want to make sure we're providing affordable products, access to information, transparency, partnership with providers, dialogue with employers and customers. We need to educate those who are accessing care, ensure they understand the importance of preventive care and blow away any stigma surrounding behavioral health. We're all in this together and need to understand that we can be helpful to one another; continue to educate and give each other the tools to be successful. If we can do that, we'll be at a much better spot in the long run. Mitchell: We've known for decades that you don't have to do things the traditional way to save health care costs, but we haven't had a big impetus to push in that direction. The pandemic put us in a position where we can say virtual care is care and should just be called health care. In the '90s, in the United States as well as other countries, they were hospitalizing patients in the home with better outcomes because they weren't experiencing infections or the debilitation from being in a hospital bed. Sometimes you have to go to the emergency department. There's a cost. Sometimes you have to be admitted to the hospital. There's another cost. That same patient can have oxygen, antibiotics, nursing care and PT brought to the home and experience care in a different way at a much lower cost. We have to keep thinking innovatively. The experts: Michael Cole, president, Regence BlueCross BlueShield. As president, Michael Cole oversees strategy and growth for Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Oregon, which serves nearly 1 million Oregonians. Cole has over two decades of executive health care leadership experience in a variety of industries, including payer, payment integrity and health care diagnostics. Throughout his career, he has built strong, collaborative and results-driven cultures. Before joining Regence, Cole served as Aetna's president of the North Atlantic territory and president of the Aetna Keystone Market overseeing the commercial, Medicare and individual lines of business. Gina Delahunt, vice president of Human Resources, Bridgetown Natural Foods. Gina Delahunt spent the first decade of her career in the insurance and risk management industry. She began her legal career as an attorney at Davis Rothwell Earle & Xochihua and United Employers Association before transitioning to an HR leadership role at Dave's Killer Bread. Delahunt joined the Bridgetown Natural Foods team in 2016 and has led the HR department and been a member of the Senior Leadership Team since then. Delahunt received her MBA from the University of Portland and her law degree from Lewis & Clark Law School. Dr. Phil Mitchell, chief medical officer, Dispatch Health. Dr. Phil Mitchell brings over 20 years of emergency department experience and a strong background in patient safety, quality management and clinical education. As chief medical officer at DispatchHealth, he leads teams focused on clinical medicine, quality, compliance and patient experience. A champion of evidence-based care and innovation, Mitchell has chaired Utilization Management and Quality committees, and has been actively involved in training medical students, nurse practitioners and physician assistants throughout his career. Elizabeth Garvin, senior VP of HR, Certified Languages International. Elizabeth Garvin, SHRM-SCP, is a seasoned human resources leader with over 20 years of experience helping Certified Languages build a strong, people-centered culture. As the senior VP of Human Resources, she champions employee well-being, leadership development and strategic workforce planning. Known for her collaborative approach and belief that we rise by lifting others, Garvin is passionate about creating environments where people can thrive — both personally and professionally. Kathleen Quandee, vice president of Human Resources, Pacific Coast Fresh Company. Kathleen Quandee is vice president of Human Resources for Pacific Coast Fresh Company, where she's led the company's people strategy since 2011. Quandee was recognized by the Portland Business Journal for HR Leadership and has volunteered with several community organizations. She is currently a member of the Talent Advisory Committee for the International Fresh Produce Association and is on the Advisory Board for the Assistance League of Portland. While she's always loved fresh fruit and vegetables, joining Pacific Coast Fresh Company has given Quandee a deeper appreciation for fresh produce, family businesses and the people who put so much effort into growing and delivering safe and healthy food.
Fox News
11-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Fox News
Pat McAfee shows brutal aftermath of Gunther match at WWE Backlash
WWE star Gunther showed no mercy in his match against former NFL punter and current commentator Pat McAfee in their match at Backlash on Saturday night. The competitors' rivalry began when Gunther attacked play-by-play commentator Michael Cole on the "Monday Night Raw" after WrestleMania 41. McAfee stepped in and Gunther put him in a sleeper hold. The match was made weeks after their confrontation. Gunther toyed with McAfee for most of the match, delivering chop and after chop to McAfee's chest. McAfee did turn the tables on Gunther, nearly picking up the pinfall victory on the Austrian behemoth. He hit a few big boots on Gunther but to no avail. Gunther continued to absorb each kick. Cole pleaded with McAfee to give up. Gunther dragged Cole into the ring and pushed him around and out of the ring. He even tried to help McAfee get the advantage when he attempted to prevent Gunther from kicking out of a pin. Gunther hit a lariat on McAfee and eventually put him to sleep in the middle of the ring. McAfee showed off the aftermath in a post on X. A picture showed just how red his chest was. "My chest… is ahhh… burning," he wrote on the social media platform. Gunther tipped his cap to McAfee after the match. Gunther is looking to get back into contention for the World Heavyweight Championship after he lost it to Jey Uso at WrestleMania. Gunther had been on a warpath in the weeks after the upset loss. Follow Fox News Digital's sports coverage on X and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
