Latest news with #MikeMurphy
Hamilton Spectator
22-07-2025
- Health
- Hamilton Spectator
Company to distribute instant test to detect date rape drug in Hamilton
A local non-profit is partnering with a biotechnology company to distribute a new rapid-response testing kit for date rape drugs ahead of the upcoming school year. The kit, which comes in the shape of a card that can be tucked into a wallet or phone case, allows individuals to test for GHB — a synthetic drug scientifically known as gamma hydroxybutyrate, used to spike drinks. It renders people drowsy, disoriented or unconscious and often causes severe memory loss. 'You dip your finger in your drink, whatever it is, rub it on this card, and then it tells you within 60 seconds if there's GHB in it or not,' explains Mike Murphy, chief revenue officer for BTNX, a company that first became well-known in Canada for its COVID-19 rapid response antigen test during the pandemic. Positive test results for GHB range in colour depending on the type and hue of the drink being tested. The Hub, which assists high-risk youth in areas of addiction, homelessness and poverty in Hamilton, and is working with BTNX on this new initiative, is no stranger to GHB-fuelled assaults in the city. 'It's definitely a problem that we've had to deal with,' says executive director Jen Bonner. Hamilton police have made numerous drug busts in the past that feature seizures of GHB. There is also a recent sexual assault case in Hamilton in which the accused was also charged with possession of GHB. 'Sexual assault is a very under-reported crime and a big reason for this is because GHB only stays in your system for a short period of time,' explains Bonner, noting that victims have a tough time trying to prove that they were drugged through regular methods like urine tests. BTNX and the Hub also plan to distribute the GHB tests — free during the initial rollout, but eventually costing around $9 or $10 per card, which contains four tests — to incoming freshmen at colleges and universities in the Hamilton region during the last week of August, accompanied by an educational and social media campaign. Currently, around 150 students from Mohawk College's police programs and McMaster University's medical programs volunteer year-round at the Hub, and they will also become important conduits of information for incoming freshmen. 'The conversation came up just organically between Mike and me about how first-year students maybe need some guidance and education on what the first weeks of college look like, being that this is the first time they're away from home,' says Bonner, who has also been distributing BTNX's test strips for xylazine and fentanyl to her clients — as has the city's public health department. 'We all know that our first year in university is party time, so this addresses how we can also empower them to be safe,' she adds. Miranda Jurilj, public education co-ordinator at SACHA — Sexual Assault Centre (Hamilton and Area), said the first stretch of the fall semester in university is known as 'the red zone.' 'Some studies have shown that over 50 per cent of the sexual assaults that happen every year on college campuses occur within this initial six- to eight-week period. So, I think it very important that we see increased efforts during this time when these students are away from their support systems and communities for the first time in their lives,' adds Jurilj. BTNX also has plans to roll out the initiative to Hamilton-area clubs and bars, so they can distribute the GHB-testing strips to their patrons, said Murphy, who grew up in Hamilton and went to McMaster. So, does the test work? Bonner says the Hub has already test-driven the BTNX strips used to detect GHB, which is also available as a prescription medication to treat sleep disorders. 'We sent them out to people who we know use GHB on a personal basis. They reported back that it was pretty effective.' Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
Gulf Today
21-07-2025
- Automotive
- Gulf Today
California can fix Donald Trump's EV mistake
Mike Murphy, Tribune News Service When he signed his budget bill into law on July 4, President Donald Trump dealt a heavy blow to America's electric vehicle industry, ending most federal support for US electric vehicle manufacturing and hobbling automakers' $100 billion effort to catch up with China, the world's new automotive manufacturing superpower. Now California alone has the size and market power to fill the void left by Washington's surrender. Our leaders in Sacramento must step up. The gutting of EV support never got the national debate it deserved. Americans, including many in Congress, fail to see the real EV issue: China. As the world moves toward a future auto market dominated by electric vehicles — a reality no global auto executive doubts — China has seized the opportunity. It's China, not the United States, the European Union or Japan, that now rules global automotive manufacturing. For every car, SUV or pickup built in America, China builds about three, and the Chinese have the manufacturing muscle to build five. Detroit understands this. Along with their European and Asian peers, US automakers have invested tens of billions in North American factories to build the next generation of EVs and compete in global markets. This month at the Aspen Ideas Festival, Ford Chief Executive Jim Farley put it bluntly: 'If we lose this (the race for EVs), we do not have a future Ford.' Unfortunately, the Trump administration is forcing free-world automakers to race against China at a disadvantage. Chinese automakers, awash in government help and subsidies, now manufacture 70% of the world's EVs. Their advanced, low-priced cars are quickly taking market share in Australia, Europe, Latin America and the Middle East. Mexico is a sobering example. In 2017, 1% of Mexican cars came from China. Last year that number was 20%. Despite China's success, have no doubt that US, European, South Korean and Japanese automakers can compete. Much of the EV technology that the Chinese have exploited was first developed in the United States. Although China has more than 100 EV brands, only a handful are profitable; many will fade away. For America and its allies to compete in this race, carmakers must succeed in their anchor American market. (Remember, most foreign car companies — Hyundai, Kia, BMW, Volkswagen and Mercedes — build EVs in the United States, employing thousands of Americans.) What makes California so important? First, it's America's EV leader; over a third of all US EV sales are here; 1 in 4 cars sold in California is electric. Second, California is on the front line of the US auto industry's research and development battle with China. Lucid developed its world-class power train technology in Orange County. Rivian, in Irvine, licensed its world-class software and electrical architecture to Volkswagen for billions. Tesla has two large factories and several labs here, employing more than 40,000 workers. Ford, the pride of Detroit, has bet the company's future on a California skunkworks, where hundreds of engineers are working on a new, affordable EV platform designed to compete worldwide. What can California do to fill the massive void in EV support left by Washington? Plenty. Here are three priorities: Until Sept. 30, buying or leasing a new EV still qualifies for a $7,500 federal credit. When that ends, California should replace it with a $3,500 state credit to lower most lease payments by nearly $100 a month (as any auto salesman knows, consumers make their decisions based more on monthly payments, not total cost.) The $3,500 credit should also apply to used EV sales. The state has a tangle of consumer EV subsidies; this simple approach should replace them. To control costs to taxpayers, lawmakers could make these 'conquest' credits — that is, they would be limited to first-time EV buyers and leasers. This program should not have income limits. The more new EV drivers the better because data show that most consumers happily stick with EVs once they have leased or bought one. Income limits would simply limit sales volume. Many Californians in large metropolitan areas such as LA or San Francisco live in apartments or condos without the convenience and cost savings of overnight charging. Instead, they are often forced to wait in line at fast-charging stations, where electricity prices are usually higher than at home. This lack of apartment and condo chargers is a 'pinch point' in the EV market that California could take the lead in solving.
Business Times
18-07-2025
- Business
- Business Times
Bain seeks next airline after tripling money on Virgin Australia
[SYDNEY] Bain Capital is scouting for its next airline deal after already more than tripling its money on Virgin Australia Holdings. The US buyout firm sold a 30 per cent stake in Virgin Australia, the country's second-largest airline, in a A$685 million (S$572 million) initial public offering (IPO) last month. That swelled Bain's return to 3½ times what it paid for the airline at the start of the pandemic. Bain still owns almost 40 per cent of Virgin Australia, a stake now valued at about A$1 billion. A sale at that price would swell the payout multiple to five. The success of the deal has changed Bain's view of aviation as an investment, said Mike Murphy, the Sydney-based partner who led the Virgin Australia acquisition. The process of turning around a defunct airline during a health crisis created a well of specialist knowledge inside the firm, he said. 'We would absolutely be up for it again in a different geography in a different context,' Murphy, 51, said in an interview on Wednesday (Jul 16). 'We have got the skills to pull it off.' He said the firm has already looked at airline deals in India. Airlines seldom change hands, and private equity buyouts in the sector are even rarer. There have been only two since Bain bought Virgin Australia, both of little known companies, Bloomberg data show. BT in your inbox Start and end each day with the latest news stories and analyses delivered straight to your inbox. Sign Up Sign Up Murphy's willingness to do another deal underscores how lucrative Virgin Australia has been. More broadly, it points to a potential store of untapped value in struggling airlines, a fickle industry that many institutional investors will not touch. 'They're not popping up too often,' Murphy said. 'Next time one does, we will be ready.' Virgin Australia stock has climbed 10 per cent since the IPO, giving the airline a market value of A$2.5 billion. Bain paid A$730 million for Virgin Australia in 2020 after the airline collapsed under a pile of debt. Bain is free to sell the rest of its shares from the middle of next year, putting the firm on course for a full exit as soon as 2027, said Murphy. He sits on the airline's board. While Bain's exit may yet be hamstrung by market conditions, the Virgin Australia deal was a success even before last month's IPO. Bain had already extracted more than A$1 billion in capital returns and dividends, and earlier this year sold a 25 per cent stake in the airline to Qatar Airways. Murphy says he has managed to stop checking the Virgin Australia stock price each day, but has not forgotten the intensity of the deal. In the five months before Bain officially took ownership of the airline in November 2020, the transaction consumed more than 16,000 hours of internal labour, he said. That level of commitment continued for two or three years, he added. BLOOMBERG
Bloomberg
17-07-2025
- Business
- Bloomberg
Bain Capital Scouts for Its Next Airline After Big Virgin Payday
Good morning, it's Angus here in Sydney. Cryptocurrency fans were delivered a big win in Washington overnight, but first… here's what you need to know as the weekend approaches. Today's must-reads: • Bain eyes next airline • Albanese in China podcast • Jobs data spurs rate-cut talk Virgin Australia's part-owner Bain Capital is scouting for its next airline deal after already more than tripling its money on our no. 2 carrier. I interviewed the US buyout firm's Sydney-based partner Mike Murphy, who led the original Virgin acquisition, and you can read it here.
CTV News
15-07-2025
- Politics
- CTV News
New Hampshire resident denied re-entry to U.S. after New Brunswick visit
A Canadian living in New Hampshire is stuck in New Brunswick after getting turned away from the border. A visit to family in New Brunswick has turned into a prolonged ordeal for Christopher Landry, a longtime New Hampshire resident who was denied re-entry into the United States. Landry, who has lived in the U.S. since he was three, is now separated from his partner and children, raising concerns about the relationship between Canada and its southern neighbour. Landry was stopped at the border in Houlton, Maine, and told he was inadmissible due to a marijuana conviction nearly 20 years ago. 'I was absolutely shocked,' said Landry, who works in manufacturing and has a green card. 'I crossed the same port of entry since 2007, with no issues at all. 'It's terrible. Everything in my life is essentially put on hold. My primary concern right now is, how is my family going to survive at home without me?' Moncton lawyer Mike Murphy, a former New Brunswick justice minister, expressed surprise at Landry's situation. 'It brings new light to the relationship,' Murphy said. 'It really concerns me because now Canada is being treated like really every other nation in the world, despite our social and economic integration. 'I think that Mr. Landry's dilemma is going to be something we see a lot more of. It's going to permeate multiple levels of our judicial system and our regulatory system.' Mike Murphy Moncton lawyer Mike Murphy is pictured. (Source: Josh Smith/CTV News Atlantic) Murphy advises Canadians living in the U.S. to consider becoming U.S. citizens and to carefully examine their past records. 'You're dealing with the United States giving new definition to previous old terms,' he said. 'There are new measures at the border where they are looking at some of your social media. It's a new age that's descended upon us, so be very careful before you leave the United States.' He also suggested the Canadian government consider retaliatory measures, noting many Americans with connections to Canada could face similar issues. 'Mr. Trump and his administration, they have a lot of Canadian friends that might just fall into the same category as Mr. Landry,' Murphy said. 'What happens when they come back to Canada and they're going back and they've had a conviction for marijuana possession or drinking and driving in New York or Wisconsin or California? It may change.' Landry is currently working to clear the old charges so he can return home. 'I'm hopeful that we can get this cleaned up and I can go home and resume my life,' he said. Landry said he never pursued citizenship because he is a third-generation green card holder, but now intends to apply if he is allowed back into the U.S. 'My grandparents held green cards and lived in the United States for over 40 years. And my mother was a green card holder, spent her entire life as a green card holder,' he said. 'I feel like these policies are doing a lot more harm than good… People may make mistakes but it's what you do after the fact that counts.' Christopher Landry Christopher Landry was denied re-entry to New Hampshire after visiting New Brunswick. (Source: Josh Smith/CTV News Atlantic) For more New Brunswick news, visit our dedicated provincial page.
