Latest news with #O'Reilly's
The Irish Sun
6 days ago
- General
- The Irish Sun
‘Vulnerable people paying price' alert as social welfare appeal wait times for key group skyrocket amid €625 shake-up
IRELAND'S most vulnerable people are paying the price for a botched social welfare system, it's been claimed, as people are waiting weeks for their carer's allowance appeal outcome. 3 Carer's allowance appeals are being granted more frequently according to new figures Credit: Getty 3 A new boost to the payment will come in July Credit: Getty The Carer's Allowance is a weekly social It's a means-tested payment given to the primary carer for each person being cared for. An appeal can be made if someone's claim to the allowance is not granted. And figures show that there has been a 33.73 per cent increase in the waiting times for those who have appealed the initial decision. Read more in Money It means that, should someone's claim to the welfare be rejected on first application, they could be waiting up to 23 weeks to get a second opinion. And as the wait times increase, so too do the number of appeals which are granted. O'Reilly said: "While appeal waiting times are increasing, appeal success rates are also increasing. "In 2024, a third of all those who appealed their application for 'We have a system that forces our society's most vulnerable through an arduous administrative process that is onerous, alienating, humiliating and pushes them further into poverty. Most read in The Irish Sun "Many give up along the way, or do not realise that if they just appeal the same application that was rejected they have a very good chance of acceptance." PUSHED INTO POVERTY The "Those waiting for a decision on their appeal have reported forgoing to see a 'A shocking proportion of respondents report going into debt while waiting for social welfare income payments. 'While the Minister for Social Protection may have hired more staff to act as deciding officers, these figures show that this strategy alone is not sufficient. PAYING THE PRICE "I encourage the department to be transparent and share its protocols and circulars used to instruct deciding officers. 'These issues run deeper than staff shortages. There is a clear issue with the department's management culture, and Ireland's most vulnerable people are paying the price.' O'Reilly's claims have come just weeks after a major INCOME DISREGARD Minister for Social Protection It means that a certain amount of a person's earning will not be taken into account when they apply for social welfare payments. The income disregard means that Carer's Allowance will be increased from €450 to €625 for each individual person being cared for. And it will be upped from €900 to €1,250 for a person with a spouse or partner. He said: "The income disregards for carers are already the most generous in the social welfare system and are being further improved. "This July, the weekly income disregard will increase further from €450 to €625 for a single person, and from €900 to €1,250 for carers with a spouse or partner. "This means that a carer in a two-adult household with an income of approximately €69,000 will still retain their full carer's payment and even with an income of €97,000 will retain a partial payment." He added: "Means tests are used within the social welfare system to target the support to those most in need in a manner that is progressive in terms of income distribution. He added: "There are currently 99,256 people in receipt of carer's allowance, which accounts for €1.24 billion of my Department's budget." 3 Louise O'Reilly claimed the most vulnerable are paying the price for the wait times Credit: Getty
West Australian
20-05-2025
- Politics
- West Australian
Under-fire Electoral Commissioner Robert Kennedy stood aside for rest of year
Under-fire Electoral Commissioner Robert Kennedy has been stood aside for the rest of the year, with the Government announcing a senior bureaucrat to take on the key role ahead of local council polls in October. Electoral Affairs Minister David Michael told Parliament on Tuesday the Government had appointed Water and Environmental Regulation department deputy director general Dennis O'Reilly as acting electoral commissioner until the end of the year. The move comes as Mr Kennedy continues 'personal leave' which he took at the end of March following the election, for which he and the WAEC faced criticism over the operations, including on polling day. 'I am very pleased to have someone of Mr O'Reilly's calibre take on this vitally important role for Western Australians,' Mr Michael said. 'October's local government elections are important for communities across our State and Mr O'Reilly will be working hard with his team to ensure they run smoothly. 'I thank Deputy Commissioner Courtney Baron for acting as Commissioner in recent weeks. 'With the report on the State Election Special Inquiry due on 30 June, there will also be work to do to ensure the difficulties experienced in the March election are not repeated, and Mr O'Reilly will lead this after the government has considered the report.' Mr O'Reilly's appointment by the Governor came off the back of engagement with the Opposition and crossbench party leaders over the role. Mr Kennedy drew criticism in the fallout from the State Election, with problems ranging from voter queues, ballot shortages and concerns about poorly trained staff. After taking just a handful of questions the day after the election, Mr Kennedy shied away from public scrutiny, refusing to do any formal interviews. He told The West Australian after he was approached outside a meeting with Mr Michael that he wanted to finish the count first. 'That's what we owe to the community at the moment, is to finish the count so that everyone knows what the result is,' he said in March. 'We can get into the analysis after that.' An independent inquiry, lead by former Governor Malcolm McCusker, has heard from staff members and voters, and is set to hand down a final report to the Government at the end of June.
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
1 Unstoppable Stock That Keeps Crushing the Market: Should You Buy It in May and Hold Forever?
Sizable stock buybacks have propelled a meaningful reduction in this company's outstanding share count. An impressive streak of same-store sales growth underscores the durable demand this business experiences. Shares are expensive on a historical basis, but that might not deter bullish investors. 10 stocks we like better than O'Reilly Automotive › Investors looking to find businesses that can outperform the S&P 500 index over the long term should look at those that have done just that historically. The thinking is that companies that have performed well in the past are likely in a good position to continue doing so. In the past five years, one retail stock has climbed 238% (as of May 9). Even this year, it keeps crushing the market, up 15%, while the S&P 500 has fallen 4%. This business is doing something right to warrant such enthusiasm from the investment community. Should you buy shares in May and hold them forever? If investors aren't already, it's time to get familiar with O'Reilly Automotive (NASDAQ: ORLY). The retail chain sells aftermarket auto parts through a large network of stores scattered across the country (with a presence in Canada and Mexico as well). It targets both do-it-yourself customers and professional mechanics. One reason to like this business is the steady financial performance over the years. Between 2014 and 2024, revenue increased at a compound annual rate of 8.8%. What's more, diluted earnings per share have risen at a yearly clip of 18.7%, demonstrating the shareholder value that has been created. That bottom-line figure is supported by management's superb capital allocation strategy that involves aggressive stock buybacks. In the past decade, O'Reilly's outstanding share count has shrunk by 45%. O'Reilly has reported same-store sales (SSS) growth for 32 consecutive years. This is one of the most important metrics for a retail enterprise. The fact that this company has such a stellar track record highlights the durable demand it registers. Increasing SSS, despite external conditions, might significantly ease investors' concerns about the economy. Let's say the U.S. enters a recession later this year, something many are expecting. This will likely pressure new car purchases. However, people still need to get around, which will add wear and tear to vehicles. O'Reilly's business will benefit as it always has. O'Reilly should experience solid growth prospects for the foreseeable future. The average age of vehicles on the road, at 12.5 years in 2023, has slowly climbed over time. The company loves to see this, as it means consumers are extending the useful lives of their cars and need the parts and supplies to keep them running properly. An underrated quality that investors should appreciate is technological disruption. Companies that are successful over long periods can remain relevant. Because O'Reilly operates in a boring part of the economy, it's not prone to becoming obsolete like other industries might be. I think this reduces risk. Thanks to the stock's incredible performance, it doesn't trade at a cheap valuation. The current price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 33.3 is 38% higher than its trailing-10-year average. Shares are historically expensive, so it's best to wait for a pullback. That belief stems from my view to prioritize valuation when choosing investments to add to your portfolio. The stock looks expensive, but a counterargument might be that the stock never really is cheap. For example, 10 years ago, shares sold at a P/E multiple of 28.4, a figure that investors would've argued was far from being a bargain. However, the stock price is up 515% since May 2015. I can understand a different take from those investors most bullish on the business. They might consider dollar-cost averaging over several months if they really appreciate O'Reilly and want to be long-term owners of the company. It's hard to say a stock should be held forever, but this one comes pretty close. Before you buy stock in O'Reilly Automotive, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the for investors to buy now… and O'Reilly Automotive wasn't one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $598,613!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $753,878!* Now, it's worth noting Stock Advisor's total average return is 922% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 169% for the S&P 500. Don't miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join . See the 10 stocks » *Stock Advisor returns as of May 12, 2025 Neil Patel has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. 1 Unstoppable Stock That Keeps Crushing the Market: Should You Buy It in May and Hold Forever? was originally published by The Motley Fool Sign in to access your portfolio
The Sun
05-05-2025
- Business
- The Sun
Lazy statistics, loud opinions
WHEN Bill O'Reilly doubled down on his mockery of Malaysia – scoffing that Malaysians 'can't even buy a little hat' and citing a household income figure of US$5,731 (RM24,400) versus US$42,220 in the US – he was not just being flippant. He was showcasing the danger of lazy statistics. By cherry-picking figures without context, he painted a distorted picture of economic despair – and in doing so, revealed a worldview still steeped in colonialist condescension. Like many such soundbites, the truth lies in what he left out. A single number doesn't define prosperity The US$42,220 figure cited by O'Reilly comes from the US Census Bureau's annual household survey, the Current Population Survey (CPS). It refers to the median personal income of individuals aged 15 and above in 2023, adjusted for inflation (in what is called '2023 CPI-U-RS dollars'). The figure is widely referenced and republished by the Federal Reserve Bank of St Louis under the series code MEPAINUSA672N. For Malaysia, the figure seems to have been quoted from the CEIC's 'Annual Household Income per Capita' dataset, which draws on official data from the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM). The calculation starts with the mean monthly household income in 2022, recorded at RM8,479 (DOSM), which is then annualised, multiplied by the estimated number of households (about 8.662 million in 2022), divided by Malaysia's mid-year population, and finally converted into US dollars using the average 2022 exchange rate. Thus, O'Reilly's framing ignores several key contextual differences: Different units: He compares income earned by actual individuals in the US to household income per capita in Malaysia, which includes non-earners such as children and elderly dependents. This pulls the Malaysian figure down and inflates the gap. No purchasing power adjustment: A US dollar buys far more in Malaysia than it does in the US. Nominal comparisons ignore this, understating the true standard of living in Malaysia. Different timeframe and inflation adjustments: The US number is from 2023, inflation-adjusted to constant dollars. The Malaysian number is from 2022, in current prices. So, O'Reilly is comparing different years and price bases, which further muddies the waters. Even when we use CEIC's harmonised household income data series – applied equally to both Malaysia and the US – but adjust for purchasing power parity using the World Bank's official 2022 factor, Malaysia's household income per capita rises to US$16,857. On that basis, the US-Malaysia income gap is only 2.3 times, not seven. Similarly, GDP per capita (PPP) shows Malaysia at US$34,366 compared to the US at US$78,035 – a 2.3 times gap as well. Therefore, O'Reilly's claim did not just miss context – it overstated the disparity by a factor of three. These comparisons still ignore differences in cost of living and access to services. Declaring a nation poor without accounting for those factors is, at best, lazy arithmetic. No wonder Malaysians cheekily reminded O'Reilly, 'we have free healthcare, grandpa'. In the US, the top 20% controls over 50% of disposable income. Furthermore, Harvard data suggests 85% of American families now require some form of financial aid. High healthcare, housing and student loan costs heavily erode American incomes in ways Malaysians are largely protected from – thanks to public healthcare, fuel subsidies and affordable food. A nasi lemak in Kuala Lumpur still costs less than a coffee in New York. A region that matters O'Reilly's deeper implication – that Southeast Asia is irrelevant to the global economy – is just as inaccurate, as Emir Research previously elaborated in 'How Malaysia Keeps its Compass Steady amid Tariff Shocks – and Builds for What's Next'. Malaysia and its Asean neighbours are emerging economic powerhouses in their own right. The image of Southeast Asia as having 'no money' also ignores the region's massive market potential. With over 680 million people, rising middle classes and growth rates outpacing the West, Asean is a prize in global commerce. This is why trillions in South–South capital (from China, the Middle East and elsewhere) are actively seeking opportunities in these emerging powerhouses. Thus, when Chinese President Xi Jinping visited Malaysia in April, over 30 bilateral cooperation agreements were signed. These were not handouts. They were joint ventures – in AI, green tech and smart infrastructure. Signs not of desperation, but of ambition to climb the value chain. That strategic openness to both East and West has become far more pronounced under the Anwar Ibrahim administration. Similarly, Western tech giants like Google and Microsoft have recently invested significantly in Malaysia's digital economy. Malaysia's economic approach today is pragmatic: be a 'bridge, not battleground' between great powers while investing in connectivity, upskilling talent and maintaining macroeconomic stability. Colonial lens still lingers Perhaps most revealing was O'Reilly's flippant 'Ha-ha, I'm a colonialist' remark. That line, paired with his mockery of 'small' countries, betrays a mindset that still colours parts of Western commentary. This view assumes Western dominance as a given and frames non-Western nations as inherently lesser. In the view of the O'Reillies of the world, if a country does not match American standards of wealth, it is fair game for ridicule. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim rightly called such comments 'arrogant and ignorant', shaped by imperial assumptions that no longer hold. Malaysia is not a dependent economy. It is an upper-middle-income nation with a diversified export base, strong industrial capability and rising agency. In 2023, it exported approximately US$74 billion in integrated circuits – 23% of total exports – ranking among the world's top semiconductor exporters. It also contributes 13% of the global market for backend semiconductor services like testing and packaging. These are not signs of weakness but reflect systemic relevance and significant potential. The challenge now is to translate that structural position into broader socioeconomic gains – a goal central to the current administration's reform agenda. Unlike the West, which entrenches dominance through IMF conditions, petrodollar hegemony and the privilege of printing the world's reserve currency, Malaysia – like many real-economy nations – has had to build its sovereignty from the ground up. That has not come easy. Global history shows that leaders who defend sovereignty in word and deed are often undermined – not just rhetorically but through sustained economic and political pressure. The nexus between supranational and entrenched local colonialists runs deep. Malaysia is no exception. The current administration inherited a system long dominated by entrenched interests – what can rightfully be called internal colonialists, sustained in part by external colonialists who, in many ways, never truly left. Decades of divisive politics and absolute policy inertia have left deep structural challenges. Anwar's reform agenda marks a break from that legacy but the path forward remains an uphill climb. Still, Malaysia continues to push forward. It settles more trade in local currencies, strengthens South–South ties and plays an active role in shaping regional policy through platforms like Asean, RCEP (Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership) and CPTPP (Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership). Its strategy – resilience without retaliation – offers a potential model for others. So, when O'Reilly mocks Malaysia's outreach to China, he misses the point. Kuala Lumpur is not choosing sides, it is choosing independence. It welcomes both East and West on terms that serve mutual national interest. Next time someone chuckles about who 'has money', remember: context matters. Malaysia's story – of grit, growth and strategic savvy – is far more compelling than a drive-by income comparison. Dismissing a country based on a single, unadjusted figure is not just a bad analysis; it is a relic of a fading worldview. In a world of shifting power, it is not the loudest voices that lead but those with the clearest compass. Dr Rais Hussin is the founder of Emir Research, a think-tank focused on strategic policy recommendations based on rigorous research. Comments: letters@
Time of India
30-04-2025
- Sport
- Time of India
Ryan O'Reilly and two-way force behind NHL success
On February 7, 1991 Ryan O'Reilly was born. In Clinton, Ontario. His hockey journey began in minor leagues. Here his talent quickly stood out. By 2007, he was the first overall pick in the OHL Draft. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Later joining the Erie Otters. O'Reilly scored 52 points in 61 games, in his rookie OHL season. His strong two-way play earned him team awards. Also got recognition as a top penalty killer. His performance in 2009 paved the way for his NHL draft selection. NHL Breakthrough and Colorado Avalanche Years Ryan O'Reilly career goal No.300 #goal #ryanoreilly #predators #nhl The Colorado Avalanche in 2009 drafted O'Reilly 33rd overall. He made an immediate impact. This is becoming one of the youngest players in Avalanche history to debut in a regular-season game. His offensive contributions quickly made him a key player in defensive reliability. O'Reilly's time in Colorado was marked by steady growth. He led the NHL in takeaways twice and won the Lady Byng Trophy in 2014. Despite contract disputes, he remained a consistent performer. Before being traded to Buffalo in 2015. Stanley Cup Glory and St. Louis Blues Legacy Ryan O'Reilly #90 of the Nashville Predators controls the puck (Credit: Getty Image) With the St. Louis Blues, O'Reilly's career reached new heights. In 2019, in their first-ever Stanley Cup victory he played a pivotal role. His playoff performance earned him the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP. O'Reilly shined on the international stage. He first impressed at the 2008 Ivan Hlinka tournament. Canada won gold with his help. He captained U18 World Championship team Canada's U18 team in 2009 . Though they finished fourth, his leadership was clear. His game translated perfectly to senior competition. O'Reilly dominated, at the 2015 World Championship,. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now He scored 10 points in 10 games. Canada claimed gold. They repeated as champions in 2016. The 2016 World Cup added another trophy. O'Reilly's two-way play proved vital. He often wore an "A" for Canada. His international success mirrors his NHL career. Big moments bring out his best. O'Reilly wins wherever he plays. He also won the Selke Trophy that year. This mostly cemented his status as one of the league's best two-way forwards. Named Blues captain in 2020. O'Reilly became a leader on and off the ice. His tenure in St. Louis solidified his legacy. As a clutch performer. Read more: New Challenges and Nashville Predators Era After a brief stint with the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2023. O'Reilly signed with the Nashville Predators. The four-year deal marked a fresh chapter. That too for the veteran center. His experience and leadership are expected. Especially to guide a young Predators team. O'Reilly's career is a testament to hard work and adaptability. From junior hockey to NHL stardom. His journey reflects perseverance and excellence. His impact on the game remains undeniable as he continues with Nashville.
