Latest news with #PatrickO'Connor
Scoop
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Scoop
Coalition Government Prioritizing Motorways Over Essential Public Transport
The Free Fares movement, a coalition of over 100 organisations, is deeply disappointed that the coalition government is prioritizing astronomically expensive roading projects over essential public transport needs in Budget 2025. 'Free Fares calls on the government to prioritise Vote Transport money towards accessible public transport for those who most need it. Free Fares calls for quality free public transport for students, under 25s, Community Service Card holders, Total Mobility Card holders and their support people,' says Free Fares spokesperson Patrick O'Connor. 'Communities are at the mercy of the cost of living crisis and the climate crisis. Public transport is the best sustainable solution to these problems. Building more roads will not improve traffic for commuters. Less investment in public transport will mean more cars, and therefore more traffic jams and congestion. 'In comparison, buses and trains take far less space and move far more people. A quality and affordable public transport system has the potential to both greatly reduce traffic woes and carbon emissions.' At the same time as 15 motorways are being built the NZTA intends to increase the 'private share of public transport operating expenditure'. This pushes councils to increase bus and train fares. This will push more costs onto working people, making daily life more difficult for already struggling New Zealanders. Many Transport Authorities have told NZTA this is not realistic. Free Fares NZ and 6000 others recently petitioned the government against the private share fare hikes. 'Free Fares advocates for community needs over the self-interests of profit' O'Connor explains. 'Public transport is a long-term investment. It increases accessibility for people to benefit from education and the labour force, which in turn allows them to contribute to the productivity and innovation of society in the long-term.' Notes: Free Fares NZ is a coalition of over 100 organisations across Aotearoa, including local councils, LGNZ, climate justice organisations, churches, anti-poverty groups, trade unions, student associations and various other community organisations. We call on the government to subsidise half-price public transport for everyone, as well as free transport for students, under 25s, Community Service card holders, and Total Mobility card holders along with their support people. Free Fares have been successful so far in securing permanent half-price fees for Community Service cardholers.
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Stars School & Learning Center in Weymouth Sets Opening Date for September 2025
The first-of-its-kind school on Boston's South Shore will serve students with dyslexia and related language-based learning differences WEYMOUTH, MA / / May 21, 2025 / Stars School & Learning Center, a new specialized nonprofit day school serving cognitively skilled students in Grades 1-5 with dyslexia and related language-based learning differences, has officially announced its inaugural opening date: September 4, 2025. Developed and led by South Shore Stars CEO Jennifer Curtis-Whipple, Ed.D., a former Superintendent of Weymouth Public Schools, the school is a natural extension of Stars' five-decade commitment to early education, academic enrichment, and family support. Located at 163 Libbey Parkway in Weymouth, Stars School & Learning Center will be the first school of its kind on Boston's South Shore, offering an innovative, evidence-based, multisensory curriculum grounded in the Science of Reading within a highly supportive learning environment. Enrollment is open year-round, and Stars is able to accommodate mid-year transfer students. As a nonprofit, Chapter 766-approved day school, Stars accepts both private-pay students and those placed by public school districts. Recently approved tuition rates by the Massachusetts Operational Services Division will allow public districts to access state and municipal funding for appropriate student placements. The idea for the school was ignited three years ago when State Senator Patrick O'Connor introduced Dr. Curtis-Whipple to a group of parents seeking a solution for the lack of resources on the South Shore. In February 2023, Stars committed to launching a new school to fill that void. With necessary approvals now in place, the board recently voted to allocate all necessary resources to guarantee opening for the 2025-2026 school year. "This program is a major need on the South Shore, and similar programs throughout the eastern part of the state are full. Dyslexic students are all too frequently faced with instruction that is poorly executed and leaves the child unable to read at a useful level," says Nancy Duggan, founder of Decoding Dyslexia of MA and a Stars board member. "The entire board recognizes the pain that parents of dyslexic students experience when their children are unhappy and, often, depressed by the gap they can see between their abilities and their classmates." Stars has begun hiring Orton-Gillingham trained and certified teachers, Speech and Language Pathologists, and additional elementary school staff and expects to be fully staffed by July 31st. The school recently completed a $1.4 million remodeling project to create classrooms and learning spaces tailored to the needs of students with dyslexia, language-based learning needs, ADHD, and additional features to support teaching and learning for this population of children. The upgraded space features a state-of-the-art gross motor and sensory space that allows children to engage with self-regulation tools and explore a multitude of resources and equipment. A scholarship fund is being established, and leadership is now refocusing its fundraising efforts toward ensuring future financial flexibility and a sustainable future for the school and the organization. "The community needs this program, and we have worked hard to get to a point where we are able to begin providing these services. All children deserve high-quality education, and we are ready to offer this specialized instruction for children with dyslexia," said Dr. Curtis-Whipple. "We are grateful to Quincy Mutual, South Shore Bank, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, Senator Patrick O'Connor, and countless others who have helped us realize this important step forward for education on the South Shore." ABOUT SOUTH SHORE STARS South Shore Stars is a nonprofit organization providing the highest quality early education and youth development programs for the communities south of Boston. Stars serves more than 1,300 children annually, providing programs to a diverse population, concentrating on school readiness and academic achievement, by promoting healthy development and strengthening families. From the organization's inception in 1970, its programs have focused on quality early education, academic, enrichment, and family support, with two interconnected goals of enabling parents to work and supporting each of the children to thrive and reach their full potential. STARS SCHOOL AND LEARNING CENTER Stars School & Learning Center is a private nonprofit school for children grades 1 - 5 with language-based learning differences, like dyslexiaand co-occurring conditions, including in Weymouth, Mass. and opening in September 2025 and a first-of-its-kind day school on Boston's South Shore, Stars' Orton-Gillingham-trained and certified teachers and staff will provide a unique experience for students with average to above-average intelligence, whose diverse learning styles may not be leveraged by a traditional academic setting. Applications and additional information:Visit: development@ SOURCE: South Shore Stars View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Franklin Templeton Plans to Convert 10 Putnam Municipal Bond Mutual Funds into ETFs
Franklin Templeton has revealed plans to convert 10 of its Putnam municipal bond mutual funds into exchange-traded funds (ETFs), a move that significantly broadens its municipal bond ETF offerings. This development follows Franklin Resources, Inc. (NYSE:BEN) acquisition of Putnam Investments in January 2024. The transition is slated to take place between the fourth quarter of 2025 and the first quarter of 2026. Franklin Resources, Inc. (NYSE:BEN) is a global investment management firm that serves clients in more than 150 countries through its network of subsidiaries. Patrick O'Connor, who leads Global ETFs at Franklin Resources, Inc. (NYSE:BEN), indicated that the decision to convert the funds into ETFs was aimed at addressing investor demand for high-quality municipal bond strategies in a more cost-effective, flexible, and transparent format. He noted that the firm's ETF offerings are designed to provide a broad range of options for all types of investors. According to him, the planned additions demonstrate the company's ongoing commitment to this goal and represent a significant step forward as active fixed-income strategies continue to evolve within the ETF landscape. Franklin Resources, Inc. (NYSE:BEN) introduced its first ETF in 2014, aiming to offer investors access to its investment expertise through a low-cost and transparent structure. Since then, the firm has steadily grown its ETF offerings worldwide, now covering active, passive, and smart beta strategies. As of May 15, 2025, its U.S. ETF platform features more than 70 funds, managing roughly $32 billion in assets. The planned changes to its product lineup are expected to further solidify the company's standing as a leading provider of diverse ETF options across all strategy types. The firm also emphasized the ongoing importance of municipal bonds in investor portfolios, noting their appeal due to federally tax-exempt income, historically low default rates, and their role as effective diversifiers within fixed-income allocations. BEN is up by over 10% in 2025 so far. While we acknowledge the potential of BEN to grow, our conviction lies in the belief that some AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and have limited downside risk. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than BEN and that has 100x upside potential, check out our report about this cheapest AI stock. READ MORE: and Disclosure. None.
Business Wire
19-05-2025
- Business
- Business Wire
Franklin Templeton to Convert 10 Putnam Municipal Bond Mutual Funds to ETFs
SAN MATEO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Franklin Templeton today announced plans to convert 10 Putnam municipal bond mutual funds into exchange-traded funds (ETFs), marking a significant expansion of its municipal bond ETF lineup following the acquisition of Putnam Investments in January 2024. The conversions are expected to be completed between the fourth quarter of 2025 and the first quarter of 2026. The funds selected, which will become part of the Franklin Templeton ETF platform, include: Putnam California Tax Exempt Income Fund Putnam Massachusetts Tax Exempt Income Fund Putnam Minnesota Tax Exempt Income Fund Putnam New Jersey Tax Exempt Income Fund Putnam New York Tax Exempt Income Fund Putnam Ohio Tax Exempt Income Fund Putnam Pennsylvania Tax Exempt Income Fund Putnam Short-Term Municipal Income Fund Putnam Tax Exempt Income Fund Putnam Tax-Free High Yield Fund 'To meet investor demand for high-quality municipal bond strategies delivered in a more cost-efficient, flexible, and transparent structure, we plan to convert these funds to ETFs to better serve our clients,' said Patrick O'Connor, Head of Global ETFs at Franklin Templeton. 'Our ETF lineup is built to offer choice at the highest level, spanning solutions for all types of investors. These latest additions reflect that commitment and mark another milestone as active fixed income strategies continue to modernize within the ETF ecosystem.' Municipal bonds remain a core component of many investor portfolios, offering federally tax-exempt income and historically low default rates. In addition to their income-generating potential, they can serve as a valuable diversifier within fixed income allocations. 'With these conversions, we remain at the forefront of bringing municipal bond strategies to market at scale in an ETF wrapper,' said Ben Barber, Director of Fixed Income - Municipal Bonds at Franklin Templeton. 'This is a meaningful step in making tax-free income solutions more accessible for all investors and reinforces our commitment to innovation and leadership in the municipal bond space.' Franklin Templeton's U.S. ETF platform currently includes over 70 ETFs with approximately $32 billion in assets under management as of May 15, 2025. The proposed changes to the product suite will further strengthen the firm's position as an industry leader in delivering choice to ETF investors across active, smart beta, and passive strategies. About Franklin Templeton Franklin Resources, Inc. (NYSE: BEN) is a global investment management organization with subsidiaries operating as Franklin Templeton and serving clients in over 150 countries. Franklin Templeton's mission is to help clients achieve better outcomes through investment management expertise, wealth management and technology solutions. Through its specialist investment managers, the Company offers specialization on a global scale, bringing extensive capabilities in equity, fixed income, alternatives and multi-asset solutions. With more than 1,500 investment professionals, and offices in major financial markets around the world, the California-based company has over 75 years of investment experience and $1.53 trillion in AUM as of April 30, 2025. The Company posts information that may be significant for investors in the Investor Relations and News Center sections of its website, and encourages investors to consult those sections regularly. For more information, please visit Important Information ETFs and ETPs trade like stocks, fluctuate in market value and may trade at prices above or below the ETFs/ETPs net asset value. Brokerage commissions and ETF/ETP expenses will reduce returns. ETF/ETP shares may be bought or sold throughout the day at their market price, not their Net Asset Value (NAV), on the exchange on which they are listed. Shares of ETFs/ETPs are tradable on secondary markets and may trade either at a premium or a discount to their NAV on the secondary market. What are the risks? All investments involve risks, including possible loss of principal. Fixed income securities involve interest rate, credit, inflation and reinvestment risks, and possible loss of principal. As interest rates rise, the value of fixed income securities falls. Portfolios focused on a single state are subject to greater risk of adverse economic and regulatory changes than a geographically diversified portfolio. Low-rated, high-yield bonds are subject to greater price volatility, illiquidity and possibility of default. Active management does not ensure gains or protect against market declines. An investor may be subject to the federal Alternative Minimum Tax, and state and local taxes may apply. These and other risks are discussed in the fund's prospectus. Please read it carefully. Franklin Distributors, LLC Member FINRA/SIPC
Irish Times
24-04-2025
- Sport
- Irish Times
From holiday homes to rural depopulation, the numbers game is not stacking up in Clare
Clare GAA has appointed 2013 All-Ireland winner Patrick O'Connor as its demographics officer. It comes at a time when the county's changing population is seeing clubs in the north, east and west of the county struggle to field teams, even as clubs in central areas have unprecedented numbers. The experience of O'Connor's own club, Tubber, stoked his interest in how demographics affect the GAA. 'It'd always be in the back of your mind coming from where I come from, seeing the issues that we as a club have to tackle on a yearly basis, the concern [of] will you have enough numbers each year for teams. It's an ongoing thing.' He says the problems facing clubs stem from a move away from rural living. 'It hasn't just started in the last five years, it has been happening for many, many years. We've been facing the depopulation of rural Ireland and particularly the west of Ireland. READ MORE 'It's not just my club, there are lots of clubs that have similar issues. It's the polar opposite in the urban settings, where numbers are too high and there are challenges with player retention and that side of things.' In terms of demographics, few clubs in the country have had as difficult an experience as Kilkee, which has a proud history, having won the county senior football championship eight times, most recently in 2005. Twenty years on the club has just one adult team, which competes at junior A level. Chairman Diarmuid Keane says its numbers have been in freefall. The seafront at Kilkee in Co Clare. The town's GAA club has won the county senior football championship eight times but now has just one senior team. 'We were in the county senior final in 2009 and we were senior up to 2017,' said Keane. 'It's maybe the most dramatic fall in Clare in terms of how far down we've gone so fast, and a lot of that is to do with the drop off in population. 'If you go back to 2008 we would have had a senior panel with 28 or 29 on it and a junior A panel with probably 25 on it. Now we have one team, Junior A, and we have 23 players. The pool has dropped from close to 50 down to less than 25.' At underage, Kilkee has joined up with neighbouring clubs O'Curry's and Naomh Eoin, but even the three combined struggle to get 20 players at most age groups. A generation whose children might have carried the flame have largely left Kilkee, says Keane. 'We would have a lot of club members who would have been big players for us in the 90s and early 2000s, and they're now living in Ennis and the surrounding areas. They might be living in Limerick, basically they're living where the work is, where the houses and opportunities are.' While the dysfunctional housing market is a national problem, there is an extra layer of complication in coastal areas like Kilkee, with local people frequently priced out by wealthy holiday home purchasers. Keane feels that even if there was some local building, local people wouldn't get the chance to live in their home place. 'There has been no new housing development in Kilkee in over 20 years. Nothing. Anything that does come, it'll be by an outside developer and it'll be earmarked for holiday homes. It might be sold as permanent housing to keep the Council happy, but there's no doubt they'll be picked up from Limerick or Dublin or people outside the country, cash buyers who will pay well over the odds and buy them as holiday homes. The houses will be unoccupied for 44 or 45 weeks of the year.' Feakle celebrate winning the 2024 Clare SHC final after victory over Sixmilebridge at Cusack Park. Photograph: Natasha Barton/Inpho Eighty-five kilometres away in east Clare, Feakle GAA had an unforgettable 2024, winning the county senior hurling championship for the first time since the 80s, while Eibhear Quilligan and Adam Hogan starred as Clare won the All-Ireland. Yet the club has problems with numbers at underage, despite an ongoing amalgamation with neighbouring Killanena, according to chairman Mark Clune. 'It is a struggle, yeah, it is in fairness. We are struggling to field at under 13 C level this year, which is 13-a-side and that's with Killanena. I'd be on to our politicians every time they come out, we just need more houses in the area, because the population is declining. Having said all that the next group coming after that, at under eight and under nine there would be a good crop coming, so it's not all bad.' Clune feels that in areas close to Ennis there is a huge level of development, while parishes like Feakle that are only slightly more peripheral, are seeing their populations fall. 'The amount of houses going into Tulla (only 10 minutes from Feakle), it's unbelievable. If you look at Lissycasey and places like that, anywhere within 20 minutes or so of Ennis seems to be thriving and if you go that bit further it's a different story. ' O'Connor says he is determined that all the struggling clubs across Clare are supported. 'A lot of the clubs that are rural and struggling have some of the proudest GAA people that you will ever come across. They have provided players to the county for many a year, and you don't want to see years and years of tradition just wilt away and nothing be done about it. As a county we should do everything we possibly can to support them with the challenges they face.'
