Latest news with #Rayburn
Western Telegraph
30-05-2025
- Business
- Western Telegraph
Clynderwen smallholding with caravan site for sale
According to estate agents J J Morris, the property includes a detached house with three or four bedrooms, surrounded by productive grazing land suitable for horses and livestock. The land sits to the front and both sides of the house, and is described by the agents as 'highly suitable for equine and general grazing.' The home has been modernised and updated, with triple-glazed windows, a woodburning stove in the living room, and a kitchen fitted with wall and base storage units, an oil-fired Rayburn, and a four-ring gas hob. One of the bedrooms (Image: J J Morris) Agents say the accommodation is 'efficient and tasteful' and benefits from 'superb country views.' Externally, the property features a hardstanding driveway providing parking and turning space, enclosed gardens, and a chicken run. There is a gated entrance to the main yard, which contains several outbuildings. These include a multi-purpose barn, a former cubicle shed with four stables, a Dutch barn with additional stables, a lean-to stable, and a tack room. There are a range of outbuildings (Image: J J Morris) The agents highlight the 'excellent range of multipurpose buildings' for animal housing and machinery. A sand school for exercising horses is situated behind the house. The site also contains a legally compliant static caravan with water, electricity, and drainage, as well as a touring caravan and camping area with five hook-up points and a shower block. J J Morris recommend viewing to 'fully appreciate this fine country holding.'
Epoch Times
27-04-2025
- Health
- Epoch Times
Make America Healthy Again Movement Extends Beyond Its Architect
For avid supporters, the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) movement itself is not new. It began long before Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s presidential campaign and subsequent confirmation as health secretary. 'The principles of the MAHA movement were once a way of life all over the country decades ago,' Samantha Rayburn, a 40-year-old mother of two teenage sons, told The Epoch Times. 'It's encouraging to see more people adopting those beliefs and understanding that God gave us what we need to feed our bodies and heal our bodies. With how sick and unhealthy we are as a society, this return to the basics is needed.' Rayburn developed an interest in foraging for herbs and plants when she was a little girl and was inspired to make her first tincture when her oldest son caught whooping cough when he was 2. She describes the MAHA movement as 'a return to the basics.' 'It's getting back to when we knew what was in our food because we grew it and got what we didn't have from local farmers,' said Rayburn, who lives in southern Ohio. Related Stories 4/10/2025 4/6/2025 'RFK Jr. and MAHA have made what many of us believe in more mainstream. People are now contacting me and wanting to learn more about herbs. I don't seem so crazy anymore,' Rayburn said with a laugh, referring to her business, Hadassah's Herbs for Health and Healing. When Kennedy delivered a speech last August announcing that he was suspending his campaign and backing then former President Donald Trump, he said that Trump is giving him the opportunity to help make America healthy again. What followed was a social media frenzy with 'Make America Healthy Again' and 'MAHA' hashtags. MAHA, the acronym, was born. Samantha Rayburn has treated her sons, Holden and Wyatt, with herbal remedies since they were infants and believes in Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s Make America Healthy Again platform. Photo courtesy of Samantha Rayburn New Jersey-based Jacqueline Capriotti volunteered for Kennedy's campaign and has championed the creation of gardens. She now heads the Victory Garden Alliance, which encourages people, communities, and organizations to grow their own food. 'There is a revival in growing our own food, supporting local farms, and knowing what's in our food. Bobby and the MAHA movement have catapulted that interest,' Capriotti told The Epoch Times. 'We need this. Our kids need this. It's important they understand how food is grown and where it comes from. That will inspire healthier new generations because they will become smarter consumers.' Capriotti calls what is happening with the MAHA movement a 'health revolution.' She is working to educate elected officials and political candidates. 'Many of us who worked on the presidential campaign didn't stop our objectives when it ended. That's an example of how MAHA is a movement not tied to one person,' Capriotti said. Victory Gardens Alliance founder Jacqueline Capriotti stands in her Victory Garden in New Jersey in 2024. Photo courtesy of Jacqueline Capriotti As health secretary, Kennedy has a mandate to fight chronic disease, improve children's health, and address corporate influence on government agencies. He has pledged to remove toxic chemicals from the nation's food supply, increase transparency, improve vaccine safety, and make changes to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)—operating divisions within Health and Human Services (HHS). These plans, along with encouraging Americans to grow their own food and buy meat and produce from farmers who do not use pesticides and toxins, are among the initiatives of the MAHA movement. Jeffrey Rose is a New York-based sleep specialist, hypnotherapist, and addiction recovery coach who helped raise funds for American Values 2024, the Kennedy-aligned super PAC, during his presidential campaign. He says that the 'passion for change' instilled during that time has motivated many volunteers to continue their efforts on MAHA issues that are important to them—himself included. Rose is currently focused on what he calls a health issue that needs more discussion and emphasis—more sleep for high school-age children. He is the New York State legislative coordinator for Start School Later, an organization composed of clinical professionals working to change start times in U.S. high schools. Rose said volunteers for the Kennedy presidential campaign came from all backgrounds. 'We had Republicans, Democrats, libertarians, and independents. We had people who are passionate about removing chemicals from our food, people who advocate for informed consent, vaccine safety, and medical freedom. We had people who embraced Kennedy's mission to end corporate capture of government health agencies, and people who believe in holistic medicine and clean eating,' he said. 'MAHA is a movement that started years before, but one that had an official name last August, and for the first time, mainstream media interest.' Calley Means has advised Trump and Kennedy on health care policy and currently serves in an advisory role to Kennedy. He believes it's the grassroots efforts of advocates and groups nationwide that will help get results. 'This movement has energy and impatience, and both are strengths,' Means said. He is the founder of True Med, a platform that aims to enable people to use health savings accounts and flexible spending accounts for expenses related to healthy living. 'This is a long-term plan, and it will take time and persistence to keep getting wins. I believe MAHA is a sustained movement that will outlast Bobby Kennedy and President Trump' he said. 'Truly revolutionizing our agriculture system and health care system is a long-term journey.' Del Bigtree, host of 'The HighWire' and founder of the Informed Consent Action Network, served as communications director during Kennedy's campaign. He is now CEO of the MAHA Action PAC, which advocates for policies such as vaccine safety information transparency, improved access to holistic health care, examining the food industry, and addressing corporate influence on government health agencies. The PAC is also debuting a national directory of physicians who are pro-MAHA and prioritize lifestyle adjustments over prescription drugs. The organization has a database that tracks proposed health-related legislation in states nationwide—as well as which legislators support it. 'There is a time we need drugs and surgery, but those times mean something went wrong. How do we prevent more people from having health conditions? How can we inspire them to change their lifestyle so they don't have to get to the point where they need those drugs and surgeries? That is part of MAHA Action's focus,' Bigtree told The Epoch Times. 'MAHA is not and should not be limited to what happens in government. There must be public education and public pressure on the government to get long-needed results,' he added. Del Bigtree, founder of the Informed Consent Action Network and host of The Highwire, is the head of the RFK Jr.-aligned MAHA Action PAC, which was launched in 2024. Photo courtesy of Del Bigtree Jeff Hutt, a former national field director for the Kennedy campaign, is now the outreach director for the Make America Healthy Again PAC, which was founded by a dozen former senior presidential campaign staff members. Initially, the PAC focused on getting Kennedy confirmed by the Senate as health secretary. Hutt said the organization now concentrates on supporting candidates at the state and local levels who embrace the MAHA platform. The work includes state level activity to encourage the passage of MAHA-friendly bills and the election of pro-MAHA candidates. 'Americans are disillusioned with Washington D.C., and since COVID, there has become a growing understanding that, to make substantial change, you need to think local. Take action in your own town and your state,' Hutt said. 'What's going on in every state across the country—with no connection to Secretary Kennedy—is driving the MAHA movement outside of the Trump administration,' Hutt said. During Kennedy's confirmation process, groups such as MAHA Action, the MAHA PAC, the American Values PAC, and Stand for Health Freedom flooded senators with phone calls, emails, and letters urging them to support the nominee. Sayer Ji, chairman and co-founder of Global Wellness Forum and founder of also co-founded Stand for Health Freedom, a nonprofit that advocates for informed consent, parental rights, religious freedom, freedom of speech, and privacy. 'The grassroots movement behind Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s confirmation fight proves that real change rises from the ground up,' Ji told The Epoch Times. 'While senators parroted pharmaceutical talking points and corporate interests worked to silence him, it was the people, the increasingly vocal, once-silent majority, who stepped up,' he said. 'They reminded the establishment that political survival depends not on industry dollars but on the will of the people.' Ji said the MAHA movement has a broad focus and is here to stay. 'It's about reclaiming medical freedom, bodily autonomy, and the right to informed choice,' he said. 'It's no longer a niche issue; it's a demand for accountability, transparency, and an end to policies that put profit over people. 'The future of MAHA is in the hands of this awakening majority.'
Irish Examiner
27-04-2025
- Irish Examiner
Teachers' 'lifestyle' family home was a successful learning curve
ONE metre high standing stones from the Bronze age are an archaeological feature in the fields directly behind this sizeable, fully maximised West Cork family lifestyle home, a mix both of being off the beaten track, yet accessible to a range of amenities and attractions. Set at Clogagh North, near Ballinsacarthy south of the N71 between Bandon and Clonakilty, the 2,700 sq ft extended dormer home on a lovingly tended wedge-shaped site just now ready to burst into summer glories is a trade-down sale offer on behalf of a family that appreciated the setting, coastal proximity, and links to the ancient past, with UCC student archaeologists and other school groups that surveyed them, likely linked to a burial site. One of the owners here would have paid particular attention to its significant past, as well as to a nearby 16th century prayer house, as he was the local school principal in Clogagh for many years, now retired and both he and his wife (also a teacher) are downsizing, moving closer to adult offspring. They are vacating their immaculate five-bed home, extended from a three-bed house down the years, as their family grew, with two kitchens, one with a powerful black Rayburn (very suitable for multi-generational families, guests etc). It's got bedrooms and bathrooms on both levels, with a library on the landing; apart from the main sitting room off the original kitchen, there's now a feature lofted gable end living/dining room with stove and access to a side patio, one of two. This one includes a glass-roofed screening veranda overhead for all weather, al fresco meals, BBQs and entertaining, both young and old: the vaulted end room became a hub for all sorts of gatherings, games, parties and study sessions, as needs, seasons and exam schedules indicated. The home evolved on a greenfield, triangular c 0.6 acre site over 36 years, and now is home to dozens of trees species, with a big front lawn, and behind evolved into more niche sections for organic veg and herb beds (the photography here must have been done last summer?). Down the years, the gardens have been home to hens, ducks, geese and even a pot belly pig called Napoleon, trained by the youngest sibling to even sit, on command. Hopefully their Napoleon was more benign in its day than the fictional porker Napoleon in George Orwell's chilling classic Animal Farm, and today just two curly-haired dogs are residents of this Clogagh animal farm, with their own house and dog run generously assigned. Pig out... Selling agent Majella Galvin of DNG Galvin guides the mix of spacious home, and pristine gardens at €595,000 and says it's a great lifestyle offer, for families of all sizes, with a national school 600 metres away in the village, plus proximity to beaches and hideaway coves around Timoleague, Courtmacsherry and west towards Clonakilty. The family enjoyed walks, hikes and sea swims as well as fishing on the Argideen river, and there's also proximity to the charming timepiece Argideen Vale Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, with a history back to the 1890s, and ongoing tea days this summer. Argideen Vale Tennis Club VERDICT: Clearly a much loved and appreciated home, ready to go again.
Forbes
15-04-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Pacing Innovation: Why Full Throttle Isn't Always Best
At Rayburn, our members ultimately pay for every cost. This means we constantly balance innovation with value. At Rayburn, we talk all the time about our core value of innovation, but there's a nuance to it that often goes unspoken: knowing when to push forward and when to pause. True innovation shouldn't be about constant, breathless change. It's more about maintaining the right mindset while respecting your team's capacity for transformation. We say all the time that status quo is not company policy, and it's not. But that doesn't mean everything must change. Every organization has core principles and values that define who they are. Innovation isn't about abandoning identity. It's more about evolving to remain relevant and agile. Organizational innovation requires balance: the courage to question established processes, even successful ones, while still having the wisdom to implement change at a sustainable pace. It reminds me of that classic I Love Lucy episode where Lucy and Ethel are working at a chocolate factory. The conveyor belt starts moving faster and faster until they're desperately stuffing chocolates in their hats, shirts, and mouths just to keep up. That's not innovation—that's chaos. On the other hand, there is a real danger in moving too slowly—or worse, not being willing to move at all. When organizations cling to the 'that's how we've always done things' mindset, they unknowingly accumulate costs that won't show up on any balance sheet until it's too late. These costs include factors like losing market relevance and missed opportunities as top performers move to more agile and efficient competitors. The longer an organization delays or avoids needed change, the quicker it risks becoming irrelevant and eventually obsolete. Pushing past hesitation takes effort, discomfort, and sometimes pain. Even though I'm not a runner (unless something's chasing me), I understand the concept of 'hitting the wall.' Runners describe that moment when your body screams to stop, your muscles burn, and your lungs feel like they're on fire. It's the body's natural resistance to change and exertion. Organizations experience something similar when pushing innovation. The instinct we all have to do what is predictable, known, and safe—in essence, to maintain the status quo—is that organizational 'wall.' Who doesn't like the comfort and assurance of predictability? But in an organization, this mentality is ultimately limiting if prolonged. The real danger isn't in pacing innovation; it's in not being willing to move at all. Like running, you can't go from zero to sixty without a proper warm-up period. I tend to get very excited about new ideas. There's a certain satisfaction in pushing the boundaries of what's possible. Our organization is full of people like me. We're drawn to the challenge of redefining the limits of what can be done. However, I have learned to acknowledge the natural tension between idea generation and implementation. Good ideas don't succeed just because they're innovative. They succeed because they are implemented at the right time and in the right way. You have to give people time to sit with the innovation, try it out, play with it, mold it, and eventually implement it. When you do, that innovation gets better. Collaboration will bring out the strengths and weaknesses of ideas better than anything else, so I try to make a habit of slowing down and allowing innovation to take the time it needs. Leaders have to know when to apply the gas and when to put on the brakes. Another thing I've learned is that inefficiency is inherent in innovation. That may sound counterintuitive. The whole point of innovation is often to become more efficient, after all. But you have to be willing to sacrifice some short-term efficiency to achieve long-term gains. This is especially true with technology decisions, where we aim to be on the leading edge, not the bleeding edge. There's a difference between being an early adopter and being the first to try something that isn't fully proven. At Rayburn, our members ultimately pay for every cost. This means we constantly balance innovation with value. Sometimes, the answer isn't 'No, we're not changing.' It's 'We're not changing yet.' The timing has to be right, and the value proposition has to be clear. By continually looking in the mirror and checking for blind spots, we stay ahead of disruption rather than becoming victims of it. When we say status quo is not company policy, we really mean that nothing should be beyond questioning. Even our most trusted processes and beliefs should be regularly examined to ensure they're still serving our purpose. The market is constantly shifting, and the goalposts are always moving. Yesterday's innovations are today's standard practices. Thriving organizations embrace the constant, healthy tension between stability and change, honoring their foundation while building new structures upon it. This balance keeps them vibrant, relevant, and ready for whatever comes next.
Yahoo
07-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
VA secretary to testify on department budget needs, workforce cuts
Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins will make his first appearance since his confirmation before Congress this week, testifying before the House Appropriations Committee on Wednesday about the fiscal 2026 budget. Collins' trip to Capitol Hill comes amid increasing frustration among Democratic lawmakers about department reform plans. The secretary has set a goal of reducing the VA workforce to less than 400,000 staffers, which would require eliminating more than 80,000 federal posts in the coming months. In response, Collins has accused Democrats of fear-mongering and supporting a broken bureaucracy. He has insisted that VA must be more efficient with taxpayer money, including reducing its worker footprint. How the secretary is received by the committee — and how much he spars with his former House colleagues — will set the tone for appearances before other congressional panels later this spring. Senate Armed Services — 9:30 a.m. — G-50 Dirksen Nominations The committee will consider several pending nominations, including Bradley D. Hansell to be under secretary of defense for intelligence and security. Senate Foreign Relations — 10 a.m. — 419 Dirksen Nominations The committee will consider several pending nominations, including Brandon Judd to be ambassador to Chile. House Armed Services — 10 a.m. — 2118 Rayburn European Command Gen. Christopher Cavoli, head of U.S. European Command, will testify on current threats and fiscal 2026 budget needs. House Appropriations — 10:30 a.m. — 2358-C Rayburn Military Quality of Life Service officials will testify on military quality of life challenges and improvements for military families. House Foreign Affairs — 2 p.m. — 2172 Rayburn Foreign Policy Outside advocates will testify on the change in foreign policy strategy from the last White House to the current administration. Senate Armed Services — 2:30 p.m. — G-50 Dirksen Special Operations Command Gen. Bryan Fenton, head of U.S. Special Operations Command, will testify on current force challenges and the fiscal 2026 budget request. Senate Armed Services — 2:30 p.m. — 222 Russell Nuclear Shipbuilding Naval officials will testify on the state of nuclear shipbuilding and future goals for the service. House Armed Services — 4 p.m. — 2212 Rayburn Biotechnology Members of the National Security Commission on Emerging Biotechnology will testify on their recent findings. House Armed Services — 8 a.m. — 2118 Rayburn Special Operations Command Gen. Bryan Fenton, head of U.S. Special Operations Command, will testify on current force challenges and the fiscal 2026 budget request. Senate Foreign Relations — 9:30 a.m. — 419 Dirksen Nominations The committee will consider several pending nominations. House Armed Services — 10 a.m. — 2118 Rayburn Indo-Pacific Command Adm. Samuel Paparo, head of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, and Gen. Xavier Brunson, head of U.S. Forces Korea, will testify on regional challenges. House Appropriations — 10 a.m. — 2362-B Rayburn VA Budget VA Secretary Doug Collins will testify on department reform plans and the fiscal 2026 budget request. House Foreign Affairs — 10 a.m. — 2172 Rayburn Pending Legislation The committee will consider several pending bills. House Veterans' Affairs — 10:30 a.m. — 360 Cannon Pending Legislation The subcommittee on economic opportunity will mark up several pending bills. House Veterans' Affairs — 1:30 p.m. — 360 Cannon Pending Legislation The subcommittee on memorial affairs will mark up several pending bills. House Veterans' Affairs — 2 p.m. — 360 Cannon Veterans' Disability Compensation Department officials will testify on delays in disability compensation claims. Senate Armed Services — 2:30 p.m. — 222 Russell Personnel Policies Service officials will testify on department personnel programs and the fiscal 2026 budget request. House Armed Services — 3:30 p.m. — 2118 Rayburn Strategic Forces Posture Gen. Anthony Cotton, head of U.S. Strategic Command, Gen. Gregory Guillot, head of U.S. Northern Command, and Gen. Stephen Whiting, head of U.S. Space Command, will testify on the military's strategic forces posture. Senate Armed Services — 3:30 p.m. — G-50 Dirksen Cyber Command Service officials will testify on current challenges for cyber command and the fiscal 2026 budget request. House Armed Services — 4 p.m. — 2212 Rayburn Military Food Programs Service officials will testify on current military food assistance programs. Senate Armed Services — 9:30 a.m. — G-50 Dirksen Indo-Pacific Command Adm. Samuel Paparo, head of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, and Gen. Xavier Brunson, head of U.S. Forces Korea, will testify on regional challenges.
