Latest news with #SamJones
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
4 candidates vying to succeed Stimpson as Mobile mayor
MOBILE, Ala. (WKRG) — Interest is high in August's municipal election as Mobile's mayoral seat is open for the first time since 2013. Mayor Sandy Stimpson is not running for a fourth term in office. Four candidates are hoping to take his place. is a former District Court Judge who gave up his seat on the bench earlier this year to run for mayor. Stimpson has endorsed Cheriogotis, and the candidate has amassed a over his opponents. has spent the last decade as a member of the Alabama House of Representatives. Before that, she served in the administration of former Mobile Mayor Sam Jones and was a reporter for the Mobile Press-Register. has spent the last 15 years on the Mobile County Commission and previously served nine years as a member of the Mobile City Council. She is touting that experience in her campaign. served as Mobile Police chief from 2021 to 2024, before . This is his first run at elected office. Aug. 11 is the last day to register to vote. Aug. 19 is the last day to request an absentee application by mail. Election Day is Tuesday, Aug. 26. If no candidate gets a majority of the vote, a runoff between the top two finishers will be held Tuesday, Sept. 23. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Solve the daily Crossword
Daily Mirror
3 days ago
- Automotive
- Daily Mirror
'I took my family to the beach to test out a trolley - it's incredible for days out'
With parents looking for ways to make summer holiday days out more manageable, Mirror writer Sam Jones tested out a handy folding trolley to see if it lived up to the hype It's summer and school holiday season which means one thing, lots of days out. But for all such days are fabulous, and an incredible chance to make memories, most parents will relate to the military-style operation that comes with making sure you have everything you need, and lugging it all about. I've seen these folding trolleys popping up at various locations when we've been on days out and thought they looked nifty. After trying one out, I have to say the hype is well and truly justified. I was given the chance to try out a few products from outdoor and camping brand, Trail - the Folding Beach Trolley (£69.99), Falcon Padded Camping Chairs (£49.99) and a Waterproof Picnic Rug (£15.99). So we headed to the beach to put them through their paces. 'Incredible for family days out' My first go with the trolley came at my son's first birthday party. We arrived at the venue to discover that there was no parking nearby, so I was faced with the daunting task of trekking back and forth to the car with all manner of party games, food and drinks in sweltering heat while dressed as a cowboy (it was a western-themed party!) But the trolley did an incredible job of saving the day, and it meant I could lug all the gear in one trip. Perhaps the most impressive thing is how easily it folds up into a compact product that makes it really easy to carry and simply fold up in the car. It then takes about a minute to unfold it all again and get it up and running, which is really handy given it would be awkward to transport without the folding feature. Space in the car when you have a family is often at a premium, but the significant reduction in the size it takes up when folded down is excellent. Trail's offering has a tidy usp in the form of the wheels that can easily conquer tricky terrain like sand or uneven paths. I liked how they're made of plastic, so there's no messing about having to pump them up or deal with punctures. And to my delight, they're great for use both on sand and normal terrain. The trolley moved along with ease, even over more uneven, rocky parts of the beach. It didn't matter if the sand was soft, hard, wet, or bumpy, the trolley just glided over it. It made transporting the chairs and picnic blanket an absolute breeze, and drew some compliments along the lines of "I wish I had that" from fellow beach-goers. I can see why, it's incredible for family days out and would also work well for festivals and camping. My only gripe with it is I wish the sides were a bit higher. If they were, it would allow piling a few more bits and bobs a bit higher without the risk of them falling off while you navigate uneven terrain. 'The chairs are comfy but have one flaw' Of the three items I tested out I was least impressed with the Falcon padded chairs. They are nicely padded and very comfortable, but there seems to be a bit of a design flaw whereby the arms won't hold in place very well. It meant they kept slipping down to an awkward height, which is a shame because aside from that, they are far more comfortable than the standard ones you tend to see in supermarkets at this time of year. The fault can be solved by adding a couple of cable ties under the arms to stop them from slipping down, but I wouldn't expect to have to do that on a product at this price point. Despite this, they are extremely comfortable and much nicer to sit in than standard camping chairs. Their foldable design means it's super quick to get them out and put them away, while the bag they slot into has a handy carry handle to make transporting them simple. The picnic rug is similarly well designed in that it folds and rolls into a handy, compact carrying mode, meaning it takes up very little room and is easy to take out and about with you. I particularly liked this at the beach as for all the scenery is beautiful, the rug did a good job of allowing a spot to sit without getting sand all over you. The rug is also waterproof, meaning it shouldn't leave you with a soggy surface if the grass or sand is a bit wet. What else is out there? The market for folding trolleys has really taken off this summer and there are plenty of options out there. Amazon stocks a variety, including the TIMBER RIDGE Festival Trolley which is priced at £77.99 in a "limited time deal". That trolley is capable of carrying up to 100kg and does handily include brakes on the wheels to stop it running off if you're on an incline. Reviewers have largely enjoyed that product, with one saying it's "easy to assemble and pack away", though another did note. Despite being sturdy, the trolley can be somewhat heavy when fully loaded. A lighter material could make it easier to manage." Elsewhere, for those with camping chairs on their shopping list, Go Outdoors has a number of offerings, including the Hi-Gear Vegas XL Chair, priced at £50 or £25 for members. They are also buy one, get one half-price, so there's an opportunity for a further saving there. It also stocks plenty of picnic blankets too, like the Eurohike picnic blanket, priced at £12 or £10 for members.
RTÉ News
7 days ago
- Business
- RTÉ News
Too big to fine? Why banks don't pay the price when they break the rules
Analysis: New research finds the impact of misconduct, criminal activities and serious infractions on large banks is far milder than on other firms By Catarina Marvão, UCD In May 2025, Credit Suisse Services AG admitted that it helped wealthy US clients hide more than $4 billion from the US tax authorities (IRS), by using at least 475 offshore accounts. This follows many other infractions involving Credit Suisse in the last few years (e.g. the spying scandal in 2020, the Greensill, Archegos and Mozambique scandals in 2021, the Suisse Secrets case and money laundering in 2023), leading to it being acquired by UBS in 2023. Credit Suisse agreed to pay a fine of $510 million, including $372 million for filling false tax returns and $139 million related to accounts based in Singapore. In addition to the gravity of this crime, it also violates the 2014 plea agreement under which Credit Suisse had to pay $2.6 billion for the same tax crimes. This was clearly insufficient if the bank continued the same crime. From RTÉ Radio 1's Morning Ireland in 2023, how did financial markets react to the fallout of the Credit Suisse rescue deal? But despite having the authority to disqualify banks involved in criminal activities from providing certain financial services, the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) granted Credit Suisse an exemption. Even after a long history of misconduct, this meant specific UBS-affiliated entities were still allowed to continue their investment advisory and underwriting operations. Over the last decade, many large banks have been convicted for money laundering (e.g. HSBC, Danske Bank, UBS, Deustsche Bank), collusion (e.g. Barclays, Citigroup, RBS, HSBC), ponzi schemes (e.g. JPMorgan Chase), but faced minor legal consequences relative to the seriousness of the charges. The question practically begs itself: are some banks too big to fine? A new study suggests the answer may well be yes. This research examines publicly listed companies, including 25 banks, fined by the European Commission for cartel participation. Using stock market data, the study shows how the share prices of these firms reacted to two key events: the start of an investigation and the announcement of a fine. From RTÉ Radio 1's Morning Ireland in 2023, Sam Jones from the Financial Times on the world's largest banks coming together to stop possible banking crisis in the wake of Credit Suisse problems The results are striking. When non-banks were raided, their share prices dropped significantly. That's what you'd expect—bad news leads investors to worry about future losses. But banks? Their share prices hardly moved, and in some cases appear to actually have gone up. And it gets worse. While both banks and non-banks saw their share prices fall when fines were finally announced, the study finds that the overall impact on banks was far milder. Why do markets react so calmly when banks are caught? One hypothesis is that investors correctly assume that banks—especially large, systemically important ones—will be let off more lightly than other firms. And they're not wrong. Even after adjusting for how much harm was caused by the cartel activity, the above study finds that fines imposed on banks were substantially lower than those handed out to non-banks. What does this tell us about the financial system? This reflects a deeper issue at the heart of financial regulation: the fear of destabilising the banking system. Regulators may worry that they could weaken its balance sheet if they hit a major bank with a large fine. This would undermine public confidence and risk broader financial instability. That fear becomes especially acute when a bank is already on shaky ground, as many were during and after the global financial crisis. From RTÉ Radio 1's Morning Ireland, strong criticism of Irish banks for failing to pass on interest rate increases to savers It means regulators face a dilemma: punish bad behaviour properly and risk a crisis or go easy and preserve financial stability, at least in the short term. This dilemma isn't just theoretical. We've seen it play out repeatedly. From the LIBOR-rigging scandal involving major global banks to the FOREX cartel and the Credit Suisse case this year, there's a clear pattern: financial institutions often walk away from major breaches with relatively small penalties and few long-term consequences. Too big to fail or too big to fine? Maintaining financial stability is a good thing, so why is this worrying? Firstly, it creates a perverse incentive. If being " too big to fail" also means being " too big to fine," then banks may actually have a reason to grow larger, take on more risk and misbehave —knowing they'll be shielded from the full consequences. When rules only apply to some, trust breaks down for everyone. It also undermines the idea that no one is above the law. If banks are effectively protected from full accountability, what incentive do they have to play fair? It also damages public trust in both the financial system and the regulators who are supposed to keep it in check. So, what can be done? One solution is to simply increase fines, relative to the actual harm caused. This is feasible as many fines are set far below the legal maximum, but it may undermine financial stability. Another option is to impose personal penalties on executives. If banks as institutions are too sensitive to fine heavily, then perhaps the individuals responsible for misconduct should face consequences—through disqualification, bans, clawbacks, or even jail sentences. However, it appears that the system is going in the opposite direction ('too big to jail'). Finally, regulators may want to communicate why certain decisions are made. If the public understands the risks behind a lighter penalty, they may be more willing to accept it—provided there is a plan to prevent repeat offences. The Credit Suisse case may be just the latest example of banks avoiding serious punishment, but it shouldn't be treated as business as usual. Because when rules only apply to some, trust breaks down for everyone.
Yahoo
17-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
LR share spoils with Maine Road side
Atherton LR bounced back their weekend pre-season loss with a second-half comeback to take a 2-2 draw away from their home game against Maine Road on Tuesday night. Ahead of the game, LR announced the trialist goalkeeper who featured in the Bury and Barnton game, former Shakers Under-23s player Sam Jones, had now joined the club. The hosts started well against the Division One North side, although high pressing from the Maine Road forwards gave a sign of things to come LR struck first as on 25 minutes when Cal Hunter received a lofted ball from George Chadwick and made a quick turn to angle his body and bury the ball past the keeper's near post. Yellows defender Abiola Obasoto enjoyed a good game, not only defending well but making forward runs down the flanks and supplying chances. However, Maine Road would soon level as a passing triangle at the edge of the box was laid off to Sam Wrigley who with space, turned and curled a well-taken shot past Jones on 34 minutes. And only four minutes later the visitors were ahead when some poor man-marking by LR allowed James Horan to take a wild shot which bounced over Jones' head to put the Sky Blues in front. LR started more lively after the interval with the early introduction of Joe Bacon, Tom Lawless and Kieran Alley working well together on the flanks. Lawless faced a few chances supplied by Lenehan and Alley but all were agonisingly wide. That was until Alley made a brilliant run down the right and lifted a picture-perfect cross to Lawless whose header hit the back of the net 12 minutes from time to earn a share of the spoils. LR boss Dave Jones said: 'I saw the goals from the first-half and it's us not turning the ball over, not getting in the right positions and the transition not being good enough - so those are things we need to continue to work on.' LR will travel to Darwen on Saturday for their penultimate friendly (2pm).
BBC News
26-06-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Rotherham Hospital appeals for bonding hearts for newborn babies
Staff at a neonatal unit have appealed for people to sew more "bonding hearts" so mothers can share scents with their premature babies to help them Hospital nurses have used scent-sharing for a while to bring babies and parents closer together, but said supplies of the cotton hearts were running nurse Sam Jones said the hearts nurtured a "vital connection" and scent was the "most developed sense of a newborn baby".Grace, a mother of five-week-old twins born at the hospital 10 weeks premature, said the hearts made it "feel like [the twins] are with me even when they're not". Grace's twins have both been tube-fed and lived in incubators, although one of them, Heidi, has just been moved to a nurse Sam Jones said scent-sharing between a mother and baby was "vital"."Callum, the twins' dad, swaps his hearts with the babies too, because it's vital for dads as well," she said."The fabric hearts help nurture that vital connection by absorbing mother and baby scents together." Ms Jones said the scent also helped produce the hormone oxytocin, or "the love hormone", which stimulates milk manager Claire Ellis-Wood said the unit now only had a small supply of the hearts, often made by parents and grandparents."We're running really short," she said."We used to give mums the baby's vest or babygrow to put down their bra or really close to the skin."She said the hearts were given to both parents and could be taken home for siblings or pets, then kept as a keepsake for the child as they got Ellis-Wood said the response to previous appeals had been "phenomenal", with "all sorts of community groups getting together to make them".She said parents had even posted photos of their babies and children as old as seven, who still had their cotton was a "big social interaction" and a great thing for people to get involved in, she said, adding: "We want to thank people so so much." Ms Ellis-Wood said the hearts must be made from cotton, not fleece, crocheted or padded - and old sheets or duvet covers were the hearts must not have exposed seams, which fray and could get in babies' the hearts would be washed at the hospital so pre-washing was not necessary, she said, and a template was available hearts can be dropped off at the hospital's charity hub in the main entrance, where they will be collected and delivered to the unit. Meanwhile, Grace said she was looking forward to going home once the twins are strong enough to eat and breathe now has a room in the hospital so she can see the babies every day and feed them regularly, but still keeps the hearts close to her chest every night which makes the twins feel "much closer"."It's been really hard," she said. "But the hearts have helped". Listen to highlights from South Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North
