Latest news with #SteveRogers
Yahoo
22-03-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Chauffeur expands business with luxury BMW
A chauffeur who has worked for sporting legends and rock stars is expanding his business. Steve Rogers, who started CLASS Executive Cars in Romsey two years ago, has seen a surge in demand from the corporate sector, hospitality events, and social engagements. To meet this increased demand, the company has added a luxurious BMW 7 Series to its fleet. Newly refurbished GO Outdoors store opens in Southampton Mr Rogers said: "There's no doubt that the unpredictability of public transport together with our clients' priorities of safety, reliability, and confidentiality, has led to an increase in bookings. "I think the key to our success is that we offer a service where our clients can concentrate on their engagements while we handle the logistics. "The new vehicle gives us much more flexibility." Mr Rogers, who has more than 40 years of experience, has worked with major cruise companies and operates locally, nationally, and internationally. He aims to fill a gap in the market for people who need a reliable and cost-effective driver for business and social engagements. The company offers a range of premium chauffeur services for both private individuals and corporate clients. These include a VIP door-to-door service for busy executives, corporate hospitality, and special events, as well as airport and cruise transfers. They also provide a fully qualified and experienced driver for clients who want to use their own car. Mr Rogers has had a stellar career, having been a police-trained driver with some fascinating assignments at home and abroad. Last year, he drove international rock artists like Green Day and Nile Rodgers and regularly meets leaders of industry as their private jets land at Farnborough Airport. In 2022, he chauffeured senior UEFA officials in England for the UEFA Women's Championship, which saw the Lionesses beat Germany 2-1 in the final at Wembley. In 2021, he was a driver for, among others, Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic, who were playing the Laver Cup at the O2 in London.
Yahoo
18-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Should Kansas City control its own police? Here's what a poll of Missouri voters says
As Missouri stands on the verge of controlling the police forces in Kansas City and St. Louis, new polling suggests that Missouri voters oppose the idea of state control in policing. The poll, released Tuesday by Saint Louis University and British pollster YouGov, found that a plurality of 48% of voters support local control of the Kansas City Police Department while 35% support the current state-controlled board. The remaining 16% said they were not sure. While Missouri Republicans have largely touted state control as a way to curtail crime in Kansas City, the results signal that the system is not widely popular across the state. 'There's not a whole lot of support for state control of Kansas City (police),' said Steve Rogers, an associate professor of political science at Saint Louis University who directed the poll. Rogers emphasized that while voters appeared at odds with Republican lawmakers over state control in policing, the poll also showed that Republicans continue to maintain high approval ratings in Missouri. The survey of 900 likely Missouri voters was conducted between Feb. 28 and March 2. It has a margin of error of 3.64%. The poll also asked Missourians to weigh in on a host of other issues, including support of President Donald Trump, cell phone use in schools and whether the federal government should ban the popular social media platform TikTok. The poll comes as Republican Gov. Mike Kehoe is expected to sign legislation, potentially this week, to place the police force in St. Louis under state control, which could dampen efforts to bring local control to Kansas City's police force. In a move that sparked criticism from local activists, some Kansas City Democrats voted in favor of the legislation. In addition to Kansas City, the poll results showed that Missourians largely reject state control in other parts of the state, with 47% supporting local control in St. Louis and 55% backing local control in Springfield. Thirty-nine percent supported state control in St. Louis and only 25% supported it in Springfield. A strong majority of respondents — 68% — answered that they supported local control of their own local police department. Only 22% said they backed state control in their own city. State control of police in Kansas City was originally born out of Civil War-era racism. Under the current arrangement, the KCPD is governed by a five-member Board of Police Commissioners, with four appointed by the governor. Mayor Quinton Lucas fills the fifth seat. The system is largely supported by Missouri Republicans, who have framed state control as a way to curtail violent crime. Lawmakers used that same argument to pass a statewide ballot measure that forced Kansas City to spend more of its general revenue budget on police. But state control is sharply criticized in Kansas City where local activists and leaders argue it gives Jefferson City too much power over policing and shields the department from local accountability. As lawmakers tout state control as a tool to stop crime in St. Louis, Kansas City has long struggled with rising crime. The city has recorded record and near-record numbers of homicides in recent years, even as homicides fell in many major cities across the country. In 2023, the city experienced its deadliest year on record, with 185 killings, according to a count kept by The Star. In addition to the questions about state control, the poll surveyed respondents on whether they supported Trump, cell phone use in schools and the federal government restricting access to TikTok. The poll found that 56% of Missourians either approved or strongly approved of Trump while 42% disapproved or strongly disapproved. Only 2% of the 900 respondents said they weren't sure, signaling the polarizing nature of the second-term Republican president. Rogers, the poll director, said Trump's approval rating was the highest his poll has ever recorded for a politician in its five years of running the poll. The results also showed broad support for restricting cell phone use in public schools during instructional time. More than 70% of respondents said districts should be able to ban cell phone use in elementary schools, middle schools and high schools across the state. At the same time, 46% of respondents said they supported the federal government banning access to social media platforms owned by other countries, such as TikTok, while 34% opposed the idea. However, 20% said they weren't sure.
Yahoo
18-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Poll shows Missourians unsure of state income tax elimination, national TikTok ban
A new statewide poll provides a glimpse into how Missourians feel about current political leaders, the state of the economy, public education policies and policing at both the state and national levels. Particularly, voters were asked about the proposed elimination of Missouri's state income tax and policies of cellphones in schools. Saint Louis University and YouGov surveyed 900 likely Missouri voters from Feb. 18 to March 2. The margin of error for the survey results is 3.64%. With Republicans in power in both federal and state governments, a majority of those surveyed approve of elected leadership and believe both the country and Missouri are on the right track and headed in a good direction. However, people are still pessimistic about the economy, with 84% of responders rating the national economy as fair or poor. This is the worst rating the survey has recorded since February 2023, Steve Rogers, the poll director and a political scientist at St. Louis University, said. "In this, there's a little bit of a conundrum in which it's like ... people think it's still not very strong, but then they're very approving of the political actors, which is probably reflecting polarization, kind of within the state and country," he said. Republican state lawmakers have been pushing for Missouri to eliminate the income tax and instead depend on sales tax for revenue. While voters generally seem in support of the proposal, many still remain unsure, according to the poll results. The poll showed total 52% people supported the elimination with 25% opposing and 23% not sure. Answers largely fell along political lines, with 73% of Republicans surveyed in support. A large portion of Democrats, 30%, were unsure and 47% were opposed. Regionally, most of those in Southwest Missouri, 58%, supported the elimination of the tax though 21% were still unsure and 21% were opposed. The poll also asked which transactions responders would be most willing to tax to make up for the lost revenue if the income tax was eliminated. Even more people were unsure at 46% total. From the options provided, 15% selected professional services like accounting and legal services to make up the revenue. Those in Southwest Missouri also largely chose professional services and personal care services like salons as the alternative. Other options included auto and home repair services, real estate transfers and inheritances. For this question, the sample size was 450, with a 5.3% margin of error. Rogers said the uncertainty about how to make up revenue is likely due to the complexities of government. He noted the survey also asked in which areas voters would be most willing to cut spending, but that dataset is still being processed. "In other research I've done more nationwide, individuals, for example, don't have a very good comprehension of, like, state budgets themselves, like even the size of state budgets, or what is kind of going into it," Rogers said. "So, then here it may be something where, if we're kind of having this debate about taxes and things like that, we need to kind of inform voters a little bit more about what are the alternatives and the options." State Rep. Jamie Gragg, a Republican from Ozark, filed a bill this session to outlaw student use of cellphones in schools during any instructional time. The bill would require districts to adopt a written policy for the 2025-26 school year prohibiting cellphone or other internet-connected device in any elementary, middle or high school during "regularly scheduled instructional activities." The poll asked voters whether they were in favor or opposed to such a measure at each educational level. Across all three school levels, most people were supportive of the restrictions, with 76% in support for elementary schools, 75% for middle schools, and 70% for high schools. The poll also included several questions about requiring Missouri public schools to teach several different subjects. A strong majority of responders were in support of requiring schools to teach about the importance of the right to freedom of speech, how to identify online misinformation, the purpose and acceptable use of social media platforms, social media's negative effects on mental health, and how to appropriately use artificial intelligence in educational and workplace settings. The poll also asked whether people were in favor of providing each student a personal laptop or tablet to use in the classroom for educational purposes at each educational level. While for elementary schools opinions were mixed with both those in favor and opposed at around 43%, more favored providing students with personal tech devices in middle and high school. Ashley Burle, the associate poll director and director of graduate admission at SLU's School of Education, said that a significant difference was noticeable between white and Black voters on the topic of technology provided to elementary school students. Where 72% of Black voters favored providing laptops or tablets at the elementary level, only 40% of white voters did the same. Overall, ratings for public schools in their local communities and in Missouri remain negative. Local public schools were rated as fair or poor by 55% of voters and public schools across the state were rated as fair or poor by 66% of respondents. Based on last year's results, the ratings of schools within the community have worsened by about a percentage point, whereas perceptions of schools statewide actually improved by 7 percentage points. Burle said there are several factors, both local and otherwise, that can influence perceptions of the state of public schools, whether that be how well local schools address parent concerns or if any controversies are present on local boards. Last week, the Missouri legislature sent a bill to the governor's desk that would put the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department in the hands of a state board, rather than a local one as is currently the case. If the legislation becomes law, St. Louis would join Kansas City in being controlled by a board appointed by the governor and Missouri Senate, becoming the only major U.S. cities with a police force under state control, according to Missouri Independent reporting. The poll showed most people favor leaving both cities' police in the hands of local leadership, though many were unsure. While there haven't been any conversations around the Springfield Police Department being controlled by the state, the poll posed the question to voters. A stronger majority than for either Kansas City or St. Louis favored keeping Springfield's police department under local control. Unsurprisingly, Southwest Missourians felt the strongest from all regions, with 68% of them supporting local control. President Donald Trump has pledged to eliminate the U.S. Department of Education, with widespread reports that an executive order to do so was in the works. The department announced last week nearly 50% of the workforce will be cut. The poll indicates Missourians are mostly opposed to the notion of eliminating the department with 42% and 10% being strongly opposed and somewhat opposed respectively. Still, more than a third indicated they either strongly or somewhat supported the elimination. While 87% of Democrats strongly opposed, 43% of Republicans strongly supported the elimination. Regionally, Southwest Missourians were relatively varied in their opinions. In total, 48% were either strongly or somewhat in support and a total 43% were either strongly or somewhat opposed, with 9% not sure. Rogers said the fairly collective opposition to shutting down the department stands out against the likely voters' strong approval of Trump. The president received a 56% approval rating, which is the highest the poll has seen, Rogers said, only trailing the 53% approval ratings of former Gov. Mike Parson and Sen. Josh Hawley in 2021. The responses to the poll ended March 2, ahead of several decisions related to the Department of Education. More: Missouri colleges, districts monitoring U.S. Department of Education's potential closure With a lot of back-and-forth surrounding the federal ban on TikTok, one of the questions asked Missourians to weigh in on whether the federal government should outlaw social media platforms owned by foreign corporations. Voters appear to have mixed feelings on the topic. In total, 46% respondents were in favor of such a ban, but 34% and 20% were opposed and not sure, respectively. Younger people were more stringently opposed, with 64% of 18- to 29-year-olds not in support of a ban. Republicans were the most strongly in favor of a ban, with 62% agreeing. Currently, TikTok is facing an April 5 deadline for the owner ByteDance to divest the app. According to USA Today reporting, President Donald Trump is working with "four different groups" interested in purchasing TikTok. As technology continues to advance and artificial intelligence has become an increasingly prominent talking point, several questions covered policies surrounding restrictions on the use of AI. Most people were supportive of prohibiting students from using AI on schoolwork and prohibiting the use of AI-generated content in political advertisements. Likewise, even a stronger majority across political party lines supported requiring political advertisements to include a disclaimer if they contain AI-generated content. Marta Mieze covers local government at the News-Leader. Have feedback, tips or story ideas? Contact her at mmieze@ This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Missouri poll checks thoughts on income tax, cellphones in schools
Associated Press
17-03-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
Ultra Maritime Awarded CA$89 Million Contract for Surface Ship Torpedo Defense for the River-Class Destroyer Program
DARTMOUTH, NS, March 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Ultra Maritime received a CA$89 million contract from Lockheed Martin Canada, Inc. to supply three shipsets of Surface Ship Torpedo Defense (SSTD) for the River-class destroyer (RCD) program. SSTD provides a proven world class full 'sense to effect' torpedo defense capability in-service across the globe, relied upon by many navies to keep their ships and crews safe from the torpedo threat. The combination of a single in-line tow and automatic threat alerting provides unparalleled performance within a small ship footprint, maintaining a high probability of detection coupled with low false alarm rate whilst minimizing overall operator workload. Ultra Maritime has more than 20 years of experience in this domain and is the trusted partner and world leader in providing torpedo defense solutions and countermeasures for both surface ships and submarines. With torpedo defense systems deployed and supported globally, including more than 30,000 expendable countermeasures, Ultra Maritime is uniquely positioned to bring integrated torpedo defense to the world's navies. Integrated torpedo defense greatly enhances the protection of our navies through integrating expendable countermeasures, towed countermeasures and threat detection sensors to provide overall situational awareness and shorten the kill chain against torpedo threats. Ultra Maritime continues to invest to improve this capability and are proud to partner with Lockheed Martin Canada and the Canadian Department of National Defense (DND) to provide SSTD to the Royal Canadian Navy River-class. 'Having previously secured a three shipset production order to supply Hull Mounted Sonars (HMS) for the RCD program, as well as supplying twelve UWSU towed arrays into the Halifax-class, Ultra Maritime is pleased to play a pivotal role in delivering state-of-the-art Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) capabilities to the Royal Canadian Navy,' said John Gallagher, Vice President and General Manager of Ultra Maritime Canada. 'We are fully committed in our partnership with Lockheed Martin Canada, our Canadian workforce and suppliers. More importantly, we are proud to serve the Royal Canadian Navy and take great pride in providing our life-saving capabilities.' Steve Rogers, Senior Director of RCD Programs at Ultra Maritime, commented, 'This is excellent news for the team as we move into 2025. We are well placed to execute the SSTD program utilizing expertise across our global Ultra Maritime lines of business, led by the team here in Dartmouth.' The RCD program and Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada's (ISED) Industrial Technological Benefits (ITB) policy have played a pivotal role for Ultra Maritime to establish an ASW Center of Excellence in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. It is a prime example of fostering economic growth and technological innovation in Canada. Ultra Maritime has made more than $20 million in capital investments that have created more than 150 high-value manufacturing jobs and supported a vast network of suppliers, including numerous small and medium-sized businesses. About Ultra Maritime Ultra Maritime provides innovative multi-missions solutions for surface, sub-surface and unmanned platforms that protect and empower allied naval forces worldwide. Headquartered in Braintree, Massachusetts, Ultra Maritime employs more than 2,300 engineers and manufacturing experts worldwide, specializing in state-of-the-art sonar systems, radar, expendables, signature management and naval power systems. With major locations in the U.S., Canada, UK and Australia, Ultra Maritime is primed to support customers' maritime missions around the globe.
Yahoo
12-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Brave New World box office crosses milestone for Captain America movies, even though it still might not break even
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. After a lackluster opening, Captain America: Brave New World has managed to obtain one victory: it's not the lowest-grossing film led by the namesake hero. The new movie has managed to overtake The First Avenger, both globally and in the US, though earnings still aren't huge. At time of writing, latest figures put Brave New World's global box office at $370.8 million dollars, with $176.5 million of that coming from the United States. This means the MCU sequel has just edged out the first Captain America film from 2011, which took in $370.6 million worldwide. This puts Brave New World third in terms of Captain America movies ranked by box office. Although it would be easy to brush this off as another franchise disappointment, broader context tells a different story about what's going in the MCU right now. Steve Rogers is gone and Sam is the new Cap, facing different villains and having to help reshape and re-organize whatever's coming next for the Avengers Initiative. The film comes from a position not dissimilar to The First Avenger in 2011, building audience interest and laying the foundation of a longer overall story. Director Julius Onah and star Anthony Mackie were in the unenviable position of following a beloved cornerstone of the franchise. Phase 5 has seen the MCU on relatively shaky ground cinematically, garnering two outright bombs in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania and The Marvels amid the supreme successes of Guardians of the Galaxy 3 and Deadpool and Wolverine. Captain America 4 now sits somewhere in the middle, getting closer to a purported break even point of $425 million, but far from the billion-dollar-grossing heights of the Merc with a Mouth. Much like in Phase 1, the emphasis is on introducing characters, growing our affection for them, and getting things moving. The Fantastic Four: First Steps and Thunderbolts* will both be doing plenty more of that, bringing us steadily toward Avengers: Doomsday. You can still find Captain America: Brave New World in theaters. Our guide on all the upcoming Marvel movies and shows will tell you what else to keep an eye out for.
