Latest news with #USO
Yahoo
5 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Hounds and Heroes pairs veterans with therapy animals
(NewsNation) — Hounds and Heroes has helped veterans by pairing them with rescue animals, offering companionship to those coping with post-deployment challenges. The nonprofit serves veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury, as well as amputees, providing emotional support through trained therapy dogs. Founder Bonnie-Jill Laflin, who comes from a military and law enforcement family, said she was inspired to launch the organization after completing 19 USO tours — eight in Iraq and Afghanistan. Savannah Bananas honor veteran awarded two Purple Heart medals She told 'Morning in America' on Wednesday that she witnessed the impact deployments had on service members. 'With the suicide rate being so high, I just knew there was something I could do, and my love for animals and veterans,' she said. 'I was like, let me rescue all these dogs in the shelters that would otherwise be euthanized, and I'll pair them up with veterans.' One of those veterans is U.S. Army specialist Nick Dolan, who was partnered with a service dog named Guinness. Dolan said the bond has been life-changing. 'He's meant a lot to me,' Dolan said. 'I have no idea where I'd be. It would have been a good struggle for me at least. He takes away a lot of the stress in everything — he's a great companion.' NewsNation celebrates Fleet Week skydiving with Navy SEALs Laflin said that there's a sense of a lack of judgment with the animals that allows veterans to heal. 'We've seen veterans make progress that other forms of therapy haven't been able to achieve,' she said. 'We're able to connect these veterans with these dogs, you just see the strides that these veterans make that people can't do. 'Working with the VA and lobbying on Capitol Hill, I make sure that people realize that you don't need to put a lot of prescription meds with these veterans. These dogs can make such a big difference instead.' Hounds and Heroes also offers equine therapy, in which veterans rebuild trust and confidence through interactions with rescued horses. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
USO National Guardsmen of the Year discuss heroic actions during Hurricane Helene
Every year, the USO honors notable service members from each military branch. Specialists Brandon Moore and Ethan Wards were awarded as the USO National Guards Members of the Year for their disaster response during Hurricane Helene last year. They, along with USO chief operating officer Christopher Plamp, talk to "CBS Mornings Plus" about the response.
BBC News
24-05-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Royal Mail could face fine after missing delivery targets
Royal Mail could be fined by regulators after failing to meet delivery has launched an investigation after almost a quarter of first-class post arrived late in the past year. The 98.5% target for second-class post was also missed, with just 92.2% delivered within the required three company has already faced a combined £16m fine for falling short of its service obligations over the previous two Mail said it was "actively modernising" and beginning to see results, but added that there was "still more to do". Under Ofcom rules, 93% of first-class mail must be delivered within one working day of collection, excluding Christmas. Royal Mail said just 76.3% arrived within this window in the year to March 2025, a slim improvement on last year, when it was 74.5%.In a statement, Ofcom said: "If we determine that Royal Mail has failed to comply with its obligations, we will consider whether to impose a financial penalty."A first-class stamp now costs £1.70, having gone up in price for the sixth time in three Mail chief operating officer Alistair Cochrane said: "Our quality of service is not yet where we want it to be and we will continue to work hard to deliver the standards our customers also reiterated Royal Mail's long-held stance that its one-price-goes-anywhere universal service obligation (USO) needs the USO, the company is required by law to deliver letters six days a week and parcels five days a week to every address in the January, Ofcom proposed that Royal Mail only deliver second-class letters every other weekday - and not on Saturdays - to protect the future of the UK's postal to the delivery target figures, Citizens Advice said: "Royal Mail's quality of service targets should be there to protect customers, but the company is still getting away with hiking stamp prices while failing to deliver post on time."Tom MacInnes, director of policy, added: "With Ofcom considering relaxing the current delivery targets set for Royal Mail as part of the universal service obligation review, reliability remains a huge concern."The regulator must get off the sidelines and make the company do what it should've been doing all along - giving paying customers the service they deserve."In April, shareholders cleared the sale of Royal Mail's parent company, International Distribution Services, to a Czech approval of the £3.6bn deal, first proposed a year ago, will see the 500-year institution taken over by Daniel Kretinsky's EP Group.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Royal Mail faces fine as almost one in four first-class letters arrive late
Royal Mail is facing the threat of a fresh fine after delivering almost one in four first-class letters late. The postal service fell short of its targets for letter deliveries in its latest financial year, triggering an Ofcom investigation that could lead to a sanction. If confirmed, it would be the third consecutive year of financial penalties for Royal Mail over its poor performance. In December, Ofcom slapped the company with a record £10.5m fine for failing to meet delivery targets, while in 2023 it was fined £5.6m for the same reason. Under Royal Mail's universal service obligation (USO), it is required to deliver 93pc of first-class mail within one working day of collection and 98.5pc of second-class mail within three working days. However, the company said on Friday it had delivered just 76.5pc of first-class letters and 92.2pc of second-class post within these deadlines in the year to March. The figures marked a small improvement on the previous year. Royal Mail said it was improving reliability through a number of measures including reducing sickness absences, extending delivery times and increasing use of automation. However, bosses have long argued that quality of service is being hampered by onerous requirements under the USO. The postal service, which made a loss of £348m in the year to March 2024, has called for an easing of rules to reflect the sharp decline in letter sending in recent years. Ofcom has outlined plans to allow Royal Mail to end second-class letter deliveries on alternate days and Saturdays, as well as watering down the main quality of service targets. While the company is supportive of these plans, it has pushed back against so-called 'tail of the mail' targets. These cover letters that miss the initial USO requirement. Ofcom is pushing Royal Mail to be required to deliver virtually all letters within three days for first class and five days for second class. Bosses have warned these rules would add 'significant' costs and lead to further increases in stamp prices for consumers. Alistair Cochrane, Royal Mail's chief operating officer, said: 'Our quality of service is not yet where we want it to be and we will continue to work hard to deliver the standards our customers expect. We are actively modernising Royal Mail, and while these efforts are beginning to deliver results, we know there is still more to do. 'We will continue to engage with Ofcom throughout their investigation, providing information about the steps we have been taking to improve. But we cannot address the structural challenges we face alone, urgent reform of the Universal Service is essential to provide a more reliable and sustainable service for the benefit of all our customers.' Royal Mail's lagging performance will prove a major challenge for Daniel Kretinsky, the Czech tycoon who last month sealed his £3.6bn takeover of the 500-year-old postal service. Mr Kretinsky has committed to maintaining the USO, alongside a number of other legally binding undertakings linked to his takeover. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
NDTV
23-05-2025
- Business
- NDTV
Ryanair Orders Flight Attendants To Return Salary Hike They Received
Ryanair has ordered flight attendants in Spain to return a salary increase of up to Rs 2.8 lakh ($3,400) they were given before a legal ruling made the payments void. The Irish airline company had agreed to the pay hike with the Spanish union, CCOO, last year, but a local court ruled in March that the agreement was not valid, after rival union, USO, contested it. Subsequently, in April, Ryanair sent an email to its cabin crew members unionised with USO, ordering them to reimburse the money earned via the pay hike. The company also threatened to lower the salaries to the pre-hike levels unless they switched to CCOO, according to a report in the BBC. The affected flight attendants have been told that the "money will be simply deducted from the payslip until the debt is paid". As per USO, they objected to the original agreement as those negotiating at the table were not authorised to do so for its members and "legally could not sign that kind of agreement". "They also encouraged (with constant emails and multiple deadline changes to do it) to sign up with CCOO to avoid the penalties," spokesperson for USO Ester Peyro Galdran said. Meanwhile, a Ryanair spokesperson said that it is "complying with the court case that USO took to cut pay while it is under appeal." In recent years, Ryanair and other low-cost airlines have managed to gain a foothold in the market share by charging dirt-cheap prices to passengers, achieved through bare-bone service and salaries much lower than legacy airlines used to pay. Ryanair has gained notoriety, especially on social media for its edgy marketing campaign where frugality is the buzzword. Despite the online popularity, Ryanair workers across Europe have gone on strike multiple times over the past years, demanding higher pay and better working conditions.
