Latest news with #Warden
Miami Herald
2 days ago
- Health
- Miami Herald
Meth makes comeback in Minnesota in more dangerous and record ways
A subtle shift was happening among clients at the north Minneapolis community drop-in center. For years, people seeking substance abuse services at Anything Helps reported using just one drug of choice. Recently, staff noticed more and more users had expanded their appetite, preferring a combination of drugs at once versus 'picking a lane.' The polysubstance abuse among their regulars soon evolved almost exclusively to one pairing of drugs in the majority of their clients: fentanyl and methamphetamine. 'That's pretty new,' according to Brian Warden, the nonprofit's harm reduction director. 'That's something we traditionally see in cities like Denver, San Francisco or Seattle. That's not something we've really seen here.' To Warden, the change in the clientele's drug use pattern could stem from a number of reasons, including a correlation with a rise in homelessness in Minneapolis. But undoubtedly, he said, the phenomenon can be explained in part by the recent surge of methamphetamine in Minnesota. As the deadly fentanyl crisis demanded the state's attention post-pandemic, another was building with methamphetamine. The stimulant, long supreme in the underbelly of Minnesota's drug scene, is flooding the state - with a more dangerous dosage than meth of the past. 'The numbers are just a ridiculous amount of meth ... it just hasn't gotten enough publicity,' said Rafael Mattei, acting special agent in charge of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration's division over Minnesota. The meth surge in Minnesota came just as the street fentanyl crisis showed signs of easing. U.S. opioid overdose deaths plummeted 41% in 2024, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and fatal overdoses of all kinds fell 27%. In Minnesota, preliminary data from the Minnesota Department of Health showed an 8% drop in overall overdose deaths from 2022 to 2023. But meth 'has never gone away,' Mattei said. No longer homemade in makeshift labs, meth is being churned out of Mexican super labs by cartels that cashed in on the lack of supply and cheaper production costs. And its price has plummeted, becoming a more lucrative option for dealers. Ken Sass, statewide drug and gang coordinator for the Minnesota Department of Public Safety, recalled a pound of meth costing $3,000 to $5,000 around 15 years ago, during his tenure as a federal drug agent. Now, he estimates, the price has fallen below $1,000. The drug makes its way to Minnesota most often by snaking up the Interstate 35 corridor to be sold in droves or continue into neighboring states. Last year, federal officials announced they had busted 'one of the largest and most prolific drug organizations' in Minnesota's history following the arrest of a Twin Cities man accused of helping push a historic amount of meth and other substances from Mexico. Federal prosecutors allege Clinton Ward made ties with two of Mexico's most notorious drug cartels and funneled the substance across the border via shipping containers, private vehicles and semitrailers before breaking the drug down into smaller quantities, then delivering it to Minnesota. The U.S. Attorney's Office charged Ward under the rare 'kingpin' statute, along with 14 others in the conspiracy case that led to the seizure of 1,600 pounds of methamphetamine, 4 kilograms of cocaine, 2 kilograms of fentanyl and 30,000 counterfeit fentanyl pills. Federal officials described the bust as a success for having disrupted a major pipeline of illegal drugs in Minnesota. Yet methamphetamine is continuing to pour into Minnesota with no sign of slowing down, data from the DEA indicates. Last year, the amount of methamphetamine seized by federal agents in Minnesota increased 142%, totaling 2,080 pounds, compared with the roughly 860 pounds of meth seized in 2023. The numbers do not include drugs seized by state, local or tribal law enforcement. Federal drug agents are on track to outpace the amount of meth seized last year. They've seen a 25% increase in the amount of meth seized from January to April 2025, compared with the same time last year. More readily available meth, Sass said, 'leads to more addiction and probably a broadening market as well.' And although meth may not be as lethal as fentanyl, the drug today poses its own dangers. The meth from Mexican super labs holds higher potency, resulting in a more dangerous and addictive concoction than the meth sold in the 1990s and early 2000s. After federal legislation in 2005 cracked down on the commercial sale of products containing precursor chemicals to make meth, such as pseudoephedrine in the decongestant Sudafed, cartels pursued the chemicals overseas and became bulk buyers. The product is then cut with other hazardous materials to bring maximum profit. Users deep in the throes of meth addiction can stay awake for days, leading to paranoia and hallucinations. A hallmark sign of meth addiction is wounds on a user's skin caused by incessant scratching. People who experience withdrawals may resort to theft, robbery or other crimes to obtain money for another hit. The elevated potency can only worsen symptoms, which carry ripple effects into communities. 'Their health, their mental health, their relationships, medical conditions that arise from addiction and all the personal problems that would come from [addiction] ... they relay that to the relationships with their family,' Sass said. In some cases, law enforcement and treatment providers are seeing fentanyl added to methamphetamine. Though the risk of dying from a meth overdose is much lower than that of fentanyl, which has a deadly dose that can fit on the tip of a pencil, the drug takes its toll 'little by little.' 'There is no accident here,' Warden said, saying of the adulteration of fentanyl with meth, 'I've never seen anything like that before.' Mattei likened the difference between the meth on the streets today compared with meth of the past as that of whiskey versus beer. 'They were making beer first,' Mattei said. 'Now the meth that's out there is kind of like higher-proof alcohol. So you need less to feel.' Copyright (C) 2025, Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Portions copyrighted by the respective providers.
Geek Tyrant
18-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Geek Tyrant
THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION Fascinating Behind-The-Scenes and Making of Footage — GeekTyrant
The Shawshank Redemption is easily one of my favorite movies of all-time, and until recently I've never seen any behind-the-scenes footage of the making of the film, and it so interesting and fascinating to watch! On top of footage from the film's production, I also included a fun video with the cast and crew talking about how no one knew how to market the film and how no one went and watched it when it was first released in theaters. The Shawshank Redemption was directed by Frank Darabont and it was based on a novella by Stephen King. It tells the powerful story of Andy Dufresne, a banker wrongly convicted of murdering his wife and her lover. Sentenced to life at Shawshank Prison, Andy forms a bond with fellow inmate Ellis 'Red' Redding. Over the course of two decades, Andy quietly transforms the prison from the inside, using his intelligence to help the warden launder money while secretly planning his escape. His ultimate breakout and the revelation of the warden's corruption lead to a cathartic finale, with Red eventually finding hope and freedom on the outside. Despite its now-legendary status, the film struggled upon its initial release in 1994. It earned critical praise but was a box office disappointment, grossing only $16 million during its initial run. The title was also considered a factor in its failure, as it didn't clearly convey the story or tone, and audiences were unfamiliar with the novella it was based on. However, The Shawshank Redemption found new life after being nominated for seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture. Its real resurgence came through home video rentals and frequent airings on cable TV, particularly on TNT, where it became a staple. Over time, the film gained a passionate following and is now widely regarded as one of the greatest films ever made. It sits at the top of IMDb's user-rated top 250 list and continues to resonate with audiences.
Agriland
02-05-2025
- General
- Agriland
NI National Hedgerow Week to take place next week
The Tree Council along with the College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise (CAFRE) in Northern Ireland are celebrating hedgerows as part National Hedgerow Week which begins next Monday, May 5 and this year's theme is the 'Future of Hedgerows'. The Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) has described hedges being an incredible asset to farms, providing shelter to livestock, capturing carbon and providing food and shelter for a significant proportion of wildlife. Senior biodiversity technologist at CAFRE Nicola Warden said:: 'National Hedgerow Week is about highlighting the important role hedgerows have in our farmed landscape. 'Working within the biodiversity team at CAFRE, we help the farm team to manage existing hedgerows and plant new ones across the farms. 'Throughout the year, it is important to be considering options for future hedge planting and management. 'An existing hedge could be rejuvenated, or a new hedge could be planted to connect two existing habitats, to provide shelter for livestock or to provide wildlife with a network of living field boundaries where they can find adequate spaces to nest, rest or forage within.' Student learning about planting new hedges at CAFRE A recent bird survey carried out across the CAFRE lowland farms found that there are a lot of hedgerow bird species such as blackbirds, wrens and dunnocks using CAFRE hedges to nest or forage in. CAFRE has been managing existing hedgerows to maximise their biodiversity potential through moving away from an annual cut to a three-year rotational cut on suitable internal hedges. 'This has increased the area available to birds to set up safe nesting sites where the nests can be out of reach of predators,' Warden continued. 'Moving to a three-year rotational cut will also allow the hedge species to produce more flowers during the summer and a lot of berries to feed the bird population throughout the winter period. A new mixed species hedgerow planted by students protected from weeds using biodegradable film 'In line with the theme for [National] Hedgerow Week, CAFRE is committed to providing students with the skills and knowledge required to allow them to plant new hedges in the future and manage existing hedges to maximise their biodiversity potential. 'Each year approximately 300m of new hedgerow is established with Level 3 Advanced Technical Extended Diploma students.'
Yahoo
23-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
NOC Q1 Earnings Call: Profit Miss Driven by B-21 Charges and Contract Delays
Security and aerospace company Northrop Grumman (NYSE:NOC) fell short of the market's revenue expectations in Q1 CY2025, with sales falling 6.6% year on year to $9.47 billion. On the other hand, the company's outlook for the full year was close to analysts' estimates with revenue guided to $42.25 billion at the midpoint. Its non-GAAP profit of $3.32 per share was 47% below analysts' consensus estimates. The stock traded down 11.8% to $468.25 after reporting and hosting the earnings call. Is now the time to buy NOC? Find out in our full research report (it's free). Revenue: $9.47 billion vs analyst estimates of $9.93 billion (6.6% year-on-year decline, 4.7% miss) Adjusted EPS: $3.32 vs analyst expectations of $6.26 (47% miss) Adjusted EBITDA: $910 million vs analyst estimates of $1.39 billion (9.6% margin, 34.3% miss) The company reconfirmed its revenue guidance for the full year of $42.25 billion at the midpoint Management lowered its full-year Adjusted EPS guidance to $25.15 at the midpoint, a 10.3% decrease Operating Margin: 6.1%, down from 10.6% in the same quarter last year Free Cash Flow was -$1.82 billion compared to -$976 million in the same quarter last year Backlog: $92.8 billion at quarter end Organic Revenue fell 6.6% year on year (8.9% in the same quarter last year) Market Capitalization: $66.79 billion Northrop Grumman's first quarter results were shaped by delays in government contract awards and a significant profit adjustment on the B-21 bomber program. Management cited the ongoing impact of a dynamic U.S. defense budget environment, including a continuing resolution that slowed new awards, as a key reason for lower sales and margins. CEO Kathy Warden acknowledged the $477 million pretax loss on B-21 as a consequence of higher manufacturing and material costs, some of which stemmed from process changes to support accelerated production rates and macroeconomic pressures. Looking ahead, management reaffirmed its full-year revenue outlook but reduced its non-GAAP earnings guidance due to the B-21 charge. Warden pointed to a record backlog and strong international demand as drivers of confidence in achieving the company's targets. She also highlighted ongoing investments in innovation and operational efficiency as essential to supporting future growth, even as the defense industry navigates uncertainties in budget cycles and supply chain risks. Northrop Grumman's management addressed the main factors behind the quarter's performance, focusing on program-specific challenges and evolving market dynamics. The company attributed the earnings miss primarily to the B-21 adjustment and delayed U.S. government contracts, while also emphasizing progress in other key programs and international markets. B-21 Bomber Cost Adjustment: The $477 million pretax charge on the B-21 program was driven by higher manufacturing costs following a process change to enable faster production, as well as increased material costs due to macroeconomic factors. Management stated these changes were necessary to support future production rates and reduce long-term program risk. Contracting and Award Delays: Leadership cited slower-than-expected government contract awards, a result of the ongoing U.S. defense budget continuing resolution, as a major factor behind the lower sales ramp in the quarter. However, management expects improvement in award timing as the year progresses. Sentinel and IBCS Program Progress: The Sentinel missile program achieved a critical milestone with a successful static fire test, while the Integrated Battle Command System (IBCS) secured a nearly $500 million contract to expand software and AI capabilities. These developments underline steady progress in strategic programs aligned with U.S. national security priorities. International Sales Momentum: International sales rose 11% year over year, with management highlighting robust demand from Europe, Asia Pacific, and the Middle East. The company's first-quarter international book-to-bill ratio of 1.45 indicates sustained growth potential in overseas markets. Cost Efficiency Initiatives: Management noted ongoing efforts to drive $200 million in annual cost savings through supplier engagement, facility optimization, and digital process improvements. These initiatives are viewed as essential to maintaining competitiveness amid inflationary pressures and evolving trade policies. Management's near-term outlook is shaped by expectations for improved contract flow, execution on major programs, and growing international demand, but is tempered by inflationary headwinds and ongoing budgetary uncertainties. Backlog Conversion and Award Timing: The ability to convert a record $92.8 billion backlog into revenue depends on timely government contract awards, especially in the second half of the year. Management believes that recent award momentum will support a sequential sales ramp. Program Execution and Cost Control: Delivering on key programs such as Sentinel, IBCS, and B-21—while managing manufacturing costs and supply chain risks—remains central to stabilizing margins and achieving profit targets. Ongoing cost efficiency measures are expected to offset some macroeconomic pressures. International Demand Expansion: Management sees continued growth in international markets as a major long-term driver, supported by new product approvals and expanded partnerships. However, trade policy changes and global supply chain issues remain potential risks. Kristine Liwag (Morgan Stanley): Asked for milestones to watch for de-risking the B-21 program and about potential future charges. Management explained that recent process changes and learning on early production lots should reduce risk going forward, but acknowledged some uncertainties remain. Robert Stallard (Vertical Research): Inquired about the stability of U.S. government contracting and what provides confidence in improvement. Management expressed optimism due to observed progress on award decisions, but cautioned that uncertainties in budget cycles persist. Ronald Epstein (Bank of America): Pressed for clarity on whether B-21 charges could recur and the factors behind the latest adjustment. Management said the bulk of costs stemmed from a one-time process change and material inflation, and do not expect similar charges to repeat, but noted ongoing risk management. Sheila Kahyaoglu (Jefferies): Asked how tariffs and trade policy could affect Northrop Grumman's supply chain and costs. Management stated that most supply contracts shield the company from trade-related cost increases, but they continue to monitor and mitigate component availability risks. Myles Walton (Wolfe Research): Questioned the confidence behind the expected sales ramp in the second half, given current contract delays. Management pointed to large awards already in backlog, planned ramps on key programs, and anticipated new competitive wins as reasons for their outlook. Looking ahead, the StockStory team will be watching (1) the pace at which delayed government contracts are awarded and converted into revenue, (2) progress on critical milestones in major programs like B-21 and Sentinel, and (3) the trajectory of international sales growth as new awards are booked. Execution on cost control measures and the ability to manage supply chain risks will also be important markers of success. In the wake of earnings, is NOC a buy or sell? See for yourself in our free research report. Donald Trump's victory in the 2024 U.S. Presidential Election sent major indices to all-time highs, but stocks have retraced as investors debate the health of the economy and the potential impact of tariffs. While this leaves much uncertainty around 2025, a few companies are poised for long-term gains regardless of the political or macroeconomic climate, like our Top 6 Stocks for this week. This is a curated list of our High Quality stocks that have generated a market-beating return of 175% over the last five years. Stocks that made our list in 2019 include now familiar names such as Nvidia (+2,183% between December 2019 and December 2024) as well as under-the-radar businesses like Comfort Systems (+751% five-year return). Find your next big winner with StockStory today. Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
23-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Northrop loses $477M on B-21 bomber as it revamps production process
Northrop Grumman reported a $477 million loss on the B-21 Raider in the first quarter of 2025, as higher manufacturing and materials costs for making the sixth-generation stealth bomber squeeze the company. In a Tuesday statement on its financial performance, Northrop said much of the $477 million loss stemmed from a change the firm made to its B-21 production process, intended to allow the company to build the bombers at a higher rate. Northrop CEO Kathy Warden also said in an earnings call Tuesday with investors that macroeconomic factors are driving up the projected price of bomber materials. The loss encompassed all five low-rate initial production lots for the bomber. 'While I'm disappointed with this financial impact, we continue to make solid progress on the [B-21] program, demonstrating performance objectives through tests, and we are progressing through the first two lots of production,' Warden said. 'With significant learning behind us, we are ready to deliver [to] the Air Force this highly capable strategic deterrent.' The B-21 loss contributed to an overall $183 million loss in Northrop Grumman's aeronautics systems division. That division also recorded $2.8 billion in sales, an 8% decline from the first quarter of 2024. Overall, Northrop's profits dropped $498 million when compared to the first quarter of 2024, losing 46% of the $1.1 billion in operating income reported a year ago. Nearly all of that was due to the B-21 loss. Warden said the B-21 is completing its engineering and manufacturing development phase, and is now going through key tests to prove the bomber can carry out all of its objectives. Northrop Grumman is now working through the first two low-rate initial production, or LRIP, lots, she said, and has begun advance work known as long lead work on the third and fourth lots. 'We've built a good bit of experience now in building the aircraft,' Warden said, which is helping Northrop reduce the risk that comes with building a new, advanced aircraft. The Air Force and Northrop Grumman rolled out the B-21, which will eventually replace the B-1 Lancer and B-2 Spirit bombers, in December 2022, and the plane took its first flight the following November. The B-21′s development and testing have been relatively smooth, and multiple officials and lawmakers have praised it. But Warden has cautioned Northrop Grumman's investors since early 2023 that the company would likely initially lose money on the program and turn a profit later. The most recent losses followed a $1.6 billion loss that Northrop also reported on the B-21 in the fourth quarter of 2023. Former Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall also told lawmakers in April 2024 that the Air Force's costs for the plane were coming down as a result of negotiations with Northrop. At the time of the rollout, the B-21′s inflation adjusted average procurement unit cost was about $692 million. The Air Force plans to buy at least 100 B-21s but has left the door open to buying more bombers. The manufacturing changes that led to this year's losses are related to the lessons Northrop learned as it scaled up production, Warden said, and were made jointly with the Air Force. But those lessons will be absorbed and 'behind us' as Northrop finishes the LRIP phase and moves into full-rate production, she said. Warden said the process changes resulted in a larger share of the B-21 loss than the material costs. Northrop Grumman is also building the LGM-35A Sentinel intercontinental ballistic missile for the Air Force, which the service wants to replace the Cold War-era Minuteman III nuclear missiles. Warden also said the Air Force and Northrop Grumman in March conducted a successful static fire test of Sentinel's first stage solid rocket motor. But Sentinel is facing significant overruns in its projected future costs, stemming from higher-than-expected expenses in the construction of facilities such as launch centers. Northrop is continuing to work with the Air Force to find ways to bring down costs and make its schedule more efficient, Warden said . 'What we look at in [Sentinel's program] restructuring is to ensure that the changes and requirements are adequately reflected in the design and ultimately in the contract, and we'll be working to do that with the government,' Warden said. Sign in to access your portfolio
