Latest news with #MichaelMartin
Irish Daily Mirror
4 days ago
- Politics
- Irish Daily Mirror
Pipe bomb thug blows off own hand, issues wild hospital threat as 'Captain Hook'
A thug who blew his own hand off with a pipe bomb has posted a series of bizarre videos from his hospital bed - and called himself 'captain hook.'The 35 year old criminal, who has more than 80 convictions to his name, lost his hand after a suspected pipe bomb exploded at his Dublin home in the early hours of last Wednesday morning. Gruesome photos subsequently emerged of the man's horrific injury - showing that he had completely lost his hand in the horrific the career criminal, who recently served a five year prison sentence for burglary, has posted a series of videos from his bed in Beaumont Prison - as he showed off his handless arm and bizarrely issued threats at Taoiseach Michael Martin and others.'When this accident happened to me…a firework blew me hand off and that's exactly what happened,' the criminal said in a video publicly posted on social media app 'Tiktok.' "Right people, you's probably know what happened or whatever you's are seeing things in the papers and bullsh*it. I'm out of it on the morphine, right I have no hand but f*ck it, you've to go on with it yeah,' he says in another video. Going on to give out about gardai, the man, who are are not identifying says he's looking for 'justice' for the 'accident' he says he suffered. 'I haven't been questioned by any police since I came here in the hospital. I'm still here now. I'm sitting here in the hospital, Beaumont. I couldn't give two bollicks, I'm not letting them away with it and I want justice.'And in a threatening message to the Taoiseach, Tanaiste, Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald and the gardai he said: 'You want to get your guards in line because if you don't get them in line because when I get out of here I'm going to get justice one way or another. Because the law is on my side Michael. You, Simon Harris, Mary Lou, the whole lot of yous - you deserve what's coming to you and I promise you yous are gonna get it by the Irish people,' he says. "Treason should be what publishable by death. You speak for no one Michael and I'm coming for you and I'm coming for justice. I'm going for justice my own way.'In subsequent videos the dopey crim says the government needs to 'wake up' and addresses his loss of limb saying:'Wake the f*ck up because the people woke the f*ck up and I'm coming for you. One hand or not, you can call me what you want, yeah I'm gonna get a hook for this. You can call me Captain Hook. I'm coming for you.'In a statement, Gardaí confirmed they had 'attended the scene following report of an incident of criminal damage at a residential location in Coolock that occurred in the early hours of Wednesday.'The statement continued: 'A man, aged in his 30s, subsequently received treatment for serious injuries at Beaumont Hospital Dublin.'
Reuters
13-06-2025
- Business
- Reuters
3M lawsuit says attorneys falsified black lung claims to pressure settlement
CHICAGO, June 13 (Reuters) - 3M sued three plaintiffs' attorneys in federal court on Friday, accusing them of running a racketeering scheme to file dozens of dubious lawsuits over its respirators and then use the claims to pressure the company to settle. The Minnesota-based company sued attorneys Glenn Hammond, Michael Martin and John Givens in Kentucky federal court, accusing them of conspiring to file more than 20 fraudulent complaints on behalf of more than 850 people over the alleged failure of 3M's respirators to protect coal miners from a disease commonly known as black lung. Hammond's law office is in Kentucky, Martin's is in Texas and Givens' is in Mississippi. A law assistant answered an email sent to Martin, saying he was not immediately available to comment on the allegations. Neither Hammond nor Givens immediately responded to requests for comment. A spokesperson for 3M declined to comment. The company is seeking reimbursement of its costs to defend against the lawyers' claims, as well as 'the ill-gotten gains from the defendants' unlawful scheme.' 3M has faced hundreds of millions of dollars in litigation costs related to lawsuits brought by coal miners over its 'dust masks,' or respirators, which can be worn in mines as a protective measure against dust, according to filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. In 2018, a jury awarded two coal miners $65 million after finding that 3M's respirators failed to protect them from coal mine dust. The next year, the company settled the majority of the then-pending coal mine lawsuits in Kentucky and West Virginia for $340 million, according to the filings. In the filings, 3M said its respirators are "effective as claimed when used in the intended manner and in the intended circumstances." The 110-page complaint lays out what 3M says was a years-long plot, beginning in 2020, to pump up the pressure on the company by filing claims the lawyers knew were for people who didn't have black lung, hadn't worn a 3M respirator or were outside of the statute of limitations. 3M says the lawyers falsely attested that the claims were valid. Hammond was responsible for recruiting coal miners to their scheme, often cold-calling them and then coaching them on what to say to make their cases seem viable, the lawsuit said. Hammond would file the claims, and then Martin would litigate them and apply pressure on 3M to settle, the lawsuit said. Givens was the 'work engine' of the plot, doing whatever was needed to move things forward, according to the filing. The plan was to pressure the company to settle the claims en masse, without litigating each case and revealing its problems, the lawsuit claims. At least some of the lawsuits the group brought against 3M are still pending, according to the lawsuit.
The Irish Sun
11-06-2025
- Health
- The Irish Sun
‘Take immediate action' demand issued to Govt after ‘shocking' nursing home exposé amid calls for regulation overhaul
THE Government has been urged to urgently overhaul regulation of private nursing homes following a shocking exposé . An 2 The leader slammed 'systematic' ageism Credit: Getty Images 2 She blasted Michael Martin in calls for immediate action Credit: 2024 PA Media, All Rights Reserved Both are run by Ireland's top private nursing home provider Emeis Ireland, who have apologised for the failings. Hiqa chiefs have now launched a sweeping review of all nursing homes operated by Emeis Ireland, who run 27 facilities across the country. But as the Speaking during Leaders' Questions, Bacik called for the establishment of a statutory adult safeguarding framework and a root-and-branch review of Hiqa's inspection practices. READ MORE IN NEWS And the Labour supremo insisted there must be 'accountability' for 'profit-driven neglect of older people'. She said: 'The scenes revealed on RTE last Thursday were shocking – but for many, sadly, not surprising. "We saw vulnerable older people in private nursing homes being manhandled, neglected and humiliated. They were calling out for help and being ignored. "Staff were using incontinence pads as makeshift sheets because of equipment shortages. This is nothing short of systemic abuse. Most read in Irish News 'Twenty years on from Leas Cross, the public is once again reeling. But despite expressions of sympathy and tributes to RTE Investigates, the Taoiseach's response today fell far short. 'NO TIMELINE' "There was no timeline for change, no real accountability, and no mention of the voices that are still missing – the residents themselves. 'Absent from this debate are the people living in these institutions – out of sight and too often out of mind. If we are honest, systemic ageism has allowed a substandard care system to grow across our country. "And it is deeply disturbing that so many families feel petrified about the thought of ageing or moving into a nursing home. I've heard from people whose loved ones were injured or denied basic medication. "They tried to advocate, but were met with silence from Hiqa, the Ombudsman, or the HSA. This is utterly unacceptable." 'BEYOND BELIEF' The Labour leader continued: 'Hiqa, which was established after Leas Cross to prevent further abuse, is not fulfilling its duties. Reports are relied on by families – but in too many cases, they are misleading and dangerous. "It is beyond belief that Hiqa has been asked to lead the review of nursing home standards, despite its failure to spot the very abuses RTE exposed. "The public deserves better. Older people deserve better. 'I'm calling on Government to stop paying lip service and take immediate action to protect older people. We need a safeguarding framework – as recommended by the Law Reform Commission last year. We need robust, independent oversight. "And above all, we need to end the systemic ageism that has enabled the horrors we witnessed on RTE. Government must act now.'
Yahoo
30-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Huron post office honors late veteran with new name
SIOUX FALLS S.D. (KELO) — The post office in Huron will now hold a new name. Family members, friends and residents gathered to honor fallen Army First Lt. Thomas Michael Martin by renaming the Huron post office in his memory, a news release from the United States Postal Office said. Buffalo Chip announces rally lineup According to the USPS, Martin was killed in action on October 14, 2007, in Iraq. Martin was awarded the Bronze Star Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster and the Purple Heart Medal posthumously. He's buried in the West Point National Cemetery and his hometown post office will be known as the First Lieutenant Michael Martin Post Office Building. Republican U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds and Huron Mayor Mark Robish attended a ceremony at the post office in Huron along with family members. 'Tom began his life here, died in Iraq fighting for freedom that each of us enjoy every day. Our family is so proud that this beautiful historic facility in what Tom always felt was his hometown, will now be the First Lieutenant Michael Martin Post Office Building,' Martin's father Ed said in a news release. Martin was born October 10, 1980, in Huron and in 1998, he enlisted in the United States Army as a Field Artilleryman. In 2001, he was accepted for admission to the United States Military Academy at West Point, and later graduated from Airborne School at Fort Benning, Georgia. He majored in Military Science, commissioned as an Armor Officer and completed the course at Fort Knox, Kentucky. He reported to the 1st Squadron, 40th Cavalry Regiment at Fort Richardson, Alaska where he assumed responsibility as the Sniper Platoon Leader and deployed with the unit in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom in September 2006, a news release said. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Forbes
27-05-2025
- Business
- Forbes
As Options Gain Popularity, Traders Must Arm Themselves With Education
Michael Martin is Vice President of Market Strategy at TradingBlock, a provider of custom trading technology solutions. Options trading has exploded in popularity over the past several years, and there are no signs of slowing down. More than 1.2 billion options contracts were executed in the U.S. in March alone, an increase of more than 30% over the previous year, according to the Options Clearing Corporation (OCC), a Chicago-based equity derivatives clearing organization. However, as the number of contracts rises and the throng of new retail traders speculating with options grows, so does the failure to understand the risks involved. Retail traders often chase leveraged returns with options, only to learn too late that pricing and risk aren't as linear as equities. These examples not only reflect bad investor habits, such as emotional decision making and risk-prone trading, but also underscore a widespread lack of understanding of options strategies, how options pricing works and how to properly utilize them. Engaged investors and options-curious traders who want to learn how to leverage derivatives effectively need more education. As an options broker for more than 15 years, here are a few key things I recommend traders bone up on at the outset of their options education journey. The five essential options Greeks—Delta, Gamma, Theta, Vega and Rho—are risk management tools that measure an option's sensitivity to various factors, from price changes to the passage of time. They provide a way to see what may happen with an option given certain variables. For example, Theta quantifies time decay—the erosion of an option's value as it nears expiration—and shows how much value an option loses daily. Not understanding this Greek is why many long option traders lose money. Delta, perhaps the most important of the Greeks, shows how much an option's price may change relative to a $1 change in the price of the underlying asset. Delta also gives us a ballpark range that an option has of expiring in the money, giving it value. For example, if you bought a 55 call option with a delta of 0.10, there's roughly a 10% chance it expires in the money. Knowing all the Greeks is critical for effectively trading options because they help traders understand how various market conditions will impact the price of the option, empowering them to make more informed decisions. Without the Greeks, options trading can become a guessing game. Implied volatility (IV) is another essential concept in options trading and reflects the market's expectation of future price movement, not actual movement. Traders can use the Greek Vega to measure and better understand how much IV can impact an option's value. A higher IV means the market expects bigger swings and more uncertainty, which would result in higher option premiums (even if the stock price holds steady), while a lower IV signifies that the market expects calm and more stability. Understanding how IV works is crucial because it affects what a trader will pay or receive for an option, and having this insight will empower them to spot overpriced or underpriced products. Options traders must be aware that short calls and puts expose them to something called early assignment risk, which is the chance that they will be forced to buy or sell the stock before the option expires. This can have significant financial consequences. If a short put option is assigned, a trader will end up with 100 long shares of stock in their trading account the following day. Conversely, if a short call option is assigned, they'll receive 100 short shares of stock. Assignment risk increases as expiration approaches and the option moves deeper in the money. The more in the money the option is—and the closer it is to expiration—the higher the likelihood that it will be assigned. Traders should know that short calls are also exposed to dividend risk. As what's called the ex-dividend date approaches, in-the-money calls are more likely to be assigned. The call buyer will likely exercise early to capture the dividend, leaving the call seller with short shares and no dividend payment. While learning about effectively utilizing options, it's also extremely valuable for traders to consider their own attitudes and behaviors. They should evaluate how much they want to be engaged in the market. If they are committed to only cursory engagement, then options probably aren't right for them. Successful options traders are regularly engaged in the market and want to get under the hood to explore the ins and outs of these sophisticated products. It's also important for a trader to understand their risk profile, which helps define the level of risk they are willing to take to reach their goals as an investor. Factors like how much market volatility or loss they are comfortable with, their time horizon and experience all play a role in forming this critical piece of the investment puzzle. Options traders should consider their psychological biases and ability to control their emotions because, as soon as emotions get involved in any type of trading scenario, things quickly go awry. Traders with strong track records keep their emotions in check and lean on systematic and strategic approaches. As options grow in popularity, it becomes increasingly important for traders to arm themselves with the right knowledge—not only about options but also about themselves. And while they ought to be wary of the get-rich-quick methods promulgated by social media influencers and the overhyped products that pepper financial newsletters, traders should tap into options resources built by industry veterans and made freely available on the internet. From growing video libraries and in-depth blogs to virtual trading and options calculators, these tools can help them develop a deeper understanding of this risky derivative and how to unlock its potential. The information provided here is not investment, tax or financial advice. You should consult with a licensed professional for advice concerning your specific situation. Forbes Finance Council is an invitation-only organization for executives in successful accounting, financial planning and wealth management firms. Do I qualify?
