Latest news with #POST
The Star
13-06-2025
- Health
- The Star
Chinese grandma, 92, wows public by completing 200 push-ups, 100 sit-ups daily
A 92-year-old grandmother in China has wowed mainland internet users by doing 200 push-ups and 100 sit-ups each day. The nonagenarian's fitness exploits are the latest example of how the country's senior citizens are embracing challenging workout routines. She came under the spotlight after she shared longevity tips at a Yao Ethnic Minority Medicine Festival in Jianghua Yao Autonomous County in central Hunan province in early June, Jianghua TV reported. 'Maybe my movements in doing the push-ups are not up to standard, but I insist on doing 200 each day,' the woman surnamed Li, was quoted as saying. She said she habitually exercises at home because it often rains and it is not convenient for her to take part in outdoor activities. When reporters arrived at Li's home, she happily obliged them by completing 100 sit-ups on her bed and 200 push-ups on the floor. She also skilfully spins the hula hoop, according to the report. Li also revealed that she bathes her feet in hot water every evening. 'I used to get cramps in my legs, but after I started taking foot baths, it did not happen again,' she said. Li said her health has really benefited by doing exercise. 'My hair turnThe sprightly Li demostartes how supple and agile she is despite her advancing years. Photo: Douyined white many years ago. But some of it turned black recently,' she said. After graduating from college in Changsha of Hunan in 1959, Li worked for decades as a kindergarten teacher. 'I like doing the type of movements kids usually do,' she told the media. Details of her family were not revealed in the report. Internet users have marvelled at Li's vitality. 'Unbelievable! I can only do fewer than 10 push-ups at a time,' one person said. 'My God. She can really do it. She is 92! I could not do that when I was 29,' said another. As many as 300 million of China's 1.4 billion population are at least 60 years old. Some of them have trended on social media thanks to their efforts at keeping fit. The physique of a Shanghai man in his 70s who has been dubbed 'Modern Grandpa' makes him look like he is in his 40s. He skips, does push-ups and practises yoga at home every day. Three years ago, a 78-year-old grandmother doing push-ups in a hospital corridor went viral. She said she exercised to keep strong so she could look after her sick husband. - SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Ex-sheriff Victor Hill plans to run against Rep. Nikema Williams in Democratic primary
Former Clayton County Sheriff Victor Hill announced on Tuesday night that he plans to run for Congress. Hill, who was released from federal prison last year, said he will challenge Georgia Rep. Nikema Williams in the 2026 Democratic primary. Williams, who succeeded the late Rep. John Lewis in Georgia's 5th Congressional District, was re-elected in Nov. 2024. Hill said he was encouraged to consider a congressional run by his fellow inmates at Forrest City Federal Correctional Institution in Arkansas. 'They also became my political advisors.. it was their idea,' said Hill in the announcement on his podcast. 'They are the ones who told me that hey, a convicted felon can run for Congress.' [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] Hill served as Clayton County Sheriff for nearly 15 years before he was found guilty of using unreasonable force and violating inmates' constitutional rights in 2022. Jurors found that Hill caused physical pain and bodily injury to six men by strapping them down and leaving them in restraint chairs inside the Clayton County Jail, sometimes for hours. After his guilty verdict, the state revoked Hill's law enforcement certification. Under Georgia law and POST rules, an officer is not allowed to continue in that capacity with a felony conviction. Hill served 18 months in federal prison before he was released in 2024. A felon convicted in federal court can run for Congress. RELATED STORIES: Former Clayton Co. Sheriff Victor Hill loses latest appeal effort on federal conviction 'Vigilante Sheriff?' Victor Hill writing book about 'untold story' behind his incarceration Victor Hill moved from federal prison, transferred to community confinement [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
POST Q1 Earnings Call: Management Addresses Volume Declines and Cost Initiatives Amid Market Pressures
Packaged foods company Post (NYSE:POST) missed Wall Street's revenue expectations in Q1 CY2025, with sales falling 2.3% year on year to $1.95 billion. Its non-GAAP profit of $1.41 per share was 16.7% above analysts' consensus estimates. Is now the time to buy POST? Find out in our full research report (it's free). Revenue: $1.95 billion vs analyst estimates of $1.97 billion (2.3% year-on-year decline, 1% miss) Adjusted EPS: $1.41 vs analyst estimates of $1.21 (16.7% beat) Adjusted EBITDA: $324.7 million vs analyst estimates of $335 million (16.6% margin, 3.1% miss) EBITDA guidance for the full year is $1.45 billion at the midpoint, in line with analyst expectations Operating Margin: 9.3%, in line with the same quarter last year Sales Volumes fell 4.9% year on year, in line with the same quarter last year Market Capitalization: $6.14 billion Post's first quarter results were shaped by ongoing consumer softness and operational challenges across several business segments. CEO Rob Vitale noted that 'consumer sentiment is weak,' emphasizing the need for demand-driving efforts and consistent supply chain execution. Segment leaders described how the Foodservice team managed through difficult egg markets caused by Avian influenza, while retail businesses faced volume declines in both grocery and pet categories. The closure of a manufacturing plant last September contributed to cost improvements, but further plant closures were announced in response to persistent category declines in cereal. Management described the period as one of 'navigating volume declines' and highlighted cost control measures as a primary method for offsetting pressures in their core segments. Looking ahead, Post's guidance is built on recovering input costs in Foodservice, stabilizing supply after Avian influenza, and further cost optimization in its Consumer Brands division. Management expects pricing actions that began in April to aid margins, assuming no additional disease outbreaks. However, CEO Rob Vitale described the current landscape as uncertain, adding that 'trade policy and regulations continue to grab headlines' and may impact future plans. The company also anticipates disruption in its pet segment as it relaunches the Nutrish brand, and noted that persistent cereal category declines will offset some gains from cost-saving initiatives. Management remains focused on 'balancing egg sourcing and demand' and executing plant closures to manage profitability, while also monitoring broader economic headwinds and potential changes in consumer behavior. Management attributed the quarter's performance to cost discipline, product mix shifts, and external factors such as Avian influenza impacting egg supply and pricing. Strategic adjustments in manufacturing and a focus on higher value-added products were key responses to a challenging market backdrop. Avian influenza disruption: The Foodservice unit faced elevated costs and supply chain challenges due to Avian influenza, which affected egg availability. Management said that additional pricing actions were implemented in April, and they expect to recover most of the negative cost impact during the second half of the year if there are no further outbreaks. Cereal and pet volume declines: The Post Consumer Brands segment experienced significant declines in cereal and pet food volumes. The cereal category, in particular, saw accelerated declines, prompting the closure of two additional manufacturing plants by year-end to address excess capacity and cost structure inefficiencies. Mix shift in consumer behavior: In both cereal and pet categories, consumers showed a tendency to trade down to lower-priced or value offerings. Management noted that this shift benefited Post's value-oriented brands, although the company's share on the lower end of pet is not as strong as it is in cereal. Private label competition rising: Within refrigerated retail, the company observed increased competition from private label products, especially as private label quality has improved. This trend is leading to some demand erosion for branded products, particularly in side dishes. Integration and ramp-up challenges: The acquisition of PPI brought new manufacturing capacity and opportunities for product innovation, but management acknowledged that integration and workforce ramp-up have been slower than originally planned, partially due to employee adjustment issues. Management's outlook for the remainder of the year centers on cost recovery in Foodservice, plant optimization in Consumer Brands, and adapting to changing consumer preferences. Egg supply stabilization: Management believes that recovering from Avian influenza and balancing egg sourcing will be key to restoring margins in Foodservice. They expect additional pricing actions and flock repopulation to support performance in the second half, barring further disease outbreaks. Cost savings from plant closures: The announced closures of two cereal plants are expected to yield $20 million in annualized savings. Management indicated that these benefits will be partially offset by ongoing volume declines unless category trends moderate, but the moves are intended to support profitability even if industry headwinds persist. Uncertainty in consumer demand: Ongoing consumer caution, increased private label competition, and the relaunch of the Nutrish pet food brand introduce risks to category volumes and market share. Management is monitoring broader macroeconomic pressures and expects some continued challenges in both grocery and pet segments. In the coming quarters, the StockStory team will focus on (1) the pace of margin recovery in Foodservice as egg pricing actions take effect and Avian influenza risks subside, (2) the realization of cost savings from announced plant closures and their impact on Consumer Brands profitability, and (3) early performance indicators from the Nutrish brand relaunch in the pet segment. We will also monitor shifts in private label competition and consumer demand patterns as macroeconomic conditions evolve. Post currently trades at a forward P/E ratio of 15.5×. Should you double down or take your chips? Find out in our full research report (it's free). Market indices reached historic highs following Donald Trump's presidential victory in November 2024, but the outlook for 2025 is clouded by new trade policies that could impact business confidence and growth. While this has caused many investors to adopt a "fearful" wait-and-see approach, we're leaning into our best ideas that can grow regardless of the political or macroeconomic climate. Take advantage of Mr. Market by checking out 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 183% over the last five years (as of March 31st 2025). Stocks that made our list in 2020 include now familiar names such as Nvidia (+1,545% between March 2020 and March 2025) as well as under-the-radar businesses like the once-micro-cap company Tecnoglass (+1,754% five-year return). Find your next big winner with StockStory today. Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
05-06-2025
- Yahoo
Closed-door hearing for officer involved in Sandra Birchmore case begins Thursday
The state's police oversight agency will make its case at a closed-door hearing beginning Thursday for why one of the former Stoughton Police officers involved in the Sandra Birchmore case should never again work in law enforcement in Massachusetts. Robert Devine, the former Stoughton deputy police chief, is among a trio of former Stoughton officers, along with brothers Matthew and William Farwell, accused of having inappropriate sexual relationships with Birchmore after she joined their police youth program as a teenager. Devine is fighting efforts from the Massachusetts Peace Officer Standards and Training Commission, or POST, to revoke his certification for police work, a requirement for all officers employed in the commonwealth. Beginning Thursday, his case will play out in secret at the commission office in Boston after a retired judge presiding over the hearing ruled last week that protective orders covering sensitive evidence necessitated closing proceedings to the public and press. Some open government advocates criticized the decision for restricting access to a hearing of significant public interest. The commission was created in 2020, after the killing of George Floyd by a Minnesota police officer, 'to increase transparency and accountability' in law enforcement, said Justin Silverman, executive director of the New England First Amendment Coalition.'You've got this horrible case that's going to be heard behind closed doors,' he said. 'That strikes me as out of step with why the commission was created.' The Birchmore case took a sharp turn last year when federal authorities charged Mathew Farwell with killing Birchmore in February 2021 and staging her death as a suicide. He had hoped to prevent her from revealing their relationship, which authorities said began when she was underage. A state medical examiner had previously ruled that Birchmore killed herself, a determination federal officials said missed key signs of a cover-up. According to prosecutors, Birchmore had told Farwell she was pregnant with his child before her death at age 23. Farwell denied to investigators that he was the father. Neither his brother William nor Devine faces criminal charges connected to the case, though all three are named in a wrongful death lawsuit brought by Birchmore's aunt. Read more: Sandra Birchmore timeline: from Stoughton Explorer to arrest of Matthew Farwell Devine's hearing centers on claims that he abused his position of authority, lied to internal investigators and behaved in a manner unbecoming of a police officer. Birchmore met the Farwell brothers and Devine, who supervised them, after joining the Stoughton Police Explorers Program as a 12-year-old in 2010. She remained in the program until graduating high school. According to federal prosecutors, Matthew Farwell began sexually exploiting Birchmore in 2013, when he was 27 and she was 15, under the age of consent in Massachusetts. Their sexual encounters continued regularly as she grew older and sometimes occurred while he was on duty, investigators said. According to charging documents, as Farwell began to lose control of Birchmore in late 2020, he agreed to help her get pregnant in return for keeping their relationship while she was underage a secret. On Feb. 1, 2021, prosecutors say, Farwell strangled Birchmore at her apartment in Canton and staged her death as a suicide. The Stoughton Police Department launched an internal investigation after Birchmore's death into her interactions with the Farwell brothers and Devine. When interviewed by investigators, Devine claimed that he had never communicated online with Birchmore and that the pair had only limited interactions, according to a notice from the POST Commission initiating the decertification proceedings. But records from Facebook Messenger showed Devine and Birchmore exchanged messages 'on multiple occasions,' he using the alias 'Marty Riggs,' from November 2020 until her death in February 2021, the commission said. Their messages also indicated that Devine 'arranged to have a sexual encounter' with Birchmore during one shift he was working in December 2021, according to the commission. The internal investigation by the Stoughton Police found Devine had been untruthful, incompetent and 'failed to demonstrate attention and devotion to his duty.' In a ruling Friday, Judge Kenneth J. Fishman, who is presiding over the hearing, said protective orders covering evidence related to the case meant the proceedings must be kept confidential. There are four protective orders dealing with the Birchmore case: one approved by a federal judge dealing with Matthew Farwell's criminal case, one from Attorney General Andrea Campbell's office related to the lawsuit brought by Birchmore's family, and two from Fishman regarding Devine's case with the POST Commission. The U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Massachusetts requested the protective order in the Farwell case to prevent the release of information it believed could expose Birchmore or witnesses 'to significant safety and/or privacy risks.' Among the information covered under the protective order, the government said in a September court filing, were crime scene and autopsy photographs of Birchmore's body, data from her phone and laptop 'from which it would be impractical or impossible to redact all identifying information,' Birchmore's medical records and police reports identifying witnesses by name. Fishman's order closing Devine's hearing to the public said protective orders were in place to protect confidential evidence and 'the identity of an individual.' Many of the materials and information would be discussed throughout the hearing, Fishman wrote. Understanding that at least some portion of the hearing must be closed, the judge said he considered 'the feasibility of structuring the presentation of evidence to enable an efficient proceeding between the closed and, if any, open portions of the hearing.' Attorneys for the commission and Devine advised Fishman that the entire session would be interspersed with discussions of confidential information. 'It's unlikely that any testimony regarding the substance of the allegations would cover topics outside of the protected evidence,' commission lawyers said. Fishman concluded that there was 'no reasonable method for opening any portions of this hearing to the public without a substantial risk of disclosing confidential evidence,' he wrote. Commission hearings are 'presumptively public,' but can be closed 'if the presiding officer determines that full or limited closure is necessary to protect privacy interests and will not be contrary to the public interest,' a commission spokesperson said in a statement to MassLive. The commission pointed to five other cases where hearings had been closed, including cases when it was needed to protect the identity of a victim of sexual or violent crimes, the spokesperson said. Both Farwell brothers and Devine left the department in 2022. The brothers each reached agreements with the commission last year to be stripped of their certifications, a move that carries a lifetime ban from police work in Massachusetts. Like other officers whose certifications have been revoked, they were added to a national registry of decertified police officers designed to prevent them from finding police work in other states. Mass. police watchdog decertifies officers from Boston, Springfield and 3 other towns Mass. police watchdog revokes 5 officers' certifications: 'Not fit for duty' Former Boston Police officer who secretly filmed nude child banned from police work Read the original article on MassLive.
IOL News
01-06-2025
- General
- IOL News
We were robbed of our dreams, says grieving wife
Arvin Ramluckan. Image: Supplied FOR a Tongaat woman the pain of losing her husband, Arvin Ramluckan, during the tornado remains while her two young daughters yearn for their father daily. Arvin, 37, a boilermaker, from Sandfields, died in hospital three days after the tornado hit, on June 6. He suffered extensive head injuries. At the time, a relative said Arvin's company transport had dropped him off near a shop on Sandfields Road. He had been walking to his home, a few metres away with a friend when they were caught in the tornado. The relative said Arvin and his friend held hands and started running to get to another friend's house to seek shelter. However, along the way, they were separated. He said Arvin was picked up by the tornado and flung against a brick wall, which then collapsed on him. Arvin was later taken to hospital by paramedics and placed on a ventilator. Speaking to the POST, Shanel Ramluckan, his wife, said they had hoped he would recover. 'I still remember seeing him lying in his hospital bed. While he was not able to speak or move, I had some hope that he would get through it. But he fought until he couldn't anymore. His tragic passing has been our greatest loss as he was the most loving husband and father. He was also our protector and now we are forced to live without him.' Ramluckan said the last conversation she had with Arvin was earlier that morning, when he video-called to speak to her and their daughters, now aged six and three. 'He left to work early in the morning, but would always call during his breaks. When he called that morning during his tea break, he only spoke to our youngest daughter as the eldest was still asleep. He said he would call later. I waited for his call at midday when he took his lunch break, but I think they had a meeting and he didn't have time. We never got to speak to him again.' Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad loading Ramluckan said later that afternoon when she opened the door to let her dog out, she was met by the tornado. 'I didn't know there was a tornado approaching. The dog needed to go out, so when I opened the door I was hit by this strong wind. I could hear this loud noise; when I looked outside I saw the roof tiles flying off our relative's home next door. I managed to push the door closed and went to hide in our bedroom. 'After some time, I heard the relative calling out for me and went outside. She was badly injured. Moments after that, Arvin's friend came running into the yard, asking where Arvin was. I knew something was wrong. 'While we were sitting inside, my brother-in-law arrived and said Arvin had been injured, but he was okay and had been taken to hospital. We couldn't leave the area at the time as the roads were blocked. The next morning, my sister and I went to the hospital to see him. He was on a ventilator and not responsive,' she said. Ramluckan said she went to visit Arvin again on the Thursday. 'We were waiting to see him as we were told he was going to be moved from casualty to a ward. They weren't allowing the girls to go in but said they would be able to see him while he was being moved to the ward. 'The girls were hungry, so we took them to get something to eat at the shop. It wasn't even a few minutes that we were gone when my sister received a call that he had passed away. We rushed back to the hospital. I was in shock. My husband was gone. I still remember when I touched him, his body was still warm," she said. Ramluckan said her daughters still yearned for him. 'Almost every day my girls are in tears. At times, they are inconsolable that I have to call my sister to come home because I don't know how to comfort them. There are times when the youngest one will say she misses her dad and she wants to go by him. Her sister will tell her that 'daddy died, but he is watching over us'. It breaks my heart as they loved him so much. They were his whole world.' Ramluckan said she and Arvin had many future plans. 'He always used to say he wanted to have another child - he wanted a son. He also said he wanted to buy a car and renovate our home. But, we have been robbed of those dreams.' Arvin's one year memorial service was held at his home on Sunday. THE POST
