Latest news with #Ashworth
American Press
15-07-2025
- American Press
Beauregard firefighter dies in crash responding to call
Associated Press Archives Special to the American Press A volunteer firefighter from DeRidder died as the result of crash that happened while he was responding to an emergency call for service. The crash happened early Tuesday morning. Shortly after 4 a.m., Louisiana State Police Troop D began investigating the single-vehicle crash on Scallon Road south of La. 26 in Beauregard Parish. The crash claimed the life of 23-year-old Beauregard Parish volunteer fire fighter Jonathan Ashworth. The preliminary investigation revealed that Ashworth was driving a 2017 Ford F-150 west on Scallon Road while responding to an emergency call. For reasons still under investigation, the Ford traveled off the roadway to the left while in a curve and struck multiple trees. Ashworth sustained fatal injuries and died at the scene. Due to the severity of the damage, restraint use for Ashworth is still being determined. A passenger in the vehicle, who was properly restrained, sustained moderate injuries. A routine toxicology sample was collected and submitted for analysis. This crash remains under investigation.
Daily Mirror
06-07-2025
- Business
- Daily Mirror
Ashworth's four-man Man Utd shortlist that saw three signed with mixed results
Dan Ashworth was appointed Manchester United's sporting director last summer and had drawn up a list of four key players he wanted to sign for then-manager Erik ten Hag Dan Ashworth's tenure as Manchester United 's sporting director was a short-lived one, ending in disaster within just a few months. Ashworth was a prime target for Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who had to patiently wait over four months for him to officially commence his role due to being placed on gardening leave by his previous club, Newcastle United. It was on the 1st of July last year that Ashworth formally joined the Red Devils and immediately embarked on an ambitious recruitment campaign for then-manager Erik ten Hag, following United's FA Cup final victory over Manchester City. As per the Daily Mail, Ashworth had his sights set on four specific players, managing to secure three of them last summer – with the exception of Everton's Jarrad Branthwaite. A £35million offer for him was turned down by the Toffees a year ago, leading them to explore other alternatives, reports the Manchester Evening News. One of those other players was well-acquainted with Ten Hag, who was eager to reunite with. United shelled out £42m to bring former Ajax ace Matthijs De Ligt in from Bayern Munich. In a bid to provide Rasmus Hojlund with some assistance at the opposite end of the pitch, Ashworth activated Joshua Zirkzee's £34m buyout clause from Bologna after the Dutchman had aided the club in securing Champions League football for the first time in nearly six decades. Eager to bolster their defensive midfield – with Casemiro failing to replicate his Real Madrid form at the time – United sanctioned a move for Manuel Ugarte, who Paris Saint-Germain were willing to offload after just one season. A £40m offer was enough to secure the former Sporting CP star's services, eventually reuniting him with Ruben Amorim following the Portuguese boss' appointment as Ten Hag's successor last November. However, Ashworth departed United in December, before he could witness the outcome of his efforts. Over four months of the season had already elapsed upon Ashworth's exit and the performances of those three players left much to be desired. Despite De Ligt earning a formidable reputation in Europe since his teen years, he initially struggled to find his footing in Manchester's defence. While United endured a lacklustre season under Amorim, the Dutchman gradually found his rhythm in defence, sparking hopes among United fans that he will remain a key figure in their backline for years to come. The same optimism doesn't extend to Zirkzee, whose underwhelming presence has led United to continue their search for a striker to address their goalscoring issues – a role the former Bayern Munich forward was expected to fulfil. The 24-year-old has only managed to net seven goals in 49 matches across all competitions, with a mere three coming from Premier League games. His future at the club could be up in the air if Amorim succeeds in attracting ex-Sporting striker Viktor Gyokeres, despite Arsenal showing strong interest. Aston Villa's Ollie Watkins is also on United's current watchlist. As for Ugarte, the 24-year-old excels in tackling and regaining possession, typical traits of a defensive midfielder. However, he faced criticism last season due to his lack of forward play, with supporters arguing that his passing skills and athleticism are severely lacking. Amorim faces a colossal task ahead of the 2025/26 season, and it's yet to be seen what role these three players will have in United's future. And it seems unlikely that Ashworth's full quartet will be completed anytime soon. Branthwaite has recently signed a new contract with Everton under ex-United manager David Moyes. The England international, now reportedly valued at around £70m, inked a new five-year deal earlier this week.
Yahoo
24-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
US first-quarter foreign direct investment falls sharply amid tariff uncertainty
By David Lawder WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Foreign direct investment into the U.S. fell sharply in the first quarter to $52.8 billion from a downwardly revised $79.9 billion in the fourth quarter of 2024, the Commerce Department said on Tuesday, a drop that coincided with high business uncertainty over President Donald Trump's tariff plans. The fall could prove temporary, as billions of dollars worth of foreign firms' announced U.S. manufacturing projects get underway and Nippon Steel's nearly $15 billion acquisition of U.S. Steel adds to current and future quarters' data. The lower first-quarter FDI inflows contributed to a widening of the U.S. current account deficit to a record high of $450.2 billion as businesses front-loaded imports ahead of Trump's steep tariffs. The Commerce Department's Bureau of Economic Analysis also said current account data for the fourth quarter was revised to show the gap at $312.0 billion instead of $303.9 billion as previously reported. The current account data measures the net flow of goods, services and investments into and out of the country. A large and persistent U.S. trade deficit has traditionally been partly offset by investment inflows into U.S. financial assets and foreign direct investment, which includes plant and equipment, corporate mergers and acquisitions. The first-quarter FDI inflows were the lowest in dollar terms since the $42.4 billion recorded in the fourth quarter of 2022, a period coinciding with high post-pandemic inflation. Except for that drop, quarterly FDI since the easing of the COVID-19 pandemic had been recorded above $61 billion, with a peak of $135 billion in the third quarter of 2021, according to Commerce Department data. Economists have warned that extreme uncertainty over Trump's tariffs could paralyze investment decisions by companies and slow economic growth. Trump has argued that his tariffs are prompting an investment rush by companies seeking to bring manufacturing back to the U.S. to avoid tariffs. Paul Ashworth, chief North American economist at Capital Economics, said it was possible that uncertainty could be impacting some investment decisions but cautioned that quarterly FDI is inherently volatile, driven by specific transactions such as mergers, acquisitions and big projects. "It's probably noise, rather than signaling something more dramatic or serious about FDI coming into the U.S.," Ashworth said of the first-quarter data. He said he expected FDI to increase in future quarters as U.S. manufacturing investment projects announced by Japanese and other foreign automakers get started. South Korea's Hyundai Motor and Hyundai Steel in April announced $21 billion worth of new U.S. manufacturing investments alongside Trump in the White House. Nippon Steel's hard-fought $14.9 billion acquisition of U.S. Steel closed last week and will show up in second-quarter inflows. "If anything, I'd expect FDI to be going up," Ashworth added.
Yahoo
24-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
US first-quarter foreign direct investment falls sharply amid tariff uncertainty
By David Lawder WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Foreign direct investment into the U.S. fell sharply in the first quarter to $52.8 billion from a downwardly revised $79.9 billion in the fourth quarter of 2024, the Commerce Department said on Tuesday, a drop that coincided with high business uncertainty over President Donald Trump's tariff plans. The fall could prove temporary, as billions of dollars worth of foreign firms' announced U.S. manufacturing projects get underway and Nippon Steel's nearly $15 billion acquisition of U.S. Steel adds to current and future quarters' data. The lower first-quarter FDI inflows contributed to a widening of the U.S. current account deficit to a record high of $450.2 billion as businesses front-loaded imports ahead of Trump's steep tariffs. The Commerce Department's Bureau of Economic Analysis also said current account data for the fourth quarter was revised to show the gap at $312.0 billion instead of $303.9 billion as previously reported. The current account data measures the net flow of goods, services and investments into and out of the country. A large and persistent U.S. trade deficit has traditionally been partly offset by investment inflows into U.S. financial assets and foreign direct investment, which includes plant and equipment, corporate mergers and acquisitions. The first-quarter FDI inflows were the lowest in dollar terms since the $42.4 billion recorded in the fourth quarter of 2022, a period coinciding with high post-pandemic inflation. Except for that drop, quarterly FDI since the easing of the COVID-19 pandemic had been recorded above $61 billion, with a peak of $135 billion in the third quarter of 2021, according to Commerce Department data. Economists have warned that extreme uncertainty over Trump's tariffs could paralyze investment decisions by companies and slow economic growth. Trump has argued that his tariffs are prompting an investment rush by companies seeking to bring manufacturing back to the U.S. to avoid tariffs. Paul Ashworth, chief North American economist at Capital Economics, said it was possible that uncertainty could be impacting some investment decisions but cautioned that quarterly FDI is inherently volatile, driven by specific transactions such as mergers, acquisitions and big projects. "It's probably noise, rather than signaling something more dramatic or serious about FDI coming into the U.S.," Ashworth said of the first-quarter data. He said he expected FDI to increase in future quarters as U.S. manufacturing investment projects announced by Japanese and other foreign automakers get started. South Korea's Hyundai Motor and Hyundai Steel in April announced $21 billion worth of new U.S. manufacturing investments alongside Trump in the White House. Nippon Steel's hard-fought $14.9 billion acquisition of U.S. Steel closed last week and will show up in second-quarter inflows. "If anything, I'd expect FDI to be going up," Ashworth added.
Yahoo
20-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
I'm an Economist: 4 Questions To Ask About Tariffs (and 2 Not To Worry About)
President Trump's tariffs has been dominating headlines for months now, prompting concerns about how they may affect everything from grocery bills to investment accounts. While it's tempting to react to every trade policy shift, not all impacts are immediate or relevant to everyday consumers. Trending Now: Try This: Here's a quick breakdown on Trump's tariffs, why they have been implemented, and what everyone knows so far: Tariffs are taxes charged on imported goods. For example, a 10% tariff means a $10 product would have a $1 tax on top, which would make your total $11. President Trump has doubled U.S. tariffs on steel and aluminum imports to 50%. There is a 25% tax on imports from both Canada and Mexico and a 10% levy on Canadian energy. Though there has been a lot of back and forth as to the amount, the current tariff on goods from China is 20%. The White House also implemented a 20% tariff on most European Union goods, but halved it to 10% until July 8, 2025, to allow time for trade talks. Trump is mandating that most countries have a 10% 'baseline' tariff on all goods sent to the U.S. GOBankingRates spoke with Jared Ashworth, Ph.D., assistant professor of economics at Pepperdine Graziadio Business School, to determine the four questions you should be asking about tariffs — and the two things you shouldn't worry about. Most consumers don't need to follow every twist in trade policy. However, they do need to understand how tariffs might affect their wallets, savings and investments. Here are four practical financial questions worth asking right now. Uncertainty is the biggest concern about the tariffs. 'In recent months, there have been significant swings in what the actual tariffs will be,' Ashworth said. 'Many of these tariffs could also be rolled back if, for example, a target country changes its trade policy.' This has caused a lot of uncertainty. 'As a result, financial markets have become much more uncertain. Standard advice about risk and uncertainty, like considering your risk aversion or how close you are to retirement, matters even more in this context,' Ashworth said. Many retailers have already or will likely adjust their prices quickly in anticipation of the tariffs. According to Wired, the price of refrigerator staples like apple juice is already increasing, as most apple juice that Americans drink comes from China. Apple juice is just one of the many goods American consumers count on that will likely become more expensive due to the tariffs. 'The goal of tariffs is to allow domestic firms to charge higher prices and compete with the raised prices of international firms,' Ashworth said. Consumers are making big purchases in anticipation of the tariffs. For example, sales of cars and motor vehicles parts were up by 8.8% from last year, according to U.S. Census Bureau data. 'Most people won't be able to gain by making major changes based on broad news,' Ashworth said. 'For example, with cars, even though the vehicles currently on lots weren't directly affected by tariffs, the rush to buy before the tariffs take full effect has driven up prices.' According to USA Today, the manufacturing, construction, transportation, warehousing, retail and supply chain sectors are most likely to be affected by tariffs and are paring back on hiring. Ashworth said individuals should consider shifting investments to companies less affected by tariffs, even though the market expectations are already reflected in stock prices. Healthcare and financial services are among the sectors that are still poised to grow or remain stable, per USA Today. Tariffs can feel like a threat to every part of one's financial life, but not all impacts are immediate or personal. Here's what to set aside for now. The uncertainty about the impact of the tariffs also means that it's hard to know what will happen next or how long the effects will last. 'While the U.S. is part of a globally connected economy, imports and exports still make up a relatively small percentage of the GDP (Gross Domestic Product),' Ashworth said. 'The idea of a full-out trade war often depends on how it's framed, which is part of the problem.' For example, tariffs are viewed as either a measure that protects domestic industries or a policy that punishes countries engaging in unfair trade. 'But those goals can be contradictory,' Ashworth said. 'If tariffs are a punishment, then the once the country reforms its trade practices, we're expected to drop the tariffs, potentially ending the protection for domestic industries.' It's easy to feel powerless when trade policy shifts overnight. But for most consumers, the best response isn't control; it's adaptability. 'While tariffs can affect exchange rates and relative interest rates, most of those impacts aren't something everyday people can or should try to take advantage of,' Ashworth said. 'Unless you have direct influence over national policy, there's little you can do to change it. Instead, focus on staying flexible in this period of heightened uncertainty.' While there isn't much that can be done when it comes to government policy, consumers can take other actions to protect themselves and their finances. 'As with any pressure that raises prices, find ways to reduce consumption and spend less. While tariffs might contribute to a recession, individuals should still prioritize cutting back on spending and increasing savings,' Ashworth said. Caitlyn Moorhead contributed to the reporting for this article. More From GOBankingRates Clever Ways To Save Money That Actually Work in 2025 This article originally appeared on I'm an Economist: 4 Questions To Ask About Tariffs (and 2 Not To Worry About) Sign in to access your portfolio
