Latest news with #Bricker
Indianapolis Star
20-06-2025
- Sport
- Indianapolis Star
Things 'always circled back to Butler' for 2026 commit Joslyn Bricker. 'A dream come true'
When someone asked Joslyn Bricker what her dream school would be growing up, she always answered Butler. The Warsaw senior basketball standout didn't know much about the coaching staff or school in general at the time — aside from "Hoosiers," one of her all-time favorite movies, filming inside Hinkle Fieldhouse — but she knew a number of Butler grads and everyone had positive things to say about their experience. "They all loved it," she told IndyStar on Thursday morning. Butler maintained a prominent place on Bricker's list of potential destinations as she learned more about the university and its women's basketball program, and over the past few weeks, her interest was reciprocated. Coach Austin Parkinson offered Bricker a scholarship during a campus visit earlier this month and on Wednesday, she made things official, verbally committing to the Bulldogs. Lapel's Laniah Wills commits to Butler: 'That's a pressure off my shoulders. I feel very good about it' Bricker said Butler "kind of sells itself" with its prestigious academics and, for her individually, the proximity to home and importance of faith to the coaching staff. "The relationships I've formed with the coaches, they're just great people," she continued. "I felt that way about everyone we met on my visit. It felt like a big hug and a really good fit for me." A 5-8 point guard and 2026 IndyStar Miss Basketball candidate, Bricker averaged 19 points, 5.3 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 2.6 steals last season for Class 4A state runner-up Warsaw. She shot 59% from the field, 43% from 3 and 82% from the line, and enters her senior season with over 1,000 career points. Bricker said Parkinson, a former point guard himself, compared her game to that of New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson — which is who her dad had been encouraging her to play like. "That was kind of like, 'Wow, he has a really good grasp and understanding of my game and how I want to play,'" she said. "That was really impressive." These past few weeks have been "a whirlwind" for Bricker, who added offers from Butler, Florida Gulf Coast, Penn, Southern Indiana and Belmont to an already extensive list earlier this month. She visited Butler on June 11, then took trips to Belmont and Ball State — two of the other schools she was "very interested in" — a week later. Scheduling those visits consecutively made it easier to compare schools, she said, but it was "exhausting and a lot to process." And in the end, "it always circled back to Butler." After talking through things with her parents earlier this week, Bricker reached out to Butler freshman Addi Baxter to ask the Columbia City grad about her experience and why she chose the Bulldogs. "Everything she told me was reassuring of what I was feeling, too," Bricker recalled. "We're very similar, have similar values in the way we look at things, so hearing all the great things she had to say and why she chose Butler helped it make sense for me." Bricker is Butler's second in-state 2026 commit, joining Lapel's Laniah Wills, a 6-0 wing. "It's a dream come true," Bricker said. "I know the coaches and some of the players and they're all just really great people. … I'm excited to build something special with special people."
TimesLIVE
12-05-2025
- Entertainment
- TimesLIVE
Exclusive Books Homebru 2025 has it all
Whatever authentic Mzansi genre you're looking for, Your Local Has It All By Looking for drama? Romance? Personal development? Business skills? Inspiring people? Whatever you are looking for in a book, Exclusive Books' Homebru 2025 — Your Local Has It All — has you covered. Says Batya Bricker, Exclusive Books GM, Books and Brand: 'The Homebru selection for 2025 is a beautiful combination of every flavour and every taste of South Africa, represented in a carefully curated collection of 36 trending, unputdownable books — all written by local authors or set on home ground. 'Let's face it, local never gets old. Places you know, characters you recognise and the feeling of something you can always come back to. The campaign 'Your Local Has It All' reminds you that not only does your local Exclusive Books (and we all have a local) have every kind of book to suit every kind of reading taste, but also a range of local books that will spark the same fondness that reminds you of home. 'It wasn't long ago that local writing was a small segment of the total and largely international publishing offering on the shelves. With South African writers now turning their pens to everything from celebrity biography to real-life crime, BookTok romance and nail-biting domestic noir thrillers, medi-dramas and business, on-trend self-help and African spirituality, there is nothing you won't find in the 2025 Homebru selection,' says Bricker. 'While you might be all booked up this May, keep your eye out for the always-inviting Homebru events happening across the country. Join us for a range of book signings and for the first time ever, a Homebru Author Market — you won't want to miss the best in local literature! If you are attending an event in store, be sure to check out the vibrant Homebru store displays and bookmarks, and if you're a Fanatics member, expect to earn double discounts on any Homebru books purchased in May! 'As we continue to celebrate the books, people, places and things that bring us all together, let Homebru be a reminder that your local has it all.'
Yahoo
05-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Sun Country retires jet, delays 737-900 service
This article first appeared in AirlineGeeks. Sun Country Airlines (NASDAQ: SNCY) plans to retire one of its Boeing 737-800 aircraft in an effort to save money on parts amid an industrywide supply chain crisis. During a Q1 2025 earnings call on Friday, CEO Jude Bricker said the decision to retire one of its 737-800s is in response to 'tightness' the carrier was experiencing in the components market. Additionally, the ultra-low-cost airline has decided to delay flying its first Boeing 737-900 passenger aircraft until later this year. Bricker said this was due to a 'temporary surplus' in the airline's passenger fleet. 'Even with this deferral, we'll experience some unit cost pressures associated with lower utilization of our passenger fleet until we're able to catch up our staffing to our fleet, which should occur around the second quarter of 2026,' he said. Despite having too many aircraft and a pinch for parts, Bricker said he expected Sun Country's charter segment to perform well through the rest of 2025, and that the company 'continues to deliver high levels of free cash yield.' 'Currently, we plan to continue to deliver with net debt levels expected to fall below zero at some point in 2028,' he said. 'However, we have the liquidity and balance sheet headroom to take advantage of any opportunities, including share repurchases using the $25 million of repurchase authority recently granted by our board.' Supply chain challenges have recently led some airlines and lessors to dismantle newer aircraft models for spare parts. Ongoing reliability issues with Pratt & Whitney's PW1500G engines have been a critical contributor to the state of the supply chain. Longer maintenance has led to multiple aircraft groundings and increased demand for spare engines. This paired with large backlogs in overall aircraft production has crippled the sector, causing airlines to extend use of existing aircraft. Other challenges in aviation's maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) industry have also persisted since the pandemic years, primarily due to shortages of skilled labor. While the industry has taken action to address the issue, the near-term future looks like it's going to be difficult. A workforce gap is projected to cause a 20% shortfall on maintenance techs in 2028, according to a 2024 Pipeline Report by the Aviation Technician Education Council. Although currently bleak, some industry insiders like the Aviation Institute of Maintenance (AIM) have suggested this crisis could be a catalyst for increased wages and greater collaboration between industry stakeholders. AIM President Jason Pfaff told AirlineGeeks in an interview earlier this year that the situation would get worse before it got better. 'If it's a nine-inning game, I'd say we're probably in the third inning,' Pfaff said in the February interview. 'It will get more challenging. But again, from our perspective, at least from some of the conversations we're having, this could also be a catalyst for a lot of really exciting change in our industry as well.' The post Sun Country retires jet, delays 737-900 service appeared first on FreightWaves. Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
05-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Sun Country faces slight delays integrating additional Amazon cargo jets
Sun Country Airlines in the first quarter took possession of three Amazon cargo jets, but only one is in service so far for the retail and logistics giant because integrating them into the existing fleet requires additional work, the company said Friday. Amazon is transferring eight leased Boeing 737-800 converted freighters to Sun Country (NASDAQ: SCNY) from previous contractor Atlas Air. Sun Country plans to have all the narrowbody freighters in service by the end of summer, bringing the dedicated Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN) fleet to 20 aircraft and doubling the airline's cargo revenue. The initial Amazon-supplied aircraft began flying packages in late March. The other two cargo jets will be inducted into the fleet this quarter, the Minneapolis-based carrier said in its latest financial results. Sun Country CEO Jude Bricker told analysts on the quarterly earnings call that the amount of preparation necessary to absorb each used 737-800 freighter into the fleet varies because they may need parts to be replaced or inconsistent maintenance records to be resolved during the transition from the prior operator. The integration delays increase costs because Sun Country has staffed up on pilots to operate the aircraft and can't temporarily switch them to passenger operations because scheduled flights are planned months in advance and demand for ad hoc charters is difficult to project, he explained. It should be noted that delays so far are minor, and the entry-into-service timeline for all eight freighters is unchanged. Sun Country has a unique hybrid business model based on seasonal scheduled passenger service to sun-and-fun travel destinations, a charter business for sports teams and other groups – which uses the same aircraft – and cargo flying. Bringing an aircraft into a certificated airline's fleet involves many steps to meet safety, regulatory and operational requirements, as well as company standards. The process includes reviewing the maintenance history; conducting thorough inspections of the engines, systems and airframe; updating operational manuals; training pilots, technicians and ground personnel; customization; and obtaining approval from civil aviation authorities. 'Those airplanes are coming just as rapidly as we can put them in there, but there's a process of putting it on the certificate, getting the transition mods completed and then getting them scheduled. And we're running behind for reasons beyond our control,' Bricker said. 'So it's going to be a little lumpy as we move through the transition, but I expect in September to be operating 20 airplanes.' During the first quarter, Sun Country's cargo revenue increased 17.6% year over year to $28.2 million, despite a 1% decline in cargo block hours due to normalization of flight schedules and some weather events. The improvement was primarily due to an annual rate escalation in the Amazon contract that went into effect in December and the new contract for the extra freighters. Cargo revenue per block hour, a measure of productivity, increased 18.9% The cargo division's operating income was $1.5 million versus a $1.3 million loss in the prior year. Bricker reiterated that Sun Country will begin to double its cargo revenue in the fourth quarter, when the full fleet is in service. In 2024, the company achieved record cargo revenue of $107 million. The airline is drawing down some of its scheduled passenger service over the next year to ensure it has a sufficient number of pilots to reliably manage the Amazon growth. Overall revenue across Sun Country increased by $15 million to $326.6 million, and net income inched up to $36.5 million. Sun Country began supporting Amazon's air network in 2020. Click here for more FreightWaves/American Shipper stories by Eric Kulisch. Amazon airline prioritizes bigger aircraft to handle third-party cargo Sun Country expects to double cargo revenue with Amazon fleet additions Amazon transferring Boeing 737-800 cargo jets to Sun Country Airlines Sun Country retires jet, delays 737-900 service The post Sun Country faces slight delays integrating additional Amazon cargo jets appeared first on FreightWaves.
Time of India
28-04-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Carney's Liberals in lead after Trudeau's disaster as Canada voters get ready, Ipsos reveals
Live Events (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel As the clock ticks down to one of the most hotly-contested elections in Canada's history, a surprising Liberal resurgence is reshaping the political map and the future of the nation. New data from Ipsos suggests Mark Carney 's Liberal Party is holding a four percentage point lead over Pierre Poilievre's Conservatives on the eve of Monday's general a few months ago, the Liberal Party appeared to be in freefall, with support dropping to historic lows under Prime Minister Justin Trudeau . Now, under the leadership of Mark Carney, the Liberals have reclaimed a lead in the latest Ipsos poll released on Sunday shows the Liberals leading with 42 percent support nationally, followed by the Conservatives at 38 percent, while Jagmeet Singh's New Democrats lag with just nine poll also indicates that, with only a day remaining before the election, most Canadian voters have already decided on their to a statement from Ipsos, just five percent of Canadians are still undecided, and among those who have made their decision, 71 percent say they are "absolutely certain" about their the majority of the population has made up their minds, the focus now shifts to voter turnout and the level of motivation among Bricker, Global CEO of Ipsos Public Affairs, anticipates strong voter turnout. He estimates that about 70 percent of eligible Canadians will go to the polls. He adds that those who remain "truly undecided" are unlikely to Bricker pointed out that many voters who are leaning in one direction could finalize their decision only at the last moment."Our polling shows that as many as 10 percent of voters make their final choice while walking into the voting booth," he said in an interview. "So there's still a lot at stake here, and with just a four-point lead, it's a margin that can definitely be overcome."But for now, Ipsos' latest survey shows Liberals are leading in nearly every region of Canada, except Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba, which is a worrying sign for the hold an eight-point lead over the Conservatives in Ontario and enjoy a double-digit advantage over all rivals in Quebec, the Liberals are leading with 40 percent support, well ahead of the Conservatives, which is at 25, while the New Democrats trail far behind with just six are already speaking up, and their concerns suggest a lot about what's at stake, even though the national picture depicts a close election."I don't like Poilievre's style, but the Liberals have lost my trust on many issues. The Conservatives are my only option now," said Jason, a 47-year-old oil rig worker in Calgary. "But, if the Liberals manage to hold onto their lead in Ontario and Quebec, it's going to be a tough race.""I feel like this election will define what kind of country we want to be — one that stands up to global pressures or one that bends under them," said Maria, a 41-year-old small business owner in Toronto. "I'm leaning Liberal because Carney feels like a steady hand, especially in times like these."In British Columbia, which was long considered a tight three-way contest throughout the campaign, the Liberals are now leading with 42 percent, followed by the Conservatives at 39 percent, and the NDP at 13 Green Party holds just three percent support in B.C., putting party co-leader Elizabeth May's seat in Saanich Gulf Islands at serious for the two parties also seems to be divided along generational lines as more older Canadians seem to be defecting to Carney's Liberals than to the Conservative Party, which typically performs better among Canadians 55 and older, which is nearly 48 contrast, the Conservatives hold a lead over the Liberals, with 43 percent support among voters aged 35 to 54 compared to 38 percent for the poll also found that male voters' support for the Conservatives is diminishing, with 42 percent now supporting the Conservative Party and 40 percent supporting the Liberals. The Liberals hold a stronger lead, with 44 percent support versus 35 percent for the Conservatives among the female Canadians cast their ballots in a few hours, the elections will be a defining moment for the nation's identity and for deciding Canada's stance in the increasingly complex geopolitical landscape.
