Latest news with #JAX
New York Post
4 days ago
- Business
- New York Post
Air Canada drops winter flights to US tourist destination
No flying south this winter. Air Canada has axed its once-popular winter route between Toronto and Jacksonville, Florida, adding to a change in flight plans the airline has made in recent years to accommodate a shift in travel demand. Trips aboard the Great White North's flagship carrier between Toronto Pearson International and Jacksonville International will be suspended beginning in November, reported. 4 Air Canada planes sit on the tarmac of Toronto Pearson International Airport on March 31, 2025. Getty Images The flights between 'YYZ' and 'JAX' will return for the spring and summer demand in March 2026. 'If we can derisk this a little bit and move and be a bit proactive and move capacity into other sectors [where] we see strength, I think that's the right move right now in this context,' Air Canada executive vice president of revenue Mark Galardo told investors in March, according to the outlet. Air Canada is the only airline that currently operates direct flights to the northeast corner of Florida from Hogtown. The two-and-a-half-hour-plus flight is flown aboard a Bombardier CRJ 900 operated by Jazz Aviation, an Air Canada subsidiary. The plane can seat up to 76 passengers, according to aviation news outlet Simple Flying. Demand from loyal Air Canada travelers to 'Jax' dropped as trade relations between the US and Canada grew rocky, the outlet reported. 4 An Air Canada plane flies over a Canadian flag at Toronto Pearson Airport on March 31, 2025. Getty Images The back-and-forth trade rift took another turn Monday when Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney scrapped a plan to enforce a new digital service tax on American tech firms. The about-face came after President Trump blasted the 'foolish' move as a 'direct and blatant attack' on the United States. Trump ripped the tax and quickly vowed to set a new tariff rate on Canadian goods within the next week, threatening to upend US-Canada relations once again. 'We have just been informed that Canada … has just announced that they are putting a Digital Services Tax on our American Technology Companies, which is a direct and blatant attack on our Country,' Trump wrote on Truth Social Friday. 4 Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney talks with President Donald Trump at the G7 Summit on June 16, 2025. AP Air Canada has already cut other routes between Canada and several prominent American tourist cities this year. Flights out of Vancouver International to Miami, FL., Houston, Texas, and Washington DC were slimmed down in March, cutting weekly departures for July and August. WestJet announced in April it would cut its flights out of Vancouver and Edmonton to several 'Due to a downward shift in demand, WestJet has updated its summer schedule to help Canadians fly where they want to go,' the Calgary-based airline said, according to 'Our schedule is continuously being adjusted based on demand.' 4 Air Canada has already cut other routes between Canada and several prominent American tourist cities this year. Getty Images Politicians and citizens in the Great White North have also become concerned with Trump's immigration policies, targeting immigrants residing in the United States illegally, who have overstayed their visas or have been charged with, or are wanted for, dangerous crimes. Canadians took approximately 39 million trips to the US in 2024, accounting for roughly 75 percent of all international trips out of Canada, according to Simple Flying. The trips saw a slight drop in a year-over-year comparison four months into Trump's second term, decreasing by 14 percent in April and 24 percent in May. American-based airlines however have reported an increase in flights between US and Canada over the same time. United Airlines increased its number of flights to Canada by nearly 3.5 percent since last year while Alaska Airlines saw a 14.5 percent increase, the outlet reported.
CairoScene
07-05-2025
- Entertainment
- CairoScene
Everything to Know About Christie's Modern Middle Eastern Art Auction
A famed Samia Halaby painting leads Christie's online auction, along with works from Saudi Arabia, North Africa, and the Levant. May 07, 2025 Christie's online auction of Modern and Contemporary Middle Eastern Art is open for browsing through May 8th. The auction features 69 works from across the Gulf, Levant, North Africa, Iraq, and Iran, with media spanning painting, photography, sculpture, and works on paper. Leading the sale is pioneering artist Samia Halaby's 2013 painting 'Water Lilies', estimated between USD 100,000 and USD 150,000. This year, more than a third of the auction's lots are by women artists. Joining Halaby are Etel Adnan, Helen Khal, Huguette Caland, Tala Madani, and Tagreed Darghouth. Additionally, the dedicated 'Saudi Now!' section features 12 pieces by Saudi artists, including Ahmed Mater and Manal AlDowayan as well as younger artists working out of the JAX district in Riyadh. Works by North African artists include late-career pieces by Mohamed Melehi, whose wave motifs reflect the Casablanca School's push for locally-rooted abstraction. Other featured names from the Maghreb include Malika Agueznay, Mahjoub Ben Bella, Khaled Ben Slimane, and Hassan Hajjaj. The sale also presents highlights like 'Eyn + Eyn' by Charles Hossein Zenderoudi and early examples from Marwan's 'Head' series. 'The art market in the Arab and Islamic world is among the most dynamic globally,' said Dr Ridha Moumni, Chairman, Christie's MENA. 'With rising investment in the cultural sector—particularly from the Gulf States—artists are gaining greater visibility and reaching broader audiences. The development of the visual culture is also underscored by the growing demand for modern masters, including a remarkable generation of pioneering female artists.' Christie's first launched Middle Eastern art sales in Dubai in 2006.
Yahoo
21-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Making the case for Jaguas to select a running back in the first round of the 2025 draft
As the 2025 NFL Draft gets closer and closer, the betting odds for Ashton Jeanty get higher and higher. Since April 16th, Jeanty's odds to the Jaguars have risen from +700 all the way to +250. That begs the question, is the running back position even worthy of a first round selection? NFL rushing offenses are back! Last season, passing hit a decade low, throwing for just 217 yards per game. Advertisement The last season with that low of an average was all the way back in 2008. Rushing, on the other hand, posted the second highest yards per game average (119.8) since 1988, just behind 2022's 121.6 yards per game. >>> STREAM ACTION SPORTS JAX 24/7 LIVE <<< Most Rushing Yards since 2015 As defenses have shifted towards lighter boxes in order to defend the pass, offenses have responded in kind, going back to old school football. In 2024, the top six rushing teams all made the playoffs. The Ravens and Eagles dominated their competition with some of the best rushing attacks of the 21st century and Saquon Barkley became just the ninth player to hit that coveted 2,000-yard mark. Advertisement Today, you could argue that the running back position is more valuable than it has been in nearly two decades. It's the reason why Saquon Barkley just became the highest-paid running back in franchise history, signing a two-year, $41.2 million deal. If you want a dominant rushing attack, you might just need to draft one highly. Since 2015, 12 of the top-15 rushing leaders were selected in the first two rounds. That figure includes six first round draft selections: Ezekiel Elliott, Saquon Barkley, Josh Jacobs, Christian McCaffrey, Todd Gurley, and Jonathan Taylor. I'll be honest, that's a great group of first round running backs. Each of them have at least 6,000 yards since 2015 and most have played for just a fraction of that time. [DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks] Jonathan Taylor, for instance, has 6,013 yards in just five seasons. Among the lists includes three players taken outside the first two rounds. Those players are Aaron Jones (5th Round), Latavius Murray (6th Round), and James Conner (3rd Round). Advertisement There's been plenty of discussion around how much running backs truly matter and whether or not the position's value is worthy of a first round selection, much less a top-10 or top-5. Well, as the list above shows, it might just be worth it if you want a great back. If there ever were to be a great back taken in the 2025 NFL Draft, his name would be Ashton Jeanty, a man who needs no introduction. Jeanty took college football by storm, rushing for 2,601 yards and 29 touchdowns on his way to a second place finish in the Heisman voting. Jeanty is as good as they make them. In 2024, Jeanty's 1,970 yards after contact were more than any other running back had as a whole. He's also a reliable blocker and threat out of the backfield as well. The Jaguars have already invested quite a lot into the running back position with former first round selection Travis Etienne and Tank Bigsby as well. It's hard to argue that they should invest even more. Advertisement However, Etienne is entering a contract year and neither are likely to be as good as Jeanty figures to be. With Brian Thomas Jr already in the fold, Jeanty could give the Jaguars one of the most dominant, threatening offenses in the NFL. Between the two, they could easily see 300-350 touches a season. Jaguars' fans would certainly have to feel good about that possibility. [SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter] Click here to download the free Action News Jax apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action Sports Jax 24/7 live.
Arab News
11-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Arab News
Hidden treasures: el Seed unveils 'Continuum' in Diriyah
RIYADH: In conjunction with Art Week Riyadh, French-Tunisian artist Faouzi Khlifi — better known as eL Seed — has transformed the side streets of Diriyah into an interactive art experience. For the latest updates, follow us on Instagram @ His temporary installation 'Continuum' uses his signature style, combining Arabic calligraphy and sculpture with vibrant colors and playful elements. This time, he's inviting the public to embark on a scavenger hunt to uncover seven hidden artworks throughout the area. Visitors can access an online map to guide them to each installation. 'The concept of mixing sculpture and painting was something I wanted to for a few years. I did some experiments from 2019, but I never made it real. Until now,' he told Arab News. 'Continuum' is also deeply rooted in eL Seed's ongoing exploration of identity. 'As a kid growing up in France to Tunisian parents, I felt so many times — people made me feel — that there was something missing, you know? That's why I got into Arabic calligraphy, because of this identity crisis that had as a kid in France,' he says. 'I needed to come back to my roots.' Entirely self-funded and built with the help of a tight-knit local team, 'Continuum' reflects eL Seed's commitment to both community engagement and independent artistic expression. 'I'm an artist. This project for me was really about challenging myself,' he says. 'I was not commissioned. It's a passion project. Over the past few months, he scouted various locations, ultimately selecting seven overlooked walls across Diriyah (because, he says, 'six is too little and eight is too many') — spaces that many pass by daily without noticing. 'I call those 'lost walls.' The wall has a story that people don't even look at,' he says. 'People just walk right by. They don't even see it.' Each of the sites features a unique Arabic quote chosen by the artist, sourced from Arab writers whose messages explore themes of belonging. 'The wall speaks to me and I know which quote to use for it,' el Seed says. The sculptural works were produced in collaboration with Rashed AlShashai, a prominent Saudi artist who has a studio at JAX. They fabricated the custom items on site. 'I had a beautiful team of people who helped me to make it happen. The community helped me. The Rashed AlShashai team, they produced the sculpture in a week,' eL Seed says. Planning for the project began back in September. Initially, eL Seed considered a different location — two hours from Riyadh — before deciding that Diriyah offered the perfect balance of visibility and charm. And the project was, at one point, going to be launched in February, but he decided to launch it at the inaugural Art Week Riyadh instead, to give it 'importance.' The installations will be gone in two weeks. Though temporary, they are meant to spark long-lasting conversations around public space, memory and meaning. 'It's a broken wall,' he says. 'But for me, it's about putting a sculpture where you're not supposed to find it, and the conversation (it sparks) with people in the neighborhood… kids, other people… When I was working, a man was walking back home from the mosque. He's like, 'Why are you painting here? It's like a museum now!'' Alongside the public works, eL Seed is also debuting a new exhibition, which opened April 8, that ties into the themes of the outdoor installations. Having been involved with the Kingdom for the past 15 years, eL Seed says he feels a deep connection to the country. 'I think people here appreciate my work and I appreciate the people here. I enjoy being here. I enjoy coming to Riyadh,' he says. He hopes the public will hunt for the pieces, photograph them and engage with the city in a new way. Both on and offline. 'So it's (art) and a treasure together,' he says. 'And the cool part is: If you want to steal them, you can.'
Yahoo
24-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
How much does pressure matter on defense
Historically, sacks have been the metric used to gauge the effectiveness of pass-rushers. They've really been the only official NFL statistic available to identify the league's top pass-rushers. While sacks can still be used to get a rough idea of the league's top performers, the metric has been relegated by many in favor of pressures as the predominant statistic available to evaluate the position. >>> STREAM ACTION SPORTS JAX 24/7 LIVE <<< The main reason for this is that sacks are dependent on such a small sample size of plays and are often attributed not to the player that actually created the sack. If a defensive end pushes the quarterback into his teammate's lap, the teammate is, at least to a degree, wrongfully credited with the sack. Gauging a player's effectiveness by just a handful of plays isn't very honest either. It's for these reasons that pressures have begun to dethrone sacks as the better way to assess pass-rush effectiveness on a snap-to-snap basis. At most, a player will average one sack a game over the course of a season. When looking at pressures, however, players can rack up four, five a game. Cincinnati Bengals' Trey Hendrickson averaged 5.4 pressure per game this season as he led the NFL with 92 pressures. [DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks] We all know how important sacks can be, but that begs the question, how much does pressure matter? Let's take a look! When looking at the 2024 season, it was quite the disparity, according to Pro Football Focus. To start, average quarterback accuracy dropped from 79.0% in a clean pocket down to 63.8% when pressured. Unsurprisingly, completion rate fell alongside it, plummeting from 72.1% all the way down to 48.9%. To put that number into perspective, only five times has a QB had a completion rate under 50% in the 32-team era (since 2002). When looking deeper into the dichotomy, the gap only widens. Clean pockets saw a touchdown to interception ratio of 2.7 compared to that of just 1.6 when pressured. In total, the average NFL Rating when pressured was that of 101.6 and just 71.4 when under duress. While many quarterbacks perform much better than that figure under duress, just two saw an NFL Rating of 100.0 when under pressure (Joe Burrow, Tua Tagovailoa). Pressure rate allowed is often used to determine the best offensive lines in pass-protection, however, it can be a bit misleading. The average time elapsed on pressured plays was 3.6 seconds, over a full second longer than the average time taken in a clean pocket (1.4). The average time to throw can significantly impact the amount of pressure the quarterback faces. For instance the Jaguars were the fifth least pressured team in 2024, however, they allowed pressure on average in just 2.59 seconds, eight fastest. The Jaguars' quick time to throw shed a brighter light on the offensive line than they probably deserved last season. In fact, average time to pressure allowed might be a much better way to evaluate pass-protection. Of the eight teams that gave their quarterbacks the most time before being pressured, all eight made the playoffs. If you were wondering how much pressure matters, that sole statistic might just tell you right there. Keep your quarterback clean and good things will happen. Conversely, the inverse is just as true. The more a team can pressure the opposing team's quarterback, the better. Whether it's turnovers, misfires, sacks, fumbles, or just a checkdown, pressure is the ubiquitous symptom behind it all [SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter] Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live.
