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The Herald Scotland
09-07-2025
- Health
- The Herald Scotland
So, Prof Devi Sridhar, you want to live to 100. Is that desirable?
In her book, Prof Sridhar reveals that she would like to reach a nice, round century. Wow. Until relatively recently, that would have seemed the stuff of science fiction. But now that more of us are living longer it no longer appears far-fetched. According to the World Health Organisation, by 2020 there were more people aged 60 and over on the planet than there were children under five. For some reason, 60 is the magic number when it comes to ageing. Perhaps it is the point of no return, the moment when you can no longer think of yourself as middle-aged and have to find a new label. But words like 'senior', 'elderly', and 'pensioner' no longer fit your average 60-year-old. They don't sit with the current vibe, as trumpeted in one headline I saw the other day. 'Sixty is the new 40', it announced, followed by lots of advice about trying new things, taking the road less travelled, while you still can. It's the old middle age crisis with a makeover. Read more Given the rate at which expectations and science are advancing, the number may not stay at 60 for long. In a few more years, 70 could be the new 50. Give it a couple of decades and 80 will be the new 60. From there you can see Prof Sridhar's 100 on the horizon. It is possible to get to 100, but whether it is desirable is another matter. While I don't wish to rain on the Prof's parade or anyone else's, have we thought this through? Even before the Prof's book turned up I had been thinking about ageing. Maybe it is because I have one of those 'significant' birthdays coming up. Past a certain point, getting older is always at the corner of your eye, lurking. It's the kid in the cinema who automatically gives you a concessionary rate. It's every second letter that's about pensions. Imagine year after year of that, all the way to age 100. Ageing gets a bad press, or at least it used to. Fortunately, the media is now stuffed with Gen X and Baby Boomers. They are now the ones making the decisions about what we see and hear, and what we see and hear are generally positive pictures of ageing. The kind of things you would feast upon if your goal was living to 100. Daytime television is a hotbed of such positivity. As long as you ignore the funeral plan ads, it is possible to view being old in the UK as a non-stop whirl of antiques flogging and property buying, with a break now and then for a quiz. It is not just daytime TV. Literature, music, drama, art exhibitions - all pivot to where the money happens to be. After a while, you start to think that maybe ageing isn't as bad as you thought. Hell, it might even be fun (and God knows the alternative isn't much of a giggle). Roll on 100. The work of the pro-age lobby could be seen most recently at Glastonbury during Rod Stewart's set. The 80-year-old was greeted like a hero, his every hip thrust cheered by the audience, many of whom didn't look far off 60 themselves. But this year's award for giving ageing a good rep must go to The Four Seasons, Tina Fey's Netflix reboot of Alan Alda's 1981 comedy. The tale of a group of friends getting older together, some more reluctantly than others, was a joy. Young-ish, fit-ish, wealthy, the characters were still on the good side of the age divide, when you can joke about aching hips, 8pm bedtimes, and buying a bath with a door in it (are the swimsuits compulsory?). Erica Henningson, Steve Carell, Tina Fey, Colman Domingo, Will Forte and Marco Calvani in the The Four Seasons (Image: free) Around the time it was released, I listened to a review and was surprised at how spiky the discussion became. The younger reviewers thought the series was one long whinge by people who had it all when others were struggling to get the basics. They had a point. Gen X and the Baby Boomers (it even sounds like some awful dad band) took the best of it. Now there's hardly anything left they are still at the front of the queue, demanding what they think is theirs, be it triple locked pensions or winter fuel allowance. Who will pay for all this good stuff as today's 60-year-olds become 70, 80 and yes, 100? Immigration at the level needed to fill the public coffers is deemed unacceptable to voters. The birth rate is so low the Education Secretary in England, Bridget Phillipson, has urged more young people to have children, a call echoed in other parts of Europe, usually by parties of the right. The cost of health and social care spirals ever upwards. While savings might pay for the first hip op, what about the ones after that on the way to 100? Those are the economic costs an ageing society will have to face. There are others, ones that are harder to quantify but are nevertheless very real. There is already an epidemic of loneliness among older people. Looked at from those angles, making it to 100 doesn't seem that desirable. It is a nice idea for some, but the reality is we are not prepared. We don't have the money or the mindset. Prof Sridhar is right about one thing, though: the huge changes required to keep us living longer, happier lives can only come about if governments back them. Individual efforts alone won't cut it. As for my own significant birthday, I'll be happy with any celebration that doesn't involve giant balloon numbers. Alison Rowat is a Herald feature writer and columnist
Powys County Times
09-07-2025
- Sport
- Powys County Times
Miedema: Netherlands need to be at best to beat England
Vivianne Miedema is under no illusion that the Netherlands will still need to be at their best to get a result against England despite their opponents' recent struggles. The Netherlands won their opening match 3-0 against Wales, with all-time WSL scorer Miedema bagging the first goal - the 100th international goal of her career. But the Lionesses looked poor against France as they fell to 2-1 defeat at Stadion Letzigrund. However, Miedema is confident they will still prove a tough test for her side with England knowing a defeat will end their Euros defence. 'If you come up against a team like France, they have so much quality as well, so I'm not necessarily surprised that France beat England because they can beat anyone on their day,' she explained. 'It's also too readily said that, 'Oh England can't play football anymore,' because that's obviously not the case. 'They've got so much quality on the pitch and within their whole squad and I'm pretty sure they've not forgotten how to play football. 'We know that we need to be at our best tomorrow to get a result and that's the exciting thing about being at a Euros to play teams like England and in games like these.' Final session before Netherlands ✅ 🇳🇱 🔜 — Lionesses (@Lionesses) July 8, 2025 The Dutch will have momentum in their favour, having been offered what many would perceive as a kinder schedule in Group D after facing underdogs Wales first. It was a challenge that did not take them out of second gear, but while England have stuttered, they offer plenty of threats to a Netherlands side who have become familiar opposition. '[I expect] a really difficult game. Obviously we know their qualities and I think they know ours. It could be a big technical game but it comes down to who has the better day,' said Miedema. 'Looking at how we started the tournament, we can get a lot of confidence out of that game, but we also know to beat England we need to do a lot better than that.' Miedema is familiar with much of the England team having played alongside or against many in the Women's Super League during spells at Arsenal and Manchester City. Notably, manager Sarina Wiegman coached Miedema and many of her current teammates to glory at Euro 2017 with the Dutch striker able to recognise her influence on the England squad. 'I can definitely [see her influence] in their playing style. Their focus has become more and more possessional in a way,' she explained. 'They are basically playing in a way that we did when she was our head coach.' It brings an added dimension to the game, if there were not enough already, as Wiegman's current England assistant Arjan Veurink will return to the Dutch set-up as manager after the tournament. But while Veurink and Wiegman will undoubtedly have similar thought processes from their time together, current Dutch manager Andries Jonker also knows the England coach well, with Miedema able to spot similarities there too. It means that fans of both the Netherlands and England can expect entertaining football on Wednesday as friendships get cast aside as the Netherlands chase three points that will send them to the quarter-finals. 'Both of them are crazy about football,' said Miedema. 'I can give them a call at 3am in the morning if I want to discuss something. 'Both of them want to see beautiful football being played.'
Yahoo
01-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
5 Insightful Analyst Questions From Verra Mobility's Q1 Earnings Call
Verra Mobility's first quarter results were met with a positive market reaction, reflecting performance ahead of Wall Street expectations on both revenue and adjusted earnings. Management attributed growth to broad-based strength across all three segments, with particular emphasis on increased product adoption and higher tolling activity in Commercial Services. CEO David Roberts noted that the company's Government Solutions segment benefited from expansion in photo enforcement programs outside New York City and continued contract renewals, while the T2 Parking business saw incremental gains from its SaaS product offerings. Management also highlighted the company's ability to generate higher free cash flow and maintain stable operating margins despite modest growth in travel volumes. Is now the time to buy VRRM? Find out in our full research report (it's free). Revenue: $223.3 million vs analyst estimates of $217 million (6.4% year-on-year growth, 2.9% beat) Adjusted EPS: $0.30 vs analyst estimates of $0.29 (4.5% beat) Adjusted EBITDA: $95.44 million vs analyst estimates of $92.24 million (42.7% margin, 3.5% beat) The company reconfirmed its revenue guidance for the full year of $930 million at the midpoint Management reiterated its full-year Adjusted EPS guidance of $1.33 at the midpoint EBITDA guidance for the full year is $415 million at the midpoint, in line with analyst expectations Operating Margin: 25.7%, in line with the same quarter last year Market Capitalization: $4.05 billion While we enjoy listening to the management's commentary, our favorite part of earnings calls are the analyst questions. Those are unscripted and can often highlight topics that management teams would rather avoid or topics where the answer is complicated. Here is what has caught our attention. Nikolai Cremo (UBS) asked about the timeline for finalizing the New York City contract; CEO David Roberts estimated clarity within 60 to 90 days, but did not offer specifics due to ongoing negotiations. Daniel Moore (CJS Securities) questioned whether guidance reflected real-time weakness in travel or just precaution; CFO Craig Conti clarified that only a slight decline had been observed, with more caution embedded for the second half. Daniel Moore (CJS Securities) also asked if RAC tolling growth would continue to outpace TSA volume; Conti explained that performance depends on travel trends in core tolling states rather than nationwide averages. Louie DiPalma (William Blair) inquired about the impact of autonomous vehicles on future tolling partnerships; Roberts indicated near-term focus remains on OEM relationships rather than autonomous fleets. Rodney McFall (Northcoast Research) asked about T2 Parking's operational improvements since management changes; Roberts cited better commercial execution and use of operating discipline as contributing factors to growth. In the coming quarters, the StockStory team will be monitoring (1) the finalization and implementation of the New York City safety enforcement contract, (2) the pace at which new photo enforcement legislation is converted into recurring revenue, and (3) trends in discretionary travel demand impacting Commercial Services' tolling activity. Progress with operational enhancements in T2 and the realization of ERP efficiencies will also be key milestones. Verra Mobility currently trades at $25.01, up from $22.19 just before the earnings. In the wake of this quarter, is it a buy or sell? The answer lies in our full research report (it's free). Donald Trump's victory in the 2024 U.S. Presidential Election sent major indices to all-time highs, but stocks have retraced as investors debate the health of the economy and the potential impact of tariffs. While this leaves much uncertainty around 2025, a few companies are poised for long-term gains regardless of the political or macroeconomic climate, like our Top 5 Strong Momentum 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.
The Advertiser
14-06-2025
- Sport
- The Advertiser
'Ripped Band-Aid off': Legend backs Cherry-Evans call
Queensland has "ripped the Band-Aid off" by axing Daly Cherry-Evans and replacing him with Tom Dearden at No.7 and Maroons legend Chris Close insists it was the right call. Cherry-Evans was sacked as captain and halfback for game two of the State of Origin series in Perth after a 26-game career including the last 19 as skipper. His last two games for Manly, losses to Newcastle and Gold Coast, have been underwhelming and vindicated Slater's decision in some respects. "On this game alone and his performance tonight, it shows that Billy Slater's call with Tommy Dearden was the right one," former Maroons half Cooper Cronk said on Fox League after the Sea Eagles' 28-8 loss to the Titans. The 18-6 series-opening loss in Brisbane disappointed Close, man of the match in the first two Origins in 1980 and 1981, told AAP the performance of Cherry-Evans and Dearden, who came off the bench, was in stark contrast. "You have to look at the impact both players had in game one," Close said. "Daly Cherry-Evans turned 36 before the match as the oldest to ever play Origin. He goes into the game and carries it (with conviction) once. "If you look at (NSW halves in game one) Cleary and Moses and look at Dearden and the amount of times they carry the ball, it is vastly different. "You can't go into an Origin game and be inert. Just passing the ball and putting a few kicks in, more is required at Origin level. You have got to be the leader in your position. When Tom Dearden came on things did start to happen. We didn't look dangerous at any stage until he took the field. "You've got to rip the Band-Aid off and get on with it. Sad as it is for Daly Cherry-Evans who has been an iconic performer for Queensland, Billy Slater has identified that his time is up and we need to go in a different direction if we want to look after our future and maintain our levels of performance, not only in this game coming up but in games beyond that." Close said Dearden's Origin debut in the 2022 decider, won by the Maroons, spoke volumes. "If you go back to the first game that Tom Dearden played in Origin, think about a pass he threw to Valentine Holmes that led to a try," he said. "That was an Origin pass and what Origin players need to do. They need to be able to do that at the time when it is needed the most. "I am not critical of Daly Cherry-Evans. How could anyone be critical of his Origin career? It was remarkable. Many, many times he led the way. But he has got to the stage where he wasn't allowed to get into that (opening) game. We have got to change that." Close said those critical of the axing of Cherry to realise that "the world doesn't stop" when good players are forced to retire. "Did the world stop when Wally Lewis couldn't play any more Origins? No it didn't," he said. "Let's find another mindset where we find a player who will take over and give us what we need - a performance at a level that is way above what they give on a week-in and week-out basis. "Every one of those New South Welshman that played in game one played above their club standard to a level that is called State of Origin. Apart from Tommy Dearden, I didn't recognise anyone in that Queensland side that went above that level." Queensland has "ripped the Band-Aid off" by axing Daly Cherry-Evans and replacing him with Tom Dearden at No.7 and Maroons legend Chris Close insists it was the right call. Cherry-Evans was sacked as captain and halfback for game two of the State of Origin series in Perth after a 26-game career including the last 19 as skipper. His last two games for Manly, losses to Newcastle and Gold Coast, have been underwhelming and vindicated Slater's decision in some respects. "On this game alone and his performance tonight, it shows that Billy Slater's call with Tommy Dearden was the right one," former Maroons half Cooper Cronk said on Fox League after the Sea Eagles' 28-8 loss to the Titans. The 18-6 series-opening loss in Brisbane disappointed Close, man of the match in the first two Origins in 1980 and 1981, told AAP the performance of Cherry-Evans and Dearden, who came off the bench, was in stark contrast. "You have to look at the impact both players had in game one," Close said. "Daly Cherry-Evans turned 36 before the match as the oldest to ever play Origin. He goes into the game and carries it (with conviction) once. "If you look at (NSW halves in game one) Cleary and Moses and look at Dearden and the amount of times they carry the ball, it is vastly different. "You can't go into an Origin game and be inert. Just passing the ball and putting a few kicks in, more is required at Origin level. You have got to be the leader in your position. When Tom Dearden came on things did start to happen. We didn't look dangerous at any stage until he took the field. "You've got to rip the Band-Aid off and get on with it. Sad as it is for Daly Cherry-Evans who has been an iconic performer for Queensland, Billy Slater has identified that his time is up and we need to go in a different direction if we want to look after our future and maintain our levels of performance, not only in this game coming up but in games beyond that." Close said Dearden's Origin debut in the 2022 decider, won by the Maroons, spoke volumes. "If you go back to the first game that Tom Dearden played in Origin, think about a pass he threw to Valentine Holmes that led to a try," he said. "That was an Origin pass and what Origin players need to do. They need to be able to do that at the time when it is needed the most. "I am not critical of Daly Cherry-Evans. How could anyone be critical of his Origin career? It was remarkable. Many, many times he led the way. But he has got to the stage where he wasn't allowed to get into that (opening) game. We have got to change that." Close said those critical of the axing of Cherry to realise that "the world doesn't stop" when good players are forced to retire. "Did the world stop when Wally Lewis couldn't play any more Origins? No it didn't," he said. "Let's find another mindset where we find a player who will take over and give us what we need - a performance at a level that is way above what they give on a week-in and week-out basis. "Every one of those New South Welshman that played in game one played above their club standard to a level that is called State of Origin. Apart from Tommy Dearden, I didn't recognise anyone in that Queensland side that went above that level." Queensland has "ripped the Band-Aid off" by axing Daly Cherry-Evans and replacing him with Tom Dearden at No.7 and Maroons legend Chris Close insists it was the right call. Cherry-Evans was sacked as captain and halfback for game two of the State of Origin series in Perth after a 26-game career including the last 19 as skipper. His last two games for Manly, losses to Newcastle and Gold Coast, have been underwhelming and vindicated Slater's decision in some respects. "On this game alone and his performance tonight, it shows that Billy Slater's call with Tommy Dearden was the right one," former Maroons half Cooper Cronk said on Fox League after the Sea Eagles' 28-8 loss to the Titans. The 18-6 series-opening loss in Brisbane disappointed Close, man of the match in the first two Origins in 1980 and 1981, told AAP the performance of Cherry-Evans and Dearden, who came off the bench, was in stark contrast. "You have to look at the impact both players had in game one," Close said. "Daly Cherry-Evans turned 36 before the match as the oldest to ever play Origin. He goes into the game and carries it (with conviction) once. "If you look at (NSW halves in game one) Cleary and Moses and look at Dearden and the amount of times they carry the ball, it is vastly different. "You can't go into an Origin game and be inert. Just passing the ball and putting a few kicks in, more is required at Origin level. You have got to be the leader in your position. When Tom Dearden came on things did start to happen. We didn't look dangerous at any stage until he took the field. "You've got to rip the Band-Aid off and get on with it. Sad as it is for Daly Cherry-Evans who has been an iconic performer for Queensland, Billy Slater has identified that his time is up and we need to go in a different direction if we want to look after our future and maintain our levels of performance, not only in this game coming up but in games beyond that." Close said Dearden's Origin debut in the 2022 decider, won by the Maroons, spoke volumes. "If you go back to the first game that Tom Dearden played in Origin, think about a pass he threw to Valentine Holmes that led to a try," he said. "That was an Origin pass and what Origin players need to do. They need to be able to do that at the time when it is needed the most. "I am not critical of Daly Cherry-Evans. How could anyone be critical of his Origin career? It was remarkable. Many, many times he led the way. But he has got to the stage where he wasn't allowed to get into that (opening) game. We have got to change that." Close said those critical of the axing of Cherry to realise that "the world doesn't stop" when good players are forced to retire. "Did the world stop when Wally Lewis couldn't play any more Origins? No it didn't," he said. "Let's find another mindset where we find a player who will take over and give us what we need - a performance at a level that is way above what they give on a week-in and week-out basis. "Every one of those New South Welshman that played in game one played above their club standard to a level that is called State of Origin. Apart from Tommy Dearden, I didn't recognise anyone in that Queensland side that went above that level."
Chicago Tribune
15-05-2025
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
Superstitious Ava Drehs can amaze with K's for Neuqua Valley. Her new feat: All 18 outs by strikeout.
Neuqua Valley ace Ava Drehs claims there is superstition behind her superpower. The Creighton-bound senior has a list of pregame routines she must follow. One of them involves catcher Krista Waldusky. 'Me and Krista split a piece of gum and share it for the first inning until we're on the same page,' Drehs said. It doesn't take long for Waldusky, a senior leader for the Wildcats, to figure out she and Drehs are good to go. 'I can honestly tell in warmups,' Waldusky said. 'Like, as soon as she throws the first pitch, you can either know, like, 'Oh, we're on the same page,' or, 'Oh, we need a little bit more connection there.'' If it's the latter? 'We need a new piece of gum,' Waldusky said. 'There's been multiple times where we have spit out the first piece. 'We're a little bit superstitious, to say the least.' Indeed, the chewing gum isn't the only piece of Drehs' schtick. 'We also have another tradition with the game ball,' Neuqua Valley coach Danielle Asquini said. 'Whenever she's starting, I have to open it for her and give her the wrapper, and she puts it in her back pocket. 'Interesting superstitions around here. There's always something that keeps us locked in, that keeps us ready to go.' Drehs actually didn't feel ready to go before facing Metea Valley in a DuPage Valley Conference game in Naperville on Wednesday. 'When we warmed up, I was talking to Krista,' she said. 'I was like, 'I actually don't feel good today.' 'We were both like, 'Oh, it's hot, and we're tired from a long day and stuff. But then, I don't know, we just got out there and…' Dominated. In the final home game of her career, Drehs threw a three-hit shutout and recorded all 18 outs by strikeout in the Wildcats' 10-0 win in six innings. Waldusky and freshman Savannah Charlton had two hits and two RBIs apiece to back Drehs, whose strikeout feat was a first for her. 'I have not done that before,' Drehs said. 'It's exciting. My teammates are excited for me, too, and everyone's happy.' It was quickly apparent that Drehs and Waldusky wouldn't require a second stick of gum. Drehs knew after the first pitch of the game to Metea Valley's leadoff hitter, senior Grace Feeley. 'The first batter swung and missed the first pitch, and I was like, 'OK, wait, I think we'll be OK,'' Drehs said. 'Because she's pretty good. She's awesome.' Drehs was awesome throughout. Senior Sydney Eakin and freshman Maielle Ernser were the only batters to get hits for the Mustangs, who had only one runner reach third base. 'In warmups, she was throwing pretty hard today, and she was hitting her spots, spinning the ball,' Waldusky said. 'When she does, when she puts it all together, she's a pretty hard pitcher to hit.' The Wildcats (13-14, 9-3) had no such problems and the Mustangs (6-18, 3-9). They led 5-0 after five innings before scoring five runs in the sixth, with junior Hannah Toomey clinching the game with a bases-loaded walk. The ending was a bit anticlimactic because it prevented Drehs, who holds Neuqua Valley's single-season and career strikeout records, from going for 21 strikeouts. Her career high is 19, but that was in a seven-inning game. She has 610 career strikeouts 'I was hoping we'd have another inning,' she said. 'But it's all right.' For those wondering what type of gum Drehs chews, it's a minty concoction called Extra Polar Ice. She's stocked up and is hoping more wins are in store for the Wildcats, who are tied for the DVC lead with Naperville Central (17-12, 9-3) with three games remaining. 'We set a goal to win the conference, and we have to win all of our upcoming games in order to tie with Central,' Drehs said. 'So I think having this game, like, in the books and it being a well-played, well-pitched game puts us in a better note for the rest of the week and next week.'
