Latest news with #O'Malley's
Irish Independent
07-07-2025
- Politics
- Irish Independent
Letters: Government should stick to pre-election promise to help struggling students
He also launched means-tested third-level grants, giving easier access to university to less well-off students. O'Malley's determination to eliminate elitism in education has provided Ireland with the best educated and most productive workforce in Europe. Thirty years later, visionary education minister Niamh Bhreathnach introduced the 'Free Fees Initiative' providing free undergraduate education for all students. The colleges immediately hit back with a registration fee for student services. Initially, the fee was a nominal €200. It was subsequently renamed the 'student contribution charge' and has now increased to a whopping €3,000. Third-level education is very expensive, particularly due to exorbitant rental costs. The financial burden is eased a little for students who qualify for a partial or total grant. However, many college students have to work part-time or depend on their parents to make ends meet. Thousands of students who are ineligible for funding must come up with about €15,000 annually if living away from home or about €5,000 if living at home. The unjustifiable student contribution charge of €3,000 must also be paid. Prior to the last general election, the student contribution charge was reduced by €1,000. The then taoiseach Simon Harris promised to abolish the €3,000 charge if returned to power. The expectation was for a further reduction of €500 this year and annually until fully abolished. The Government is now reneging on that commitment with its weasel words. It seems that pre-election promises, like eaten bread, are soon forgotten. Billy Ryle, Tralee, Co Kerry With no cards left to play, we are left to follow the American lead on Gaza Donald Trump talks a lot about holding all the cards and from listening recently to coded pre-warnings from both Taoiseach and Tánaiste, we here in Ireland hold none. Which brings me back to Éamon de Valera's time during the 'Emergency', when our neutrality kept us out of the big boys' battles. Fortuitously for Dev, the British had recently returned three naval ports to us in late 1938, three cards. The Taoiseach, in watering down the Occupied Territories Bill (OTB) to a bad joke, cites American legislation integrated into most American companies here on the right of Israel to defend itself. By us putting in a strong and proper OTB, our Government infers American retribution. We, unlike Dev who agitated the return of the three naval bases, gave away Shannon Airport, currently used for the gross genocide in the Middle East. We have no cards left only cards stacked with American approval. Shame on us. John Cuffe, Co Meath Foreign affairs should not be the focus when the cost of living is causing misery There have been calls for the publication of the annual accounts of supermarkets in Ireland. Would it be possible to also publish the accounts of fuel providers, dairy producers, meat producers, Irish vegetable and fruit growers, landlords of multiple properties, hotels and restaurants, show producers and ferry services? That would be a start, as the government has gone Awol other than when asked about foreign affairs, where it can distract the willing slaves by virtue signalling or otherwise extolling the importance of working, homeless Irish people joining and dying in an EU defence force. Eugene Tannam, Firhouse, Dublin 24 Future generations will be horrified by what the world allowed in Palestine As the killing continues in Gaza, I can't help thinking that, in time, profound guilt over what is happening there will come to rest heavily on Israel, on the countries that supported the slaughter, on the countries that did nothing to stop it, and on the countries that did not do enough to stop it. Furthermore, this guilt will last for generations and people will say – just as they say about the Holocaust – why was it allowed to happen and why did people not stop it and, surely, nothing like this could ever happen again? Chris Fitzpatrick, Dublin 6 Putin's Russia shows its depravity in its eagerness to associate with Taliban Russia is thought of as an international bully ruled by a despot and now it is working to confirm that. The attacks on Ukraine are unforgivable, unjustifiable and have led to so many deaths in both countries, but that was just the start. The latest act of international defiance was to recognise Afghanistan's Taliban government, so far the only country that has. The people of Afghanistan are mostly the same as in any country, but the religious-based government represses its people in so many ways. If Russia wants new friends, it could withdraw from Ukraine and this would be so appreciated that other countries would look to re-establish contact. Hang with some of the good guys, not the worst of the worst. Dennis Fitzgerald, Melbourne, Australia Social media can't match the magic of radio – that's why 'Liveline' still works With regard to Liveline, I disagree with your correspondent Frank Coughlan and letter writer Julia Anderson (Irish Independent, July 4 and 5) that it has lost its edge. It is true that nearly everyone nowadays is a complainer about something or other on social media, but the immediacy and the power of the human voice via a system that is so old – that is: radio, which will be celebrating 100 years in Ireland next year – cannot be equalled. An X post cannot by its nature convey the emotion of someone creating it. Liveline continues to give a platform to ordinary Joe Soaps to issues which simply would not be covered in ordinary national media. I have spoken on the programme on a diverse range of topics – ranging from how I overcame a diagnosis to why I believe the remains of Bishop Eamonn Casey should be removed from the vault at Galway Cathedral. To the ordinary people who raise issues on the programme long may ye continue to do so.
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Ex-SSA Commissioner Martin O'Malley violated Hatch Act, watchdog finds
Former Social Security Administration (SSA) Commissioner Martin O'Malley violated the Hatch Act during an interview with a local news outlet in North Carolina last year, a U.S. Office of Special Counsel (OSC) investigation found Friday. The office began the probe after a complaint was filed on Oct. 23, 2024, that alleged O'Malley, who at the time served as SSA's commissioner, was in violation of the Hatch Act for 'using his official authority to interfere with or affect the results of an election.' The complaint pointed to O'Malley's seven-minute interview with WPTF Morning News based in Raleigh, N.C. Most of the interview was predicated on O'Malley's work at the independent agency. For the last question, host Chris Edwards asked the SSA chief what was the 'biggest thing' he wanted to leave to the listeners in the region about his work at the agency. O'Malley said that Social Security is 'here for the long haul' and that everyone has the responsibility to use their 'power' to ensure the program is 'strong for our kids and for our grandkids.' The former Maryland governor then claimed he 'certainly can't tell anybody who to vote for, but I can tell you that the proposals that are coming from Donald Trump would quickly deplete Social Security, and we wouldn't be able to pass it on to our kids as our grandparents passed it on to us.' 'But to govern is to choose,' O'Malley told the host. 'Everybody has a choice to make. And for our part, we want to serve the public and we want to secure the future of the men, women and children of the nation, including people of North Carolina.' The Office of Special Counsel wrote that the 'only plausible conclusion to draw from Mr. O'Malley's comments is that, while speaking in his capacity as SSA Commissioner, he explicitly told listeners that they must vote against President Trump to satisfy their responsibility to preserve Social Security.' After the interview, O'Malley self-reported his comments to SSA ethics officials. He did not engage with the OSC throughout the investigation. Since O'Malley left government service, he will not face disciplinary action. The OSC forwarded the findings of the probe to the White House. 'I hope that the Report can be used by your Administration to educate incoming officials to help ensure compliance with the Hatch Act,' wrote Charles N. Baldis, a senior counsel at the OSC. The Hatch Act prevents federal government employees from engaging in campaign activity in their official capacity. The report is the first Hatch Act review issued since Trump removed special counsel Hampton Dellinger, the head of the office. Dellinger sued to keep his post, arguing Trump violated the law by removing him after he was nominated under former President Biden and confirmed to a five-year term by the Senate. While lower court rulings initially kept him in his post, Dellinger abandoned his legal battle after a ruling from an appeals court determined he could not remain in the role amid the litigation. Since then, the office has reversed course on some matters, including whether Trump has the power to carry out wide-scale firings of probationary employees hired by the federal government in the last year or two. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Hill
16-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hill
Ex-SSA Commissioner Martin O'Malley violated Hatch Act, watchdog finds
Former Social Security Commissioner (SSA) Martin O'Malley violated the Hatch Act during an interview with a local news outlet in North Carolina last year, a U.S. Office of Special Counsel (OSC) investigation found on Friday. The office began the probe after a complaint was filed on Oct. 23, 2024, that alleged O'Malley, who at the time served as SSA's commissioner, was in violation of the Hatch Act for 'using his official authority to interfere with or affect the results of an election.' The complaint pointed to O'Malley's seven-minute interview with WPTF Morning News based in Raleigh, N.C. Most of the interview was predicated on O'Malley's work at the independent agency. For the last question, host Chris Edwards asked the SSA chief what was the 'biggest thing' he wanted to leave to the listeners in the region about his work at the agency. O'Malley said that Social Security is 'here for the long haul' and that everyone has the responsibility to use their 'power' to ensure the program is 'strong for our kids and for our grandkids.' The former Maryland governor then claimed he 'certainly can't tell anybody who to vote for, but I can tell you that the proposals that are coming from Donald Trump would quickly deplete Social Security and we wouldn't be able to pass it on to our kids as our grandparents passed it on to us.' 'But to govern is to choose,' O'Malley told the host. 'Everybody has a choice to make. And for our part, we want to serve the public and we want to secure the future of the men, women and children of the nation, including people of North Carolina.' The office of special counsel wrote that the 'only plausible conclusion to draw from Mr. O'Malley's comments is that, while speaking in his capacity as SSA Commissioner, he explicitly told listeners that they must vote against President Trump to satisfy their responsibility to preserve Social Security.' After the interview, O'Malley self-reported his comments to SSA's ethics officials. He did not engage with OSC throughout the investigation. Since O'Malley left government service, he will not face disciplinary action. The OSC forwarded the findings of the probe to the White House. 'I hope that the Report can be used by your Administration to educate incoming officials to help ensure compliance with the Hatch Act,' wrote Charles N. Baldis, a senior counsel at OSC. The Hatch Act prevents federal government employees from engaging in campaign activity in their official capacity. The report is the first Hatch Act review issued since Trump removed Special Counsel Hampton Dellinger, the head of the office. Dellinger sued to keep his post, arguing Trump violated the law by removing him after he was nominated under President Biden and confirmed to a five-year term by the Senate. While lower court rulings initially kept him in his post, Dellinger abandoned his legal battle after a ruling from an appeals court determined he could not remain in the role amid the litigation. Since then, the office has reversed course on some matters, including whether Trump has the power to carry out wide-scale firings of probationary employees hired by the federal government in the last year or two.
Epoch Times
28-04-2025
- Sport
- Epoch Times
Displaced Rays and Athletics Not Unique MLB Situation
Enjoy the view. It's only temporary. As players are adjusting to their new baseball environments this season, fans, too, are still looking for their comfort zone away from their teams' home stadiums. The good news is, for the Rays, they are projected next season to be back in their familiar soundings of Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida. As for the Athletics, the American League club will be renters of Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento, California, through the 2027 season. For fans, players, and the many people who are game day workers, routines have been interrupted. Perhaps one of the best remedies to offer is to review similar situations baseball has confronted for decades. When the Brooklyn Dodgers uprooted after the 1957 season from cozy Ebbets Field in New York's then-most populated borough for a future in Los Angeles, the club well planned their move. Before the club's California digs at what is now Vin Scully Avenue in Chavez Ravine would be ready to welcome in the 1962 season, owner Walter O'Malley set up shop in the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Four seasons acquainting themselves with a new fan base in a stadium that has hosted three Summer Olympics and countless football games was a hill that the Dodgers climbed well. Before the first pitch was hurled at Dodger Stadium on April 10, 1962, having O'Malley's boys win a World Series in 1959 helped ease any anxiety all parties concerned may have had in being baseball nomads. The New York Giants were right behind their National League and New York baseball cousins after the 1957 season, as they decided to pack up their belongings in the Polo Grounds to head west. Imagine the angst baseball fans in New York City experienced when two of the three big league clubs they grew up with changed addresses at the same time. After 61 years calling the Polo Grounds home in Manhattan, owner Horace Stoneham accepted a deal too lucrative to pass on in San Francisco. However, as with the Dodgers being in limbo in waiting for their official stadium to be ready to move into, the Giants had their own rental agreement intact until Candlestick Park was completed in 1960. When the moving trucks made their way to Northern California, the Giants set up shop for the next two seasons in Seals Stadium. Starting out on the West Coast with a minor league ballpark as their home wasn't ideal for the Giants, but, at least temporarily, it was the best situation available. Related Stories 4/21/2025 4/20/2025 The Rays are also making the best of their situation this season in playing in a minor league ballpark 20 miles from St. Petersburg. Last October, when Hurricane Milton, a Category 3 storm that packed 120 mph winds, came across Tampa Bay, Tropicana Field was among the casualties. The fiberglass roof was blown off the stadium. With assessments completed, it is projected that Tropicana Field can be ready to move back into next season. Until then, it's temporary baseball housing for the 2020 American League champions. For now, the New York Yankees are renting their spring training home in Tampa, George M. Steinbrenner Field, to the Rays. A seating capacity of 11,026 is a financial challenge, among many for Tampa Bay this season, but there really aren't any other options in the region. Making the best of the challenging situation is being addressed by ownership, but (fingers crossed) the Rays will be back home in 2026. Nick Kurtz #16 of the Athletics gets ready to take the field for his Major League debut against the Texas Rangers at Sutter Health Park in Sacramento, Calif., on April 23, for the Athletics, plans are to remain in West Sacramento for three seasons, or until their new home in Las Vegas is completed. Sutter Health Park, with a seating capacity of 14,014, is a slight improvement over how many fans the Rays can potentially draw at Steinbrenner Field, but by MLB standards, not ideal. The Athletics are on schedule to break ground in June for the $1.75 billion, 33,000-person ballpark. Until then, the Athletics are sharing the same field as the San Francisco Giants' Triple-A affiliate, the Sacramento River Cats. One of the most memorable stadium shares over the past 50 years involved the New York Yankees and New York Mets. When the last game of the 1973 season was played, the Yankees were homeless. Renovations to Yankee Stadium were scheduled to take two years. Before the Bronx Bombers could return to their iconic stadium on 161 Street and River Avenue, the club would have to endure two seasons renting Shea Stadium in Flushing, Queens. The crowds were small during the 1974 and 1975 seasons for the Yankees. Even with the acquisition of free agent Jim 'Catfish' Hunter and Bobby Bonds, Yankee fans using public transportation to spend a day in the Mets' ballpark was hard to swallow. 'Well, it was different—that's for sure,' former Yankee infielder Otto Velez told The Epoch Times in a phone conversation from his Florida home on Thursday. 'We had to prepare ourselves in spring training for playing in Flushing. When we [Yankees] played in Queens, I shared an apartment with Sandy Alomar that we rented from my aunt.' Velez, 74, says he is still watching baseball on TV (mainly Yankee games), and holds dear many memories of his parts of four seasons in pinstripes. Of the 23 games he suited up for in September 1973, Velez took pride in playing in the final game on September 30 at the 'original' Yankee Stadium. 'Babe Ruth and Mickey Mantle played on that very field. For me, it was a blessing to get called up when I did,' he said. For Rays and Athletic fans, this season and beyond will progress as all seasons have, filled with highlights and plays that will keep fans talking about them well into the off-season. The game and all that is connected to MLB moves on at a schedule that seems fit. All emotional wounds will heal come next spring.
Yahoo
12-03-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Where to celebrate St. Patrick's Day around Pierce County now through March 17
St. Patrick's Day might not get the same gusto in the Pacific Northwest as it does in the Northeast, but that hasn't stopped bars and restaurants around Pierce County from celebrating in style. There are pubs to party in Tacoma, Puyallup, Gig Harbor and DuPont. Here's a look at events to catch a sliver of Irish luck — or at the least a nice pint of Guinness — before, after and on March 17. ▪ 208 St. Helens Ave., Tacoma, 253-272-7468, ▪ March 17 hours: 6 a.m.-2 p.m. ▪ Standard hours: Monday-Friday 9 a.m.-2 a.m., Saturday-Sunday 7 a.m.-2 a.m. Tacoma's popular 365 bar has already hoisted the tent in the parking lot for its annual St. Patrick's Day bash. Get there early — doors open at 5:45 a.m. — for the city's biggest such fete. In addition to the full menu that includes plenty of Irish faves (rarebit, bangers, corned beef among them), enjoy tailgate games outside and two bagpiper groups. ▪ 2403 6th Ave., Tacoma, 253-627-9403, ▪ March 17 hours: open at 9 a.m. ▪ Standard hours: noon-midnight Monday-Thursday, noon-1 a.m. Friday, Saturday 10 a.m.-1 a.m., Sunday 10 a.m.-midnight O'Malley's will host the same kind of party it does every year on Sixth Ave, with food specials (corned beef and cabbage, bangers and mash) and plenty of Irish whiskey. Expect a cash cover starting midday as live music gets underway. A modest beer garden in the back will have a bar set up in the evening. ▪ 5741 N. 26th St., Tacoma, 253-300-8966, ▪ Standard hours: Monday-Thursday 11 a.m.-9 p.m., Friday 11 a.m.-10 p.m., Saturday 7 a.m.-10 p.m., Sunday 7 a.m.-9 p.m. This family-friendly pub in Tacoma's West End encourages guests to wear green on March 17. It's also the only day of the year the kitchen serves Ms. Jane's corned beef and bacon-fried cabbage, served with mash and carrots for $19.99. Kegs of Guinness are ready, as is the regular menu of sandwiches, salads and extra-dilly biscuits. ▪ 109 S. Meridian, Puyallup, 253-604-4791, ▪ Standard hours: Monday-Thursday 11 a.m.-midnight, Friday 11 a.m.-2 a.m., Saturday 9 a.m.-2 a.m., Sunday 9 a.m.-10 p.m. Head to this Puyallup pub on Saturday, Sunday and Monday to enjoy everything from green beer and cider to Guinness. The food menu always features Irish favorites, including shepherd's pie with ground lamb, corned beef and cabbage, and hand-battered fish and chips. If you can't make the weekend, TK regularly hosts live music on Wednesday nights. ▪ 3222 56th St., Gig Harbor, 253-313-0106, ▪ Standard hours: Tuesday-Thursday 4-11 p.m., Friday-Saturday 12:30-11 p.m., Sunday 8 a.m.-1 p.m. O'Looney's is a cozy place to hang any day, what with the stone fireplace and Irish countryside inn-like setting, but it's bound to be busy as it celebrates St. Patrick's 'Week.' After trivia on Tuesday and open mic on Wednesday 7-10 p.m., Thursday is a fine day to visit for all-day happy hour. On Friday, catch The Surly Goats, an Irish group replete with bagpipers, 5:30-7:30 p.m., and Katie Jane Band, a Celtic fiddle band out of Portland, 8-10 p.m. Live music starts earlier on Saturday with The Scuppermonkeys, a Seattle quintet known for Irish tunes and sea shanties, 2:30-4:30 p.m. Then The Puget Sound Firefighter Pipes and Drums wrap things up, 5:30-7:30 p.m. Note that the kitchen will offer a limited menu this week, and the restaurant will remain closed on its typical Sunday-Monday schedule, so no shenanigans here on March 17. ▪ 1595 Wilmington Dr., DuPont, 253-964-9200, ▪ Standard hours: Monday-Thursday 11 a.m.-10 p.m., Friday 11 a.m.-midnight, Saturday 8 a.m.-midnight, Sunday 8 a.m.-10 p.m. From the team behind Farrelli's Pizza, McNamara's will be ready for a full four days of fun in DuPont, starting Friday, March 14. Try the monthly burger special: Irish pesto with white cheddar and Cajun aioli. Play music bingo Saturday night, 7-9 p.m., while a DJ will play from 1-9 p.m. on Monday. Breakfast is served 8-11 a.m. on weekends, and throughout the festivities, there will be raffles and giveaways.
