Latest news with #Pringle
Belfast Telegraph
6 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Belfast Telegraph
‘Cecil was a wonderful Christian man': Tributes paid to Irish Archdeacon who officiated Paul McCartney's wedding
The retired clergyman passed away in hospital, surrounded by his family on Tuesday. In 2002, Archdeacon Pringle played a key role in pop culture history when he officiated the wedding of Paul McCartney and Heather Mills. The couple were wed in Castle Leslie, Co Monaghan in front of 300 guests, the pair kept the wedding a secret from the media leading up to the big day. At the time Archdeacon Pringle spoke to the Belfast Telegraph about keeping the secret: "I don't find it hard if someone tells me something in confidence. That never crosses my lips. The same would apply to any marriage I conducted. 'There are certain matters that are private and it's not my business to put them in the public domain," he said. Archdeacon Pringle was born outside Clones, Co Monaghan in 1943. He graduated from Trinity College Dublin in 1965 and was ordained in 1967. He spent his curacy in Belfast before his first appointment as a Rector in Clogher Diocese from 1969 to 1980. He was then appointed Rector of Rossorry Parish where he remained for most of his ministry from 1980 until 2008. In 2008, Archdeacon Pringle, after almost 28 years as rector, resigned from the parish of Rossorry and continued ministry as a Bishop's Curate in the Drumkeeran Group of Parishes where he remained until his retirement in 2018. He has been remembered by figures in the Church of Ireland. Speaking to The Impartial Reporter, Fr Brian Darcy said: 'I learnt a lot from him, and I hope he learnt a lot from me. We were able to come together to pray and to support each other in various communities.' News catch-up Thursday 31st July Fr Brian spoke about the special friendship he had with Archdeacon Pringle. 'We had a 30-year partnership that was wonderful and effortless in many ways. Once we made the initial contact, we knew it was not our work but God's work, though both of us had to lead to ensure it was done.' He praised the work Archdeacon Pringle did in strengthening the faith of many around him. 'Cecil was a wonderful Christian man, a wonderful Christian leader and a genuine man of God.' Archbishop John McDowell, in his tribute to Archdeacon Pringle, spoke of his unique form of ministry as well as his experience in administrative roles within the church. 'That was a ministry that Cecil had carried out with great diligence,' Archbishop McDowell said. He also praised his work in strengthening cross-community relationships within the diocese. Archbishop McDowell said that at a time of great division one of the Archdeacon Pringle's great strengths was to 'heal the wounds, to hold out the hand of friendship'. The funeral service for Archdeacon Pringle will take place in Rossorry Parish Church on 1 August at 2pm followed by burial in the adjoining churchyard. Archdeacon Pringle is survived by his wife, Hilary; son, Mark and daughters, Tanya and Claire and their families.
USA Today
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Savage but fair: Surviving a swank writing master class in Morocco
Silk Road Slippers, a five-day writers workshop at a delicous Moroccan resort, was more scrivener's boot camp than a luxurious path to self-discovery. MARRAKECH, Morocco – It's morning under the Atlas Mountains and publishing legend Alexandra Pringle is taking a savage blue pencil to a very nice paragraph. At least I thought it was a very nice paragraph. But no. It's actually a mess – jumbled, ineffective – and Pringle, former editor-in-chief at Bloomsbury Publishing in London, strikes down my wan offering with a single sentence before moving on to the next willing victim. It's obvious, just one day into this weeklong writing workshop, that we're in the hands of professionals – three glamorous, erudite killers who've had a hand in some of the biggest and most interesting books of the last 40 years. Pringle runs the master classes with historian and broadcaster Alex von Tunzelmann ("Fallen Idols", "Indian Summer") and Faiza Khan, a former editor-at-large at Random House, packing the plummiest accent this side of Downton Abbey. They're a formidable team – humane, perceptive, politely unsparing. The outfit, called Silk Road Slippers, holds four master classes a year at a delicious resort hotel outside Marrakech, each featuring a different heavyweight lecturer, including winners of the Nobel, Booker, Pulitzer and other literary prizes. My session was graced by novelist Alan Hollinghurst ("The Line of Beauty"). Esther Freud, Nobel laureate Abdulrazak Gurnah , Monica Ali and Andrew O'Hagan have all given attendees a bracing taste of how it's really done. The classes are very much open to new writers. Many at the session I attended earlier this year were already in the writing game, some with published books. But Silk Road Slippers wasn't created with literary pros in mind, von Tunzelmann says. Among those gathered under the palms at the workshop's long outdoor table placed near an outdoor fireplace to ward off the morning chill were an architect, a publicist and a counselor. Silk Road Slippers has hosted newbies who'd spent their professional lives in business, medicine, and law. Scrivener's boot camp The Jnane Tamsna boutique hotel, created by French attorney Meryanne Loum-Martin (whose life would fill a page-turner) and her American ethnobotanist husband Gary Martin, was the swanky backdrop to a week of grinding mental labor. The Morocco location makes Silk Road Slippers accessible to writers from Asia, Africa and Latin America who may not care for the process of getting a visa to Europe and the United States. (U.S. passport-holders travel to Morocco visa-free.) Despite the sumptuous trappings – the palms, the book-lined bar, the (five!) swimming pools – Silk Road Slippers is more scrivener's boot camp than a luxurious path to self-discovery. The days are filled with short writing exercises, with each hastily written passage read aloud by the author and then critiqued by Pringle, Khan and von Tunzelmann. Writers are drilled in dialogue, setting, action, perspective – a crash course in substance and style. In a revealing assignment, attendees were asked to write a fictional third-person scene with themselves as the protagonist. As with the other drills, the results ranged from middling (that was mine) to quite good. There wasn't a bad pen among the nine women and two men who were my classmates. But none topped Booker Prize-winner Hollinghurst, who turned out, in the same 15 minutes as the rest of us, a richly cinematic scene placing the fictional character of Alan Hollinghurst in a tricky social encounter fraught with manners, ego, and ambition. Just like something out of a novel. Anyone can play Years ago, U.S. literary wags spilled barrels of ink over the question of MFA vs. NYC, shorthand for two paths to creating a life as a novelist: the formal structure of a master's in fine arts degree, with its ready-made community and the tutelage of established teacher-mentors, or the (relatively) hard-knock life of apprenticing oneself to the New York publishing industry and living, loving, losing in the real world, with all the bruises to show for it. Nobody was talking about this kind of thing in Marrakech. I had no idea where anyone went to school, or what credentials they may have held. Every person there was taking a leap of some kind to learn alongside – and expose themselves to – a group of discerning strangers. There was no shortage of work. There were tears, and support among new friends. Some writing samples were raw and personal, but that was no protection from our instructors and the feedback born from their editorial instincts: 'There's too much specificity. You're putting the kitchen sink in there.' 'It's just awful. It's explanatory. It's telling us what to think.' 'There's nothing more boring than other people's dreams.' By the end of the week, each participant had completed a passage of at least 1,000 words to be assessed in an hourlong consultation with one of our three guides. I drew Pringle, and I've never had a more rewarding or discombobulating conversation about writing. Despite having two nonfiction books and decades of journalism to my name, Pringle pointed me to the far riskier path of literary fiction. That gets to the heart of why even a published author might want to spend time and money on a workshop like Silk Road Slippers and why it holds so much potential benefit for newcomers. This is solitary work, and trying out your craft with trusted peers and masters of different ages and walks of life can be – as I found – a rejuvenating literary shot in the arm.
Yahoo
24-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Wendy's replaces outgoing US president
This story was originally published on Restaurant Dive. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily Restaurant Dive newsletter. Dive Brief: Wendy's has hired Pete Suerken for the role of president, U.S. on Tuesday, replacing Abigail Pringle, who is leaving the company effective Aug. 15, according to an 8-K filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Pringle is leaving the company to pursue other opportunities, according to a press release. She served as Wendy's U.S. president since June 2024, following more than two decades in various roles at the brand. Suerken joins Wendy's leadership at a moment of C-suite upheaval. CEO Kirk Tanner defected to Hershey earlier this month after a tenure of roughly 18 months. Tanner was replaced on an interim basis by CFO Ken Cook, a former UPS exec who has only been with the chain since December. Dive Insight: Suerken's appointment is an indication the brand is searching for stability. Despite technically being an outside hire, Suerken has extensive knowledge of Wendy's system. He served as president and CEO of its independent purchasing cooperative, Wendy's Quality Supply Chain Co-op, since 2021, according to the press release. In that position, Suerken led supply chain and distribution operations for Wendy's restaurants around the world. Suerken will focus on the chain's U.S. priorities, which include 'delivering exceptional customer experiences, increasing restaurant-level profitability and accelerating growth,' Cook said. Suerken also spent more than a decade at Yum Brands' purchasing co-op, Restaurant Supply Chain Solutions, according to the press release. Cook said Pringle 'has been a key leader of restaurant development at Wendy's, including our Image Activation journey and creation of the modern restaurant image for the brand. She transformed our International business and put a solid structure in place to optimize restaurant performance in the U.S.' The executive changes come at a difficult moment for the brand, and for QSRs overall. In October, Wendy's announced a plan to shutter about 140 underperforming restaurants, and the chain's same-store sales fell 2.8% in the U.S. in Q1. But that conceals a fairly steady performance for the chain. Wendy's has seen positive comps growth in seven of the last eight quarters — though that growth was often small — while McDonald's and Burger King both posted multiple negative quarters in the same timespan. And the chain is making tech changes to boost its speed of service and restrain labor costs by deploying drive-thru voice artificial intelligence at 500 restaurants this year. Recommended Reading Wendy's CEO departs for Hershey Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Politico
21-07-2025
- Politics
- Politico
NEA halts bid to cut ties with Jewish organization
With help from Rebecca Carballo NEA BACKS OFF — The National Education Association's top brass shot down their members' bid to block future work with the Anti-Defamation League following criticism from Jewish organizations and renewed conservative scrutiny of the union's congressional charter. — NEA President Becky Pringle, in a lengthy statement issued late Friday, said the union's board of directors and executive committee voted against a proposal members narrowly approved for consideration on July 5 during the union's annual assembly of thousands of local representatives. — 'We consulted with NEA state affiliates and civil rights leaders, including Jewish American and Arab American community leaders, and we also met with ADL leadership,' Pringle said. 'After consideration, it was determined that this proposal would not further NEA's commitment to academic freedom, our membership, or our goals.' — Union delegates had recommended the NEA 'not use, endorse, or publicize any materials from the Anti-Defamation League' such as curricular materials or statistics, while blocking the union from participating in ADL programs or publicizing the organization's professional development offerings. — The proposal to preempt ties with a prominent Jewish advocacy organization highlighted ongoing internal union divisions over the Israel-Gaza war that threatened to disrupt the NEA's planned endorsement of Joe Biden's campaign last year. — 'This resolution was not just an attack on the ADL, but a larger attack against Jewish educators, students, and families,' ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt, American Jewish Committee CEO Ted Deutch, Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations COO Stephanie Hausner, and Jewish Federations of North America Executive Vice President Shira Hutt said Friday in a joint statement. — 'While teachers' unions have little power to dictate curriculum, divisive campaigns to boycott reputable, centrist Jewish organizations and educators normalize antisemitic isolation, othering, and marginalization of Jewish teachers, students and families in our schools,' they said. — Republican lawmakers further cited the proposal as added fodder for longrunning attempts to strip the NEA of a congressional charter — a type of formal recognition the union has received alongside dozens of other private or quasi-governmental nonprofit organizations. — 'The National Education Association has made it crystal clear it's a partisan organization, and it shouldn't be rewarded with a federal charter that platforms woke gender ideology, antisemitism, and left-wing propaganda,' Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) said last week as she introduced the latest Republican bill to erase the NEA's charter. — Pringle responded that 'without equivocation, NEA stands strongly against antisemitism.' But she acknowledged debate over a destructive and prolonged conflict will continue among students, educators, religious leaders and politicians. — 'Not adopting this proposal is in no way an endorsement of the ADL's full body of work,' Pringle said Friday. 'We are calling on the ADL to support the free speech and association rights of all students and educators.' IT'S MONDAY, JULY 21. WELCOME TO WEEKLY EDUCATION. Congressional Republicans really like the 2017 Trump tax cuts. It's why the 'big, beautiful bill' costs so much. Reach out with tips to today's host at jperez@ and also my colleagues Becca Carballo (rcarballo@ Bianca Quilantan (bquilantan@ and Mackenzie Wilkes (mwilkes@ Want to receive this newsletter every weekday? Subscribe to POLITICO Pro. You'll also receive daily policy news and other intelligence you need to act on the day's biggest stories. Education Department REJECTED — The Education Department will reject nearly a half-million applications from people seeking to make lower payments on their student loans, Becca reports. — The agency will deny 460,000 federal student loan borrowers who selected the lowest monthly option for a payment plan based on their income. They make up about 31 percent of a 1.5 million application backlog for borrowers who are seeking Income-Driven Repayment, one of many options typically available for borrowers having difficulty paying back their loans. — An Education Department spokesperson said the lowest monthly payment option was the SAVE Plan, a Biden-era plan that would cap payments at 5 percent of the borrower's discretionary income for undergraduate loans and 10 percent for graduate loans. It has been blocked by the courts since June 2024. — 'Loan servicers cannot process these applications as SAVE is no longer an option, as it is illegal,' a department spokesperson said. — The agency is introducing two new payment plans and phasing out the matrix of current options as part of President Donald Trump's sweeping reconciliation legislation. His administration has railed against SAVE for being a burden to taxpayers and called for simplifying the loan repayment process as part of a broader strategy to reshape how students borrow and pay back loans. White House CHECK PLEASE — The Trump administration will release some fiscal 2025 funds that help pay for summer and after-school programs today, which could help ease an immediate budget crunch facing local school systems while billions of dollars in additional federal aid are still being withheld by the White House. — An Office of Management and Budget review of the Education Department's 21st Century Community Learning Centers program is complete, according to a senior administration official who said the money — estimated to total approximately $1.3 billion — will be distributed as expected. — Education Department officials said the money will be sent to governments on Monday, according to notices shared with federal and local officials that were obtained by POLITICO. — The department, however, warned states to ensure the money is spent in accordance with existing federal civil rights and anti-discrimination laws — or risk 'appropriate enforcement action.' The agency also intends to review how the program's money is used 'to ensure ongoing compliance,' officials said. — Billions in federal education funding is still being withheld by the White House. Funds devoted to teacher training, migrant student education and other initiatives are under continued scrutiny as part of Trump's broader agenda of scrutinizing matters related to immigrants and the LGBTQ+ community. — 'These are the programs that we have some of the gravest concerns with regarding the Education Department,' OMB Director Russ Vought told reporters last week during an event hosted by the Christian Science Monitor. — 'You have a preschool program that doesn't do any preschool funding, all it does is indoctrination of 4-year-olds of [critical race theory],' Vought said. 'You have school improvement programs that are indoctrinating teachers to be cultural revolutionaries in the classroom. So we have concerns with these programs, so they're the ones that we're going to study the most.' — Final decisions related to the billions of dollars in pending federal aid have not yet been made, department officials said on Friday. Two dozen and the District of Columbia states sued the Trump administration last week to challenge the delayed funding. Prominent Republicans are also challenging the administration to release the funds. STUDENT DEBT CHANGE IS COMING — The Education Department is outlining some expected immediate changes to federal student aid programs now that Trump's domestic policy megabill has been signed into law. — Regulations and guidance on other education provisions of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act are also expected later this year. Here's what to expect now, according to a Dear Colleague letter issued by the department on Friday. — Changes to income-based repayment: The law removes the requirement for borrowers to demonstrate a partial financial hardship in order to enroll in IBR. — Parent PLUS loan repayment options: Borrowers with a consolidation loan that have already repaid a parent PLUS loan will be able to enroll in an IBR plan when the law is enacted. More information and updates will be posted on — Loan limits for part-time students: The law reduces how much students can borrow if they are not enrolled full time. This reduction will be based on how long the student isn't enrolled full time. The department is currently developing a schedule and will submit it to the public later this year. — Public Service Loan Forgiveness: The Repayment Assistance Plan, which will be implemented no later than July of next year, will be a qualifying plan for Public Service Loan Forgiveness. — Biden-era regs: The department will be undoing changes the Biden administration made to borrower defense and closed school discharge regulations. Read the department's full letter. Report Roundup — Nearly one-third of the nation's K-12 public schools mandate mental health screening for students, according to a newly-published study led by RAND Corporation researchers that suggests there are multiple barriers to mental health screening in schools. Nearly 41 percent of principals surveyed in October 2024 said it was very hard or somewhat hard to ensure that students receive appropriate care, while roughly 38 percent said it was easy or very easy to find adequate care for students. Syllabus — As Harvard and Trump head to court, the government piles on the pressure: The New York Times — George Mason president discriminated against white people after George Floyd protests, Justice Dept. says: The Chronicle of Higher Education — 'Congress swung for the fences on school choice and hit a single': Education Next — 28 bills, Ten Commandments and 1 source: A Christian right 'bill mill': The 74 — Chatbots in the classroom: How AI is reshaping higher education: Financial Times
Axios
19-07-2025
- Politics
- Axios
America's largest teachers' union rejects proposal to ban ADL materials
An executive committee of the nation's largest teachers' union rejected a member-approved proposal to sever ties with the civil rights group Anti-Defamation League (ADL) over the war in Gaza. Why it matters: The rejection comes after nearly 400 Jewish groups urged the National Education Association (NEA) committee to reject a plan to no longer to use ADL material on antisemitism or Holocaust education. Driving the news: NEA President Becky Pringle said in a statement late Friday that the executive committee voted not to adopt the proposal "following the culmination of a thorough review process" under union rules. "It was determined that this proposal would not further NEA's commitment to academic freedom," she said. Pringle said rejecting the proposal wasn't an endorsement of the ADL's "full body of work" but acknowledged the rise of antisemitism. Catch up quick: NEA members voted last week to cut ties with the ADL at the 2025 Representative Assembly in Portland, Oregon. "NEA will not use, endorse, or publicize any materials from the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), such as its curricular materials or its statistics," according to the proposal text. "NEA will not participate in ADL programs or publicize ADL professional development offerings." The members brought the proposal following criticism of the ADL for categorizing campus protests over the war in Gaza as antisemitic. Zoom out: After the vote, the proposal was sent to NEA's executive committee and met with strong opposition from Jewish groups. The groups wanted the NEA to issue a strong statement against antisemitism, which the organizations say is behind the proposal. Pringle then met with ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt "to clarify NEA's process and restate our commitment to combating the rise of antisemitism in our society." State of play: The ADL has also come under criticism from progressive-leaning and Reform Jewish leaders over the accuracy of its annual antisemitic incidents report. They say ADL unfairly lists criticizing the Israeli government's treatment of Palestinians as antisemitic. The ADL defends its report and has pointed to antisemitic verbal attacks on some Jewish students during campus demonstrations. What they're saying: ""We welcome the NEA Executive Committee and Board of Directors' decision to reject this misguided resolution that is rooted in exclusion and othering, and promoted for political reasons," Greenblatt said in a joint statement with the leaders of other Jewish organizations.
