Business Grants

AD suggests ‘acquisition fee’ could fix transfer portal problems [Video]
►
Categories
Small Business Funding

AD suggests ‘acquisition fee’ could fix transfer portal problems [Video]

The athletic director at a mid-sized school that’s making a splash this season has a modest proposal for taming what many say is a transfer-portal system run amok in college sports.Sean Frazier, the AD at Northern Illinois remember, the team that beat national finalist Notre Dame earlier this season is talking about a “talent acquisition fee.”Video above: This years Heisman finalists are an ode to college footballs portal/NIL era with 3 transfer QBsWhen schools sign players from other teams, they would pay those teams a fee in exchange for the player. It’s not that different from the way transactions go down with what are known as “transfer fees” in European soccer.It’s an idea that Frazier, admittedly, is still sketching out on cocktail napkins. But he thinks it might help the small guys sustain their programs while adding transparency to deals involving some of the 11,000-plus football players across all divisions who enter the portal the terms of some of those life-changing transactions themselves pecked out on cell phones in the middle of the night.”At the end of the day, the kid deserves the compensation and support,” Frazier said in an interview with The Associated Press at the NCAA convention this week. “But the institution, to keep the cycle going, they deserve something as well. We’re not in the situation to continue to do that if we keep losing our best and brightest.”Buoyed by that win over Notre Dame, and a steady string of success over the years, Frazier’s school recently announced it was moving its football program from the Mid-American into the Mountain West Conference starting in 2026.The Mountain West, with champion Boise State in the College Football Playoff this season, is arguably the most formidable of the so-called Group of Five conferences. There are also 129 schools in the FCS the Football Championship Subdivision that is the latest iteration of what used to be called Division I-AA.With the House Settlement set to reshape college sports, allowing institutions to pay players directly while also reshaping roster sizes across all sports, smaller schools like NIU have decisions to make. Namely, will they opt into the revenue-sharing agreements that allow the schools to directly pay the players for their name, image, likeness deals? Or will they stick with the model of having third-party collectives broker those deals?Video below: One-on-one with JSU AD Ashley RobinsonThe schools have until March 1 to decide. Neither choice avoids the stark realities of the new college football: It’s more expensive than it used to be, and big schools will always have the resources to draw in promising players who honed their skills at small schools.Frazier used the example of 285-pound defensive tackle Skyler Gill-Howard, who came to NIU as a walk-on, got better each year, had five sacks for the Huskies this season, then entered the transfer portal and will play his last year of eligibility at Texas Tech.”He did a wonderful job. Our coaching staff did a great job developing him,” Frazier said. “The heartache of it is, he’s gone. From the G5 perspective, we’re fine with the developmental side of things. There’s a certain level of respect there. But this could help institutions like us, where there’s a flat fee, or dollar amount, that’s a show of appreciation for the development of the game.”Any plan like this would face roadblocks aplenty. First off, even though things have moved more quickly in recent years, college sports is traditionally glacial in making big changes.Secondly, as the recent takedowns of the NCAA in court that have led to today’s changes have reiterated, the U.S. court system generally doesn’t like things that restrict players’ ability to make money.It happened to the NFL, too. In the 1970s, a judge declared illegal “The Rozelle Rule,” a rule named after the late commissioner, Pete Rozelle. The rule is similar to Frazier’s idea in that it allowed the league to award draft picks (and sometimes players) from teams that signed players with expired contracts to the teams those players left.In soccer, transfer fees have been the norm in Europe teams essentially pay other teams for players instead of trading for them. It’s an estimated $10 billion market, though a recent court ruling there could lead to anything from tweaks to a full-scale overhaul of that system.”I’d see very little chance for something like that to happen,” Gabe Feldman, a sports law expert at Tulane, said of Frazier’s fee idea. “There are lots of ideas out there, but that doesn’t mean they’ll go into effect.”Though the House Settlement brings college sports closer to a solution on how to pay players, the transfer portal remains a moving target.Video below: Michael Arata talks Tulane NIL collectiveThe leadup to this year’s national title game between Ohio State and Notre Dame brought with it stories of massive movement of players, including from the 12 teams that made the College Football Playoff.Among this season’s biggest headline grabbers were the early season departure from UNLV of quarterback Matthew Sluka, who said promises to pay him $100,000 were not kept. Last year, former Florida QB signee Jaden Rashada sued Gators coach Billy Napier over an unpaid $13 million NIL deal. Rashada now plays at Georgia.More common are accusations of tampering that leads to programs standing by helplessly as players leave without much, if any, warning.”I can’t believe we live in a world where people are making decisions and issuing offers in text messages,” NCAA President Charlie Baker said. “The number of kids who have told me terrible stories about misrepresentation there’s no process, accountability, no transparency.”Frazier, always in search of resources to recruit, develop and, now more frequently, replace players, doesn’t necessarily see his “talent acquisition” fee as a cure-all. But maybe, he says, it’s a start.He points to the NFL, NBA and other pro leagues that have collective bargaining and drafts that set the framework for their sports.”We don’t have that,” he said. “This is one of the guardrails that could get us to the point of acknowledging that, yes, you still can buy your team, but it shouldn’t be the wild, wild west.”

New Orleans UMC gives WDSU rare access to trauma care [Video]
►
Categories
Small Business Funding

New Orleans UMC gives WDSU rare access to trauma care [Video]

After a terror attack suspect plowed through crowds on Bourbon Street on New Year’s Day, WDSU was allowed rare, exclusive access to the hospital that treated a majority of those injured in the tragedy. The level-one trauma center at University Medical Center in New Orleans treated many of the victims of the Bourbon Street terror attack.WDSU Investigates | Super Bowl 2025 guide | Latest on Bourbon Street terror attack With the 2025 Super Bowl less than a month away, WDSU investigative reporter Aubry Killion got a first-hand look at how they’re prepared to give world-class care.The UMC team demonstrated the crucial drills and scenarios they practice in preparing for mass casualty incidents. A team of 10 to 20 medical experts from all backgrounds are prepared for anyone who arrives. It can be chaotic, controlled chaos,” Alison Smith, MD, said. Related: Dr. Jeffrey Elder describes the injuries UMC treated after the Bourbon Street terror attack. You can subscribe to WDSU’s YouTube page and view that interview here. Smith is the UMC trauma medical director and a top trauma surgeon.Fortunately, we didnt have to add in something like a burn injury if there had been explosions as well. We prepare for all these unique scenarios here,” said Smith. Smith said before the patient arrives, care starts with EMS. A team at the hospital will then assess the patient before they walk through the door of “room number four.”Room number four is a nod to the hospital’s legacy dating back to Charity Hospital. When the trauma center opened in 1996, room four is where they would run all the trauma,” said Smith. If a patient needs to go straight to an operating room, it is staffed and ready to go. The trauma center is named after Dr. Norman McSwain. McSwain’s name can be seen by the patient before they enter the trauma center. McSwain spearheaded the planning and coordination efforts for what would become University Medical Center in New Orleans. Dr. McSwain used to say death is your competitor. You fight to win, Smith said. So thats how we approach everything. We are always fighting against death. We want you to go home. We want you to go back to your families. We will provide you with support along the way to get you there. Jeffrey Elder, MD, Chief Medical Officer said UMC is prepared for the Super Bowl and any rush of patients. “That could be anywhere from a handful of patients to hundreds of patients in a large scale or maybe more, Elder said. At UMC, its not just physical care. “People are always asking me, ‘How do you do this job,’ said Dr. Erika Rajo. Rajo is a trauma psychologist. She also helps with connecting families with resources for financing, housing, jobs, and more. Seeing the strength in these people really helps me energize, bottle it up, and bring it to the next patient, Rajo said. We have the Seeds of Nola trauma recovery center here at UMC. We offer therapy med management support groups to support that recovery, that emotional healing after something like this.To request an appointment regarding trauma recovery, UMC said call 504-702-4335.To view the simulation drill video, click the video above.

Israel launches new strikes on Yemen [Video]
►
Categories
Small Business Funding

Israel launches new strikes on Yemen [Video]

Israel’s military says it carried out new airstrikes in Yemen against what it said were Houthi rebel targets. Its statement Friday said fighter jets struck “on the western coast and inland Yemen,” a day after the Houthis launched three drones at Israel. The U.S. military bombed Yemen earlier this week.Related video above: U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken says Israel-Gaza ‘very close to a ceasefire and hostage agreement’Houthi-controlled media reported one worker dead and six people wounded at the Ras Isa port. The Houthis said the strikes occurred while Yemenis were rallying in the capital, Sanaa, in support of the Palestinians in Gaza.In recent weeks, Israel and Hamas have appeared to inch closer to an agreement for a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of Israeli hostages.Gaza’s Health Ministry said Thursday that 46,006 Palestinians have been killed and 109,378 wounded in the Israel-Hamas war, with no end in sight. The ministry says women and children were more than half the fatalities but does not say how many of the dead were fighters or civilians.The Israeli military says it has killed over 17,000 militants, without providing evidence. It blames Hamas for civilian deaths because it says militants operate in residential areas. Israel’s air and ground operations have driven hundreds of thousands of Palestinians into sprawling tent camps along the coast with limited access to food and other essentials.The war began when Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people and abducting around 250. A third of the 100 hostages still held in Gaza are believed to be dead.Here’s the latest:Israel’s Netanyahu meets with security officials to discuss Gaza ceasefire talks, official saysTEL AVIV, Israel Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met Friday with security officials to discuss Gaza ceasefire talks, an Israeli official told The Associated Press.The prime minister and security officials received an update from negotiators and instructed them to continue the talks in Qatar, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were discussing a confidential diplomatic matter.Qatar, Egypt and the United States have been mediating the indirect talks that have stalled repeatedly during 15 months of war. Just one brief ceasefire has been achieved, occurring in the earliest weeks of the fighting.The recovery of the bodies of two hostages in Gaza this week again put pressure on Netanyahu from families and others to reach a deal to bring the remaining hostages home. Israeli strike in southern Lebanon kills 2 and wounds 2 others, health officials sayBEIRUT An Israeli strike in southern Lebanon on Friday killed at least two people and wounded two others, the country’s Health Ministry said.The Israeli military did not immediately comment on the attack in Tyre province, and it’s unclear what was targeted. Lebanon’s state media reported the strike hit a car in the town of Tayr Debba.Amid a tenuous ceasefire, Israel insists it has the right to attack Hezbollah anywhere in response to alleged truce violations. Both sides have until Jan. 26 to pull their forces out of southern Lebanon.Lebanese state media reported Israel carried out new home demolitions and explosions in several southern villages on Friday. This adds to the near-daily Israeli operations in Lebanon since the ceasefire took effect in late November gunfire, demolishing buildings, tank shelling and airstrikes that, according to the Health Ministry, have killed at least 29 people and wounded more than 32.Israel launches new strikes on Yemen’s Houthi rebelsJERUSALEM Israel’s military says it has carried out new airstrikes against what it calls Houthi rebel targets inside Yemen.The Israeli military statement Friday said fighter jets struck “on the western coast and inland Yemen,” and targets included what it called military infrastructure sites in the Hizaz power station as well as military infrastructure in the Hodeida and Ras Isa ports on the west coast. An Israeli military official said 20 aircraft took part in the operation, firing around 50 munitions.Houthi-controlled media reported one worker dead and six other people wounded at the Ras Isa port.Clouds of black smoke could be seen above the rebel-held capital, Sanaa. The Houthis said the strikes occurred while people were rallying in Sanaa in support of Palestinians in Gaza.The Houthis had launched three drones at Israel on Thursday, a day after the U.S. military said it carried out a wave of strikes in Yemen against what it said were underground arms facilities.The Iran-backed Houthis have been stepping up their missile attacks on Israel in recent weeks. In some cases, the projectiles have penetrated Israel’s sophisticated aerial defense system.Israel has repeatedly bombarded ports, oil infrastructure and the airport in Sanaa, which is some 2,000 kilometers (1,200 miles) away. The Israeli military official said the warplanes conducted in-flight refueling during Friday’s operation.Israeli military says soldiers on Oct. 7 likely killed 1, possibly 2 kibbutz residentsJERUSALEM The Israeli military says an inquiry into the deaths of two kibbutz residents during the Oct. 7, 2023, militant attack that sparked the war in Gaza found it “highly likely” that one Tomer Eliaz-Arava was killed by Israeli soldiers after they saw a person they misidentified as a suspicious figure.The findings released Friday also note a “reasonable possibility” that another resident, Dikla Arava, was killed by military fire while in a vehicle after being seized by militants.The military says the shootings occurred during “fierce combat” with militants who had infiltrated Kibbutz Nahal Oz. It emphasizes it is impossible to determine “with absolute certainty” what caused the deaths.The military says the broader inquiry into the battle at the kibbutz continues.Cyprus leader becomes first foreign dignitary to visit Lebanon’s new presidentBEIRUT Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides has become the first foreign head of state and the first foreign dignitary to pay an official visit to Lebanon’s new president, Joseph Aoun.Aoun, the former commander of the Lebanese army, was elected Thursday by the Lebanese parliament to fill a more than two-year vacuum in the presidency.”I wanted to be the first to visit President Aoun and show, not in words but in actions, that Cyprus stands by Lebanon and the Lebanese people,” Christodoulides told reporters afterward.They discussed energy, security, trade and shipping, his office said in a written statement.Cyprus and Lebanon have had close relations for decades. In recent years, the two countries have been involved in intense discussions over border control, as many Syrian refugees living in Lebanon and an increasing number of Lebanese since the country’s major economic crisis began in 2019 sought to reach Cyprus by sea in smuggler boats.Cyprus is less than 200 kilometers (130 miles) from the Lebanese capital, Beirut, and they share maritime borders in waters where undersea natural gas deposits are believed to lie.3 killed in a stampede outside a mosque in DamascusDAMASCUS Three women were killed and five children injured in a stampede outside the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus on Friday, the Syrian civil defense known as the White Helmets said in a statement.The stampede came about as a result of “severe congestion due to an event organized by civilians,” the statement said.An Associated Press photographer at the scene said the swell in the numbers of people was caused by a food distribution event after the Friday afternoon prayers.Massive crowds were also trying to go into the packed mosque for prayers, leading security guards to lock the gates and fire in the air to disperse the crowd, he said.Italy says suspending EU sanctions on Syria could help encourage transitionROME Italy’s foreign minister says a moratorium on European Union sanctions on Syria could help encourage the country’s transition after the ouster of President Bashar Assad by Islamist insurgents.Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani visited Syria on Friday and expressed Italy’s keen interest in helping Syria recover from civil war, rebuild its broken economy and help stabilize the region.Tajani, who met with Syria’s new de facto leaders, said a stable Syria and Lebanon was of strategic and commercial importance to Europe. He said the fall of Assad’s government, as well as the Lebanon parliament’s vote on Thursday to elect army commander Joseph Aoun as president, were signs of optimism for Middle East stability.He said Italy wanted to play a leading role in Syria’s recovery and serve as a bridge between Damascus and the EU, particularly given Italy’s commercial and strategic interests in the Mediterranean.”The Mediterranean can no longer just be a sea of death, a cemetery of migrants, but a sea of commerce, a sea of development,” he said.Tajani later traveled to Lebanon and met with Aoun. Italy has long played a sizeable role in the U.N. peacekeeping force for Lebanon, UNIFIL.On the eve of his visit, Tajani presided over a meeting in Rome with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and officials from Britain, France and Germany, as well as the EU foreign policy chief. He said that meeting of the so-called Quintet on Syria was key to begin the discussion about a change to the EU sanctions.”The sanctions were against the Assad regime. If the situation has changed, we have to change our choices,” Tajani said.Turkey has no ‘secret agenda’ in Syria, minister saysISTANBUL Turkey “does not have any secret agenda” in Syria and wants to construct a “new culture of cooperation,” Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said Friday.One of Turkey’s priorities in the upcoming year is to clear the region of terrorism, Fidan said, referring to Kurdish militants based in northeast Syria. “The extensions of the separatist group in Syria are now facing destruction, and the old order is no longer going to continue,” he told a news conference in Istanbul.Fidan also criticized the United States’ support for the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, or SDF, as the U.S. seeks to prevent a revival of the Islamic State group.”This kills the spirit of alliance and solidarity,” Fidan said. He said Turkey is “not going to shy away from taking the necessary steps” in terms of military action.Turkey views the SDF as an extension of the banned Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, which is listed as a terror organization by Turkey and other states.Referring to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin’s comments that U.S. troops should stay in Syria, Fidan dismissed the views of the outgoing U.S. administration. “This is the problem of the new government, and the old government does not have a say in this,” he said.The SDF is currently involved in fighting the Turkish-backed Syrian National Army.Fidan also backed suggestions for Syrian Kurds to join a new national military but said all non-Syrians fighting for the SDF a reference to those with ties to the PKK should leave the country. Body of hostage Hamzah AlZayadni identified after recovery in GazaJERUSALEM Israel’s army confirmed Friday that one of the bodies recovered from Gaza earlier this week was that of 23-year-old hostage Hamzah AlZayadni.The army said Friday that the identification was made by the National Institute of Forensic Medicine and Israel’s police and the family has been notified. The army said its forces recovered the bodies of Hamzah and his father from an underground tunnel in the Rafah area and returned them to Israel.His father, Yosef AlZayadni, had been identified earlier this week. The father and son were thought to still be alive before this week’s announcement. They were kidnapped together from Kibbutz Holit, when Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.The news comes as Israel and Hamas are considering a ceasefire deal that would free remaining hostages and halt the fighting in Gaza. Israel says about a third of the remaining 100 hostages have died, but believes as many as half could be dead. Their fates could ramp up pressure on Israel to move forward with a deal.The Hostages Families Forum, which represents families of the hostages, said Hamzah was a nature lover who had deep affection for animals and was beloved by his friends. He leaves behind a wife and two children.Oil tanker that threatened Red Sea spill has been salvagedDUBAI, United Arab Emirates An oil tanker that burned for weeks and threatened a massive oil spill in the Red Sea has been salvaged, a security firm said Friday.The Sounion had been a disaster-in-waiting in the waterway, with 1 million barrels of crude oil aboard that had been struck and later sabotaged with explosives by Yemen’s Iranian-backed Houthi rebels. It took months for salvagers to tow the vessel away, extinguish the fires and offload the remaining crude oil.The Houthis initially attacked the Greek-flagged Sounion tanker on Aug. 21 with small-arms fire, projectiles and a drone boat. A French destroyer rescued its crew of 25 Filipinos and Russians, as well as four private security personnel, and took them to nearby Djibouti.The Houthis later released footage showing they planted explosives on board the Sounion and ignited them in a propaganda video, which the rebels have done before.The Houthis have targeted some 100 merchant vessels with missiles and drones since the war in Gaza started in October 2023. The rebels maintain they target ships linked to Israel, the U.S. or the U.K. to force an end to Israel’s campaign against Hamas in Gaza. However, many of the ships attacked have little or no connection to the conflict.