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WASHINGTON U.S. Rep. John Katko (NY-24) this week voted in favor of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), a bipartisan, bicameral bill that authorizes the budget and expenditures for the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) for Fiscal Year 2022.

The NDAA, which now heads to the Senate, contains several Katko-authored measures including the Domains Critical to Homeland Security Act, a bill that directs the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to identify and address risks within the American supply chain. Rep. Katko recently discussed this measure with local manufacturers and business groups at a roundtable he hosted on the supply chain crisis.

Additionally, for U.S. servicemembers, the NDAA also authorizes a 2.7% pay increase, expands parental leave and childcare programs, and reverses the Biden Administrations cuts to military healthcare programs.

I proudly cast my vote in favor of the National Defense Authorization Act, an annual bill that delivers funding for the Department of Defense, said Rep. Katko. Importantly for Central New York, this years measure includes key federal funding to support manufacturers and workers in Central New York. As our nation continues to face supply chain challenges, this measure also includes a bill I drafted to identify and address areas of concern within our nations supply chain.

Summaries of Katko-authored measures included in NDAA can be found below:

Additionally, Rep. Katko supported the following funding levels in the NDAA, which directly benefit Central New York:

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House Passes NDAA with Katko-Authored Measure to Address Supply Chain Risks & Federal Funding to Support CNY Workforce - Congressman John Katko

Golfer Rory McIlroy saw revenues at the company that controls his management and image rights last year slide close to 40 per cent.

Accounts show that the Dublin-based Rory McIlroy Management Services Ltd had revenues of $14.8 million last year, down $9.37 million. That pushed the business to a pretax loss of $8.03 million.

However, this includes a non-cash writedown of $15.7 million in the golfers image rights during the year in accordance with accountancy rules.

The net cash generated by the company from operating activities, after tax and interest paid, totalled $9.8 million for 2020.

In a note attached to the accounts directors said that counter-intuitively the Covid-19 pandemic has served to underscore the resilience of tournament golf, the business of professional golf and wider participation in the game.

Revenues in 2020 were somewhat impacted by the compressed tour schedule but the medium-term impact on the rights held by the company has undoubtedly been positive.

The main activity of the company is managing royalty earnings and management fees for Mr McIlroy, one of the most marketable players in world golf.

Prize money and other such earnings are not part of the Irish companys revenue because they tend to be treated as income, and taxed by the country where the earnings are won.

On the Covid-19-disrupted US PGA tour in 2020, McIlroy recorded tour earnings of $4.4 million. His US PGA tour earnings this year total an almost identical $4.39 million.

The companys cash pile last year slumped from $15 million to $5.2 million.

At the start of 2020 the company had a $225 million book value placed on McIlroys image rights, which was reduced to $209 million at the end of last year.

Rory McIlroy sits on the board with his father Gerry, Donal Casey and Sean OFlaherty. Last year the pay to directors fell marginally from $2.28 million to $2.1 million.

The company, trading as Rory McIlroy Inc, was established towards the end of 2013 by McIlroy. The golfer opted to locate everything to do with his brand and intellectual property in Ireland, setting up the firm here as part of a strategy to simplify his business affairs.

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Rory McIlroy's management firm ships hit to revenue of $9.37m - The Irish Times

Dec 10, 2021

Greg WyshynskiESPN

Stan Fischler entered the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame on Thursday, enshrined there after a career in sports media that has spanned seven decades and continues on today with a new gig at The Hockey News.

"There's also a sentimental aspect to it that," said the 89-year-old. "I was an original THN subscriber since 1947 and still have a bound version of those magazines and bound books for every season through 1962. The Hockey News is part of my metabolism."

Nicknamed "The Maven," Fischler has written more than 100 books -- including his latest, "Tales of Brooklyn" -- and has had a professorial presence in the New York hockey media as a television reporter and analyst. The Brooklyn native was awarded the Lester Patrick Trophy in 2007 by the NHL for outstanding contributions to American hockey. But he has yet to earn a call from the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto.

We spoke with Stan recently about his career, the media legacy of his late wife, Shirley, and his thoughts on the NHL today.

ESPN: What did it mean to you to earn induction into the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame?

STAN FISCHLER: My operative word for it is grateful. After all, I've been a fan all my life -- still am -- and the idea of me being honored for doing what I love to do is rather amazing to me. Not that writing a good story, or even a good lede, is a challenge, although it can be very depressing if it doesn't come out right. But the fact that the Hall of Fame committee chooses to value a journalist for a lifetime of hockey writing and hockey TV work is impressive and, therefore, I'm flattered beyond belief.

My only regret is that my parents, Molly and Ben, are not around to be here because they gave me the scrapbook for my 10th birthday (March 1942) and supported me right through to my first paid job (1954) as a publicity assistant for the Rangers.

ESPN: One Hall of Fame down, one to go. Why aren't you in the Hockey Hall of Fame yet?

FISCHLER: I guess I haven't been around long enough.

ESPN: OK, but seriously: What would it mean for you to get into the Hockey Hall of Fame at some point?

FISCHLER: The Toronto thing is a very simple one for me. It's the punchline for a good joke. This has been going on for at least 30 years -- various attempts to nominate me, and it hasn't happened.

So if they don't think I belong ... if I want to get onto the subway at Times Square, my MetroCard works whether I'm in that Hall of Fame or not. I don't have to be in the Hall of Fame if I want to play paddleball in Riverside Park. It doesn't stop me from breathing. They have a right to nominate who they want. But if they don't want me, then they don't want me. It's the last thing on my mind to sulk about.

ESPN: Speaking of legacies, I wanted to hear more your late wife Shirley's influence on subsequent generations of women in the hockey media. In 1971, she was refused access to the press box at Madison Square Garden because of her gender, and took the fight against that policy to the New York City Human Rights Commission to get it overturned. How important was that fight, and what's her legacy in the business?

FISCHLER: If you were media back then, you needed a ticket to get in. So they sent blocks of 15 tickets to the media. If you were covering the game, you went in and you gave the ticket to the usher and then you went to the press box. But on the ticket it said: "Ladies not permitted in press box." This was a Garden order.

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Shirley's battle with MSG-Rangers to lift the women's ban from the press box was a landmark victory that, sadly, never resonated with contemporary women in the hockey journalism business. For most of the women who know about Shirley, they nod approval and enthusiastically commend her. But it never gets beyond that, such as nominating some award for her gallant move in spite of bitter opposition from the male journalistic fraternity of the time.

Since Shirley shunned publicity, she shrugged off those who suggested she get some publicity out of it. She had other things going -- raising two sons, Ben and Simon, running a women's bookstore the Village, and, in 1993, comforting Simon before and after his heart transplant in August 1993. She won an important fight, but her legacy has been significantly clouded by the fact that her contemporaries either have ignored her contributions or forgot about them.

I had pals who, after Shirley won the case, were mocking her. A couple of the writers, as she walked into the first press conference after the case, said, "Who is that, one of the player's wives?"

She didn't feel she was a pioneer. She felt she was wronged and wanted to make it right. And we lost four friends, and that was it.

ESPN: We saw you at the UBS Arena ribbon cutting at Belmont Park. What did you think of the New York Islanders' new arena?

FISCHLER: I was astounded. I love the arena. I think it's classy. You can walk into the gift shop, and instead of Formica they have Italian renaissance wood tables. Little things that you wouldn't expect, they have covered. It's a beautiful place. Probably the greatest arena in the world for what it wants to serve.

ESPN: Who are your favorite current NHL players?

FISCHLER: Connor McDavid, because he's the best in more ways than any other player. Alex Ovechkin, because he's the closest thing to the explosive and immortal Rocket Richard. Mathew Barzal, because he's electrifying with his skating and puck control. Adam Fox because he plays almost exactly like a favorite, Jewish defenseman of the Blueshirts at the start of the 1950s, Hy Buller, who was a second-team All-Star in his rookie season. And Nico Hischier, because of the manner in which he brings the best of Swiss hockey to the NHL. The Swiss style has been overlooked by many critics.

This season will include 103 exclusive regular-season games across ESPN, ESPN+, Hulu and ABC, and more than 1,000 out-of-market games will be available on ESPN+. How to watch Subscribe to ESPN+ Stream the NHL on ESPN

ESPN: What compelled you to write your latest book, "Tales of Brooklyn?"

FISCHLER: It was a complete accident. Working with Chico Resch over the years, I found him interested in my stories about my family and my growing up in Williamsburg. One particular story -- about me, my Aunt Hattie and getting ice cream during a 1947 blizzard -- appealed to him so much he'd ask me to repeat it.

A year ago, Chico's wife, Diane, asked me to write the story and send it to her. She loved it and asked for another, different, story. And I obliged. After the third, I started sending stories to my friends as well. I got such a positive response I began writing them for the fun of it; and broadened my audience.

When I got to the 20th story, my lit agent, Doug Whiteman said, "If you reach 30, we got a book." By this time, they were coming easy and did 35. And we had a book!

ESPN: What do you want people to get out of it?

FISCHLER: It was a rekindling of my youth. It was a chance to revisit some stories, whether they were fun or dangerous. The goal was to have something for my five grandchildren, to show them what life was like in the Great Depression and in World War II. About me drumming in a jazz band. About the time I almost stole a trolley with my friend Howie at Coney Island. About the time my mother was arrested by the state police. Which is a funny story now, but not so much then. All kinds of nutsy stuff.

See more here:
Stan Fischler on why he's not in the Hockey Hall of Fame - ESPN

The Livi boss, who believes the implementation of some kind of manager-changing window needs to be explored, said: "Who would actually want to be a manager? What's the life cycle of a manager? Maybe 18 months, if that, if you average it out.

"It's a very harsh and cynical environment and I don't think people understand how stressful it can be. It has a massive impact on my wife and my daughter because they read social media.

"Scotland is a very passionate and emotional nation when it comes to football but has social media heightened it? I think it has.

"In the past, if you didn't have a great game and got booed at the end, that's probably all you would hear until the next game. But now it's constant throughout the week, with media and social media constantly on you 24/7.

"You didn't know what the rest of the world was talking about before because you'd be confined to your club and your own life, but now it's constant.

"Unless you're earning hundreds of thousands of pounds a year, where that stick can wash off you a little bit, it's not a great job to be in and it's not a great environment to be in at times with the social media backlash it involves.

"At times, you feel isolated as a manager when you go through a tough run of form. It's testament to my board that they've stuck by me when I've gone through a tough run over the last seven years. There's a lot to be said for continuity.

"At the bigger clubs, I think now with the social media and how much hype there is, the dynamics are changing.

"It used to be that guys would go down the pub and discuss whether the manager or the players had a good game, but now it's all over social media, and before you know it, there's 1,000 tweets and then, come the next game, everybody turns up waiting on a negative thing to happen.

"I don't think it's a great job, job security-wise and mentally."

Reflecting on Ross's sacking, Martindale said: "I've got a lot of sympathy for Jack because I think he's done a fantastic job at Hibs.

"We've been in opposite dugouts for probably six of the last eight seasons if I go back to his time at Dumbarton, Alloa and St Mirren. I've always found him very approachable and very knowledgeable and very humble in victory or defeat.

"I did not think Jack would be out of a job this morning.

"Hibs are a huge club. Are they underperforming in the league? Yes, slightly. But was there an opportunity for Jack to turn it round? I think there was. He could have won the cup final and become a legend and that cup form could have kicked into the league form.

"It's so cutthroat now. As a manager, all you ask is to be given a bit of time because it can't always be plain sailing."

Message from the editor

Continued here:
"It's not a great job to be in": Livingston boss David Martindale on the pressures of management after Jack Ross is sacked - Edinburgh News

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) detected 43 COVID-19 cases attributed to the omicron variant,nearly all of which were considered mild and discovered in the first week of December.

At least 22 states documented at least one COVID-19 case associated with the new variant of concern during the first eight days of December, according to data released by the CDC on Friday. Out of the 43 cases, the agency confirmed one hospitalization, which lasted two days, and zero deaths.

While the U.S. confirmed its first case of omicron last week in a California resident, the CDC said at least one patient who traveled internationally developed symptoms on Nov. 15. The timeline means the omicron strain was likely in the U.S. longer than initially thought, as the California patient first experienced symptoms on Nov. 25.

South Africa first reported the omicron strain to the World Health Organization on Nov. 24 two days before the international organization designated it as a variant of concern.

CDC Director Rochelle WalenskyRochelle WalenskyOvernight Health Care Presented by AstraZeneca and Friends of Cancer Research Court leaves Texas abortion ban, allows suits CDC: Most of 43 omicron cases detected in first days of December considered mild Overnight Health Care Boosters expanded to 16- and 17-year-olds MORE detailed some of the data in an interview with The Associated Press on Thursday, including that most of the 43 cases so far were considered mild and that most of the patientshad been vaccinated.

Almost 80 percent ofthe patients with an omicron strain had a full primary series of a COVID-19 vaccine. Fourteen had received an additional or booster dose, including five who got that extra dose less than 14 days after symptoms emerged.

One-third of the patients had traveled internationally within 14 days of developing symptoms or testing positive. Most of the infected individuals ranged from 18 to 39 years old, although the strain also infected four children and four adults aged 65 and older.

Only three ofthe patients were asymptomatic, with the most common symptoms reported being cough, fatigue, congestion and runny nose. Six patients had previously contracted COVID-19.

But the CDC researchers warned that even if most infections are mild, a highly transmissible variant could result in enough cases to overwhelm health systems.

The delta variant is still considered the most prevalent strain in the country by far, estimated to make up 99.9 percent of cases across the U.S. last week.

In response to the omicron variants emergence, the U.S. initiated a travel banfor eight African countries near South Africa and Botswana,which were the first countriestoreport the strain. The CDC also started a voluntary airport-based genomic surveillance program in four airports.

The agency updated its guidance to recommend booster doses for all adults in the days after the omicron variant was reported. On Thursday, the CDC expanded booster access to 16- and 17-year-olds.

In its report, the CDC called for the U.S. to use prevention strategies ranging from vaccinations, masking, improved ventilation, testing, quarantine and isolation to curb the spread of the virus, including cases involving the omicron strain.

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CDC: Most of 43 omicron cases detected in first days of December considered mild | TheHill - The Hill