Category: 3. Business

  • Not too young to help: Families find ways to volunteer with small children

    Not too young to help: Families find ways to volunteer with small children

    NEW YORK — When Cami Teacoach’s son turned three she set out to find volunteer opportunities they could do together. He made Valentine cards for senior citizens. They hiked and picked up trash. He helped harvest produce at community gardens and made seed balls out of mud, throwing them into the forest to promote wildflower growth.

    Teacoach had reached out to many organizations looking for volunteer projects that she could do with her young child, but most places said no, so she came up with her own.

    “Everyone was like, ‘A 3-year-old can’t do that,’” Teacoach said. “And I was like, ‘No, I swear, he really can if you would just give him a chance.’”

    Volunteering with children can instill confidence in youngsters, teach social and problem-solving skills and provide unique ways for families to bond. During the holiday season, many people seek such opportunities, looking for ways to give back.

    But often nonprofit organizations seek helpers who are at least 18 years old. Finding volunteer work to do as a family with young children can be challenging, but there are opportunities, if you persist.

    “There’s a million different ways to help people and volunteer. So many families want to do this and literally just don’t know where to start,” said Polly Lagana, executive director of Volunteer New York!, which connects people with service opportunities. “In a turbulent time in our world, families — and parents in particular — are very interested in showing their kids how they can help out and how they can give back.”

    Children excel at activities such as sorting coats, packing groceries and following through on tasks, said Sapreet Saluja, executive director of New York Cares, which works with organizations to develop volunteer programs in New York City.

    “I’ve been very impressed with the detail-orientation and the precision and the following of directions and the care that some kids I’ve seen, as young as six, take to the tasks that they’re doing,” Saluja said. “It’s been explained to them that this is to benefit someone, and it’s important, and they’re following the directions and they want to get it just right. And in many cases, they’re more detail-oriented than the adults, which I think is very inspiring.”

    To get started, look for organizations in your community that match volunteers with family-friendly projects and reach out to ask if there’s a minimum age requirement.

    Here are some other ways to involve little ones in projects that help the community.

    Children prefer to have agency and information to make a decision, so include them when you’re choosing an activity, Lagana said.

    “Let them know what problem you’re trying to fix in your community, and maybe one or two options of how that problem can be fixed,” Lagana said. For example, you can explain there are people who don’t have enough food, and children in the hospital who might not have blankets, and then ask, ‘Which one do you think you want to help out with?’ she suggested.

    Consider volunteering for a mission that you can explain to your child, such as cleaning up litter at a park.

    “Kids are unbelievably curious. They ask questions about what they’re doing, what they’re seeing, what they’re feeling, what they’re hearing, and it opens up a dialogue,” Saluja said. “It helps you see even at a young age some of the challenges that society is facing and it gives you agency to know that you can be a part of the solution.”

    Children understand hunger, and they can help alleviate the problem. They can sort grocery boxes at a food pantry or help deliver sustenance to home-bound individuals.

    Aviva Davis was about eight years old when she and her brother Brendan began helping her parents deliver Meals on Wheels to senior citizens and medically frail individuals in Denver. Initially, they rode in the car with their parents and helped bring food to the door. When they were older, they took turns driving.

    “It definitely opened my eyes to what the world is like outside of our bubble. We saw all sorts of different things and I saw not everyone lives the same way,” said Davis, now 17. “But even at such a young age I could realize it’s amazing what we’re doing that we could help people that aren’t as lucky as we were.”

    Davis became a resource at school for fellow students looking to volunteer. She still does monthly meal deliveries with her parents.

    “It’s a great chance for us to catch up as a family,” said her father, Seth Davis. “When we’re not all on our phones, you get some pretty cool quality time.”

    Her brother is now in college, but when he’s home, they do deliveries altogether.

    “The older they get, the harder it is to get that time together,” said their mother, Bonnie Davis, who found the Meals on Wheels opportunity after extensive research.

    When Teacoach couldn’t find organizations willing to accept her toddler, she started a group in Pittsburgh called VolunTOTs, which creates service opportunities for children as young as 3. The children and their parents pack 500 boxes of groceries to distribute to families in need, play bingo with seniors in nursing homes and make dog treats for an animal rescue center, among other projects.

    Parents have told Teacoach their children’s conduct improves after volunteering. “They feel so good about themselves, they were a helper, and that translates into better behavior,” she said.

    Stephanie Bernaba’s family started “Tough Cookies,” a project where they bake and deliver cookies to veterans, when her son Matthew was in eighth grade and had to complete a service project for school.

    “Going up to the houses, it was very nice, because they’re mostly living alone. A lot of their family or friends died,” said Michael Bernaba, 14, now a freshman at The Prout School in Wakefield, Rhode Island. “It’s just nice to be there and bring it to them … They were very happy, especially for someone to bring them treats like that.”

    The project also helped the teens learn social skills and meet people in various stages of life and health conditions, Stephanie Bernaba said.

    “We went to the first couple of places and I was really scared, because I’m more of a shy person,” Matthew Bernaba, now 15, said. “For the first couple of deliveries I was more to myself, and as we kept going, we talked more with the veterans and got to hear great stories from them.”

    Children can be more willing to try new activities with a buddy, so consider signing up with people you know.

    You can also connect with a nonprofit in need of a service and invite other families over to do a project together, as Lagana’s friends have done, organizing clothing donations or assembling snack packs in living rooms.

    Bonnie Davis organized a drive for menstrual supplies, and families gathered in her backyard to assemble the baskets. She also turned half of her son’s graduation party into a volunteer project assembling kits of bean soup.

    “It’s a win for everybody. You get quality time, you’re raising your children with what feels like good values, and people benefit,” she said.

    ___

    Send your wellness questions and story ideas to cbussewitz@ap.org. Follow AP’s Be Well coverage, focusing on wellness, fitness, diet and mental health at https://apnews.com/hub/be-well.

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  • ‘The year that the shoe dropped’: Canada-U.S. relationship in 2025 – National

    ‘The year that the shoe dropped’: Canada-U.S. relationship in 2025 – National

    The people anxiously sipping hot chocolate in the Canadian Embassy in Washington on a cold night in January almost a year ago couldn’t have predicted the roller-coaster of trade provocations and bilateral blow-ups the next 12 months would bring.

    In hindsight, that unusually chilly Washington evening foreshadowed how the Canada-United States relationship would soon freeze over.

    U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariff threats and his talk of annexing Canada had already rattled Canadian politics over the preceding weeks. A rushed trip to Mar-a-Lago in early November 2024 failed to mend former prime minister Justin Trudeau’s already rocky relationship with the incoming U.S. president.

    On Jan. 20, the day of his second inauguration, Trump returned to the Oval Office to announce his “America First” trade policy. Just weeks later, he announced sweeping tariffs on Canadian imports.


    Click to play video: 'Canada–U.S. trade tensions: Where things stand and what comes next?'


    Canada–U.S. trade tensions: Where things stand and what comes next?


    By early February, it was obvious to everyone the relationship Canadians thought they had with their closest neighbour was over.

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    Former foreign affairs minister Mélanie Joly called on “every single political leader across the board, across the country, to stand united because, now more than ever, we need to make sure that we put country first.”

    It was all happening amid a swift domestic political upheaval that saw Trudeau, weakened by poor polling and internal Liberal party dissent, announce on Jan. 6 he would resign as prime minister as soon as a new Liberal leader was chosen.

    Mark Carney became party leader in March, and almost immediately launched an election, forming a minority government following a campaign that centred on Trump.


    Trump’s tariffs — which don’t apply to goods compliant with the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement on trade, known as CUSMA — hit Canada in March.

    They were boosted to 35 per cent in August as Trump complained about Canada’s retaliatory tariffs and supply management in the dairy sector, and claimed Ottawa hadn’t done enough to stop the very modest cross-border flow of fentanyl.

    The president’s separate Section 232 tariffs on specific industries, such as steel, aluminum, automobiles, copper and lumber, have also hit Canada hard.

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    Trump took his trade war global in April with his so-called “reciprocal” tariffs on nearly every nation. World leaders raced to respond. Some signed frameworks of trade agreements that promised massive investments in the United States in exchange for slightly lower tariff rates.

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    The speed and scale of Trump’s trade war with the world caught everyone off guard, said Fen Osler Hampson, a professor of international affairs at Carleton University in Ottawa and co-chair of the Expert Group on Canada-U.S. Relations.

    While the president toned down his annexation talk after Carney’s election, every deadline for a trade deal since then has come and gone, with no clear progress.

    Talks remain stalled.

    “That’s … I would hasten to add, no fault of (Carney’s),” Hampson said.

    Carney suspended Canada’s digital sales tax, tightened border security, dropped most retaliatory tariffs and boosted defence spending in an unsuccessful effort to get Trump to drop his tariffs.

    Until recently, however, a swift breakthrough on tariffs seemed possible.


    Click to play video: '‘We’ll work it out’: Trump on trade meetings with Carney, Sheinbaum in Washington'


    ‘We’ll work it out’: Trump on trade meetings with Carney, Sheinbaum in Washington


    Carney and Trump complemented each other and bantered for the news crews during two cordial meetings at the White House. Media reports suggested in mid-October some sort of framework for a deal easing tariffs was in the works.

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    It all went sideways in October when Trump, offended by an Ontario-sponsored TV ad quoting former U.S. president Ronald Reagan criticizing tariffs, shut down trade talks.

    Canada and the United States have had disagreements throughout their shared history, Hampson said, but in the decades after the introduction of the North American Free Trade Agreement, most observers expected the continent to grow more integrated.

    “That’s no longer true,” he said. “We increasingly look like three countries going our own separate ways.”

    For many Canadians, the past year has felt like an existential crisis — an extended, numbing assault on this country’s sovereignty and stability. In the United States, the shattered relationship with Canada has had less of an impact.

    Americans who support the Trump administration see it doing what they voted for — even if it means Canada getting caught up as collateral damage. For Trump’s opponents, the president’s actions have driven a wave of alarming change they struggle to keep up with — and Canadian concerns aren’t necessarily their priority.

    Matthew Lebo, a political-science professor at Western University in London, Ont., said the Trump administration has crossed any number of red lines.

    “Democratic decline in many, many directions, the ignoring of constitutional limits on presidential power, the ignoring of Congress’ role in setting policy, especially about tariffs,” he said.

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    Trump’s administration launched a massive deportation campaign that is filling Americans’ newsfeeds with images of masked and armed ICE officers descending on peaceful neighbourhoods. It has deployed National Guard troops to Washington and other Democratic strongholds despite the objections of governors.


    Click to play video: 'Kilmar Abrego Garcia released from ICE detention, vows fight against US ‘injustices’'


    Kilmar Abrego Garcia released from ICE detention, vows fight against US ‘injustices’


    Trump has targeted law firms and universities to bring them in line with his agenda. His administration dismantled the U.S. Agency for International Development and is working to do the same to the Department of Education. Thousands of U.S. government employees have been laid off.

    Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has pursued a radical policy on vaccines that has alarmed doctors and researchers.

    U.S. foreign policy — on everything from Russia’s war in Ukraine to missile strikes targeting alleged drug boats near Venezuela — seems to change on almost a weekly basis.

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    The year also saw the longest government shutdown in the United States’ history.

    Alasdair Roberts, a professor of public policy at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, described the past year as a “partial revolution.”

    “It’s an attempt to change the regime, but it’s limited by the fact that the courts may still check what (Trump’s) doing,” Roberts said. “And he hasn’t got the legislative changes necessary … to kind of entrench the new way of working.”

    Despite the rapid collapse of norms in Washington, Roberts said he does not believe American democracy is in crisis. There is dysfunction in the nation’s capital, he said, but that does not mean the entire system is malfunctioning.

    Roberts pointed to the November elections, when millions of Americans voted without controversy — and delivered an electoral rebuke to many Republican candidates.

    Roberts also pointed out the state of U.S. federal politics has forced Canada to accept an uncomfortable truth: the way the United States perceives its neighbour to the north has shifted fundamentally.

    “This is the moment that Canada realized that the game has changed,” he said.

    “The game has been changing for a few years, but this is the year that the shoe dropped.”


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  • PSX closes week at record high as KSE-100 gains over 1,500 points

    Strong buying interest lifted equities at the Pakistan Stock Exchange on Friday, with the benchmark KSE-100 Indexclosing at a new all-time high amid improved investor sentiment.

    The index remained positive throughout the session and touched an intra-day high of 172,582.95 points.

    At close, the KSE-100 settled at 172,400.73, up 1,570.51 points or 0.92% from the previous close.

    Earlier in the week, trading remained subdued. On Wednesday, cautious sentiment during the roll-over week led to selective selling in heavyweight stocks, pulling the benchmark index down by 243.51 points, or 0.14%, to 170,830.22.

    The market remained closed on Thursday, December 25, due to a public holiday.


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  • Pressure grows on Target as activist investor builds stake

    Pressure grows on Target as activist investor builds stake

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    US retail chain Target is facing pressure from an activist investor after a sales slump that has wiped out nearly a third of its share value this year, according to people familiar with the details.

    Toms Capital Investment Management, a US hedge fund that built a stake in Tylenol maker Kenvue before its $48.7bn sale to Kimberly-Clark last month, has made a significant investment in Target, the people said. The exact size of TCIM’s stake is unknown.

    The pressure comes after Target in November reported its 12th consecutive quarter of negative or negligible sales growth.

    Target’s share price has fallen more than 60 per cent from its all-time high during the Covid-19 pandemic, when customers flocked to it as a one-stop shop for necessities, clothes and home goods. It has underperformed the wider retail sector.

    TCIM declined to comment. Founded by alumni of London-based hedge fund GLG Partners in 2017, it has recently built stakes and pushed for strategic changes at Pringles maker Kellanova, US Steel and Kenvue.

    Shares in Target rose as much as 3.7 per cent on Friday after the Financial Times report on TCIM’s stake, giving the company a market value of $44.3bn.

    Target said in a statement that it maintained a “regular dialogue” with all of its shareholders.

    “Target’s top priority is getting back to growth, and our strategy to do so is rooted in three strategic priorities: leading with merchandising authority, providing a consistently elevated shopping experience and leveraging technology,” the company said. “We are confident the execution of this plan will drive the business forward and deliver sustained, long-term value for shareholders.”

    Target’s longtime chief executive Brian Cornell plans to step down in February after more than a decade in the top job. He is being replaced by chief operating officer Michael Fiddelke, who after 23 years at the retailer has been tasked with orchestrating a major overhaul.

    Fiddelke told investors last month that Target would spend $5bn in 2026, roughly $1bn more than this year, on improvements such as store renovations, product refreshes and a better digital experience. “We are not satisfied with our current results and are relentless in our pursuit of returning to growth,” he said on November’s investor call.

    Analysts have highlighted Target’s advantages: 75 per cent of the US population live within 10 miles of its nearly 2,000 stores, second only to Walmart, and it owns 78 per cent of its stores. A recent UBS analyst report noted how Target could monetise its real estate in a similar way to US farm supply retailer Tractor Supply.

    Yet consumers have become more cautious about spending, and Target, which relies more on discretionary goods such as decor, has been hit harder than rivals. Walmart’s share price is close to a record high, giving it a market capitalisation of almost $900bn, while the share price of warehouse club store Costco has more than doubled over the past five years.

    In October, Target cut 1,000 roles and a further 800 open positions at its headquarters in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The job losses accounted for about 8 per cent of its 22,000 corporate employees.

    With about half of its merchandise sourced from outside the US — China is its main source of imported products — it has been hit by US President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariffs.

    While the tariffs have increased the cost of merchandise, Target lowered prices for 3,000 household essentials during the holiday shopping season.

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  • NCUA Moves GENIUS Act Rulemaking to OMB, Kicking Off Implementation Process – Consumer Financial Services Law Monitor

    1. NCUA Moves GENIUS Act Rulemaking to OMB, Kicking Off Implementation Process  Consumer Financial Services Law Monitor
    2. A Year of Change Across Financial Regulation – and What Comes Next, December 2025 – FDIC Proposes Application Framework for Bank-Affiliated Payment Stablecoin Issuers  JD Supra
    3. FDIC Proposes GENIUS Act Application Process for IDI Subsidiary Stablecoin Issuers  Lexology
    4. NCUA submits GENIUS Act rulemaking to OMB  America’s Credit Unions
    5. Troutman Pepper Locke Weekly Consumer Financial Services Newsletter – December 23, 2025  Consumer Financial Services Law Monitor

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  • Entergy Arkansas employees empowered to help neighbors in need

    Entergy Arkansas employees empowered to help neighbors in need

    LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – During this season of giving, Entergy Arkansas is doing more than powering communities across its 63-county service area, the company is empowering its employees to make a direct difference in those communities throughout Arkansas for neighbors facing hardship. In the past month alone, Entergy Arkansas has directed $30,000 to hunger-relief efforts statewide at the request of employees who saw needs in their communities.

    Drew County effort delivers support through February
    In Drew County, a local food program that serves 156 senior citizens and disabled residents was temporarily paused due to relocation of a distribution site during the recent federal government shutdown. When Customer Service Manager Amanda Killingsworth, a lifelong Drew County resident, learned of the issue, she quickly mobilized support. She reached out to co-workers and more than 2,600 people on Facebook to sponsor a month of food for $60 per recipient.

    Two weeks later, she and colleagues were shopping in bulk, assembling meals with volunteers and delivering boxes by Entergy truck and trailer.

    “Entergy truly loves the communities it serves,” Killingsworth said. “When your company president, vice president, managers and co-workers ask, ‘What can we do?’ you realize you’re surrounded by people who believe in service just as much as you do.”

    With Entergy Arkansas’s support and donations Killingsworth helped raise, every program participant — and several additional residents in need — received food boxes with enough supplies to last through February.

    Hunger Relief Alliance strengthens statewide food access
    Statewide, the Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance has also been working to keep shelves stocked at its six regional food banks and more than 500 community partners during the months when many Arkansans were not receiving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. Entergy Arkansas provided a $20,000 grant to support that effort.

    Entergy Arkansas Director of Public Affairs John Bethel, who serves as president of the Alliance board, said the grant filled a critical gap.

    “This support helped the Alliance provide food to food banks and pantries across the state, helping fight food insecurity and meet the critical needs of our neighbors,” Bethel said.

    Alliance CEO Sylvia Blain said Entergy’s partnership strengthens hunger-relief work across Arkansas.

    “Entergy’s investment strengthens our statewide network and ensures rural communities, seniors, and families have access to healthy food and emergency support,” Blain said. “We are grateful for Entergy’s continued leadership through John Bethel. His advocacy and service have strengthened hunger-relief efforts statewide and helped connect Entergy employees to the needs of local food pantries.”

    Entergy Arkansas employees connect nonprofits to resources

    In Malvern, Ashley Selph, network administrative assistant, knew Revive Community Outreach’s pantry was serving more families than ever. She contacted Revive Director Courtney McKinney and encouraged her to apply for an Entergy Arkansas grant. For McKinney — who grew up with Selph — the outreach itself was just as meaningful as the financial support.

    “Having community members who work for Entergy advocate for our nonprofit means everything to us,” McKinney said. “It shows how deeply our neighbors care and how willing they are to use their resources to uplift local families.”

    Grant helps Sulphur Rock students through holiday breaks
    Across the state in Independence County, Vegetation Operations Coordinator Chris Millay was visiting his children at Sulphur Rock Elementary when Principal Tina Baker mentioned an urgent need. The school, which provides weekly food boxes to 52 students, lacked funds to purchase food for the upcoming holiday breaks. Millay immediately relayed the request, and by the next morning Entergy Arkansas confirmed a grant to cover the need.

    “Sulphur Rock Elementary is grateful for Entergy employees who go beyond their workplace to advocate for our students,” Baker said. “Grants like these directly support our efforts to ensure every child has what they need to learn, grow and thrive.”

    Nearly $1M, 30K volunteer hours invested in communities in 2025
    In 2025, Entergy Arkansas awarded nearly $1 million in grants, including more than $125,000 for hunger-relief programs. Employees are also on track to complete over 30,000 volunteer hours with nonprofits and schools across the state.

    “We invest in solutions and partner with organizations that share our commitment to improving quality of life in Arkansas,” said Brandi Hinkle, senior representative for Entergy Corporate Social Responsibility. “Our employees do the same — giving their time and resources to help those who are disadvantaged.”

    Volunteers continue giving spirit through December
    Throughout December, Entergy Arkansas employees will continue serving communities by collecting toys for Arkansas Children’s Hospital families, ringing bells for the Salvation Army, distributing coats to elementary students and assembling pantry boxes for those facing food insecurity.

    To learn more about the Entergy Charitable Foundation and Entergy Arkansas Corporate Social Responsibility, visit entergy.com/csr/giving.

     

    About Entergy Arkansas
    Entergy Arkansas provides electricity to approximately 735,000 customers in 63 counties. Entergy Arkansas is a subsidiary of Entergy Corporation (NYSE: ETR). Entergy produces, transmits and distributes electricity to power life for 3 million customers through our operating companies in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. We’re investing for growth and improved reliability and resilience of our energy system while working to keep energy rates affordable for our customers. We’re also investing in cleaner energy generation like modern natural gas, nuclear and renewable energy. A nationally recognized leader in sustainability and corporate citizenship, we deliver more than $100 million in economic benefits each year to the communities we serve through philanthropy, volunteerism and advocacy. Entergy is a Fortune 500 company headquartered in New Orleans, Louisiana, and has approximately 12,000 employees. Learn more at EntergyArkansas.com and connect with @EntergyARK on social media.

     

    Media inquiries:
    Lamor Williams
    [email protected]
    501-377-3525

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  • What’s open on the day after Christmas? Here’s what’s open, from the stock market to stores.

    What’s open on the day after Christmas? Here’s what’s open, from the stock market to stores.


    The day after Christmas is often a holiday for many people, prompting questions about whether retailers and services such as banks and the stock market are open on Dec. 26.

    The issue is complicated by President Trump’s declaration earlier this month granting federal workers two additional holidays, on Dec. 24 and Dec. 26. 

    The day after Christmas in the U.S. is a traditional day for making gift returns — the first opportunity after the holiday to exchange presents that didn’t quite make the grade. That means most U.S. retailers are open on Dec. 26, although it’s always a good idea to check your local store’s hours before heading out the door.

    Is the stock market open the day after Christmas?

    Yes, the New York Stock Exchange and the Nasdaq are open for their normal trading hours on Dec. 26, after closing on Christmas Day and ending trading early, at 1 p.m. EST, on Christmas Eve. 

    On Friday, regular trading begins at 9:30 a.m. EST and ends at 4 p.m.

    Are banks open the day after Christmas? 

    Banks are also open on Dec. 26, as the day isn’t observed as a holiday by the Federal Reserve system. 

    Is the U.S. Postal Service open on Dec. 26?

    According to the U.S. Postal Service, Dec. 26 is a regular delivery day for the agency, after the postal agency was closed in observance of Christmas. 

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  • Holiday trash schedule shifts, UMC CEO review lands

    Holiday trash schedule shifts, UMC CEO review lands

    This is your weekly news roundup, which takes a quick look at some developments in government, politics, education, environment and other topics across El Paso.

    Got Christmas Trees and Turkey Grease? Holiday Trash Pickup, Drop-Offs Set

    The city’s Environmental Services Department has set the holiday schedule for trash and recycling pickups: Gray and blue bins normally picked up Thursday and Friday will be picked up Saturday, Dec. 27, during Christmas week. 

    For New Year’s week, the city will service gray trash bins normally picked up Thursday and Friday on Saturday, Jan. 3. 

    The city will not pick up blue bins on the make-up days, but will get them on the next scheduled recyclable collection day.

    Check collection schedules for your address here.

    Citizen collection stations will be closed Dec. 25-26 and Jan. 1-2. The sites will reopen at 7 a.m. Saturdays. The collection stations are at 2600 Darrington Road, 1034 Pendale Road, 121 Atlantic Road, 4501 Hondo Pass Drive, 2492 Harrison Ave. and 3510 Confederate Drive.

    Live holiday trees and turkey grease can also be taken to the citizen collection stations. Trees can be dropped off beginning Dec. 27. Trees cannot have ornaments, lights, frost or glitter or any other decorative items. Water bills are not required to drop off the trees, grease or oil.

    Information: Environmental Services Department or 915-212-6000.

    University Medical Center of El Paso Releases CEO Job Review

    Jacob Cintron

    The University Medical Center of El Paso’s Board of Managers rated CEO Jacob Cintron’s performance at 86.3% for the 2025 fiscal year, a score the board cited in approving a 14% pay raise last week.

    In addition to the salary increase, Cintron also received a bonus of more than $346,000, bumping his fiscal year 2026 pay up to $1.1 million.

    Records provided to El Paso Matters show Cintron fully met most of his incentive metrics in the 2025 fiscal year, which included benchmarks for finance, quality of patient care, patient services and long-term planning. He partially met two metrics measuring the number of full-time employees per occupied bed and inpatient satisfaction score, according to his evaluation.

    READ MORE: UMC El Paso CEO Jacob Cintron to collect nearly $1.5 million after pay raise, bonus

    The board cited this evaluation, coupled with a 2025 Gallagher Human Resources Compensation Study of Hospital CEOs, as reason to approve the pay raise.

    The board also approved fiscal year 2026 goals for the hospital district, which is budgeted for more than 24,000 patient admissions and more than 1.2 million outpatient visits. The goals include developing a physician recruitment plan for the hospital’s bond project rollout and having one obstetrician under contract by September 2026 to address declining birth rates.

    Kerry Doyle at the Stanlee and Gerald Rubin Center for the Visual Arts where she serves as director. (Daniel Perez / El Paso Matters)

    UTEP’s Rubin Center Longtime Leader Kerry Doyle to Retire

    The Stanlee and Gerald Rubin Center for the Visual Arts at the University of Texas at El Paso will need a new director starting this spring because Kerry Doyle, its longtime leader, will retire after almost 19 years at the center, the past 13 as its director.

    Doyle told El Paso Matters via text that it just felt like the right time for her to leave. Her last day will be April 30. She said she is most proud of building a focus on work that was student-centered, interdisciplinary and had deep ties to the border.

    She plans to stay in the region and work with the Gaspar Enriquez Cultural Center in San Elizario, which the Rubin Center helped establish in October 2023. Among its many goals are to serve as a training ground for future museum and arts professionals.

    LEARN MORE: ‘Blood, sweat and tears’: Gaspar Enriquez Cultural Center to open in San Elizario

    Angel Cabrales, associate professor of art at UTEP, said Doyle brought in contemporary artists that most students never would have met, including Chico MacMurtrie in 2021. Some of his students worked on one of MacMurtrie’s robotic pieces that has been shown internationally.

    “(Doyle’s) an incredible person and she’s going to be missed so much,” Cabrales said.

    Eduardo Diaz, a former administrator at museums across the country, remembers being impressed by Doyle at the 2009 Smithsonian Institution Latino Museum Studies summer program. He was the program’s director.

    “It was very clear to me that she was an extraordinary administrator and visionary,” he said by phone. “What she’s done at the Rubin Center reflects that.”

    Doyle, an expert in U.S.-Mexican art and culture, curated contemporary art by international artists whose projects promoted community engagement and pushed beyond performative trends. 

    She earned and managed grants from such organizations as the Lannan and Harpo foundations, the National Endowment for the Arts, the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, the Texas Commission on the Arts and the Paso del Norte Health Foundation.

    El Paso County recently received a $12.8 million federal transportation grant to build a transit operations and maintenance facility in Far East El Paso. (Courtesy El Paso Transportation Authority)

    El Paso County Receives $12.8 Million Grant for Transit Hub

    The county will be able to build a transit operations and maintenance facility on Windermere Avenue in far East El Paso with a $12.8 million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Transit Administration.

    The funding is part of the Low or No Emission Grant Program and Grants for Buses and Bus Facilities Program, and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

    The El Paso Transportation Authority, or ETA, transit administration facility will house operations and maintenance operations for 36 transit vehicles and six support vehicles. 

    “We are grateful for this significant federal support, which marks an important step toward building a cleaner and more modern transit system for El Paso County,” ETA Executive Director John Andoh said in a news release. 

    The county and the ETA currently lease land for its facility.

    The land for the new facility has been purchased, the environmental study and design work is being done in partnership with the Camino Real Regional Mobility Authority. The CRRMA oversees road and transportation projects with and for local governments and has partnered with the county for several projects.

    The construction bid will be issued in 2026, although a specific construction start date has not been set.


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  • Ethiopian Achieves Major MRO Breakthrough with First A350-900 Full Strip and Paint Program in Africa

    Ethiopian Achieves Major MRO Breakthrough with First A350-900 Full Strip and Paint Program in Africa

    Addis Ababa, 26 December 2025

    Ethiopian Airlines, the leading carrier in Africa and one of the fastest-growing airline brands globally, is proud to announce the successful completion of Africa’s first full strip-and-paint program of the Airbus A350-900 aircraft on two of its aircraft, marking a significant advancement in Ethiopian MRO’s capacity, technical expertise, and commitment to operational excellence. This achievement marks yet another milestone following the recent development of full strip-and-paint capabilities on the Boeing 787 fleet composite painting capability.

    Appreciating the major accomplishment, Mr. Mesfin Tasew, Ethiopian Airlines Group CEO, remarked: “The successful execution of our full strip-and-paint project on two of our A350-900 aircraft coupled with the completion of paint capability on the B787 earlier this year, marks a significant step forward in Ethiopian’s in-house widebody advanced composite structure paint capabilities. This project is yet another milestone which reflects Ethiopian’s ongoing commitment to investing in world-class MRO capabilities, strengthening our operational resilience, enhancing our self-reliance, and elevating our global standing. Beyond saving costs, this achievement enables us to generate additional revenue and reinforce our position as a leading MRO service provider in the continent and the region.

    As one of the leading aircraft maintenance service providers in the continent and the Middle East, Ethiopian MRO has been offering top-notch aircraft maintenance services, including advanced aircraft and aircraft parts painting and coating solutions through its modern paint shop and state-of-the-art dedicated paint hangar for nearly six decades, serving not only Ethiopian Airlines’ own fleet but also third-party customers.

    Currently, Ethiopian Airlines possesses comprehensive in-house aircraft painting and specialized multi-layer coating capabilities on both advanced composite and aluminum airframes, across its entire fleet, enabling the airline to efficiently handle painting and coating projects using highly advanced application methods like High-Volume Low-Pressure (HVLP) and electrostatic systems spraying.

    About Ethiopian

    Ethiopian Airlines Group (Ethiopian) is a true African success story, transforming a visionary dream into a globally renowned reality for nearly eight decades. Operating flights to more than 160 domestic and international passenger, and cargo destinations across five continents, Ethiopian bridges the gaps between Africa and the world. Emphasizing passenger comfort and environmental sustainability, Ethiopian utilizes ultra-modern aircraft such as Boeing 737s, 777s, 787s, Airbus A350-900, A350-1000 and De Havilland Q400.

    Ethiopian, the Star Alliance member airline, champions in various coveted awards including Skytrax’s ‘Best Airline in Africa Award’ for eight consecutive years, APEX ‘Best Overall in Africa’ award and ‘Leadership in Connecting Africa through Transport’ Award among others. Ethiopian aims to further excel in its success through a strategic plan dubbed ‘Vision 2035’ and become one of the top 20 most competitive and leading aviation groups in the world. Embracing a Pan-African spirit, Ethiopian is pursuing multi-hub strategy through hubs in Lomé, Togo with ASKY, in Lilongwe, Malawi with Malawi Airlines, in Lusaka, Zambia with Zambia Airways, and in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) with Air Congo.

    For more information, visit our website at  www.ethiopianairlines.com  email us at CorporateCommunication@ethiopianairlines.com , or call us at (251-11)517-8913/8165/8907.

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