Every thirty seconds, another American places their first sports bet online. It happens in bedrooms at 2 AM, in office bathrooms during lunch breaks, in stadium parking lots moments before kickoff. The numbers have become almost incomprehensible: Global online gambling revenue reached $100 billion in early 2024. During the past NFL season alone, Americans wagered over $10.9 billion – more than the GDP of 50 different nations. Each digit in these figures represents a thousand small tragedies, a million moments of desperation, countless families watching their futures disappear one bet at a time.

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola believes 40-man squads could be the only way to cope with the demands of the football calendar but says it would drive clubs to bankruptcy.

City are one of many sides, including Tottenham and Arsenal, to have been dogged by injuries this season, with defender Manuel Akanji the latest player to be sidelined following news of a season-ending hamstring injury to Kai Havertz.

Akanji is facing up to 10 weeks out after rupturing his abductor during Tuesday’s Champions League defeat to Real Madrid. Guardiola feels the injuries affecting so many sides are a direct consequence of football’s ever-expanding schedule.

“I always expect injuries during the season. Not as much as we’ve…

By Sr. Jecinter Antoinette Okoth, FSSA

Debt cancellation has become a pressing necessity in regards to global economics, social justice and financial stability, especially in developing countries in Africa which are struggling with unsustainable debt burdens.

At the launch of the Jubilee 2025 Debt Cancellation Campaign following Pope Francis solidarity appeal for “international community to work towards forgiving foreign debt in recognition of the ecological debt existing between the North and the…

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (WBTV) – We’ve been in the throws of winter for a couple of months now, and there are two things we’ve come to expect: colder temperatures and high energy bills.

But what happens if you come up short and can’t pay to heat your home?

We’ve been checking on programs available to those who are struggling to keep up with those expenses.

“Just watch it go up and up,” said Jazmine Williams, who just moved to the area from Wilmington.

They got a house nearby, but haven’t received their first electric bill yet. Something she’s not looking forward to.

“We are having to run the heat more and more, we’re expecting our bill to be higher, even way higher than we’ve paid ever,” Williams explained.

And thinking of…

Credit card debt has become a massive issue for Americans over the last few years — and that problem is compounding rapidly, according to recent data. As of the fourth quarter of 2024, cardholders owed a collective $1.21 trillion on their credit cards — signaling a new record high and an increase of $45 billion from the prior quarter. Serious credit card delinquencies have been climbing, too, indicating that more and more Americans are struggling to keep up with their debt…

Provisional liquidators have been appointed to a Co Cork-based medical supplies company that alleges it is owed €1.2 million by the HSE.

PMD Device Solutions Ltd petitioned the High Court for the appointment on Friday, acknowledging that it is “clearly insolvent”, with over €14.6 million in liabilities set against €4.6 million in assets.

The company, with a registered office at Model Farm Road, Cork made a loss of over €900,000 over the last 13 months, the court heard.

Separately, PMD is subject of a court order restraining it from selling, transferring or providing access to patient data to any third party outside of the HSE, after the health authority claimed the company demanded payment to “maintain the integrity” of…

Minnesota leaders announced new legislation meant to address medical debt for residents in the state. The legislation includes a partnership with Undue Medical Debt, a nonprofit that focuses on medical debt forgiveness.

Sr. Henriette Anne, FSSA

In a one day media workshop organized by the Jubilee 2025 Africa Coalition, the Association of Members Episcopal Conference in Eastern Africa (AMECEA), Jesuits Justice and Ecology Network Africa, Caritas Africa and Hakimani Center on February 12^th 2025 at Radisson Blu hotel in Nairobi- Kenya, joined the Vatican’s Dicastery for the Promotion of Integral Human Development in launching the Jubilee 2025 Debt Cancellation Campaign for countries in Africa who are in “dire fiscal situation, where debt servicing costs consume over 50% of national revenues”.

In his speech during this workshop of media personnel from various media houses in Kenya themed “Unpacking Africa’s Debt Crisi; Understanding…

“Through our corporate citizenship platform, the TD Ready Commitment, we are proud to support the expansion of VST’s Reclaim program designed to provide immediate financial relief and help those affected by human trafficking reclaim feelings of freedom, healing, and self-determination,” said Alicia Rose, AVP, Social Impact & Strategy, Sustainability & Corporate Citizenship at TD Bank.