As Houston Astros general manager Dana Brown looks for his team to have a great season, there could be a change of position for one of the team’s main stars. Astros star Jose Altuve has been playing outfield in multiple points this spring training rather than his usual second base as Brown spoke about the […]
The post Astros’ Jose Altuve position change gets evasive response from GM Dana Brown appeared first on ClutchPoints.
A POPULAR restaurant chain has closed one of its branches after eight years, blaming the cost-of-living crisis and tough economic conditions.
The Dunfermline restaurant, located next to the Alhambra Theatre, closed at the end of 2024 and has yet to reopen, despite being initially marked as a temporary closure.
It’s also been removed from the Monterey Jack’s website, which now lists locations in Braehead, Edinburgh, Falkirk, Glasgow City Centre, Glasgow Fort, Perth, Stirling, and M&D’s Scotland’s Theme Park.
Richard Fergie, a spokesperson for the restaurant group, confirmed that the Dunfermline branch is under review after temporarily closing due to staff shortages.
He explained: “The store was recently closed temporarily due to staffing issues, but it is now under review for its viability.”
Fergie added that no final decision has been made yet, saying: “Like many hospitality businesses in the UK, we have to assess all locations to determine if they are sustainable moving forward.”
Monterey Jack’s, known for its gourmet American-style burgers, hot dogs, nachos, and cocktails, has been a staple in Dunfermline for several years.
However, the rising cost of goods, energy, and staffing issues have made it increasingly difficult for the business to remain sustainable at its current location.
While the future of the Dunfermline branch remains uncertain, Fergie hinted at the possibility of relocating to a new site in the area that may be more suitable for the business’s long-term goals.
The leasehold for the premises has already been placed on the market.
Store closures are hitting not just restaurants but major retailers too.
Superdry, with 84 locations, is shutting its Eastgate Shopping Centre store in Basildon this Saturday, followed by another in Bradford soon.
This comes after the closure of its Aberdeen store just a month ago, with staff redirecting customers online.
Kaspa’s Desserts in Basildon closed earlier this year due to landlord issues, while a Homebase in nearby Vange also shut last month.
The Nisa Local chain, which operates over 1,300 stores, is also feeling the strain as the retail landscape changes.
EMPTY shops have become an eyesore on many British high streets and are often symbolic of a town centre’s decline.
The Sun’s business editor Ashley Armstrong explains why so many retailers are shutting their doors.
In many cases, retailers are shutting stores because they are no longer the money-makers they once were because of the rise of online shopping.
Falling store sales and rising staff costs have made it even more expensive for shops to stay open.
The British Retail Consortium has predicted that the Treasury’s hike to employer NICs from April 2025, will cost the retail sector £2.3billion.
At the same time, the minimum wage will rise to £12.21 an hour from April, and the minimum wage for people aged 18-20 will rise to £10 an hour, an increase of £1.40.
In some cases, retailers are shutting a store and reopening a new shop at the other end of a high street to reflect how a town has changed.
The problem is that when a big shop closes, footfall falls across the local high street, which puts more shops at risk of closing.
Retail parks are increasingly popular with shoppers, who want to be able to get easy, free parking at a time when local councils have hiked parking charges in towns.
Many retailers including Next and Marks & Spencer have been shutting stores on the high street and taking bigger stores in better-performing retail parks instead.
In some cases, stores have been shut when a retailer goes bust, as in the case of Carpetright, Debenhams, Dorothy Perkins, Paperchase, Ted Baker, The Body Shop, Topshop and Wilko to name a few.
What’s increasingly common is when a chain goes bust a rival retailer or private equity firm snaps up the intellectual property rights so they can own the brand and sell it online.
They may go on to open a handful of stores if there is customer demand, but there are rarely ever as many stores or in the same places.
The Centre for Retail Research (CRR) has warned that around 17,350 retail sites are expected to shut down this year.
A POPULAR restaurant chain has closed one of its branches after eight years, blaming the cost-of-living crisis and tough economic conditions.
The Dunfermline restaurant, located next to the Alhambra Theatre, closed at the end of 2024 and has yet to reopen, despite being initially marked as a temporary closure.
It’s also been removed from the Monterey Jack’s website, which now lists locations in Braehead, Edinburgh, Falkirk, Glasgow City Centre, Glasgow Fort, Perth, Stirling, and M&D’s Scotland’s Theme Park.
Richard Fergie, a spokesperson for the restaurant group, confirmed that the Dunfermline branch is under review after temporarily closing due to staff shortages.
He explained: “The store was recently closed temporarily due to staffing issues, but it is now under review for its viability.”
Fergie added that no final decision has been made yet, saying: “Like many hospitality businesses in the UK, we have to assess all locations to determine if they are sustainable moving forward.”
Monterey Jack’s, known for its gourmet American-style burgers, hot dogs, nachos, and cocktails, has been a staple in Dunfermline for several years.
However, the rising cost of goods, energy, and staffing issues have made it increasingly difficult for the business to remain sustainable at its current location.
While the future of the Dunfermline branch remains uncertain, Fergie hinted at the possibility of relocating to a new site in the area that may be more suitable for the business’s long-term goals.
The leasehold for the premises has already been placed on the market.
Store closures are hitting not just restaurants but major retailers too.
Superdry, with 84 locations, is shutting its Eastgate Shopping Centre store in Basildon this Saturday, followed by another in Bradford soon.
This comes after the closure of its Aberdeen store just a month ago, with staff redirecting customers online.
Kaspa’s Desserts in Basildon closed earlier this year due to landlord issues, while a Homebase in nearby Vange also shut last month.
The Nisa Local chain, which operates over 1,300 stores, is also feeling the strain as the retail landscape changes.
EMPTY shops have become an eyesore on many British high streets and are often symbolic of a town centre’s decline.
The Sun’s business editor Ashley Armstrong explains why so many retailers are shutting their doors.
In many cases, retailers are shutting stores because they are no longer the money-makers they once were because of the rise of online shopping.
Falling store sales and rising staff costs have made it even more expensive for shops to stay open.
The British Retail Consortium has predicted that the Treasury’s hike to employer NICs from April 2025, will cost the retail sector £2.3billion.
At the same time, the minimum wage will rise to £12.21 an hour from April, and the minimum wage for people aged 18-20 will rise to £10 an hour, an increase of £1.40.
In some cases, retailers are shutting a store and reopening a new shop at the other end of a high street to reflect how a town has changed.
The problem is that when a big shop closes, footfall falls across the local high street, which puts more shops at risk of closing.
Retail parks are increasingly popular with shoppers, who want to be able to get easy, free parking at a time when local councils have hiked parking charges in towns.
Many retailers including Next and Marks & Spencer have been shutting stores on the high street and taking bigger stores in better-performing retail parks instead.
In some cases, stores have been shut when a retailer goes bust, as in the case of Carpetright, Debenhams, Dorothy Perkins, Paperchase, Ted Baker, The Body Shop, Topshop and Wilko to name a few.
What’s increasingly common is when a chain goes bust a rival retailer or private equity firm snaps up the intellectual property rights so they can own the brand and sell it online.
They may go on to open a handful of stores if there is customer demand, but there are rarely ever as many stores or in the same places.
The Centre for Retail Research (CRR) has warned that around 17,350 retail sites are expected to shut down this year.
THE world’s most famous dog show returns today with more than 20,000 pooches making their way to the 135th year of Crufts.
Crufts 2025 runs from March 6-9 and takes place at the NEC Birmingham.
Hosting the much loved event was Clare Balding, who was joined by co-presenter Radzi Chinyanganya.
There were also two new faces – Paralympic Champion Ellie Simmonds and former professional rugby player Ed Jackson.
Flyball, was today’s focus, introduced to Crufts in 1990, it’s a fast-paced relay race with two teams of four dogs.
Each dog races over hurdles, triggers a box to release a ball, catches it, and returns over the hurdles, while the opposing team does the same in the next lane.
Each year at Crufts, 16 teams compete for the championship title, thrilling crowds at the NEC Arena!
Brave Nzuri took part in today’s Flyball event as the first ever three legged/tripod dog to ever participate in the race.
Nzuri sadly lost one of her legs in a freak garden accident when she got it stuck in a garden fence and it had to be amputated.
But her runners Lucas and Sarah said they loved her personality and that it had never slowed her down.
“Absolutely loved seeing a tripod hound running in the Flyball at #Crufts Hounds rock!” agreed a viewer on social media.
NZuri was running for The Yorkshire Bouncers in her first time racing at Crufts.
And her loving trainers hoped she would do them proud because she was such a lovely sweet dog.
Unfortunately, her team never won, but the presenters were full of admiration for the brave dog who proudly led her team.
Presenter Radzi said: “In terms of Yorkshire Bouncers, I’ve never seen a three legged dog go – that was so special.
“It goes to show what FlyBall is really all about.”
Presenter Steve Leek added: “It’s a community, a family together”
Explaining that the other team Focus had won before they concluded that it was nothing to be ashamed of.
Crufts airs on Channel 4 and is available to stream on the network.
THE world’s most famous dog show returns today with more than 20,000 pooches making their way to the 135th year of Crufts.
Crufts 2025 runs from March 6-9 and takes place at the NEC Birmingham.
Hosting the much loved event was Clare Balding, who was joined by co-presenter Radzi Chinyanganya.
There were also two new faces – Paralympic Champion Ellie Simmonds and former professional rugby player Ed Jackson.
Flyball, was today’s focus, introduced to Crufts in 1990, it’s a fast-paced relay race with two teams of four dogs.
Each dog races over hurdles, triggers a box to release a ball, catches it, and returns over the hurdles, while the opposing team does the same in the next lane.
Each year at Crufts, 16 teams compete for the championship title, thrilling crowds at the NEC Arena!
Brave Nzuri took part in today’s Flyball event as the first ever three legged/tripod dog to ever participate in the race.
Nzuri sadly lost one of her legs in a freak garden accident when she got it stuck in a garden fence and it had to be amputated.
But her runners Lucas and Sarah said they loved her personality and that it had never slowed her down.
“Absolutely loved seeing a tripod hound running in the Flyball at #Crufts Hounds rock!” agreed a viewer on social media.
NZuri was running for The Yorkshire Bouncers in her first time racing at Crufts.
And her loving trainers hoped she would do them proud because she was such a lovely sweet dog.
Unfortunately, her team never won, but the presenters were full of admiration for the brave dog who proudly led her team.
Presenter Radzi said: “In terms of Yorkshire Bouncers, I’ve never seen a three legged dog go – that was so special.
“It goes to show what FlyBall is really all about.”
Presenter Steve Leek added: “It’s a community, a family together”
Explaining that the other team Focus had won before they concluded that it was nothing to be ashamed of.
Crufts airs on Channel 4 and is available to stream on the network.
A POPULAR restaurant chain has closed one of its branches after eight years, blaming the cost-of-living crisis and tough economic conditions.
The Dunfermline restaurant, located next to the Alhambra Theatre, closed at the end of 2024 and has yet to reopen, despite being initially marked as a temporary closure.
It’s also been removed from the Monterey Jack’s website, which now lists locations in Braehead, Edinburgh, Falkirk, Glasgow City Centre, Glasgow Fort, Perth, Stirling, and M&D’s Scotland’s Theme Park.
Richard Fergie, a spokesperson for the restaurant group, confirmed that the Dunfermline branch is under review after temporarily closing due to staff shortages.
He explained: “The store was recently closed temporarily due to staffing issues, but it is now under review for its viability.”
Fergie added that no final decision has been made yet, saying: “Like many hospitality businesses in the UK, we have to assess all locations to determine if they are sustainable moving forward.”
Monterey Jack’s, known for its gourmet American-style burgers, hot dogs, nachos, and cocktails, has been a staple in Dunfermline for several years.
However, the rising cost of goods, energy, and staffing issues have made it increasingly difficult for the business to remain sustainable at its current location.
While the future of the Dunfermline branch remains uncertain, Fergie hinted at the possibility of relocating to a new site in the area that may be more suitable for the business’s long-term goals.
The leasehold for the premises has already been placed on the market.
Store closures are hitting not just restaurants but major retailers too.
Superdry, with 84 locations, is shutting its Eastgate Shopping Centre store in Basildon this Saturday, followed by another in Bradford soon.
This comes after the closure of its Aberdeen store just a month ago, with staff redirecting customers online.
Kaspa’s Desserts in Basildon closed earlier this year due to landlord issues, while a Homebase in nearby Vange also shut last month.
The Nisa Local chain, which operates over 1,300 stores, is also feeling the strain as the retail landscape changes.
EMPTY shops have become an eyesore on many British high streets and are often symbolic of a town centre’s decline.
The Sun’s business editor Ashley Armstrong explains why so many retailers are shutting their doors.
In many cases, retailers are shutting stores because they are no longer the money-makers they once were because of the rise of online shopping.
Falling store sales and rising staff costs have made it even more expensive for shops to stay open.
The British Retail Consortium has predicted that the Treasury’s hike to employer NICs from April 2025, will cost the retail sector £2.3billion.
At the same time, the minimum wage will rise to £12.21 an hour from April, and the minimum wage for people aged 18-20 will rise to £10 an hour, an increase of £1.40.
In some cases, retailers are shutting a store and reopening a new shop at the other end of a high street to reflect how a town has changed.
The problem is that when a big shop closes, footfall falls across the local high street, which puts more shops at risk of closing.
Retail parks are increasingly popular with shoppers, who want to be able to get easy, free parking at a time when local councils have hiked parking charges in towns.
Many retailers including Next and Marks & Spencer have been shutting stores on the high street and taking bigger stores in better-performing retail parks instead.
In some cases, stores have been shut when a retailer goes bust, as in the case of Carpetright, Debenhams, Dorothy Perkins, Paperchase, Ted Baker, The Body Shop, Topshop and Wilko to name a few.
What’s increasingly common is when a chain goes bust a rival retailer or private equity firm snaps up the intellectual property rights so they can own the brand and sell it online.
They may go on to open a handful of stores if there is customer demand, but there are rarely ever as many stores or in the same places.
The Centre for Retail Research (CRR) has warned that around 17,350 retail sites are expected to shut down this year.
LEWIS Hamilton’s Ferrari faces a thorough FIA investigation after Red Bull complained about it’s rear wings, according to reports.
The new 2025 F1 season is set to be one of the closest title fights in modern history after a promising pre-season test in Bahrain.
But FIA inspectors will head to Maranello to inspect Ferrari‘s latest F1 car after Red Bull’s complaints during pre-season testing.
Christian Horner‘s team argued Ferrari and McLaren were using a flexible rear wing trick to gain a performance advantage.
The FIA has promised to clamp down on it and run checks before the season opener in Melbourne on March 16.
F1’s governing body will place rear wings under increased scrutiny at the Australian Grand Prix next weekend.
Red Bull technical director Pierre Wache raised fresh concerns last week, and told The Race: “It is still going on.
“I think Ferrari and McLaren are doing the mini-DRS stuff still.”
The extra investigation will include cameras on the rear wings of all 10 teams, allowing the FIA to monitor any flexibility outside of the regulations.
The Scuderia reject Red Bull accusations and don’t believe that they’ll face “too many problems”, according to Italian outlet FUnoAnalisiTecnica.
CASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS
As it stands, all cars with wings that have passed the FIA’s static load checks are deemed to be compliant within the rules.
McLaren already changed their rear wing designs once last season after complaints from their rivals.
Red Bull complained about McLaren’s ‘mini DRS’ rear wing trick after the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, a race won by Oscar Piastri.
Although the design was legal, the slot in the wing appeared to open narrowly under load which created an slight advantageous effect.
McLaren, who went on to win the constructors’ title, said they had “proactively offered to make some minor adjustments to the wing” after FIA talks.
They also made it clear they wanted to governing body to make sure other teams were not using similar tricks.
Here are the confirmed driver line ups for the F1 2025 season:
Red Bull: Max Verstappen and Liam Lawson
Ferrari: Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton
Mercedes: George Russell and Kimi Antonelli
McLaren: Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri
Aston Martin: Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll
Williams: Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz
Sauber: Nico Hulkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto
Alpine: Pierre Gasly and Jack Doohan
RB: Yuki Tsunoda and Isack Hadjar
Haas: Ollie Bearman and Esteban Ocon
The accusations travelled in multiple directions last term.
McLaren called attention to Red Bull’s front-bib device at the United States GP.
The front-bib is a tool that adjusts the height of the front of a car’s floor.
But FIA officials subsequently clarified that there was no way for the drivers to alter ride height from the cockpit, which would have been illegal.
Max Verstappen is the defending drivers’ champion but Lando Norris heads into the season as the title favourite with McLaren.
THE world’s most famous dog show returns today with more than 20,000 pooches making their way to the 135th year of Crufts.
Crufts 2025 runs from March 6-9 and takes place at the NEC Birmingham.
Hosting the much loved event was Clare Balding, who was joined by co-presenter Radzi Chinyanganya.
There were also two new faces – Paralympic Champion Ellie Simmonds and former professional rugby player Ed Jackson.
Flyball, was today’s focus, introduced to Crufts in 1990, it’s a fast-paced relay race with two teams of four dogs.
Each dog races over hurdles, triggers a box to release a ball, catches it, and returns over the hurdles, while the opposing team does the same in the next lane.
Each year at Crufts, 16 teams compete for the championship title, thrilling crowds at the NEC Arena!
Brave Nzuri took part in today’s Flyball event as the first ever three legged/tripod dog to ever participate in the race.
Nzuri sadly lost one of her legs in a freak garden accident when she got it stuck in a garden fence and it had to be amputated.
But her runners Lucas and Sarah said they loved her personality and that it had never slowed her down.
“Absolutely loved seeing a tripod hound running in the Flyball at #Crufts Hounds rock!” agreed a viewer on social media.
NZuri was running for The Yorkshire Bouncers in her first time racing at Crufts.
And her loving trainers hoped she would do them proud because she was such a lovely sweet dog.
Unfortunately, her team never won, but the presenters were full of admiration for the brave dog who proudly led her team.
Presenter Radzi said: “In terms of Yorkshire Bouncers, I’ve never seen a three legged dog go – that was so special.
“It goes to show what FlyBall is really all about.”
Presenter Steve Leek added: “It’s a community, a family together”
Explaining that the other team Focus had won before they concluded that it was nothing to be ashamed of.
Crufts airs on Channel 4 and is available to stream on the network.
LEWIS Hamilton’s Ferrari faces a thorough FIA investigation after Red Bull complained about it’s rear wings, according to reports.
The new 2025 F1 season is set to be one of the closest title fights in modern history after a promising pre-season test in Bahrain.
But FIA inspectors will head to Maranello to inspect Ferrari‘s latest F1 car after Red Bull’s complaints during pre-season testing.
Christian Horner‘s team argued Ferrari and McLaren were using a flexible rear wing trick to gain a performance advantage.
The FIA has promised to clamp down on it and run checks before the season opener in Melbourne on March 16.
F1’s governing body will place rear wings under increased scrutiny at the Australian Grand Prix next weekend.
Red Bull technical director Pierre Wache raised fresh concerns last week, and told The Race: “It is still going on.
“I think Ferrari and McLaren are doing the mini-DRS stuff still.”
The extra investigation will include cameras on the rear wings of all 10 teams, allowing the FIA to monitor any flexibility outside of the regulations.
The Scuderia reject Red Bull accusations and don’t believe that they’ll face “too many problems”, according to Italian outlet FUnoAnalisiTecnica.
CASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS
As it stands, all cars with wings that have passed the FIA’s static load checks are deemed to be compliant within the rules.
McLaren already changed their rear wing designs once last season after complaints from their rivals.
Red Bull complained about McLaren’s ‘mini DRS’ rear wing trick after the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, a race won by Oscar Piastri.
Although the design was legal, the slot in the wing appeared to open narrowly under load which created an slight advantageous effect.
McLaren, who went on to win the constructors’ title, said they had “proactively offered to make some minor adjustments to the wing” after FIA talks.
They also made it clear they wanted to governing body to make sure other teams were not using similar tricks.
Here are the confirmed driver line ups for the F1 2025 season:
Red Bull: Max Verstappen and Liam Lawson
Ferrari: Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton
Mercedes: George Russell and Kimi Antonelli
McLaren: Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri
Aston Martin: Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll
Williams: Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz
Sauber: Nico Hulkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto
Alpine: Pierre Gasly and Jack Doohan
RB: Yuki Tsunoda and Isack Hadjar
Haas: Ollie Bearman and Esteban Ocon
The accusations travelled in multiple directions last term.
McLaren called attention to Red Bull’s front-bib device at the United States GP.
The front-bib is a tool that adjusts the height of the front of a car’s floor.
But FIA officials subsequently clarified that there was no way for the drivers to alter ride height from the cockpit, which would have been illegal.
Max Verstappen is the defending drivers’ champion but Lando Norris heads into the season as the title favourite with McLaren.
LEWIS Hamilton’s Ferrari faces a thorough FIA investigation after Red Bull complained about it’s rear wings, according to reports.
The new 2025 F1 season is set to be one of the closest title fights in modern history after a promising pre-season test in Bahrain.
But FIA inspectors will head to Maranello to inspect Ferrari‘s latest F1 car after Red Bull’s complaints during pre-season testing.
Christian Horner‘s team argued Ferrari and McLaren were using a flexible rear wing trick to gain a performance advantage.
The FIA has promised to clamp down on it and run checks before the season opener in Melbourne on March 16.
F1’s governing body will place rear wings under increased scrutiny at the Australian Grand Prix next weekend.
Red Bull technical director Pierre Wache raised fresh concerns last week, and told The Race: “It is still going on.
“I think Ferrari and McLaren are doing the mini-DRS stuff still.”
The extra investigation will include cameras on the rear wings of all 10 teams, allowing the FIA to monitor any flexibility outside of the regulations.
The Scuderia reject Red Bull accusations and don’t believe that they’ll face “too many problems”, according to Italian outlet FUnoAnalisiTecnica.
CASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS
As it stands, all cars with wings that have passed the FIA’s static load checks are deemed to be compliant within the rules.
McLaren already changed their rear wing designs once last season after complaints from their rivals.
Red Bull complained about McLaren’s ‘mini DRS’ rear wing trick after the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, a race won by Oscar Piastri.
Although the design was legal, the slot in the wing appeared to open narrowly under load which created an slight advantageous effect.
McLaren, who went on to win the constructors’ title, said they had “proactively offered to make some minor adjustments to the wing” after FIA talks.
They also made it clear they wanted to governing body to make sure other teams were not using similar tricks.
Here are the confirmed driver line ups for the F1 2025 season:
Red Bull: Max Verstappen and Liam Lawson
Ferrari: Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton
Mercedes: George Russell and Kimi Antonelli
McLaren: Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri
Aston Martin: Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll
Williams: Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz
Sauber: Nico Hulkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto
Alpine: Pierre Gasly and Jack Doohan
RB: Yuki Tsunoda and Isack Hadjar
Haas: Ollie Bearman and Esteban Ocon
The accusations travelled in multiple directions last term.
McLaren called attention to Red Bull’s front-bib device at the United States GP.
The front-bib is a tool that adjusts the height of the front of a car’s floor.
But FIA officials subsequently clarified that there was no way for the drivers to alter ride height from the cockpit, which would have been illegal.
Max Verstappen is the defending drivers’ champion but Lando Norris heads into the season as the title favourite with McLaren.
