NBA great LeBron James pumps up Goodyear after Trump attacks company

A sign celebrates 75 years the Goodyear distribution plant has been in Topeka, Kansas, on Aug. 20, 2020. President Donald Trump is urging people not to buy tires from Goodyear. (Evert Nelson/The Topeka Capital-Journal via AP)
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Updated 22 August 2020
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NBA great LeBron James pumps up Goodyear after Trump attacks company

  • US President Trump inaccurately said the company had “announced a ban” on “Make America Great Again” caps.

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Florida: Akron’s best-known native responded to President Donald Trump’s attack on his Ohio hometown’s iconic company, offering a shout-out of solidarity with the city, company and workers.
“Not only has Goodyear been great for my city, for the history of my city, but for the country,” LeBron James told reporters in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, where the NBA is playing during the pandemic. “Unbelievable brand and unbelievable history. So, we stand strong, we always unite, especially my city.”
James, who led the Cleveland Cavaliers to their only NBA title during his second stint with the team, has been a steadfast supporter of community improvement projects in Akron. He jumped directly into the NBA from his state-champion St. Vincent-St. Mary’s High School team in Akron.
Now with the Los Angeles Lakers, James commented Thursday night, a day after Trump called for a boycott of Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co., which employs more than 3,000 people.
Trump inaccurately said the company had “announced a ban” on “Make America Great Again” caps. Leaders of the city of fewer than 200,000 people are worried that a boycott would worsen the struggling economy
“We’ve always felt like we’ve been counted out, being a small city,” James said. “And that’s what rallies us even more. It makes us even stronger.”

 

 


 


Taiba Investments profit rises 9% on stronger pilgrim-driven revenue 

Updated 5 sec ago
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Taiba Investments profit rises 9% on stronger pilgrim-driven revenue 

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Taiba Investments Co. reported a 9.32 percent rise in annual profit to SR364.8 million ($97.20 million) as higher pilgrim flows lifted revenue to SR1.36 billion, a filing on Tadawul showed.  

Net profit attributable to shareholders increased from SR333.7 million a year earlier, with earnings per share climbing to SR1.40 from SR1.28. Revenue rose 3.7 percent to SR1.36 billion in the year ended Dec. 31, compared with SR1.32 billion in 2024. 

Taiba, a hospitality and real estate developer backed by the Kingdom’s sovereign wealth fund, Public Investment Fund, focuses on hotel and property assets primarily in the holy cities of Makkah and Madinah. 

In a Tadawul filing, the company stated: “This growth was primarily driven by improved performance across the company’s segments in Makkah and Madinah, supported by higher numbers of visitors and Umrah pilgrims, the commencement of operations of new facilities, and increased revenues from the real estate segment.” 

Taiba Investments reported that the SR31.1 million rise in net profit was mainly attributable to improved operating performance, the reversal of a litigation provision previously recognized in 2023 following the termination of a contractual relationship with one of the operators after a settlement between the parties, and capital gains realized from the expropriation of one of its properties in Madinah. 

Total comprehensive income attributable to shareholders declined 55.53 percent to SR198.2 million from SR445.7 million.  

Other comprehensive income recorded a loss of SR166.6 million, compared with a gain of SR111.9 million in the previous year, primarily due to a decline in the fair value of financial derivatives used for hedging and a decrease in the market value of certain investments measured at fair value through other comprehensive income. 

Shareholders’ equity increased marginally by 0.04 percent to SR6.85 billion. Taiba's share price saw a 3.03 percent increase to SR34 by 10:20 am Saudi time.