You can unsubscribe at any time.Thank you for subscribingWe have more newslettersShow meSee ourprivacy noticeMSD Partners who came close to brokering a takeover at Sunderland in 2019 attempted to buy Newcastle before approaching the Black Cats.That is the claim in a new Financial Times report, which details how MSD which invests some of the fortune of computer magnate Michael Dell has become a key power broker in football with loans to some of the top clubs in the country.MSD were involved in detailed negotiations to buy Sunderland in 2019, with partners Robert Platek and John Phelan pictured at a Black Cats game. They eventually loaned money to the club as they have done to Southampton and Derby since.They were also involved in providing loans to Burnley to purchase their takeover.But it could have been different if they been able to broker a deal for United.Read MoreGovernment minister who worked with Newcastle takeover consortium reveals details of Saudi meeting”MSD’s push into English football has been spearheaded by Robert Platek, a former fixed income portfolio manager and the firm’s global head of credit, and managing director John Licciardello. It began with Newcastle United, the team owned by UK retail billionaire Mike Ashley,” the FT reports.”When the possibility of a transaction involving Newcastle fell through, MSD was approached about the north east team’s local rivals Sunderland.”It not the first time the claim has been made.

Must take note: Two years ago, I was convinced that Bruno Basso and Christopher Brooke, the British design duo behind Basso Brooke would be fashion superstars. They hit a consecutive peak three collections straight, but I was surprised by their rather low key presentation this season. Not that it sub par, it actually quite warm.

As a citizen of Ireland, I feel that it is incumbent on me to comment on Health Minister Stephen Donnelly’s use of emojis in his communications with chief medical officer (CMO) Dr Tony Holohan in October 2020. It is an embarrassment to say the least and the minister deserves a rap on the knuckles for his lack of professionalism for using the thumbs up emoji while engaging with the CMO on such a serious issue. It is worth noting the CMO had texted Mr Donnelly advising him that the rate of the Covid 19 virus was at its highest in Dublin at that time.

That Democrats had a gun to his head with their threat to have a floor vote on Greene’s committee assignments probably made it more politically difficult for Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy to act on his own. He did seek a deal with the Democrats to take her off the House Committee on Education and Labor and the Budget Committee and instead relegate her to the Small Business Committee. When Democrats didn’t bite, McCarthy again condemned her past comments and wrung an expression of regret from her in an internal GOP meeting earlier in the week that she repeated on the House floor on Thursday.