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STAMFORD, Conn., July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Emeren Group Ltd ("Emeren" or the "Company") (www.emeren.com) (NYSE: SOL), a leading global solar project developer, owner, and operator, recently announced the successful sale of an 11.5 MWp PV project to the Swiss-based energy company MET Group. The project was sold at the Ready-to-Build ("RTB") stage and MET Group will complete the construction and operate the power plant. This is the first project developed to RTB stage by Emeren Germany GmbH, the Berlin-based subsidiary of Emeren Group, since its entry into the market in early 2021. Capcora, a German consulting company, acted as the exclusive sell-side M&A advisor to Emeren.
The new PV power plant will be located in Kentzlin nestled in the state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and the commercial operations are expected to start in the second half of 2024.
Yumin Liu, CEO of Emeren Group, commented, "This project is an important milestone for our business in Germany and represents our commitment to developing renewable energy infrastructure in the region. We look forward to continuing to work with our local partners to build a more sustainable future."
Bernd Wollwerth-Carl, Director of Emeren Germany GmbH, added, "We are delighted to have sold our first RTB project in Germany. Starting from scratch in 2021, we managed to grow quickly in a competitive German PV market, establishing partnerships and building a pipeline of medium and large-scale ground mounted PV plants. With MET, we found a reliable and competent partner and we look forward to further expanding our cooperation."
Christian Hürlimann, Renewables CEO of MET Group, commented, "The Kentzlin project fits well into MET's strategic vision to enter the highly competitive German renewables market, as well as to further expand its renewables portfolio across Europe and particularly in Western Europe. Emeren Group's expertise in renewable energy was instrumental in achieving this milestone, and we anticipate future collaboration on additional projects."
Henning Prigge, Director at Capcora, adds: "We are delighted to have played a pivotal role in Emeren's successful project sale to MET Group, a prominent integrated European energy company. Our long-standing partnership with Emeren has allowed us to witness their growth and success, and we couldn't be happier to have been a part of this milestone. This collaboration reinforces our commitment to providing top-notch support and solutions to our valued clients."
About Emeren Group Ltd
Emeren Group Ltd (NYSE: SOL) is a leading global solar project developer, owner, and operator with a pipeline of projects and IPP assets totaling over 3 GW, as well as a storage pipeline of over 6 GWh across Europe, North America, and Asia. The Company focuses on solar power project development, construction management and project financing services with local professional teams across multiple countries. For more information, go to www.emeren.com.
About MET Group
MET Group is an integrated European energy company, headquartered in Switzerland, with activities and assets in natural gas and power markets. MET is present in 14 countries through subsidiaries, 30 national gas markets, and 22 international trading hubs. MET has extensive experience in operating green (renewable) and flexible (conventional) energy assets, thus providing the widest possible support to energy transition. In 2022, MET Group's consolidated sales revenue amounted to EUR 41.5 billion, the total traded volume of natural gas was 109 BCM including futures, total traded electricity 67 TWh including futures.
About Capcora
Capcora is an independent financial advisory boutique specializing in M&A and project finance services to accelerate the energy transition in Europe. Founded in 2015, the Frankfurt-based company helps its clients succeed in the renewable energy and infrastructure sectors by advising them on sell-side and buy-side transactions, and by raising mezzanine, unitranche or senior debt.
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SOURCE Emeren Group Ltd | https://www.dakotanewsnow.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/emeren-group-announces-sale-first-rtb-solar-power-project-germany/ | 2023-07-31T11:09:58 | 1 | https://www.dakotanewsnow.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/emeren-group-announces-sale-first-rtb-solar-power-project-germany/ |
BEIJING, July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Gravitas Education Holdings, Inc. ("GEHI" or the "Company") (NYSE: GEHI), a leading early childhood education service provider in China, today announced that it will hold an extraordinary general meeting of shareholders (the "EGM") at 3/F, No. 28 Building, Fangguyuan Section 1, Fangzhuang Fengtai District, Beijing 100078, People's Republic of China, at 10:00 a.m. (Beijing time) on September 11, 2023, for the purposes of considering and, if thought fit, approving the transactions contemplated in the Agreement and Plan of Merger (the "Merger Agreement"), dated April 18, 2023, by and among the Company, Bright Sunlight Limited, a Cayman Islands exempted company and a direct, wholly owned subsidiary of the Company ("Merger Sub"), Best Assistant Education Online Limited, a Cayman Islands exempted company ("Best Assistant") and a controlled subsidiary of NetDragon Websoft Holdings Limited (HKEX: 0777, "NetDragon"), a Cayman Islands exempted company, and solely for purposes of certain named sections thereof, NetDragon. It is contemplated that Best Assistant will transfer the education business of NetDragon outside of the PRC to Elmtree Inc., a Cayman Islands exempted company limited by shares ("eLMTree") and currently a wholly owned subsidiary of Best Assistant. Pursuant to the Merger Agreement, Merger Sub will merge with and into eLMTree with eLMTree continuing as the surviving company and becoming a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company (the "Merger").
Pursuant to the Merger Agreement, at the effective time of the Merger (the "Effective Time"), each ordinary share of eLMTree issued and outstanding immediately prior to the Effective Time (excluding the Dissenting Shares and the Excluded Shares, each as defined in the Merger Agreement) will be cancelled in exchange for the right to receive a number of validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable ordinary shares of the Company in a transaction exempt from the registration requirements under the Securities Act of 1933.
Shareholders of the Company will also be asked to consider and vote on certain additional Merger-related proposals at the EGM, including, among others:
- that, subject to and conditional upon the Merger becoming effective, the fifth amended and restated memorandum and article of association of the Company be amended and restated by their deletion in their entirety and the substitution of in their place of the sixth amended and restated memorandum and articles of association of the Company (the "A&R MAA") effective immediately prior to the Effective Time of the Merger;
- that, subject to and conditional upon the Merger becoming effective, the name of the Company be changed from "Gravitas Education Holdings, Inc." to "Mynd.ai, Inc." effective immediately prior to the Effective Time;
- that, subject to and conditional upon the Merger becoming effective, immediately prior to the Effective Time, the authorized share capital of the Company be varied as follows: (a) the authorized share capital of the Company shall be varied to US$1,000,000 divided into 1,000,000,000 shares comprising of (i) 990,000,000 ordinary shares of a par value of US$0.001 each (each a "ListCo Ordinary Share") and (ii) 10,000,000 shares of a par value of US$0.001 each of such class or classes (however designated) as the board of directors may determine in accordance with the A&R MAA, and (b) all Class A ordinary shares of the Company prior to the adoption of the A&R MAA, par value US$0.001 per share ("ListCo Class A Ordinary Shares") and all Class B ordinary shares of the Company prior to the adoption of the A&R MAA, par value US$0.001 per share ("ListCo Class B Ordinary Shares") in the authorized share capital of the Company (including all issued and outstanding ListCo Class A Ordinary Shares and ListCo Class B Ordinary Shares, and all authorized but unissued ListCo Class A Ordinary Shares and ListCo Class B Ordinary Shares) shall be re-designated as ListCo Ordinary Shares.
Holders of the Company's ordinary shares whose names are on the register of members of the Company at the close of business in the Cayman Islands on August 7, 2023, are entitled to notice of, and to vote at, the EGM or any adjournment or postponement thereof in person. Holders of the Company's American depositary shares ("ADSs") at the close of business in New York City on August 7, 2023, are entitled to exercise their voting rights for the underlying ordinary shares and must act through Citibank, N.A., the depositary of the Company's ADS program.
The notice of the EGM, which contains the detailed proposals to be presented at the EGM, and the proxy statement related to the EGM, are being filed today with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") and can be obtained without charge from the SEC's website (http://www.sec.gov). These documents are also available in the "Financial Information" section of the Company's investor relations website at https://ir.geh.com.cn/. In addition, the proxy materials (including the proxy statement) will be mailed to the Company's shareholders and holders of ADSs.
SHAREHOLDERS AND ADS HOLDERS ARE URGED TO READ CAREFULLY AND IN THEIR ENTIRETY THE PROXY MATERIALS AND OTHER MATERIALS FILED WITH OR FURNISHED TO THE SEC WHEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE, AS THEY CONTAIN VOTING INSTRUCTIONS AND IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE COMPANY, ELMTREE, THE MERGER AND RELATED MATTERS.
This press release is not a proxy statement or solicitation of a proxy, consent or authorization with respect to any securities or in respect of the transactions described above and shall not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy the securities of eLMTree or the Company, nor shall there be any sale of any such securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation, or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of such state or jurisdiction. No offering of securities shall be made except by means of a prospectus meeting the requirements of Section 10 of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or an exemption therefrom.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains certain "forward-looking statements." These statements are made under the "safe harbor" provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Statements that are not historical facts, including statements about the pending transactions described herein, and the parties' perspectives and expectations, are forward-looking statements. Such statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the Merger, including the equity values, the benefits of the Merger, expected revenue opportunities, anticipated future financial and operating performance and results, including estimates for growth, the expected management and governance of the combined company, and the expected timing of the transactions. The words "will," "expect," "believe," "estimate," "intend," "plan" and similar expressions indicate forward-looking statements.
Such forward-looking statements are inherently uncertain, and shareholders and other potential investors must recognize that actual results may differ materially from the expectations as a result of a variety of factors. Such forward-looking statements are based upon management's current expectations and include known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, many of which are hard to predict or control, that may cause the actual results, performance, or plans to differ materially from any future results, performance or plans expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: (i) risks related to the expected timing and likelihood of completion of the Merger, including the risk that the transaction may not close due to one or more closing conditions to the transaction not being satisfied or waived, such as regulatory approvals not being obtained, on a timely basis or otherwise, or that a governmental entity prohibited, delayed or refused to grant approval for the consummation of the transaction or required certain conditions, limitations or restrictions in connection with such approvals; (ii) the occurrence of any event, change or other circumstances that could give rise to the termination of the applicable transaction agreements; (iii) the risk that there may be a material adverse change with respect to the financial position, performance, operations or prospects of the Company or eLMTree; (iv) risks related to disruption of management time from ongoing business operations due to the Merger; (v) the risk that any announcements relating to the Merger could have adverse effects on the market price of the Company's securities; (vi) the risk that the Merger and its announcement could have an adverse effect on the ability of eLMTree to retain customers and retain and hire key personnel and maintain relationships with their suppliers and customers and on their operating results and businesses generally; (vii) any changes in the business or operating prospects of eLMTree or its businesses; (viii) changes in applicable laws and regulations; and (ix) risks relating to the combined company's ability to enhance its services and products, execute its business strategy, expand its customer base and maintain stable relationship with its business partners.
A further list and description of risks and uncertainties can be found in the proxy statement that will be filed with the SEC by the Company in connection with the Merger, and other documents that the parties may file with or furnish to the SEC, which you are encouraged to read. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those indicated or anticipated by such forward-looking statements. Accordingly, you are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements relate only to the date they were made, and eLMTree, the Company and their subsidiaries and affiliates undertake no obligation to update forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date they were made except as required by law or applicable regulation.
Additional Information and Where to Find It
The Company will file with the SEC and mail to its shareholders and ADS holders a proxy statement in connection with the Merger. Investors and security holders are urged to read the proxy statement when it becomes available because it will contain voting instructions and important information regarding the proposed arrangement. You may access the proxy statement (when available) and other related documents filed by the Company with the SEC at the SEC's website at www.sec.gov. You also may obtain the proxy statement and other documents filed by the Company with the SEC relating to the proposed arrangement for free by accessing the Company's website at https://ir.geh.com.cn/ by clicking on the link for "Financial Information," and then clicking on the link for "SEC Filings."
CONTACT: Gravitas Education Holdings, Inc., Investor Relations, E-mail: ir@geh.com.cn
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SOURCE Gravitas Education Holdings Inc. | https://www.dakotanewsnow.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/gehi-hold-extraordinary-general-meeting-shareholders-september-11-2023/ | 2023-07-31T11:10:05 | 0 | https://www.dakotanewsnow.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/gehi-hold-extraordinary-general-meeting-shareholders-september-11-2023/ |
LA ROMANA, Dominican Republic, July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The international known company Hilton Hotels & Resorts opens its doors to its Hilton Garden Inn La Romana hotel project in the Dominican Republic, in collaboration with a group of important investors under the company Riverhome Capital S.A.S., whose main shareholder is the prominent Dominican former major league player, Edwin Encarnación; together with the vision of the lawyer Guillermo Estrella Ramia and the Minister of Tourism, David Collado.
The inauguration was led by Luis Abinader Corona, president of the Dominican Republic and who expressed that "This hotel has something very special, opening up the beach and the sector of La Caleta of La Romana, which for a long time was closed to the province and its visitors. Since private investment must always be accompanied by public infrastructure, we are working on creating them, so we are all part of this development of La Romana."
With an investment of 25 million united states dollars and the creation of more than 300 direct jobs, it is considered as a hotel option for the growing flows of tourists that the area is currently receiving. Located a short distance from other points of relevance, such as La Romana Airport 18 minutes away, Casa de Campo 12 minutes away and Central Romana just a few blocks away.
The new hotel facility has a privileged location on a 5,000 square meters property, located on the coast of the municipal district of La Caleta, La Romana province. With a capacity of 130 rooms, distributed in five of the seven floors of the building, it also counts with swimming pools, two bars, a restaurant, gym, event, meeting and multipurpose rooms, and outdoor areas, ideal for social and corporate celebrations.
The hotel responds to the interest of Edwin Encarnación to invest in the development of his province of origin, who expressed that "from the moment this project was presented to me, I knew that I had to be part and be the one to assume this. I joined the development of this hotel, with the only requirement that most of the workers came from here, from my town La Romana, and we achieved this."
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SOURCE Grupo De Valle | https://www.dakotanewsnow.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/hilton-garden-inn-la-romana-dominican-republic-celebrates-its-opening/ | 2023-07-31T11:10:11 | 0 | https://www.dakotanewsnow.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/hilton-garden-inn-la-romana-dominican-republic-celebrates-its-opening/ |
BURLINGTON, N.C., July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Labcorp (NYSE: LH), a global leader of innovative and comprehensive laboratory services, today announced it will host an Investor Day on Thursday, September 14, 2023, in New York City, beginning at 1:00 p.m. ET and is expected to conclude by approximately 4:00 p.m. ET.
This event will highlight Labcorp's go-forward strategy from Labcorp Chairman & CEO Adam Schechter, followed by business overviews and a longer-term financial outlook. Presentations will be followed by a Q&A session.
A live webcast of the event will be available through the Labcorp Investor Relations website beginning at 1:00 p.m. ET. A replay of the webcast and supporting materials will be available after the conclusion of the event.
About Labcorp
Labcorp (NYSE: LH) is a global leader of innovative and comprehensive laboratory services that helps doctors, hospitals, pharmaceutical companies, researchers and patients make clear and confident decisions. We provide insights and advance science to improve health and improve lives through our unparalleled diagnostics and drug development laboratory capabilities. The company's more than 60,000 employees serve clients in over 100 countries, worked on over 80% of the new drugs approved by the FDA in 2022 and performed more than 600 million tests for patients around the world. Learn more about us at www.Labcorp.com or follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter @Labcorp.
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SOURCE Labcorp | https://www.dakotanewsnow.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/labcorp-host-investor-day-september-14-2023/ | 2023-07-31T11:10:19 | 0 | https://www.dakotanewsnow.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/labcorp-host-investor-day-september-14-2023/ |
HOUSTON, July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- McDermott has been awarded a project management consultancy (PMC) and engineering, procurement, and construction management (EPCM) contract for the Naphtha Cracker Expansion (Phase II) polypropylene expansion and new ethylene derivative unit project from Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL). The project is located at the Panipat Refinery and Petrochemical Complex, located 62 miles (100 kilometers) from New Delhi, India.
The project will increase the ethylene production capacity of the naphtha cracker unit (NCU) by approximately 20 percent. The additional ethylene and propylene production will act as feed for downstream polymer units. The polymer products will be used for the manufacture of household and industrial items, including containers, automobile parts, furniture, and heavy-duty films.
"McDermott is currently executing four other projects for IOCL, including the maleic anhydride (MAH) unit at the same site, allowing us to leverage our local resources and expertise while realizing synergies," said Vaseem Khan, Senior Vice President, Global Operations. "Furthermore, the project supports the growing demand for ethylene and propylene which will reduce imports and accelerate economic development in the area."
McDermott will provide comprehensive EPCM services and overall project management for the duration of the project, which will be executed from its Center of Excellence in Gurugram, India.
About McDermott
McDermott is a premier, fully-integrated provider of engineering and construction solutions to the energy industry. Our customers trust our technology-driven approach engineered to responsibly harness and transform global energy resources into the products the world needs. From concept to commissioning, McDermott's innovative expertise and capabilities advance the next generation of global energy infrastructure—empowering a brighter, more sustainable future for us all. Operating in over 54 countries, McDermott's locally-focused and globally-integrated resources include more than 30,000 employees, a diversified fleet of specialty marine construction vessels and fabrication facilities around the world. To learn more, visit www.mcdermott.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
McDermott cautions that statements in this press release which are forward-looking, and provide other than historical information, involve risks, contingencies and uncertainties. These forward-looking statements include, among other things, statements about the expected scope and execution of the project discussed in this press release. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in those forward-looking statements are reasonable, we can give no assurance that those expectations will prove to have been correct. Those statements are made by using various underlying assumptions and are subject to numerous risks, contingencies and uncertainties, including, among others: adverse changes in the markets in which we operate or credit or capital markets; our inability to successfully execute on contracts in backlog; changes in project design or schedules; the availability of qualified personnel; changes in the terms, scope or timing of contracts, contract cancellations, change orders and other modifications and actions by our customers and other business counterparties; changes in industry norms; actions by lenders, other creditors, customers and other business counterparties of McDermott; and adverse outcomes in legal or other dispute resolution proceedings. If one or more of these risks materialize, or if underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those expected. You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. This communication reflects the views of McDermott's management as of the date hereof. Except to the extent required by applicable law, McDermott undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement.
Contacts:
Global Media Relations
Reba Reid
Senior Director, Global Communications and Marketing
+1 281 588 5636
RReid@McDermott.com
Business Line Media Relations
Barbara Knight
Senior Director, Business Line Communications and Marketing
+971 56 403 2903
BBKnight@McDermott.com
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SOURCE McDermott International, Ltd | https://www.dakotanewsnow.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/mcdermott-selected-petrochemical-expansion-project-by-iocl/ | 2023-07-31T11:10:25 | 1 | https://www.dakotanewsnow.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/mcdermott-selected-petrochemical-expansion-project-by-iocl/ |
Recruiting Season Is in Full Swing for Professional Football Players to Join Virtual Fan Engagement Channel
NAPLES, Fla., July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Notable Live is announcing that it has added three more Pro Football Hall of Fame players to the Notable Live line-up for the upcoming season. In addition to existing players Emmitt Smith and Ray Lewis, Notable Live is excited to add Cris Carter, Champ Bailey and Ed Reed to the Notable Live team. This comes as a fast follow to Notable Live's recent multi-year commercial agreement with eBay and its Series A financing round led by eBay Ventures.
Notable Live is a tech-enabled virtual engagement platform that connects fans to teams, leagues and players in a way they have always dreamed about through an immersive experience. Notable Live, co-founded in 2018 by Pro Football Hall of Famer Emmitt Smith and entrepreneurial veteran Mike Antonucci, helps players monetize their image and personal brands not just on game day, but every day.
Through one set of login credentials, the Notable Live platform unlocks an expansive catalog of one-to-many engagement experiences, including live events and on-demand content. On the platform's commerce-enabled exchange, players, teams and leagues can activate live auction or marketplace functions to sell physical memorabilia, digital content, in-person experiences or other unique offerings. All items offered on the Notable Live platform and its associated channels can be authentically bought and sold across the growing and loyal community of Notable Live fans.
"The multi-billion annual sports memorabilia market is rapidly evolving to include new digital experiences, and Notable Live continues to grow its comprehensive platform for both the college and professional sports markets. We are pleased to announce the continued expansion of our roster of NFL athletes on our platform," said Mike Antonucci, co-founder and CEO of Notable Live.
"The fans bring their passion for the game and for their favorite players, ensuring the memorabilia space remains more about the fans than about the athletes," added Emmitt Smith, co-founder of Notable Live. "We are excited to continue expanding our platform with fellow Hall of Famers and other athletes."
About Notable Live
Notable Live was co-founded in 2018 by avid sports fan Mike Antonucci and Pro Football Hall of Famer Emmitt Smith to create a unique platform providing sports fans with unparalleled access to their favorite notables via virtual interactive events. Notable Live, a mobile app available on the App Store and Google Play, grants fans real access to notables by putting them "in the room" together for memorable virtual experiences. Connect with Notable Live at www.notable.live or on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Threads for iOS and Threads for Google Play.
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SOURCE Notable Live | https://www.dakotanewsnow.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/notable-live-adds-three-gold-jackets/ | 2023-07-31T11:10:31 | 0 | https://www.dakotanewsnow.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/notable-live-adds-three-gold-jackets/ |
With NFL training camps underway, football fans and sports bettors alike are ready for the 2023 NFL season. A little tip for you: Now is one of the best times to get money down on Super Bowl futures. And we’ve got a DraftKings promo to get your season started.
Bet $5 and get $150 instantly on DraftKings with the DraftKings Sportsbook promo.
We’re less than a week out from the Hall of Fame Game between the Jets and Browns that kicks off the preseason. Then it’s just three short weeks of preseason games before the official NFL Kickoff on September 7.
NFL Super Bowl futures odds
The NFL Super Bowl futures odds are out and, wouldn’t you know, the two teams at the top are the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles.
It’s a fair assessment since the two teams had such a close game in Super Bowl LVII just a few months ago – and neither has had too drastic a change in their lineups. Patrick Mahomes and Jalen Hurts are two of the top quarterbacks in the league, and their supporting lineups are massively talented.
But you know the Buffalo Bills and Cincinnati Bengals want revenge this year. The Bills have been chasing a ring for their superstar Josh Allen, while the Bengals are trying to make good on the momentum with young star Joe Burrow. You can get better money on either team if you think they can beat their favored rivals.
The 49ers also have great odds right now, though may be favored too high. We’re keeping an eye on their quarterback situation and how well the team can gel around, likely, Brock Purdy as the starter.
Here are the odds for the top ten favorites for Super Bowl LVIII on DraftKings Sportsbook:
With each week that goes by, futures odds will adjust as rosters, lineups, and team health changes. Those who get their bets in now for the Super Bowl could maximize the best return if their bets are correct.
Find these and literally hundreds more markets on DraftKings Sportsbook. Sign up using our promo link to get $150 in bonus bets.
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DraftKings has a fresh welcome offer for new customers in Michigan: Place a first-time bet of $5 or more on any sport, and DraftKings will instantly give you $150 in bonus bets. It doesn’t matter if your first wager wins or loses.
To claim the bonus, just follow the steps below to create a DraftKings account via our exclusive promo link. Place your first wager and, voila–you’ll get $150 on DraftKings. The bonus is paid out as six $25 bonus bets, which you can use to place more bets on DraftKings.
The bonus bets have an expiration of seven days, so just be sure to use them all within that time frame.
How to create a DraftKings MI account
Here’s how Michigan sports bettors can set up a DraftKings account. (These steps also work for any state where DraftKings is operational.)
- Visit the DraftKings Sportsbook website.
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Why we love this DraftKings promo
This is one of our favorite sportsbook promos because it’s so straightforward and has a low bar of entry. You know you’re going to get $150 in bonus bets no matter what as long as your first bet was $5 or more. It makes it less intimidating for newer bettors and more accessible for all.
Many sportsbook promos require a higher risk upfront or only kick in if your first bet wins or loses. This one isn’t contingent on any of that. We also like that the bonuses come as six separate bets so you can leverage more opportunities to win.
DraftKings is one of the leading sportsbooks, casinos, and daily fantasy brands in the US, with some of the best odds, range of sports, and bonuses available. Get our in-depth DraftKings Sportsbook review and sign up through MLIVE.
Every sport currently offered on DraftKings
Besides the NFL, DraftKings has hundreds of different leagues all across sports -- and even the Academy Awards -- that you can bet on:
- Academy Awards
- Aussie Rules
- Baseball
- Basketball
- Boxing
- Cornhole
- Cricket
- Cycling
- Darts
- E-Sports
- Football
- Golf
- Hockey
- Lacrosse
- MMA
- Motorsports
- Rugby League
- Rugby Union
- Snooker
- Soccer
- Tennis
Our three favorite futures bets for the 2023 NFL season on DraftKings:
1. Aaron Rodgers: To win NFL MVP (+1600, DraftKings Sportsbook)
With the eighth-best odds (16-to-1) Aaron Rodgers may look like a long shot to win MVP. However, Rodgers was the eighth-highest MVP favorite at 25-to-1 odds before the 2020 season. He ended up winning the MVP that year by a landslide.
Now, on the Jets, Rodgers brings former receivers in Allen Lazard and Randall Cobb. He also has Garrett Wilson, a 1,000-yard receiver and OROY winner, despite having a carousel of quarterbacks last season. A fifth MVP for Rodgers would tie him with Peyton Manning for the most MVPs all-time.
2. Dak Prescott: 15+ regular-season INTs thrown (+125, DraftKings Sportsbook)
DraftKings has a whole section of NFL odds called “Will History Repeat Itself?” In this section, props are listed for events that happened last season. Other props in this section include: Travis Kelce: 4+ receiving touchdowns in any regular season game (+350), Any Week 1 Game to end in a tie (+700), Buccaneers: No rushing touchdowns in first three regular-season games (+800) and more.
3. Super Bowl: Chiefs vs. Eagles (+1400, DraftKings Sportsbook)
During the offseason, we have heard many in the Eagles organization blame the grass in their Super Bowl LVII loss this February. Grass or not, the Chiefs have shown themselves as the strongest team in the AFC for the past handful of seasons. The Bills and Bengals have challenged this claim, but have come up short, while the Chiefs have been to three of the last four Super Bowls and won twice. In the NFC, the Eagles hold that claim of being the top team. Much of their squad this year remains the same in a less-competitive NFC. It’s reasonable to consider these two facing off again under the bright lights.
At these odds at $20 bet would pay out $300. Also, the two teams will have a rematch on Monday night in week 11 of the regular season.
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If you have a gambling problem and are located in Michigan, call 1-800-GAMBLER or 1-800-270-7117 or you can visit the Michigan Gaming Control Board’s website at https://www.michigan.gov/mgcb. | https://www.mlive.com/betting/2023/07/draftkings-promo-bet-5-on-any-nfl-super-bowl-future-get-150.html | 2023-07-31T11:10:36 | 0 | https://www.mlive.com/betting/2023/07/draftkings-promo-bet-5-on-any-nfl-super-bowl-future-get-150.html |
The bear was spotted chilling in a Burbank jacuzzi while resting its paws on the side of the backyard spa. The California homeowners says the trespasser fled the scene as soon as the police showed up.
Copyright 2023 NPR
The bear was spotted chilling in a Burbank jacuzzi while resting its paws on the side of the backyard spa. The California homeowners says the trespasser fled the scene as soon as the police showed up.
Copyright 2023 NPR | https://www.wlrn.org/2023-07-31/as-temperatures-climbed-into-the-90s-a-black-bear-cooled-off-in-a-jacuzzi | 2023-07-31T11:10:36 | 0 | https://www.wlrn.org/2023-07-31/as-temperatures-climbed-into-the-90s-a-black-bear-cooled-off-in-a-jacuzzi |
BALTIMORE, July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Opteev Technologies, Inc., a pioneering technology company at the forefront of diagnostics, has filed a patent (Patent Application #63/513,007) for a revolutionary multiplex biochip for respiratory infection diagnostics. The groundbreaking polymer-based biochip offers the potential to test multiple pathogens responsible for respiratory infections, including SARS-CoV-2, RSV, and Influenza, and precisely identify the specific virus or bacteria in under 1 minute. This game-changing technology paves the way for an ultra-rapid, portable, and accurate syndromic diagnostic device to empower healthcare providers with immediate results at their fingertips.
The tiny biochip can directly detect whole viruses in real-time in both processed and unprocessed samples such as saliva or nasal swab and has demonstrated an unprecedented accuracy rate of 99.49% with an impressive limit of detection in its analytical performance evaluation. Furthermore, the biosensor achieves fine-tuned specificity by carefully selecting specific virus-binding peptides, enabling accurate identification of target viruses in complex samples. To ensure precise and reliable virus detection, the biochip utilizes artificial intelligence to optimize the frequency range effectively mitigating the impact of interfering noise signals.
Unlike conventional respiratory panels that cost tens of thousands of dollars and take days to provide results, Opteev's multiplex biochip will offer healthcare providers affordable syndromic testing with the ability to process samples at the point of care, allowing for the simultaneous detection and specific identification of multiple pathogens instantaneously. This breakthrough technology will eliminate the need for speculation by providing healthcare providers with the critical information needed to deliver the most effective treatment options at the point of care.
"With the development of our multiplex biochip, we are revolutionizing point-of-care diagnostics," said Dr. Mesfin Meshesha, Vice President of Virology & Diagnostics at Opteev Technologies. "The potential of this technology to transform patient care, streamline operations, and reduce costs is truly remarkable."
As Opteev Technologies continues to push the boundaries of point-of-care diagnostics, the company welcomes potential collaborations and partnerships to further develop and commercialize its multiplex biochip. "Together, we can shape the future of diagnostics and unlock the massive potential of our game-changing multiplex biochip," said Conrad Bessemer, Opteev's Chairman and Co-founder.
For more information about Opteev Technologies and its groundbreaking multiplex biochip, please visit www.opteev.com.
Opteev Technologies, Inc., headquartered in Baltimore, MD, is a pioneering technology company at the forefront of diagnostics. With a strong focus on respiratory pathogen detection, Opteev is committed to developing innovative solutions that revolutionize the field of point-of-care diagnostics. As a subsidiary of Novatec, Inc., a trusted manufacturer and supplier of machinery and sensor technology, Opteev leverages decades of experience to drive advancements in healthcare.
Media Contact:
Dana Gardner
Vice President
dgardner@opteev.com
Phone: 443-457-5214
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Opteev Technologies, Inc | https://www.dakotanewsnow.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/opteev-develops-worlds-first-multiplex-biochip-that-precisely-identifies-covid-flu-rsv-respiratory-pathogens-under-1-minute/ | 2023-07-31T11:10:38 | 0 | https://www.dakotanewsnow.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/opteev-develops-worlds-first-multiplex-biochip-that-precisely-identifies-covid-flu-rsv-respiratory-pathogens-under-1-minute/ |
Trump could be indicted soon in Georgia. Here’s a look at that investigation
ATLANTA (AP) — A Georgia prosecutor is expected to seek a grand jury indictment in the coming weeks in her investigation into efforts by Donald Trump and his allies to overturn the former president’s 2020 election loss.
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis began investigating more than two years ago, shortly after a recording was released of a January 2021 phone call Trump made to Georgia’s secretary of state.
Willis has strongly hinted that any indictment would come between July 31 and August 18. One of two grand juries seated July 11 is expected to hear the case.
If Trump is indicted by a Georgia grand jury, it would add to a growing list of legal troubles as he campaigns for president. Trump is set to go to trial in New York in March to face state charges related to hush-money payments made during the 2016 presidential campaign. And he has another trial scheduled for May on federal charges related to his handling of classified documents. He has pleaded not guilty in those cases.
The Justice Department is also investigating Trump’s role in trying to halt the certification of 2020 election results in the run-up to the Jan. 6, 2021, assault on the U.S. Capitol. Trump said he’s been told he’s a target of that investigation, which likely has some overlap with the one in Georgia.
Details of the Georgia investigation that have become public have fed speculation that Willis is building a case under the Georgia Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, which would allow her to charge numerous people in a potentially wide-ranging scheme.
Here are six investigative threads Willis and her team have explored:
THE PHONE CALLS
The Georgia investigation was prompted by the Jan. 2, 2021 phone call Trump made to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger. Trump suggested the state’s top elections official could help “find” the votes needed to put him ahead of Democrat Joe Biden in the state.
“All I want to do is this: I just want to find 11,780 votes, which is one more than we have,” Trump is heard saying on a recording of the call, which was leaked to news outlets. “Because we won the state.”
Trump has insisted he did nothing wrong and has repeatedly said the call was “perfect.”
Trump also called other top state officials in his quest to overturn his 2020 election loss, including Gov. Brian Kemp, then-House Speaker David Ralston, Attorney General Chris Carr and the top investigator in the secretary of state’s office.
U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, a South Carolina Republican, also called Raffensperger shortly after the November election. Raffensperger said at the time that Graham asked whether he had the power to reject certain absentee ballots, which Raffensperger has said he interpreted as a suggestion to toss out legally cast votes.
Graham has denied wrongdoing, saying he just wanted to learn about the signature verification process.
FAKE ELECTORS
Biden won Georgia by a margin of fewer than 12,000 votes. Just over a month after the election, on Dec. 14, 2020, a group 16 Georgia Democratic electors met in the Senate chamber at the state Capitol to cast the state’s Electoral College votes for him. They each marked paper ballots that were counted and confirmed by a voice roll call.
That same day, in a committee meeting room at the Capitol, 16 prominent Georgia Republicans — a lawmaker, activists and party officials — met to sign a certificate falsely stating that Trump had won and declaring themselves the state’s “duly elected and qualified” electors. They sent that certificate to the National Archives and the U.S. Senate.
Georgia was one of seven battleground states that Trump lost where Republican fake electors signed and submitted similar certificates. Trump allies in the U.S. House and Senate used those certificates to argue for delaying or blocking the certification of the election during a joint session of Congress.
Prosecutors in Fulton County have said in court filings that they believe Trump associates worked with state Republicans to coordinate and execute the plan.
The multi-state effort was ultimately unsuccessful. Despite public pressure from Trump and his supporters, then-Vice President Mike Pence refused on Jan. 6, 2021, to introduce the unofficial pro-Trump electors. After the attack on the U.S. Capitol put a violent halt to the certification process, lawmakers certified Biden’s win in the early hours of Jan. 7, 2021.
At least eight of the fake electors have since reached immunity deals with Willis’ team. And a judge last summer barred Willis from prosecuting another one, Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, because of a conflict of interest.
FALSE CLAIMS OF ELECTION FRAUD
Republican state lawmakers held several hearings at the Georgia Capitol in December 2020 to examine alleged problems with the November election. During those meetings, former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani and other Trump allies made unproven claims of widespread election fraud.
They alleged that election workers tallying absentee ballots at State Farm Arena in Atlanta had told outside observers to leave and then pulled out “suitcases” of unlawful ballots and began scanning them. The Trump allies played clips of surveillance video from the arena to support their allegations. State and federal officials investigated and said there was no evidence of election fraud at the site.
Some Trump allies also said thousands of people who were ineligible — including people convicted of felonies, people under the age of 18, people who had voted in another state — had cast votes in Georgia. The secretary of state’s office has debunked those claims.
ALLEGED ATTEMPTS TO PRESSURE ELECTION WORKER
Two of the election workers seen in the State Farm Arena surveillance video, Ruby Freeman and her daughter Wandrea “Shaye” Moss, said they faced relentless harassment online and in person as a result of the allegations made by Trump and his allies.
Giuliani last week conceded that statements he made about the two election workers were false.
In a bizarre episode detailed by prosecutors in court filings, a woman traveled from Chicago to Georgia and met with Freeman on Jan. 4, 2021. The woman initially said she wanted to help Freeman but then warned that Freeman could go to prison and tried to pressure her into falsely confessing to committing election fraud, prosecutors wrote in court filings last year.
ELECTION EQUIPMENT ACCESSED
Trump-allied lawyer Sidney Powell and others hired a computer forensics team to copy data and software on election equipment in Coffee County, some 200 miles southeast of Atlanta, according to invoices, emails, security video and deposition testimony produced in response to subpoenas in a long-running lawsuit.
The county Republican Party chair at the time — who also served as a fake elector — greeted them when they arrived at the local elections office on Jan. 7, 2021, and some county elections officials were also on hand during the daylong visit. The secretary of state’s office has said this amounted to “alleged unauthorized access” of election equipment and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation is looking into it at the secretary of state’s request.
Two other men who have been active in efforts to question the 2020 election results also visited Coffee County later that month and spent hours inside.
U.S. ATTORNEY RESIGNATION
U.S. Attorney BJay Pak, the top federal prosecutor in Atlanta, abruptly resigned two days after Trump called Raffensperger and a day after a recording of that call was made public. During that conversation, Trump called Pak a “never-Trumper,” implying that he didn’t support the president.
In December 2020, then-U.S. Attorney General William Barr asked Pak to investigate allegations by Giuliani and other Trump allies of widespread election fraud. Pak, who had been appointed by Trump in 2017, reported back that he had found no evidence of such fraud.
In August 2021, Pak told the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee, which was investigating Trump’s post-election actions, that he resigned on Jan. 4, 2021, after learning from Department of Justice officials that Trump did not believe enough was being done to investigate allegations of election fraud and wanted him gone as U.S. attorney.
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.kmvt.com/2023/07/31/trump-could-be-indicted-soon-georgia-heres-look-that-investigation/ | 2023-07-31T11:10:38 | 0 | https://www.kmvt.com/2023/07/31/trump-could-be-indicted-soon-georgia-heres-look-that-investigation/ |
The House and Senate left Washington for the month of August with a lengthy, time-sensitive to-do list waiting when they return, including multiple key health care priorities.
There will only be three weeks before the end of the fiscal year to get everything done, and just 11 legislative days when both chambers will be in session at the same time.
Congress faces a Sept. 30 deadline to reauthorize a sweeping pandemic preparedness bill, fund community health centers and renew opioid addiction services.
But the largest looming deadline is the appropriations bills to fund the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), which are tied up in the House amid disagreements over abortion and spending levels.
GOP leaders scuttled a vote planned for Friday on legislation funding the FDA and the Department of Agriculture after moderate Republicans objected to a provision that would reverse the FDA’s decision to allow the abortion pill mifepristone drug to be dispensed through the mail and in retail pharmacies.
House Freedom Caucus members have also been demanding even deeper spending cuts than agreed to in the bipartistan debt ceiling deal.
The Labor-HHS bill advanced through a House Appropriations subcommittee earlier this month, but hadn’t even made it to the full committee before recess. The Republican-led House bill would slash or eliminate funding from a range of programs that deal with everything from family planning to teen pregnancy and even HIV.
Both FDA and HHS funding bills face a major fight in the Democratic-controlled Senate, where the Appropriations Committee has already passed its own version by near unanimous margins, owing to an agreement by Democratic and Republican leaders not to insert “poison pill” amendments.
House Democratic Whip Katherine Clark (Mass.) argued in a floor speech that lawmakers should stay in Washington to strip out the “toxic, divisive, bigoted riders” in the bills, and ripped Republicans for delaying votes until September.
Pandemic preparedness
The House and Senate are taking different tracks in the reauthorization of the pandemic preparedness bill, complicating its path forward.
The Senate advanced a bipartisan version of the Pandemic All-Hazards Preparedness Act out of committee, but the House is divided. House Energy and Commerce Committee Republicans advanced a bill on party lines after Democrats introduced their own version.
The primary disagreement is over drug shortages. Democrats are clamoring to give FDA more oversight authority to address the shortages, but Republicans are insisting on keeping the issues separate.
The Senate version contains some provisions addressing drug shortages, but only one involves beefing up FDA authority.
Congress is under pressure to stem drug shortages amid reports of doctors rationing cancer drugs and other medicine. Republicans on the Energy and Commerce Committee have said they are committed to dealing with the problems, but that it shouldn’t be part of the preparedness bill.
Energy and Commerce Committee GOP leaders released a discussion draft on Friday of drug shortage legislation focusing on the economic reasons for shortages, including giving some generic drug manufacturers the ability to raise the cost of their drugs if hospitals keep prices “artificially low” to the point where there’s no economic incentive.
Health centers
Legislation to reauthorize funding for community health centers also faces partisan challenges. But in this case, the House cleared its bill on a bipartisan basis, while the Senate is still working through disagreements, highlighting the work to be done.
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, originally wanted tens of billions of dollars more for the centers. He was asking for $130 billion to fund the centers over the next five years as well as $60 billion to help grow the health care workforce.
But Sanders ended up canceling a planned markup during the last week of July. Raising some eyebrows, Sanders said he is working with Sen. Roger Marshall (R-Kan.) to craft a bipartisan bill that will be “ready by the first week of September.”
Separately, Sanders and Senate Finance Committee Chairman Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) issued a joint statement pledging to partner and work towards legislation in the fall aimed at addressing primary care and other health care workforce shortages.
Opioids
At issue are several provisions of sweeping legislation signed into law in 2018 called the Support Act, which aimed to tackle the country’s drug overdose epidemic.
The House Energy and Commerce Committee advanced a bipartisan reauthorization and expansion bill, but advocates are concerned the Senate is behind.
HELP Committee ranking member Bill Cassidy (R-La.) introduced his own version of the bill on July 20, but hearings won’t be scheduled until September. Cassidy has warned that the committee is wasting time on partisan bills instead of easy bipartisan wins, such as the Support Act.
Insulin/PBM reform
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) has said for months that he wants to move legislation that would cap the cost of insulin at $35 per month for people with private insurance.
There’s hope to combine it with legislation reforming the pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) industry into a package that could get bipartisan support.
But there’s no looming deadline and no guarantee it will get taken up in September.
Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), who is a co-sponsor of one of the insulin bills with Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), said she still has Schumer’s support heading into the fall, but has not heard anything about timing.
Multiple committees have advanced PBM reform bills in both the House and Senate, so they will all need to be combined into one floor-friendly package. | https://www.wfla.com/hill-politics/lawmakers-set-to-face-ticking-clock-on-health-care-priorities/ | 2023-07-31T11:10:42 | 1 | https://www.wfla.com/hill-politics/lawmakers-set-to-face-ticking-clock-on-health-care-priorities/ |
MILAN – Adam Gilles began coaching baseball at Milan 24 years ago – around the same time his predecessor was born.
Peyton Harding is young at 24, with just two years of coaching experience under his belt, and now tasked with taking over a program of one southeastern Michigan’s best baseball coaches.
And yet Harding wouldn’t have it any other way.
“I wouldn’t say I am nervous or feel pressured at all,” Harding said in a phone interview with MLive. “Quite honestly, I’m just excited to get out on that field and throw that Big Red uniform on and to play for this community.”
Harding was hired as Milan’s new baseball coach last week, a sign from the school that even though he’s young, he’s capable of leading a successful program like Milan’s.
“Coach Harding had a great mindset for the game of baseball, and for life in general when I first met with him,” said Milan athletic director Robert Hull. “Milan baseball is something our community thinks very highly of, and he understood what our baseball program was all about.”
It isn’t lost on the Belleville native the challenge he faces in replacing Gilles, who won more than 450 games for Milan in over two decades as the coach.
But even with minimal experience, Harding said he is confident he will be able to fill those shoes and take the program to higher heights under his watch.
“Adam had an incredible career and taking over for a person who is a hall of famer is obviously challenging,” he said. “But naturally I’m a different person than Adam. I’m going to bring a different type of energy, a different type of flare to the baseball team.
“With the staff I have coming over with me, I think that we are going to bring something out of these guys that hasn’t been brought out of them before.”
Harding played his college baseball at Spring Arbor before starting his coaching career in Syracuse and then becoming the junior varsity coach at Saline last season.
Becoming a coach was always something Harding knew would be in his future even before his playing days ended.
“The feeling you get as a coach is a different type of energy that you can’t even describe,” Harding said. “That’s why I got into teaching and coaching is to be somebody else’s reason to keep going.”
It wasn’t a difficult decision to choose Milan, as the Big Red community fit Harding’s aspirations like a glove.
“I was looking for a small-town baseball team who was completely bought into their program and success of their community,” Harding said. “That’s what I wanted and getting the Milan job was the best move because it was all those things. You just can’t beat a small-town feel anywhere.”
Harding’s first season as a varsity head coach can’t come fast enough and he said he’s excited to see where he and his staff can take the program moving forward.
“Hopefully being younger coaches with more recent college experience, the kids can relate to that a little bit easier,” he said. “We’ll be playing for each other and everybody who’s wore the Big Red jersey, past, present and future.
“We’ll be playing for everybody who lives in the town of Milan. It’s a team thing and a community thing, and I’m excited to do that.”
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Love reading about local sports? Don’t miss any of the excitement from the season ahead. Purchase your subscription now and get full access to every story on MLive! | https://www.mlive.com/highschoolsports/2023/07/age-is-just-a-number-for-young-new-milan-baseball-head-coach.html | 2023-07-31T11:10:42 | 1 | https://www.mlive.com/highschoolsports/2023/07/age-is-just-a-number-for-young-new-milan-baseball-head-coach.html |
WATCH: Concertgoer throws drink at Cardi B; she hurls microphone at them
Published: Jul. 31, 2023 at 6:58 AM EDT|Updated: 12 minutes ago
LAS VEGAS (CNN) - Cardi B hurled her microphone at a fan during a concert in Las Vegas on Saturday.
The rapper was performing her song “Bodak Yellow” when a concertgoer threw a drink at her.
In seconds, Cardi B threw her microphone into the crowd as the song continued to play.
Security guards rushed to the stage.
More security guards are then seen flocking to the person in the crowd as she watched from the stage before continuing with her set.
There’s no word on what happened to the fan or if any charges will be filed.
Copyright 2023 CNN Newsource. All rights reserved. | https://www.wcjb.com/2023/07/31/watch-concertgoer-throws-drink-cardi-b-she-hurls-microphone-them/ | 2023-07-31T11:10:42 | 0 | https://www.wcjb.com/2023/07/31/watch-concertgoer-throws-drink-cardi-b-she-hurls-microphone-them/ |
"I don't think it's caught up to me yet — how much my life has changed," says Emma Hardyman, singer of the 2023 Tiny Desk Contest-winning band Little Moon. The Utah-based band recently wrapped up the Tiny Desk Contest On The Road tour, headlining eight sold-out shows across the country. While on the road, Hardyman caught up with NPR to reflect on the life-changing win and also share the story behind Little Moon's winning song, "Wonder Eye."
Hardyman tells NPR the song was written during the time her mother-in-law was in hospice care. The melody came to Hardyman as she and her husband Nathan Hardyman, who is also part of Little Moon, drove from Utah to Idaho to visit his mother.
During this difficult time, Emma and Nathan Hardyman were also in the process of leaving the Mormon church in which they had grown up.
"And pretty quickly, just because of the circumstances, I realized that this song, this melody, was about death," says Emma Hardyman, who wrote the structure of the song before asking Nathan Hardyman to write the lyrics.
The couple were also observing the disintegration of many of the building blocks their Mormon belief systems were built on. "I've grieved past versions of myself throughout my whole life," Emma Hardyman shares.
"I really love where Mormonism brought me," Emma Hardyman says. "It introduced me to teachings that are supposed to love everybody, that are supposed to incorporate everybody. [But] it couldn't follow me to how much I wanted to take [those teachings] seriously," she adds, noting that many of the Little Moon band members are queer. She says Mormonism didn't align with how she wants to treat people 'without conditions.'
Emma Hardyman also shares that she had many self-doubts about herself as an artist when she and Nathan Hardman met — but that he believed in her from their very first date. And in "Wonder Eye," the two even find peace in not having all the answers. Emma sings: "Is there a knowledge that is found not in knowing?" as she's met with the warm hums of the band.
Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.wlrn.org/2023-07-31/the-power-and-heartbreak-behind-the-song-that-won-the-tiny-desk-contest | 2023-07-31T11:10:43 | 1 | https://www.wlrn.org/2023-07-31/the-power-and-heartbreak-behind-the-song-that-won-the-tiny-desk-contest |
WATCH: Concertgoer throws drink at Cardi B; she hurls microphone at them
Published: Jul. 31, 2023 at 4:58 AM MDT|Updated: 12 minutes ago
LAS VEGAS (CNN) - Cardi B hurled her microphone at a fan during a concert in Las Vegas on Saturday.
The rapper was performing her song “Bodak Yellow” when a concertgoer threw a drink at her.
In seconds, Cardi B threw her microphone into the crowd as the song continued to play.
Security guards rushed to the stage.
More security guards are then seen flocking to the person in the crowd as she watched from the stage before continuing with her set.
There’s no word on what happened to the fan or if any charges will be filed.
Copyright 2023 CNN Newsource. All rights reserved. | https://www.kmvt.com/2023/07/31/watch-concertgoer-throws-drink-cardi-b-she-hurls-microphone-them/ | 2023-07-31T11:10:45 | 1 | https://www.kmvt.com/2023/07/31/watch-concertgoer-throws-drink-cardi-b-she-hurls-microphone-them/ |
Mobile Visual Processing Solutions Coupled with Dedicated Game Tuning Services Take Mobile Gaming Experience to a Brand-New Level
SHANGHAI, July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Pixelworks, Inc. (NASDAQ: PXLW), a leading provider of innovative visual processing solutions, today announced the official launch of its new IRX gaming experience brand. As a brand targeted at smartphone users, IRX is grounded on Pixelworks' mobile visual processing solutions and coupled with in-depth game tuning services. This combination leverages Pixelworks' expertise to achieve ultra-smooth gaming experience and the highest picture quality for different types of games on mobile devices. In addition, it exercises effective control of power consumption, latency and other performance variables to ensure stable and long-lasting gaming with optimal visual performance, providing end users with unparalleled mobile gaming experiences.
The IRX gaming experience is enabled by a portfolio of technology advantages and product application experiences based on the Company's innovative distributed rendering architecture. More specifically, Pixelworks' ultra-low latency MotionEngine® technology, low power super-resolution technology, AI Always-on HDR and other technologies bring optimized rendering capabilities to smartphones that exceed what can be achieved by a traditional chipset. Together with Pixelworks' profound tuning experience for different games on various mobile devices the result is a meaningfully enriched visual experience for smartphone users, which is the core foundation for the IRX gaming experience.
The IRX gaming experience brand will be supported by a certification program for mobile devices that incorporates Pixelworks visual processors. The certification program will be backed by a suite of visual quality evaluation systems agreed upon with smartphone manufacturers to ensure that Pixelworks powered smartphones provide the most outstanding gaming performance and utmost visual quality for consumers.
The IRX branded certification program is comprised of both device certification and game tuning services. Pixelworks will optimize the rendering capabilities and display quality of top games on mobile devices based on its visual processors' capabilities as well as the devices' performance characteristics. Smartphones that meet the technical requirements as well as Pixelworks' visual processing standards will be granted the IRX branded certification, and games that meet Pixelworks' visual quality requirements will be included in the IRX-supported game list. To date, there are 20 top games being enlisted on the IRX-supported game list, which can be found on Pixelworks' official IRX gaming experience website. Furthermore, Pixelworks plans to establish expanded communication channels with consumers to help further educate end users on the benefits of the IRX gaming experience.
"IRX is a gaming experience brand from Pixelworks targeted directly towards mobile device users." said Ting Xiong, President of Pixelworks China. "Pixelworks would like to empower smartphone manufacturers to break the ceiling of mobile gaming experience from content optimization to performance enhancement with its innovative rendering technologies and years of game tuning and optimization experience. Additionally, we are also aiming to develop and promote consumer awareness around how to better evaluate visual display quality and the mobile gaming experience, enabling them to make smarter choices when purchasing a smartphone. By utilizing professional technologies and services to build more links across both products and users, we hope to drive mutual growth through in-depth interactions while bringing display performance and the mobile gaming experience to a brand-new level."
About Pixelworks
Pixelworks provides industry-leading content creation, video delivery and display processing solutions and technology that enable highly authentic viewing experiences with superior visual quality, across all screens – from cinema to smartphone and beyond. The Company has more than 20 years of history delivering image processing innovation to leading providers of consumer electronics, professional displays and video streaming services.
For more information, please visit the company's web site at www.pixelworks.com.
Note: Pixelworks, MotionEngine and the Pixelworks logo are trademarks of Pixelworks, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Pixelworks, Inc. | https://www.dakotanewsnow.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/pixelworks-announces-launch-irx-gaming-experience-brand/ | 2023-07-31T11:10:44 | 0 | https://www.dakotanewsnow.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/pixelworks-announces-launch-irx-gaming-experience-brand/ |
The bear was spotted chilling in a Burbank jacuzzi while resting its paws on the side of the backyard spa. The California homeowners says the trespasser fled the scene as soon as the police showed up.
Copyright 2023 NPR
The bear was spotted chilling in a Burbank jacuzzi while resting its paws on the side of the backyard spa. The California homeowners says the trespasser fled the scene as soon as the police showed up.
Copyright 2023 NPR | https://www.nprillinois.org/2023-07-31/as-temperatures-climbed-into-the-90s-a-black-bear-cooled-off-in-a-jacuzzi | 2023-07-31T11:10:47 | 1 | https://www.nprillinois.org/2023-07-31/as-temperatures-climbed-into-the-90s-a-black-bear-cooled-off-in-a-jacuzzi |
NEW YORK (AP) — Six straight days of 12-hour driving. Single digit paychecks. The complaints come from workers in vastly different industries: UPS delivery drivers and Hollywood actors and writers.
But they point to an underlying factor driving a surge of labor unrest: The cost to workers whose jobs have changed drastically as companies scramble to meet customer expectations for speed and convenience in industries transformed by technology.
The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated those changes, pushing retailers to shift online and intensifying the streaming competition among entertainment companies. Now, from the picket lines, workers are trying to give consumers a behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to produce a show that can be binged any time or get dog food delivered to their doorstep with a phone swipe.
Overworked and underpaid employees is an enduring complaint across industries — from delivery drivers to Starbucks baristas and airline pilots — where surges in consumer demand have collided with persistent labor shortages. Workers are pushing back against forced overtime, punishing schedules or company reliance on lower-paid, part-time or contract forces.
At issue for Hollywood screenwriters and actors staging their first simultaneous strikes in 40 years is the way streaming has upended entertainment economics, slashing pay and forcing showrunners to produce content faster with smaller teams.
“This seems to happen to many places when the tech companies come in. Who are we crushing? It doesn’t matter,” said Danielle Sanchez-Witzel, a screenwriter and showrunner on the negotiating team for the Writers Guild of America, whose members have been on strike since May. Earlier this month, the Screen Actors Guild–American Federation of Television and Radio Artists joined the writers’ union on the picket line.
Actors and writers have long relied on residuals, or long-term payments, for reruns and other airings of films and televisions shows. But reruns aren’t a thing on streaming services, where series and films simply land and stay with no easy way, such as box office returns or ratings, to determine their popularity.
Consequently, whatever residuals streaming companies do pay often amount to a pittance, and screenwriters have been sharing tales of receiving single digit checks.
Adam Shapiro, an actor known for the Netflix hit “Never Have I Ever,” said many actors were initially content to accept lower pay for the plethora of roles that streaming suddenly offered. But the need for a more sustainable compensation model gained urgency when it became clear streaming is not a sideshow, but rather the future of the business, he said.
“Over the past 10 years, we realized: ‘Oh, that’s now how Hollywood works. Everything is streaming,’” Shapiro said during a recent union event.
Shapiro, who has been acting for 25 years, said he agreed to a contract offering 20% of his normal rate for “Never Have I Ever” because it seemed like “a great opportunity, and it’s going to be all over the world. And it was. It really was. Unfortunately, we’re all starting to realize that if we keep doing this we’re not going to be able to pay our bills.”
Then there’s the rising use of “mini rooms,” in which a handful of writers are hired to work only during pre-production, sometimes for a series that may take a year to be greenlit, or never get picked up at all.
Sanchez-Witzel, co-creator of the recently released Netflix series “Survival of the Thickest,” said television shows traditionally hire robust writing teams for the duration of production. But Netflix refused to allow her to keep her team of five writers past pre-production, forcing round-the-clock work on rewrites with just one other writer.
“It’s not sustainable and I’ll never do that again,” she said.
Sanchez-Witzel said she was struck by the similarities between her experience and those of UPS drivers, some of whom joined the WGA for protests as they threatened their own potentially crippling strike. UPS and the Teamsters last week reached a tentative contract staving off the strike.
Jeffrey Palmerino, a full-time UPS driver near Albany, New York, said forced overtime emerged as a top issue during the pandemic as drivers coped with a crush of orders on par with the holiday season. Drivers never knew what time they would get home or if they could count on two days off each week, while 14-hour days in trucks without air conditioning became the norm.
“It was basically like Christmas on steroids for two straight years. A lot of us were forced to work six days a week, and that is not any way to live your life,” said Palmerino, a Teamsters shop steward.
Along with pay raises and air conditioning, the Teamsters won concessions that Palmerino hopes will ease overwork. UPS agreed to end forced overtime on days off and eliminate a lower-paid category of drivers who work shifts that include weekends, converting them to full-time drivers. Union members have yet to ratify the deal.
The Teamsters and labor activists hailed the tentative deal as a game-changer that would pressure other companies facing labor unrest to raise their standards. But similar outcomes are far from certain in industries lacking the sheer economic indispensability of UPS or the clout of its 340,000-member union.
Efforts to organize at Starbucks and Amazon stalled as both companies aggressively fought against unionization.
Still, labor protests will likely gain momentum following the UPS contract, said Patricia Campos-Medina, executive director of the Worker Institute at the School of Industrial and Labor Relations at Cornell University, which released a report this year that found the number of labor strikes rose 52% in 2022.
“The whole idea that consumer convenience is above everything broke down during the pandemic. We started to think, ‘I’m at home ordering, but there is actually a worker who has to go the grocery store, who has to cook this for me so that I can be comfortable,’” Campos-Medina said. | https://www.wfla.com/nextstar-news-wire/customers-want-instant-gratification-workers-say-theyre-on-the-brink/ | 2023-07-31T11:10:48 | 1 | https://www.wfla.com/nextstar-news-wire/customers-want-instant-gratification-workers-say-theyre-on-the-brink/ |
MLive is spending the summer checking in on the top 2024 football recruits in Michigan. Today provides a look into Roseville linebacker Huston Eubank, a Western Michigan commit who has played a variety of positions in high school.
BIO
MLive is spending the summer checking in on the top 2024 football recruits in Michigan. Today provides a look into Roseville linebacker Huston Eubank, a Western Michigan commit who has played a variety of positions in high school.
BIO
If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. By browsing this site, we may share your information with our social media partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy. | https://www.mlive.com/highschoolsports/2023/07/top-recruits-roseville-linebacker-brings-versatility-to-western-michigan.html | 2023-07-31T11:10:48 | 0 | https://www.mlive.com/highschoolsports/2023/07/top-recruits-roseville-linebacker-brings-versatility-to-western-michigan.html |
The head of Black history for Palm Beach County schools has decried parts of Florida's controversial new school curriculum as a "blatant distortion of Black history."
Brian Knowles, who oversees African, African American, Latino, Holocaust, and Social Studies at the Palm Beach County school district, is the latest to criticize the Florida Board of Education's K-12 guidelines for instruction on Black history.
In the 216 page social studies curriculum, Florida educators are now advised to teach middle school students that enslaved Black Americans personally benefited from their forced labor, developing trade skills such as blacksmithing, carpentry, and painting. The state’s curriculum also list “agricultural work” as part of the “various duties and trades performed by slaves.”
Knowles said the language makes light of the bondage and implies that trade skills were gained in exchange for atrocities endured by enslaved people.
“These were free people who had skills previously before they came to this country,” Knowles said. “So to say that would be an egregious statement, an egregious claim that would be so inaccurate to teach any of our children.”
Scholarly research, Knowles added, has shown that many enslaved Africans were skilled laborers from different regions in West Africa prior to being forced to use those skills in the Transatlantic slave trade. Many Africans arrived with skills such as blacksmithing, harvesting, boat building, and irrigation techniques — skills that enslavers had specifically sought out.
READ MORE: Slavery Spin: Florida now leads the most insulting tradition in the Americas
Knowles' department selects and develops instruction materials for social studies — they provide professional development, teacher resources, and apply standards and compliances. He believes that not placing Black history in its proper narrative framework distorts students' perception of Black people.
In the high school section of the state's curriculum, it groups massacres such as the 1920 Ocoee Massacre, 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre, and other racist attacks on Black communities as "acts of violence against and by African Americans."
Knowles, who's a long-time advocate for teaching accurate portrayals of Black history across the state, said the language — the "and by" — in the state’s curriculum, minimizes the brutality Black people faced and makes room for victim-blaming for infamous massacres against their communities.
For Knowles, it's yet another challenge for Palm Beach County teachers who will find it difficult to teach the proper framing and context of American chattel slavery. To not put those facts in the forefront of teaching robs Black people of who they were before slavery, he said.
“[It] not only impacts our Black students and the way that they see themselves but all students in the way they see Black people,” Knowles said.
Mixed response from Republicans, conservatives
In a statement on Twitter, Republican Congressman Byron Donalds, one of the most prominent Black conservatives in the country, called the curriculum "good, robust, & accurate" but he joined the protest condemning the messaging in the guidelines on African-American history: "That being said, the attempt to feature the personal benefits of slavery is wrong and needs to be adjusted. That obviously wasn't the goal and I have faith that FLDOE [Florida Department of Education] will correct this."
But William Allen, a Black conservative professor emeritus of political science at Michigan State University, volunteered to help produce the guidelines. Allen stands by the final result, calling the language "perfectly clear." And that he's "perfectly content" with the standards, during a recent interview with NPR. "The standards don't dictate them [teachers] what to say," Allen said.
He said "those who were held in slavery possess skills, whether they developed them before being held in slavery, while being held in slavery or subsequently to being held in slavery, from which they benefited when they applied themselves in the exertion of those skills," Allen added.
The curriculum sparked nationwide condemnation from organizations such as the NAACP and teachers union the Florida Education Association (FEA) who, in a press release, said the curriculum “confirmed many of the worst fears educators had when the Stop Woke Act was signed into law last year.”
The instruction guidelines reflect a broad effort to change history standards after Governor Ron DeSantis, who’s running for president, signed the Stop WOKE Act. The state policy prohibits instructions that can cause personal guilt in students or demonstrate how Americans were "either privileged or oppressed.”
Earlier this year, DeSantis rejected parts of AP Black history course that included queer studies, Black Lives Matter protests, and reparations.
In a recent press conference, DeSantis said he wasn’t involved with the new curriculum but that he believed it was "rooted in whatever was factual.”
"They're probably going to show that some of the folks that eventually parlayed being a blacksmith into doing things later in life," Desantis said.
Florida’s Commissioner of Education, Manny Diaz, echoed those sentiments, saying in a tweet that “Florida is focused on teaching true and accurate African American history.”
Teaching inaccuracies
To justify the changes, Alex Lanfranconi, a spokesperson for Diaz, released a statement in support of the curriculum by citing a response from members of the board, all of whom were appointed by Gov. DeSantis. William Allen and Frances Presley Rice listed 16 historic figures, such as John Chavis and Booker T Washington, who they say learned skills while being enslaved.
But historians, according to reporting from the Tampa Bay Times, pointed out that “nearly half of the 16 historic figures highlighted by the state were never enslaved. Others, who did spend time in slavery, did not gain their skills from their servitude.” Chavis, for example, was born into a free family while Washington put himself through school and became an educator years later.
These are the types of inaccuracies that highlight some of the fears of revisionism from educators and the “flood of emails” from parents in Palm Beach County, Knowles said.
Despite the outrage, he said Palm Beach County teachers must comply with state law, while also stressing educators will have wiggle room to teach accurate framing and context. “We’ve always found ways through ingenuity and innovation to circumvent some things,” Knowles said. | https://www.wlrn.org/education/2023-07-31/florida-black-history-slavery-guidelines | 2023-07-31T11:10:49 | 0 | https://www.wlrn.org/education/2023-07-31/florida-black-history-slavery-guidelines |
LONDON, July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Talking Tom and MrBeast just announced a unique collaboration for Talking Tom's 10th birthday party! Starting today, players of My Talking Tom 2, the popular virtual pet game, can unwrap an exclusive surprise from MrBeast himself — a one-of-a-kind outfit. Additionally, Talking Tom and MrBeast are also joining forces with a contribution to the Tebow CURE Hospital for underprivileged children in the Philippines.
"Our collaboration with MrBeast for Talking Tom's 10th anniversary demonstrates our commitment to delivering unforgettable experiences to our players," said Xinyu Qian, CEO of Outfit7. "By offering an exclusive MrBeast outfit and extending our support to the Tebow CURE Hospital, we aim not only to enhance the excitement within the game but also to make a meaningful difference in the lives of underprivileged children."
For a limited time of two weeks, the exclusive MrBeast outfit for Tom can be found in the bedroom wardrobe, or claimed through a pop-up gift box, either on the porch or in the bathroom. As part of the 10th birthday celebration, Tom has also given users a generous gift of 100,000 in-game gold coins, which are still attainable in the game.
In addition to the in-game collaboration, Talking Tom and MrBeast have joined forces to support the Tebow CURE Hospital, which provides assistance to underprivileged children in the Philippines. Together they will support the hospital's activities for a month, enabling them to carry out over 150 surgeries. To ensure sustainable care for the children, the hospital will also receive a year's supply of essential orthopaedic supplies.
Download My Talking Tom 2 now and claim the exclusive MrBeast outfit! It will be available for free in My Talking Tom 2 for a limited time, from July 30 to August 13, 2023.
ABOUT OUTFIT7: Outfit7 Limited is a dynamic force in mobile gaming, reaching a global audience of billions with its award-winning games. Powered by creativity and industry-leading expertise, the company's talented international team of around 400 people pushes the boundaries of the possible every day. Outfit7's 20+ games have now been downloaded worldwide over 21 billion times and up to 470 million fans play with them every month. Its portfolio also includes numerous chart-topping animated series, theme parks, and a licensing program. You can find more information at www.outfit7.com.
Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2164951/Outfit7.jpg
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SOURCE Outfit7 | https://www.dakotanewsnow.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/talking-tom-mrbeast-celebrate-toms-birthday-with-an-exclusive-outfit-contribute-hospital-underprivileged-children/ | 2023-07-31T11:10:51 | 0 | https://www.dakotanewsnow.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/talking-tom-mrbeast-celebrate-toms-birthday-with-an-exclusive-outfit-contribute-hospital-underprivileged-children/ |
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell's recent health episodes have sparked concerns about his possible successor. NPR's A Martinez talks to Austin Horn, a reporter at the Lexington Herald-Leader.
Copyright 2023 NPR
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell's recent health episodes have sparked concerns about his possible successor. NPR's A Martinez talks to Austin Horn, a reporter at the Lexington Herald-Leader.
Copyright 2023 NPR | https://www.nprillinois.org/2023-07-31/kentucky-law-dictates-a-republican-would-replace-mcconnell-if-he-vacates-senate-seat | 2023-07-31T11:10:53 | 0 | https://www.nprillinois.org/2023-07-31/kentucky-law-dictates-a-republican-would-replace-mcconnell-if-he-vacates-senate-seat |
(The Hill) – Dozens of former Cabinet officials under former President Trump’s administration declined to publicly support the former president’s third bid for the White House, NBC News reported.
NBC News reached out to 44 people who previously served in Trump’s Cabinet during his four years in office to gauge whether they would support the former president during the 2024 presidential election. The outlet reported that most of the people declined to comment or ignored the requests and that only four said publicly they would support Trump for the presidency.
Trump’s Cabinet saw a higher rate of turnover compared with many of his predecessors, with many new officials rotating in and out of his administration over the four years. The only four former Cabinet members who NBC News reached out to who said they would support Trump are former acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker, former chief of staff Mark Meadows, former Office of Management and Budget (OMB) director Russell Vought and former acting director of national intelligence Richard Grenell.
A spokesperson for Meadows told NBC News that he “fully” supports Trump. In May, Vought posted on X, the site formerly known as Twitter, that the former president is “the only person I trust to take a wrecking ball to the Deep State.”
Other former administration officials were reluctant to support Trump or have publicly said they will not support him. Former Attorney General Bill Barr told NBC News that he opposes Trump getting the 2024 GOP nomination but declined whether to say he would support him in the general election if pitted against President Biden.
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Former chief of staff Mick Mulvaney also said that he does not want Trump to get the Republican nomination for president.
“I am working hard to make sure that someone else is the nominee,” Mulvaney told NBC News. “I think he’s the Republican who is most likely to lose in a general election, of all our leading candidates. If anyone can lose to Joe Biden, it would be him.”
Other former officials who have not endorsed Trump yet include former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, former Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan, former chief of staff John Kelly and Joseph Maguire and Dan Coats, who each once served as director of national intelligence. Coats told NBC News that he would be supporting former Vice President Mike Pence for the GOP primary.
The Hill has reached out to Trump’s campaign for comment. | https://www.wfla.com/nextstar-news-wire/dozens-of-former-trump-cabinet-officials-wont-publicly-support-his-2024-bid/ | 2023-07-31T11:10:54 | 1 | https://www.wfla.com/nextstar-news-wire/dozens-of-former-trump-cabinet-officials-wont-publicly-support-his-2024-bid/ |
ANN ARBOR, MI - Shana Weber learned her love for the environment early in life.
Her Michigan parents took her camping as a child across the state. Her father was an engineer in the corporate world who pushed environmental policies before it was called sustainability. Her mother was an artist who would share quotes from literature or songs about nature.
“They really instilled in me a spirit of love and care for for the environment,” Weber said.
In September, Weber will start leading University of Michigan’s environmental efforts as its first associate vice president for campus sustainability. She sees college campuses as the ideal place to figure out best sustainability practices.
“We all know how challenging it is to change habits at any scale,” she said, “but I also am inspired by human ingenuity and creativity. What better than a college campus to kind of bring all of the best of our human talent together to to solve these issues.”
Weber focused her academic career in sustainability disciplines, earning an undergraduate degree in zoology from Ohio State University and a doctorate and master’s degree in environmental science from Indiana University.
One of her first inspirations toward environmental work was as a competitive rower, as she won Female Athlete of the Year for Indiana University Club Sports in 1999. She occasionally found herself rowing in unclean waterways, she said.
“You experience waterways in lots of other parts of the country,” she said, “and you very quickly realize you want those waterways to be clean.”
In the early 2000s, she helped Santa Clara University in California set up its first Environmental Studies Institute. The work brought students into “tinkering on campus with sustainability questions,” and Weber was able to observe how these problems could be solved in real-time.
“That was sort of the seed of this idea of using a campus as a living laboratory or campus as a demonstration site for problem solving,” she said.
Back then, sustainability was defined as basically “do no harm today so that future generations can still thrive,” Weber said. Her thinking has evolved over the last two decades to see sustainability as an ongoing process.
“In this phase in my career, I’m really thinking about how do you create that environment where decision making and behaviors are more easily practiced,” she said, “and then of course that has ripple effect beyond the location where you’re doing that.”
Read more: Sustainability goals on schedule at University of Michigan despite built-in hurdles
From New Jersey to Ann Arbor
Weber has about one more month as Princeton University’s founding director of its Office of Sustainability. University of Michigan’s Board of Regents approved her appointment during its July 20 meeting. She will report to Geoffrey Chatas, the university’s chief financial officer, starting Sept. 5.
She will come to an Ann Arbor campus that aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from purchased power to net zero (Scope 1) by 2025, as well as eliminating emissions from on-campus sources (Scope 2) by 2040. The university is on pace to cut both Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions in half by 2025, university officials said.
Read more: Carbon slashed 25% at University of Michigan ahead of schedule, officials say
The university has set metrics for six sustainability goals -- reduce carbon emissions, reduce chemical applications to campus landscapes, reduce carbon output on university vehicles, reduce waste sent to landfills, purchase from more local, sustainable food sources and invest in sustainability education.
The aggressiveness of the university’s sustainability goals was appealing to Weber in taking the job, as well as the concrete nature of the goals, she said.
“Metrics are critical,” she said. “We can have lofty visions and all the best intentions in mind, but if we don’t give ourselves targets to hold ourselves accountable to, it’s hard to galvanize a community around it.”
Her interactions with university officials, including President Santa Ono, was also encouraging since it showed the whole campus is aligned on sustainability, she said. Ono made the university the lead institution for the University Climate Change Coalition, which he heads.
Construction is ongoing on campus in two key sustainability areas: geothermal wells and solar arrays. Geothermal energy uses resources below the Earth’s surface along with a heat exchanger to either add or remove heat from a building, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.
Both of those initiatives come with logistical complications, said Drew Horning, UM’s interim assistant vice president for campus sustainability in March 2023, such as costs in the billions of dollars, lack of space for solar arrays and disrupting city power grids.
Weber’s experience at Princeton will be helpful in navigating these issues, as she learned that leaning on campus experts and consultants is vital to gain the trust of city government, she said.
“It’s disruptive,” she said of the necessary construction work in sustainability efforts. “There’s a lot of work to do to acknowledge the disruption, but also to celebrate what it means...like the big why behind it so that the community can be more tolerant of the disruption while it’s happening.”
While sustainability is a process, Weber said, decisions need to be made now to reduce carbon neutrality and save the environment.
“We don’t have a lot of time to address the carbon issue,” she said. “We have a short window, so these are decisions we have to make today to set ourselves up for carbon neutrality.”
Want more Ann Arbor-area news? Bookmark the local Ann Arbor news page or sign up for the free “3@3 Ann Arbor” daily newsletter.
Read more from The Ann Arbor News:
Rift among nurses in University of Michigan union detailed in court opinion
University of Michigan gun ban upheld by Court of Appeals
Leave Barbie feet to Barbies, warns University of Michigan doctor of TikTok trend | https://www.mlive.com/news/ann-arbor/2023/07/urgency-of-climate-issue-tops-priority-for-1st-university-of-michigan-sustainability-head.html | 2023-07-31T11:10:54 | 1 | https://www.mlive.com/news/ann-arbor/2023/07/urgency-of-climate-issue-tops-priority-for-1st-university-of-michigan-sustainability-head.html |
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell's recent health episodes have sparked concerns about his possible successor. NPR's A Martinez talks to Austin Horn, a reporter at the Lexington Herald-Leader.
Copyright 2023 NPR
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell's recent health episodes have sparked concerns about his possible successor. NPR's A Martinez talks to Austin Horn, a reporter at the Lexington Herald-Leader.
Copyright 2023 NPR | https://www.wlrn.org/national-politics/national-politics/2023-07-31/kentucky-law-dictates-a-republican-would-replace-mcconnell-if-he-vacates-senate-seat | 2023-07-31T11:10:55 | 0 | https://www.wlrn.org/national-politics/national-politics/2023-07-31/kentucky-law-dictates-a-republican-would-replace-mcconnell-if-he-vacates-senate-seat |
16TH annual event features turtles named after characters in Disney's frighteningly fun adventure movie, "Haunted Mansion," now playing in theaters.
VERO BEACH, Fla., July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Over the weekend at Disney's Vero Beach Resort, researchers from the Sea Turtle Conservancy (STC) and Disney Conservation released two sea turtles as part of the 16th annual Tour de Turtles "migration marathon." Tour de Turtles is a fun, educational event that follows the migration of sea turtles from their nesting beaches to their feeding grounds and, ultimately, provides scientific data on how best to protect their species.
The Disney Conservation Fund (DCF) and Disney Cruise Line are each sponsoring a turtle this year, whose names, Madame Leota and Harriet, are the names of characters in Disney's frighteningly fun adventure movie "Haunted Mansion," now playing in theaters. Not unlike Gabbie, another character in the film who enlists a motley crew of so-called spiritual experts to help rid their home of supernatural squatters – Tour de Turtles brings together a team of researchers from the STC and Disney Conservation annually to undertake a daunting mission - using satellite telemetry to track two female turtles to determine where and how far they swim during the migration season.
Each turtle swims to raise awareness about various threats to sea turtle survival. The turtle to swim the furthest distance will win the Tour de Turtles race.
"Disney's commitment to sea turtle conservation in Vero Beach spans 20 years, and we are very proud to have recently watched our 1.5 millionth sea turtle hatchling leave the nest and shuffle its way to the ocean," said Mark Penning, Vice President of Disney's Animals, Science and Environment. "Southeast Florida hosts one of the largest nesting aggregations of loggerhead sea turtles, making up to 40 percent of the global loggerhead population. The team has recorded more than 20,000 sea turtle nests on our survey route since the program began."
The data collected during Tour de Turtles helps researchers, conservationists and governing agencies make more informed decisions about sea turtle conservation and management. Since the launch of the event in 2008, STC and Disney have collaborated to study 29 sea turtles outfitted with satellite transmitters and released from Disney's Vero Beach Resort. Continuing its commitment to strengthen youth education programs in port communities around the world, Disney Cruise Line proudly supported local students from Club Esteem from Melbourne, Florida, to participate in this year's event. DCF also has directed more than $5.1 million to support global sea turtle conservation efforts.
"Disney is a fantastic collaborator," said David Godfrey, STC Executive Director. "Disney's commitment to conservation, passion for environmental education, and effectiveness at communicating with audiences have made the Tour de Turtles a fun and successful program since it was launched over a decade ago."
In addition to Tour de Turtles, the Disney Conservation team has dedicated nearly 19,000 hours to studying and monitoring sea turtle nests during the summer nesting season along the five-mile coastline at Disney's Vero Beach Resort. From approximately May to October, Disney Vacation Club members and resort guests also have the opportunity to assist the team by joining outings to observe real-time sea turtle research while learning how they can take action to protect sea turtles. So far this year, the Disney Conservation team has a record-breaking number of nests along their survey route – nearly 2,000 by August, well above the average 1,500 normally counted in an entire season.
Tour de Turtles is a research and education program of the Sea Turtle Conservancy and Disney's support is just one example of bringing Disney Planet Possible to life by taking action to make a happier, healthier planet possible for all. To learn more and follow the turtles' migration, visit the Tour de Turtles website at www.tourdeturtles.org
ABOUT DISNEY'S VERO BEACH RESORT
Disney's Vero Beach Resort, a Disney Vacation Club Resort, offers spacious vacation villas along the pristine Atlantic coastline. The resort is located less than a two-hour drive from the Walt Disney World Resort, and its design reflects the Treasure Coast region where it is situated. Disney Vacation Club, a leader in vacation ownership, debuted in 1991 with a flexible, vacation points-based system rather than the traditional fixed-week timeshare model. Disney Vacation Club Members are able to choose from among a variety of exciting vacation destinations, including a stay at any Disney Vacation Club Resort or one of thousands of other vacation options in destinations around the world.
ABOUT DISNEY'S "HAUNTED MANSION"
Inspired by the classic theme park attraction, Disney's "Haunted Mansion" is about a woman and her son who enlist a motley crew of so-called spiritual experts to help rid their home of supernatural squatters.
Directed by Justin Simien, the film features an all-star cast ensemble including LaKeith Stanfield, Tiffany Haddish, Owen Wilson, Danny DeVito, Rosario Dawson, Chase W. Dillon and Daniel Levy, with Jamie Lee Curtis and Jared Leto as The Hatbox Ghost. The film's producers are Dan Lin and Jonathan Eirich, with Nick Reynolds and Tom Peitzman serving as executive producers.
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DENVER (AP) — As Denver neared triple-digit temperatures, Ben Gallegos sat shirtless on his porch swatting flies off his legs and spritzing himself with a misting fan to try to get through the heat. Gallegos, like many in the nation’s poorest neighborhoods, doesn’t have air conditioning.
The 68-year-old covers his windows with mattress foam to insulate against the heat and sleeps in the concrete basement. He knows high temperatures can cause heat stroke and death, and his lung condition makes him more susceptible. But the retired brick layer, who survives on about $1,000 a month largely from Social Security, says air conditioning is out of reach.
“Take me about 12 years to save up for something like that,” he said. “If it’s hard to breathe, I’ll get down to emergency.”
As climate change fans hotter and longer heat waves, breaking record temperatures across the U.S. and leaving dozens dead, the poorest Americans suffer the hottest days with the fewest defenses. Air conditioning, once a luxury, is now a matter of survival.
As Phoenix weathered its 27th consecutive day above 110 degrees (43 Celsius) Wednesday, the nine who died indoors didn’t have functioning air conditioning, or it was turned off. Last year, all 86 heat-related deaths indoors were in uncooled environments.
“To explain it fairly simply: Heat kills,” said Kristie Ebi, a University of Washington professor who researches heat and health. “Once the heat wave starts, mortality starts in about 24 hours.”
It’s the poorest and people of color, from Kansas City to Detroit to New York City and beyond, who are far more likely to face grueling heat without air conditioning, according to a Boston University analysis of 115 U.S. metros.
“The temperature differences … between lower-income neighborhoods, neighborhoods of color and their wealthier, whiter counterparts have pretty severe consequences,” said Cate Mingoya-LaFortune of Groundwork USA, an environmental justice organization. “There are these really big consequences like death. … But there’s also ambient misery.”
Some have window units that can offer respite, but “in the dead of heat, it don’t do nothing,” said Melody Clark, who stopped Friday to get food at a nonprofit in Kansas City, Kansas, as temperatures soared to 101, and high humidity made it feel like 109. When the central air conditioning at her rental house went on the fritz, her landlord installed a window unit. But it doesn’t do much during the day.
So the 45-year-old wets her hair, cooks outside on a propane grill and keeps the lights off indoors. She’s taken the bus to the library to cool off. At night she flips the box unit on, hauling her bed into the room where it’s located to sleep.
As far as her two teenagers, she said: “They aren’t little bitty. We aren’t dying in the heat. … They don’t complain.”
While billions in federal funding have been allocated to subsidize utility costs and the installation of cooling systems, experts say they often only support a fraction of the most vulnerable families and some still require prohibitive upfront costs. Installing a centralized heat pump system for heating and cooling can easily reach $25,000.
President Joe Biden announced steps on Thursday to defend against extreme heat, highlighting the expansion of the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, which funnels money through states to help poorer households pay utility bills.
While the program is critical, said Michelle Graff, who studies the subsidy at Cleveland State University, only about 16% of the nation’s eligible population is actually reached. Nearly half of states don’t offer the federal dollars for summer cooling.
“So people are engaging in coping mechanisms, like they’re turning on their air conditioners later and leaving their homes hotter,” Graff said.
While frigid temperatures and high heating bills birthed the term “heat or eat,” she said, “we can now transition to AC or eat, where people are going to have to make difficult decisions.”
As temperatures rise, so does the cost of cooling. And temperatures are already hotter in America’s low-income neighborhoods like Gallegos’ Denver suburb of Globeville, where people live along stretches of asphalt and concrete that hold heat like a cast-iron skillet. Surface temperatures there can be roughly 8 degrees hotter than in Denver’s wealthier neighborhoods, where a sea of vegetation cools the area, according to the environmental advocacy group American Forests.
This disparity plays out nationwide. Researchers at the University of San Diego analyzed 1,056 counties and in over 70%, the poorest areas and those with higher Black, Hispanic and Asian populations were significantly hotter.
About one in 10 U.S. households have no air conditioning, a disparity compounded for marginalized groups, according to a study by the Brookings Institution. Less than 4% of Detroit’s white households don’t have air conditioning; it’s 15% for Black households.
At noon on Friday, Katrice Sullivan sat on the porch of her rented house on Detroit’s westside. It was hot and muggy, but even steamier inside the house. Even if she had air conditioning, Sullivan said she’d choose her moments to run it to keep her electricity bill down.
The 37-year-old factory worker pours water on her head, freezes towels to put around her neck, and sits in her car with the air conditioner on. “Some people here spend every dollar for food, so air conditioning is something they can’t afford,” she said.
Shannon Lewis, 38, lived in her Detroit home for nearly 20 years without air conditioning. Lewis’s bedroom was the only place with a window unit, so she’d squeeze her teenager, 8-year-old and 3-year-old-twins into her queen-size bed to sleep, eat meals and watch television.
“So it was like cool in one room and a heat stroke in another,” Lewis said. For the first time, Lewis now has air conditioning through a local non-profit, she said. “We don’t have to sleep or eat in the same room, we are able to come out, sit at the dining room table, eat like a family.”
After at least 54 died during a 2021 heat wave, mostly elderly people without air conditioning, in the Portland area, Oregon passed a law prohibiting landlords from placing blanket bans on air conditioning units. By and large, however, states don’t have laws requiring landlords to provide cooling.
In the federal Inflation Reduction Act, billions were set aside for tax credits and rebates to help families install energy-efficient cooling systems, but some of those are yet to be available. For people like Gallegos, who doesn’t pay taxes, the available credits are worthless.
The law also offers rebates, the kind of state and federal point-of-sale discounts that Amanda Morian has looked into for her 640-square-foot home.
Morian, who has a 13-week-old baby susceptible to hot weather, is desperate to keep her house in Denver’s Globeville suburb cool. She bought thermal curtains, ceiling fans and runs a window unit. At night she tries to do skin-to-skin touch to regulate the baby’s body temperature. When the back door opens in the afternoon, she said, the indoor temperature jumps a degree.
“All of those are just to take the edge off, it’s not enough to actually make it cool. It’s enough to keep us from dying,” she said.
She got estimates from four different companies for installing a cooling system, but every project was between $20,000 and $25,000, she said. Even with subsidies she can’t afford it.
“I’m finding that you have to afford the project in the first place and then it’s like having a bonus coupon to take $5,000 off of the sticker price,” she said.
Lucy Molina, a single mom in Commerce City, one of Denver’s poorest areas, said her home has reached 107 degrees without air conditioning. Nearby, Molina’s two teenage children slurped popsicles to cool off, lingering in front of the open freezer.
For Molina, who bustled around her kitchen on a recent day when temperatures reached 99 degrees outdoors, it’s hard to see any path to a cooling respite.
“We’re just too poor,” she said. | https://www.wfla.com/nextstar-news-wire/were-just-too-poor-record-heat-waves-reveal-plight-of-americans-without-air-conditioning/ | 2023-07-31T11:11:00 | 0 | https://www.wfla.com/nextstar-news-wire/were-just-too-poor-record-heat-waves-reveal-plight-of-americans-without-air-conditioning/ |
"I don't think it's caught up to me yet — how much my life has changed," says Emma Hardyman, singer of the 2023 Tiny Desk Contest-winning band Little Moon. The Utah-based band recently wrapped up the Tiny Desk Contest On The Road tour, headlining eight sold-out shows across the country. While on the road, Hardyman caught up with NPR to reflect on the life-changing win and also share the story behind Little Moon's winning song, "Wonder Eye."
Hardyman tells NPR the song was written during the time her mother-in-law was in hospice care. The melody came to Hardyman as she and her husband Nathan Hardyman, who is also part of Little Moon, drove from Utah to Idaho to visit his mother.
During this difficult time, Emma and Nathan Hardyman were also in the process of leaving the Mormon church in which they had grown up.
"And pretty quickly, just because of the circumstances, I realized that this song, this melody, was about death," says Emma Hardyman, who wrote the structure of the song before asking Nathan Hardyman to write the lyrics.
The couple were also observing the disintegration of many of the building blocks their Mormon belief systems were built on. "I've grieved past versions of myself throughout my whole life," Emma Hardyman shares.
"I really love where Mormonism brought me," Emma Hardyman says. "It introduced me to teachings that are supposed to love everybody, that are supposed to incorporate everybody. [But] it couldn't follow me to how much I wanted to take [those teachings] seriously," she adds, noting that many of the Little Moon band members are queer. She says Mormonism didn't align with how she wants to treat people 'without conditions.'
Emma Hardyman also shares that she had many self-doubts about herself as an artist when she and Nathan Hardman met — but that he believed in her from their very first date. And in "Wonder Eye," the two even find peace in not having all the answers. Emma sings: "Is there a knowledge that is found not in knowing?" as she's met with the warm hums of the band.
Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.nprillinois.org/2023-07-31/the-power-and-heartbreak-behind-the-song-that-won-the-tiny-desk-contest | 2023-07-31T11:11:00 | 1 | https://www.nprillinois.org/2023-07-31/the-power-and-heartbreak-behind-the-song-that-won-the-tiny-desk-contest |
KALAMAZOO COUNTY, MI – A swimmer drowned Sunday, July 30, in Gull Lake at Ross Township Park.
Ross-Augusta firefighters responded to a 3:40 p.m. report that a swimmer had been missing for about 20 minutes. Several firefighters from neighboring departments who were in the area also responded. | https://www.mlive.com/news/kalamazoo/2023/07/swimmer-drowns-in-gull-lake-at-kalamazoo-county-park.html | 2023-07-31T11:11:00 | 1 | https://www.mlive.com/news/kalamazoo/2023/07/swimmer-drowns-in-gull-lake-at-kalamazoo-county-park.html |
NPR Breaking News Morning news brief By A Martínez, Leila Fadel Published July 31, 2023 at 5:09 AM EDT Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Listen • 11:10 A bombing kills dozens on Pakistan's border with Afghanistan. Ukraine retakes a small village from Russia. Some 30,000 people are losing their jobs as trucking company Yellow shuts down. Copyright 2023 NPR | https://www.wlrn.org/npr-breaking-news/npr-breaking-news/2023-07-31/morning-news-brief | 2023-07-31T11:11:01 | 0 | https://www.wlrn.org/npr-breaking-news/npr-breaking-news/2023-07-31/morning-news-brief |
SHANGHAI, July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- 111, Inc. (NASDAQ: YI) ("111" or the "Company"), a leading tech-enabled healthcare platform company committed to digitally connecting patients with medicine and healthcare services in China, today announced that it will report its unaudited financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2023, before the U.S. market opens on Thursday, August 24, 2023.
111's management team will host an earnings conference call at 7:30 AM U.S. Eastern Time on Thursday, August 24, 2023 (7:30 PM Beijing Time on the same day).
Details for the conference call are as follows:
Conference Topic: 111, Inc. Second Quarter 2023 Earnings Conference Call
Registration Link: https://s1.c-conf.com/diamondpass/10032701-ygfhis.html
All participants must use the link provided above to complete the online registration process in advance of the conference call. Upon registering, each participant will receive a set of participant dial-in numbers, the Direct Event passcode, and a unique Registration ID, which can be used to join the conference call.
Please dial in 15 minutes before the call is scheduled to begin and provide the Direct Event passcode and unique Registration ID you have received upon registering to join the call.
A telephone replay of the call will be available after the conclusion of the conference call until August 31, 2023
United States: +1 855 883 1031
Mainland China: 4001 209 216
Hong Kong: 800 930 639
International: +61 7 3107 6325
Conference ID: 10032701
A live and archived webcast of the conference call will be available on the website at https://edge.media-server.com/mmc/p/iw7ck9oc
About 111, Inc.
111, Inc. (NASDAQ: YI) ("111" or the "Company") is a leading tech-enabled healthcare platform company committed to digitally connecting patients with medicine and healthcare services in China. The Company provides consumers with better access to pharmaceutical products and healthcare services directly through its online retail pharmacy, 1 Pharmacy, and indirectly through its offline virtual pharmacy network. The Company also offers online healthcare services through its internet hospital, 1 Clinic, which provides consumers with cost-effective and convenient online consultation, electronic prescription service, and patient management service. In addition, the Company's online platform, 1 Medicine Marketplace, serves as a one-stop shop for pharmacies to source a vast selection of pharmaceutical products. With the largest virtual pharmacy network in China, 111 enables offline pharmacies to better serve their customers with cloud-based services. 111 also provides an omni-channel drug commercialization platform to its strategic partners, which includes services such as digital marketing, patient education, data analytics, and pricing monitoring.
For more information on 111, please visit: http://ir.111.com.cn/.
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SOURCE 111, Inc. | https://www.kmvt.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/111-announce-second-quarter-2023-unaudited-financial-results-august-24-2023-conference-call-follow/ | 2023-07-31T11:11:03 | 0 | https://www.kmvt.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/111-announce-second-quarter-2023-unaudited-financial-results-august-24-2023-conference-call-follow/ |
Launch demonstrates companies' commitment to bringing complex generic medicines to the market to help increase patient access
PITTSBURGH and WOODBURY, Minn., July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Viatris Inc. (NASDAQ: VTRS), a global healthcare company, and Kindeva Drug Delivery L.P. today announced the launch of Breyna™ (budesonide and formoterol fumarate dihydrate) Inhalation Aerosol, the first generic version of AstraZeneca's Symbicort® with an Abbreviated New Drug Application (ANDA) approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Breyna, a drug-device combination product, is indicated for certain patients with asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and will be immediately available in both 80 mcg/4.5 mcg and 160 mcg/4.5 mcg dosage strengths.
Viatris Head of North America Jose Cotarelo said: "We are excited to bring Breyna to the U.S. market for the many Americans living with asthma and COPD. This launch represents years of hard work breaking down barriers to access and builds upon our past successes of bringing other complex products to market as we continue to move up the value chain. Being the first to bring an FDA-approved generic version of Symbicort to patients is a true example of how access is the cornerstone of our mission to empower people worldwide to live healthier at every stage of life."
The indications for Breyna include asthma in patients six years of age and older, and the maintenance treatment of airflow obstruction and reducing exacerbations in patients with COPD, including chronic bronchitis and/or emphysema. Breyna is not indicated for the relief of acute bronchospasm. The 160 mcg/4.5 mcg is the only strength indicated for the treatment of COPD. COPD is a term used to describe a certain kind of chronic lung disease and is characterized by breathlessness; it affects more than 16 million Americans. Asthma causes swelling of the airways resulting in difficulty breathing, and approximately 25 million Americans have the chronic condition.
Milton Boyer, CEO of Kindeva Drug Delivery, added: "The launch of Breyna represents a significant milestone as it is the first FDA-approved generic version of Symbicort in the U.S., one of the most prescribed complex drug-device combination products to treat asthma and COPD. We are pleased for Viatris as well as the many Kindeva colleagues who have worked tirelessly to leverage our complex drug-delivery expertise for this important respiratory product — supporting a persistent need to continue bringing more quality medicines for asthma and COPD to patients."
To further expand access to Breyna, Viatris has established a copay program offered for eligible commercially-insured patients, which may help reduce out-of-pocket expenses on prescriptions to as little as $20 per 30-day supply. The program offers $30/month or up to $360 per year with 12 refills annually. The program will be available in August.
About Breyna
Breyna is indicated for the treatment of asthma in patients 6 years and older not adequately controlled on a long-term asthma-control medication such as an inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) or whose disease warrants initiation of treatment with both an ICS and long-acting beta2-adrenergic agonists (LABA). Breyna 160 mcg/4.5 mcg dosage is indicated for the maintenance treatment of airflow obstruction in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), including chronic bronchitis and/or emphysema, and Breyna 160 mcg/4.5 mcg is also indicated to reduce exacerbations of COPD. Breyna is NOT indicated for the relief of acute bronchospasm.
Important Safety Information
Breyna is contraindicated in the primary treatment of status asthmaticus or other acute episode of asthma or COPD where intensive measures are required, and in hypersensitivity to any of the ingredients in Breyna. Use of long-acting beta2-adrenergic agonists (LABA) as monotherapy (without inhaled corticosteroids [ICS]) for asthma is associated with an increased risk of asthma-related death. Available data from controlled clinial trials also suggest that use of LABA as monotherapy increases the risk of asthma-related hospitalization in pediatric and adolescent patients. These findings are considered a class effect of LABA. When LABA are used in fixed dose combination with ICS, data from large clinical trials do not show a significant increase in the risk of serious asthma-related events (hospitalizations, intubations, death) compared to ICS alone. Breyna is NOT a rescue medication and does NOT replace fast-acting inhalers to treat acute symptoms. Breyna should not be initiated in patients during rapidly deteriorating episodes of asthma or COPD. Patients who are receiving Breyna should not use additional formoterol or other LABA for any reason. Localized infections of the mouth and pharynx with Candida albicans has occurred in patients treated with Breyna. Patients should rinse the mouth after inhalation of Breyna. Lower respiratory tract infections, including pneumonia, have been reported following the administration of ICS. Due to possible immunosuppression, potential worsening of infections could occur. A more serious or even fatal course of chickenpox or measles can occur in susceptible patients. It is possible that systemic corticosteroid effects such as hypercorticism and adrenal suppression may occur, particularly at higher doses. Particular care is needed for patients who are transferred from systemically active corticosteroids to ICS. Deaths due to adrenal insufficiency have occurred in asthmatic patients during and after transfer from systemic corticosteroids to less systemically available ICS. Caution should be exercised when considering administration of Breyna in patients on long-term ketoconazole and other known potent CYP3A4 inhibitors. As with other inhaled medications, paradoxical bronchospasm may occur with Breyna. Immediate hypersensitivity reactions may occur, as demonstrated by cases of urticaria, angioedema, rash, and bronchospasm. Excessive beta-adrenergic stimulation has been associated with central nervous system and cardiovascular effects. Breyna should be used with caution in patients with cardiovascular disorders especially coronary insufficiency, cardiac arrhythmias, and hypertension. Long-term use of ICS may result in a decrease in bone mineral density (BMD Assessment of BMD is recommended prior to initiating Breyna and periodically thereafter. ICS may result in a reduction in growth velocity when administered to pediatric patients. Glaucoma, increased intracolular pressure, and cataracts have been reported following the administration of ICS, including budesonide, a component of Breyna. Close monitoring for glaucoma and cataracts is warranted in patients with a change in vision or history of increased intraocular pressure. In rare cases, patients on ICS may present with systemic eosinophilic conditions. Breyna should be used with caution in patients with convulsive disorders, thyrotoxicosis, diabetes mellitus, ketoacidosis, and in patients who are unusually responsive to sympathomimetic amines. The most common adverse reactions ≥3% reported in asthma clinical trials included nasopharyngitis, headache, upper respiratory tract infection, pharyngolaryngeal pain, sinusitis, influenza, back pain, nasal congestion, stomach discomfort, vomiting, and oral candidiasis. The most common adverse reactions ≥3% reported in COPD clinical trials included nasopharyngitis, oral candidiasis, bronchitis, sinusitis, and upper respiratory tract infection. Breyna should be administered with caution to patients being treated with MAO inhibitors or tricyclic antidepressants, or within 2 weeks of discontinuation of such agents. Beta-blockers may not only block the pulmonary effect of beta-agonists, such as formoterol, but may produce severe bronchospasm in patients with asthma. ECG changes and/or hypokalemia associated with nonpotassium-sparing diuretics may worsen with concomitant beta-agonists. Use caution with the coadministration of Breyna.
About Viatris
Viatris Inc. (NASDAQ: VTRS) is a global healthcare company empowering people worldwide to live healthier at every stage of life. We provide access to medicines, advance sustainable operations, develop innovative solutions and leverage our collective expertise to connect more people to more products and services through our one-of-a-kind Global Healthcare Gateway®. Formed in November 2020, Viatris brings together scientific, manufacturing and distribution expertise with proven regulatory, medical and commercial capabilities to deliver high-quality medicines to patients in more than 165 countries and territories. Viatris' portfolio comprises more than 1,400 approved molecules across a wide range of therapeutic areas, spanning both non-communicable and infectious diseases, including globally recognized brands, complex generic and branded medicines, and a variety of over-the-counter consumer products. With more than 38,000 colleagues globally, Viatris is headquartered in the U.S., with global centers in Pittsburgh, Shanghai and Hyderabad, India. Learn more at viatris.com and investor.viatris.com, and connect with us on Twitter at @ViatrisInc, LinkedIn and YouTube.
About Kindeva Drug Delivery
Kindeva Drug Delivery is a global contract development manufacturing organization focused on drug-device combination products. Kindeva Drug Delivery develops and manufactures products across a broad range of complex drug-delivery formats, including injectables (autoinjector, intradermal, microneedle), pulmonary & nasal, and transdermal patches. Its service offering spans early-stage feasibility through commercial scale drug product fill-finish, container closure system manufacturing, and drug-device product assembly. Kindeva Drug Delivery serves a global client base from its nine manufacturing and research and development facilities located in the U.S. and U.K. For more information, please visit www.kindevadd.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release includes statements that constitute "forward-looking statements." These statements are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward looking statements may include statements that the launch of Breyna demonstrates the companies' commitment to bringing complex generic medicines to the market to help increase patient access; Breyna will be immediately available in both 80 mcg/4.5 mcg and 160 mcg/4.5 mcg dosage strengths; this launch represents years of hard work breaking down barriers to access and builds upon our past successes of bringing other complex products to market as we continue to move up the value chain; to further expand access to Breyna, Viatris has established a copay program offered for eligible commercially-insured patients, which may help reduce out-of-pocket expenses on prescriptions to as little as $20 per 30-day supply; and, the program will be available in August. Factors that could cause or contribute to such differences include, but are not limited to: the possibility that the Company may be unable to realize the intended benefits of, or achieve the intended goals or outlooks with respect to, its strategic initiatives; the possibility that the Company may be unable to achieve expected benefits, synergies and operating efficiencies in connection with acquisitions, divestitures, or its global restructuring program, within the expected timeframe or at all; impairment charges or other losses related to the divestiture or sale of businesses or assets; the Company's failure to achieve expected or targeted future financial and operating performance and results; the potential impact of public health outbreaks, epidemics and pandemics, including the ongoing challenges and uncertainties posed by COVID-19; actions and decisions of healthcare and pharmaceutical regulators; changes in healthcare and pharmaceutical laws and regulations in the U.S. and abroad; any regulatory, legal or other impediments to Viatris' ability to bring new products to market, including but not limited to "at-risk" launches; Viatris' or its partners' ability to develop, manufacture, and commercialize products; the scope, timing and outcome of any ongoing legal proceedings, and the impact of any such proceedings; any significant breach of data security or data privacy or disruptions to our information technology systems; risks associated with international operations; the ability to protect intellectual property and preserve intellectual property rights; changes in third-party relationships; the effect of any changes in Viatris' or its partners' customer and supplier relationships and customer purchasing patterns; the impacts of competition; changes in the economic and financial conditions of Viatris or its partners; uncertainties and matters beyond the control of management, including general economic conditions, inflation and exchange rates; failure to execute stock repurchases consistent with current expectations; stock price volatility; and the other risks described in Viatris' filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Viatris routinely uses its website as a means of disclosing material information to the public in a broad, non-exclusionary manner for purposes of the SEC's Regulation Fair Disclosure (Reg FD). Viatris undertakes no obligation to update these statements for revisions or changes after the date of this release other than as required by law.
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SOURCE Viatris Inc. | https://www.dakotanewsnow.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/viatris-announces-launch-breyna-budesonide-formoterol-fumarate-dihydrate-inhalation-aerosol-first-fda-approved-generic-version-symbicort-people-with-asthma-chronic-obstructive-pulmonary-disease-partnership-with-kindeva/ | 2023-07-31T11:11:04 | 1 | https://www.dakotanewsnow.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/viatris-announces-launch-breyna-budesonide-formoterol-fumarate-dihydrate-inhalation-aerosol-first-fda-approved-generic-version-symbicort-people-with-asthma-chronic-obstructive-pulmonary-disease-partnership-with-kindeva/ |
They say it takes a village to raise kids, so Jill Dimond found one.
Political division broke up the block so Jodi Rector-Brooks moved to common ground.
They say it takes a village to raise kids, so Jill Dimond found one.
Political division broke up the block so Jodi Rector-Brooks moved to common ground.
If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. By browsing this site, we may share your information with our social media partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy. | https://www.mlive.com/public-interest/2023/07/sharing-meals-gardens-and-lawn-mowers-cohousing-growing-in-michigan.html | 2023-07-31T11:11:06 | 0 | https://www.mlive.com/public-interest/2023/07/sharing-meals-gardens-and-lawn-mowers-cohousing-growing-in-michigan.html |
The Nation's Largest Network for Affordable Housing Protects Consumers from Unfair Fees and Costs
BOCA RATON, Fla., July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- AffordableHousing.com today announced it will join the White House and a compendium of government agencies and other private sector companies in large-scale efforts to end junk fees and ensure that Americans are provided with honest, transparent pricing. More than 100 million property searches per year are performed on AffordableHousing.com–the largest platform for affordable housing in the nation.
"For decades, families have relied on us to help them find affordable housing," says Richard Cupelli, CEO at AffordableHousing.com. "We take pride in advocating for these families, so it was a natural fit for us to join forces with the Administration and other socially responsible companies to help protect consumers in our industry."
On July 19, 2023, the White House published a Fact Sheet announcing its crack-down on junk fees in the rental market, highlighting private-sector commitments supporting this initiative made by the three major rental housing platforms: AffordableHousing.com, Zillow, and Apartments.com.
Late last year, the President called on federal agencies, Congress, and private companies to take action to address junk fees across the economy. The initiative aims to ensure Americans are provided with honest, transparent pricing. By February 2023, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) announced proposed rules limiting credit card late fees. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) finalized a rule requiring cable and internet providers to list fees up front. And the Department of Transportation (DOT) proposed a requirement for airlines and booking services show the full price of a plane ticket, including baggage and other fees.
In March, HUD Secretary Marcia Fudge released an open letter to housing providers and state and local governments, encouraging them to adopt policies promoting greater fairness and transparency of fees faced by renters. Substantial research shows such fees obstruct comparison shopping, impede competition, and lead to consumers paying more.
A long-standing resource for families seeking affordable housing, AffordableHousing.com has policies in place supporting this transparency and protecting its customers from unfair fees.
Renters can search available properties free on AffordableHousing.com, and property owners are required to be upfront about all refundable and non-refundable rental fees and costs. AffordableHousing.com also does not charge rental application fees.
"Our socially responsible technology platform has allowed us to establish the largest network of affordable housing in the nation," says Cupelli. "We understand the accountability that comes with our standing in the industry and the trust that our customers place in us."
As a hub for housing agencies across the nation, AffordableHousing.com also allows state and local governments to have their own customized website that serves their local community, enforces their specific regulatory requirements, centralizes all affordable housing, and simplifies the application and approval process.
"We are working with AffordableHousing.com to implement the Vermont Affordable Housing Hub, which will allow families to easily find and apply to all affordable housing in the state," says Kathleen Berk, Executive Director at Vermont State Housing Authority. "By utilizing AffordableHousing.com's custom housing hub to build our state-specific site, we can streamline compliance with state laws, which have strict application fee guidelines. We can also add safeguards to protect our families by providing the Clear and Fair Lease template for property owners to use. These leases will also comply with affordable housing programs, like Section 8."
AffordableHousing.com also rewards reputable property owners. Those with a history of good standing can qualify for a Trusted Owner Badge, which ensures their credibility to prospective renters on the site and increases consumer confidence. Trusted Owners also receive prominent listing status.
Earning and maintaining status as a Trusted Owner requires providing various levels of documentation to verify qualifications and authenticity, adhering to all relevant federal, state, and local laws, and complying with the site's reasonable fee guidelines.
Together with its research partner, Learning Collider (www.learningcollider.org), AffordableHousing.com is conducting research into the real cost of administrative fees, the impact of fee transparency in rental listings, and the effectiveness of platform features like the common application for rental and government programs—an endeavor that the company has been urging agencies to adopt for years.
"Our research partnership with AffordableHousing.com has allowed us to analyze the impacts of rental fees on low-income families in real-time," says Peter Bergman, Professor at UT Austin and Director of the Learning Collider research lab. "Together, we are advancing research to identify junk fees and establish transparent fee practices, easing the path to affordable rentals for families across the U.S."
The President announced in latest White House Fact Sheet, released on July 27, 2023, further plans to protect renters, naming AffordableHousing.com as an ally in the initiative and endorsing the site's plans to deploy additional consumer protection tools by the end of the year, including "Clear and Fair" digital leases, which will align with the principles outlined in the White House Blueprint for a Renter Bill of Rights. Property owners who use these "Clear and Fair" digital leases will be acknowledged on AffordableHousing.com.
About AffordableHousing.com: For more than 20 years, AffordableHousing.com has provided innovative technology and real solutions that help solve some of the most complex challenges impacting the availability of affordable housing in the United States. By simplifying access to available resources, AffordableHousing.com boosts participation in government programs, increasing the much-needed supply of affordable housing nationwide, and providing more homes to more families.
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SOURCE AffordableHousing.com | https://www.dakotanewsnow.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/white-house-announces-partnership-with-affordablehousingcom-end-junk-fees/ | 2023-07-31T11:11:07 | 0 | https://www.dakotanewsnow.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/white-house-announces-partnership-with-affordablehousingcom-end-junk-fees/ |
- Cash, cash equivalents, and marketable securities totaled $349.0 million as of June 30, 2023
- Announced positive interim data from BHV-7000 EEG biomarker study demonstrating evidence of central nervous system (CNS) target engagement, confirming previously reported preclinical and clinical data, and highlighting the paradigm-changing potential of BHV-7000 in the treatment of epilepsy and mood disorders
- Brain penetrant TYK2/JAK1 inhibitor, BHV-8000, advanced into Phase 1 with projected therapeutic concentrations achieved and well-tolerated profile observed to date
- Advanced targeted extracellular protein degradation platform with potential to support numerous clinical candidates across a broad range of high unmet need indications
- Orphan drug designation (ODD) granted by the European Commission for taldefgrobep alfa a novel anti-myostatin adnectin, for the treatment of spinal muscular atrophy (SMA)
- Type A meeting planned with FDA regarding troriluzole program in Spinocerebellar Ataxia Type 3 (SCA3) and enrollment in Phase 3 obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) trial expected to complete at end of 2023
NEW HAVEN, Conn., July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Biohaven Ltd. (NYSE: BHVN) (Biohaven or the Company), a global clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery, development and commercialization of life-changing therapies to treat a broad range of rare and common diseases, today reported financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2023, and provided a review of recent accomplishments and anticipated upcoming milestones.
Vlad Coric, M.D., Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Biohaven, commented, "In less than a year since our spin-off, the Biohaven team has driven strong and consistent progress across multiple drug development platforms. We were excited to recently report positive interim data from the ongoing EEG biomarker study of our lead Kv7 activator, BHV-7000. As expected, BHV-7000 demonstrated CNS activity consistent with what has been reported in EEG studies with other Kv7 channel activators in development that are clinically effective in treating epilepsy and with other approved anti-seizure medications. Importantly, BHV-7000 demonstrates CNS target engagement but is not associated with the typical CNS adverse events associated with other ASMs, like somnolence and fatigue. We look forward to completing the higher dose groups in this EEG study and initiating Phase 2/3 studies with our once daily, extended-release oral formulation later this year."
Dr. Coric continued, "We also shared a number of equally exciting announcements across our broader pipeline this quarter. We successfully administered the first three doses in the SAD portion of our ongoing SAD/MAD study evaluating BHV-8000, an oral, brain-penetrant, dual TYK2/JAK1 inhibitor. Potential therapeutic concentrations of BHV-8000 were achieved and BHV-8000 was well tolerated with only mild adverse events reported, reinforcing our plans to start a Phase 2 clinical trial with BHV-8000 in Parkinson's disease and potentially other neuroinflammatory diseases in 2024. In addition, we have advanced IND enabling preclinical studies and remain on track to submit an IND with our IgG degrader, BHV-1300, later this year. We also anticipate submitting an IND with our IgA degrader in 2024 as we continue to advance multiple clinical degrader candidates across a wide range of indications. We also shared key updates for our taldefgrobep alfa program (an anti-myostatin) with enrollment completion in our pivotal study in SMA and a planned Phase 2 trial initiation in obesity."
"Finally, I want to reaffirm Biohaven's commitment to the SCA3 patient community in spite of the recent disappointing regulatory decision by the FDA not to review our submitted NDA. Given the seriousness of SCA3 and consistent treatment benefits observed across multiple prespecified outcome measures, including an 80% delay in disease progression over the one-year study period with substantial risk reduction in falls, we believe that full consideration of all available data is warranted for this ultra-rare disease. Biohaven has built its foundation around our patient mission and we plan to continue to work with regulatory agencies to try to advance troriluzole for individuals suffering from SCA3."
Second Quarter 2023 and Recent Business Highlights
- Announced positive interim data from EEG biomarker study with BHV-7000 - In July 2023, the Company provided a preliminary data update from the ongoing electroencephalogram (EEG) biomarker study for the Kv7 Channel Activator platform. Preliminary Phase 1 data confirmed evidence of target engagement in the central nervous system for subjects with projected therapeutic concentrations of BHV-7000 (based on the EC50 from preclinical models), measured by changes from baseline in EEG spectral power that occurred after dosing. These pharmacodynamic (PD) effects were similar to those reported in the literature for anti-seizure medicines (ASMs), including Kv7 activators in development that are clinically effective in treating epilepsy. BHV-7000's PD effects were also differentiated from those reported for other Kv7 activators including, specifically, the absence of increases in EEG spectral power in frequency bands associated with drowsiness and somnolence. Results from the low-dose group validate the preclinical hypothesis, confirm the Phase 1 SAD/MAD clinical data, and provide strong support for Biohaven's plans to initiate pivotal studies with BHV-7000 in focal epilepsy and bipolar disorder in the second half of 2023. The preliminary data highlight BHV-7000's differentiation and potentially favorable clinical profile compared to other ASMs, and the Company expects to present the complete EEG results by the end of the year. Additionally, new pharmacokinetic data from multiple clinical formulations being studied has now confirmed a once daily extended-release oral formulation that will be used in the Phase 2/3 clinical programs.
- Successfully dosed three cohorts with single ascending doses of oral, brain penetrant, dual TYK2/JAK1 agent, BHV-8000 - In July 2023, the Company announced that it successfully dosed three cohorts in the SAD portion of an ongoing SAD/MAD Phase 1 study evaluating brain penetrant TYK2/JAK1 agent, BHV-8000 in healthy volunteers. The ongoing Phase 1 study is designed to evaluate the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics (PK) and PD of single and multiple ascending doses of BHV-8000 in healthy volunteers. Based on the preliminary data available, projected therapeutic concentrations of BHV-8000 were achieved, and BHV-8000 was well tolerated with only mild adverse events reported. These data provide support for further development of BHV-8000, and the Company anticipates beginning a Phase 2 clinical trial with BHV-8000 in Parkinson's disease and potentially other neuroinflammatory diseases in 2024. The Company had previously reported initiation of dosing with BHV-8000 in the Phase 1 study at Biohaven's R&D Day in May 2023.
- Reported on continued progress observed with Biohaven's first-in-class bispecific IgG degrader, BHV-1300, as compound advances to IND filing in 2H2023 - In July 2023, the Company shared an update on BHV-1300's highly competitive safety, manufacturable and PD profile. The Company is assembling a pipeline of partially de-risked, follow-on IgG degraders as well as antigen-specific degraders providing both optionality and a sustainable output of drug candidates for several years. An IND application for BHV-1300 is on track for submission in 2023 and an IND application for Biohaven's IgA degrader on track for submission in 2024
- Type A meeting planned to comprehensively address FDA's concerns in connection with Troriluzole program in SCA3 - In July 2023, the Company announced that the FDA informed Biohaven it would not review the recently submitted New Drug Application (NDA) for troriluzole for the treatment of spinocerebellar ataxia type 3 (SCA3), an ultra-rare, genetically-defined, neurodegenerative disease associated with progressive disability, frequent falls, loss of ambulation, speech and swallowing impairment, and premature death that is the most common SCA genotype worldwide. The FDA informed Biohaven it would not review the application given that the study's primary endpoint was not met and thus, would not permit a substantive review. Biohaven is committed to working closely with the FDA to bring troriluzole to people with SCA3 as quickly as possible given no therapy is currently approved for this ultra-rare genetic disorder. Biohaven plans to request a Type A meeting to comprehensively address FDA's concerns cited in the refusal to file letter.
- EMA orphan drug designation granted for taldefgrobep alfa for the treatment of SMA: - In July 2023, the Company announced that taldefgrobep alfa received orphan drug designation (ODD) from the European Commission for taldefgrobep for the treatment of SMA. Taldefgrobep previously received Fast-Track and ODD from the FDA. At Biohaven's R&D Day, the Company announced plans to complete randomization of approximately 180 patients in global SMA trial.
Upcoming Milestones:
Biohaven is progressing its product candidates through clinical programs in a number of common and rare disorders. The Company plans to reach significant pipeline milestones in the coming periods. Biohaven expects to:
- Announce Phase 1 EEG study results by year-end 2023: The Company expects to present complete results from its ongoing EEG study with BHV-7000 in healthy volunteers by the end of the year.
- Initiate Phase 2/3 studies with BHV-7000 in the second half of 2023: Biohaven expects to initiate pivotal trials in patients with focal epilepsy and bipolar disorder in the second half of 2023.
- Submit IND with BHV-1300, the Company's lead extracellular degrader: The Company expects to submit an IND with pan-IgG degrader BHV-1300 in the second half of 2023 and expects to initiate Phase 2 studies in 2024.
- Submit IND with selective Gd-IgA1 degrader: The Company expects to submit an IND with a Gd-IgA1 degrader indicated for IgA nephropathy in the first half of 2024.
- Initiate Phase 2 study with BHV-8000: The Company commenced Phase 1 studies with BHV-8000, an oral, brain-penetrant, dual TYK2/JAK1 inhibitor for neuroinflammatory disorders, in the first half of 2023 and expects to initiate a Phase 2 study in Parkinson's disease in 2024.
- Submit IND with BHV-2100 in chronic pain: The Company expects to submit an IND with BHV-2100, a selective TRPM3 antagonist in the Company's ion channel platform, in the second half of 2023.
- Complete enrollment in Phase 3 study of troriluzole in OCD in 2023: Two Phase 3 randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled studies of troriluzole in OCD are expected to enroll up to 700 patients (in each trial) across nearly 200 global study sites. The Company anticipates completing enrollment in at least one Phase 3 trial by year-end 2023.
- Complete enrollment in Phase 3 clinical study of taldefgrobep alfa in SMA: The Company expects to complete enrollment in the study of taldefgrobep in SMA in the second half of 2023.
- Continue advancements across multiple neuroscience and immunoscience indications: The Company's preclinical pipeline includes a platform of bispecific degraders of extracellular proteins directed against IgG, IgA and other targets, TRPM3 and Kv7 family of ion channels, and other undisclosed targets, including those with disease-modifying potential.
Capital Position:
Cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities as of June 30, 2023 was $349.0 million, including $13.9 million of restricted cash, and excluding $40.4 million of cash payable to Biohaven Pharmaceutical Holding Company Ltd. (the Former Parent), compared to $467.9 million, including $2.5 million of restricted cash, and excluding $35.2 million of cash payable to the Former Parent, as of December 31, 20221.
Second Quarter 2023 Financial Highlights:
Research and Development (R&D) Expenses: R&D expenses, including non-cash share-based compensation costs, were $79.5 million for the three months ended June 30, 2023, compared to $177.1 million for the three months ended June 30, 2022. Non-cash share-based compensation expense was $2.5 million for the three months ended June 30, 2023, a decrease of $10.3 million as compared to the same period in 2022. Non-cash share-based compensation expense was higher in the second quarter of 2022 primarily because expense allocated from the Former Parent equity plan, prior to the spin-off, was based on equity awards with higher grant date fair values.
General and Administrative (G&A) Expenses: General and administrative expenses were $14.5 million for the three months ended June 30, 2023, compared to $20.0 million for the three months ended June 30, 2022. The decrease of $5.5 million was primarily due to decreased non-cash share-based compensation costs. Non-cash share-based compensation expense was $2.2 million for the three months ended June 30, 2023, a decrease of $5.8 million as compared to the same period in 2022. Non-cash share-based compensation expense was higher in the second quarter of 2022 primarily because expense allocated from the Former Parent equity plan, prior to the spin-off, was based on equity awards with higher grant date fair values.
Other Income (Expense), Net: Other income (expense), net was a net income of $5.8 million for the three months ended June 30, 2023, compared to net expense of $0.1 million for the three months ended June 30, 2022. The increase of $5.9 million was primarily due to an increase in net investment income and an increase of $1.7 million in other income related to our transition services provided to the Former Parent, which is largely non-recurring.
Net Loss: Biohaven reported a net loss for the three months ended June 30, 2023, of $90.3 million, or $1.32 per share, compared to $203.3 million, or $5.16 per share, for the same period in 2022. Non-GAAP adjusted net loss for the three months ended June 30, 2023 was $85.7 million, or $1.25 per share, compared to $182.5 million, or $4.63 per share for the same period in 2022. These non-GAAP adjusted net loss and non-GAAP adjusted net loss per share measures, more fully described below under "Non-GAAP Financial Measures," exclude non-cash share-based compensation charges. A reconciliation of the GAAP financial results to non-GAAP financial results is included in the tables below. For periods prior to Biohaven's spin-off from the Former Parent on October 3, 2022 (the "Spin-Off"), net loss per share and non-GAAP adjusted net loss per share were calculated based on the 39,375,944 common shares of Biohaven distributed to the Former Parent shareholders at the time of the distribution, including common shares issued in connection with the Former Parent share options that were settled on October 3, 2022 and common shares issued in connection with the Former Parent restricted share units that vested on October 3, 2022. The same number of shares is being utilized for the calculation of basic and diluted earnings per share for all periods presented prior to the Spin-Off.
Non-GAAP Financial Measures
This press release includes financial results prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (GAAP), and also certain non-GAAP financial measures. In particular, Biohaven has provided non-GAAP adjusted net loss and adjusted net loss per share, which are adjusted to exclude non-cash share-based compensation, which is substantially dependent on changes in the market price of common shares. Non-GAAP financial measures are not an alternative for financial measures prepared in accordance with GAAP. However, Biohaven believes the presentation of non-GAAP adjusted net loss and adjusted net loss per share, when viewed in conjunction with GAAP results, provides investors with a more meaningful understanding of ongoing operating performance and can assist investors in comparing Biohaven's performance between periods.
In addition, these non-GAAP financial measures are among those indicators Biohaven uses as a basis for evaluating performance, and planning and forecasting future periods. These non-GAAP financial measures are not intended to be considered in isolation or as a substitute for GAAP financial measures. A reconciliation between these non-GAAP measures and the most directly comparable GAAP measures is provided later in this news release.
About Biohaven
Biohaven is a global clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery, development and commercialization of life-changing therapies to treat a broad range of rare and common diseases. Biohaven's experienced management team brings with it a track record of delivering new drug approvals for products for diseases such as migraine, depression, bipolar and schizophrenia. The company is advancing a pipeline of therapies for diseases, many of which have limited or no treatment options, leveraging its proven drug development capabilities and proprietary platforms, including Kv7 ion channel modulation for epilepsy and neuronal hyperexcitability, glutamate modulation for obsessive-compulsive disorder and spinocerebellar ataxia, myostatin inhibition for neuromuscular diseases and metabolic disorders, and brain-penetrant TYK2/JAK1 inhibition for neuroinflammatory disorders. Biohaven's portfolio of early- and late-stage product candidates also includes discovery research programs focused on TRPM3 channel activation for neuropathic pain, CD-38 antibody recruiting, bispecific molecules for multiple myeloma, antibody drug conjugates (ADCs), and targeted extracellular protein degradation platform technology (MoDE™) with potential application in neurological disorders, cancer, and autoimmune diseases.
Forward-looking Statements
This news release includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The use of certain words, including "continue", "plan", "will", "believe", "may", "expect", "anticipate" and similar expressions, is intended to identify forward-looking statements. Investors are cautioned that any forward-looking statements, including statements regarding the future development, timing and potential marketing approval and commercialization of development candidates, are not guarantees of future performance or results and involve substantial risks and uncertainties. Actual results, developments and events may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements as a result of various factors including: the expected timing, commencement and outcomes of Biohaven's planned and ongoing clinical trials; the timing of planned interactions and filings with the FDA; the timing and outcome of expected regulatory filings; complying with applicable U.S. regulatory requirements; the potential commercialization of Biohaven's product candidates; the potential for Biohaven's product candidates to be first in class therapies; and the effectiveness and safety of Biohaven's product candidates. Additional important factors to be considered in connection with forward-looking statements are described in Biohaven's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including within the sections titled "Risk Factors" and "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations". The forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this new release, and Biohaven does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.
MoDEs is a trademark of Biohaven Therapeutics Ltd.
Investor Contact:
Jennifer Porcelli
Vice President, Investor Relations
jennifer.porcelli@biohavenpharma.com
+1 (201) 248-0741
Media Contact:
Mike Beyer
Sam Brown Inc.
mikebeyer@sambrown.com
+1 (312) 961-2502
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SAN FRANCISCO, July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Blitz Insurance, a specialty insurance carrier, partners with Ascend to modernize payment experiences for insurance brokers selling in specialty markets. With this partnership, Blitz Insurance will open new customer segments by offering both direct bill and premium financing into their payments workflow.
"When we looked into the market for a solution, Ascend was the right choice. Ascend meets our needs for a better payments experience for our partners while reducing everyone's operational expenses," said Brandon Murphy, Chief Distribution Officer of Blitz Insurance. "We will now have the ability to not only expand to direct bill and a premium finance option but also simplify the movement of money between us and our partners."
With Ascend, Blitz Insurance is now able to provide a direct bill in addition to their existing agency bill workflow - allowing brokers to decide what billing method works best for them. By utilizing Ascend, Blitz Insurance not only grows their footprint of appointed brokers but also gains administrative efficiency by automating what would otherwise have been a large operational undertaking.
Ascend automatically attributes incoming payments to policies in real time, speeding up the reconciliation process. By modernizing the payments experience and speeding up the reconciliation of incoming premiums, Blitz Insurance can offer a best-in-class experience to its brokers and agents.
"We find that across the insurance ecosystem - companies want to provide a seamless payment workflow for their customers and their teams," said Andrew Wynn, co-CEO of Ascend. "Ascend is built so brokers and carriers can offer this experience without shouldering the administrative resources and costs needed to support these operations."
About Ascend
Ascend is the first insurance payments platform that automates financial operations from collections and financing to carrier and commission payables. Founded by two-time insurtech entrepreneurs Andrew Wynn and Praveen Chekuri, Ascend helps insurance brokers, MGAs, and carriers improve their bottom lines by eliminating expensive and labor-intensive payment workflows. To learn more, please visit LinkedIn, Twitter or check out https://www.useascend.com/.
About Blitz Insurance
Blitz is a tech-driven insurer revolutionizing the $60B specialty market catering to SME segment. By leveraging industry knowledge and cutting-edge technology, we deliver a simpler, smarter, and faster coverage experience.
The company is led by a veteran team of insurance and technology experts and has been funded with $25M from its founder & CEO, a Forbes-listed serial entrepreneur in the real estate and insurance industries.
Contact:
Mike Nguyen
press@useascend.com
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SOURCE Ascend | https://www.kmvt.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/blitz-insurance-partners-with-ascend-expand-payment-financing-offerings/ | 2023-07-31T11:11:16 | 1 | https://www.kmvt.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/blitz-insurance-partners-with-ascend-expand-payment-financing-offerings/ |
Happy Monday MLive readers!
Where did July go? As we enter a new month, we are also entering a new era of Wallet Watch. MLive reporter Alyssa Burr is stepping in as an interim economy reporter, joining Rose White. That means I, Lindsay Moore, am signing off from the economy team for the foreseeable future while I delve into some other reporting. | https://www.mlive.com/public-interest/2023/07/wallet-watch-12b-of-student-debt-could-be-cleared-for-michigan-borrowers.html | 2023-07-31T11:11:16 | 1 | https://www.mlive.com/public-interest/2023/07/wallet-watch-12b-of-student-debt-could-be-cleared-for-michigan-borrowers.html |
The following is a listing of all home transfers in Kalamazoo County reported from July 24 to July 30. There were 58 transactions posted during this time. During this period, the median sale for the area was a 1,128-square-foot home on Harvest Lane in Portage that sold for $266,000.
Augusta
208 W. Michigan Ave., Augusta, $150,000, 1,748 square feet, $86 per square-foot, two bathrooms.
Kalamazoo
606 Lynn Ave., Kalamazoo, $77,000, 657 square feet, $117 per square-foot, one bedroom and one bathroom.
1310 Alamo Ave., Kalamazoo, $103,000, 1,478 square feet, $70 per square-foot, four bedrooms and three bathrooms.
711 Garland Circle, Kalamazoo, $105,000, 892 square feet, $118 per square-foot, two bedrooms and one bathroom.
623 Denner Street, Kalamazoo, $140,000, 1,125 square feet, $124 per square-foot, three bedrooms and two bathrooms.
1716 Homecrest Ave., Kalamazoo, $150,000, 1,048 square feet, $143 per square-foot, three bedrooms and one bathroom.
608 Reed Ave., Kalamazoo, $155,000, 1,826 square feet, $85 per square-foot, three bedrooms and two bathrooms.
2448 Quail Run Drive, Kalamazoo, $159,900, 956 square feet, $167 per square-foot, two bedrooms and two bathrooms.
2611 Sonora Street, Kalamazoo, $166,000, 893 square feet, $186 per square-foot, three bedrooms and one bathroom.
3900 E. D Ave., Kalamazoo, $170,000, 1,120 square feet, $152 per square-foot, three bedrooms and two bathrooms.
414 W. Paterson Street, Kalamazoo, $180,000, 1,668 square feet, $108 per square-foot, four bedrooms and two bathrooms.
1030 Sheridan Drive, Kalamazoo, $191,000, 936 square feet, $204 per square-foot, two bedrooms and one bathroom.
2702 Ashton Ave., Kalamazoo, $192,000, 864 square feet, $222 per square-foot, three bedrooms and one bathroom.
312 Fairview Ave., Kalamazoo, $215,000, 1,200 square feet, $179 per square-foot, three bedrooms and one bathroom.
625 W. G Ave., Kalamazoo, $230,000, 1,573 square feet, $146 per square-foot, three bedrooms and two bathrooms.
5973 Woodsong Way, Kalamazoo, $255,000, 1,156 square feet, $221 per square-foot, two bathrooms.
6138 Peregrine Trail, Kalamazoo, $275,000, 1,201 square feet, $229 per square-foot, two bedrooms and three bathrooms.
2863 E. D Ave., Kalamazoo, $280,000, 1,800 square feet, $156 per square-foot, four bedrooms and two bathrooms.
4452 Mulberry Lane, Kalamazoo, $285,000, 1,230 square feet, $232 per square-foot, three bedrooms and two bathrooms.
2911 Redwood Ave., Kalamazoo, $301,625, 1,938 square feet, $156 per square-foot, six bedrooms and five bathrooms.
2215 Sagebrush Street, Kalamazoo, $315,000, 1,840 square feet, $171 per square-foot, four bedrooms and three bathrooms.
4040 Greenleaf Circle, Kalamazoo, $345,000, 2,023 square feet, $171 per square-foot, two bedrooms and one bathroom.
8385 Logan Bay Street, Kalamazoo, $410,000, 2,207 square feet, $186 per square-foot, three bedrooms and three bathrooms.
2225 Aberdeen Drive, Kalamazoo, $423,500, 2,028 square feet, $209 per square-foot, one bedroom and two bathrooms.
7819 Derby Court, Kalamazoo, $450,000, 1,896 square feet, $237 per square-foot, four bathrooms.
5364 Brandy Ave., Kalamazoo, $462,500, 2,278 square feet, $203 per square-foot, three bedrooms and three bathrooms.
7690 La Jessica Circle, Kalamazoo, $465,000, 1,930 square feet, $241 per square-foot, four bedrooms and four bathrooms.
8554 Petoskey Street, Kalamazoo, $514,900, 1,973 square feet, $261 per square-foot, four bathrooms.
10901 Deerfield Trail, Kalamazoo, $535,000, 2,144 square feet, $250 per square-foot, four bathrooms.
8880 W. G Ave., Kalamazoo, $1,072,000, 2,634 square feet, $407 per square-foot, three bathrooms.
Portage
2016 Ramona Ave., Portage, $165,000, 1,120 square feet, $147 per square-foot, two bedrooms and two bathrooms.
7439 Rockford Street, Portage, $165,000, 1,020 square feet, $162 per square-foot, one bathroom.
6845 Bratcher Street, Portage, $220,000, 912 square feet, $241 per square-foot, one bathroom.
2209 Woodbine Ave., Portage, $226,000, 1,040 square feet, $217 per square-foot, two bathrooms.
4304 Branch Ave., Portage, $249,900, 888 square feet, $281 per square-foot, one bathroom.
4438 Briarhill Drive, Portage, $255,000, 1,290 square feet, $198 per square-foot, three bedrooms and two bathrooms.
11257 Oakland Drive, Portage, $263,500, 1,768 square feet, $149 per square-foot, two bathrooms.
9530 Marco Drive, Portage, $265,000, 1,333 square feet, $199 per square-foot, two bedrooms and two bathrooms.
7748 Harvest Lane, Portage, $266,000, 1,128 square feet, $236 per square-foot, three bedrooms and two bathrooms.
2129 Choral Ave., Portage, $300,000, 1,836 square feet, $163 per square-foot, three bathrooms.
2622 Bay Side Ave., Portage, $420,000, 1,926 square feet, $218 per square-foot, four bedrooms and three bathrooms.
3651 Fleetwood Drive, Portage, $445,000, 2,852 square feet, $156 per square-foot, three bathrooms.
2451 Avalon Woods Drive, Portage, $500,000, 2,644 square feet, $189 per square-foot, four bedrooms and two bathrooms.
5228 Ridgebrook Drive, Portage, $720,000, 4,106 square feet, $175 per square-foot, three bathrooms.
10230 E. Shore Drive, Portage, $1,379,000, 2,553 square feet, $540 per square-foot, four bedrooms and three bathrooms.
Richland
9250 Bunkerhill, Richland, $145,000, 1,050 square feet, $138 per square-foot, two bathrooms.
8042 Lausen Lane, Richland, $275,000, 1,660 square feet, $166 per square-foot, two bathrooms.
9778 Sterling Road, Richland, $285,000, 1,392 square feet, $205 per square-foot, four bedrooms and two bathrooms.
8804 Tamarisk Circle, Richland, $335,000, 1,440 square feet, $233 per square-foot, three bedrooms and two bathrooms.
6130 N. 35th Street, Richland, $350,000, 1,192 square feet, $294 per square-foot, two bathrooms.
Schoolcraft
5115 W. R Ave., Schoolcraft, $216,500, 1,144 square feet, $189 per square-foot, one bathroom.
9218 S. 10th Street, Schoolcraft, $336,500, 1,428 square feet, $236 per square-foot, three bathrooms.
Scotts
11692 36th Street, Scotts, $318,000, 1,160 square feet, $274 per square-foot, one bathroom.
Vicksburg
7816 South Street, Vicksburg, $150,000, 1,104 square feet, $136 per square-foot, two bathrooms.
5303 E. Y Ave., Vicksburg, $187,000, 1,162 square feet, $161 per square-foot, one bathroom.
1205 Odell Farm Lane, Vicksburg, $250,000, 1,872 square feet, $134 per square-foot, two bathrooms.
3938 E. V Ave., Vicksburg, $335,000, 1,649 square feet, $203 per square-foot, three bedrooms and three bathrooms.
1167 Rawson Lane, Vicksburg, $532,000, 1,207 square feet, $441 per square-foot, three bedrooms and two bathrooms.
Real Estate Newswire is a service provided by United Robots, which uses machine learning to generate analysis of data from Propmix, an aggregator of national real-estate data.. | https://www.mlive.com/realestate-news/2023/07/see-all-homes-sold-in-kalamazoo-county-july-24-to-july-30.html | 2023-07-31T11:11:22 | 0 | https://www.mlive.com/realestate-news/2023/07/see-all-homes-sold-in-kalamazoo-county-july-24-to-july-30.html |
STAMFORD, Conn., July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Emeren Group Ltd ("Emeren" or the "Company") (www.emeren.com) (NYSE: SOL), a leading global solar project developer, owner, and operator, recently announced the successful sale of an 11.5 MWp PV project to the Swiss-based energy company MET Group. The project was sold at the Ready-to-Build ("RTB") stage and MET Group will complete the construction and operate the power plant. This is the first project developed to RTB stage by Emeren Germany GmbH, the Berlin-based subsidiary of Emeren Group, since its entry into the market in early 2021. Capcora, a German consulting company, acted as the exclusive sell-side M&A advisor to Emeren.
The new PV power plant will be located in Kentzlin nestled in the state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and the commercial operations are expected to start in the second half of 2024.
Yumin Liu, CEO of Emeren Group, commented, "This project is an important milestone for our business in Germany and represents our commitment to developing renewable energy infrastructure in the region. We look forward to continuing to work with our local partners to build a more sustainable future."
Bernd Wollwerth-Carl, Director of Emeren Germany GmbH, added, "We are delighted to have sold our first RTB project in Germany. Starting from scratch in 2021, we managed to grow quickly in a competitive German PV market, establishing partnerships and building a pipeline of medium and large-scale ground mounted PV plants. With MET, we found a reliable and competent partner and we look forward to further expanding our cooperation."
Christian Hürlimann, Renewables CEO of MET Group, commented, "The Kentzlin project fits well into MET's strategic vision to enter the highly competitive German renewables market, as well as to further expand its renewables portfolio across Europe and particularly in Western Europe. Emeren Group's expertise in renewable energy was instrumental in achieving this milestone, and we anticipate future collaboration on additional projects."
Henning Prigge, Director at Capcora, adds: "We are delighted to have played a pivotal role in Emeren's successful project sale to MET Group, a prominent integrated European energy company. Our long-standing partnership with Emeren has allowed us to witness their growth and success, and we couldn't be happier to have been a part of this milestone. This collaboration reinforces our commitment to providing top-notch support and solutions to our valued clients."
About Emeren Group Ltd
Emeren Group Ltd (NYSE: SOL) is a leading global solar project developer, owner, and operator with a pipeline of projects and IPP assets totaling over 3 GW, as well as a storage pipeline of over 6 GWh across Europe, North America, and Asia. The Company focuses on solar power project development, construction management and project financing services with local professional teams across multiple countries. For more information, go to www.emeren.com.
About MET Group
MET Group is an integrated European energy company, headquartered in Switzerland, with activities and assets in natural gas and power markets. MET is present in 14 countries through subsidiaries, 30 national gas markets, and 22 international trading hubs. MET has extensive experience in operating green (renewable) and flexible (conventional) energy assets, thus providing the widest possible support to energy transition. In 2022, MET Group's consolidated sales revenue amounted to EUR 41.5 billion, the total traded volume of natural gas was 109 BCM including futures, total traded electricity 67 TWh including futures.
About Capcora
Capcora is an independent financial advisory boutique specializing in M&A and project finance services to accelerate the energy transition in Europe. Founded in 2015, the Frankfurt-based company helps its clients succeed in the renewable energy and infrastructure sectors by advising them on sell-side and buy-side transactions, and by raising mezzanine, unitranche or senior debt.
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SOURCE Emeren Group Ltd | https://www.kmvt.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/emeren-group-announces-sale-first-rtb-solar-power-project-germany/ | 2023-07-31T11:11:23 | 0 | https://www.kmvt.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/emeren-group-announces-sale-first-rtb-solar-power-project-germany/ |
- Revenue of RMB9,908 Million in the Second Quarter, Up 6.7% Year-over-Year;
Excluding COVID-19 Commercial Projects, Up 39.5% - Revenue of RMB18,871 Million in the First Half, Up 6.3% Year-over-Year;
Excluding COVID-19 Commercial Projects, Up 27.9% - Net Profit Attributable to Owners of the Company for the First Half Increased 14.6% to RMB 5,313 Million
- Diluted Earnings per Share (EPS) for the First Half Increased 20.9% to RMB1.79
- Adjusted Non-IFRS Net Profit Attributable to Owners of the Company for the First Half Increased 18.5% to RMB5,095 Million
- Adjusted Non-IFRS Diluted EPS for the First Half Increased 18.5% to RMB1.73[1]
- Free Cash Flow Achieved RMB2,926 Million for the First Half, Turned Positive and Grew Strongly
SHANGHAI, July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- WuXi AppTec (stock code: 603259.SH / 2359.HK), a global company that provides a broad portfolio of R&D and manufacturing services that enable companies in the pharmaceutical, biotech and medical device industries to advance discoveries and deliver groundbreaking treatments to patients, is pleased to announce its financial results for the first half ending June 30, 2023 ("Reporting Period").
This release provides a summary of the results and is not intended to be a comprehensive report. For additional information, please refer to the 2023 Interim Report and other relevant announcements published on the websites of the Shanghai Stock Exchange (www.sse.com.cn) and the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong (www.hkexnews.hk), and the designated media for dissemination of the relevant information. Investors are advised to exercise caution and be aware of the investment risks in trading Company shares.
All financial information disclosed in this press release is prepared based on International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS), in currency of RMB.
The 2023 Interim Report of the Company has not been audited.
Second Quarter 2023 Financial Highlights
Revenue grew 6.7% year-over-year to RMB9,908 million, excluding COVID-19 commercial projects, revenue grew strongly by 39.5%. This is primarily attributable to the Company's continued excellent execution of our unique Contract Research, Development and Manufacturing Organization (CRDMO) business model to achieve strong synergy and continuous growth:
- WuXi Chemistry revenue grew 2.6% year-over-year to RMB7,034 million, excluding COVID-19 commercial projects, revenue grew strongly by 51.6%. Adjusted non-IFRS gross profit grew 12.9% year-over-year to RMB3,216 million, with a gross profit margin of 45.7%.
- WuXi Testing revenue grew 23.6% year-over-year to RMB1,638 million and adjusted non-IFRS gross profit grew 36.2% year-over-year to RMB640 million, with a gross profit margin of 39.1%.
- WuXi Biology revenue grew 17.5% year-over-year to RMB656 million and adjusted non-IFRS gross profit grew 21.3% year-over-year to RMB 271 million, with a gross profit margin of 41.4%.
- WuXi ATU revenue grew 22.9% year-over-year to RMB389 million and adjusted non-IFRS gross profit was RMB(16) million, with a gross profit margin of (4.2)%
- WuXi DDSU revenue declined 17.9% year-over-year to RMB176 million and adjusted non-IFRS gross profit grew year-over-year 5.2% to RMB63 million, with a gross profit margin of 35.8%. Meanwhile, we received the first royalty income from customers in the second quarter, which is a breakthrough for DDSU.
Unit: RMB million
- IFRS gross profit increased 18.1% year-over-year to RMB4,030 million. Gross profit margin was 40.7%[2]
- Adjusted non-IFRS gross profit increased 16.4% year-over-year to RM4,177 million. Adjusted non-IFRS gross margin was 42.2%.
- Net profit attributable to owners of the Company increased 5.1% year-over-year to RMB3,145 million.
- Adjusted non-IFRS net profit attributable to owners of the Company increased 22.4% year-over-year to RMB2,753 million.
First-Half 2023 Financial Highlights
Revenue grew 6.3% year-over-year to RMB18,871 million, excluding COVID-19 commercial projects, revenue grew strongly by 27.9%. This is primarily attributable to the Company's continued excellent execution of our unique Contract Research, Development and Manufacturing Organization (CRDMO) business model to achieve strong synergy and continuous growth:
- WuXi Chemistry revenue grew 3.8% year-over-year to RMB13,467 million, excluding COVID-19 commercial projects, revenue grew strongly by 36.1%. Adjusted non-IFRS gross profit grew 14.9% year-over-year to RMB6,103 million, with a gross profit margin of 45.3%.
- WuXi Testing revenue grew 18.7% year-over-year to RMB3,091 million and adjusted non-IFRS gross profit grew 26.1% year-over-year to RMB1,168 million, with a gross profit margin of 37.8%.
- WuXi Biology revenue grew 13.0% year-over-year to RMB1,233 million and adjusted non-IFRS gross profit grew 15.1% year-over-year to RMB511 million, with a gross profit margin of 41.5%.
- WuXi ATU revenue grew 16.0% year-over-year to RMB714 million and adjusted non-IFRS gross profit was RMB(40) million, with a gross profit margin of (5.7)%.
- WuXi DDSU revenue declined 24.9% year-over-year to RMB342 million and adjusted non-IFRS gross profit declined 26.2% year-over-year to RMB103 million, with a gross profit margin of 30.1%. Meanwhile, DDSU achieved a breakthrough in receiving the first royalty income from customers.
Unit: RMB million
- IFRS gross profit increased 17.6% year-over-year to RMB7,556 million. Gross profit margin was 40.0%[3].
- Adjusted non-IFRS gross profit increased 15.7% year-over-year to RMB7,855 million. Adjusted non-IFRS gross margin was 41.6%.
- Net profit attributable to owners of the Company increased 14.6% year-over-year to RMB 5,313 million.
- Adjusted non-IFRS net profit attributable to owners of the Company increased 18.5% year-over-year to RMB5,095 million.
- Diluted EPS increased 20.9% year-over-year to RMB1.79, while adjusted diluted non-IFRS EPS increased by 18.5% year-over-year to RMB1.73.
- Free cash flow achieved RMB2,926 million, turned positive and grew strongly year-over-year.
First-Half 2023 Business Operation Highlights
- As an industry innovation enabler, we grow together with our customers. In the first half of 2023, we added over 600 new customers, and in total we served more than 6,000 active customers over the past 12 months. Backlog grew 25% year-over-year excluding COVID-19 commercial projects. We continued to optimize our cross-platform synergies to better serve our customers worldwide, strengthen our unique competitive advantage as a fully integrated Contract Research, Development and Manufacturing Organization (CRDMO) and Contract Testing, Development and Manufacturing Organization (CTDMO) platform, and provide one-stop services for our customers from discovery to development and manufacturing. The diversified revenue streams from customers across regions ensure the stability and resilience of the Company's financial performance.
- WuXi Chemistry: Integrated CRDMO Business Model Drives Steady Growth, with Continued Expansion in New Modalities (WuXi TIDES)
- In the past 12 months, we successfully synthesized and delivered more than 420,000 new compounds to customers, which grew 20% year-over-year. Through our chemistry drug discovery services, we enabled our customers to accelerate their research while generating opportunities for our downstream business units. In the past 12 months, 120 molecules have transitioned from R to D&M, representing a year-on-year growth of 21%. Through our "follow-the-customer" and "follow-the-molecule" strategies, we established trusted partnerships with our global customers, supporting the sustainable growth of our CRDMO business.
- We continued executing our "long-tail" strategy. Demand from "long-tail" customers in discovery services of small molecule and new modalities continued to grow, with the number of new customers growing 17% year-over-year.
- In the first half of 2023, D&M services revenue grew 2.1% year-over-year to RMB9.67 billion. Excluding COVID-19 commercial projects, D&M services revenue grew strongly by 54.5%.
- In the first half of 2023, we added 583 molecules to our D&M pipeline. To date, our D&M pipeline consists of 2,819 molecules, including 56 commercial projects, 59 in phase III, 301 in phase II and 2,403 in phase I and pre-clinical stages, among which, 8 commercial and phase III projects were added in the first half of 2023.
- In the first half of 2023, TIDES revenue grew 37.9% year-over-year to RMB1.33 billion. As of June 30, 2023, backlog of TIDES grew strongly by 188% year-over-year. We expect revenue growth from TIDES business to exceed 70% in 2023.
- The number of TIDES D&M customers increased 25% year-over-year to 121, and the number of TIDES molecules increased 46% year-over-year to 207.
- WuXi Testing: Lab Testing Services Drive Steady Growth, Clinical Business Fully Recovered
- The Company provides a full range of laboratory testing services for our customers, including drug metabolism and pharmacokinetics (DMPK), toxicology, and bioanalysis for drug development testing, as well as medical device testing. We provide customers with high-quality services, realize "one report for global submission," and enable customers to save time, reduce costs and increase efficiency.
- H1 2023 revenue from drug safety evaluation services grew 24% year-over-year. We maintained our industry leadership position in Asia Pacific for drug safety evaluation services that meet global regulatory requirements. In the first half of 2023, new lab testing facilities in Qidong and Suzhou began operations as scheduled, ensuring the business growth to accelerate in the second half of 2023.
- Moreover, we continued to enhance capabilities related to new modalities, with comprehensive coverage such as target protein degradation, nucleic acids, conjugates, and cell and gene therapies (CGT), etc.
- SMO revenue grew strongly by 53.9% in Q2 2023 and 34.3% in H1 2023, maintaining a leadership position in China. In the first half of 2023, SMO supported 25 new drug approvals for customers.
- In the first half of 2023, clinical CRO enabled our customers to obtain 8 IND approvals and submit 3 NDA filings.
- WuXi Biology: Strong Contribution from New Modalities; Early Discovery Screening Platform Continued to Generate Downstream Opportunities
- WuXi ATU: CTDMO Business Model Drives Growth
- WuXi DDSU: the First Year to Receive New Drug Application (NDA) Approval of New Drugs Developed for Customers; Breakthrough to Receive the First Royalty Income
Our Commitment to ESG
As an industry innovation enabler, a trusted partner and a contributor to the global healthcare industry, the Company is committed to environmental protection and sustainability, and to being a good global corporate citizenship.
Our outstanding ESG performance has been recognized by major global ESG rating agencies, including MSCI, S&P Global, Sustainalytics, CDP and EcoVadis. In June 2023, we received the fourth "Silver" medal recognition from EcoVadis for our Couvet site in Switzerland.
By the first half of 2023, our carbon emission intensity, energy consumption intensity and water use intensity reduced by 20.1%, 18.4%, and 31.6%, respectively, as compared to the baseline year 2020.
As we continue to advance our sustainability strategy, we embrace our shared responsibility to be good stewards of the environment.
Management Comment
Dr. Ge Li, Chairman and CEO of WuXi AppTec, said, "We continued to achieve steady growth of revenue, net profit, and free cash flow in the first half of 2023. Our revenue increased 6.3% year-over-year to RMB18.87 billion, or 27.9% if excluding COVID-19 commercial projects. Our adjusted non-IFRS net profit attributable to owners of the Company increased 18.5% year-over-year, outpacing the revenue growth rate, and our free cash flow achieved RMB2.93 billion, as a result of the Company's pursuit of operational excellence and productivity."
"The Company's performance in the first half of 2023 demonstrated that WuXi AppTec's unique CRDMO and CTDMO business models can effectively meet the growing demands from customers worldwide and continue to drive solid growth for the Company. In 2023, we aim to deliver a 5-7% revenue growth, increase adjusted non-IFRS gross profit by 13-14%, and expand free cash flow by 750-850%. We remain committed to prioritizing our customers' needs and enhancing our capacity and capabilities as we support our customers' efforts to bring groundbreaking therapies to patients around the world. Together, we can realize our vision that 'every drug can be made and every disease can be treated'."
About WuXi AppTec
As a global company with operations across Asia, Europe, and North America, WuXi AppTec provides a broad portfolio of R&D and manufacturing services that enable the global pharmaceutical and healthcare industry to advance discoveries and deliver groundbreaking treatments to patients. Through its unique business models, WuXi AppTec's integrated, end-to-end services include chemistry drug CRDMO (Contract Research, Development and Manufacturing Organization), biology discovery, preclinical testing and clinical research services, cell and gene therapies CTDMO (Contract Testing, Development and Manufacturing Organization), helping customers improve the productivity of advancing healthcare products through cost-effective and efficient solutions. WuXi AppTec received an AA ESG rating from MSCI in 2022 and its open-access platform is enabling more than 6,000 customers from over 30 countries to improve the health of those in need – and to realize the vision that "every drug can be made and every disease can be treated." Please visit: http://www.wuxiapptec.com
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release may contain certain "forward-looking statements" which are not historical facts, but instead are predictions about future events based on our beliefs as well as assumptions made by and information currently available to our management. Although we believe that our predictions are reasonable, future events are inherently uncertain and our forward-looking statements may turn out to be incorrect. Our forward-looking statements are subject to risks relating to, among other things, the ability of our service offerings to compete effectively, our ability to meet timelines for the expansion of our service offerings, our ability to protect our customers' intellectual property, unforeseeable international tension, competition, the impact of emergencies and other force majeure. Our forward-looking statements in this press release speak only as of the date on which they are made, and we assume no obligation to update any forward-looking statements except as required by applicable law or listing rules. Accordingly, you are strongly cautioned that reliance on any forward-looking statements involves known and unknown risks and uncertainties. All forward-looking statements contained herein are qualified by reference to the cautionary statements set forth in this section. All information provided in this press release is as of the date of this press release and are based on assumptions that we believe to be reasonable as of this date, and we do not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statement, except as required under applicable law.
Use of Non-IFRS and Adjusted Non-IFRS Financial Measures
We provide non-IFRS gross profit and non-IFRS net profit attributable to owners of the Company, which exclude share-based compensation expenses, issuance expenses of convertible bonds, fair value gain or loss from derivative component of convertible bonds, foreign exchange-related gains or losses, amortization of intangible assets acquired in business combinations, non-financial assets impairment, etc. We also provide adjusted non-IFRS net profit attributable to owners of the Company and earnings per share, which further exclude realized and unrealized gains or losses from our venture capital investments and joint ventures. Neither is required by, or presented in accordance with IFRS.
We believe that the adjusted financial measures used in this press release are useful for understanding and assessing our core business performance and operating trends, and we believe that management and investors may benefit from referring to these adjusted financial measures in assessing our financial performance by eliminating the impact of certain unusual, non-recurring, non-cash and non-operating items that we do not consider indicative of the performance of our core business. Such adjusted non-IFRS net profit attributable to owners of the Company, the management of the Company believes, is widely accepted and adopted in the industry the Company is operating in. However, the presentation of these adjusted non-IFRS financial measures is not intended to be considered in isolation or as a substitute for the financial information prepared and presented in accordance with IFRS. You should not view adjusted results on a stand-alone basis or as a substitute for results under IFRS, or as being comparable to results reported or forecasted by other companies.
For more information, please contact:
Ms. Ruijia Tang (for investors)
IR Director
Email: tang_ruijia@wuxiapptec.com
Mr. Davy Wu (for media)
PR Director
Email: davy_wu@wuxiapptec.com
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SOURCE WuXi AppTec | https://www.dakotanewsnow.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/wuxi-apptec-announced-strong-results-second-quarter-first-half-2023-top-an-exceptionally-strong-year-2022/ | 2023-07-31T11:11:27 | 0 | https://www.dakotanewsnow.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/wuxi-apptec-announced-strong-results-second-quarter-first-half-2023-top-an-exceptionally-strong-year-2022/ |
BEIJING, July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Gravitas Education Holdings, Inc. ("GEHI" or the "Company") (NYSE: GEHI), a leading early childhood education service provider in China, today announced that it will hold an extraordinary general meeting of shareholders (the "EGM") at 3/F, No. 28 Building, Fangguyuan Section 1, Fangzhuang Fengtai District, Beijing 100078, People's Republic of China, at 10:00 a.m. (Beijing time) on September 11, 2023, for the purposes of considering and, if thought fit, approving the transactions contemplated in the Agreement and Plan of Merger (the "Merger Agreement"), dated April 18, 2023, by and among the Company, Bright Sunlight Limited, a Cayman Islands exempted company and a direct, wholly owned subsidiary of the Company ("Merger Sub"), Best Assistant Education Online Limited, a Cayman Islands exempted company ("Best Assistant") and a controlled subsidiary of NetDragon Websoft Holdings Limited (HKEX: 0777, "NetDragon"), a Cayman Islands exempted company, and solely for purposes of certain named sections thereof, NetDragon. It is contemplated that Best Assistant will transfer the education business of NetDragon outside of the PRC to Elmtree Inc., a Cayman Islands exempted company limited by shares ("eLMTree") and currently a wholly owned subsidiary of Best Assistant. Pursuant to the Merger Agreement, Merger Sub will merge with and into eLMTree with eLMTree continuing as the surviving company and becoming a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company (the "Merger").
Pursuant to the Merger Agreement, at the effective time of the Merger (the "Effective Time"), each ordinary share of eLMTree issued and outstanding immediately prior to the Effective Time (excluding the Dissenting Shares and the Excluded Shares, each as defined in the Merger Agreement) will be cancelled in exchange for the right to receive a number of validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable ordinary shares of the Company in a transaction exempt from the registration requirements under the Securities Act of 1933.
Shareholders of the Company will also be asked to consider and vote on certain additional Merger-related proposals at the EGM, including, among others:
- that, subject to and conditional upon the Merger becoming effective, the fifth amended and restated memorandum and article of association of the Company be amended and restated by their deletion in their entirety and the substitution of in their place of the sixth amended and restated memorandum and articles of association of the Company (the "A&R MAA") effective immediately prior to the Effective Time of the Merger;
- that, subject to and conditional upon the Merger becoming effective, the name of the Company be changed from "Gravitas Education Holdings, Inc." to "Mynd.ai, Inc." effective immediately prior to the Effective Time;
- that, subject to and conditional upon the Merger becoming effective, immediately prior to the Effective Time, the authorized share capital of the Company be varied as follows: (a) the authorized share capital of the Company shall be varied to US$1,000,000 divided into 1,000,000,000 shares comprising of (i) 990,000,000 ordinary shares of a par value of US$0.001 each (each a "ListCo Ordinary Share") and (ii) 10,000,000 shares of a par value of US$0.001 each of such class or classes (however designated) as the board of directors may determine in accordance with the A&R MAA, and (b) all Class A ordinary shares of the Company prior to the adoption of the A&R MAA, par value US$0.001 per share ("ListCo Class A Ordinary Shares") and all Class B ordinary shares of the Company prior to the adoption of the A&R MAA, par value US$0.001 per share ("ListCo Class B Ordinary Shares") in the authorized share capital of the Company (including all issued and outstanding ListCo Class A Ordinary Shares and ListCo Class B Ordinary Shares, and all authorized but unissued ListCo Class A Ordinary Shares and ListCo Class B Ordinary Shares) shall be re-designated as ListCo Ordinary Shares.
Holders of the Company's ordinary shares whose names are on the register of members of the Company at the close of business in the Cayman Islands on August 7, 2023, are entitled to notice of, and to vote at, the EGM or any adjournment or postponement thereof in person. Holders of the Company's American depositary shares ("ADSs") at the close of business in New York City on August 7, 2023, are entitled to exercise their voting rights for the underlying ordinary shares and must act through Citibank, N.A., the depositary of the Company's ADS program.
The notice of the EGM, which contains the detailed proposals to be presented at the EGM, and the proxy statement related to the EGM, are being filed today with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") and can be obtained without charge from the SEC's website (http://www.sec.gov). These documents are also available in the "Financial Information" section of the Company's investor relations website at https://ir.geh.com.cn/. In addition, the proxy materials (including the proxy statement) will be mailed to the Company's shareholders and holders of ADSs.
SHAREHOLDERS AND ADS HOLDERS ARE URGED TO READ CAREFULLY AND IN THEIR ENTIRETY THE PROXY MATERIALS AND OTHER MATERIALS FILED WITH OR FURNISHED TO THE SEC WHEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE, AS THEY CONTAIN VOTING INSTRUCTIONS AND IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE COMPANY, ELMTREE, THE MERGER AND RELATED MATTERS.
This press release is not a proxy statement or solicitation of a proxy, consent or authorization with respect to any securities or in respect of the transactions described above and shall not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy the securities of eLMTree or the Company, nor shall there be any sale of any such securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation, or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of such state or jurisdiction. No offering of securities shall be made except by means of a prospectus meeting the requirements of Section 10 of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or an exemption therefrom.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains certain "forward-looking statements." These statements are made under the "safe harbor" provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Statements that are not historical facts, including statements about the pending transactions described herein, and the parties' perspectives and expectations, are forward-looking statements. Such statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the Merger, including the equity values, the benefits of the Merger, expected revenue opportunities, anticipated future financial and operating performance and results, including estimates for growth, the expected management and governance of the combined company, and the expected timing of the transactions. The words "will," "expect," "believe," "estimate," "intend," "plan" and similar expressions indicate forward-looking statements.
Such forward-looking statements are inherently uncertain, and shareholders and other potential investors must recognize that actual results may differ materially from the expectations as a result of a variety of factors. Such forward-looking statements are based upon management's current expectations and include known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, many of which are hard to predict or control, that may cause the actual results, performance, or plans to differ materially from any future results, performance or plans expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: (i) risks related to the expected timing and likelihood of completion of the Merger, including the risk that the transaction may not close due to one or more closing conditions to the transaction not being satisfied or waived, such as regulatory approvals not being obtained, on a timely basis or otherwise, or that a governmental entity prohibited, delayed or refused to grant approval for the consummation of the transaction or required certain conditions, limitations or restrictions in connection with such approvals; (ii) the occurrence of any event, change or other circumstances that could give rise to the termination of the applicable transaction agreements; (iii) the risk that there may be a material adverse change with respect to the financial position, performance, operations or prospects of the Company or eLMTree; (iv) risks related to disruption of management time from ongoing business operations due to the Merger; (v) the risk that any announcements relating to the Merger could have adverse effects on the market price of the Company's securities; (vi) the risk that the Merger and its announcement could have an adverse effect on the ability of eLMTree to retain customers and retain and hire key personnel and maintain relationships with their suppliers and customers and on their operating results and businesses generally; (vii) any changes in the business or operating prospects of eLMTree or its businesses; (viii) changes in applicable laws and regulations; and (ix) risks relating to the combined company's ability to enhance its services and products, execute its business strategy, expand its customer base and maintain stable relationship with its business partners.
A further list and description of risks and uncertainties can be found in the proxy statement that will be filed with the SEC by the Company in connection with the Merger, and other documents that the parties may file with or furnish to the SEC, which you are encouraged to read. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those indicated or anticipated by such forward-looking statements. Accordingly, you are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements relate only to the date they were made, and eLMTree, the Company and their subsidiaries and affiliates undertake no obligation to update forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date they were made except as required by law or applicable regulation.
Additional Information and Where to Find It
The Company will file with the SEC and mail to its shareholders and ADS holders a proxy statement in connection with the Merger. Investors and security holders are urged to read the proxy statement when it becomes available because it will contain voting instructions and important information regarding the proposed arrangement. You may access the proxy statement (when available) and other related documents filed by the Company with the SEC at the SEC's website at www.sec.gov. You also may obtain the proxy statement and other documents filed by the Company with the SEC relating to the proposed arrangement for free by accessing the Company's website at https://ir.geh.com.cn/ by clicking on the link for "Financial Information," and then clicking on the link for "SEC Filings."
CONTACT: Gravitas Education Holdings, Inc., Investor Relations, E-mail: ir@geh.com.cn
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SOURCE Gravitas Education Holdings Inc. | https://www.kmvt.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/gehi-hold-extraordinary-general-meeting-shareholders-september-11-2023/ | 2023-07-31T11:11:29 | 0 | https://www.kmvt.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/gehi-hold-extraordinary-general-meeting-shareholders-september-11-2023/ |
GUANGZHOU, China, July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Yatsen Holding Limited ("Yatsen" or the "Company") (NYSE: YSG), a leading China-based beauty group, today announced that it has published its 2022 Environmental, Social and Governance ("ESG") report, outlining the Company's progress and performance in key ESG areas.
The report provides a comprehensive review of Yatsen's ESG initiatives and developments, including corporate governance, research and development, employee rights protection, human capital development, environmental sustainability and social responsibility, among others.
To view the report in full, please visit the ESG section on the Yatsen Investor Relations website. Alternatively, please click here for the English version and here for the Chinese version of the 2022 report.
About Yatsen Holding Limited
Yatsen Holding Limited (NYSE: YSG) is a leading China-based beauty group with the mission of creating an exciting new journey of beauty discovery for consumers around the world. Founded in 2016, the Company has launched and acquired numerous color cosmetics and skincare brands, including Perfect Diary, Little Ondine, Abby's Choice, Galénic, DR.WU (its mainland China business), Eve Lom, Pink Bear and EANTiM. The Company's flagship brand, Perfect Diary, is one of the leading color cosmetics brands in China in terms of retail sales value. The Company primarily reaches and engages with customers directly, both online and offline, with an expansive presence across all major e-commerce, social and content platforms in China.
For more information, please visit http://ir.yatsenglobal.com/.
For investor and media inquiries, please contact:
In China:
Yatsen Holding Limited
Investor Relations
E-mail: ir@yatsenglobal.com
The Piacente Group, Inc
Hui Fan
Tel: +86-10-6508-0677
E-mail: yatsen@thepiacentegroup.com
In the United States:
The Piacente Group, Inc.
Brandi Piacente
Tel: +1-212-481-2050
E-mail: yatsen@thepiacentegroup.com
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SOURCE Yatsen Holding Limited | https://www.dakotanewsnow.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/yatsen-issues-2022-esg-report/ | 2023-07-31T11:11:34 | 1 | https://www.dakotanewsnow.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/yatsen-issues-2022-esg-report/ |
LA ROMANA, Dominican Republic, July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The international known company Hilton Hotels & Resorts opens its doors to its Hilton Garden Inn La Romana hotel project in the Dominican Republic, in collaboration with a group of important investors under the company Riverhome Capital S.A.S., whose main shareholder is the prominent Dominican former major league player, Edwin Encarnación; together with the vision of the lawyer Guillermo Estrella Ramia and the Minister of Tourism, David Collado.
The inauguration was led by Luis Abinader Corona, president of the Dominican Republic and who expressed that "This hotel has something very special, opening up the beach and the sector of La Caleta of La Romana, which for a long time was closed to the province and its visitors. Since private investment must always be accompanied by public infrastructure, we are working on creating them, so we are all part of this development of La Romana."
With an investment of 25 million united states dollars and the creation of more than 300 direct jobs, it is considered as a hotel option for the growing flows of tourists that the area is currently receiving. Located a short distance from other points of relevance, such as La Romana Airport 18 minutes away, Casa de Campo 12 minutes away and Central Romana just a few blocks away.
The new hotel facility has a privileged location on a 5,000 square meters property, located on the coast of the municipal district of La Caleta, La Romana province. With a capacity of 130 rooms, distributed in five of the seven floors of the building, it also counts with swimming pools, two bars, a restaurant, gym, event, meeting and multipurpose rooms, and outdoor areas, ideal for social and corporate celebrations.
The hotel responds to the interest of Edwin Encarnación to invest in the development of his province of origin, who expressed that "from the moment this project was presented to me, I knew that I had to be part and be the one to assume this. I joined the development of this hotel, with the only requirement that most of the workers came from here, from my town La Romana, and we achieved this."
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SOURCE Grupo De Valle | https://www.kmvt.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/hilton-garden-inn-la-romana-dominican-republic-celebrates-its-opening/ | 2023-07-31T11:11:36 | 0 | https://www.kmvt.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/hilton-garden-inn-la-romana-dominican-republic-celebrates-its-opening/ |
The following is a listing of all home transfers in Metro Detroit reported from July 24 to July 30. There were 12 transactions posted during this time. During this period, the median sale for the area was a 1,926-square-foot home on Lochmoor Circle in Northville that sold for $435,000.
Grosse Pointe Farms
333 Ridgemont Road, Grosse Pointe Farms, $525,000, 1,756 square feet, $299 per square-foot, two bathrooms.
Grosse Pointe Shores
25 Blairmoor Court, Grosse Pointe Shores, $474,500, 2,149 square feet, $221 per square-foot, two bathrooms.
Grosse Pointe Woods
1488 Hampton Road, Grosse Pointe Woods, $301,000, 1,298 square feet, $232 per square-foot, three bedrooms and one bathroom.
1899 Hunt Club Drive, Grosse Pointe Woods, $324,900, 1,939 square feet, $168 per square-foot, three bedrooms and two bathrooms.
1373 Torrey Road, Grosse Pointe Woods, $330,000, 1,700 square feet, $194 per square-foot, three bedrooms and two bathrooms.
1854 Severn Road, Grosse Pointe Woods, $335,000, 2,116 square feet, $158 per square-foot, three bedrooms and three bathrooms.
1772 Prestwick Road, Grosse Pointe Woods, $350,000, 1,831 square feet, $191 per square-foot, three bedrooms and two bathrooms.
1291 Roslyn Road, Grosse Pointe Woods, $455,000, 2,341 square feet, $194 per square-foot, three bedrooms and two bathrooms.
596 N. Brys Drive, Grosse Pointe Woods, $681,000, 4,210 square feet, $162 per square-foot, three bedrooms and five bathrooms.
Northville
39467 Springwater Drive, Northville, $280,000, 1,536 square feet, $182 per square-foot, two bedrooms and three bathrooms.
16829 Lochmoor Circle, Northville, $435,000, 1,926 square feet, $226 per square-foot, three bathrooms.
15839 Winchester Drive, Northville, $550,000, 2,204 square feet, $250 per square-foot, three bathrooms.
Real Estate Newswire is a service provided by United Robots, which uses machine learning to generate analysis of data from Propmix, an aggregator of national real-estate data.. | https://www.mlive.com/realestate-news/2023/07/see-all-homes-sold-in-metro-detroit-july-24-to-july-30.html | 2023-07-31T11:11:36 | 0 | https://www.mlive.com/realestate-news/2023/07/see-all-homes-sold-in-metro-detroit-july-24-to-july-30.html |
The cutting-edge platform empowers B2B SaaS start-ups to reduce churn, increase upsell, and boost NRR
WILMINGTON, Del., July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- ZapScale, a new-age customer success platform, is making waves in the industry by offering an unrivalled one-day onboarding experience along with the ability to track 150 customer data points for a comprehensive 360-degree view of customer health. This ground-breaking feature sets ZapScale apart from its competitors.
The secret behind ZapScale's lightning-fast onboarding lies in its comprehensive toolkit. With a robust framework of 40 pre-built KPI-based health frameworks, 60 pre-designed playbooks to automate CS ops, and seamless native integrations with all popular tools, ZapScale empowers businesses to gain complete visibility over customer data. With deep customer health insights, ZapScale's customers have seen an improvement in retention and increase in upsell opportunities.
Manasij Ganguli, Founder and CEO of ZapScale, shares his personal motivation for creating this game-changing platform: "ZapScale was born out of my passion to empower B2B SaaS start-ups with an efficient and effective CS platform. Having faced numerous customer success challenges in my previous start-up, which I successfully sold in 2019, I realized the critical need for a solution that could streamline, optimize, and accelerate CS operations.
For small to mid-sized businesses that have limited time and resources, implementing a CS platform has historically been a daunting task, taking weeks, if not months, to set up essential elements like customer health, playbooks, and integrations. ZapScale has addressed this challenge by offering a user-friendly and efficient implementation process, eliminating waste of time and resources. Now, businesses can seamlessly focus on their customers right from day 1."
ZapScale eliminates the traditional barriers and time-consuming processes associated with implementing CS platforms using key in-built features that facilitate custom mapping, support custom fields, and require no unique key to integrate applications, ensuring a tailored yet quick integration experience.
ZapScale is swiftly gaining traction in the market, with 30+ global companies already using the customer success platform. Starting at $249 per month, with a one-month free trial, ZapScale is helping businesses significantly improve their customer success initiatives.
For more information about ZapScale and to schedule a demo, visit www.zapscale.com.
Contact:
Nikita Kalra
Marketing Head, ZapScale
nikita@zapscale.com
Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2097823/ZS_Logo.jpg
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SOURCE ZapScale | https://www.dakotanewsnow.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/zapscale-sets-new-industry-standard-with-easiest-customer-success-platform-one-day-onboarding/ | 2023-07-31T11:11:40 | 1 | https://www.dakotanewsnow.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/zapscale-sets-new-industry-standard-with-easiest-customer-success-platform-one-day-onboarding/ |
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The 2023 high school football season in Michigan is right around the corner.
Before action kicks off for what should be another entertaining fall season on the gridiron we wanted to take a deeper look at each team’s potential road to the playoffs.
Earlier this week, we highlighted each conference in the Muskegon area with a team-by-team breakdown of their upcoming schedules. Today, we’ll take a look at some of the area’s independent programs that compile a full schedule of non-conference games.
Below are team-by-team schedules for Muskegon Catholic Central and Muskegon Heights Academy heading into the 2023 high school football season, as well as links to league schedules for the OK Red, OK Green, OK Blue, West Michigan Conference and Central State Activities Association.
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MUSKEGON CATHOLIC CENTRAL
Aug. 24 – New Lothrop
Aug. 31 – North Muskegon
Sept. 8 – at Benton Harbor
Sept. 15 – Kalamazoo Hackett
Sept. 22 – Orchard View
Sept. 29 – at Schoolcraft
Oct. 6 – at Muskegon Heights Academy
Oct. 13 – Centreville
Oct. 20 – at Traverse City St. Francis
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MUSKEGON HEIGHTS ACADEMY
Aug. 25 – Hesperia
Aug. 31 – TBD
Sept. 8 – Detroit Leadership Academy
Sept. 15 – at Ecorse
Sept. 23 – at Riverview Gabriel Richard
Sept. 29 – White Cloud
Oct. 6 – Muskegon Catholic Central
Oct. 13 – TBD
Oct. 20 – at Godwin Heights
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MUSKEGON-AREA FOOTBALL SCHEDULES
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MORE MUSKEGON-AREA SPORTS COVERAGE
Muskegon’s Anthony Bradford aiming to become versatile mauler in the NFL
See our 10 favorite images from the 2023 Elite Skillz Youth Football Camp
Top recruits: Fremont lineman sprouts into can’t-miss prospect for EMU | https://www.mlive.com/sports/muskegon/2023/07/every-muskegon-area-high-school-football-schedule-heading-into-2023-season.html | 2023-07-31T11:11:42 | 0 | https://www.mlive.com/sports/muskegon/2023/07/every-muskegon-area-high-school-football-schedule-heading-into-2023-season.html |
Juggernaut and Mr. Highman will continue as substantial shareholders of Bobbie. The acquisition positions the combined company as the third largest fully integrated infant and toddler brand in the U.S., creating a more resilient industry for American families
WASHINGTON, July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Juggernaut Capital Partners, a leading middle market private equity investor primarily in the consumer and healthcare sectors, is pleased to announce the sale of Nature's One, the pediatric nutrition company founded by Jay Highman which set the bar for quality and innovation in formula over decades. Joining forces with Bobbie Baby, Inc., the nation's fastest growing infant formula company, the combined business will be the first of its kind in pediatric nutrition.
"Nature's One is a true pioneer in the pediatric nutrition space. Juggernaut partnered with founder, Jay Highman, to accelerate product development and vertical integration initiatives. Over the past five years, the company completed the first FDA-approved clinical feeding study of an organic infant formula and designed and constructed the first newly built infant formula facility in the U.S. in 35 years," said John Shulman, Founder and Managing Partner at Juggernaut. "It has been a pleasure to partner with Jay and his team. We believe the combination with Bobbie cements the organization as a continued disruptor and a next-generation industry leader. We are proud to continue as a meaningful shareholder in the go-forward company."
Founded in 1997, Nature's One introduced the first organic baby formula to the U.S. market. Recognized for its dedication to purity and quality, all of the company's formulas have received the Clean Label Project's Purity Award and have tested best in class for purity and nutrition when compared to popular baby formulas sold in the U.S. Nature's One operates the only independent, FDA audited organic infant nutrition facility in the U.S.
Nature's One was advised by CG / Sawaya Partners (operating under Canaccord Genuity) and Morgan Lewis & Bockius LLP. Bobbie was advised by Perella Weinberg Partners LP and Goodwin Procter LLP.
About Juggernaut Capital Partners:
Juggernaut Capital Partners is a leading private equity firm focusing on lower middle market companies, primarily in the consumer and healthcare sectors. Juggernaut is currently investing out of Juggernaut Capital Partners V, L.P. For more information on Juggernaut Capital Partners, please visit www.juggernautcap.com.
About Nature's One:
Founded in 1997, Nature's One introduced the first organic formula, Baby's Only® Organic in the United States. Nature's One has dedicated 25 years to the research, development, and sourcing of pure ingredients. Recognized as the first and highest-ranked formulas for purity and nutritional superiority by the Clean Label Project, Baby's Only Formulas are preferred by parents who want to offer their child a "Better Start…for Life™." Baby's Only Formulas are sold nationally at Whole Foods, Target, Walmart, Sam's Club, and many fine natural food retailers, as well online at www.naturesone.com.
About Bobbie:
Bobbie is the mission-driven organic pediatric nutrition company that exists to build a parenting culture of confidence, not comparison. Founded in 2018, Bobbie hit the market with its flagship European-inspired formula in 2021 as the first direct-to-consumer, subscription-based infant formula in the U.S. Today, it's proud to be the only mom-founded and led infant formula brand in the world, and the fastest-growing in the U.S. since the 1980's. Bobbie is focused on providing purposefully sourced, USDA Organic products made with simple ingredients – crafted right here in America, for American families. For more information, visit www.hibobbie.com.
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SOURCE Juggernaut Capital Partners | https://www.kmvt.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/juggernaut-capital-partners-natures-one-founder-jay-highman-have-sold-natures-one-bobbie-baby-inc/ | 2023-07-31T11:11:43 | 0 | https://www.kmvt.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/juggernaut-capital-partners-natures-one-founder-jay-highman-have-sold-natures-one-bobbie-baby-inc/ |
Vikings Odds to Make Playoffs and Win Super Bowl
Published: Jul. 31, 2023 at 4:27 AM CDT|Updated: 2 hours ago
Right now the Minnesota Vikings have been given +4000 odds of winning the Super Bowl.
Watch the Vikings this season on Fubo!
Vikings Super Bowl Odds
- Odds to Win the NFC North: +280
- Odds to Win the Super Bowl: +4000
Looking to place a futures bet on the Vikings to win the Super Bowl this season? Head to BetMGM using our link and enter the bonus code "GNPLAY" for special offers!
Minnesota Betting Insights
- Minnesota won seven games against the spread last season, failing to cover or pushing nine times.
- The Vikings and their opponents combined to go over the point total 11 out of 17 times last season.
- With 388.7 yards allowed per game on defense, which ranked second-worst in the , Minnesota had to lean on its seventh-ranked offense (361.5 yards per contest) to keep it in games last season.
- The Vikings had an 8-1 record at home and were 5-3 on the road last year.
- When favored, Minnesota won every game (11-0) last season, but finished just 1-4 as the underdog.
- The Vikings were 8-4 in the NFC, including 4-2 in the NFC North.
Vikings Impact Players
- Kirk Cousins had 29 touchdown passes and 14 interceptions in 17 games last year, completing 65.9% of his throws for 4,547 yards (267.5 per game).
- In addition, Cousins ran for 97 yards and two TDs.
- Justin Jefferson had 128 catches for 1,809 yards (106.4 per game) and eight touchdowns in 17 games.
- T.J. Hockenson had 86 catches for 914 yards (53.8 per game) and six touchdowns in 17 games a season ago.
- K.J. Osborn had 60 receptions for 650 yards (38.2 per game) and five touchdowns in 17 games.
- Jordan Hicks posted one interception to go with 130 tackles, 2.0 TFL, three sacks, and 10 passes defended in 17 games last year.
Bet on Vikings to win the Super Bowl and plenty more with BetMGM. Head to BetMGM using our link and enter the bonus code "GNPLAY" for special offers!
2023-24 Vikings NFL Schedule
Odds are current as of July 31 at 5:27 AM ET. Not all offers available in all states, please visit BetMGM for the latest promotions for your area. Must be 21+ to gamble, please wager responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, contact 1-800-GAMBLER.
© 2023 Data Skrive. All rights reserved. | https://www.dakotanewsnow.com/sports/betting/2023/07/31/vikings-nfl-playoffs-super-bowl-odds/ | 2023-07-31T11:11:46 | 0 | https://www.dakotanewsnow.com/sports/betting/2023/07/31/vikings-nfl-playoffs-super-bowl-odds/ |
After two years away, former Saginaw Nouvel star Preston Murphy is returning to the sidelines.
Murphy joined the basketball coaching staff at Alabama, helping head coach Nate Oats as a special assistant.
“I have known Preston for a long time,” Oats said in a statement. “I am always impressed with his energy, his humility and his basketball acumen. His insight, experience and ability to connect with student-athletes will be a significant advantage for us.”
After starring at Nouvel and Rhode Island, the 1995 Nouvel graduate became an assistant coach at Boston College, Rhode Island and Creighton.
But while coaching at Creighton, Murphy was involved in an FBI sting that included an alleged violation that he accepted money from player advisor Christian Dawkins, a Saginaw High graduate and son of former Saginaw High coach Lou Dawkins.
Even though Murphy was never charged with a crime, the NCAA ruled that a “former Creighton men’s basketball assistant coach violated NCAA ethical conduct rules when he accepted a $6,000 payment from a business management company that intended to use coaches to influence student-athletes to retain the company and when he provided false or misleading information about his actions during the investigation.”
The NCAA penalized Murphy with a two-year show-cause penalty in 2021. The show-cause penalty kept any NCAA program from hiring Murphy for two years unless it could “show cause” for waiving the penalty.
A federal judge found Dawkins guilty of bribery and conspiracy to commit bribery.
In a statement published by ESPN, Murphy defended himself.
“I passed a lie detector test and provided the NCAA with proof about what really happened: I did not know about Christian’s scheme, the money was never mine, I did not keep any of the money, no one asked me to do anything, I never agreed to do anything, and I never even tried to arrange any sort of meeting or do anything wrong whatsoever.
“The truth is that I thought I was doing a favor for someone I thought was a friend by saying something that was true - that I have known Christian since he was a child - and to be handed money that belonged to Christian that I handed to him after the meeting. As the decision says, there is no evidence that I kept the money, and I did not take any action. If I had known what was really going on, I never would have gone to the meeting.”
In an HBO special in 2020, Dawkins defended himself against the accusations and the FBI’s involvement in the sting. During the meeting between Dawkins and Murphy, they discussed a fictitious player named Marcus Phillips.
Murphy scored 1,218 career points at Rhode Island before playing professionally in Holland and Belgium for three seasons.
Oats is a former Michigan high school coach, leading Romulus for 11 seasons. He was 222-52, coaching the Eagles to a 27-1 record and Class A state title in 2013. Oats is in his fifth season as the Alabama head coach.
Alabama is the defending SEC regular-season and tournament champion, earning a No. 1 seed in the 2023 NCAA Tournament.
MORE
‘Scheme’ director calls Saginaw’s Christian Dawkins a ‘savant’ and FBI investigation ‘ludicrous’
HBO documentary focuses on Saginaw’s Christian Dawkins, FBI recruiting sting | https://www.mlive.com/sports/saginaw-bay-city/2023/07/former-nouvel-star-joins-alabama-basketball-staff.html | 2023-07-31T11:11:48 | 0 | https://www.mlive.com/sports/saginaw-bay-city/2023/07/former-nouvel-star-joins-alabama-basketball-staff.html |
BURLINGTON, N.C., July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Labcorp (NYSE: LH), a global leader of innovative and comprehensive laboratory services, today announced it will host an Investor Day on Thursday, September 14, 2023, in New York City, beginning at 1:00 p.m. ET and is expected to conclude by approximately 4:00 p.m. ET.
This event will highlight Labcorp's go-forward strategy from Labcorp Chairman & CEO Adam Schechter, followed by business overviews and a longer-term financial outlook. Presentations will be followed by a Q&A session.
A live webcast of the event will be available through the Labcorp Investor Relations website beginning at 1:00 p.m. ET. A replay of the webcast and supporting materials will be available after the conclusion of the event.
About Labcorp
Labcorp (NYSE: LH) is a global leader of innovative and comprehensive laboratory services that helps doctors, hospitals, pharmaceutical companies, researchers and patients make clear and confident decisions. We provide insights and advance science to improve health and improve lives through our unparalleled diagnostics and drug development laboratory capabilities. The company's more than 60,000 employees serve clients in over 100 countries, worked on over 80% of the new drugs approved by the FDA in 2022 and performed more than 600 million tests for patients around the world. Learn more about us at www.Labcorp.com or follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter @Labcorp.
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SOURCE Labcorp | https://www.kmvt.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/labcorp-host-investor-day-september-14-2023/ | 2023-07-31T11:11:49 | 0 | https://www.kmvt.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/labcorp-host-investor-day-september-14-2023/ |
HOUSTON, July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- McDermott has been awarded a project management consultancy (PMC) and engineering, procurement, and construction management (EPCM) contract for the Naphtha Cracker Expansion (Phase II) polypropylene expansion and new ethylene derivative unit project from Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL). The project is located at the Panipat Refinery and Petrochemical Complex, located 62 miles (100 kilometers) from New Delhi, India.
The project will increase the ethylene production capacity of the naphtha cracker unit (NCU) by approximately 20 percent. The additional ethylene and propylene production will act as feed for downstream polymer units. The polymer products will be used for the manufacture of household and industrial items, including containers, automobile parts, furniture, and heavy-duty films.
"McDermott is currently executing four other projects for IOCL, including the maleic anhydride (MAH) unit at the same site, allowing us to leverage our local resources and expertise while realizing synergies," said Vaseem Khan, Senior Vice President, Global Operations. "Furthermore, the project supports the growing demand for ethylene and propylene which will reduce imports and accelerate economic development in the area."
McDermott will provide comprehensive EPCM services and overall project management for the duration of the project, which will be executed from its Center of Excellence in Gurugram, India.
About McDermott
McDermott is a premier, fully-integrated provider of engineering and construction solutions to the energy industry. Our customers trust our technology-driven approach engineered to responsibly harness and transform global energy resources into the products the world needs. From concept to commissioning, McDermott's innovative expertise and capabilities advance the next generation of global energy infrastructure—empowering a brighter, more sustainable future for us all. Operating in over 54 countries, McDermott's locally-focused and globally-integrated resources include more than 30,000 employees, a diversified fleet of specialty marine construction vessels and fabrication facilities around the world. To learn more, visit www.mcdermott.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
McDermott cautions that statements in this press release which are forward-looking, and provide other than historical information, involve risks, contingencies and uncertainties. These forward-looking statements include, among other things, statements about the expected scope and execution of the project discussed in this press release. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in those forward-looking statements are reasonable, we can give no assurance that those expectations will prove to have been correct. Those statements are made by using various underlying assumptions and are subject to numerous risks, contingencies and uncertainties, including, among others: adverse changes in the markets in which we operate or credit or capital markets; our inability to successfully execute on contracts in backlog; changes in project design or schedules; the availability of qualified personnel; changes in the terms, scope or timing of contracts, contract cancellations, change orders and other modifications and actions by our customers and other business counterparties; changes in industry norms; actions by lenders, other creditors, customers and other business counterparties of McDermott; and adverse outcomes in legal or other dispute resolution proceedings. If one or more of these risks materialize, or if underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those expected. You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. This communication reflects the views of McDermott's management as of the date hereof. Except to the extent required by applicable law, McDermott undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement.
Contacts:
Global Media Relations
Reba Reid
Senior Director, Global Communications and Marketing
+1 281 588 5636
RReid@McDermott.com
Business Line Media Relations
Barbara Knight
Senior Director, Business Line Communications and Marketing
+971 56 403 2903
BBKnight@McDermott.com
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SOURCE McDermott International, Ltd | https://www.kmvt.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/mcdermott-selected-petrochemical-expansion-project-by-iocl/ | 2023-07-31T11:11:55 | 1 | https://www.kmvt.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/mcdermott-selected-petrochemical-expansion-project-by-iocl/ |
Recruiting Season Is in Full Swing for Professional Football Players to Join Virtual Fan Engagement Channel
NAPLES, Fla., July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Notable Live is announcing that it has added three more Pro Football Hall of Fame players to the Notable Live line-up for the upcoming season. In addition to existing players Emmitt Smith and Ray Lewis, Notable Live is excited to add Cris Carter, Champ Bailey and Ed Reed to the Notable Live team. This comes as a fast follow to Notable Live's recent multi-year commercial agreement with eBay and its Series A financing round led by eBay Ventures.
Notable Live is a tech-enabled virtual engagement platform that connects fans to teams, leagues and players in a way they have always dreamed about through an immersive experience. Notable Live, co-founded in 2018 by Pro Football Hall of Famer Emmitt Smith and entrepreneurial veteran Mike Antonucci, helps players monetize their image and personal brands not just on game day, but every day.
Through one set of login credentials, the Notable Live platform unlocks an expansive catalog of one-to-many engagement experiences, including live events and on-demand content. On the platform's commerce-enabled exchange, players, teams and leagues can activate live auction or marketplace functions to sell physical memorabilia, digital content, in-person experiences or other unique offerings. All items offered on the Notable Live platform and its associated channels can be authentically bought and sold across the growing and loyal community of Notable Live fans.
"The multi-billion annual sports memorabilia market is rapidly evolving to include new digital experiences, and Notable Live continues to grow its comprehensive platform for both the college and professional sports markets. We are pleased to announce the continued expansion of our roster of NFL athletes on our platform," said Mike Antonucci, co-founder and CEO of Notable Live.
"The fans bring their passion for the game and for their favorite players, ensuring the memorabilia space remains more about the fans than about the athletes," added Emmitt Smith, co-founder of Notable Live. "We are excited to continue expanding our platform with fellow Hall of Famers and other athletes."
About Notable Live
Notable Live was co-founded in 2018 by avid sports fan Mike Antonucci and Pro Football Hall of Famer Emmitt Smith to create a unique platform providing sports fans with unparalleled access to their favorite notables via virtual interactive events. Notable Live, a mobile app available on the App Store and Google Play, grants fans real access to notables by putting them "in the room" together for memorable virtual experiences. Connect with Notable Live at www.notable.live or on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Threads for iOS and Threads for Google Play.
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SOURCE Notable Live | https://www.kmvt.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/notable-live-adds-three-gold-jackets/ | 2023-07-31T11:12:02 | 1 | https://www.kmvt.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/notable-live-adds-three-gold-jackets/ |
BALTIMORE, July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Opteev Technologies, Inc., a pioneering technology company at the forefront of diagnostics, has filed a patent (Patent Application #63/513,007) for a revolutionary multiplex biochip for respiratory infection diagnostics. The groundbreaking polymer-based biochip offers the potential to test multiple pathogens responsible for respiratory infections, including SARS-CoV-2, RSV, and Influenza, and precisely identify the specific virus or bacteria in under 1 minute. This game-changing technology paves the way for an ultra-rapid, portable, and accurate syndromic diagnostic device to empower healthcare providers with immediate results at their fingertips.
The tiny biochip can directly detect whole viruses in real-time in both processed and unprocessed samples such as saliva or nasal swab and has demonstrated an unprecedented accuracy rate of 99.49% with an impressive limit of detection in its analytical performance evaluation. Furthermore, the biosensor achieves fine-tuned specificity by carefully selecting specific virus-binding peptides, enabling accurate identification of target viruses in complex samples. To ensure precise and reliable virus detection, the biochip utilizes artificial intelligence to optimize the frequency range effectively mitigating the impact of interfering noise signals.
Unlike conventional respiratory panels that cost tens of thousands of dollars and take days to provide results, Opteev's multiplex biochip will offer healthcare providers affordable syndromic testing with the ability to process samples at the point of care, allowing for the simultaneous detection and specific identification of multiple pathogens instantaneously. This breakthrough technology will eliminate the need for speculation by providing healthcare providers with the critical information needed to deliver the most effective treatment options at the point of care.
"With the development of our multiplex biochip, we are revolutionizing point-of-care diagnostics," said Dr. Mesfin Meshesha, Vice President of Virology & Diagnostics at Opteev Technologies. "The potential of this technology to transform patient care, streamline operations, and reduce costs is truly remarkable."
As Opteev Technologies continues to push the boundaries of point-of-care diagnostics, the company welcomes potential collaborations and partnerships to further develop and commercialize its multiplex biochip. "Together, we can shape the future of diagnostics and unlock the massive potential of our game-changing multiplex biochip," said Conrad Bessemer, Opteev's Chairman and Co-founder.
For more information about Opteev Technologies and its groundbreaking multiplex biochip, please visit www.opteev.com.
Opteev Technologies, Inc., headquartered in Baltimore, MD, is a pioneering technology company at the forefront of diagnostics. With a strong focus on respiratory pathogen detection, Opteev is committed to developing innovative solutions that revolutionize the field of point-of-care diagnostics. As a subsidiary of Novatec, Inc., a trusted manufacturer and supplier of machinery and sensor technology, Opteev leverages decades of experience to drive advancements in healthcare.
Media Contact:
Dana Gardner
Vice President
dgardner@opteev.com
Phone: 443-457-5214
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SOURCE Opteev Technologies, Inc | https://www.kmvt.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/opteev-develops-worlds-first-multiplex-biochip-that-precisely-identifies-covid-flu-rsv-respiratory-pathogens-under-1-minute/ | 2023-07-31T11:12:08 | 1 | https://www.kmvt.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/opteev-develops-worlds-first-multiplex-biochip-that-precisely-identifies-covid-flu-rsv-respiratory-pathogens-under-1-minute/ |
Mobile Visual Processing Solutions Coupled with Dedicated Game Tuning Services Take Mobile Gaming Experience to a Brand-New Level
SHANGHAI, July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Pixelworks, Inc. (NASDAQ: PXLW), a leading provider of innovative visual processing solutions, today announced the official launch of its new IRX gaming experience brand. As a brand targeted at smartphone users, IRX is grounded on Pixelworks' mobile visual processing solutions and coupled with in-depth game tuning services. This combination leverages Pixelworks' expertise to achieve ultra-smooth gaming experience and the highest picture quality for different types of games on mobile devices. In addition, it exercises effective control of power consumption, latency and other performance variables to ensure stable and long-lasting gaming with optimal visual performance, providing end users with unparalleled mobile gaming experiences.
The IRX gaming experience is enabled by a portfolio of technology advantages and product application experiences based on the Company's innovative distributed rendering architecture. More specifically, Pixelworks' ultra-low latency MotionEngine® technology, low power super-resolution technology, AI Always-on HDR and other technologies bring optimized rendering capabilities to smartphones that exceed what can be achieved by a traditional chipset. Together with Pixelworks' profound tuning experience for different games on various mobile devices the result is a meaningfully enriched visual experience for smartphone users, which is the core foundation for the IRX gaming experience.
The IRX gaming experience brand will be supported by a certification program for mobile devices that incorporates Pixelworks visual processors. The certification program will be backed by a suite of visual quality evaluation systems agreed upon with smartphone manufacturers to ensure that Pixelworks powered smartphones provide the most outstanding gaming performance and utmost visual quality for consumers.
The IRX branded certification program is comprised of both device certification and game tuning services. Pixelworks will optimize the rendering capabilities and display quality of top games on mobile devices based on its visual processors' capabilities as well as the devices' performance characteristics. Smartphones that meet the technical requirements as well as Pixelworks' visual processing standards will be granted the IRX branded certification, and games that meet Pixelworks' visual quality requirements will be included in the IRX-supported game list. To date, there are 20 top games being enlisted on the IRX-supported game list, which can be found on Pixelworks' official IRX gaming experience website. Furthermore, Pixelworks plans to establish expanded communication channels with consumers to help further educate end users on the benefits of the IRX gaming experience.
"IRX is a gaming experience brand from Pixelworks targeted directly towards mobile device users." said Ting Xiong, President of Pixelworks China. "Pixelworks would like to empower smartphone manufacturers to break the ceiling of mobile gaming experience from content optimization to performance enhancement with its innovative rendering technologies and years of game tuning and optimization experience. Additionally, we are also aiming to develop and promote consumer awareness around how to better evaluate visual display quality and the mobile gaming experience, enabling them to make smarter choices when purchasing a smartphone. By utilizing professional technologies and services to build more links across both products and users, we hope to drive mutual growth through in-depth interactions while bringing display performance and the mobile gaming experience to a brand-new level."
About Pixelworks
Pixelworks provides industry-leading content creation, video delivery and display processing solutions and technology that enable highly authentic viewing experiences with superior visual quality, across all screens – from cinema to smartphone and beyond. The Company has more than 20 years of history delivering image processing innovation to leading providers of consumer electronics, professional displays and video streaming services.
For more information, please visit the company's web site at www.pixelworks.com.
Note: Pixelworks, MotionEngine and the Pixelworks logo are trademarks of Pixelworks, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
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LONDON, July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Talking Tom and MrBeast just announced a unique collaboration for Talking Tom's 10th birthday party! Starting today, players of My Talking Tom 2, the popular virtual pet game, can unwrap an exclusive surprise from MrBeast himself — a one-of-a-kind outfit. Additionally, Talking Tom and MrBeast are also joining forces with a contribution to the Tebow CURE Hospital for underprivileged children in the Philippines.
"Our collaboration with MrBeast for Talking Tom's 10th anniversary demonstrates our commitment to delivering unforgettable experiences to our players," said Xinyu Qian, CEO of Outfit7. "By offering an exclusive MrBeast outfit and extending our support to the Tebow CURE Hospital, we aim not only to enhance the excitement within the game but also to make a meaningful difference in the lives of underprivileged children."
For a limited time of two weeks, the exclusive MrBeast outfit for Tom can be found in the bedroom wardrobe, or claimed through a pop-up gift box, either on the porch or in the bathroom. As part of the 10th birthday celebration, Tom has also given users a generous gift of 100,000 in-game gold coins, which are still attainable in the game.
In addition to the in-game collaboration, Talking Tom and MrBeast have joined forces to support the Tebow CURE Hospital, which provides assistance to underprivileged children in the Philippines. Together they will support the hospital's activities for a month, enabling them to carry out over 150 surgeries. To ensure sustainable care for the children, the hospital will also receive a year's supply of essential orthopaedic supplies.
Download My Talking Tom 2 now and claim the exclusive MrBeast outfit! It will be available for free in My Talking Tom 2 for a limited time, from July 30 to August 13, 2023.
ABOUT OUTFIT7: Outfit7 Limited is a dynamic force in mobile gaming, reaching a global audience of billions with its award-winning games. Powered by creativity and industry-leading expertise, the company's talented international team of around 400 people pushes the boundaries of the possible every day. Outfit7's 20+ games have now been downloaded worldwide over 21 billion times and up to 470 million fans play with them every month. Its portfolio also includes numerous chart-topping animated series, theme parks, and a licensing program. You can find more information at www.outfit7.com.
Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2164951/Outfit7.jpg
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SHENZHEN, China, July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Taoping Inc. (Nasdaq: TAOP, the "Company" or "Taoping"), today announced that the board of directors of the Company approved a one-for-ten reverse stock split of the Company's issued and outstanding ordinary shares, no par value (the "Ordinary Shares"). Beginning August 1, 2023, the Company's Ordinary Shares will be trading on a split-adjusted basis under the same symbol "TAOP" but with new CUSIP number, G8675V 127.
As a result of the share consolidation, each ten Ordinary Shares outstanding will automatically combine and convert to one issued and outstanding Ordinary Share without any action on the part of shareholders who hold their shares in brokerage accounts or "street name". Shareholders holding certificates of Ordinary Shares are expected to receive instructions from the Company's transfer agent, Transhare Corporation, regarding procedures for exchanging share certificates. All outstanding options, warrants and other rights to purchase the Company's Ordinary Shares will be adjusted proportionately as a result of the reverse stock split. No fractional shares will be issued as a result of the reverse stock split, and instead, all such fractional shares resulting from the reverse stock split will be rounded up to the nearest whole share.
The reverse stock split is intended to increase the per share trading price of the Ordinary Shares to satisfy the $1.00 minimum bid price requirement for continued listing on the NASDAQ Stock Market. Following the reverse stock split the Company will have approximately 1.86 million Ordinary Shares issued and outstanding, exclusive of shares issuable under outstanding options and warrants. The reverse stock split will not affect the number of total authorized Ordinary Shares of the Company.
About Taoping Inc.
Taoping Inc. (Nasdaq: TAOP) has a long history of successfully leveraging technology in the development of innovative solutions to help customers in both the private and public sectors to more effectively communicate and market to their desired targets. The Company has built a far-reaching city partner ecosystem and comprehensive portfolio of high-value, high-traffic areas for its products, which are aligned together with Taoping's smart cloud platform, cloud services and solutions, new media and artificial intelligence. For more information about Taoping, please visit www.taop.com. You can also follow us via LinkedIn, Twitter or YouTube.
Safe Harbor Statement
This press release contains "forward-looking statements" that involve substantial risks and uncertainties. All statements other than statements of historical facts contained in this press release, such as statements regarding our estimated future results of operations and financial position, our strategy and plans, and our objectives or goals, are forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. We have attempted to identify forward-looking statements by terminology including "anticipates," "believes," "can," "continue," "could," "estimates," "expects," "intends," "may," "plans," "potential," "predicts," "should," or "will" or the negative of these terms or other comparable terminology. Our actual results may differ materially or perhaps significantly from those discussed herein, or implied by, these forward-looking statements. There are a significant number of factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from statements made in this press release, including: our potential inability to achieve or sustain profitability or reasonably predict our future results due to our limited operating history of providing smart cloud services, the effects of the global Covid-19 pandemic, the emergence of additional competing technologies, changes in domestic and foreign laws, regulations and taxes, uncertainties related to China's legal system and economic, political and social events in China, the volatility of the securities markets; and other risks including, but not limited to, those that we discussed or referred to in the Company's disclosure documents filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") available on the SEC's website at www.sec.gov, including the Company's most recent Annual Report on Form 20-F as well as in our other reports filed or furnished from time to time with the SEC. The forward-looking statements included in this press release are made as of the date of this press release and the Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, other than as required by applicable law.
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16TH annual event features turtles named after characters in Disney's frighteningly fun adventure movie, "Haunted Mansion," now playing in theaters.
VERO BEACH, Fla., July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Over the weekend at Disney's Vero Beach Resort, researchers from the Sea Turtle Conservancy (STC) and Disney Conservation released two sea turtles as part of the 16th annual Tour de Turtles "migration marathon." Tour de Turtles is a fun, educational event that follows the migration of sea turtles from their nesting beaches to their feeding grounds and, ultimately, provides scientific data on how best to protect their species.
The Disney Conservation Fund (DCF) and Disney Cruise Line are each sponsoring a turtle this year, whose names, Madame Leota and Harriet, are the names of characters in Disney's frighteningly fun adventure movie "Haunted Mansion," now playing in theaters. Not unlike Gabbie, another character in the film who enlists a motley crew of so-called spiritual experts to help rid their home of supernatural squatters – Tour de Turtles brings together a team of researchers from the STC and Disney Conservation annually to undertake a daunting mission - using satellite telemetry to track two female turtles to determine where and how far they swim during the migration season.
Each turtle swims to raise awareness about various threats to sea turtle survival. The turtle to swim the furthest distance will win the Tour de Turtles race.
"Disney's commitment to sea turtle conservation in Vero Beach spans 20 years, and we are very proud to have recently watched our 1.5 millionth sea turtle hatchling leave the nest and shuffle its way to the ocean," said Mark Penning, Vice President of Disney's Animals, Science and Environment. "Southeast Florida hosts one of the largest nesting aggregations of loggerhead sea turtles, making up to 40 percent of the global loggerhead population. The team has recorded more than 20,000 sea turtle nests on our survey route since the program began."
The data collected during Tour de Turtles helps researchers, conservationists and governing agencies make more informed decisions about sea turtle conservation and management. Since the launch of the event in 2008, STC and Disney have collaborated to study 29 sea turtles outfitted with satellite transmitters and released from Disney's Vero Beach Resort. Continuing its commitment to strengthen youth education programs in port communities around the world, Disney Cruise Line proudly supported local students from Club Esteem from Melbourne, Florida, to participate in this year's event. DCF also has directed more than $5.1 million to support global sea turtle conservation efforts.
"Disney is a fantastic collaborator," said David Godfrey, STC Executive Director. "Disney's commitment to conservation, passion for environmental education, and effectiveness at communicating with audiences have made the Tour de Turtles a fun and successful program since it was launched over a decade ago."
In addition to Tour de Turtles, the Disney Conservation team has dedicated nearly 19,000 hours to studying and monitoring sea turtle nests during the summer nesting season along the five-mile coastline at Disney's Vero Beach Resort. From approximately May to October, Disney Vacation Club members and resort guests also have the opportunity to assist the team by joining outings to observe real-time sea turtle research while learning how they can take action to protect sea turtles. So far this year, the Disney Conservation team has a record-breaking number of nests along their survey route – nearly 2,000 by August, well above the average 1,500 normally counted in an entire season.
Tour de Turtles is a research and education program of the Sea Turtle Conservancy and Disney's support is just one example of bringing Disney Planet Possible to life by taking action to make a happier, healthier planet possible for all. To learn more and follow the turtles' migration, visit the Tour de Turtles website at www.tourdeturtles.org
ABOUT DISNEY'S VERO BEACH RESORT
Disney's Vero Beach Resort, a Disney Vacation Club Resort, offers spacious vacation villas along the pristine Atlantic coastline. The resort is located less than a two-hour drive from the Walt Disney World Resort, and its design reflects the Treasure Coast region where it is situated. Disney Vacation Club, a leader in vacation ownership, debuted in 1991 with a flexible, vacation points-based system rather than the traditional fixed-week timeshare model. Disney Vacation Club Members are able to choose from among a variety of exciting vacation destinations, including a stay at any Disney Vacation Club Resort or one of thousands of other vacation options in destinations around the world.
ABOUT DISNEY'S "HAUNTED MANSION"
Inspired by the classic theme park attraction, Disney's "Haunted Mansion" is about a woman and her son who enlist a motley crew of so-called spiritual experts to help rid their home of supernatural squatters.
Directed by Justin Simien, the film features an all-star cast ensemble including LaKeith Stanfield, Tiffany Haddish, Owen Wilson, Danny DeVito, Rosario Dawson, Chase W. Dillon and Daniel Levy, with Jamie Lee Curtis and Jared Leto as The Hatbox Ghost. The film's producers are Dan Lin and Jonathan Eirich, with Nick Reynolds and Tom Peitzman serving as executive producers.
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Launch demonstrates companies' commitment to bringing complex generic medicines to the market to help increase patient access
PITTSBURGH and WOODBURY, Minn., July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Viatris Inc. (NASDAQ: VTRS), a global healthcare company, and Kindeva Drug Delivery L.P. today announced the launch of Breyna™ (budesonide and formoterol fumarate dihydrate) Inhalation Aerosol, the first generic version of AstraZeneca's Symbicort® with an Abbreviated New Drug Application (ANDA) approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Breyna, a drug-device combination product, is indicated for certain patients with asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and will be immediately available in both 80 mcg/4.5 mcg and 160 mcg/4.5 mcg dosage strengths.
Viatris Head of North America Jose Cotarelo said: "We are excited to bring Breyna to the U.S. market for the many Americans living with asthma and COPD. This launch represents years of hard work breaking down barriers to access and builds upon our past successes of bringing other complex products to market as we continue to move up the value chain. Being the first to bring an FDA-approved generic version of Symbicort to patients is a true example of how access is the cornerstone of our mission to empower people worldwide to live healthier at every stage of life."
The indications for Breyna include asthma in patients six years of age and older, and the maintenance treatment of airflow obstruction and reducing exacerbations in patients with COPD, including chronic bronchitis and/or emphysema. Breyna is not indicated for the relief of acute bronchospasm. The 160 mcg/4.5 mcg is the only strength indicated for the treatment of COPD. COPD is a term used to describe a certain kind of chronic lung disease and is characterized by breathlessness; it affects more than 16 million Americans. Asthma causes swelling of the airways resulting in difficulty breathing, and approximately 25 million Americans have the chronic condition.
Milton Boyer, CEO of Kindeva Drug Delivery, added: "The launch of Breyna represents a significant milestone as it is the first FDA-approved generic version of Symbicort in the U.S., one of the most prescribed complex drug-device combination products to treat asthma and COPD. We are pleased for Viatris as well as the many Kindeva colleagues who have worked tirelessly to leverage our complex drug-delivery expertise for this important respiratory product — supporting a persistent need to continue bringing more quality medicines for asthma and COPD to patients."
To further expand access to Breyna, Viatris has established a copay program offered for eligible commercially-insured patients, which may help reduce out-of-pocket expenses on prescriptions to as little as $20 per 30-day supply. The program offers $30/month or up to $360 per year with 12 refills annually. The program will be available in August.
About Breyna
Breyna is indicated for the treatment of asthma in patients 6 years and older not adequately controlled on a long-term asthma-control medication such as an inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) or whose disease warrants initiation of treatment with both an ICS and long-acting beta2-adrenergic agonists (LABA). Breyna 160 mcg/4.5 mcg dosage is indicated for the maintenance treatment of airflow obstruction in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), including chronic bronchitis and/or emphysema, and Breyna 160 mcg/4.5 mcg is also indicated to reduce exacerbations of COPD. Breyna is NOT indicated for the relief of acute bronchospasm.
Important Safety Information
Breyna is contraindicated in the primary treatment of status asthmaticus or other acute episode of asthma or COPD where intensive measures are required, and in hypersensitivity to any of the ingredients in Breyna. Use of long-acting beta2-adrenergic agonists (LABA) as monotherapy (without inhaled corticosteroids [ICS]) for asthma is associated with an increased risk of asthma-related death. Available data from controlled clinial trials also suggest that use of LABA as monotherapy increases the risk of asthma-related hospitalization in pediatric and adolescent patients. These findings are considered a class effect of LABA. When LABA are used in fixed dose combination with ICS, data from large clinical trials do not show a significant increase in the risk of serious asthma-related events (hospitalizations, intubations, death) compared to ICS alone. Breyna is NOT a rescue medication and does NOT replace fast-acting inhalers to treat acute symptoms. Breyna should not be initiated in patients during rapidly deteriorating episodes of asthma or COPD. Patients who are receiving Breyna should not use additional formoterol or other LABA for any reason. Localized infections of the mouth and pharynx with Candida albicans has occurred in patients treated with Breyna. Patients should rinse the mouth after inhalation of Breyna. Lower respiratory tract infections, including pneumonia, have been reported following the administration of ICS. Due to possible immunosuppression, potential worsening of infections could occur. A more serious or even fatal course of chickenpox or measles can occur in susceptible patients. It is possible that systemic corticosteroid effects such as hypercorticism and adrenal suppression may occur, particularly at higher doses. Particular care is needed for patients who are transferred from systemically active corticosteroids to ICS. Deaths due to adrenal insufficiency have occurred in asthmatic patients during and after transfer from systemic corticosteroids to less systemically available ICS. Caution should be exercised when considering administration of Breyna in patients on long-term ketoconazole and other known potent CYP3A4 inhibitors. As with other inhaled medications, paradoxical bronchospasm may occur with Breyna. Immediate hypersensitivity reactions may occur, as demonstrated by cases of urticaria, angioedema, rash, and bronchospasm. Excessive beta-adrenergic stimulation has been associated with central nervous system and cardiovascular effects. Breyna should be used with caution in patients with cardiovascular disorders especially coronary insufficiency, cardiac arrhythmias, and hypertension. Long-term use of ICS may result in a decrease in bone mineral density (BMD Assessment of BMD is recommended prior to initiating Breyna and periodically thereafter. ICS may result in a reduction in growth velocity when administered to pediatric patients. Glaucoma, increased intracolular pressure, and cataracts have been reported following the administration of ICS, including budesonide, a component of Breyna. Close monitoring for glaucoma and cataracts is warranted in patients with a change in vision or history of increased intraocular pressure. In rare cases, patients on ICS may present with systemic eosinophilic conditions. Breyna should be used with caution in patients with convulsive disorders, thyrotoxicosis, diabetes mellitus, ketoacidosis, and in patients who are unusually responsive to sympathomimetic amines. The most common adverse reactions ≥3% reported in asthma clinical trials included nasopharyngitis, headache, upper respiratory tract infection, pharyngolaryngeal pain, sinusitis, influenza, back pain, nasal congestion, stomach discomfort, vomiting, and oral candidiasis. The most common adverse reactions ≥3% reported in COPD clinical trials included nasopharyngitis, oral candidiasis, bronchitis, sinusitis, and upper respiratory tract infection. Breyna should be administered with caution to patients being treated with MAO inhibitors or tricyclic antidepressants, or within 2 weeks of discontinuation of such agents. Beta-blockers may not only block the pulmonary effect of beta-agonists, such as formoterol, but may produce severe bronchospasm in patients with asthma. ECG changes and/or hypokalemia associated with nonpotassium-sparing diuretics may worsen with concomitant beta-agonists. Use caution with the coadministration of Breyna.
About Viatris
Viatris Inc. (NASDAQ: VTRS) is a global healthcare company empowering people worldwide to live healthier at every stage of life. We provide access to medicines, advance sustainable operations, develop innovative solutions and leverage our collective expertise to connect more people to more products and services through our one-of-a-kind Global Healthcare Gateway®. Formed in November 2020, Viatris brings together scientific, manufacturing and distribution expertise with proven regulatory, medical and commercial capabilities to deliver high-quality medicines to patients in more than 165 countries and territories. Viatris' portfolio comprises more than 1,400 approved molecules across a wide range of therapeutic areas, spanning both non-communicable and infectious diseases, including globally recognized brands, complex generic and branded medicines, and a variety of over-the-counter consumer products. With more than 38,000 colleagues globally, Viatris is headquartered in the U.S., with global centers in Pittsburgh, Shanghai and Hyderabad, India. Learn more at viatris.com and investor.viatris.com, and connect with us on Twitter at @ViatrisInc, LinkedIn and YouTube.
About Kindeva Drug Delivery
Kindeva Drug Delivery is a global contract development manufacturing organization focused on drug-device combination products. Kindeva Drug Delivery develops and manufactures products across a broad range of complex drug-delivery formats, including injectables (autoinjector, intradermal, microneedle), pulmonary & nasal, and transdermal patches. Its service offering spans early-stage feasibility through commercial scale drug product fill-finish, container closure system manufacturing, and drug-device product assembly. Kindeva Drug Delivery serves a global client base from its nine manufacturing and research and development facilities located in the U.S. and U.K. For more information, please visit www.kindevadd.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release includes statements that constitute "forward-looking statements." These statements are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward looking statements may include statements that the launch of Breyna demonstrates the companies' commitment to bringing complex generic medicines to the market to help increase patient access; Breyna will be immediately available in both 80 mcg/4.5 mcg and 160 mcg/4.5 mcg dosage strengths; this launch represents years of hard work breaking down barriers to access and builds upon our past successes of bringing other complex products to market as we continue to move up the value chain; to further expand access to Breyna, Viatris has established a copay program offered for eligible commercially-insured patients, which may help reduce out-of-pocket expenses on prescriptions to as little as $20 per 30-day supply; and, the program will be available in August. Factors that could cause or contribute to such differences include, but are not limited to: the possibility that the Company may be unable to realize the intended benefits of, or achieve the intended goals or outlooks with respect to, its strategic initiatives; the possibility that the Company may be unable to achieve expected benefits, synergies and operating efficiencies in connection with acquisitions, divestitures, or its global restructuring program, within the expected timeframe or at all; impairment charges or other losses related to the divestiture or sale of businesses or assets; the Company's failure to achieve expected or targeted future financial and operating performance and results; the potential impact of public health outbreaks, epidemics and pandemics, including the ongoing challenges and uncertainties posed by COVID-19; actions and decisions of healthcare and pharmaceutical regulators; changes in healthcare and pharmaceutical laws and regulations in the U.S. and abroad; any regulatory, legal or other impediments to Viatris' ability to bring new products to market, including but not limited to "at-risk" launches; Viatris' or its partners' ability to develop, manufacture, and commercialize products; the scope, timing and outcome of any ongoing legal proceedings, and the impact of any such proceedings; any significant breach of data security or data privacy or disruptions to our information technology systems; risks associated with international operations; the ability to protect intellectual property and preserve intellectual property rights; changes in third-party relationships; the effect of any changes in Viatris' or its partners' customer and supplier relationships and customer purchasing patterns; the impacts of competition; changes in the economic and financial conditions of Viatris or its partners; uncertainties and matters beyond the control of management, including general economic conditions, inflation and exchange rates; failure to execute stock repurchases consistent with current expectations; stock price volatility; and the other risks described in Viatris' filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Viatris routinely uses its website as a means of disclosing material information to the public in a broad, non-exclusionary manner for purposes of the SEC's Regulation Fair Disclosure (Reg FD). Viatris undertakes no obligation to update these statements for revisions or changes after the date of this release other than as required by law.
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SOURCE Viatris Inc. | https://www.kmvt.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/viatris-announces-launch-breyna-budesonide-formoterol-fumarate-dihydrate-inhalation-aerosol-first-fda-approved-generic-version-symbicort-people-with-asthma-chronic-obstructive-pulmonary-disease-partnership-with-kindeva/ | 2023-07-31T11:12:41 | 0 | https://www.kmvt.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/viatris-announces-launch-breyna-budesonide-formoterol-fumarate-dihydrate-inhalation-aerosol-first-fda-approved-generic-version-symbicort-people-with-asthma-chronic-obstructive-pulmonary-disease-partnership-with-kindeva/ |
The Nation's Largest Network for Affordable Housing Protects Consumers from Unfair Fees and Costs
BOCA RATON, Fla., July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- AffordableHousing.com today announced it will join the White House and a compendium of government agencies and other private sector companies in large-scale efforts to end junk fees and ensure that Americans are provided with honest, transparent pricing. More than 100 million property searches per year are performed on AffordableHousing.com–the largest platform for affordable housing in the nation.
"For decades, families have relied on us to help them find affordable housing," says Richard Cupelli, CEO at AffordableHousing.com. "We take pride in advocating for these families, so it was a natural fit for us to join forces with the Administration and other socially responsible companies to help protect consumers in our industry."
On July 19, 2023, the White House published a Fact Sheet announcing its crack-down on junk fees in the rental market, highlighting private-sector commitments supporting this initiative made by the three major rental housing platforms: AffordableHousing.com, Zillow, and Apartments.com.
Late last year, the President called on federal agencies, Congress, and private companies to take action to address junk fees across the economy. The initiative aims to ensure Americans are provided with honest, transparent pricing. By February 2023, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) announced proposed rules limiting credit card late fees. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) finalized a rule requiring cable and internet providers to list fees up front. And the Department of Transportation (DOT) proposed a requirement for airlines and booking services show the full price of a plane ticket, including baggage and other fees.
In March, HUD Secretary Marcia Fudge released an open letter to housing providers and state and local governments, encouraging them to adopt policies promoting greater fairness and transparency of fees faced by renters. Substantial research shows such fees obstruct comparison shopping, impede competition, and lead to consumers paying more.
A long-standing resource for families seeking affordable housing, AffordableHousing.com has policies in place supporting this transparency and protecting its customers from unfair fees.
Renters can search available properties free on AffordableHousing.com, and property owners are required to be upfront about all refundable and non-refundable rental fees and costs. AffordableHousing.com also does not charge rental application fees.
"Our socially responsible technology platform has allowed us to establish the largest network of affordable housing in the nation," says Cupelli. "We understand the accountability that comes with our standing in the industry and the trust that our customers place in us."
As a hub for housing agencies across the nation, AffordableHousing.com also allows state and local governments to have their own customized website that serves their local community, enforces their specific regulatory requirements, centralizes all affordable housing, and simplifies the application and approval process.
"We are working with AffordableHousing.com to implement the Vermont Affordable Housing Hub, which will allow families to easily find and apply to all affordable housing in the state," says Kathleen Berk, Executive Director at Vermont State Housing Authority. "By utilizing AffordableHousing.com's custom housing hub to build our state-specific site, we can streamline compliance with state laws, which have strict application fee guidelines. We can also add safeguards to protect our families by providing the Clear and Fair Lease template for property owners to use. These leases will also comply with affordable housing programs, like Section 8."
AffordableHousing.com also rewards reputable property owners. Those with a history of good standing can qualify for a Trusted Owner Badge, which ensures their credibility to prospective renters on the site and increases consumer confidence. Trusted Owners also receive prominent listing status.
Earning and maintaining status as a Trusted Owner requires providing various levels of documentation to verify qualifications and authenticity, adhering to all relevant federal, state, and local laws, and complying with the site's reasonable fee guidelines.
Together with its research partner, Learning Collider (www.learningcollider.org), AffordableHousing.com is conducting research into the real cost of administrative fees, the impact of fee transparency in rental listings, and the effectiveness of platform features like the common application for rental and government programs—an endeavor that the company has been urging agencies to adopt for years.
"Our research partnership with AffordableHousing.com has allowed us to analyze the impacts of rental fees on low-income families in real-time," says Peter Bergman, Professor at UT Austin and Director of the Learning Collider research lab. "Together, we are advancing research to identify junk fees and establish transparent fee practices, easing the path to affordable rentals for families across the U.S."
The President announced in latest White House Fact Sheet, released on July 27, 2023, further plans to protect renters, naming AffordableHousing.com as an ally in the initiative and endorsing the site's plans to deploy additional consumer protection tools by the end of the year, including "Clear and Fair" digital leases, which will align with the principles outlined in the White House Blueprint for a Renter Bill of Rights. Property owners who use these "Clear and Fair" digital leases will be acknowledged on AffordableHousing.com.
About AffordableHousing.com: For more than 20 years, AffordableHousing.com has provided innovative technology and real solutions that help solve some of the most complex challenges impacting the availability of affordable housing in the United States. By simplifying access to available resources, AffordableHousing.com boosts participation in government programs, increasing the much-needed supply of affordable housing nationwide, and providing more homes to more families.
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SOURCE AffordableHousing.com | https://www.kmvt.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/white-house-announces-partnership-with-affordablehousingcom-end-junk-fees/ | 2023-07-31T11:12:48 | 1 | https://www.kmvt.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/white-house-announces-partnership-with-affordablehousingcom-end-junk-fees/ |
- Revenue of RMB9,908 Million in the Second Quarter, Up 6.7% Year-over-Year;
Excluding COVID-19 Commercial Projects, Up 39.5% - Revenue of RMB18,871 Million in the First Half, Up 6.3% Year-over-Year;
Excluding COVID-19 Commercial Projects, Up 27.9% - Net Profit Attributable to Owners of the Company for the First Half Increased 14.6% to RMB 5,313 Million
- Diluted Earnings per Share (EPS) for the First Half Increased 20.9% to RMB1.79
- Adjusted Non-IFRS Net Profit Attributable to Owners of the Company for the First Half Increased 18.5% to RMB5,095 Million
- Adjusted Non-IFRS Diluted EPS for the First Half Increased 18.5% to RMB1.73[1]
- Free Cash Flow Achieved RMB2,926 Million for the First Half, Turned Positive and Grew Strongly
SHANGHAI, July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- WuXi AppTec (stock code: 603259.SH / 2359.HK), a global company that provides a broad portfolio of R&D and manufacturing services that enable companies in the pharmaceutical, biotech and medical device industries to advance discoveries and deliver groundbreaking treatments to patients, is pleased to announce its financial results for the first half ending June 30, 2023 ("Reporting Period").
This release provides a summary of the results and is not intended to be a comprehensive report. For additional information, please refer to the 2023 Interim Report and other relevant announcements published on the websites of the Shanghai Stock Exchange (www.sse.com.cn) and the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong (www.hkexnews.hk), and the designated media for dissemination of the relevant information. Investors are advised to exercise caution and be aware of the investment risks in trading Company shares.
All financial information disclosed in this press release is prepared based on International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS), in currency of RMB.
The 2023 Interim Report of the Company has not been audited.
Second Quarter 2023 Financial Highlights
Revenue grew 6.7% year-over-year to RMB9,908 million, excluding COVID-19 commercial projects, revenue grew strongly by 39.5%. This is primarily attributable to the Company's continued excellent execution of our unique Contract Research, Development and Manufacturing Organization (CRDMO) business model to achieve strong synergy and continuous growth:
- WuXi Chemistry revenue grew 2.6% year-over-year to RMB7,034 million, excluding COVID-19 commercial projects, revenue grew strongly by 51.6%. Adjusted non-IFRS gross profit grew 12.9% year-over-year to RMB3,216 million, with a gross profit margin of 45.7%.
- WuXi Testing revenue grew 23.6% year-over-year to RMB1,638 million and adjusted non-IFRS gross profit grew 36.2% year-over-year to RMB640 million, with a gross profit margin of 39.1%.
- WuXi Biology revenue grew 17.5% year-over-year to RMB656 million and adjusted non-IFRS gross profit grew 21.3% year-over-year to RMB 271 million, with a gross profit margin of 41.4%.
- WuXi ATU revenue grew 22.9% year-over-year to RMB389 million and adjusted non-IFRS gross profit was RMB(16) million, with a gross profit margin of (4.2)%
- WuXi DDSU revenue declined 17.9% year-over-year to RMB176 million and adjusted non-IFRS gross profit grew year-over-year 5.2% to RMB63 million, with a gross profit margin of 35.8%. Meanwhile, we received the first royalty income from customers in the second quarter, which is a breakthrough for DDSU.
Unit: RMB million
- IFRS gross profit increased 18.1% year-over-year to RMB4,030 million. Gross profit margin was 40.7%[2]
- Adjusted non-IFRS gross profit increased 16.4% year-over-year to RM4,177 million. Adjusted non-IFRS gross margin was 42.2%.
- Net profit attributable to owners of the Company increased 5.1% year-over-year to RMB3,145 million.
- Adjusted non-IFRS net profit attributable to owners of the Company increased 22.4% year-over-year to RMB2,753 million.
First-Half 2023 Financial Highlights
Revenue grew 6.3% year-over-year to RMB18,871 million, excluding COVID-19 commercial projects, revenue grew strongly by 27.9%. This is primarily attributable to the Company's continued excellent execution of our unique Contract Research, Development and Manufacturing Organization (CRDMO) business model to achieve strong synergy and continuous growth:
- WuXi Chemistry revenue grew 3.8% year-over-year to RMB13,467 million, excluding COVID-19 commercial projects, revenue grew strongly by 36.1%. Adjusted non-IFRS gross profit grew 14.9% year-over-year to RMB6,103 million, with a gross profit margin of 45.3%.
- WuXi Testing revenue grew 18.7% year-over-year to RMB3,091 million and adjusted non-IFRS gross profit grew 26.1% year-over-year to RMB1,168 million, with a gross profit margin of 37.8%.
- WuXi Biology revenue grew 13.0% year-over-year to RMB1,233 million and adjusted non-IFRS gross profit grew 15.1% year-over-year to RMB511 million, with a gross profit margin of 41.5%.
- WuXi ATU revenue grew 16.0% year-over-year to RMB714 million and adjusted non-IFRS gross profit was RMB(40) million, with a gross profit margin of (5.7)%.
- WuXi DDSU revenue declined 24.9% year-over-year to RMB342 million and adjusted non-IFRS gross profit declined 26.2% year-over-year to RMB103 million, with a gross profit margin of 30.1%. Meanwhile, DDSU achieved a breakthrough in receiving the first royalty income from customers.
Unit: RMB million
- IFRS gross profit increased 17.6% year-over-year to RMB7,556 million. Gross profit margin was 40.0%[3].
- Adjusted non-IFRS gross profit increased 15.7% year-over-year to RMB7,855 million. Adjusted non-IFRS gross margin was 41.6%.
- Net profit attributable to owners of the Company increased 14.6% year-over-year to RMB 5,313 million.
- Adjusted non-IFRS net profit attributable to owners of the Company increased 18.5% year-over-year to RMB5,095 million.
- Diluted EPS increased 20.9% year-over-year to RMB1.79, while adjusted diluted non-IFRS EPS increased by 18.5% year-over-year to RMB1.73.
- Free cash flow achieved RMB2,926 million, turned positive and grew strongly year-over-year.
First-Half 2023 Business Operation Highlights
- As an industry innovation enabler, we grow together with our customers. In the first half of 2023, we added over 600 new customers, and in total we served more than 6,000 active customers over the past 12 months. Backlog grew 25% year-over-year excluding COVID-19 commercial projects. We continued to optimize our cross-platform synergies to better serve our customers worldwide, strengthen our unique competitive advantage as a fully integrated Contract Research, Development and Manufacturing Organization (CRDMO) and Contract Testing, Development and Manufacturing Organization (CTDMO) platform, and provide one-stop services for our customers from discovery to development and manufacturing. The diversified revenue streams from customers across regions ensure the stability and resilience of the Company's financial performance.
- WuXi Chemistry: Integrated CRDMO Business Model Drives Steady Growth, with Continued Expansion in New Modalities (WuXi TIDES)
- In the past 12 months, we successfully synthesized and delivered more than 420,000 new compounds to customers, which grew 20% year-over-year. Through our chemistry drug discovery services, we enabled our customers to accelerate their research while generating opportunities for our downstream business units. In the past 12 months, 120 molecules have transitioned from R to D&M, representing a year-on-year growth of 21%. Through our "follow-the-customer" and "follow-the-molecule" strategies, we established trusted partnerships with our global customers, supporting the sustainable growth of our CRDMO business.
- We continued executing our "long-tail" strategy. Demand from "long-tail" customers in discovery services of small molecule and new modalities continued to grow, with the number of new customers growing 17% year-over-year.
- In the first half of 2023, D&M services revenue grew 2.1% year-over-year to RMB9.67 billion. Excluding COVID-19 commercial projects, D&M services revenue grew strongly by 54.5%.
- In the first half of 2023, we added 583 molecules to our D&M pipeline. To date, our D&M pipeline consists of 2,819 molecules, including 56 commercial projects, 59 in phase III, 301 in phase II and 2,403 in phase I and pre-clinical stages, among which, 8 commercial and phase III projects were added in the first half of 2023.
- In the first half of 2023, TIDES revenue grew 37.9% year-over-year to RMB1.33 billion. As of June 30, 2023, backlog of TIDES grew strongly by 188% year-over-year. We expect revenue growth from TIDES business to exceed 70% in 2023.
- The number of TIDES D&M customers increased 25% year-over-year to 121, and the number of TIDES molecules increased 46% year-over-year to 207.
- WuXi Testing: Lab Testing Services Drive Steady Growth, Clinical Business Fully Recovered
- The Company provides a full range of laboratory testing services for our customers, including drug metabolism and pharmacokinetics (DMPK), toxicology, and bioanalysis for drug development testing, as well as medical device testing. We provide customers with high-quality services, realize "one report for global submission," and enable customers to save time, reduce costs and increase efficiency.
- H1 2023 revenue from drug safety evaluation services grew 24% year-over-year. We maintained our industry leadership position in Asia Pacific for drug safety evaluation services that meet global regulatory requirements. In the first half of 2023, new lab testing facilities in Qidong and Suzhou began operations as scheduled, ensuring the business growth to accelerate in the second half of 2023.
- Moreover, we continued to enhance capabilities related to new modalities, with comprehensive coverage such as target protein degradation, nucleic acids, conjugates, and cell and gene therapies (CGT), etc.
- SMO revenue grew strongly by 53.9% in Q2 2023 and 34.3% in H1 2023, maintaining a leadership position in China. In the first half of 2023, SMO supported 25 new drug approvals for customers.
- In the first half of 2023, clinical CRO enabled our customers to obtain 8 IND approvals and submit 3 NDA filings.
- WuXi Biology: Strong Contribution from New Modalities; Early Discovery Screening Platform Continued to Generate Downstream Opportunities
- WuXi ATU: CTDMO Business Model Drives Growth
- WuXi DDSU: the First Year to Receive New Drug Application (NDA) Approval of New Drugs Developed for Customers; Breakthrough to Receive the First Royalty Income
Our Commitment to ESG
As an industry innovation enabler, a trusted partner and a contributor to the global healthcare industry, the Company is committed to environmental protection and sustainability, and to being a good global corporate citizenship.
Our outstanding ESG performance has been recognized by major global ESG rating agencies, including MSCI, S&P Global, Sustainalytics, CDP and EcoVadis. In June 2023, we received the fourth "Silver" medal recognition from EcoVadis for our Couvet site in Switzerland.
By the first half of 2023, our carbon emission intensity, energy consumption intensity and water use intensity reduced by 20.1%, 18.4%, and 31.6%, respectively, as compared to the baseline year 2020.
As we continue to advance our sustainability strategy, we embrace our shared responsibility to be good stewards of the environment.
Management Comment
Dr. Ge Li, Chairman and CEO of WuXi AppTec, said, "We continued to achieve steady growth of revenue, net profit, and free cash flow in the first half of 2023. Our revenue increased 6.3% year-over-year to RMB18.87 billion, or 27.9% if excluding COVID-19 commercial projects. Our adjusted non-IFRS net profit attributable to owners of the Company increased 18.5% year-over-year, outpacing the revenue growth rate, and our free cash flow achieved RMB2.93 billion, as a result of the Company's pursuit of operational excellence and productivity."
"The Company's performance in the first half of 2023 demonstrated that WuXi AppTec's unique CRDMO and CTDMO business models can effectively meet the growing demands from customers worldwide and continue to drive solid growth for the Company. In 2023, we aim to deliver a 5-7% revenue growth, increase adjusted non-IFRS gross profit by 13-14%, and expand free cash flow by 750-850%. We remain committed to prioritizing our customers' needs and enhancing our capacity and capabilities as we support our customers' efforts to bring groundbreaking therapies to patients around the world. Together, we can realize our vision that 'every drug can be made and every disease can be treated'."
About WuXi AppTec
As a global company with operations across Asia, Europe, and North America, WuXi AppTec provides a broad portfolio of R&D and manufacturing services that enable the global pharmaceutical and healthcare industry to advance discoveries and deliver groundbreaking treatments to patients. Through its unique business models, WuXi AppTec's integrated, end-to-end services include chemistry drug CRDMO (Contract Research, Development and Manufacturing Organization), biology discovery, preclinical testing and clinical research services, cell and gene therapies CTDMO (Contract Testing, Development and Manufacturing Organization), helping customers improve the productivity of advancing healthcare products through cost-effective and efficient solutions. WuXi AppTec received an AA ESG rating from MSCI in 2022 and its open-access platform is enabling more than 6,000 customers from over 30 countries to improve the health of those in need – and to realize the vision that "every drug can be made and every disease can be treated." Please visit: http://www.wuxiapptec.com
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release may contain certain "forward-looking statements" which are not historical facts, but instead are predictions about future events based on our beliefs as well as assumptions made by and information currently available to our management. Although we believe that our predictions are reasonable, future events are inherently uncertain and our forward-looking statements may turn out to be incorrect. Our forward-looking statements are subject to risks relating to, among other things, the ability of our service offerings to compete effectively, our ability to meet timelines for the expansion of our service offerings, our ability to protect our customers' intellectual property, unforeseeable international tension, competition, the impact of emergencies and other force majeure. Our forward-looking statements in this press release speak only as of the date on which they are made, and we assume no obligation to update any forward-looking statements except as required by applicable law or listing rules. Accordingly, you are strongly cautioned that reliance on any forward-looking statements involves known and unknown risks and uncertainties. All forward-looking statements contained herein are qualified by reference to the cautionary statements set forth in this section. All information provided in this press release is as of the date of this press release and are based on assumptions that we believe to be reasonable as of this date, and we do not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statement, except as required under applicable law.
Use of Non-IFRS and Adjusted Non-IFRS Financial Measures
We provide non-IFRS gross profit and non-IFRS net profit attributable to owners of the Company, which exclude share-based compensation expenses, issuance expenses of convertible bonds, fair value gain or loss from derivative component of convertible bonds, foreign exchange-related gains or losses, amortization of intangible assets acquired in business combinations, non-financial assets impairment, etc. We also provide adjusted non-IFRS net profit attributable to owners of the Company and earnings per share, which further exclude realized and unrealized gains or losses from our venture capital investments and joint ventures. Neither is required by, or presented in accordance with IFRS.
We believe that the adjusted financial measures used in this press release are useful for understanding and assessing our core business performance and operating trends, and we believe that management and investors may benefit from referring to these adjusted financial measures in assessing our financial performance by eliminating the impact of certain unusual, non-recurring, non-cash and non-operating items that we do not consider indicative of the performance of our core business. Such adjusted non-IFRS net profit attributable to owners of the Company, the management of the Company believes, is widely accepted and adopted in the industry the Company is operating in. However, the presentation of these adjusted non-IFRS financial measures is not intended to be considered in isolation or as a substitute for the financial information prepared and presented in accordance with IFRS. You should not view adjusted results on a stand-alone basis or as a substitute for results under IFRS, or as being comparable to results reported or forecasted by other companies.
For more information, please contact:
Ms. Ruijia Tang (for investors)
IR Director
Email: tang_ruijia@wuxiapptec.com
Mr. Davy Wu (for media)
PR Director
Email: davy_wu@wuxiapptec.com
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SOURCE WuXi AppTec | https://www.kmvt.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/wuxi-apptec-announced-strong-results-second-quarter-first-half-2023-top-an-exceptionally-strong-year-2022/ | 2023-07-31T11:12:54 | 0 | https://www.kmvt.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/wuxi-apptec-announced-strong-results-second-quarter-first-half-2023-top-an-exceptionally-strong-year-2022/ |
GUANGZHOU, China, July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Yatsen Holding Limited ("Yatsen" or the "Company") (NYSE: YSG), a leading China-based beauty group, today announced that it has published its 2022 Environmental, Social and Governance ("ESG") report, outlining the Company's progress and performance in key ESG areas.
The report provides a comprehensive review of Yatsen's ESG initiatives and developments, including corporate governance, research and development, employee rights protection, human capital development, environmental sustainability and social responsibility, among others.
To view the report in full, please visit the ESG section on the Yatsen Investor Relations website. Alternatively, please click here for the English version and here for the Chinese version of the 2022 report.
About Yatsen Holding Limited
Yatsen Holding Limited (NYSE: YSG) is a leading China-based beauty group with the mission of creating an exciting new journey of beauty discovery for consumers around the world. Founded in 2016, the Company has launched and acquired numerous color cosmetics and skincare brands, including Perfect Diary, Little Ondine, Abby's Choice, Galénic, DR.WU (its mainland China business), Eve Lom, Pink Bear and EANTiM. The Company's flagship brand, Perfect Diary, is one of the leading color cosmetics brands in China in terms of retail sales value. The Company primarily reaches and engages with customers directly, both online and offline, with an expansive presence across all major e-commerce, social and content platforms in China.
For more information, please visit http://ir.yatsenglobal.com/.
For investor and media inquiries, please contact:
In China:
Yatsen Holding Limited
Investor Relations
E-mail: ir@yatsenglobal.com
The Piacente Group, Inc
Hui Fan
Tel: +86-10-6508-0677
E-mail: yatsen@thepiacentegroup.com
In the United States:
The Piacente Group, Inc.
Brandi Piacente
Tel: +1-212-481-2050
E-mail: yatsen@thepiacentegroup.com
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SOURCE Yatsen Holding Limited | https://www.kmvt.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/yatsen-issues-2022-esg-report/ | 2023-07-31T11:13:01 | 0 | https://www.kmvt.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/yatsen-issues-2022-esg-report/ |
The cutting-edge platform empowers B2B SaaS start-ups to reduce churn, increase upsell, and boost NRR
WILMINGTON, Del., July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- ZapScale, a new-age customer success platform, is making waves in the industry by offering an unrivalled one-day onboarding experience along with the ability to track 150 customer data points for a comprehensive 360-degree view of customer health. This ground-breaking feature sets ZapScale apart from its competitors.
The secret behind ZapScale's lightning-fast onboarding lies in its comprehensive toolkit. With a robust framework of 40 pre-built KPI-based health frameworks, 60 pre-designed playbooks to automate CS ops, and seamless native integrations with all popular tools, ZapScale empowers businesses to gain complete visibility over customer data. With deep customer health insights, ZapScale's customers have seen an improvement in retention and increase in upsell opportunities.
Manasij Ganguli, Founder and CEO of ZapScale, shares his personal motivation for creating this game-changing platform: "ZapScale was born out of my passion to empower B2B SaaS start-ups with an efficient and effective CS platform. Having faced numerous customer success challenges in my previous start-up, which I successfully sold in 2019, I realized the critical need for a solution that could streamline, optimize, and accelerate CS operations.
For small to mid-sized businesses that have limited time and resources, implementing a CS platform has historically been a daunting task, taking weeks, if not months, to set up essential elements like customer health, playbooks, and integrations. ZapScale has addressed this challenge by offering a user-friendly and efficient implementation process, eliminating waste of time and resources. Now, businesses can seamlessly focus on their customers right from day 1."
ZapScale eliminates the traditional barriers and time-consuming processes associated with implementing CS platforms using key in-built features that facilitate custom mapping, support custom fields, and require no unique key to integrate applications, ensuring a tailored yet quick integration experience.
ZapScale is swiftly gaining traction in the market, with 30+ global companies already using the customer success platform. Starting at $249 per month, with a one-month free trial, ZapScale is helping businesses significantly improve their customer success initiatives.
For more information about ZapScale and to schedule a demo, visit www.zapscale.com.
Contact:
Nikita Kalra
Marketing Head, ZapScale
nikita@zapscale.com
Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2097823/ZS_Logo.jpg
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SOURCE ZapScale | https://www.kmvt.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/zapscale-sets-new-industry-standard-with-easiest-customer-success-platform-one-day-onboarding/ | 2023-07-31T11:13:08 | 1 | https://www.kmvt.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/zapscale-sets-new-industry-standard-with-easiest-customer-success-platform-one-day-onboarding/ |
Trucking company Yellow shuts down after 99 years, putting 30,000 out of work
NEW YORK (CNN) — Yellow Corp., a 99-year-old trucking company that was once a dominant player in its field, halted operations Sunday and will lay off all 30,000 of its workers.
The unionized company has been in a battle with the Teamsters Union, which represents about 22,000 drivers and dock workers at the company. Just a week ago the union canceled a threatened strike that had been prompted by the company failing to contribute to its pension and health insurance plans. The union granted the company an extra month to make the required payments.
But by midweek last week, the company had stopped picking up freight from its customers and was making deliveries only of freight already in its system, according to both the union and Satish Jindel, a trucking industry consultant.
While the union agreed not to go on strike against Yellow, it could not reach an agreement on a new contract with the trucking company, according to a memo sent to local unions Thursday by the Teamsters’ negotiating committee. The union said early Monday that it had been notified of the shutdown.
“Today’s news is unfortunate but not surprising. Yellow has historically proven that it could not manage itself despite billions of dollars in worker concessions and hundreds of millions in bailout funding from the federal government. This is a sad day for workers and the American freight industry,” said Teamsters President Sean O’Brien in a statement.
Company officials did nor respond to numerous requests for comment Sunday and Monday.
There were reports last week that a bankruptcy filing would come by July 31, although the company said last week only that it continued to be in talks with the Teamsters and that it was considering all of its options. The Teamsters said Monday the company is filing for bankruptcy.
The closing is bad news not only for its employees and its customers, who generally used Yellow because it offered some of the cheapest rates in the trucking sector, but also for US taxpayers.
The company received a $700 million loan from the federal government in 2020, a loan that resulted in taxpayers holding 30% of its outstanding stock. And the company still owed the Treasury Department more than $700 million according to its most recent quarterly report, nearly half of the long-term debt on its books.
Yellow’s stock lost 82% of its value between the time of that loan and Thursday’s close after reports of the bankruptcy plans, closing at only 57 cents a share. It bumped up 14 cents a share on Friday, but still remained a so-called penny stock.
The company had received that loan during the pandemic, despite the fact that at the time it was facing charges of defrauding the government by overbilling on shipments of items for the US military. The company eventually settled the dispute without admitting wrongdoing but was forced to pay a $6.85 million fine.
Yellow handles pallet-sized shipments of freight, moving shipments from numerous customers in the same truck, a segment of the trucking industry known as less-than-truckload, or LTL. The company had been claiming as recently as June that it was the nation’s third largest LTL carrier.
But the company handled only about 7% of the nation’s 720,000 daily LTL shipments last year, said Jindel. He said there is about 8% to 10% excess capacity in the LTL sector right now, so the closure of Yellow shouldn’t cause a significant disruption in supply chains. But he said it will cause higher rates for shippers who depend on LTL carriers, since it was the excess capacity that sent prices lower.
Higher prices will hit Yellow customers, Jindel said.
“The reason they were using Yellow was because they were cheap,” he said. “They’re finding out that price was below the cost of supporting a good operation.” | https://www.wishtv.com/news/business/trucking-company-yellow-shuts-down-after-99-years-putting-30000-out-of-work/ | 2023-07-31T11:13:08 | 0 | https://www.wishtv.com/news/business/trucking-company-yellow-shuts-down-after-99-years-putting-30000-out-of-work/ |
Madonna feels lucky ‘to be alive’ after hospitalization
(CNN) — One month after Madonna was hospitalized in the ICU after suffering a bacterial infection, the queen of pop is reflecting on how her loved ones are helping her heal.
“Love from family and friends is the best Medicine,” Madonna wrote in an Instagram post on Sunday, showcasing a series of photos with two of her six children.
She continued to write that as a mother, it’s easy to get “caught up in the needs of your children,” but that when she fell ill, “my children really showed up for me.”
“I saw a side to them I had never seen before. It made all the difference,” she added.
Madonna shares one daughter, Lourdes Leon, with Carlos Leon, and a son, Rocco Ritchie, with director Guy Ritchie. She is also mom to four adopted children – David Banda, Chifundo “Mercy” James and twins Stella and Estere.
In her post, Madonna also wrote about her gratitude for her friend and longtime manager, Guy Oseary, who gifted her a Polaroid of Keith Haring “wearing a jacket with Michael Jackson’s face painted on it,” that she said was snapped by Andy Warhol.
Madonna wrote that she sobbed when she received Oseary’s gift because “I realized how lucky I am to be alive. And how fortunate I am to have known these people and so many others who are also gone.”
Oseary announced in June that Madonna was in the ICU after developing a “serious bacterial infection.” CNN later reported that the “Vogue” singer was released from the hospital days later, recovering at home.
Earlier this month, the Grammy winner announced she was rescheduling the start of her international “Celebration” tour to October.
“Thank you to all my angels who protected me and let me Stay to finish doing my work,” she said at the end of her post on Sunday.
A previous version of this story incorrectly referred to Carlos Leon has Madonna’s former husband. It has been updated. | https://www.wishtv.com/news/entertainment-news/madonna-feels-lucky-to-be-alive-after-hospitalization/ | 2023-07-31T11:13:15 | 0 | https://www.wishtv.com/news/entertainment-news/madonna-feels-lucky-to-be-alive-after-hospitalization/ |
Four Australian army aircrew dead after helicopter crash during wargames with US
SYDNEY (CNN) — Four Australian army aircrew members who were aboard a helicopter that crashed into the sea on Friday have now been declared dead, according to Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles on Monday.
Efforts to rescue Captain Danniel Lyon, Lieutenant Maxwell Nugent, Warrant Officer Class Two Joseph Laycock and Corporal Alexander Naggs have now turned to an effort to recover their bodies.
“The loss of these four men is as significant and meaningful as the loss of anyone who has worn our nation’s uniform. If it is, as we imagine it to be, they died on Friday night making a difference,” Marles said.
The crew was forced to “ditch” the MRH-90 Taipan helicopter into the sea near Hamilton Island off the east coast of Australia late Friday, during an exercise that was part of joint drills with the United States.
Significant wreckage of the MRH-90 helicopter has now been located, Marles said, indicating the men likely died in the “catastrophic” incident late Friday.
Marles said the “determined recovery effort involving hundreds of defense force personnel” is underway, saying there will be a “full investigation” to understand exactly what happened.
The aircraft “impacted waters” near the Lindeman Island, off the coast of the state of Queensland. A search operation involving both search and rescue aircraft and sea vessels is under way, according to the Australian Defense Ministry.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said “it has been a very difficult weekend for our nation” as he motioned the Australian parliament on Monday to mourn the servicemen who died.
“They were soldiers, and they were sons, husbands, brothers, fathers, friends, and today our deepest sympathies are with the people who love them, and the people that they love,” Albanese said.
He said this “terrible incident has provided a stark reminder that there are no safe or easy days for those who serve in our country’s name.”
The mission was a part of large-scale military drills involving the United States, known as Talisman Sabre. The drills are held every other year, alternating between the two countries, and also often involve other allied forces.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, who were both in Australia, spoke of those who went missing in the crash.
“We are thinking of the families, their friends, comrades,” Blinken said. “For everything they’ve been doing to the freedom that we share, and that is what unites us more than anything else and we are stepping up with assistance,” he added.
Austin said it’s “always tough” to encounter accidents in training. “But the reason that we trained to such high standards is so that we can be successful and we can protect lives when we are called to answer any kind of crisis,” he said.
The exercises have been paused to allow all participants “regardless of their nation, to reach out and let their families know what is going on,” Talisman Sabre Exercise Director Brigadier Damien Hill said at the Brisbane press conference.
Friday’s crash is the second time this year the Australian Army has been forced to ditch an MRH-90 Taipan into the sea. Two injuries resulted from the previous incident in March, which was put down to engine failure.
In 2019 the Australian government announced it would retire its entire fleet of Airbus-manufactured Taipans years ahead of schedule, describing the Taipans as a “project of concern for the last decade.” | https://www.wishtv.com/news/international/four-australian-army-aircrew-dead-after-helicopter-crash-during-wargames-with-us/ | 2023-07-31T11:13:21 | 1 | https://www.wishtv.com/news/international/four-australian-army-aircrew-dead-after-helicopter-crash-during-wargames-with-us/ |
Suicide bomber at political rally in Pakistan kills at least 44 people, wounds nearly 200
KHAR, Pakistan (AP) — A suicide bomber blew himself up at a political rally in a former stronghold of militants in northwest Pakistan bordering Afghanistan on Sunday, killing at least 44 people and wounding nearly 200 in an attack that a senior leader said was meant to weaken Pakistani Islamists.
The Bajur district near the Afghan border was a stronghold of the Pakistani Taliban — a close ally of Afghanistan’s Taliban government — before the Pakistani army drove the militants out of the area. Supporters of hard-line Pakistani cleric and political party leader Fazlur Rehman, whose Jamiat Ulema Islam generally supports regional Islamists, were meeting in Bajur in a hall close to a market outside the district capital. Party officials said Rehman was not at the rally but organizers added tents because so many supporters showed up, and party volunteers with batons were helping control the crowd.
Officials were announcing the arrival of Abdul Rasheed, a leader of the Jamiat Ulema Islam party, when the bomb went off in one of Pakistan’s bloodiest attacks in recent years.
Provincial police said in a statement that the attack was carried out by a suicide bomber who detonated his explosives vest close to the stage where several senior leaders of the party were sitting. It said initial investigations suggested the Islamic State group — which operates in Afghanistan and is an enemy of the Afghan Taliban — could be behind the attack, and officers were still investigating.
“There was dust and smoke around, and I was under some injured people from where I could hardly stand up, only to see chaos and some scattered limbs,” said Adam Khan, 45, who was knocked to the ground by the blast around 4 p.m. and hit by splinters in his leg and both hands.
The Pakistan Taliban, or TTP, said in a statement sent to The Associated Press that the bombing was aimed at setting Islamists against each other. Zabiullah Mujahid, a spokesman for the Afghan Taliban, said on the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, that “such crimes cannot be justified in any way.”
The Afghan Taliban’s seizure of power in Afghanistan in mid-August 2021 emboldened the TTP. They unilaterally ended a cease-fire agreement with the Pakistani government in November, and have stepped up attacks across the country.
The bombing came hours before the arrival of Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng in Islamabad, where he was to participate in an event to mark a decade of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, or CPEC, a sprawling package under which Beijing has invested billions of dollars in Pakistan.
In recent months, China has helped Pakistan avoid a default on sovereign payments. However, some Chinese nationals have also been targeted by militants in northwestern Pakistan and elsewhere.
Feroz Jamal, the provincial information minister, told The Associated Press that so far 44 people had been “martyred” and nearly 200 wounded in the bombing.
The bombing was one of the four worst attacks in the northwest since 2014, when 147 people, mostly schoolchildren, were killed in a Taliban attack on an army-run school in Peshawar. In January, 74 people were killed in a bombing at a mosque in Peshawar. n February, more than 100 people, mostly policemen, died in a bombing at a mosque inside a high-security compound housing Peshawar police headquarters.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and President Arif Alvi condemned the attack and asked officials to provide all possible assistance to the wounded and the bereaved families. Sharif later, in a phone call to Rehman, the head of the JUI, conveyed his condolences to him and assured him that those who orchestrated the attack would be punished.
The U.S. Embassy in Islamabad also condemned the attack. In a post on social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, it expressed its condolences to the families and loved ones of the victims killed in the attack..
Maulana Ziaullah, the local chief of Rehman’s party, was among the dead. JUI leaders Rasheed and former lawmaker Maulana Jamaluddin were also on the stage but escaped unhurt.
Rasheed, the regional chief of the party, said the attack was an attempt to remove JUI from the field before parliamentary elections in November, but he said such tactics would not work. The bombing drew nationwide condemnation, with the ruling and opposition parties extending condolences to the families of those who died in the attack.
Rehman is considered to be a pro-Taliban cleric and his political party is part of the coalition government in Islamabad. Meetings are being organized across the country to mobilize supporters for the upcoming elections.
“Many of our fellows lost their lives and many more wounded in this incident. I will ask the federal and provincial administrations to fully investigate this incident and provide due compensation and medical facilities to the affected ones,” Rasheed said.
Mohammad Wali, another attendant at the rally, said he was listening to a speaker address the crowd when the huge explosion temporarily deafened him.
“I was near the water dispenser to fetch a glass of water when the bomb exploded, throwing me to the ground,” he said. “We came to the meeting with enthusiasm but ended up at the hospital seeing crying, wounded people and sobbing relatives taking the bodies of their loved ones.”
Riaz Khan reported from Peshawar. Associated Press writer Munir Ahmad contributed from Islamabad. | https://www.wishtv.com/news/international/suicide-bomber-at-political-rally-in-pakistan-kills-at-least-44-people-wounds-nearly-200/ | 2023-07-31T11:13:27 | 1 | https://www.wishtv.com/news/international/suicide-bomber-at-political-rally-in-pakistan-kills-at-least-44-people-wounds-nearly-200/ |
Avon man dies in Hancock County motorcycle crash
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — A crash involving a motorcycle and a pickup truck in Hancock County killed a 30-year-old man from Avon over the weekend, police said.
Just before 4:30 p.m. Sunday, police and sheriff’s deputies responded to a crash at U.S. 36/State Road 67 and County Road 400 West between McCordsville and Fortville.
The crash involved a Kawasaki motorcycle and a Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck, the Hancock County Sheriff’s Department says.
Investigators say the motorcycle, driven by 30-year-old Robert Siuzdak, was headed east on U.S. 36 toward Fortville when it crossed into the westbound lane to pass other vehicles and crashed into the side of the pickup truck.
Witnesses told police the motorcycle was speeding and had already passed several vehicles in a no-passing zone before the fatal collision.
Medics pronounced Siuzdak dead at the scene. The sheriff’s department says he was wearing a helmet at the time of the crash.
The driver of the pickup truck, identified as a 39-year-old Greenfield man, was wearing a seatbelt and was not hurt.
Sheriff’s deputies do not believe alcohol or drugs were factors in the crash.
U.S. 36 was closed for approximately two hours while Hancock County Fatal Accident Crash Team officers conducted their on-scene investigation. | https://www.wishtv.com/news/local-news/avon-man-dies-in-hancock-county-motorcycle-crash/ | 2023-07-31T11:13:33 | 1 | https://www.wishtv.com/news/local-news/avon-man-dies-in-hancock-county-motorcycle-crash/ |
Mar-a-Lago worker charged in Trump’s classified documents case to make first court appearance
MIAMI (AP) — An employee of Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate, Carlos De Oliveira, is expected to make his first court appearance Monday on charges accusing him of scheming with the former president to hide security footage from investigators probing Trump’s hoarding of classified documents.
De Oliveira, Mar-a-Lago’s property manager, was added last week to the indictment with Trump and the former president’s valet, Walt Nauta, in the federal case alleging a plot to illegally keep top-secret records at Trump’s Florida estate and thwart government efforts to retrieve them.
De Oliveira faces charges including conspiracy to obstruct justice and lying to investigators. He’s scheduled to appear before a magistrate judge in Miami nearly two months after Trump pleaded not guilty in the case brought by special counsel Jack Smith.
The developments in the classified documents case come as Trump braces for possible charges in another federal investigation into his efforts to cling to power after he lost the 2020 election. Trump has received a letter from Smith indicating that he is a target of that investigation, and Trump’s lawyers met with Smith’s team last week.
An attorney for De Oliveira declined last week to comment on the allegations. Trump has denied any wrongdoing and said the Mar-a-Lago security tapes were voluntarily handed over to investigators. Trump posted on his Truth Social platform last week that he was told the tapes were not “deleted in any way, shape or form.”
Prosecutors have not alleged that security footage was actually deleted or kept from investigators.
Nauta has also pleaded not guilty. U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon had previously scheduled the trial of Trump and Nauta to begin in May, and it’s unclear whether the addition of De Oliveira to the case may impact the case’s timeline.
The latest indictment, unsealed on Thursday, alleges that Trump tried to have security footage deleted after investigators visited in June 2022 to collect classified documents Trump took with him after he left the White House.
Trump was already facing dozens of felony counts — including willful retention of notional defense information — stemming from allegations that he mishandled government secrets that as commander-in-chief he was entrusted to protect. Experts have said the new allegations bolster the special counsel’s case and deepen the former president’s legal jeopardy.
Video from Mar-a-Lago would ultimately become vital to the government’s case because, prosecutors said, it shows Nauta moving boxes in and out of a storage room — an act alleged to have been done at Trump’s direction and in effort to hide records not only only from investigators but Trump’s own lawyers.
Days after the Justice Department sent a subpoena for video footage at Mar-a-Lago to the Trump Organization in June 2022, prosecutors say De Oliveira asked a information technology staffer how long the server retained footage and told the employee “the boss” wanted it deleted. When the employee said he didn’t believe he was able to do that, De Oliveira insisted the “boss” wanted it done, asking, “What are we going to do?”
Shortly after the FBI searched Mar-a-Lago and found classified records in the storage room and Trump’s office, prosecutors say Nauta called a Trump employee and said words to the effect of, “someone just wants to make sure Carlos is good.” The indictment says the employee responded that De Oliveira was loyal and wouldn’t do anything to affect his relationship with Trump. That same day, the indictment alleges, Trump called De Oliveira directly to say that he would get De Oliveira an attorney.
Prosecutors allege that De Oliveira later lied in interviews with investigators, falsely claiming that he hadn’t even seen boxes moved into Mar-a-Lago after Trump left the White House.
Richer reported from Boston. | https://www.wishtv.com/news/national/mar-a-lago-worker-charged-in-trumps-classified-documents-case-to-make-first-court-appearance/ | 2023-07-31T11:13:39 | 1 | https://www.wishtv.com/news/national/mar-a-lago-worker-charged-in-trumps-classified-documents-case-to-make-first-court-appearance/ |
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July 31, 2023: IPS goes back to class
July 31, 2023
ALSO: Mike Pence is on the clock... Colts first full-pad workout
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Subscribe | https://www.wishtv.com/podcast-episode/july-31-2023-ips-goes-back-to-class/ | 2023-07-31T11:13:45 | 1 | https://www.wishtv.com/podcast-episode/july-31-2023-ips-goes-back-to-class/ |
New!
Mel Raines, President & COO, Pacers Sports & Entertainment
July 31, 2023
Mel Raines is one of the Hoosier State’s most admired leaders—and legends. On this week’s podcast, we interview a woman on everyone’s wish list when it comes to big projects, impacting our community, and ensuring Indy always shines under the bright lights.
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‘Leaders and Legends’ is brought to you by Veteran Strategies—your local veteran business enterprise specializing in media relations, crisis communications, public outreach, and digital photography. Learn more at www.veteranstrategies.com. | https://www.wishtv.com/podcast-episode/mel-raines-president-coo-pacers-sports-entertainment/ | 2023-07-31T11:13:51 | 0 | https://www.wishtv.com/podcast-episode/mel-raines-president-coo-pacers-sports-entertainment/ |
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The week ahead: July 31, 2023
July 31, 2023
A relatively quiet week ahead, with seasonal temperatures and lower humidity for now. Rain chances could ramp up closer to the weekend.
A relatively quiet week ahead, with seasonal temperatures and lower humidity for now. Rain chances could ramp up closer to the weekend. | https://www.wishtv.com/podcast-episode/the-week-ahead-july-31-2023/ | 2023-07-31T11:13:57 | 1 | https://www.wishtv.com/podcast-episode/the-week-ahead-july-31-2023/ |
US needs win to ensure Americans avoid elimination in group play for first time in Women’s World Cup
AUCKLAND, New Zealand (AP) — The United States arrived at the Women’s World Cup as the favorites to win an unprecedented third consecutive title. But after an underwhelming draw against the Netherlands, there’s a real chance the Americans can be eliminated in group play for the first time in tournament history.
The U.S. plays Portugal in the third and final match of Group E play, and if Portugal pulls off an upset Tuesday at Eden Park in Auckland, the Americans could be in big trouble.
The United States needs to either win or draw against Portugal, one of eight teams playing in its first World Cup, to ensure the Americans continue to play in this tournament.
“I think we feel like we have to win everything all the time,” said American star Megan Rapinoe. “That’s the expectation for ourselves. That’s the expectation playing for U.S. national team. It’s just kind of like, ‘Why would you come into the World Cup if you don’t think that you should win it, and if you don’t think that you can win it?’”
The United States sits atop the group after a 3-0 victory over Vietnam in the tournament opener, and a 1-1 draw with the Netherlands last Thursday in Wellington. The Dutch are tied with the U.S. on points, but the Americans have the tie-breaker on goals scored.
Portugal lost to the Dutch in its opener but then beat Vietnam 2-0. So if the Portuguese beat the United States, they’ll move on, and the Americans would then need Vietnam to beat the Dutch in Dunedin — while keeping their advantage on goal differential — to advance.
“One thing is for sure, that we have a job to do and that’s first and foremost to take care of our game, so our main focus right now it our performance, our team, and Portugal,” said U.S. coach Vlatko Andonovski. “What happens on the other side is something we can’t control. We have to stay focused on the things we can control.”
Portugal could use a swarming defense to try to prevent the United States from scoring the way Vietnam — unsuccessfully — played the Americans in the opener.
Portugal defender Ana Borges said her team will be prepared.
“This is the stage where we want to be. It’s against these teams that we want to play because we’re going to learn and grow from them,” Borges said. “Not saying anything about the other team, but if we weren’t prepared for this challenge, we wouldn’t be playing football.”
CHINA-ENGLAND
England is in very good shape headed into its Group D finale against China, needing only a draw Tuesday night in Adelaide, Australia to win the group and advance to the round of 16.
Even a loss would be OK and push England through as group winners so long as Denmark doesn’t beat Haiti. If Denmark won and England lost, the group winner would be decided by FIFA tiebreakers.
England edged out a 1-0 victory over Haiti to open the tournament, then beat Denmark by the same score.
China lost 1-0 to Denmark in the opener but rebounded with a 1-0 win over Haiti and is now trying to keep its streak intact of advancing out of group play in all eight of its World Cup appearances.
It will be a tough task: China can advance to the round of 16 if the Chinese beat England. But if Denmark beats Haiti, coupled with a China win, then FIFA tiebreakers would come into a play. A loss would mean China’s only chance at advancing would be if Haiti beat Denmark.
England and China meet for just the fifth time, but first since a 2-1 China victory in 2015.
England has scored in each of its last 15 matches at the Women’s World Cup for a tally of 25 goals since 2015. A goal against China would make England the first team to score in 16 consecutive matches in the tournament.
China is looking to win consecutive World Cup games for the first time since 1999.
VIETNAM-NETHERLANDS
The Netherlands want to win every match in the Women’s World Cup but none more so than Tuesday’s game against Vietnam.
At stake: avoiding Sweden in the knockout round.
The Dutch, the tournament runner-up in 2019, need only a win or a draw in the Group E match played in Dunedin, New Zealand. And even a loss would be OK so long as the United States beats Portugal in a game being played simultaneously.
But the Netherlands has mapped out the tournament and wants no part of Sweden anytime soon.
“The first aim is always to win and get to the last 16 and then after that if we can score goals we will, of course,” said Dutch coach Andries Jonker. “But looking at our colleagues from the U.S. and Portugal, we’ve noticed it’s not all that easy. We’ve never shown any kind of arrogance, but if we get chances to score goals we will. We would prefer to play against the number two in this group and not Sweden.”
The Netherlands are tied with the United States for the top spot in the group after playing to a 1-1 draw against the Americans and a 1-0 win over Portugal.
Vietnam has already been eliminated from its first Women’s World Cup following losses to the United States and Portugal. Vietnam has lost its last five internationals by a combined score of 18-1.
“The Netherlands tries to have as many goals as possible, and I have to say we are at a low level,” said Vietnam coach Mai Duc Chung. “If we compare with Asia, we’re still at a low level. So if we compare with the world, we are still quite behind. It is a success for us already. In the past two matches we have tried our best. Great effort already.”
HAITI-DENMARK
First-time Women’s World Cup participant Haiti would like to stick around a bit longer but needs a miracle against in the Group D finale against Denmark to have any shot to advance.
Haiti needs to beat Denmark in the Tuesday match played in Perth, Australia, and hope England beats China. If both those things happen, Haiti’s only chance would still come down to FIFA’s tiebreaker system.
It’s very long odds for Haiti, which has played better in this tournament than its 0-2 record shows. Haiti held both England and China to one goal each in the first two matches.
Haiti is on a six-game losing streak headed into what is probably its final game of this tournament.
Denmark, meanwhile, is trying to advance to the group stage for the first time since 1995. Denmark was a 1-0 winner over China to start the tournament, then lost 1-0 to England and heads into the game tied for second in the group with China with three points each.
A win over Haiti pushes Denmark through to the next round so long as England doesn’t lose to China. That scenario would put tiebreakers into play.
The Danes, in the tournament for the first time since 2007, can also get through with a draw, but again, only if England beats China.
Denmark has won five of its last seven international matches. | https://www.wishtv.com/sports/us-needs-win-to-ensure-americans-avoid-elimination-in-group-play-for-first-time-in-womens-world-cup/ | 2023-07-31T11:14:04 | 0 | https://www.wishtv.com/sports/us-needs-win-to-ensure-americans-avoid-elimination-in-group-play-for-first-time-in-womens-world-cup/ |
BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — Buffalo police say there was a shooting that injured three people Sunday night in the city’s Riverside neighborhood.
The three men struck by gunfire were taken to ECMC. Two of them appear to have been seriously injured.
Anyone with information on this can call or text the Buffalo Police Department’s confidential tip line at (716) 847-2255.
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Evan Anstey is an Associated Press Award, JANY Award and Emmy-nominated digital producer who has been part of the News 4 team since 2015. See more of his work here and follow him on Twitter. | https://www.wivb.com/news/local-news/buffalo/riverside-triple-shooting-hospitalizes-3-men/ | 2023-07-31T11:14:06 | 0 | https://www.wivb.com/news/local-news/buffalo/riverside-triple-shooting-hospitalizes-3-men/ |
Section of Moorhead road buckling, crumbling
Published: Jul. 31, 2023 at 5:59 AM CDT|Updated: 13 minutes ago
MOORHEAD, Minn. (Valley News Live) - The intense heat and then quick cooling is taking a toll on area roads. A portion of a popular Moorhead road buckled and has chunks of concrete thrown around.
20th St. S. near 16th Ave. S. has a buckle that could cause some damage to your car if you hit it.
Around 5 a.m. on Monday, July 31, pieces of concrete were still sitting on the road.
Roads buckle and crack when high heat expands the concrete or tar and then it cools down and contracts.
Copyright 2023 KVLY. All rights reserved. | https://www.valleynewslive.com/2023/07/31/section-moorhead-road-buckling-crumbling/ | 2023-07-31T11:14:06 | 0 | https://www.valleynewslive.com/2023/07/31/section-moorhead-road-buckling-crumbling/ |
"I don't think it's caught up to me yet — how much my life has changed," says Emma Hardyman, singer of the 2023 Tiny Desk Contest-winning band Little Moon. The Utah-based band recently wrapped up the Tiny Desk Contest On The Road tour, headlining eight sold-out shows across the country. While on the road, Hardyman caught up with NPR to reflect on the life-changing win and also share the story behind Little Moon's winning song, "Wonder Eye."
Hardyman tells NPR the song was written during the time her mother-in-law was in hospice care. The melody came to Hardyman as she and her husband Nathan Hardyman, who is also part of Little Moon, drove from Utah to Idaho to visit his mother.
During this difficult time, Emma and Nathan Hardyman were also in the process of leaving the Mormon church in which they had grown up.
"And pretty quickly, just because of the circumstances, I realized that this song, this melody, was about death," says Emma Hardyman, who wrote the structure of the song before asking Nathan Hardyman to write the lyrics.
The couple were also observing the disintegration of many of the building blocks their Mormon belief systems were built on. "I've grieved past versions of myself throughout my whole life," Emma Hardyman shares.
"I really love where Mormonism brought me," Emma Hardyman says. "It introduced me to teachings that are supposed to love everybody, that are supposed to incorporate everybody. [But] it couldn't follow me to how much I wanted to take [those teachings] seriously," she adds, noting that many of the Little Moon band members are queer. She says Mormonism didn't align with how she wants to treat people 'without conditions.'
Emma Hardyman also shares that she had many self-doubts about herself as an artist when she and Nathan Hardman met — but that he believed in her from their very first date. And in "Wonder Eye," the two even find peace in not having all the answers. Emma sings: "Is there a knowledge that is found not in knowing?" as she's met with the warm hums of the band.
Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.kbia.org/2023-07-31/the-power-and-heartbreak-behind-the-song-that-won-the-tiny-desk-contest | 2023-07-31T11:14:06 | 0 | https://www.kbia.org/2023-07-31/the-power-and-heartbreak-behind-the-song-that-won-the-tiny-desk-contest |
Sunny and comfortable to start the workweek
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH)– After a string of high heat and humidity we finally see a comfortable airmass move into the state.
TODAY: It’s going to be beautiful for the start of the new workweek. High pressure will remain in control today. Winds will be light out of the north with lots of sunshine. More importantly humidity will be very low. This is the first time we’ve seen dew points in the 50s in more than a month. Highs today climb in the lower 80s.
TONIGHT: Skies stay clear which is perfect viewing for the moon. It will be full Tuesday afternoon. It’s going to be cool, comfortable and clear tonight. Lows fall into the upper 50s near 60.
TUESDAY: Another fantastic day is on tap around the state. Highs climb into the low and middle 80s. It’s going to be sunny and nice with low humidity once again.
WEDNESDAY: Clouds begin to increase a little on Wednesday. Much of the day will be dry but late Wednesday evening we’ll see a chance for a rain. Highs stay in the low and middle 80s but the humidity increases.
8DAY FORECAST: Showers and storms are possible Thursday and Friday. Highs climb into the middle and upper 80s. Humidity values increase for the end of the week. Next weekend looks dry right now. Highs stay in the middle 80s which is right around normal for this time of the year. | https://www.wishtv.com/weather/weather-blog/sunny-and-comfortable-to-start-the-workweek/ | 2023-07-31T11:14:10 | 1 | https://www.wishtv.com/weather/weather-blog/sunny-and-comfortable-to-start-the-workweek/ |
NEW YORK (AP) — Six straight days of 12-hour driving. Single digit paychecks. The complaints come from workers in vastly different industries: UPS delivery drivers and Hollywood actors and writers.
But they point to an underlying factor driving a surge of labor unrest: The cost to workers whose jobs have changed drastically as companies scramble to meet customer expectations for speed and convenience in industries transformed by technology.
The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated those changes, pushing retailers to shift online and intensifying the streaming competition among entertainment companies. Now, from the picket lines, workers are trying to give consumers a behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to produce a show that can be binged any time or get dog food delivered to their doorstep with a phone swipe.
Overworked and underpaid employees is an enduring complaint across industries — from delivery drivers to Starbucks baristas and airline pilots — where surges in consumer demand have collided with persistent labor shortages. Workers are pushing back against forced overtime, punishing schedules or company reliance on lower-paid, part-time or contract forces.
At issue for Hollywood screenwriters and actors staging their first simultaneous strikes in 40 years is the way streaming has upended entertainment economics, slashing pay and forcing showrunners to produce content faster with smaller teams.
“This seems to happen to many places when the tech companies come in. Who are we crushing? It doesn’t matter,” said Danielle Sanchez-Witzel, a screenwriter and showrunner on the negotiating team for the Writers Guild of America, whose members have been on strike since May. Earlier this month, the Screen Actors Guild–American Federation of Television and Radio Artists joined the writers’ union on the picket line.
Actors and writers have long relied on residuals, or long-term payments, for reruns and other airings of films and televisions shows. But reruns aren’t a thing on streaming services, where series and films simply land and stay with no easy way, such as box office returns or ratings, to determine their popularity.
Consequently, whatever residuals streaming companies do pay often amount to a pittance, and screenwriters have been sharing tales of receiving single digit checks.
Adam Shapiro, an actor known for the Netflix hit “Never Have I Ever,” said many actors were initially content to accept lower pay for the plethora of roles that streaming suddenly offered. But the need for a more sustainable compensation model gained urgency when it became clear streaming is not a sideshow, but rather the future of the business, he said.
“Over the past 10 years, we realized: ‘Oh, that’s now how Hollywood works. Everything is streaming,’” Shapiro said during a recent union event.
Shapiro, who has been acting for 25 years, said he agreed to a contract offering 20% of his normal rate for “Never Have I Ever” because it seemed like “a great opportunity, and it’s going to be all over the world. And it was. It really was. Unfortunately, we’re all starting to realize that if we keep doing this we’re not going to be able to pay our bills.”
Then there’s the rising use of “mini rooms,” in which a handful of writers are hired to work only during pre-production, sometimes for a series that may take a year to be greenlit, or never get picked up at all.
Sanchez-Witzel, co-creator of the recently released Netflix series “Survival of the Thickest,” said television shows traditionally hire robust writing teams for the duration of production. But Netflix refused to allow her to keep her team of five writers past pre-production, forcing round-the-clock work on rewrites with just one other writer.
“It’s not sustainable and I’ll never do that again,” she said.
Sanchez-Witzel said she was struck by the similarities between her experience and those of UPS drivers, some of whom joined the WGA for protests as they threatened their own potentially crippling strike. UPS and the Teamsters last week reached a tentative contract staving off the strike.
Jeffrey Palmerino, a full-time UPS driver near Albany, New York, said forced overtime emerged as a top issue during the pandemic as drivers coped with a crush of orders on par with the holiday season. Drivers never knew what time they would get home or if they could count on two days off each week, while 14-hour days in trucks without air conditioning became the norm.
“It was basically like Christmas on steroids for two straight years. A lot of us were forced to work six days a week, and that is not any way to live your life,” said Palmerino, a Teamsters shop steward.
Along with pay raises and air conditioning, the Teamsters won concessions that Palmerino hopes will ease overwork. UPS agreed to end forced overtime on days off and eliminate a lower-paid category of drivers who work shifts that include weekends, converting them to full-time drivers. Union members have yet to ratify the deal.
The Teamsters and labor activists hailed the tentative deal as a game-changer that would pressure other companies facing labor unrest to raise their standards. But similar outcomes are far from certain in industries lacking the sheer economic indispensability of UPS or the clout of its 340,000-member union.
Efforts to organize at Starbucks and Amazon stalled as both companies aggressively fought against unionization.
Still, labor protests will likely gain momentum following the UPS contract, said Patricia Campos-Medina, executive director of the Worker Institute at the School of Industrial and Labor Relations at Cornell University, which released a report this year that found the number of labor strikes rose 52% in 2022.
“The whole idea that consumer convenience is above everything broke down during the pandemic. We started to think, ‘I’m at home ordering, but there is actually a worker who has to go the grocery store, who has to cook this for me so that I can be comfortable,’” Campos-Medina said. | https://www.wivb.com/news/national/customers-want-instant-gratification-workers-say-theyre-on-the-brink/ | 2023-07-31T11:14:12 | 0 | https://www.wivb.com/news/national/customers-want-instant-gratification-workers-say-theyre-on-the-brink/ |
WATCH: Concertgoer throws drink at Cardi B; she hurls microphone at them
Published: Jul. 31, 2023 at 5:58 AM CDT|Updated: 15 minutes ago
LAS VEGAS (CNN) - Cardi B hurled her microphone at a fan during a concert in Las Vegas on Saturday.
The rapper was performing her song “Bodak Yellow” when a concertgoer threw a drink at her.
In seconds, Cardi B threw her microphone into the crowd as the song continued to play.
Security guards rushed to the stage.
More security guards are then seen flocking to the person in the crowd as she watched from the stage before continuing with her set.
There’s no word on what happened to the fan or if any charges will be filed.
Copyright 2023 CNN Newsource. All rights reserved. | https://www.valleynewslive.com/2023/07/31/watch-concertgoer-throws-drink-cardi-b-she-hurls-microphone-them/ | 2023-07-31T11:14:12 | 1 | https://www.valleynewslive.com/2023/07/31/watch-concertgoer-throws-drink-cardi-b-she-hurls-microphone-them/ |
(The Hill) – Dozens of former Cabinet officials under former President Trump’s administration declined to publicly support the former president’s third bid for the White House, NBC News reported.
NBC News reached out to 44 people who previously served in Trump’s Cabinet during his four years in office to gauge whether they would support the former president during the 2024 presidential election. The outlet reported that most of the people declined to comment or ignored the requests and that only four said publicly they would support Trump for the presidency.
Trump’s Cabinet saw a higher rate of turnover compared with many of his predecessors, with many new officials rotating in and out of his administration over the four years. The only four former Cabinet members who NBC News reached out to who said they would support Trump are former acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker, former chief of staff Mark Meadows, former Office of Management and Budget (OMB) director Russell Vought and former acting director of national intelligence Richard Grenell.
A spokesperson for Meadows told NBC News that he “fully” supports Trump. In May, Vought posted on X, the site formerly known as Twitter, that the former president is “the only person I trust to take a wrecking ball to the Deep State.”
Other former administration officials were reluctant to support Trump or have publicly said they will not support him. Former Attorney General Bill Barr told NBC News that he opposes Trump getting the 2024 GOP nomination but declined whether to say he would support him in the general election if pitted against President Biden.
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Former chief of staff Mick Mulvaney also said that he does not want Trump to get the Republican nomination for president.
“I am working hard to make sure that someone else is the nominee,” Mulvaney told NBC News. “I think he’s the Republican who is most likely to lose in a general election, of all our leading candidates. If anyone can lose to Joe Biden, it would be him.”
Other former officials who have not endorsed Trump yet include former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, former Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan, former chief of staff John Kelly and Joseph Maguire and Dan Coats, who each once served as director of national intelligence. Coats told NBC News that he would be supporting former Vice President Mike Pence for the GOP primary.
The Hill has reached out to Trump’s campaign for comment. | https://www.wivb.com/news/national/dozens-of-former-trump-cabinet-officials-wont-publicly-support-his-2024-bid/ | 2023-07-31T11:14:16 | 1 | https://www.wivb.com/news/national/dozens-of-former-trump-cabinet-officials-wont-publicly-support-his-2024-bid/ |
DENVER (AP) — As Denver neared triple-digit temperatures, Ben Gallegos sat shirtless on his porch swatting flies off his legs and spritzing himself with a misting fan to try to get through the heat. Gallegos, like many in the nation’s poorest neighborhoods, doesn’t have air conditioning.
The 68-year-old covers his windows with mattress foam to insulate against the heat and sleeps in the concrete basement. He knows high temperatures can cause heat stroke and death, and his lung condition makes him more susceptible. But the retired brick layer, who survives on about $1,000 a month largely from Social Security, says air conditioning is out of reach.
“Take me about 12 years to save up for something like that,” he said. “If it’s hard to breathe, I’ll get down to emergency.”
As climate change fans hotter and longer heat waves, breaking record temperatures across the U.S. and leaving dozens dead, the poorest Americans suffer the hottest days with the fewest defenses. Air conditioning, once a luxury, is now a matter of survival.
As Phoenix weathered its 27th consecutive day above 110 degrees (43 Celsius) Wednesday, the nine who died indoors didn’t have functioning air conditioning, or it was turned off. Last year, all 86 heat-related deaths indoors were in uncooled environments.
“To explain it fairly simply: Heat kills,” said Kristie Ebi, a University of Washington professor who researches heat and health. “Once the heat wave starts, mortality starts in about 24 hours.”
It’s the poorest and people of color, from Kansas City to Detroit to New York City and beyond, who are far more likely to face grueling heat without air conditioning, according to a Boston University analysis of 115 U.S. metros.
“The temperature differences … between lower-income neighborhoods, neighborhoods of color and their wealthier, whiter counterparts have pretty severe consequences,” said Cate Mingoya-LaFortune of Groundwork USA, an environmental justice organization. “There are these really big consequences like death. … But there’s also ambient misery.”
Some have window units that can offer respite, but “in the dead of heat, it don’t do nothing,” said Melody Clark, who stopped Friday to get food at a nonprofit in Kansas City, Kansas, as temperatures soared to 101, and high humidity made it feel like 109. When the central air conditioning at her rental house went on the fritz, her landlord installed a window unit. But it doesn’t do much during the day.
So the 45-year-old wets her hair, cooks outside on a propane grill and keeps the lights off indoors. She’s taken the bus to the library to cool off. At night she flips the box unit on, hauling her bed into the room where it’s located to sleep.
As far as her two teenagers, she said: “They aren’t little bitty. We aren’t dying in the heat. … They don’t complain.”
While billions in federal funding have been allocated to subsidize utility costs and the installation of cooling systems, experts say they often only support a fraction of the most vulnerable families and some still require prohibitive upfront costs. Installing a centralized heat pump system for heating and cooling can easily reach $25,000.
President Joe Biden announced steps on Thursday to defend against extreme heat, highlighting the expansion of the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, which funnels money through states to help poorer households pay utility bills.
While the program is critical, said Michelle Graff, who studies the subsidy at Cleveland State University, only about 16% of the nation’s eligible population is actually reached. Nearly half of states don’t offer the federal dollars for summer cooling.
“So people are engaging in coping mechanisms, like they’re turning on their air conditioners later and leaving their homes hotter,” Graff said.
While frigid temperatures and high heating bills birthed the term “heat or eat,” she said, “we can now transition to AC or eat, where people are going to have to make difficult decisions.”
As temperatures rise, so does the cost of cooling. And temperatures are already hotter in America’s low-income neighborhoods like Gallegos’ Denver suburb of Globeville, where people live along stretches of asphalt and concrete that hold heat like a cast-iron skillet. Surface temperatures there can be roughly 8 degrees hotter than in Denver’s wealthier neighborhoods, where a sea of vegetation cools the area, according to the environmental advocacy group American Forests.
This disparity plays out nationwide. Researchers at the University of San Diego analyzed 1,056 counties and in over 70%, the poorest areas and those with higher Black, Hispanic and Asian populations were significantly hotter.
About one in 10 U.S. households have no air conditioning, a disparity compounded for marginalized groups, according to a study by the Brookings Institution. Less than 4% of Detroit’s white households don’t have air conditioning; it’s 15% for Black households.
At noon on Friday, Katrice Sullivan sat on the porch of her rented house on Detroit’s westside. It was hot and muggy, but even steamier inside the house. Even if she had air conditioning, Sullivan said she’d choose her moments to run it to keep her electricity bill down.
The 37-year-old factory worker pours water on her head, freezes towels to put around her neck, and sits in her car with the air conditioner on. “Some people here spend every dollar for food, so air conditioning is something they can’t afford,” she said.
Shannon Lewis, 38, lived in her Detroit home for nearly 20 years without air conditioning. Lewis’s bedroom was the only place with a window unit, so she’d squeeze her teenager, 8-year-old and 3-year-old-twins into her queen-size bed to sleep, eat meals and watch television.
“So it was like cool in one room and a heat stroke in another,” Lewis said. For the first time, Lewis now has air conditioning through a local non-profit, she said. “We don’t have to sleep or eat in the same room, we are able to come out, sit at the dining room table, eat like a family.”
After at least 54 died during a 2021 heat wave, mostly elderly people without air conditioning, in the Portland area, Oregon passed a law prohibiting landlords from placing blanket bans on air conditioning units. By and large, however, states don’t have laws requiring landlords to provide cooling.
In the federal Inflation Reduction Act, billions were set aside for tax credits and rebates to help families install energy-efficient cooling systems, but some of those are yet to be available. For people like Gallegos, who doesn’t pay taxes, the available credits are worthless.
The law also offers rebates, the kind of state and federal point-of-sale discounts that Amanda Morian has looked into for her 640-square-foot home.
Morian, who has a 13-week-old baby susceptible to hot weather, is desperate to keep her house in Denver’s Globeville suburb cool. She bought thermal curtains, ceiling fans and runs a window unit. At night she tries to do skin-to-skin touch to regulate the baby’s body temperature. When the back door opens in the afternoon, she said, the indoor temperature jumps a degree.
“All of those are just to take the edge off, it’s not enough to actually make it cool. It’s enough to keep us from dying,” she said.
She got estimates from four different companies for installing a cooling system, but every project was between $20,000 and $25,000, she said. Even with subsidies she can’t afford it.
“I’m finding that you have to afford the project in the first place and then it’s like having a bonus coupon to take $5,000 off of the sticker price,” she said.
Lucy Molina, a single mom in Commerce City, one of Denver’s poorest areas, said her home has reached 107 degrees without air conditioning. Nearby, Molina’s two teenage children slurped popsicles to cool off, lingering in front of the open freezer.
For Molina, who bustled around her kitchen on a recent day when temperatures reached 99 degrees outdoors, it’s hard to see any path to a cooling respite.
“We’re just too poor,” she said. | https://www.wivb.com/news/national/were-just-too-poor-record-heat-waves-reveal-plight-of-americans-without-air-conditioning/ | 2023-07-31T11:14:19 | 1 | https://www.wivb.com/news/national/were-just-too-poor-record-heat-waves-reveal-plight-of-americans-without-air-conditioning/ |
The House and Senate left Washington for the month of August with a lengthy, time-sensitive to-do list waiting when they return, including multiple key health care priorities.
There will only be three weeks before the end of the fiscal year to get everything done, and just 11 legislative days when both chambers will be in session at the same time.
Congress faces a Sept. 30 deadline to reauthorize a sweeping pandemic preparedness bill, fund community health centers and renew opioid addiction services.
But the largest looming deadline is the appropriations bills to fund the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), which are tied up in the House amid disagreements over abortion and spending levels.
GOP leaders scuttled a vote planned for Friday on legislation funding the FDA and the Department of Agriculture after moderate Republicans objected to a provision that would reverse the FDA’s decision to allow the abortion pill mifepristone drug to be dispensed through the mail and in retail pharmacies.
House Freedom Caucus members have also been demanding even deeper spending cuts than agreed to in the bipartistan debt ceiling deal.
The Labor-HHS bill advanced through a House Appropriations subcommittee earlier this month, but hadn’t even made it to the full committee before recess. The Republican-led House bill would slash or eliminate funding from a range of programs that deal with everything from family planning to teen pregnancy and even HIV.
Both FDA and HHS funding bills face a major fight in the Democratic-controlled Senate, where the Appropriations Committee has already passed its own version by near unanimous margins, owing to an agreement by Democratic and Republican leaders not to insert “poison pill” amendments.
House Democratic Whip Katherine Clark (Mass.) argued in a floor speech that lawmakers should stay in Washington to strip out the “toxic, divisive, bigoted riders” in the bills, and ripped Republicans for delaying votes until September.
Pandemic preparedness
The House and Senate are taking different tracks in the reauthorization of the pandemic preparedness bill, complicating its path forward.
The Senate advanced a bipartisan version of the Pandemic All-Hazards Preparedness Act out of committee, but the House is divided. House Energy and Commerce Committee Republicans advanced a bill on party lines after Democrats introduced their own version.
The primary disagreement is over drug shortages. Democrats are clamoring to give FDA more oversight authority to address the shortages, but Republicans are insisting on keeping the issues separate.
The Senate version contains some provisions addressing drug shortages, but only one involves beefing up FDA authority.
Congress is under pressure to stem drug shortages amid reports of doctors rationing cancer drugs and other medicine. Republicans on the Energy and Commerce Committee have said they are committed to dealing with the problems, but that it shouldn’t be part of the preparedness bill.
Energy and Commerce Committee GOP leaders released a discussion draft on Friday of drug shortage legislation focusing on the economic reasons for shortages, including giving some generic drug manufacturers the ability to raise the cost of their drugs if hospitals keep prices “artificially low” to the point where there’s no economic incentive.
Health centers
Legislation to reauthorize funding for community health centers also faces partisan challenges. But in this case, the House cleared its bill on a bipartisan basis, while the Senate is still working through disagreements, highlighting the work to be done.
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, originally wanted tens of billions of dollars more for the centers. He was asking for $130 billion to fund the centers over the next five years as well as $60 billion to help grow the health care workforce.
But Sanders ended up canceling a planned markup during the last week of July. Raising some eyebrows, Sanders said he is working with Sen. Roger Marshall (R-Kan.) to craft a bipartisan bill that will be “ready by the first week of September.”
Separately, Sanders and Senate Finance Committee Chairman Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) issued a joint statement pledging to partner and work towards legislation in the fall aimed at addressing primary care and other health care workforce shortages.
Opioids
At issue are several provisions of sweeping legislation signed into law in 2018 called the Support Act, which aimed to tackle the country’s drug overdose epidemic.
The House Energy and Commerce Committee advanced a bipartisan reauthorization and expansion bill, but advocates are concerned the Senate is behind.
HELP Committee ranking member Bill Cassidy (R-La.) introduced his own version of the bill on July 20, but hearings won’t be scheduled until September. Cassidy has warned that the committee is wasting time on partisan bills instead of easy bipartisan wins, such as the Support Act.
Insulin/PBM reform
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) has said for months that he wants to move legislation that would cap the cost of insulin at $35 per month for people with private insurance.
There’s hope to combine it with legislation reforming the pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) industry into a package that could get bipartisan support.
But there’s no looming deadline and no guarantee it will get taken up in September.
Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), who is a co-sponsor of one of the insulin bills with Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), said she still has Schumer’s support heading into the fall, but has not heard anything about timing.
Multiple committees have advanced PBM reform bills in both the House and Senate, so they will all need to be combined into one floor-friendly package. | https://www.wivb.com/news/political-news/hill-politics/lawmakers-set-to-face-ticking-clock-on-health-care-priorities/ | 2023-07-31T11:14:20 | 1 | https://www.wivb.com/news/political-news/hill-politics/lawmakers-set-to-face-ticking-clock-on-health-care-priorities/ |
The combination of Barbie and Oppenheimer continued to lift the previously lackluster summer box office.
Barbie topped the North American box office for the second straight week with an estimated $93 million, bringing its two-week total to $351.4 million. The film added an estimated $122.2 million overseas, for a worldwide tally of $774.5 million. It's already the third highest-grossing film of the year behind The Super Mario Bros. Movie and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.
Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer also had another big week, racking up an estimated $46 million, for a two-week domestic haul of $174 million. Its global tally now stands at $400.4 million. It's already eclipsed the lifetime grosses of Nolan's previous two films, Tenet and Batman Begins, which earned $365 million and $373 million, respectively.
Disney's supernatural horror comedy Haunted Mansion opened in third place with an estimated $24.6 million. The movie, based on the theme park ride and starring Owen Wilson, Tiffany Haddish, LaKeith Stanfield, Jamie Lee Curtis, Rosario Dawson and Danny DeVito, collected $33.3 million worldwide.
Sound of Freedom took fourth place with $12.4 million, lifting its domestic total to $148.9 million.
Rounding out the top five was Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One, earning an estimated $10.7 million domestically in its third weekend in theaters. So far, the latest Mission: Impossible has grabbed $139.23 million in North America and $448.5 million worldwide.
Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved. | https://www.star945.com/entertainment/barbie-repeats-1/F4CKGKMP7M674EWIFRKFLEJRZQ/ | 2023-07-31T11:14:27 | 0 | https://www.star945.com/entertainment/barbie-repeats-1/F4CKGKMP7M674EWIFRKFLEJRZQ/ |
Cardi B was the latest victim of a dangerous trend in which artists are hit with objects thrown on stage by an audience member, but this time she got even.
In a video making rounds on social media, the rapper is seen throwing a microphone at an audience member who tossed a drink at her during a performance at Drai’s Beachclub in Las Vegas on Saturday, July 29.
Cardi is performing her 2017 hit "Bodak Yellow (Money Moves)" in the clip -- retweeted by her with the caption -- "Jealous A** B****," when she gets a good dousing with the liquid, then angrily throws the mic at them while appearing to have words with him.
Recently, Drake called out a fan for throwing a vape on stage; Bebe Rexha was injured when a cell phone was hurled at her face; a fan tossed her dead mother's ashes on stage at a Pink show; Kelsea Ballerini was struck by an object mid-song; someone sent a sex toy flying at Lil Nas X; and Harry Styles was pelted with a mysterious object that just missed his eye and left him writhing in pain.
Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved. | https://www.star945.com/news/cardi-b-throws-mic/L7IBQA4X6MAPW4WO6WKEUWRQNU/ | 2023-07-31T11:14:30 | 1 | https://www.star945.com/news/cardi-b-throws-mic/L7IBQA4X6MAPW4WO6WKEUWRQNU/ |
It's hard to talk 50 years of hip-hop without mentioning Nas.
Thanks to his decades-long rap career and indelible contributions to the genre, he's often regarded as legendary or iconic — titles the New York rapper says mean much to him.
"It's an honor. I don't take it lightly," he tells Ebony. "It inspires me to keep going, but also [to] appreciate what I've done."
Nas said that it's sometimes "weird as an artist to" be given such acclaim for his work. Though "it comes from such an honest place," he doesn't often think about the high praise.
"I appreciate it, though," he says.
Regarding this year's 50th anniversary of hip-hop, Nas says honoring the genre should be something every culture partakes in.
When it comes to celebrating "in some ways it's a beautiful thing and in others it's like you have no choice," Nas says. "Too much of what we see around the world came from this thing we all contributed to."
He adds, "Hopefully this is the beginning of a lifelong celebration."
Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved. | https://www.star945.com/news/nas-his-icon-status/M75GBIBERA4LVOVUTP3ZFNY6KI/ | 2023-07-31T11:14:37 | 0 | https://www.star945.com/news/nas-his-icon-status/M75GBIBERA4LVOVUTP3ZFNY6KI/ |
New gang roaming the streets of Indianapolis is targeting ... litter? Meet the 'Grippers.'
There’s a gang out on the streets of Indianapolis that you might not have heard of yet. But don't worry, it's not a fearsome bunch.
They call themselves "grippers," and their only enemy is the trash littering local streets and roads.
The name stems from the members' use of grip extenders, a hand-held tool that saves them from bending over every time they pick up a fast food wrapper or discarded plastic bottle. Despite the alliterative moniker, the group is more of a loose affiliation of litter-pickers who have found community — and share their bounty — on the website Reddit.
A typical Gripper Gang post will have a picture of the grip extender and a 5-gallon bucket or two full of garbage.
“Gripper Gang Lives On!” exclaims one user.
“Trash Day Gripper Gang!" another post says. "What a lovely day to GET A GRIP.”
The posts attract comments like: “I love these posts so much” and “Where did you get your gripper? Need to get my own.”
Litter is no small problem. Keep America Beautiful estimated in 2020 that there were nearly 50 billion pieces of litter along roads and waterways in the U.S. That's about 150 pieces of litter for each American. Cigarette butts and plastic food wraps make up the most littered items in the group's study.
In Indiana, littering is a Class B misdemeanor punishable by up to 180 days in jail and no more than $1,000 in fines. But the law doesn't deter many Hoosiers from tossing trash out their car windows — or worse.
That's why individuals and groups like the Gripper Gang step up to help. The nascent community also aims to motivate others to get out and clean up litter in their own neighborhoods.
All you need is a gripper and a bucket or bag
Jake Phillips, a native Hoosier who has lived on the eastside for six years, said the online Gripper Gang posts inspired him to start picking up trash near his home.
“I’ve been doing it pretty regularly for two years,” Phillips said. “So much so that we ended up buying an extra trash can from our utility because we’d fill an entire bin from the streets and not have enough space for our own trash.”
It’s important to Phillips, who said anyone can spend a few minutes making the community better — even if they only get out once every few weeks.
“It really adds up and sometimes I feel like we don’t have a lot of community responsibility expressed and I wish we had a little more of that,” Phillips said. “It feels good spending that time giving to the neighborhood.”
There is no special skill needed, he said, and no big investment to get started. All you need: A 5-gallon bucket and a gripper, which can be bought for around $15 (keep reading to find out where you may be able to score one for free).
Rachel James-Dolan, another eastside resident, was shocked to see so much garbage lining the streets when she moved to Indianapolis from Texas in December 2020.
“In Texas they have a saying, ‘Don’t mess with Texas,’” James-Dolan said. “A lot of people use that, but it’s actually a campaign against litter.”
James-Dolan said she quickly learned how serious others take littering after her move to Texas. She tossed an apple core out of her friend’s car window and the friend started panicking, letting her know the state takes a hardline with litter bugs.
“It’s frustrating to see Indiana has such a problem,” she said. “Once we moved here, I noticed a stark difference in litter in general.”
That’s when James-Dolan began speaking with her neighbors and getting involved with the neighborhood association to tackle the trash problem. Litter was a hot topic of discussion within the association, she said, especially what area residents could do to help.
Inspired by the conversations and a couple of neighbors who would pick up litter every morning, James-Dolan began seeing those Gripper Gang posts on Reddit. She started posting her own photos and reveled at the comments she would receive.
“I started posting my pictures on Reddit and people are commenting, ‘How do you get a gripper? And ‘How do you get involved?’” James-Dolan said.
During neighborhood association meetings, she also learned about Keep Indianapolis Beautiful and the organization’s Adopt-A-Block captains. Founded in the ‘70s to address litter problems, KIB is supported by the City of Indianapolis and offers supplies all year long.
Summer Keown, KIB’s director of clean neighborhoods, said anyone interested in picking up litter can pick up a grip extender, gloves, trash bags, reflective vests and other tools. The group also designates Adopt-A-Block captains throughout the city. There currently are more than 800 captains, who sign up for a two-year roles and help make sure litter is cleared from the block and debris doesn't clog stormwater drains.
“It’s not a scary commitment,” Keown said. “If someone moves we can find someone else to fill the role. It’s pretty simple.”
James-Dolan said KIB is really receptive if you need more supplies. “They’re just super excited to get people on board and will help people do anything," she said. "There’s a lot of cool things to work with them on.”
Finding Zen in a small, simple act
Joining the Gripper Gang, or just pitching in with litter removal, doesn’t require coordinating with a neighborhood group. Phillips said he sometimes just enjoys the quiet time picking up trash alone.
“As a teacher, after work sometimes I want it to be silent,” Phillips said. “I’ll put in headphones and pick up some trash and decompress.”
People are often appreciative when the see like likes of the Gripper Gang combing the streets. The best part for Phillips is when someone notices him from their front porch and will pick up a few littered items in their own yard.
“I think there is a thing where they don’t want to feel guilty but it’s a little more positive, too,” Phillips said. “People are generally nice and say, ‘thank you’ and it helps start some conversations.”
Phillips stressed the limited barriers to get started. The equipment is inexpensive or free and it’s not a super involved and dedicated activity, he said.
“You don’t need special skills and you don’t have to dedicate you life to it,” Phillips said. “Every now and then just go do a small thing.”
Karl Schneider is an IndyStar environment reporter. You can reach him at karl.schneider@indystar.com. Follow him on Twitter @karlstartswithk
IndyStar's environmental reporting project is made possible through the generous support of the nonprofit Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust. | https://www.indystar.com/story/news/2023/07/31/indy-residents-are-getting-a-grip-on-litter/70433753007/ | 2023-07-31T11:15:09 | 1 | https://www.indystar.com/story/news/2023/07/31/indy-residents-are-getting-a-grip-on-litter/70433753007/ |
ORLANDO, Fla. – If you own a Hyundai or Kia with a key ignition built between 2010 and 2021, you may be one of an estimated 502,000 owners of a vehicle still in need of a free security upgrade.
Patrick Olsen, Carfax editor-in-chief, told News 6 it is highlighting the issue on the company’s vehicle history reports to “spread the word.”
“Frankly, we are as surprised as you were by just how many (vehicles) still have this vulnerability,” Olsen said. “It does not need to be the dealership you bought the car from, and the fix is about an hour.”
According to NHTSA, the software fix enhances the existing vehicle alarm system by extending the length of the alarm sound from 30 seconds to one minute and requires the key to be in the ignition switch to turn the vehicle on.
[EXCLUSIVE: Become a News 6 Insider (it’s FREE) | PINIT! Share your photos]
The automakers are also offering consumers free steering-wheel locks as another security option if the car did not come with an alarm.
Carfax is partnering with Hyundai and Kia following the joy ride challenges posted on social media platforms last year.
Consumers shopping for a used Hyundai or Kia can see whether the vehicle they’re interested in has had the software work done by checking out the free Vehicle History Reports that come with each Carfax used-car listing.
Carfax told News 6 that 15 states have 100,000 or more of these vehicles on the road. Florida is second only to California with vehicles still requiring a free fix.
The top five include:
- California: 506,000
- Florida: 502,000
- Texas: 433,000
- Pennsylvania: 227,000
- Ohio: 215,000
Hyundai models involved are as follows: 2011-2019 Sonata; 2011-2022 Tucson; 2011-2022 Elantra; 2013-2014 Genesis Coupe; 2013-2018 Santa Fe Sport; 2013-2020 Elantra GT; 2013-2022 Santa Fe; 2018-2021 Veloster; 2018-2022 Accent; 2018-2022 Kona; 2019 Santa Fe XL; 2020-2021 Venue; 2020-2021 Palisade.
Kia Models are as follows: 2010-2022 Soul; 2011-2020 Optima; 2011-2021 Forte; 2011-2021 Rio; 2011-2021 Sedona; 2021-2022 Seltos; 2011-2022 Sorento; 2011-2022 Sportage; 2021-2022 K5.
NHTSA urges owners of these vehicles to contact Hyundai (toll-free at 800-633-5151) or Kia (toll-free at 800-333-4542) for information on the FREE update.
If you have a consumer or investment issue, email makeendsmeet@wkmg.com or text the words make ends meet along with the issue to 407-676-7428. | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/investigators/2023/07/31/49m-kia-and-hyundai-vehicles-still-missing-anti-theft-upgrades/ | 2023-07-31T11:15:09 | 1 | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/investigators/2023/07/31/49m-kia-and-hyundai-vehicles-still-missing-anti-theft-upgrades/ |
As the world moves on from what may have been the hottest month in recorded history, the state’s junior senator is calling on his colleagues to help the communities most affected by the brutal summer heat.
U.S. Sen. Ed Markey says he has reintroduced his Preventing Health Emergencies And Temperature-related (HEAT) Illness and Deaths Act following “earth’s hottest day on record and the predicted hottest day in the past 125,000 years.”
“It’s no coincidence that we’ve seen back-to-back record-breaking heat this summer—it’s the climate crisis announcing it’s at our doorstep. We need to take bold and aggressive action to combat the climate crisis, but we also need to act fast to protect Americans from the health risks of extreme heat that we are experiencing right now,” Markey said in a statement.
According to the Malden native, on average 700 Americans die as a result of extreme heat and more than 67,000 wind up in an emergency room due to a heat-related injury each year. Markey says his bill would provide $100 million in financial assistance for community-based projects aimed at mitigating the impact of extreme heat exposure on residents.
“As unprecedented waves of sweltering heat persist, I will keep calling on my colleagues in Congress to pass the Preventing HEAT Illness and Deaths Act and create a national response to save lives,” Markey said.
The legislation would also create a “National Integrated Heat Health Information System Interagency Committee” to ease interagency response to heat emergencies, commission a study on how the federal government has responded to heat injuries so far, and expand some climate programs created under the Obama Administration.
In a report published last week, the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service and the World Meteorological Organization declared that, despite there being several more days left in the month, July would be the hottest month ever recorded.
In response to the report, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called on the world’s richest countries to do more to stop the emission of greenhouse gasses, levels of which continue to rise despite pledges by the globe’s industrial leaders to reduce their production.
“Climate change is here. It is terrifying. And it is just the beginning,” Guterres said. “The era of global warming has ended; the era of global boiling has arrived.”
Herald wire services contributed to this report. | https://www.bostonherald.com/2023/07/31/after-hottest-july-ever-ed-markey-urges-passage-of-heat-illness-and-death-act/ | 2023-07-31T11:15:14 | 0 | https://www.bostonherald.com/2023/07/31/after-hottest-july-ever-ed-markey-urges-passage-of-heat-illness-and-death-act/ |
Want to join the fight against litter? Here's how to get started and snag free supplies
Litter is ugly. It clogs stormwater drains, damages ecosystems and makes an area generally unappealing, but there’s a way for Indy residents to help eliminate those problems.
Keep Indianapolis Beautiful, a non-profit affiliate of environmental stewards Keep America Beautiful, offers a host of programs and opportunities for people to get involved and help clean up the city.
The organizations mission is to help Indy residents and nature thrive. Here are just a few ways KIB helps you tackle the litter problems.
How to get free litter picking supplies
Picking up litter is a bit easier with the right supplies. KIB, through its Adopt-A-Block program, offers block captains with cleanup kits that include items such as brooms, shovels, bags, gloves, dust pans, buckets and litter grabbers.
KIB has more than 800 captains throughout the city now who volunteer to walk up and down a certain street or block and pick up litter.
Summer Keown, KIB’s director of clean neighborhoods, said this is not an intensive commitment and can be done every other week or so, just to make sure the litter is picked up and discarded properly.
Once a new captain is accepted, they just need to head to KIB’s office at 1022 Fletcher Ave. for the free supplies.
How to become an Adopt-A-Block captain
Signing up to become an Adopt-A-Block captain is simple. Anyone interested can fill out an online form found at kibi.org/adopt-block.
The application is short and easy to fill out.
Potential captains can look at KIB’s website for a map of where the current captains are located and pick a place where one does not exist.
The Adopt-A-Block program covers all of Marion County that is not self-governed, like the City of Lawrence. There are exceptions that allow businesses or organizations in those areas to sign up, though.
What other benefits does KIB offer?
Not only with Adopt-A-Block captains be able to get those free supplies, KIB offers a few perks to the program.
The organization will distribute native plants and trees to captains each fall. They offer several different species of trees and a flat of native plants that captains can give to neighbors or use themselves, Keown said.
KIB offers training sessions and social events that help captains meet each other and open the possibility to coordinate together.
There are also Adopt-A-Block awards available for captains.
How to apply for little big grants
The awards, dubbed Little BIG (Block Improvement Grant) Awards, are up to $500 and offered to three or more Adopt-A-Block captains coordinating together.
The grants can be used for a variety of projects including hiring a street sweeper, organizing a larger cleanup of the area and even putting together a block party to bring the community together.
Grant applications are accepted between March and October, and the forms can be found at kibi.org.
Karl Schneider is an IndyStar environment reporter. You can reach him at karl.schneider@indystar.com. Follow him on Twitter @karlstartswithk
IndyStar's environmental reporting project is made possible through the generous support of the nonprofit Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust. | https://www.indystar.com/story/news/2023/07/31/keep-indianapolis-beautiful-offers-free-supplies-to-pick-up-litter/70485389007/ | 2023-07-31T11:15:15 | 0 | https://www.indystar.com/story/news/2023/07/31/keep-indianapolis-beautiful-offers-free-supplies-to-pick-up-litter/70485389007/ |
NICOSIA – A Cyprus court on Monday sentenced a British man who killed his ailing wife in their retirement home to two years in prison, rejecting a defense request to hand down a suspended sentence after convicting him earlier of manslaughter.
State prosecutor Andreas Hadjikyrou said the three-judge bench imposed the prison term as a “deterrent,” although the judges had earlier ruled that David Hunter’s decision to suffocate his wife Janice in December 2021 was made on the spur of the moment because he could no longer stand seeing her weeping in pain.
Hadjikyrou told The Associated Press the court took into account that Hunter, 76, acted “out of love” to save his wife, who was suffering from a blood ailment when he closed her mouth and nose with his hands as she sat in a recliner in their Paphos home.
It also took into consideration Hunter’s advanced age and that he had no previous criminal record.
Justice Abroad, a group that defends Britons facing legal troubles in foreign countries, said in a statement that Hunter could be released by Aug. 18 after already having spent more than 18 months in custody.
“This has been a tragic case and difficult for all of those involved with it, but today’s decision was the right one and allows David and his family to grieve together,” said Michael Polak from Justice Abroad.
Hunter had faced a charge of premeditated murder, but the court found in its July 21 ruling that the prosecution didn’t prove beyond a reasonable doubt that there was premeditation in his actions.
The court had accepted witness testimony that Janice feared her blood ailment would develop into full-blown leukemia and had repeatedly pleaded with her husband to take her life because she didn’t want to share the fate of her sister, who died of the disease.
Hunter attempted to take his own life by consuming a large amount of pills after suffocating his wife, but medical staff saved his life.
The court cited expert testimony that Janice Hunter suffered from myelodysplastic syndrome, a type of blood cancer which “to a large degree” — as much as 45% — could turn into leukemia, although there was no proof that she had indeed developed the disease because no definitive tests were conducted.
But the court said both husband and wife believed that Janice would develop it because of her sister’s fate.
David Hunter’s earlier assurances to Janice that he would help her fulfill her wish to end her life and not suffer anymore didn’t indicate any premeditation, the court said.
Hadjikyrou said defense lawyers had rejected a plea deal in December 2022 for the defendant to plead guilty to manslaughter because they insisted the facts of the case include an agreement Hunter and his wife allegedly made for him to take her life.
The state prosecutor said the court didn’t accept that such an agreement had indeed been made. He said the Cyprus attorney-general has 10 days to decide whether to appeal the sentence. | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/world/2023/07/31/cyprus-court-hands-british-man-a-2-year-prison-term-for-killing-his-ailing-wife-to-spare-her-pain/ | 2023-07-31T11:15:15 | 1 | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/world/2023/07/31/cyprus-court-hands-british-man-a-2-year-prison-term-for-killing-his-ailing-wife-to-spare-her-pain/ |
What did the president know, and when did he know it?
That is the famous question posed by Tennessee GOP Sen. Howard Baker that led to the downfall of fellow Republican President Richard Nixon 50 years ago over Nixon’s coverup of the Watergate break in.
Less than a month after Baker posed his dramatic question to John Dean, Nixon’s fired White House counsel, at a committee hearing probing the break in of the Democrat Party headquarters, then all hell broke out. Dean revealed all and Nixon was toast.
Facing impeachment by the House and conviction by the Senate on conspiracy and corruption charges, Nixon resigned. But the question lingers.
It now is a question that House Republicans, led by Speaker Kevin McCarthy, would like to ask Hunter Biden, President Joe Biden’s reckless son — the country’s oldest juvenile delinquent — before an impeachment inquiry hearing.
McCarthy raised the impeachment issue amid mounting House committee testimony that appears to tie Joe Biden directly to Hunter Biden’s brazen influence peddling deals with politicians in Ukraine, China, Russia, Romania and elsewhere.
Joe Biden, despite evidence to the contrary, has repeatedly stated that he had no knowledge of Hunter’s business dealings, nor has he ever talked to him about his business.
While Biden has stuck to that story, the White House last week added a slight change, while insisting it was not. It came when White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Joe Biden was never “in” business with Hunter Biden.
Nobody has accused Joe Biden of being “in” business with Hunter Biden, only that he benefited from his business dealings. Besides, Hunter Biden has no businesses outside of the business of using Joe Biden’s name and political position to shake down foreign countries.
But you can’t blame the press secretary. It appears that she does not even talk to the president but is simply instructed what to say as stupid and nonsensical her remarks at times seem.
Should Hunter Biden be dragged before an inquiry committee, the questions asked under oath would go something like this: “Mr. Biden, did you ever discuss your business dealings with your father? What did the president know and when did he know it?”
Or: “Who is the ‘Big Guy’ who was in for a 10% cut of the money you were bringing in from China?”
Should Hunter Biden reveal all, Biden would be toast, too.
The alternative would be for Hunter to take the fall for the Big Guy. But that is unlikely to happen.
Hunter Biden did not have the character or the decency to recognize Navy Joan Roberts, the 4-year-old daughter he had with Washington dancer Lunden Roberts, let alone the nerve to take the fall for his father.
Joe Biden finally granted her recognition as his granddaughter on Friday. Still, Navy Joan Roberts, cannot even use the Biden name which, at this point, could be a blessing.
So, they could go down together, especially after the testimony of Devon Archer, Hunter Biden’s former business partner, ties the Bidens together in their alleged foreign influence shakedown scheme. Archer is expected to testify before Congress today.
The collapse of Hunter Biden’s sweetheart plea deal agreement on tax and drug charges before U.S. District Court Judge Maryellen Noreika last week could be an indication of things to come for the Bidens.
The deal — or fix — that would have had Biden walk away from two tax felonies, knocked down to misdemeanors, and an illegal gun charge — also would have granted Biden insulation from other matters still under investigation, like Biden’s alleged violations of the strict Foreign Agents Registration Act.
Average Americans without political pull are routinely sent to prison on lesser charges.
Hunter Biden, meanwhile, is whisked to and from court in a convoy of sleek black SUVs accompanied by a team of Secret Service agents.
But the judge refused to go along with the fix — at least for now.
Maybe for the Bidens the buck, or the fix, stops here.
What did the president know, and when did he know it?
Peter Lucas is a veteran Massachusetts political reporter and columnist. | https://www.bostonherald.com/2023/07/31/lucas-what-did-biden-know-about-hunter-and-when-did-he-know-it/ | 2023-07-31T11:15:17 | 1 | https://www.bostonherald.com/2023/07/31/lucas-what-did-biden-know-about-hunter-and-when-did-he-know-it/ |
A proposal by Foxborough’s state senator that aims to help middle income families faced with the “nightmare” of trying to buy a home in the Bay State by subsidizing the production of so-called starter homes is one step closer to becoming law.
As heard by the Joint Committee on Housing last week, an “Act establishing the missing-middle starter home development and home ownership program” would create a new state managed program and “Starter Home Development Fund” to provide subsidies to housing developers building homes for families with incomes between 80% and 120% of the area median.
“For many working-class Massachusetts residents, the idea of buying a home on middle-income wages and achieving the American dream has turned into a nightmare,” state Sen. Paul Feeney said in a statement. “Even finding a home in today’s market that isn’t oversized and overpriced, especially for first time buyers has become nearly impossible.”
According to Feeney, it could take more than a decade for a family with “modest” expenses to save up the 20% down payment required to purchase an average priced Massachusetts home. Feeney says the state must take “bold and deliberate steps” to increase the supply of affordable houses in order to “make homeownership a reality for our ever-shrinking and missing-middle class.”
Feeney’s bill would allow a subsidy of up to 35% of construction costs for a starter home, defined by state law as a house that’s less than 1,850 square feet, and allow a developer to use remaining funds to lower the sale price for a buyer after constructing a starter home. The law would require the subsidy to stay with the home for 99 years to lower the cost for future buyers.
“We are at a critical time in the Commonwealth’s housing crisis, and we must act swiftly to address this gap in middle-class housing as young people and families contemplate their futures in Massachusetts. Buying a home should not be a luxury reserved for the wealthy, and I am eager to continue advocating for the needs of the ‘missing middle’ this legislative session,” Feeney said.
The bill would need to be taken up by the full Senate and approved by the House before it could be sent to Gov. Maura Healey for her signature.
Massachusetts is short of about 100,000 homes, according to a report by nonprofit Up for Growth from 2022. Boston alone accounted for more than 70,000 of those missing residences.
The state’s deficit of housing units needed to support the population rose by nearly 100% between 2012 and 2019, detailed in the organization’s 2022 Housing Underproduction in the United States report. That report showed that Massachusetts is 11th among states in terms of housing underproduction. | https://www.bostonherald.com/2023/07/31/massachusetts-legislation-to-boost-starter-home-stock-would-subsidize-construction/ | 2023-07-31T11:15:19 | 1 | https://www.bostonherald.com/2023/07/31/massachusetts-legislation-to-boost-starter-home-stock-would-subsidize-construction/ |
'I wish them well': Fishers, Noblesville gamble on arenas in crowded local concert market
Fishers and Noblesville recently scored big by landing minor league sports franchises but experts warn the most difficult work is yet to come.
If the city-owned venues are to be money-makers rather than boondoggles, the events they book when the teams aren’t playing hold the key, experts said.
“The minor league teams account for a small percentage of usage and historically, they are hard to be self-sustainable unless they are isolated from large markets,” said Walter Franco, principal at Victus Advisors, a Utah-based strategic planner for sports and entertainment venues.
The cities are well aware of the importance of filling the rest of the calendar. Fishers plans to attract concerts and other events on 125 dates the Indy Fuel hockey team is not playing, and Noblesville is shooting for 300 dates when the Mad Ants basketball squad is idle.
'Last one in loses'
But some experts expressed doubt that the cities could find enough top acts to draw crowds large enough to keep the arenas in the black. One hurdle is that Central Indiana already has several stadiums, amphitheaters, concerts halls and arenas.
“What worries me is there is a race in the northern suburbs where the last one in loses,” said Mark Rosentraub, director of the Center for Sports Venues & Real Estate Development at the University of Michigan. “We may be getting to a tipping point, you cannot keep increasing supply.”
He said an economic feasibility study would have been helpful, but Fishers and Noblesville said they didn’t conduct one.
Instead, the suburbs will rely on venue management firms to operate the arenas and book the entertainment.
Franco said even in the best of circumstances, many mid-sized arenas struggle.
“A break-even scenario is now most often the best case for new arenas,” he said. ”More often the norm is continued subsidies by the municipality.”
Competition in the regional market
Fishers will build its $170 million arena near 116th Street and I-69 in an expanded Fishers District food and retail development. The 7,200-seat center will host 36 Indy Fuel home games each year. Noblesville inked terms with the Indiana Pacers to bring the Fort Wayne Mad Ants G-League basketball team to a 3,500-seat, $40 million arena along its Innovation Mile on 141st Street near Olio Road.
Both cities are borrowing millions of dollars to build the stadiums, to be paid off over a couple of decades. In addition, Fishers imposed a city-wide 1% food and beverage tax to pay down the debt.
The cities will recoup the construction costs through rent payments by the teams, parking and concession revenue, a ticket surcharge, naming rights sale and corporate suite payments.
But the collections outside of the Fuel and Mad Ants games could vary based on the acts they sign, which will largely be dictated by the competition from other venues, even those close to home.
Noblesville has the 23,000-seat Ruoff Music Center; Fishers books bands at the Nickel Plate Amphitheater; and nearby Carmel boasts the Center of the Performing Arts.
In Indianapolis, the Gainbridge Fieldhouse, the TCU Amphitheater at White River State Park and Farmers Coliseum at the Indiana State Fairgrounds draw many top acts.
Roger Noll, a Stanford University professor emeritus in economics, said in most mid-sized markets like Indianapolis, a professional sports stadium and college arenas are usually enough to meet the demand for big-draw entertainment.
“The problem is that in a city the size of Indianapolis that is not a major tourist center demand is not sufficient to support several such facilities,” said Noll, who specializes in the economy of sports. “If a private entity is unwilling to build such a venue without a big subsidy, that is a good signal that a publicly-financed additional arena will be a loser financially.”
Noblesville Mayor Chris Jensen said the suburb’s arena is intended to be a community amenity more than a profit-driven big-name entertainment venture.
“It’s an event center for the residents, the community,” he said. Most of the economic benefit won't be from ticket sales but from other spending by people who attend the events, Jensen said. Trade shows, conferences and high school events will fill a huge chunk of the open dates, he said.
Rather than conduct a feasibility study, the city relied on the Hamilton County tourism office to assess the “ancillary” benefits, he said. The city already has a working relationship with Live Nation, thanks to Ruoff, and feels confident it can book entertainment that fills the arena.
Variety of entertainment, uses, planned
In Fishers, Leonard Bonacci, regional director of stadiums for ASM Global, which the city hired as its arena manager, said blockbuster concerts are just a fraction of the acts the firm and city will seek.
“There is no shortage of content out there,” he said. Only five to 10 events a year will be concerts: the rest will be divided into family entrainment, sports and community events, he said.
“The nice part about this (arena size) is it fits in nicely,” with others in the area, Bonacci said. “We want it to be a venue for all people so we will build a portfolio of event types.”
Other bookings could include ice capades, pro wrestling, Cirque du Soleil, graduations, high basketball and corporate gatherings, as well as keynote speakers affiliated with conventions in Indianapolis.
ASM operates more than 350 entertainment, sports and exhibition facilities around the world and has “a strong booking background,” with connections to major promoters like Live Nation, he said.
Some of the possible musical acts for an arena the size of the Fishers' could be John Mellencamp, Goo Goo Dolls, Chicago, Styx, Alabama and Brad Paisley. Plus he said, “comedy is crushing.” Comedian Jim Gaffigan, he said, could expect to draw 2,000 to 4,000. Chris Rock draws up to 10,000.
Room for all
Dan Kemer vice president of programming at the Performing Arts Center, said Hamilton County can support the additional venues, partly because it is well-positioned geographically to land quality acts.
“From my perspective, more venues make it more attractive when routing tours,” said Kremer, who served as president of Line Nation Indiana. “It is a vastly different experience at each venue. And from a routing perspective, it’s an easy stop from east to west.”
The arenas could accommodate any of the acts that play the outdoor sites, like the Fishers amphitheater and Ruoff, while also booking indoor acts in winter, he said. The much smaller and specialized theaters at the Arts Centers — The Palladium, Tarkington, and the Studio — won’t compete for the same performers.
“You’ve got have smart venue managers and promoters so they are not stepping on each other,“ Kemer said.
But Smith cautioned that the event market is volatile.
“The amount of events they can host is not going up,” Smith said. “Especially with the classic rock bands dying off.”
Lesson from Fort Wayne
Fort Wayne, the current home of the Mad Ants, approached a possible new home for the team more cautiously and eventually decided against it.
The team plays in the 13,000-seat Allen County War Memorial Coliseum but draws only about 4,500 fans a game. About six years ago, the Pacers sought a smaller arena, so the city considered building an 8,000-seat center next the Allen County Convention Center downtown.
Fort Wayne hired Victus Advisors to do an economic feasibility study. The consultants examined several other arenas — some failing — of comparable size around the country, talked to their operators and city officials, questioned music promoters, and consulted with agencies that track the entertainment market.
Victus projected the $105 million Fort Wayne arena would generate $90 million in economic activity over 10 years and the city decided against building it.
Among the findings was that it would only attract about 10 acts a year because bands would prefer to keep playing at the Coliseum.
Randy Brown, the coliseum’s former general manager, said the city wanted the study to gauge the economic costs and benefits before “committing to years of debt service” by taking out loans to pay for the stadium.
“It’s just something you want to do because of the competition and to avoid a situation where everyone loses,” said Smith, the manager for 31 years.
He said with the Mad Ants leaving the Coliseum could benefit the city because the weekend dates will open up for concerts, which would draw more spectators than the games did.
He said Noblesville “will be challenged to be profitable” because of competition. “But I wish them well.”
Call the Reporter at 317-444-6418.
Entertainment venues in Indianapolis and Hamilton County
Gainbridge Fieldhouse, 125 S Pennsylvania St., Indianapolis
Capacity: 18,000 | Opened: 1999 | Owner: City of Indianapolis, Capital Improvement Board.
Indiana Farmers Coliseum, Indiana State Fairgrounds, Indianapolis
Capacity 6,800 | Opened: 1939
TCU Amphitheater at White River State Park, 801 W. Washington St., Indianapolis
Capacity: 7,500 | Opened: 2021 | Owner: State of Indiana and Live Nation Entertainment.
Murat Theatre at Old National Centre, 502 N. New Jersey St., Indianapolis
Capacity: 2,500 | Opened: 1909 | Owner: Live Nation Entertainment
Ruoff Music Center, 12880 E 146th St, Noblesville
Capacity: 24,790 | Opened: 1989 | Owner: Live Nation Entertainment.
Nickel Plate District Amphitheater, 6 Municipal Drive, Fishers
Capacity: 6,000 | Opened: 2018 | Owner: City of Fishers
Center for the Performing Arts, 1 Carter Green, Carmel
Opened: 2011 | Owner: City of Carmel
- Palladium at CPA. Capacity, 1,600.
- Tarkington at CPA. Capacity: 500.
- Studio Theater at CPA. Capacity: 250.
Planned venues
Indy Eleven Stadium, 402 Kentucky Ave., Indianapolis
Capacity: 20,000 | Owner: Indy Eleven and Keystone Group
Indy Eleven Park event center
Capacity: 5,000 | Owner: Indy Eleven and Keystone Group
Fishers Event Center, 11100 Stockdale Drive, Fishers
Capacity, 7,500 | Owner: City of Fishers
Noblesville Event Center, 16233 Boden Road, Finch Creek Park, Noblesville
Capacity, 3,500 | Owner: City of Noblesville | https://www.indystar.com/story/news/local/hamilton-county/2023/07/31/fishers-noblesville-arenas-gamble-on-success-crowded-local-concert-market/70297743007/ | 2023-07-31T11:15:21 | 1 | https://www.indystar.com/story/news/local/hamilton-county/2023/07/31/fishers-noblesville-arenas-gamble-on-success-crowded-local-concert-market/70297743007/ |
ORLANDO, Fla. – A crash is creating major delays in the eastbound lanes of I-4 in Seminole County.
The crash happened near State Road 434.
Eastbound lanes were originally shut down, but reopened around 6:50 a.m.
Traffic is backed up for miles, so drivers should expect delays in their morning commute.
Details about the crash have not been released.
This is a developing story and will be updated with more information as we receive it.
** TRAFFIC ALERT **
— “Trooper Steve” Montiero (@TrooperSteve_) July 31, 2023
EB I-4 x SR-434 - SHUTDOWN
- eastbound travel lanes closed
- express lanes open
ALT: Drivers exit at SR-434 #Seminole #Monday pic.twitter.com/XVgCSLQHLx
Get today’s headlines in minutes with Your Florida Daily: | https://www.clickorlando.com/traffic/2023/07/31/crash-creates-major-delays-on-i-4-in-seminole-county/ | 2023-07-31T11:15:22 | 0 | https://www.clickorlando.com/traffic/2023/07/31/crash-creates-major-delays-on-i-4-in-seminole-county/ |
H.A. Waterman building, now housing The Auto Center, has storied history in Five Points
The 317 Project tells stories of life in all of Indianapolis’ vibrant neighborhoods – 317 words at a time. Have a tip for a story in one of Indianapolis’ neighborhoods? Let us know at 317project@indystar.com.
Entering The Auto Center in the Five Points neighborhood, your eyes may be drawn to a colorful rooster greeting you on your way in the door. Although fun to look at, the bird is not the only thing unique about this business.
A shop for auto repairs for vehicles of all makes and models, The Auto Center resides in a storied establishment.
Since 1883, the H.A. Waterman building has been a staple of the area, acting as a blacksmith’s shop, a weigh station for farmers and a service shop for cars and farm equipment, among other things, all at different times in its history. Although it has housed various stores and underwent changes over time, its doors have always been open.
Today, the building at the intersection of Southeastern Avenue, Troy Avenue and Five Points Road houses a smaller not-for-profit shop and Greg Hearl’s auto repair service.
“The building was here before the roads,” Hearl said.
Hearl has lived in the area for 14 years and can attest to the importance of this building.
“The community loves this building,” Hearl said. “It’s a landmark.”
Near Hearl’s desk, signs denoting car-related jokes and auto repair memorabilia sit on the top of a shelf. Hearl said many of the signs were gifts from customers, one being a framed car made completely out of watch parts.
He said locals stop by for auto repairs, but occasionally, his job manifests into something more: being a tour guide.
Owned by the Waterman family for decades, the building holds mementos that are a testament to the past. In the upper west end of the building, for example, an over 100-year-old message written on the wall still exists detailing a stormy night in Central Indiana.
On the exterior painted in bold, white letters, the H.A. Waterman Co. name is still pronounced on the building, a tribute Hearl left when he took over. | https://www.indystar.com/story/news/local/indianapolis/2023/07/31/this-auto-repair-shop-makes-it-home-in-storied-h-a-waterman-building/70463859007/ | 2023-07-31T11:15:27 | 1 | https://www.indystar.com/story/news/local/indianapolis/2023/07/31/this-auto-repair-shop-makes-it-home-in-storied-h-a-waterman-building/70463859007/ |
ORLANDO, Fla. – Since joining the Getting Results team, there are two things people say to me most. First, ‘Wow, you are a lot shorter than I thought.’ Usually my responses to this are, ‘Yes, I know, I talk about it all the time. How are you?’ Then, of course, it’s the most important one because this has truly shown the friendship that has developed on TV. The second most common question I get is, ‘How is Troy Bridges?’
You see there could not be more of an opposite duo on TV with you every single morning, and it simply works. Troy and I come from two completely different backgrounds, but what I learned over the years is our love for accurate information and people are our driving forces that allow us to get up and do what we do.
Throughout my journey here at News 6, Troy has been there for me every single moment. From simply helping me understand and navigate the world of local news to simply just being a friend when I needed one when I had cancer. There is no doubt that what Troy and I bring to you every single morning is intentional and if you are ever questioning whether what you see is real, I can guarantee you the only way Troy and I can do what we do is with each other.
[RELATED: 🏫Go back to school in style! Here’s your chance to ride along with Trooper Steve]
So, it’s only fitting that Troy be my first candid interview in Results-1. You simply never know where the conversation will go between the two of us. So we together decided let’s make this official and have Troy be the first passenger in the truck. You join us every single day whether it’s for information or a little soft break from life.
Join us today at 10 a.m. for a little brotherly love.
Get today’s headlines in minutes with Your Florida Daily: | https://www.clickorlando.com/traffic/2023/07/31/ride-along-troy-bridges-joins-trooper-steve-on-patrol/ | 2023-07-31T11:15:28 | 1 | https://www.clickorlando.com/traffic/2023/07/31/ride-along-troy-bridges-joins-trooper-steve-on-patrol/ |
An army master sergeant, a pilot, an ER doc. The women in this cycling group are insane
CARMEL – After the workday has finished and evening begins to fall, U.S. Army Master Sergeant Michelle Smith arrives at the parking lot of Indiana Members Credit Union in Carmel.
She is there to meet dozens of cyclists. They put on their helmets, step onto their bikes and set off on rides that take them on long, glorious miles of rejuvenation. Smith and the members of her women's cycling group are here to refresh, to bond, to sweat, to put behind them the pressures of the powerful jobs they hold.
They call themselves the Divas, but that name really doesn't do justice to the women in this IU Health Momentum Indy cycling club. They aren't high-maintenance.
But they are powerful − and a bit intimidating. The Divas' roster includes business executives, attorneys, fitness gurus and neuroradiologists. There is Smith, the army master sergeant, there is a commercial pilot and there is an emergency room physician.
In its first few months, IU Health Momentum Indy Divas has quickly gained a following, with nearly 70 cyclists showing up for weekly training, going on rides that range from 14-24 miles.
Last week, the Divas gained, perhaps, their most well-known rider, albeit a temporary one. Indiana Pacers legend Reggie Miller was in town for a race, and he joined the women on a ride.
More:Reggie Miller cycled 100 miles in Indiana then talked about Pacers, coaching and being 57
"I love the Divas," said Miller, who was in Indiana to compete in the Dust Bowl 100. "My main mission, why I love cycling, is I always want to get more women, more kids and more people of color on bikes."
When Miller learned about the Divas, "I was like, 'Say no more.'"
When he arrived in Indy last week, he rode with the women on a modest course, but the "joy on their faces after they completed it said it all," Miller said.
The Divas group is, after all, about empowering women to take time for themselves, to push themselves and to find joy outside their demanding careers.
"I’m in a male-dominated field all day long," said Smith, 44. "At my level of the Army, only 2% of us are female, so it’s refreshing to be with and cycle with women of the same strength and caliber."
Strong women coming together. Meet three of them.
The Army Master Sergeant
Smith was born in Roanoke, Virginia, and raised in Denver. She calls herself a "mountain kid," and is pretty sure that's why she loves the woods and cycling.
When she was 12, Smith moved from Denver back to Roanoke to live with her grandmother, a strong woman who always encouraged Smith to consider military service. Smith has four uncles and an aunt who retired from the Army as high-ranking sergeants.
As high school ended, and when there wasn't enough money for Smith to attend college, she decided to try the military.
"I'm kind of 'round head, round hole,' it suits me," said Smith, who is stationed at Fort Ben in Indianapolis. "I had no intentions of staying this long."
Nearly 25 years later, Smith has risen to master sergeant, just one level below the highest ranking of sergeant major. But it hasn't always been an easy road.
"There are moments where it's tough. I've had to assert myself and stand my ground with a lot of men," Smith said. "You've got to learn to navigate that coming up. You really just don't get to see a lot of yourself."
But Smith has been blessed with high-ranking female Army mentors who help dust her off when she faces trials.
Smith is grateful for so much the Army has given her, including being the catalyst that led her to cycling. Smith's favorite sport has always been running, starring in high school track. But her running and road marches eventually got to her knees.
Smith had her first surgery in 2015. The ortho surgeon looked at her and said: "You need to hang up your running shoes and take up cycling."
She loved it. She began to join cycling groups, but they were mostly male groups. When she moved to her post in Indianapolis, Smith learned about the Divas.
"Female empowerment and fitness, that's like the coolest thing I've ever seen," said Smith, mother of Jordan and Aidan and married to Matthew, who retired from the Army three years ago. "Women hanging out, breaking bread, strong athletic empowering women? It's refreshing.
"I'm dominated by male strength all the time and that's great. I don't mind it. But I love all these super brilliant women." Including her cycling cohort Melissa Culp.
The Commerical Airline Pilot
Culp is a captain at Endeavor Air, part of the Delta family, and flies a CRJ 900 (79 passengers). Growing up in Indianapolis, she never dreamed she would fly as a career.
Raised on the east side of the city, Culp went to Tech High and was set on becoming a veterinarian. She worked at an emergency vet clinic for 10 years, including throughout college.
But as Culp began her pre-vet classes, she struggled a bit, especially with chemistry and biology, barely pulling a C average. Her college counselors encouraged Culp to find a new career path.
When she was 21, going to Hawaii for her honeymoon, Culp flew for the first time. Her family didn't have the money to fly when they traveled. Anywhere they went was within driving distance.
Culp, 49, will never forget that feeling as the plane soared into the air. "It was like nothing you've ever felt before," Culp said. She absolutely loved it.
When she got back from her honeymoon, Culp enrolled in a discovery flight course in Greenwood, where she took the controls of the plane with flight instructors by her side.
"I was instantly hooked, just the freedom of being up in the sky away from the rest of the world," she said. "It was like a stress relief."
Culp switched her major from pre-vet to aviation, attending Vincennes University, which had an apprentice pilot program at Indianapolis International Airport. After earning that degree, Culp learned that if she wanted to be an airline pilot, she needed a bachelor's degree.
She went to Indiana State to get her commercial rating. Through the years, she has worked as a flight instructor, an independent pilot for corporate planes, flying planes for skydivers and piloting commercial airlines. She doesn't see a lot of women in her position as a captain.
"It's absolutely more men," she said. "Out of all the pilots in the U.S., 18% are women."
Culp, who is married to Thomas and has one daughter, has always had to be strong mentally. But she also always wanted to be strong and healthy physically. She began cycling and competing in triathlons.
When IndyStar talked to Culp on a Monday morning at her hotel in Allentown, Pa., she was doing a cooldown on the treadmill after having finished a triathlon Saturday and flown five legs through midnight Sunday.
"You want to preserve your fitness, you want to stay young," she said. "My job is so hard on my body because I sit so much. It's a constant battle being sedentary."
So, when Culp is in Indy, she always tries to ride with the Divas. She loves the camaraderie and passion of her cohorts. "It's just a bunch of women getting out there and working," she said.
Taking a collective exhale from their demanding jobs.
The emergency room doctor
Physicians are under a lot of stress, especially emergency room doctors. "We have the responsibility of having somebody else’s life in our hands," said Shira Yahalom, an ER physician at Eskenazi Health.
When Yahalom started cycling, it was as much for her mental health as her physical health.
"I could clear my mind," said Yahalom, 48. "It gives you an opportunity to be with yourself, inside your head, think and to process. You can just be out there quiet, thinking and healing inside."
Yahalom believes in fitness so deeply that she always reminds her patients to keep their bodies moving after they leave the ER. She often asks what they like to do for exercise. For those who say they don't exercise, Yahalom offers to start walking with them, to keep them motivated.
"I don't think the doctor-patient relationship needs necessarily to end in the emergency room," she said.
Yahalom wants to always be there for her patients. That is, after all, exactly what she learned from her parents.
Yahalom was born in Israel to parents who were both physicians. Her father, Joachim, is a radiation oncologist, and her mother, Rina, a primary care doctor with a family practice.
Growing up, Yahalom said she remembers the amazing care her parents gave to their patients. Her mom, during off hours, would take care of people inside her home. Her dad would take calls from patients at all hours.
Seeing their passion and how they helped so many people, it was hard to imagine Yahalom would do anything else.
As a teen, she worked for the Israel EMS and loved it. But when she graduated high school and began her military duties, Yahalom was still trying to figure out her college major.
One day, on leave from the military, Yahalom was riding in the car with her mom when the vehicle in front of them crashed and rolled over. The two pulled over, ran to the car and began first aid on the victims. Yahalom stayed at the scene as her mom rushed to her practice just minutes away to get medical supplies.
By the time the ambulance arrived Yahalom and Rina had stabilized the victims.
"That was the day," Yahalom said. "I knew what I wanted to do."
After getting her medical degree, she moved to New York for her residency then came to Indiana, working at various hospitals, before landing her dream job. Yahalom recently took a position at Eskenazi Hospital, a public health system.
Yahalom said that's where she feels the most needed and where she can make the biggest difference. "It's a job with more heart," she said.
But it is an extremely stressful job. Yahalom decided to take up cycling again, with no desire to become a member of a group. She was content cycling solo, being in her own mind. But a friend told her that group rides were fun.
Yahalom, a divorced mother of two, tried one. It was mostly men, high-level riders, and she hated it. "It wasn't what I needed. I couldn't keep up with them. I couldn't enjoy it," she said.
Months went by and then Yahalom heard about the Divas. "I was hesitant, but I said, 'You know what? I'm going to give it a try.'"
It was amazing. Yahalom likes that the cyclists are at every level and that the rides are adjusted for each group's abilities.
"Nobody puts me down. Nobody cares how fast you are," she said. "It's all positive mentality. Just women being there for one another."
More info: Divas | IU Health Momentum Indy
Follow IndyStar sports reporter Dana Benbow on Twitter: @DanaBenbow. Reach her via email: dbenbow@indystar.com. | https://www.indystar.com/story/sports/2023/07/31/er-doc-pilot-army-sergeant-women-in-this-cycling-group-are-insane/70355430007/ | 2023-07-31T11:15:33 | 0 | https://www.indystar.com/story/sports/2023/07/31/er-doc-pilot-army-sergeant-women-in-this-cycling-group-are-insane/70355430007/ |
ORLANDO, Fla. – We are pinpointing an Inconvenient Weather Day across Central Florida.
Expect strong storms to begin around 2 p.m. and linger into the evening hours.
Some storms could be severe.
The main threat will be strong winds up to 60 mph as well as lightning and localized flooding.
The coverage of rain is up to 60% for today, Tuesday and Wednesday.
Expect a high temperature of 95 in Orlando with the feels-like temperatures up to 105 before the heaviest rain comes.
Today’s rain is based on the east and west coast sea breezes coming together to fire up some strong to severe storms.
We will continue with the sea breeze storms each day this week.
Pinpointing the tropics:
We are watching two systems that will not impact the U.S. For now, they are “fish storms!”
Central Tropical Atlantic:
Shower and thunderstorm activity continues in association with an area of low pressure located about 750 miles east-northeast of the northern Leeward Islands.
Environmental conditions are forecast to be marginally favorable for development over the next few days, and a tropical depression is likely to form during the next day or so.
The system is expected to move northwestward at about 15 mph today, and then turn northward over the central subtropical Atlantic by late tonight or Tuesday.
Formation chance through 48 hours is high at 70%. Formation chance through 7 days is high at 80%.
Off the U.S. Mid-Atlantic Coast:
Shower and thunderstorm activity has recently shown little change in organization in association with an area of low pressure located offshore of the U.S. Mid-Atlantic coast.
Environmental conditions appear generally favorable for some development, and a short-lived tropical cyclone could develop before the system merges with a frontal boundary within the next day or so.
Regardless of whether the system becomes tropical or not, gale-force winds are expected starting later today.
Formation chance through 48 hours is low at 30%. Formation chance through 7 days is low at 30%.
Get today’s headlines in minutes with Your Florida Daily: | https://www.clickorlando.com/weather/2023/07/31/sea-breeze-storms-to-fire-up-in-central-florida/ | 2023-07-31T11:15:34 | 0 | https://www.clickorlando.com/weather/2023/07/31/sea-breeze-storms-to-fire-up-in-central-florida/ |
IU football hopes new faces on field and sidelines can revive feeble offense
INDIANAPOLIS — It's no secret Indiana football's offense has been a wreck the past two seasons. And that lack of offensive production has helped derail the Hoosiers from the highs of 2020 to a 6-18 combined record over the past two years.
Tom Allen fired offensive coordinator Nick Sheridan after the 2021 season and brought in Walt Bell. The offense improved — 17.2 points per game to 23.2 — but it still wasn’t enough to compete in the rugged Big Ten.
Allen then fired offensive line coach and run-game coordinator Darren Hiller in October and hired Bob Bostad to replace him. Also new to the offensive staff is wide receivers coach and co-offensive coordinator Anthony Tucker, who worked with Bell at previous stops.
Bye bye, Big Ten East:Tom Allen excited about league's future 'equitable schedules'
How IU managed to keep its best player:'The tampering piece is going on and it's bad'
Bostad is tasked with rebuilding one of the Big Ten’s inferior offensive lines. In 2022, IU was second-worst in the conference in rushing yards per game (110.8) and third-worst in yards per carry (3.4). IU allowed 38 sacks last year, which was tied for the second-most in the Big Ten.
With uncertainty of who IU's starting quarterback will be when it faces Ohio State on Sept. 2, Allen wants to emphasize the running game.
“I think it's huge, and I think that takes some stress off (the quarterback) position without question,” Allen said at Big Ten media days Thursday. “It affects our defense, it affects our whole team. So I know that's a huge priority, and that’s what we’re putting a lot of emphasis on, and coach Bostad’s gonna be a big part of that.”
Although the Hoosiers were a pass-first offense in 2022, they weren’t great at throwing the ball, either. IU ranked last in the Big Ten with 5.4 yards per attempt, and its 105.0 passer efficiency was the conference’s second-worst.
Bostad’s job will be made easier by the return of Matthew Bedford. Bedford — who is entering his fifth season as a starter in Bloomington — tore his ACL in IU’s 2022 season opener. The Cordova, Tenn., native has played both tackle and guard positions on the offensive line in his college career.
“Losing (Bedford) Week 1 was a big blow to us,” Allen said. “He was our best offensive lineman. He's back now 100% which is exciting.”
Dynamic-but-diminutive sophomore Jaylin Lucas and fifth-year senior Josh Henderson are expected to lead the backfield, alongside Wake Forest transfer Christian Turner.
Lucas excited fans as a freshman speed back last season. The Houma, La. native returned two kicks for touchdowns, which earned him a spot on the All-Big Ten first team as a return specialist. Lucas averaged 5.5 yards per carry and scored a 71-yard touchdown in IU’s season finale against Purdue.
“Bob Bostad changed the running game tremendously. As soon as I look up, it’s a hole,” Lucas said. “It makes it easier for me to actually get through defenders.”
Lucas added IU has implemented several multi-running back looks, which the team showed in its public spring practice in April. Lucas expects to play both in the backfield and as a slot receiver in 2023.
“He’s a running back first, but at the same time, we've got a very versatile guy that can do multiple things,” Allen said. “So it's about getting your best playmakers the football, and he's that guy.”
Who "that guy" at quarterback is remains a mystery.
Tennessee transfer Tayven Jackson is battling Brendan Sorsby to start Week 1. Both players are redshirt freshmen who saw limited action in 2022. Jackson appeared in three games for the Volunteers and only attempted four passes. Sorsby played in one game for IU, when he had a pass intercepted against Penn State.
“We want to do a good job of having a system where our guys feel comfortable and, whoever that quarterback is, that they can maximize their strengths,” Allen said. “At the end of the day, it's being able to take your roster, maximizing those guys' skill sets where they can play their best football and be very, very productive.”
Redshirt junior Dexter Williams is expected to enter the quarterback picture at some point this season. Williams has been with IU since 2020 and started the final two games last year but dislocated his right knee in the finale vs. Purdue.
Williams was originally believed to need a 12-month recovery, but Allen claimed the dual-threat QB was ahead of schedule in May. Williams won’t be ready right away, but he’s expected to be activated at some point in the fall.
IU’s offense is going through major turnover this season. There are new faces on the field and coaching staff for an offense that badly needs improvement. The Tom Allen era has been a roller coaster, and the Hoosiers need to see an offensive uptick for the ride to head on its way up again. | https://www.indystar.com/story/sports/college/indiana/2023/07/31/indiana-hoosiers-football-new-faces-hope-to-revive-offense-bob-bostad-tayven-jackson-anthony-tucker/70425053007/ | 2023-07-31T11:15:39 | 0 | https://www.indystar.com/story/sports/college/indiana/2023/07/31/indiana-hoosiers-football-new-faces-hope-to-revive-offense-bob-bostad-tayven-jackson-anthony-tucker/70425053007/ |
Coaches Confidential: What is biggest issue facing high school football in next decade?
We granted anonymity to high school football coaches in Central Indiana to answer four questions for us before the start of the 2023 season.
The first: What is the biggest issue facing high school football in the next decade?
The answers ranged from parents to NIL to officials (or lack of) to recruiting and plenty more:
“Lack of quality coaches in the middle school/freshmen level. With the 365 days of football that we are all in, we are continually scaring away coaches. It has become too much of a time commitment for many high-quality assistant coaches.”
***
“Support and buy-in from parents as the game gets fragmented from club teams, private trainers, social media, recruiting services, etc.”
***
“If NIL deals move to high school, that could be an issue.”
***
“Pressure to get recruited. I worry that players will put such pressure on themselves to get noticed that they won’t enjoy their senior season with their buddies as much as they should. It goes by so fast and we know as coaches what a special few months it can be for a group of kids.”
***
“Recruiting and transfers. The situation needs to be addressed.”
***
“Official shortages.”
***
“The transfer portal moving down into high school. Players are now moving around to find a starting position.”
***
“Personal trainers. Just give me 50 bucks an hour and I’ll tell you how good you are.”
***
“The 7-on-7 tournaments in the winter/spring. It’s not a great idea to have your 7-on-7 coach you up all offseason, then your high school coach uses different lingo and terminology in the summer and fall. It can create a disconnect for a kid and his position coach or coordinator.”
***
“Transferring.”
***
“I think the numbers of athletes participating in sports will go down. Specialization in sports is keeping kids from participating, year-round sports are keeping kids from participating, the amount of offseason training required to compete keeps kids from participating, the lack of parent involvement keeps kids from participating, the streets and bad influences keeps kids from participating.”
***
“Protection of players.”
***
“The lack of a true offseason with the rise of 7-on-7 tourneys, showcase camps and ‘expert’ private trainers. The high school football player is being pulled in every direction. This limits their ability to be multiple sport athletes and in my eyes takes away from the educational high school athletics experience.”
***
“Among a few others, the shortage of referees is a big concern. The loss of officials could be a huge problem, especially on Saturdays, which could hinder the development of the lower levels.”
***
“Lack of officials.”
***
“Parent/player buy-in to the weight room instead of playing 50-plus baseball/basketball games over the summer as well as the lack of 2-sport or 3-sport athletes at the small-school level. Way too much specialization.”
***
“High school football is very strong right now. Keeping a competitive balance and, as always, player safety will be important.”
***
“Year-round schedule and calendar for all sports. It leads to burnout of coaches and players. If you don’t participate in open periods your opponents will have a competitive advantage over you or third-party specialized training creeps in and can cause problems.”
***
“Sport specialization, officials, finding quality coaches.”
***
“I don't know that we have a single “biggest issue,” but some concerns I do have are participation numbers (kids have so many things available to them and there’s the issue of specialization that seems to be growing in some sports), keeping coaches in the game (it’s an incredibly time-consuming job for very low pay and we are also dealing with a drain on those going into education in general), and shortage of game officials (a problem in several sports). One last thing I would add that is an immediate issue is the inability of helmet manufacturers to produce and service enough helmets. I assume this is a lingering effect from Covid and it will work itself out, but we are still having some major issues with this around the state.”
***
“People are starting some travel football organizations. I hope we do not let football get poisoned by travel and AAU as the other sports have done. Make no mistake. It is poison. I also worry about the open college transfer rules and NIL entering high school.”
***
“Transferring along with the grind of coaching. In Indy, it is very easy for a student to transfer from one school to another due to open enrollment policy. It feels like sometimes we operate as a small college program due to hosting potential junior high kids and making them feel like they should decide to come here. Along with the long hours, especially if you don’t have adequate equipment and staff, there are long hours and days that can take a toll on coaches who have family. Currently, I do not have a wife and kids, but it would be a long thought to decide to sacrifice my kids’ time for the 50 or so other kids that need a consistent adult as well.”
***
“Summer baseball.”
***
“Two things: One, conferences and alignment/schools for those in growing or declining areas compared to other conference schools who are stable year to year. Two, costs of purchasing/replacing equipment in large quantities for a football team as prices have continued to increase steadily the past three years.”
***
“Travel sports and private schools participate in state tournament against public schools.”
***
“The biggest issue is parents and unrealistic expectations.”
***
“There are some parents that have become issues. Many are trying to micromanage their kids’ lives instead of letting them experience success and failure. Helicopter parents have been around for a long time. Lawnmower parents are a new phenomenon.”
***
“The 7-on-7 tournaments and leagues.”
***
“Travel sports.”
***
“Conference realignment and how schools adapt to football being its own beast scheduling wise compared to other sports.”
***
“Sports academies robbing communities.”
***
“Officiating shortage.”
***
“For the smaller schools it’s the lack of numbers.”
***
“Hoping what was messed up the NCAA doesn’t leak down to the high school level. Amateurism is the great thing we have going and it doesn’t last long. College basketball has been a mess for a long time and now football has the portal and NIL. They had no idea what they were doing and now it is a rat race with no rules or leadership. In 3-5 years, college football won’t be the same if they do not get control. Power 5 will just be semi-pro and the rest will be playing football as amateurs and that is a good thing, but a sad thing that business got in the way of these kids being kids.”
***
“Facilities infrastructure. The stadium is in poor condition.”
***
“The influence of personal training on how players think.”
***
“Single-sport specialization.”
***
“Parents are idiots. Because of idiot parents, they run young coaches and officials out of youth sports at every level.”
***
“Portal, NIL and the process of college recruiting.”
***
“The number of officials. Not looking good.”
***
“Referee shortage.”
***
“At schools like ours — participation. Outside of affluent communities or individual communities where football has always been important, participation is rapidly declining. Kids have to go to work, watch younger siblings while parents work, overcome extreme apathy toward education or just quit because the household doesn’t encourage them to try to stay with athletics or anything that is challenging or initially uncomfortable.”
***
“Travel sports. In too many cases, it is totally exploitative and/or toxic. Kids and parents continue to gravitate to these organizations for the wrong reasons — or because of their lack of education in how college recruiting for these sports actually works. There is no oversight or regulation. Kids are not playing football because they have been told by people that profit off of them that it will keep them from playing that sport in college.”
***
“Our biggest issue is developing and keeping our football players in the program. I know in the past our school has lost athletes to private schools.”
***
“Safety/concussions, referee shortage and transfer portal culture.”
***
“Enrollment fluctuation/conference realignment.”
***
“Recruiting.”
Call Star reporter Kyle Neddenriep at (317) 444-6649. | https://www.indystar.com/story/sports/high-school/2023/07/31/ihsaa-coaches-biggest-issue-facing-indiana-high-school-football-transfers-ref-shortage-7-on-7-travel/70397395007/ | 2023-07-31T11:15:45 | 1 | https://www.indystar.com/story/sports/high-school/2023/07/31/ihsaa-coaches-biggest-issue-facing-indiana-high-school-football-transfers-ref-shortage-7-on-7-travel/70397395007/ |
Michael Andretti explains long-term plans for latest NASCAR Cup team pursuit
It feels like we’ve seen this story before.
Gainbridge – or its parent company, Group 1001 – finds an opening in a major racing series with a sponsorship deal. And within a year or two, they become a major player.
Michael Andretti and his new Andretti Autosport co-owner Dan Towriss, the president and CEO of Group 1001, have long been a dynamic pairing in IndyCar. They have also been laying the groundwork for an appearance on the Formula 1 grid in 2025. If the pair has their way, it could lead to Andretti’s long-held wish of joining NASCAR Cup.
For the first time since the deal was announced in early July, Andretti explained exclusively to IndyStar how Gainbridge’s multi-year primary sponsor deal with Spire Motorsports in NASCAR Cup could help fulfill Andretti’s numerous attempts to join the series.
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Towriss sponsored Zach Veach's 2017 Indy 500 ride, then funded the young driver’s three-year program with Andretti Autosport. He shifted to backing the No. 26 Honda after Veach and Andretti parted ways. Gainbridge has also been the 500’s ‘presenting sponsor’ for some time. Andretti said setting an early groundwork with solid connections in the series is a first, all-important step.
“We’re working on relationships and things like that,” Andretti said of Ganbridge’s multi-year primary sponsorship deal with Spire. “It’s possible we want to, but right now, we don’t want to focus on that. We’re 100% focused on Formula 1, and that’s where it all has to be at this point."
Gainbridge jumped into stock cars a year ago, backing the two-car ARCA Menards series program of Rev Racing, which serves as the competition arm of NASCAR’s Drive for Diversity program. Cup regulars Daniel Suarez, Bubba Wallace and Kyle Larson have passed through its ranks. In November 2022, Gainbridge announced an increased commitment to Rev Racing as the team expanded into the NASCAR Truck series, becoming the primary sponsor of the No. 2 Chevy of Nick Sanchez. Ahead of the final round of the regular-season schedule, Sanchez − who won the 2022 ARCA title − sits 9th in the Trucks points (10 make the playoffs) as the top rookie.
July 5, Gainbridge and Spire jointly announced they had a multi-year deal that would feature frequent primary sponsorship signage for Spire’s Nos. 7 (Corey LaJoie) and 77 (Ty Dillon) Chevys in the Cup series – alternating between the pair in 16 of the final 18 races of the season. The deal also included Marco Andretti’s debut Truck series start at Mid-Ohio in Spire’s No. 7 Chevy with Group 1001 branding.
“We undertook this journey to prove ourselves in the industry, while positioning our team to work with and represent global brands," said Spire Motorsports co-owners Jeff Dickerson and T.J. Puchyr in a release. "This announcement validates that journey. We recognize the work is still just beginning, and we’re each to continue elevating our program to position Gainbridge as one of the most visible and influential brands on the starting grid.”
Andretti looking for 'turn-key' entry into NASCAR
“Andretti” wasn’t mentioned anywhere in the release, outside Marco’s Truck series appearance. But the driver’s father − the racing series owner with entries in IndyCar, IMSA, Formula E, Supercars, Extreme E and Indy NXT − confirmed that Towriss’ dual role as the team’s new co-owner, while keeping his executive roles within Group 1001, allowed the sides to pursue a variety of options for the future.
The cheaper option for control over a full-time entry in the Cup series would likely involve purchasing one of (or both) Spire’s charters – NASCAR’s version of a franchise system – that would give Andretti Autosport the right to run one or two full-time entries in each race. Owning a charter guarantees its holders entry into each race, and therefore a constant portion of race purses. Non-chartered entries can run most races, as the field size cap of 40 cars allows, but some are virtually always bumped from the Daytona 500, far-and-away the biggest race of the year.
In recent years, prices for NASCAR charters have sky-rocketed, with one of the most recent sales – 23XI’s purchase from StarCom near the end of 2021 – going for $13.5 million, according to Sports Business Journal. In recent months, rumored asking prices for charters have topped $20 million, with SBJ reporting recently that the cost for one could soon top $30 million.
And that purchase price, notably, wouldn’t include the shop space, race car parts and assets, or the manpower and institutional knowledge to run a competitive program.
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If he has his way, Andretti said, he’d like to take a different route – one in the image of the majority stake Andretti Autosport recently landed in IMSA juggernaut Wayne Taylor Racing. In that deal, WTR – now Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti Autosport – has continued its same day-to-day operations with the same folks in charge before it was announced in late December 2022. The Brownsburg-based team could move into Andretti Global’s gargantuan HQ when it opens in 2025.
In such a deal, Andretti could reap the benefits – financial, exposure and otherwise – of playing in the NASCAR space, without a massive reorganization. He could keep Spire’s personnel and monitor things from afar while taking in occasional races from the timing stand, as he does with the rest of his portfolio.
“That would be awesome,” Andretti said of the possibility of taking majority ownership of an existing NASCAR Cup team. “That deal (with WTR) was turn-key, and ‘boom.’
“Right now, that takes no time of mine. It’s an awesome deal. They’re great guys. I trust them. Look at their track record. Those are the types of deals we’re looking for. Those are the best ones. I’m not saying that’s the only way to do it, but that’d be best way to do it.”
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And yes, Andretti said, should he, Towriss and company acquire the rights to a Cup team, it would have a purpose-built space in the team’s $200 million, 575,000 square-foot facility scheduled to open in 2025.
“The drawings you’ve seen are nothing like what it’s really going to be. There’s just nothing like it in the world. I can’t wait. You guys will die when you see it,” Andretti said. “The whole building won’t be done (to start 2025), but parts will, so we can move in with IndyCar and Indy NXT. We’ve got to get those in because we sold our building, and then the rest will still be under construction, but we’ll be able to get in and do the racing side of things.” | https://www.indystar.com/story/sports/motor/2023/07/31/michael-andretti-nascar-cup-series-dreams-gainbridge-spire-deal/70489740007/ | 2023-07-31T11:16:09 | 1 | https://www.indystar.com/story/sports/motor/2023/07/31/michael-andretti-nascar-cup-series-dreams-gainbridge-spire-deal/70489740007/ |