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Beacon Ministries, led by Mike Matlock of Temple, closed out a two-day revival Sunday at Miller Park.
Seven musical groups and 12 speakers filled the program, which had the theme of “Lighting the Darkness.” Small children ran around while people ate free hamburgers at tables in the park pavilion or sat on chairs under an open tent.
“We had a move of the spirit yesterday,” Matlock said. “A lot of people were on their knees.”
Another thing that happened Saturday, he said, was that the ministry got to help a homeless family that was sleeping in their car.
“We took up a collection of $150, so they could get a motel,” he said.
Beacon Ministries is about 7 years old, he said, and has been going all over Texas with revival meetings. One thing the Lord wanted the team to do, he said, was to unite Christians.
“Jesus isn’t coming back for just the Methodists and the Catholics,” he said.
There are people in those churches who have wonderful gifts that are not being used, he said. Every person is valuable, he said, but “we can only take another person as far as we have walked ourselves.”
A lot of people are suffering, he said.
“From the time we were born, we’re just wandering and searching,” he said.
That is to fill an emptiness inside, he said.
“Many times we don’t know what it is,” he said. “We just know something is missing. That hunger causes us to search for people who will love us. And when we get hurt, there is a false self born inside of us, as a defense against pain. Our spiritual enemy whispers to us: ‘Don’t be your real self. Be a new one that everyone will like.’ So we grow up behind a mask.”
Beacon Ministries is now partnering with the Rev. Chris Cortez of Temple, pastor of New Image Outreach.
“We have the same vision,” Cortez said. “We have the vision to help those who are lost. I believe they need to hear the truth and they need to be given hope, and that’s what we try to give in our testimony.”
He had a rough childhood, he said, was a drug addict, and came to the Lord when he was 30.
“God sees me through,” he said.
Matlock said the world is in the midst of a great shift.
“This is a battle for the souls of men,” he said. “The weapons we’re going to use are not fleshly. They are spiritual weapons.
“God is looking for people who are willing to put themselves last for a greater harvest,” he said. “And that is to bring in an end-time harvest that is bigger than any we have ever seen before.
“The harvest has been ripe for a while, but there were no workers,” he said. “God is bringing in the workers to the harvest field, and all the people you see right now are people who have put themselves last to serve a greater cause.” | https://www.tdtnews.com/article_42171138-2f5c-11ee-baa6-9ba955b1cb77.html | 2023-07-31T11:40:11 | 0 | https://www.tdtnews.com/article_42171138-2f5c-11ee-baa6-9ba955b1cb77.html |
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"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.kcbx.org/npr-top-news/2023-07-31/the-power-and-heartbreak-behind-the-song-that-won-the-tiny-desk-contest | 2023-07-31T11:40:12 | 1 | https://www.kcbx.org/npr-top-news/2023-07-31/the-power-and-heartbreak-behind-the-song-that-won-the-tiny-desk-contest |
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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SOURCE Walt Disney World | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/tour-de-turtles-celebrates-sea-turtles-supernatural-science-disneys-vero-beach-resort/ | 2023-07-31T11:40:16 | 1 | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/tour-de-turtles-celebrates-sea-turtles-supernatural-science-disneys-vero-beach-resort/ |
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.cenlanow.com/national/customers-want-instant-gratification-workers-say-theyre-on-the-brink/ | 2023-07-31T11:40:17 | 1 | https://www.cenlanow.com/national/customers-want-instant-gratification-workers-say-theyre-on-the-brink/ |
Chicken salad ended the governorship of Gov. James Edward Ferguson, among other infractions.
“Farmer Jim” (1871-1944), a Temple banker and Salado native, regarded the governor’s job as a free ticket to reward his friends, punish his adversaries and — of course — enrich himself.
Ultimately, Ferguson’s excesses doomed his political aspirations, thanks in part to an order for more than eight gallons of that mayonnaise-y concoction.
The incident has gone down in history books as “the chicken salad case,” but it really represents Ferguson’s callous disregard for people and the law.
The Bell County Museum, 201 N. Main St. in Belton, features an exhibit on the Fergusons, drawing from its exclusive collection of artifacts and memorabilia donated by Ferguson descendants. Admission is free.
The museum also is sponsoring a special free lecture on Ferguson and his impeachment beginning at 6 p.m. Friday.
Speaker will be historian Nancy Beck Young, Moores Professor of History and history department chairman at the University of Houston. Young is a scholar of 20th century American politics, focusing on ideology that shaped public policy and political institutions.
History is repeating itself exactly 106 years after the Ferguson drama, when the impeachment trial of suspended Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is scheduled to begin Sept. 5, only the second such proceeding of a statewide officeholder in the state’s history.
In a historic vote last May, the Texas House of Representatives decided to impeach Paxton over allegations of illegal activities related to one of his political donors. The resolution to impeach went to the Texas Senate, tasked with conducting the trial and deciding whether to convict.
Impeaching a public official in Texas isn’t easy. Only two have been removed previously from office — Ferguson and South Texas District Judge O.P. Carrillo in 1976, charged with income tax evasion.
Charges have been filed against other public officials in the past, but they resigned before convictions. That’s why the Paxton proceedings are uncommon.
In Ferguson’s first month as governor in 1914, the Legislature passed a bill to pay for the groceries of his predecessor, O.B. Colquitt, with various sundries on Colquitt’s tab including butter, eggs, feed for horses, car repairs and stationery, among others.
Despite a lawsuit challenging that decision, Ferguson decided to follow Colquitt’s example and ended up using state money to fund lavish personal expenses, including a ukulele, car tires, Victrola records and groceries. He even contracted the Driskill Hotel to cater a New Year’s Day feast that included punch and that mountain of infamous chicken salad.
The attorney general said Colquitt’s personal expenses could not be paid with taxpayer money. Ferguson signed off on the bill anyway and added his own personal expenses, to boot.
Ferguson also claimed he would repay the state for personal expenses if the Supreme Court ruled against him; the court said he was liable; Ferguson then refused to reimburse the state.
A political neophyte with little experience when he was first elected in 1914, Ferguson relished the governor’s power to reward his supporters, especially those from Bell County. For example, he fired the state architect for no reason in 1915 and installed Temple architect Heber David Pampel (1879-1953), who was ill-trained for the massive job.
Bribes were common; trial evidence showed cash stored in Ferguson’s personal vault.
In his second term beginning in 1916, Ferguson fiercely targeted the University of Texas, withholding the funding to the university after the Legislature appointed a regent to the system without his say-so.
Ferguson pressured the University of Texas regents to fire professors critical of him. He also ordered a ban on UT fraternities and sororities while he attempted to oust the university president.
The UT regents refused. So, the governor vetoed nearly the entire university appropriation.
Ultimately, the “chicken salad case,” Ferguson’s sloppy expense reporting, secret payoffs and heavy-handed approach to the University of Texas — all sealed his fate.
In July 1917, Ferguson appeared before the Travis County grand jury that several days later announced his indictment. Seven charges related to misapplication of public funds, one to embezzlement and one to the diversion of a special fund.
Ferguson posted a bond of $13,000 and, even though he was indicted, he announced his candidacy for a third term as governor.
The August summer swelter was no match for the heat inside the State Capitol when the Ferguson impeachment began. The Texas Senate came to order at 10:30 a.m. Aug. 17, 1917, to decide whether the former Temple banker was “unworthy and no longer fit to exercise the duties incumbent upon him.” The debate centered on 21 accusations, including misuse of power and misapplication of funds.
The Senate, sitting as a High Court of Impeachment, after three weeks of testimony finally convicted the governor on 10 of the charges, including one maintaining that he received $156,500 in currency from an undisclosed source. The Court of Impeachment, by a vote of 25 to three, removed Ferguson from office and made him ineligible to hold any office in Texas.
Ferguson complained it was a kangaroo court. He boldly stated to the Senate, according to the trial transcript, “I am simply telling you that the laws don’t amount to anything,” then adding laws are “only a scrap of paper.” Nevertheless, he resigned his office the day before both houses could sustain his conviction, contending that the verdict did not apply to him.
The impeachment didn’t stop the disgraced Ferguson from running for other political posts. In 1918 he ran again for governor but was defeated. In 1920, he was an unsuccessful candidate for U.S. president, and, in 1922, a failed candidate for the U.S. Senate.
Ferguson’s political star was severely tarnished, but his wife, Miriam Amanda Wallace Ferguson (1875-1961), went on to serve two nonconsecutive terms, which also were studded with controversy.
Ferguson’s sordid record left Bell County — and Temple, especially — with mixed feelings.
Temple voters did not support Ferguson in either of his elections, although he won the rural vote.
If you go
Bell County Museum, 201 N. Main St., Belton
Exhibit on Govs. Jim and Miram Ferguson
Free public lecture on Jim Ferguson’s impeachment
6 p.m. Friday, Aug. 4
Speaker: Nancy Beck Young, Moores Professor of History, University of Houston.
Free admission | https://www.tdtnews.com/news/central_texas_news/article_029cd988-2f5d-11ee-aa36-e70446397a5f.html | 2023-07-31T11:40:17 | 0 | https://www.tdtnews.com/news/central_texas_news/article_029cd988-2f5d-11ee-aa36-e70446397a5f.html |
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Six migrant workers were struck Sunday afternoon by an SUV in a Walmart parking lot in North Carolina from what police are calling "an intentional assault with a vehicle."
"All six were transported to Atrium Health – Lincoln with various injuries. None of the injuries appear to be life threatening," the Lincolnton Police Department said in a Facebook post.
Police say they're still looking for the vehicle and driver involved in the incident, which they said took place at 1:17 pm ET. In the Facebook post, they describe the vehicle as an older model SUV with a luggage rack, and the driver as an older white male.
The motive for the attack is also still under investigation. Police told NPR via telephone late Sunday there is no further information.
Lincolnton is a small city of some 11,800 people located about an hour outside of Charlotte.
Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.kcbx.org/npr-top-news/npr-top-news/2023-07-30/an-suv-strikes-6-migrant-workers-in-walmart-parking-lot-in-north-carolina | 2023-07-31T11:40:18 | 0 | https://www.kcbx.org/npr-top-news/npr-top-news/2023-07-30/an-suv-strikes-6-migrant-workers-in-walmart-parking-lot-in-north-carolina |
This Launch Marks the Latest Expansion of the Brand's Complexion Offerings as it Doubles Down on The Skincare-Meets-Makeup Hybrid Category
NEW YORK, July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- TULA Skincare, the leading clinically proven probiotic extract powered skincare brand has announced the expansion of its complexion offerings to include concealer.
After learning that TULA's customers were looking for a skin brightening eye treatment along with a concealer, the brand created a state-of-the-art clean skincare-makeup hybrid that delivers skin-boosting benefits with high-performance medium-to-full coverage.
Available in a 20-shade range, the dermatologist-tested, Radiant Skin Brightening Serum Concealer is infused with TULA's unique Rainbow Seabright™ Elixir. This clinically-proven serum-like formula instantly conceals dark circles and discoloration for longwearing, crease-proof results, while brightening the appearance of skin over time. Additional ingredients include TULA's S6Pro Complex® - a US patent pending super six blend of prebiotics and probiotic extracts to help soothe skin, improve skin smoothness and maintain skin balance, along with eye peptides and tea leaf caffeine to help improve the look of dark circles, skin texture, and eye bags. The Radiant Skin Brightening Serum Concealer can be paired with the brand's Radiant Skin Brightening Serum Skin Tint or Filter Primer Blurring & Moisturizing Primer to help build one's complexion wardrobe, or spot conceal for a no-makeup, makeup look.
"Expanding our complexion category to include a concealer was a natural next step for us, especially knowing the strong desire our customers have had for an eye treatment with brightening benefits." said TULA Skincare CEO, Savannah Sachs. " We are excited to have another offering for our glow getters that will surely be a staple in their skincare and beauty routines."
To mark the launch, TULA will be executing a multi-channel launch campaign across its digital platform, and organic social, paid media, and influencer channels. Efforts will include launching a custom "shade finder" on tula.com to help customers find their perfect match concealer shade, highlighting content speaking to the "no-makeup, makeup" and makeup-skincare hybrid trends across TikTok and Instagram, and partnering with a curated set of influencers and providing them with an early access link exclusively for their followers to purchase the concealer prior to launch. In addition to tula.com, the concealer will launch in Ulta Beauty stores nationwide and online and will be featured in an upcoming issue of the Ulta Beauty Magazine, with in-store complexion events planned in the coming months in multiple doors.
TULA's Radiant Skin Brightening Serum Concealer will be available for purchase on July 31 on tula.com, and will retail for $32.
About TULA Skincare
TULA is a doctor-founded skincare brand built on clinically proven formulas powered by probiotic extracts. We believe that the same types of ingredients which are good for your body are also great for your skin. We focus on being healthy, not perfect and on empowering everyone to feel confident in their skin.
Media Contact: Zoe Jeans at Bux + Bewl Communications: zoe@buxandbewl.com
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SOURCE TULA Skincare | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/tula-skincare-launches-new-radiant-skin-brightening-serum-concealer/ | 2023-07-31T11:40:23 | 1 | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/tula-skincare-launches-new-radiant-skin-brightening-serum-concealer/ |
(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.
Top Stories from The Hill
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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.cenlanow.com/national/dozens-of-former-trump-cabinet-officials-wont-publicly-support-his-2024-bid/ | 2023-07-31T11:40:23 | 0 | https://www.cenlanow.com/national/dozens-of-former-trump-cabinet-officials-wont-publicly-support-his-2024-bid/ |
Almost 6 million Texans, or about 20% of the population, live in an area susceptible to flooding, according to first-of-its-kind data gathered as part of a statewide effort to harden Texas against floods and rising sea levels.
The analysis is part of the Texas Water Development Board’s first statewide flood plan, still in development, which the Legislature required in a 2019 law passed in response to Hurricane Harvey. Flood risks in Texas are increasing as climate change brings heavier precipitation, stronger hurricanes and sea level rise and as the state’s population continues to climb.
More than 2.4 million Texans live in areas that have a 1% chance of flooding each year, known as the 100-year floodplain, the analysis found. Another 3.5 million people live in areas with a 0.2% chance of flooding each year, known as the 500-year floodplain.
One-fifth of the state’s land — roughly 56,000 square miles — now fall within the 100-year floodplain, TWDB staff said in a presentation this week.
It likely will cost Texas tens of billions of dollars to protect people and property from floods. The first projects proposed in the plan add up to $38 billion, including the massive coastal barrier proposal with its “Ike Dike,” a huge gate system proposed for the mouth of Galveston Bay.
“Getting this program up and running is a really big deal,” TWDB Chair Brooke Paup said before the board approved the 15 regional plans, a major step in creating the statewide flood plan. Each region is built around one of the state’s major watersheds.
“I know it’ll truly go so far to save lives and people’s homes,” Paup said.
As climate change worsens, higher global temperatures increase the amount of moisture in the air and thus the risk of extreme rainfall events, the Texas state climatologist and a national climate assessment have found. Heavier precipitation linked to climate change likely increased Hurricane Harvey’s total rainfall by as much as 19%, one study found. Almost 50 inches of rain fell in some areas of Houston during Harvey — the highest rainfall amount in a single storm for any place in the continental U.S.
At the same time, higher global temperatures are melting glaciers, increasing sea levels around the world — including in Texas — and making coastlines more vulnerable to storm surges. Between 2000 and 2019, rising sea levels caused the Texas coastline to retreat about 4 feet per year on average, according to a 2021 University of Texas Bureau of Economic Geology report for the Texas General Land Office.
Reem Zoun, director of flood planning at the TWDB, said that to decide how to prevent flooding in Texas, the agency first needed to identify which areas of the state were at the most risk. The analysis identified how many buildings, homes, people, hospitals, roads and agricultural areas are in a floodplain.
The San Jacinto region, which includes Harris County and Galveston, has the most people living in a floodplain: almost 2.5 million people are in a 100- or 500-year floodplain. The Lower Rio Grande region, which spans much of Texas’ southern border and includes the Rio Grande Valley, is next with about 1 million people at risk.
Though floodplains are defined by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the agency does not map every inch of the U.S. and its maps have long been criticized as out of date and underestimating actual flood risk.
Texas used existing flood data to create the maps that served as a baseline that regions could add to with their own flood hazard maps — if any existed — and supplement with knowledge from local water managers. In regions with very little data, gaps were filled with data from a contracted flood risk modeling data company called Fathom.
Sixty-three of Texas’ 254 counties had no existing flood hazard information prior to the planning effort, according to the TWDB.
In the Canadian-Upper Red region, for example, which includes much of the Panhandle and Wichita Falls, hardly any flood maps existed, while 98% of the Lower Red-Sulphur-Cypress region in the northeast corner of the state had inadequate flood mapping, James Bronikowski, TWDB’s manager for regional flood planning told the board on Tuesday.
The TWDB often functions as a water infrastructure bank and intends to use the planning process to help finance the construction of flood prevention projects with low-cost loans and grants, although the cost of the projects far outweighs the money that’s been dedicated to the agency by lawmakers.
During the 2023 legislative session, lawmakers allocated $625 million to finance flood prevention projects through the Flood Infrastructure Fund. Once the statewide flood plan is finalized, projects will have to be included in the plan in order to access those funds.
Another $550 million of the surplus was allocated to the coastal barrier project that includes the Ike Dike.
This story was first published at www.texastribune.org by The Texas Tribune, a nonpartisan, nonprofit media organization that informs Texans — and engages with them — about public policy, politics, government and statewide issues. | https://www.tdtnews.com/news/central_texas_news/article_052764a6-2f5e-11ee-826d-0f81960e37f2.html | 2023-07-31T11:40:23 | 1 | https://www.tdtnews.com/news/central_texas_news/article_052764a6-2f5e-11ee-826d-0f81960e37f2.html |
If you're feeling a bit brain-fogged these days, you might not be wrong to blame it on the heat.
Several summers back, researchers in Boston studied young adults living in college dorm rooms during a heat wave. Some had central AC, and slept at a cool 71 degrees Fahrenheit. But others slept in rooms without air-conditioning, where the temperature hovered around 80 degrees.
Each morning for nearly two weeks the students took a few tests, administered on their cell phones. The people who slept in the hotter dorm rooms performed measurably worse on the tests.
The tests included a math test requiring simple addiction and subtraction and a second test, the Stroop test, that jumbles colors and words. "So, if I show the word 'red' in the color blue, participants have to respond 'blue'," says study author Jose Guillermo Cedeño Laurent, an assistant professor at the Rutgers School of Public Health.
It's easy to get tripped up if your attention or reaction time is slowed, he says, and that's exactly what heat appears to be doing. "The magnitude of the effect was really striking," Cedeño Laurent says. "We saw reductions in the order of 10% in their response times and also their accuracy."
Part of this effect may be explained by interrupted sleep. It can be hard to get a good night's rest if you're not accustomed to the heat, and a lack of sleep could certainly impair reaction time and focus. But there's a body of evidence suggesting it may be something about the heat itself that interferes with cognition.
A similar study published in 2021 also documented a dip in cognitive performance at air temps of 79 degrees. Researchers found that as the temperature rose, activity in the parasympathetic nervous system, the anti-stress system that can help us stay calm and relaxed, was lowered. Plus oxygen saturation levels in the blood were lower at the elevated temperatures as well, which the researchers said could be expected to result in reduced cognitive performance.
Other studies have found an effect from heat on office workers and on standardized test score performance, says Caleb Dresser, an emergency medicine physician who also serves as the director of health care solutions at the Harvard Chan Center for Climate, Health and Global Environment.
One of these studies showed that productivity in the workplace is highest when the air temperature is about 72 degrees, and productivity starts to drop off in the mid-70s. And another shows that for high school students, taking a standardized test on a hot day is linked to poorer performance.
Dresser says the evidence suggests that heat can influence us in sometimes indiscernible ways. "All of these [studies] seem to point to a reduced ability to think clearly and quickly and efficiently when the body is too hot," he says.
There's also research to suggest that heat can make you moodier or irritated, in part, perhaps, by raising cortisol levels, and inducing a stress response.
Of course, you can acclimate to heat after several days of exposure, and our bodies have several built-in coping mechanisms that help us cool down. For instance, you'll begin to sweat sooner and blood flow to the skin increases, which can carry heat away from the body's core.
But, given the extreme heat waves that are becoming more common, there's increasing interest in better understanding the mechanisms by which heat may exacerbate or set off mood and anxiety-related problems. Dresser points to a study published in JAMA Psychiatry in 2022 that found hospital ER visits, for mental health conditions, rise during extremely hot days.
"I think this is consistent with what a lot of physicians will tell you if they have worked during hot conditions," Dresser says. Mental health is a concern all of the time, "but it can become a bigger concern during really hot conditions," he says.
Multiple factors likely explain how heat exacerbates the risks, beyond changes in stress hormones and sleep disturbances. Dresser points out that there's an overlap between populations who are vulnerable to mental health issues and populations that are unhoused or have intermittent access to housing.
And, clearly, if someone is living outside during a heat wave, there's a greater likelihood of significant impact. "There may be complicated social issues going on," he says.
A better understanding of all of these factors could help inform strategies to prevent or manage the challenges. "As we learn to live in a warming world where the summers are getting hotter, we need to be extra alert to recognize when conditions are dangerous and take steps to stay safe," Dresser says.
One of the key strategies is to stay well hydrated. This may sound obvious, but dehydration is common in the summer, and many people underestimate how much fluid they need to replace when they're sweating a lot or spending time outdoors.
In fact, the participants in the college dorm study benefited from staying well-hydrated. During the study, the researchers sent text messages asking all the participants how much liquid they'd consumed, and it turned out that the participants who slept in the hot dorm rooms, and drank less than 6 glasses of liquid per day, performed worse on the tests. And prior research has shown that being even a little dehydrated can impair cognitive performance.
It's a reminder that a simple step – remembering to drink plenty of water – can help protect not just our physical health, but our mental wellbeing, too.
Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.kcbx.org/npr-top-news/npr-top-news/2023-07-31/yes-heat-can-affect-your-brain-and-mood-heres-why | 2023-07-31T11:40:25 | 0 | https://www.kcbx.org/npr-top-news/npr-top-news/2023-07-31/yes-heat-can-affect-your-brain-and-mood-heres-why |
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.cenlanow.com/national/were-just-too-poor-record-heat-waves-reveal-plight-of-americans-without-air-conditioning/ | 2023-07-31T11:40:29 | 1 | https://www.cenlanow.com/national/were-just-too-poor-record-heat-waves-reveal-plight-of-americans-without-air-conditioning/ |
Maya Maxwell, a capital murder co-defendant charged in the slayings of two Temple residents, is expected offer her plea to lesser charges in the case Tuesday.
Maxwell testified as a state key witness in the nearly two-month-long trial of convicted capital murderer Cedric Marks, which ended in early June. Jurors convicted Marks and sentenced him to die for the Jan. 3, 2019, killings of Jenna Scott and her friend Michael Swearingin at a Killeen home.
The co-defendant will offer her plea Tuesday afternoon in the case before Judge Steve Duskie in the 426th District Court, located at the Bell County Justice Center in Belton, court records show.
Maxwell’s agreement with prosecutors calls for pleading guilty to two counts of tampering with a corpse, punishable by two to 20 years in prison, in exchange for the dismissal of the capital murder charge.
John P. Galligan, a longtime criminal defense attorney in Bell County and Marks’ standby counsel, posted on social media that he was disappointed in a delay in Maxwell’s plea, initially scheduled for June 11. The delay, he said, was caused because Bell County District Attorney Henry Garza was out of town at the time.
“Showboating — does the DA really need to be present at the time of a guilty plea on a deal that he negotiated well over a year ago?” Galligan said.
Maxwell, who was pregnant with Marks’ child at the time of the killings, provided key details about the slayings when she testified at Marks trial. Her hair was longer than it was when her police mug shot was taken and she wore a green prison jumpsuit with her hands cuffed in front of her.
She testified that the bodies were moved to a shallow grave about 20 miles from a Henrietta, Okla., Walmart where Marks and Maxwell were captured on surveillance video. The grave was near the Northfork Cemetery where Marks’ mother is buried.
Maxwell discussed how Marks came into contact with Scott and Swearingin on Jan. 3, 2019, after dropping him off by the side of Swearingin’s West Temple residence.
While under the impression Marks was meeting a friend named Alex, she said drove around the area at his command until she grew impatient and then went to the house and saw Scott on the ground handcuffed to the leg of a desk.
Maxwell later drove back to a Killeen residence of Rebecca Adney where she and Marks were staying while they were in Bell County. Adney, who was in Wyoming at the time, was in an on-again, off-again relationship with Marks that spanned seven years.
“I went back to Rebecca’s house and waited,” Maxwell said. “He said he would be back soon. Just give him a minute. Everything’s OK.”
Hours later, Marks — who was in Bell County to surrender to the police for a burglary charge at Scott’s home — returned and entered the residence through the garage. He led Scott and Swearingin, who he brought in handcuffs to Adney’s Killeen residence via Swearingin’s Hyundai Genesis.
Marks then placed the Temple residents in the bathtubs of separate bathrooms.
Although Marks told the two he was going to let them go home, Maxwell, who was at the time sitting on the living room floor, detailed how that statement quickly lost any sense of truth.
“The last thing I heard (Michael) say was, ‘Thank you,’” she said.
Witness to slayings
“Mr. Marks put him in a choke hold,” Maxwell testified during the Marks trial. “He was behind him and put his right arm around his neck. I heard him choking and struggling. A lot of blood came out of Michael’s mouth.”
Maxwell, in between tears, told the jury how Marks struggled with Swearingin for approximately five minutes before he carried Jenna — handcuffed at her wrists and ankles — into the bathroom and showed her Swearingin’s lifeless body.
“She got scared. Her eyes got really big. She didn’t say anything,” Maxwell said. “Then he brought her back into the small bathroom. All I heard him say was, ‘Ready?’ Then he shut the door and I heard the same sounds coming out of that bathroom that I just heard come from Michael.”
Like Swearingin just minutes before, the sounds of Scott fighting for her life began to fade, Maxwell said.
When Marks exited the bathroom, he grabbed trash bags and placed them over the victims’ heads and bodies and secured them with black electrical tape before he shifted his focus toward relocating Swearingin’s vehicle away from Adney’s home.
Maxwell and Marks stopped at the Henryetta, Okla., Walmart, where the pair purchased a shovel, new clothes and new shoes with cash on Jan. 4, 2019 — an incident that was captured by store surveillance cameras.
Maxwell noted how Marks purchased a smaller shoe size to make it less likely for law enforcement to connect him to the 6-foot by 3-foot grave they were about to dig on a vacant property in Clearview. She recounted the lengths at which Marks took to actually place Scott and Swearingin into the grave that took him approximately an hour to dig.
“He put an extension cord around Michael and dragged his body,” she said. “He put Jenna’s body over his shoulder. He had to break rigor to put (Jenna) in the hole on top of Michael.”
As the bodies were buried, Marks told the sobbing Maxwell to be quiet or someone would hear.
During closing statements, First Assistant District Attorney Stephanie Newell reminded jurors that over the last few months, the first time they’d heard Marks’ theory that a possible boyfriend of Maxwell was the real murderer didn’t come until a verdict had been rendered in the capital murder case.
“The first time any version of that story had been told was after you delivered a verdict of guilty,” Newell told the jury.
Newell said any theory other than that presented by the state was just more of Marks’ manipulation tactics.
“If you believe that we doctored all this photo and video evidence and it was really Maya who killed Jenna and Michael, then the manipulation is working,” Newell told the jury.
Marks’ father, Otis Marks, previously told the Telegram that the state’s key witnesses — Maxwell and Ginell McDonough — sought to avoid further prosecution.
“Ginell, she was working for a deal,” he said. “Maya, she was working for a deal.”
Jury decision
Jury foreman Zachary Gauthier said the panel followed the evidence in the case to reach its decisions in Marks case.
“A lot of it was formulating a timeline that for us made it more reasonable than not — there was no way he was not directly involved in the process of taking their lives and kidnapping them and dumping the car off, etc,” Gauthier said in an interview with the Telegram. “His phone and her phone were linked right there. There’s no disputing that information. I don’t believe anyone changed a couple hundred lines of phone records matched to cell towers and land navigation.”
Gauthier said despite Marks’ repeated attempts to cast doubt on his guilt, jurors didn’t buy it.
“They say reasonable doubt,” Gauthier said. “Well, nobody really had any reasonable doubt that he was guilty as charged.” | https://www.tdtnews.com/news/central_texas_news/article_36f034d0-2f5a-11ee-9490-6714f465d7f7.html | 2023-07-31T11:40:29 | 1 | https://www.tdtnews.com/news/central_texas_news/article_36f034d0-2f5a-11ee-9490-6714f465d7f7.html |
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.wibw.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/ | 2023-07-31T11:40:29 | 0 | https://www.wibw.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/ |
Eyes will be on the sky April 8, 2024, for a rare celestial treat, and many of those planning to view this once-in-a-lifetime event will be heading to Central Texas.
Although the total solar eclipse is still more than 250 days away, the event is generating a buzz. Some Temple area hotels already are booked solid and another is enticing visitors with a unique giveaway.
So what’s causing all the excitement? According to experts, Temple-area residents will have the rare opportunity to view a total solar eclipse, with an emphasis on “total.”
“A solar eclipse takes place when the moon lines up between the earth and the sun,” said Richard Tresch Fienberg, program manager for the American Astronomical Society’s Solar Eclipse Task Force and co-author of “Astronomy for Dummies.”
“The moon orbits the Earth in an oblong manner — it’s not a perfect circle,” he said. “So, there are times when the moon is actually closer to us. That will be the case April 8. Since it will be closer, the moon will appear larger than the sun, totally blocking it out as it passes between Earth and the sun.”
In Texas, the “path of totality” will cut a 115-mile-wide swath across the state, and Temple, Belton and much of the surrounding area will fall within that path, Fienberg said.
“Locations inside the path will go dark really fast,” he said. “It will go from bright and sunny to something like an overcast day once the eclipse begins, light will fade until it reaches the equivalent of twilight, and the temperature will drop. This is when the show really begins.”
Fienberg said during total eclipse, the corona — the wispy outermost part of the sun’s atmosphere — will be exposed.
“It’s always there, but we normally can’t see it because the sun is so bright,” he said. “With the sun blocked, we will be able to admire its true beauty.”
While the sun shouldn’t be viewed with the naked eye during partial eclipse stages, it is safe to look at and photograph the total eclipse. Partial eclipses can be viewed with special “solar” or “eclipse” glasses, Fienberg said.
The spring total eclipse will begin at 12:19 p.m. in the Temple area, he said.
“That’s when the moon takes its first nick out of the sun. The partial phase will last about 75 minutes as the moon moves into position and the sun is slowly blocked. Beginning at 1:37 p.m., the moon will totally cover the sun for 3 minutes and 45 seconds, then there will be another 75 minutes as the moon moves on. It will all be over by 3 p.m.”
Michael Zeiler, an eclipse expert who co-publishes GreatAmericanEclipse.com with his wife, Polly White, uses special software to analyze the economic impact eclipses can have on the economy. He said hard-core eclipse chasers, as well as casual curiosity seekers, will flock to locations within the path of totality to experience the rare astronomical event.
“Nearly 13 million people in Texas live within the eclipse’s path, and another 720,000 may travel to the path of totality to experience it,” Zeiler said. “This could be a big boon to the Lone Star state’s economy.”
Zeiler pointed out that during a solar eclipse in 2017, Nashville hosted approximately 91,500 overnight visitors and direct visitor spending was estimated at $28.8 million.
He said he understands the lure a solar eclipse can have.
“Polly and I are eclipse chasers,” he said. “We’ve seen 11 total solar eclipses all over the world. Eclipse chasing is sort of like storm chasing, but instead of searching for the worst weather possible, we want perfect conditions for viewing the sky.
“I’ll tell you this — a total solar eclipse lives up to the hype,” he said. “It truly is other-worldly. It’s like a black shadow rushing over you. It goes from the dim daylight of a partial eclipse to twilight in seconds. It’s a remarkable thing to see.”
Zeiler said it is impossible to predict how many people will travel to a specific location because there are many variables. Many cities will have viewing parties to attract people, and some of those locations are big draws.
“The city of Temple is aware that it will fall within the path of totality during the April 8 solar eclipse,” said Nohely Mackowiak, a city spokeswoman. “The city is in the early stages of planning to figure out how we can best serve our residents and guests during this extraordinary celestial event.”
Although viewing activities are still in the planning process, visitors already have committed to coming to Temple to witness the total eclipse first hand.
“We are getting a lot of interest for the days around the eclipse,” said Sarah Japalucci, director of sales and marketing for Holiday Inn Temple-Belton. “We’re more than 20% full already, and I know some Temple hotels are full.”
Japalucci said Holiday Inn Temple-Belton is offering a package deal for the occasion.
“We are offering a two-night deal that includes a free pair of eclipse glasses,” she said. “I bought about 150 pair last year when I found out Temple would be an ideal place to view the event. I figured eclipse glasses might be hard to find as April 8 gets closer.
“A lot of folks don’t just want to come for the event and leave — some are planning to arrive on Friday and stay through Tuesday,” Japalucci said.
According to hotel websites, Best Western, Hilton Garden Inn and other lodges do not have room availability for April 7-8. | https://www.tdtnews.com/news/central_texas_news/article_46a4b710-2f5b-11ee-839b-f76fd2f95fe4.html | 2023-07-31T11:40:35 | 0 | https://www.tdtnews.com/news/central_texas_news/article_46a4b710-2f5b-11ee-839b-f76fd2f95fe4.html |
New nuclear unit now serving customers with clean, reliable energy 24/7
ATLANTA, July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Georgia Power declared today that Plant Vogtle Unit 3 has entered commercial operation and is now serving customers and the State of Georgia. The new unit represents a long-term investment in the state's clean energy future and will provide reliable, emissions-free energy to customers for decades to come.
"The Plant Vogtle 3 & 4 nuclear expansion is another incredible example of how Georgia Power is building a reliable and resilient energy future for our state," said Kim Greene, chairman, president and CEO of Georgia Power. "It is important that we make these kinds of long-term investments and see them through so we can continue providing clean, safe, reliable and affordable energy to our 2.7 million customers. Today's achievement is a testament to our commitment to doing just that, and it marks the first day of the next 60 to 80 years that Vogtle Unit 3 will serve our customers with clean, reliable energy."
Vogtle Unit 3 is the first newly-constructed nuclear unit in the U.S. in over 30 years and can power an estimated 500,000 homes and businesses. Once all four units are online, the Plant Vogtle site will be the largest generator of clean energy in the nation and support continued growth in Georgia as more industries, businesses and families come to the state.
"Today is a historic day for the State of Georgia, Southern Company, and the entire energy sector, as we continue transforming the way we power the lives of millions of Americans," said Chris Womack, president and CEO of Southern Company. "With Unit 3 completed, and Unit 4 in the final stages of construction and testing, this project shows just how new nuclear can and will play a critical role in achieving a clean energy future for the United States. Bringing this unit safely into service is a credit to the hard work and dedication of our teams at Southern Company and the thousands of additional workers who have helped build that future at this site, as well as all of the partners who have helped make this day a reality."
Nuclear energy is the only zero-emission baseload energy source available today, offering high reliability, and efficient operations around the clock. Nuclear energy currently provides approximately 25% of Georgia Power's overall energy mix, including the existing units at Plant Vogtle and Georgia's other nuclear facility at Plant Hatch in Baxley, Georgia.
"The Vogtle expansion is an American energy success story and would not be possible without the support of strong public and private partners like our partners at North America's Building Trades Unions," said Tom Fanning, chairman of the Board of Directors for Southern Company. "We continue to appreciate their support and those who have stood with us at the local, state and federal levels to complete this new clean energy source to serve electric customers. Providing leadership in our industry and a commitment to safety and quality are in Southern Company's DNA. Today's milestone at the Vogtle expansion site underscores this legacy, and I couldn't be prouder of the dedication our teams have shown in seeing Unit 3 through to completion."
The final stages of construction and testing continue at Vogtle Unit 4, with the unit projected to be placed in service during the late fourth quarter 2023 or the first quarter of 2024. The unit completed hot functional testing in May, in significantly less time than Unit 3 as the team continues leveraging best practices and learnings from the earlier unit. The Vogtle site has also received nuclear fuel for Unit 4, with a total of 157 fuel assemblies necessary for the safe and reliable startup of the unit.
Also, last week, Georgia Power announced the receipt of the 103(g) finding from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) for Vogtle Unit 4. This finding was confirmed in an official letter received by Southern Nuclear and signifies that the new unit has been constructed and will be operated in conformance with the Combined License and NRC regulations. No further NRC findings are necessary in order for Southern Nuclear to load fuel or begin the startup sequence for the new unit.
The new Vogtle units are an essential part of Georgia Power's commitment to delivering clean, safe, reliable and affordable energy to its 2.7 million customers. Southern Nuclear will operate the new units on behalf of the co-owners: Georgia Power, Oglethorpe Power, MEAG Power and Dalton Utilities.
About Georgia Power
Georgia Power is the largest electric subsidiary of Southern Company (NYSE: SO), America's premier energy company. Value, Reliability, Customer Service and Stewardship are the cornerstones of the company's promise to 2.7 million customers in all but four of Georgia's 159 counties. Committed to delivering clean, safe, reliable and affordable energy, Georgia Power maintains a diverse, innovative generation mix that includes nuclear, coal and natural gas, as well as renewables such as solar, hydroelectric and wind. Georgia Power focuses on delivering world-class service to its customers every day and the company is recognized by J.D. Power as an industry leader in customer satisfaction. For more information, visit www.GeorgiaPower.com and connect with the company on Facebook (Facebook.com/GeorgiaPower), Twitter (Twitter.com/GeorgiaPower) and Instagram (Instagram.com/ga_power).
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
Certain information contained in this release is forward-looking information based on current expectations and plans that involve risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking information includes, among other things, statements concerning the projected in-service date for Plant Vogtle Unit 4 and the future operations of Plant Vogtle Units 3 and 4. Georgia Power cautions that there are certain factors that can cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking information that has been provided. The reader is cautioned not to put undue reliance on this forward-looking information, which is not a guarantee of future performance and is subject to a number of uncertainties and other factors, many of which are outside the control of Georgia Power; accordingly, there can be no assurance that such suggested results will be realized. The following factors, in addition to those discussed in Georgia Power's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022, and subsequent securities filings, could cause actual results to differ materially from management expectations as suggested by such forward-looking information: the ability to control costs and avoid cost and schedule overruns during the development, construction, and operation of facilities or other projects, including Plant Vogtle Unit 4, which includes components based on new technology that only within the last few years began initial operation in the global nuclear industry at this scale, due to current and/or future challenges which include, but are not limited to, changes in labor costs, availability and productivity, challenges with the management of contractors or vendors, subcontractor performance, adverse weather conditions, shortages, delays, increased costs, or inconsistent quality of equipment, materials, and labor, contractor or supplier delay, the impacts of inflation, delays due to judicial or regulatory action, nonperformance under construction, operating, or other agreements, operational readiness, including specialized operator training and required site safety programs, engineering or design problems or any remediation related thereto, design and other licensing-based compliance matters, challenges with start-up activities, including major equipment failure, or system integration, and/or operational performance, continued challenges related to the COVID-19 pandemic or future pandemic health events, continued public and policymaker support for projects, environmental and geological conditions, delays or increased costs to interconnect facilities to transmission grids, and increased financing costs as a result of changes in market interest rates or as a result of project delays; the ability to overcome or mitigate the current challenges, or challenges yet to be identified, at Plant Vogtle Unit 4, that could further impact the cost and schedule for the project; legal proceedings and regulatory approvals and actions related to construction projects, such as Plant Vogtle Unit 4, including Georgia Public Service Commission approvals and U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission ("NRC") actions; under certain specified circumstances, a decision by holders of more than 10% of the ownership interests of Plant Vogtle Unit 3 and 4 not to proceed with construction; the notices of tender by Oglethorpe Power Corporation and the City of Dalton of a portion of their ownership interests in Plant Vogtle Units 3 and 4 to Georgia Power, including related litigation; the ability to construct facilities in accordance with the requirements of permits and licenses (including satisfaction of NRC requirements), to satisfy any environmental performance standards and the requirements of tax credits and other incentives, and to integrate facilities into the Southern Company system upon completion of construction; the inherent risks involved in operating and constructing nuclear generating facilities; the ability of counterparties of Georgia Power to make payments as and when due and to perform as required; the direct or indirect effect on Georgia Power's business resulting from cyber intrusion or physical attack and the threat of cyber and physical attacks; catastrophic events such as fires, earthquakes, explosions, floods, tornadoes, hurricanes and other storms, droughts, pandemic health events, political unrest, wars or other similar occurrences; the potential effects of the continued COVID-19 pandemic; and the direct or indirect effects on Georgia Power's business resulting from incidents affecting the U.S. electric grid or operation of generating or storage resources. Georgia Power expressly disclaim any obligation to update any forward–looking information.
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SOURCE Georgia Power | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/vogtle-unit-3-goes-into-operation/ | 2023-07-31T11:40:36 | 1 | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/vogtle-unit-3-goes-into-operation/ |
A warming trend that started yesterday in Central Texas is expected to continue today, with temperatures ranging from 100 to 110, the National Weather Service in Fort Worth said in its online forecast discussion.
Heat wave expected to get hotter before it begins to cools off
Larry Causey
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- New retail store opens in Belton
- Temple man charged with felony after fight at Walmart store; incident caught on video
- Little River-Academy man accused of injuring grandmother
- Temple woman killed while walking on US 190
- UPDATE: Axe-wielding suspect shot at, arrested after attempted burglary
- Lori Deanne Farmer, age 38, of Little River-Academy died Saturday, July 22, 2023
- Temple felon involved in fatal hit-and-run indicted for allegedly threatening officer
- Niagara Bottling plans $48 million Temple plant expansion
- Killeen man tased and charged after attempting to take officer’s gun during scuffle
- Temple water consumption down this summer; Belton maintains Stage 1 restrictions as conservation urged | https://www.tdtnews.com/news/central_texas_news/article_87a85436-2f5d-11ee-9208-736ec7ccca3a.html | 2023-07-31T11:40:41 | 0 | https://www.tdtnews.com/news/central_texas_news/article_87a85436-2f5d-11ee-9208-736ec7ccca3a.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.wibw.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/white-house-announces-partnership-with-affordablehousingcom-end-junk-fees/ | 2023-07-31T11:40:42 | 0 | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/white-house-announces-partnership-with-affordablehousingcom-end-junk-fees/ |
Registration for fall classes will begin Tuesday at Temple College.
The college’s campuses in Temple, Hutto and Taylor will hold registration days from 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday. The Temple campus will hold an additional registration day from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday.
The registration events are designed to be a “one-stop shop” for prospective students who need to take next steps to meet face-to-face with advisors and enroll in fall courses. Temple College’s fall semester will begin Aug. 16.
“Enrolling in college is a major step in a person’s career journey. Many prospective students don’t know exactly what financial and educational resources are available to them, so we want to do everything we can to meet with our students and help them understand each step,” said Shannon Bralley, Temple College’s associate vice president of student services and enrollment management.
At the registration events, potential students can apply to the institution, enroll in classes, meet with representatives from the Office of Admissions & Records and the Office of Financial Aid, meet an on-site advisor and speak with a success coach
Temple College offers 8-week and 16-week courses during the fall.
“Classes are filling up, and we want our students to be rested and ready to go on Aug. 16,” Bralley said. “These Registration Days are a great opportunity to take all of the steps needed to prepare for a great semester.”
TC has campuses at 2600 S. First St. in Temple as well as at 516 N. Main St. in Taylor and 1600 Innovation Blvd. in Hutto.
In addition, Temple College’s chapter of Phi Theta Kappa honor society will hold a career preparation workshop 9-11:30 a.m. Saturday in the Academic Center at the Temple campus.
This event is open to the public and will feature sessions on resume development, how to market yourself to employers, interview tips and interview role play. Attendees also will be able to receive professional headshots.
Since new construction is underway at the Temple campus, visitors can park in the north or south parking lots. | https://www.tdtnews.com/news/central_texas_news/article_b32393e8-2f5b-11ee-9d51-8ffc9bf85797.html | 2023-07-31T11:40:47 | 0 | https://www.tdtnews.com/news/central_texas_news/article_b32393e8-2f5b-11ee-9d51-8ffc9bf85797.html |
- 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.wibw.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/wuxi-apptec-announced-strong-results-second-quarter-first-half-2023-top-an-exceptionally-strong-year-2022/ | 2023-07-31T11:40:48 | 0 | https://www.wibw.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.wibw.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/yatsen-issues-2022-esg-report/ | 2023-07-31T11:40:54 | 0 | https://www.wibw.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
View original content:
SOURCE ZapScale | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/zapscale-sets-new-industry-standard-with-easiest-customer-success-platform-one-day-onboarding/ | 2023-07-31T11:41:01 | 0 | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/zapscale-sets-new-industry-standard-with-easiest-customer-success-platform-one-day-onboarding/ |
Elvina Kalieva 2023 Livesport Prague Open 2021 Odds
Elvina Kalieva's round of 32 match in the Livesport Prague Open 2021 will be versus Linda Noskova. Kalieva is +4000 to win this tournament at Tennis Club Sparta Praha.
Find all the latest odds for the 2023 Livesport Prague Open 2021 and place your bets with a new user bonus from BetMGM.
Kalieva at the 2023 Livesport Prague Open 2021
- Next Round: Round of 32
- Tournament Dates: July 28 - August 6
- Venue: Tennis Club Sparta Praha
- Location: Prague, Czechia
- Court Surface: Hard
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Kalieva's Next Match
Kalieva will meet Noskova in the round of 32 on Tuesday, August 1 at 5:00 AM ET, after getting past Tayisiya Morderger 6-2, 6-3 in the qualification final.
Kalieva is listed at +375 to win her next matchup against Noskova. Check out the latest odds for the entire field at BetMGM.
Want to bet on Kalieva? Head to BetMGM using our link for a bonus bet special offer for new players!
Kalieva Stats
- Kalieva defeated Morderger 6-2, 6-3 on Sunday in the qualifying round.
- In five tournaments over the past year, Kalieva is yet to win a title, and her overall record is 3-5.
- Kalieva has a record of 2-3 on hard courts over the last 12 months.
- In her eight matches over the past year, across all court surfaces, Kalieva has averaged 18.6 games.
- On hard courts, Kalieva has played five matches over the past 12 months, and she has totaled 20.8 games per match while winning 49.0% of games.
- Over the past year, Kalieva has been victorious in 12.5% of her return games and 28.6% of her service games.
- Kalieva has claimed 50% of her service games on hard courts and 11.1% of her return games over the past 12 months.
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© 2023 Data Skrive. All rights reserved. | https://www.wibw.com/sports/betting/2023/07/28/elvina-kalieva-livesport-prague-open-2021-betting-odds/ | 2023-07-31T11:41:07 | 1 | https://www.wibw.com/sports/betting/2023/07/28/elvina-kalieva-livesport-prague-open-2021-betting-odds/ |
ByGone Muncie: Who Killed William Stall?
MUNCIE, Ind. -- Around 6 a.m. on the morning of Sept. 5, 1898, Joseph Nelson and George Thornburg of Crystal Lake Ice Company were out making deliveries in what is now Muncie’s South Central Neighborhood. Steering their wagon around the corner onto Elm from Seventh, the ice haulers spotted a man lying awkwardly across a front walkway.
Up often before dawn, Nelson and Thornburg routinely stumbled across remnants of late night Munsonian debauchery. It was the 1890s after all; a liquor-sodden grown man sleeping off a stupor in a front yard wasn’t exactly a novel site in the Magic City. Nelson stopped the ice wagon in front of 1302 S. Elm where the man laid “on his face, with his legs crossed and one arm under him.” It was still too dark to see clearly, so Thornburg called out asking if everything was okay.
No response came.
Alarmed, the icemen hopped out of the wagon and walked toward the crumpled figure. They recognized immediately he was “cold in death.” Thornburg ran to Fifth Ward councilman Christian Hanika’s house on Eighth Street and phoned police.
Foul play suspected
A crowd formed by the time MPD patrolmen arrived. The corpse was identified as William Stall, the owner of the house. R. Meeks and Sons dispatched their ambulance and brought Stall’s body back to their morgue at 115 E. Main Street. Delaware County’s coroner Ulysses Poland suspected foul play and conducted a post-mortem inquest. He was assisted by local doctors Arthur Kemper and Isaac Trent.
The Daily Herald reported Stall “had been struck in the face and on the head with a blunt instrument, presumably a sand bag. There was no abrasion of the skin except a small piece which had been torn from over the left eye. A heavy blow had fallen there.” His skull was crushed in the attack, “causing internal bleeding.” He also had two large bruises on his chest, suggesting violent kicks to the heart after hitting the ground. It was clear that someone killed William Stall.
The victim lived at the Elm Street house with his wife Ardelia and the couple's three adult children, Sadie, Harry, and Minnie. Lindsey Plymale, Minnie’s husband, also lived in the home along with boarders Alex Jacobs and Curtis Deeter. The house was located in the Anthony Park Addition, one of several newish near-south side residential neighborhoods built during the gas boom.
'Man of ordinary talents'
William Stall lived a relatively unassuming life there with his family. He worked at Gill Clay Pot Company and, according to the Muncie Morning News, “has resided in Muncie more than ten years, having come from Greenville, Ohio.” He “was a man of ordinary habits, visiting saloons frequently, but seldom drank to excess.” His boss Frank Gill said “he was one of the most quiet men he had ever met.” More people knew about his brother John, the editor of the South Bend Times and a bigwig in state Democratic politics.
The Stalls had emigrated as children from Baden-Württemberg, Germany with their mother in 1853 and settled in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. William fought for the Union during the Civil War, though he volunteered under the alias William Houser, using his stepfather’s surname. He served in the 127th Regiment of the Pennsylvania Infantry and was wounded in the Battle of Fredericksburg. Stall moved to Ohio post-war and married Ardelia Cox in 1869. Three children later, the family moved to Muncie where gas boom-era factory jobs were plentiful.
The evening before he died, William returned home from work and, as usual, gave Ardelia most of his week’s earnings, retaining only $1.25. He left around 7:00 pm, stopped for a quick shave, and made his way to Harry Webster’s Saloon at the corner of Walnut and Ninth streets. He drank a few beers and kept score for a card game he played with Charles Hines, Thomas Hatton, D.T. Johnson, J. Painter, and Cy Wilkinson.
Stall left around 11 p.m. with Hines and walked north on Walnut toward home. Just before midnight, Stall bade his friend goodnight and turned east down Eighth Street. Hines later remarked that Stall had “evidently seen something before he started up the alley, which startled him. He seemed to be in a much greater hurry.”
A quarter past midnight, William Krutchman heard two men fighting nearby on Elm Street while dropping a friend off a few blocks away. Unable to see the commotion clearly, he turned and took another route. Around the same time, Arthur Ault, a delivery driver for Hickman Brothers Grocery, noted the silhouette of a man standing in front of Stall’s house and someone else lying in a hammock out back.
William’s 22-year-old son Harry occupied the hammock, having slept outdoors that night. He told police he heard two men arguing in front after midnight. The Stall’s boarder Alex Jacobs heard the fight from inside the house, which woke him up around the same time. Jacobs could distinguish only the words “liar” and “home.” Both paid the shouting no nevermind, accustomed as they were to “men fighting and wrangling along the streets at all hours of the night.”
A gold watch and $1.05
Robbery was ruled out as a motive, as Stall’s body retained a gold watch and $1.05. A break in the case came when Noah Vern, Ardelia’s nephew and a clerk at Mock’s Second Hand Store, told police that Cy Wilkinson recently sought out his advice, believing he probably “would be arrested for the crime.”
Apparently that was enough to persuade the police in 1898 and Wilkinson was arrested on suspicion of murder. MPD captain Curtis Turner along with patrolmen James Cole, Hamilton Beall, John Gallagher, and William Vickery ran Wilkinson “through the ‘sweat box’ for an hour” on the night of Sept. 13.
The cops were also likely acting on a rumor. Stall had once accused Wilkinson of sleeping with one of his daughters, or as the Morning News put it, he “was on too intimate terms with Miss Stall.” Wilkinson had stayed as a boarder with the family some time back.
Wilkinson emphatically denied murdering anyone and reiterated that he never slept with Minnie or Sadie. He also denied speaking with Vern and claimed to be on friendly terms with Stall, though he noted “we were not so friendly as before he made the accusation.” Wilkinson pointed to the pleasant card game the evening before the murder. In the end, there was no actual evidence to hold Wilkinson and he was released the next morning.
Coroner Poland concluded that Stall “died from the effects of a blow on the forehead on the night of September 3, 1898; said blow having been administered by an unknown hand.” The case was never solved.
Chris Flook is a Delaware County Historical Society board member and a Senior Lecturer of Media at Ball State University. | https://www.thestarpress.com/story/news/local/2023/07/31/bygone-muncie-who-killed-william-stall/70479627007/ | 2023-07-31T11:41:10 | 1 | https://www.thestarpress.com/story/news/local/2023/07/31/bygone-muncie-who-killed-william-stall/70479627007/ |
A Libyan man who says he escaped execution by the Russian mercenary Wagner group is taking them to court in the U.S. — alleging torture and multiple human rights abuses.
Copyright 2023 NPR
A Libyan man who says he escaped execution by the Russian mercenary Wagner group is taking them to court in the U.S. — alleging torture and multiple human rights abuses.
Copyright 2023 NPR | https://www.wvia.org/2023-07-31/libyan-man-who-says-he-was-tortured-wants-to-hold-wagner-group-accountable | 2023-07-31T11:41:10 | 1 | https://www.wvia.org/2023-07-31/libyan-man-who-says-he-was-tortured-wants-to-hold-wagner-group-accountable |
This story was originally published by Chalkbeat Indiana.
The first Indiana school districts head back to school this week amid a spate of new laws and policies that will affect what happens in the classroom.
Recovering from the pandemic’s effects on student performance remains a top priority for schools, as state testing scores indicate that learning has stagnated. But new laws will also expand schools’ focus beyond postsecondary education, and more toward career exploration.
For younger students, Indiana is prioritizing reading instruction through new laws requiring curriculum and teacher training based on the science of reading, an approach to literacy that emphasizes phonics, fluency, and other principles.. Meanwhile, for middle and high schoolers, preparation for postsecondary life is the priority, with new funds earmarked for workforce training.
Public schools are also grappling with the potential impacts of an expanded voucher program, as well as laws aimed at students’ identities and school library books.
Here are five things to watch for as the school year begins.
New standards and approaches to reading
Fresh off the latest statewide testing results showing a decline in students’ reading proficiency, Indiana is continuing a push to make sure schools teach reading through evidence-based practices known as the science of reading. Several new laws and policies will shape how students learn to read this year.
Districts will be evaluating their reading curriculum materials this year to ensure they’re in line with the science of reading practices. They must adopt an approved curriculum by the 2024-25 school year.
Literacy coaches will be coming to schools where fewer than 70% of students passed the state reading assessment, as well as schools that opt in to the Indiana Department of Education’s initiative to place more of these coaches in schools.
Meanwhile, new standards in four core subjects adopted in June will also streamline what students must learn in each grade level. Officials hope this move will allow teachers to focus on the most essential skills in their lessons.
A push toward college and career
While literacy is the emphasis for younger students, middle and high schoolers will see several new initiatives aimed at preparing them for postsecondary training.
All high school seniors will have to fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid next spring due to a new law meant to increase Indiana’s college-going rate.
High schoolers will also have access to the state’s new career scholarship accounts, which provide grants for workforce training that they can use outside of traditional high school programs. As part of that new law, students will also attend career fairs throughout the year.
Eligible middle school students, meanwhile, will be automatically enrolled in the 21st Century Scholars program, which covers tuition and fees at an in-state college or university.
A near-universal choice program
Indiana opened its private school voucher program to nearly all students during this year’s legislative session, offering public funding for students to attend private schools and potentially leading to major changes in the state’s enrollment landscape.
It’s not immediately clear how many more students will participate in the program, or whether new participants will primarily be students who are already enrolled in private schools. But declines in enrollment at public schools could create instability in district budgets and affect the students who remain.
The approaching end of ESSER spending
Districts are facing final deadlines to commit the second and third rounds of federal COVID funding — known as Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief, or ESSER — in September 2023 and September 2024, respectively.
With Indiana no longer allowed to charge families for textbooks and devices, some districts could use federal funds to provide these course materials. Conversely, districts that relied on federal funding for long-term costs like staffing may face a crunch as they figure out how to fold those positions into their budgets.
The state education department’s spending tracker shows that the state has reimbursed schools for around 84% of ESSER II dollars and 46% of ESSER III dollars as of July 17, though these figures don’t represent schools’ expenditures in real time.
The effects of laws aimed at students’ identity
The Indiana legislature this year passed several laws that seek to control how sex and gender are discussed and dealt with in schools.
Among them is a requirement for schools to notify parents if their children request to change their names or pronouns, passed over LGBTQ advocates’ concerns that it could put youth at risk at home. The law also bans sex education lessons in preschool to third grade.
Districts will also grapple with a law that requires them to publish their library catalogs and create procedures for parents and others to request the removal of books. Supporters of the law said it was meant to keep obscene material out of kids’ hands, while librarians said such material isn’t in their libraries to begin with.
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Ball State pitchers ink MLB contracts, react to 'dream come true' of going pro
MUNCIE, Ind. — Ball State baseball had three pitchers — Trennor O'Donnell, Ryan Brown and Ty Johnson — selected in the 2023 MLB Draft on July 9-11 in Seattle, and another, Ty Weatherly, sign afterward as a free agent.
It's the largest class of Cardinals to enter MLB organizations in a single year since 2016. Not only were they thrilled to achieve a lifelong dream, they all agreed it was even better to share with teammates.
"We were talking before the year … about just that group that I played with for multiple years that we could all potentially get drafted and signed, and that's what happened," Brown said. "Man, it was really cool to see that, especially from a mid-major school like Ball State."
More:Ball State football MAC media day takeaways: QB battle, transfers, training camp focus
All four had different paths to the pros, reactions to daft night, contract money and schedules since starting their next chapter.
Trennor O'Donnell (Boston Red Sox, 8th round, 238th pick)
O'Donnell, BSU's ace, pitched his way to being the first Cardinal off the board with a stellar finish to his final campaign.
The Second Team All-Mid-American Conference and ABCA Midwest All-Region selection notched a 2.93 ERA and 97 strikeouts, which ranked 37th and 61st in the NCAA, respectively. His final month was even better, allowing just seven earned runs over five starts and 31 innings pitched, including a complete game in the MAC tournament semifinals against host Kent State and 7 1/3 IP of two-run ball against host Kentucky in the NCAA Regionals.
That late-season surge undoubtedly vaulted O'Donnell up draft boards and into the Boston Red Sox organization, which signed the Texas native to the pick value of $201,000, according to MLB.com.
"O'Donnell pitched his best games the last two games of his career, two of the best games that he had ever pitched when the team had to have it," BSU head coach Rich Maloney said. "What a testament to his character, his hard work, his passion, his competitiveness."
"I think my last few outings were huge for me ... proving to scouts and to teams that I'm good enough and I'm a draft guy," O'Donnell said. "Before those two games, I probably would have been a little bit nervous going into the draft, but after those two outings I was pretty confident and I just felt good about it."
More:Why Charlotte Vinson 'fell in love with IU' volleyball over top programs around the nation
O'Donnell shared draft day in Texas with his family. He had the draft on the television in addition to the selection ticker on his computer, and when his girlfriend caught the first glimpse of his name pop up on the laptop, she ignited a celebration that carried into dinner that evening.
He and his family had a hunch Boston would choose him. O'Donnell said the Red Sox and Houston Astros were the teams most in contact with his advisor, and he's ecstatic to join one of the most storied franchises in the sport.
"It was a dream come true, and it was an incredible moment," O'Donnell said. "It felt like it was just a lot of hard work for me that just paid off, and finally seeing it actually happen for me it was something I'm really proud of."
The Red Sox want him to work on his all-around development, according to O'Donnell, and likely won't have him pitch in a game until next spring because of his high workload (92 IP) in 2023.
The 22-year-old is currently at the team's spring training facility, JetBlue Park, in Fort Myers, Florida, learning about the organization, meeting new peers and working out. He even linked with Zach Putnam, BSU's late-season pitching coach addition who O'Donnell said is also at the facility working.
Between a seemingly nonstop string of texts and calls, as well as interacting with new teammates and coaches, O'Donnell has received plenty of advice on how to handle his new life. Maloney, who played in the minor leagues from 1986-91, said separator is often more mental and physical.
It's a challenge O'Donnell, already equipped with a standout work ethic, hopes he can handle.
"I'd say the main (advice) that kind of stuck out to me was just like embrace the grind. It's gonna suck at times. There's a lot of traveling and it's just a lot of baseball," O'Donnell said. "People are gonna get moved up that aren't doing as well as you. It might confuse you, but just stay the course and just trust that your time is coming and just keep working hard and trust the process."
Ryan Brown (Los Angeles Dodgers, 9th round, 280th pick)
Of all the Cardinals, Brown might've had the most unique path to the pros.
Following a breakout debut campaign in 2022 (2.14 ERA, 46 1/3 IP, 65 Ks) that saw him win MAC Freshman Pitcher of the Year, Brown entered 2023 as D1 Baseball's No. 49 prospect in the country.
It was a meteoric rise for the Michigan native after redshirting his first year, yet his second spring provided several challenges. Following a hot start to the season when he allowed just one hit and zero earned runs in his first 11 IP, Brown's performance was up and down before missing nearly six weeks because of an elbow injury he suffered in April.
He returned for the postseason and made three appearances, each less successful than the last. In his final outing, Brown allowed one hit and two walks without recording an out.
The 20-year-old's command simply wasn't there, and only after the season ended did he find out why.
"At first it was like it was just a partial tear, but I got a cortisone shot because (maybe) it was a nerve problem," Brown said. "It was a long process, but that MRI that I took earlier in the year was clouded, so it turns out my UCL was fully torn the whole time."
Brown had ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) reconstruction, or "Tommy John surgery," in early July. With such a long recovery process ahead and coming off a season that didn't show his full potential, Brown figured his draft stock dipped.
He knew the Dodgers were interested because they reached out to his advisor the night before, and LA liked his talent enough to sign him to the pick-value amount of $173,600.
Brown joins one of the premiere organizations in all of sports, well respected for their developmental capabilities. He's already been impressed by the medical staff and is happy to be working with them.
"It was everything I dreamed of and more," Brown said. "It was a great experience."
"The Dodgers have a great rehab. program, so that'll be perfect for Ryan Brown," Maloney said.
Brown believes the Dodgers like his changeup and arm slot. He and the team are currently mapping out a tentative recovery timeline, during which he expects to be throwing again in five months and pitching in a game sometime in July 2024.
Maloney sees Brown as a potential fast riser once he returns to form. He recruited Brown as a catcher out of high school and is impressed by his rise through the pitching ranks despite having relatively less experience.
"I think he's got one of the quickest ascends of anybody once he gets healthy because he has an outlier pitch, the Vulcan change," Maloney said. "That creates tremendous swing and miss and it works at every level."
Brown plans to take his time recovering, though, knowing that returning too soon could do more harm than good.
For now, he'll continue getting comfortable at the Dodgers/White Sox spring training facility, Camelback Ranch, in Glendale, Arizona.
"I've just heard a lot of the same advice, like don't try and rush it, kind of listen to your body and follow the plan," Brown said. "Some guys try and come back as fast as they can, but at the end of the day, it's really 12 months versus 11 months, maybe. So I'm just going to try and come back as healthy as I can and make sure I'm ready."
Ty Johnson (Chicago Cubs, 15th round, 446th pick)
Johnson was perhaps the first Cardinal to recognize his professional potential when, as a high schooler throwing 94 mph, he was contacted by MLB scouts and participated in the Rangers' prospect camp.
His early college performance, however, provided some doubt. He tallied a 6.83 ERA in his debut BSU season, and only late this spring did Johnson feel he was truly back on MLB teams' radars.
"(It was) never a definite, but this year I knew once I hit 97 against Ohio, I kind of knew that it was going to happen," Johnson said. "That was one game that I for sure knew, like, 'This is reality.'"
Yet like Brown, Johnson struggled with injury in 2023.
He dealt with patellar tendonitis, or "jumper's knee," for much of the spring in both shins, which limited him to 22 fewer innings on the mound than in 2022 when he earned a Second Team All-MAC nod. He still notched a career-best 4.53 ERA, only without the length BSU was accustomed to from him.
The pain forced the Indianapolis native out of the No. 2 starter's role as shorter outings from the bullpen proved more manageable. But even his final two games, both of which lasted four innings, were strenuous. It showed in his performance as opponents scored 12 total runs, 10 earned.
"Those last two outings I was really pitching in a lot of pain," Johnson said. "It affected my performance. It probably did hinder my draft stock, but all I really wanted was an opportunity ... I'm just ready to run with it."
Johnson spent most of the offseason rehabbing and returning to full health. He participated in the Reds' Pro Day and said he received interest from scouts, with the Cubs only contacting him once via phone before the draft.
During the 14th round, Johnson's advisor was informed that the Cubs would make him their 15th-round pick. But Johnson, wanting to maintain some element of surprise, only told his family the round he'd go in, not the team.
Once the announcement was revealed, he was filled with excitement and, later, reflected on those who helped get him to this point.
"I was kind of thinking about all the travel coaches, all the parents and friends who have always … believed in me and told me that I could do this," Johnson said. "It's kind of cool to finally have that happen and have all of them reach out."
Johnson also got some extra perks in his contract. Not only did he sign for the pick value of $125,000, according to spotrac.com, but he also said Chicago will pay for his final three semesters to get his degree from Ball State.
"It was a nice deal," Johnson said.
He is currently at the team's facility in Scottsdale, Arizona, and expects to be sent to an affiliate team soon. Johnson and Brown have even hung out and explored the area, and the two communicate daily to help navigate their new surroundings together.
Ty Weatherly (Baltimore Orioles, free agent signing)
NOTE: Ty Weatherly did not respond to The Star Press' request for an interview.
Weatherly is BSU's first non-drafted free-agent signee since 2019 (Nick Floyd) and the most experienced Cardinal to enter the next level.
He pitched 134 innings across five seasons at Ball State, achieving varying levels of success but always compiling strikeouts. Weatherly's final campaign was his most complete, hurling a career-high 67 1/3 innings with a 6.82 ERA and 74 Ks, which ranked second on the roster.
Arguably the best outing of his career came on May 13 against Miami (Ohio), when he pitched seven shutout innings with a career-high 11 strikeouts, two walks and three hits allowed.
Maloney commended the Michigan native's ability to step into a more premiere starting role after multiple BSU pitchers were injured. He's always known that Weatherly, at 6-feet-6-inches, has a high upside and hopes professional coaches can continue helping him develop consistency.
"He showed signs, like he has throughout his career, of being a high-level pitcher, a prospect," Maloney said. "This year he had more longer outings that he had ever experienced in his career, which was a real positive and the team had to have it. So having him sign as a free agent was really good for our program a great for Ty. We're really excited for him."
Weatherly joins a fast-rising Orioles organization that stockpiled minor-league talent during recent losing seasons. He's currently in Sarasota, Florida, close to O'Donnell.
"He was my roommate and one of my best friends, and he's actually like an hour down the road," O'Donnell said. "I'm sure we'll probably meet up and hang out down here on the weekend or something. Maybe go to the beach or something.
"But I'm excited for him, too. He deserves it. Hard-working dude and he's got a lot of upside. So I'm excited to see what an organization can with him."
Gus Martin is a sports reporter at The Star Press. Follow him on Twitter @GusMartin_SP, and contact him at gmartin@gannett.com. | https://www.thestarpress.com/story/sports/college/ball-state/2023/07/31/ball-state-baseball-pitchers-mlb-draft-contract-amount-trennor-odonnell-ty-johnson-ryan-brown-2023/70420207007/ | 2023-07-31T11:41:14 | 1 | https://www.thestarpress.com/story/sports/college/ball-state/2023/07/31/ball-state-baseball-pitchers-mlb-draft-contract-amount-trennor-odonnell-ty-johnson-ryan-brown-2023/70420207007/ |
The tech giant made the line of sneakers as a one-time gift for its employees in the '90s. A size 10.5 pair has found its way onto the Sotheby's website, where it's on sale for $50,000.
Copyright 2023 NPR
The tech giant made the line of sneakers as a one-time gift for its employees in the '90s. A size 10.5 pair has found its way onto the Sotheby's website, where it's on sale for $50,000.
Copyright 2023 NPR | https://www.wvia.org/news/news/business/2023-07-31/a-pair-of-white-sneakers-made-specifically-for-apple-employees-is-up-for-auction | 2023-07-31T11:41:14 | 0 | https://www.wvia.org/news/news/business/2023-07-31/a-pair-of-white-sneakers-made-specifically-for-apple-employees-is-up-for-auction |
IBJ personal finance columnist Pete the Planner has a teen and a tween at home. Pete has been helping people with family finances for decades, and even he admits now to being humbled in this new season of his financial life by numerous large or unusual obligations. As he puts it in an upcoming column for IBJ, Pete is bracing for many years of “financial chaos.” He also finds himself in the uncomfortable position of using the advice he has given older families over the years and realizing that it’s tougher to follow than he thought.
In this week’s edition of the IBJ Podcast, Pete and host Mason King take an in-depth look at three of the most expensive seasons of parenting—roughly the infant and toddler years, the teen years, and the young-adult years. The latter period often coincides with the years parents are required to help support their own parents. You often hear that referred to as the “sandwich generation.” Pete runs through some of the biggest and most surprising expenses over these three seasons and ways to avoid or soften the blows. He also suggests a quick exercise to help you figure out the timing of these rough patches relative to your age, your kids’ ages, and the ages of your parents.
Please enable JavaScript to view this content. | https://www.ibj.com/articles/ibj-podcast-pete-the-planner-faces-the-financial-chaos-of-raising-teenagers | 2023-07-31T11:41:14 | 0 | https://www.ibj.com/articles/ibj-podcast-pete-the-planner-faces-the-financial-chaos-of-raising-teenagers |
News Business 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.wvia.org/news/news/business/2023-07-31/morning-news-brief | 2023-07-31T11:41:23 | 1 | https://www.wvia.org/news/news/business/2023-07-31/morning-news-brief |
News National How beavers are helping restore wetlands and create buffers against wildfires Published July 31, 2023 at 7:23 AM EDT Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Listen • 1:43 Some experts now see beavers — nature's helpers — as their dams can mitigate the effects of drought and wildfires. Copyright 2023 NPR | https://www.wvia.org/news/news/npr-national/2023-07-31/how-beavers-are-helping-restore-wetlands-and-create-buffers-against-wildfires | 2023-07-31T11:41:24 | 0 | https://www.wvia.org/news/news/npr-national/2023-07-31/how-beavers-are-helping-restore-wetlands-and-create-buffers-against-wildfires |
NPR's Leila Fadel talks with former Trump White House attorney Ty Cobb about the federal investigation into efforts to overturn the election, and the potential legal jeopardy for the former president.
Copyright 2023 NPR
NPR's Leila Fadel talks with former Trump White House attorney Ty Cobb about the federal investigation into efforts to overturn the election, and the potential legal jeopardy for the former president.
Copyright 2023 NPR | https://www.wvia.org/news/news/politics/2023-07-31/another-indictment-against-trumps-efforts-to-undermine-democracy-could-come-soon | 2023-07-31T11:41:25 | 1 | https://www.wvia.org/news/news/politics/2023-07-31/another-indictment-against-trumps-efforts-to-undermine-democracy-could-come-soon |
CrossFit Games no longer in Madison next year
MADISON, Wis. (WMTV) - After it was announced in January that the NOBULL CrossFit Games would remain in Madison for 2024, a Destination Madison spokesperson confirms Saturday morning that’s no longer the case.
This year will be the final one for the Games in the capital city, Destination Madison Director of Communications & Public Affairs Rob Gard said Saturday. CrossFit said in January that it considered Madison an ideal place to host the Games, citing the city’s natural beauty, culture and recreational opportunities as a benefit.
CrossFit said in a statement Saturday that it was grateful to have had Madison as its host for all these years and that its goal is to bring the Games to other communities.
“The CrossFit Games gives us an opportunity to engage with our existing community and also expose new people to CrossFit,” the organization stated. “Over time, our goal is to bring the Games to more regions around the world. We’ve had an incredible run in Madison and we’re so grateful to the city and local community.”
The statement indicated that the location of next year’s Games will be announced at the end of the current season. No other information was provided on why the location changed.
Madison has hosted the multi-day sporting event, which provides a platform to determine the “Fittest on Earth,” since 2017. The CrossFit Games initially announced in May of 2022 that the 2023 Games would be the final year in Madison, then reversed course in the January announcement.
Destination Madison estimates the Games generate over $12 million for tourism in Dane County. More than 50,000 people showed up at the 2022 competition.
The 2023 games begin Tuesday, Aug. 1, and run through Sunday, Aug. 6.
Copyright 2023 WMTV. All rights reserved. | https://www.wbay.com/2023/07/31/crossfit-games-no-longer-madison-next-year/ | 2023-07-31T11:41:59 | 1 | https://www.wbay.com/2023/07/31/crossfit-games-no-longer-madison-next-year/ |
Georgia man electrocuted after jumping into lake
ATLANTA (WANF/Gray News) - A Georgia man is dead after jumping into Lake Lanier Thursday evening, WANF reports.
The Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office said 24-year-old Thomas Shepard Milner jumped into the lake from his family’s dock near Dove Trail and was electrocuted when he entered the water.
A family friend told investigators they heard Milner scream for help and tried to get him out of the water using a ladder.
When that didn’t work, neighbors stepped in to help and took a boat out to Milner, the sheriff’s office said. The person in the boat jumped in the water to pull Milner out but reported feeling a burning sensation, which they immediately recognized as an electric shock.
After swimming to shore and turning off the power box near the dock, the person returned to the water to pull Milner back to shore, according to investigators.
Witnesses told authorities Milner’s uncle administered CPR until emergency medical crews got to the scene. The 24-year-old was rushed to Northside Forsyth Hospital. He died from his injuries the next day.
Milner’s mother, Martha Milner, told WANF her son was gentle and kind and loved the lake.
“Shepard was known for his quirkiness, his humor and his dedication,” she said.
According to Martha Milner, the dock at their lake property was less than three years old and outfitted with electricity by a licensed electrician.
Boaters like Chris Morris were saddened to hear about the death on Sunday.
“It’s a freak accident,” he said.
It is unclear why the water was electrified.
The investigation remains ongoing.
Copyright 2023 WANF via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.wbay.com/2023/07/31/georgia-man-electrocuted-after-jumping-into-lake/ | 2023-07-31T11:42:05 | 0 | https://www.wbay.com/2023/07/31/georgia-man-electrocuted-after-jumping-into-lake/ |
Lawsuit alleges flight attendants served too much alcohol to passenger that groped woman, her daughter
(CNN) - A passenger is suing Delta Airlines, claiming flight attendants overserved alcohol to a man who became drunk while on board and groped a mother and her teenage daughter.
The alleged incident happened during an international flight last summer.
The suit claims the flight attendants ignored the mother’s pleas for them to stop serving alcohol to the man and that the passenger was making them feel unsafe.
The plaintiffs in the case said during the nine-hour flight from New York to Greece, the man made obscene gestures and sexually assaulted the 16-year-old girl sitting next to him.
When the plane landed in Greece, the man was allowed to walk free despite the mother’s request that authorities arrest him in Athens.
Delta has not commented on the suit but says the airline has zero tolerance for passengers who engage in inappropriate or unlawful behavior.
Copyright 2023 CNN Newsource. All rights reserved. | https://www.wbay.com/2023/07/31/lawsuit-alleges-flight-attendants-served-too-much-alcohol-passenger-that-groped-woman-her-daughter/ | 2023-07-31T11:42:18 | 1 | https://www.wbay.com/2023/07/31/lawsuit-alleges-flight-attendants-served-too-much-alcohol-passenger-that-groped-woman-her-daughter/ |
“Numerous” vehicles at Fox Cities Stadium were intentionally damaged, police say
GRAND CHUTE, Wis. (WBAY) - One person was arrested after police say “numerous” vehicles were intentionally damaged at Fox Cities Stadium in Grand Chute.
Police said they were initially called to the stadium on N. Casaloma Dr. at 8:41 Friday night for a damage complaint. Authorities found more vehicles and additional victims are coming forward after discovering damage.
Police didn’t detail how the vehicles were damaged and they don’t have an estimate yet for how much the damage will cost.
The suspect is in the Outagamie County Jail, but Grand Chute police still want to hear from anyone who has information about what happened. You can contact the Grand Chute Police Department by calling (920) 832-1575, texting GCPD and your tip to 847411 -- your text will remain anonymous -- or using the Grand Chute Police app.
Copyright 2023 WBAY. All rights reserved. | https://www.wbay.com/2023/07/31/numerous-vehicles-fox-cities-stadium-were-intentionally-damaged-police-say/ | 2023-07-31T11:42:25 | 1 | https://www.wbay.com/2023/07/31/numerous-vehicles-fox-cities-stadium-were-intentionally-damaged-police-say/ |
WARM, BUT NOT TOO HUMID... BUT HAZY FROM SOME SMOKE
Your First Alert Weather Forecast:
Here we go again... Another plume of Canadian wildfire smoke is heading into Wisconsin. It’s going to occasionally give us a hazy glow through Tuesday morning. This will be especially noticeable towards this evening’s sunset. Thankfully, most of this smoke is aloft in the sky, so we’re anticipating that our air quality will be okay.
With a mostly sunny sky, temperatures will warm up into the low to middle 80s. It’s going to be a warm final day of July, but really not all that humid for this time of year. A disturbance moving through Upper Michigan might kick off an isolated afternoon thundershower towards the Menominee River and northern Door County. Most area will stay dry...
As the wind turns to the south, the humidity will rise into the midweek. Wednesday and Thursday look hot and sticky with highs near 90 degrees. We’re also expecting clusters of showers and thunderstorms through the midweek, as a cool front pushes towards the Great Lakes. Right now, the risk of severe weather is LOW, but an upgrade might be necessary depending on the timing of these storms... Please make sure you check back in with us for forecast updates.
And here’s a FIRST ALERT for you... Early indications suggest that Saturday evening’s Packers Family Night will be dry, but clouds will be increasing. Showers and thunderstorms seem more likely to pass through the area on Sunday. We’ll be adjusting our forecast during the week, as we get more refined data in the First Alert Weather Center.
You can always keep our forecast handy with our free weather app. Look for the WBAY First Alert Weather App in the Apple app store and Google Play (click here on your mobile device).
WIND & WAVES FORECAST:
TODAY: W/NW 5-10 KTS, WAVES: 0-2′
FRIDAY: NE/SE 5-10 KTS, WAVES: 0-2′
TODAY: Hazy sunshine. Warm, but not humid. A stray thundershower NORTHEAST? HIGH: 84
TONIGHT: Hazy moonlight. A mild night. Patchy fog late. LOW: 59
TUESDAY: Partly cloudy. Hazy in the morning. Very warm. HIGH: 85 LOW: 63
WEDNESDAY: Hot, humid and breezy. Sunshine, then clouds. Late thunderstorms possible. HIGH: 89 LOW: 66
THURSDAY: Early thunderstorms, then sunshine. Hot, humid and breezy. HIGH: 90 LOW: 65
FRIDAY: Partly cloudy. Warm, but turning less humid late. HIGH: 82 LOW: 60
SATURDAY: A mix of sun and clouds. Warm and a bit breezy. HIGH: 82 LOW: 62
SUNDAY: Partly sunny and breezy. Scattered showers and thunderstorms. HIGH: 81
Copyright 2023 WBAY. All rights reserved. | https://www.wbay.com/2023/07/31/warm-not-too-humid-hazy-some-smoke/ | 2023-07-31T11:42:25 | 1 | https://www.wbay.com/2023/07/31/warm-not-too-humid-hazy-some-smoke/ |
WATCH: Concertgoer throws drink at Cardi B; she hurls microphone at them
Published: Jul. 31, 2023 at 5:58 AM CDT|Updated: 44 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.wbay.com/2023/07/31/watch-concertgoer-throws-drink-cardi-b-she-hurls-microphone-them/ | 2023-07-31T11:42:40 | 1 | https://www.wbay.com/2023/07/31/watch-concertgoer-throws-drink-cardi-b-she-hurls-microphone-them/ |
Elvina Kalieva 2023 Livesport Prague Open 2021 Odds
Elvina Kalieva's round of 32 match in the Livesport Prague Open 2021 will be versus Linda Noskova. Kalieva is +4000 to win this tournament at Tennis Club Sparta Praha.
Find all the latest odds for the 2023 Livesport Prague Open 2021 and place your bets with a new user bonus from BetMGM.
Kalieva at the 2023 Livesport Prague Open 2021
- Next Round: Round of 32
- Tournament Dates: July 28 - August 6
- Venue: Tennis Club Sparta Praha
- Location: Prague, Czechia
- Court Surface: Hard
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Kalieva's Next Match
Kalieva will meet Noskova in the round of 32 on Tuesday, August 1 at 5:00 AM ET, after getting past Tayisiya Morderger 6-2, 6-3 in the qualification final.
Kalieva is listed at +375 to win her next matchup against Noskova. Check out the latest odds for the entire field at BetMGM.
Want to bet on Kalieva? Head to BetMGM using our link for a bonus bet special offer for new players!
Kalieva Stats
- Kalieva defeated Morderger 6-2, 6-3 on Sunday in the qualifying round.
- In five tournaments over the past year, Kalieva is yet to win a title, and her overall record is 3-5.
- Kalieva has a record of 2-3 on hard courts over the last 12 months.
- In her eight matches over the past year, across all court surfaces, Kalieva has averaged 18.6 games.
- On hard courts, Kalieva has played five matches over the past 12 months, and she has totaled 20.8 games per match while winning 49.0% of games.
- Over the past year, Kalieva has been victorious in 12.5% of her return games and 28.6% of her service games.
- Kalieva has claimed 50% of her service games on hard courts and 11.1% of her return games over the past 12 months.
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© 2023 Data Skrive. All rights reserved. | https://www.wbay.com/sports/betting/2023/07/28/elvina-kalieva-livesport-prague-open-2021-betting-odds/ | 2023-07-31T11:42:46 | 1 | https://www.wbay.com/sports/betting/2023/07/28/elvina-kalieva-livesport-prague-open-2021-betting-odds/ |
Georgia man electrocuted after jumping into lake
ATLANTA (WANF/Gray News) - A Georgia man is dead after jumping into Lake Lanier Thursday evening, WANF reports.
The Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office said 24-year-old Thomas Shepard Milner jumped into the lake from his family’s dock near Dove Trail and was electrocuted when he entered the water.
A family friend told investigators they heard Milner scream for help and tried to get him out of the water using a ladder.
When that didn’t work, neighbors stepped in to help and took a boat out to Milner, the sheriff’s office said. The person in the boat jumped in the water to pull Milner out but reported feeling a burning sensation, which they immediately recognized as an electric shock.
After swimming to shore and turning off the power box near the dock, the person returned to the water to pull Milner back to shore, according to investigators.
Witnesses told authorities Milner’s uncle administered CPR until emergency medical crews got to the scene. The 24-year-old was rushed to Northside Forsyth Hospital. He died from his injuries the next day.
Milner’s mother, Martha Milner, told WANF her son was gentle and kind and loved the lake.
“Shepard was known for his quirkiness, his humor and his dedication,” she said.
According to Martha Milner, the dock at their lake property was less than three years old and outfitted with electricity by a licensed electrician.
Boaters like Chris Morris were saddened to hear about the death on Sunday.
“It’s a freak accident,” he said.
It is unclear why the water was electrified.
The investigation remains ongoing.
Copyright 2023 WANF via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.wistv.com/2023/07/31/georgia-man-electrocuted-after-jumping-into-lake/ | 2023-07-31T11:43:23 | 0 | https://www.wistv.com/2023/07/31/georgia-man-electrocuted-after-jumping-into-lake/ |
Lawsuit alleges flight attendants served too much alcohol to passenger that groped woman, her daughter
(CNN) - A passenger is suing Delta Airlines, claiming flight attendants overserved alcohol to a man who became drunk while on board and groped a mother and her teenage daughter.
The alleged incident happened during an international flight last summer.
The suit claims the flight attendants ignored the mother’s pleas for them to stop serving alcohol to the man and that the passenger was making them feel unsafe.
The plaintiffs in the case said during the nine-hour flight from New York to Greece, the man made obscene gestures and sexually assaulted the 16-year-old girl sitting next to him.
When the plane landed in Greece, the man was allowed to walk free despite the mother’s request that authorities arrest him in Athens.
Delta has not commented on the suit but says the airline has zero tolerance for passengers who engage in inappropriate or unlawful behavior.
Copyright 2023 CNN Newsource. All rights reserved. | https://www.wistv.com/2023/07/31/lawsuit-alleges-flight-attendants-served-too-much-alcohol-passenger-that-groped-woman-her-daughter/ | 2023-07-31T11:43:29 | 0 | https://www.wistv.com/2023/07/31/lawsuit-alleges-flight-attendants-served-too-much-alcohol-passenger-that-groped-woman-her-daughter/ |
BEIJING, July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- 36Kr Holdings Inc. ("36Kr" or the "Company") (NASDAQ: KRKR), a prominent brand and a pioneering platform dedicated to serving New Economy participants in China, today announced the launch of its 36Kr Media Lab in Silicon Valley, an initiative to embrace the large language models (LLM) revolution taking place in the content creation industry and optimize the application of artificial intelligence (AI) for the new economy sector.
36Kr Silicon Valley Media Lab's first project leveraging LLM, "Empty Office," will experimentally explore scenarios where AI can think and work as humans, enhancing content production efficiency and reducing costs. Through "Empty Office," 36Kr is also building innovative media solutions that will transform traditional video, graphic and text communications into avant-garde dialogues between customized AI characters and audiences. These network-based dialogues will be naturally and seamlessly driven by real-time data generation, and available anytime, anywhere.
At the same time, 36Kr Silicon Valley Media Lab continues to focus on tailoring its LLM to the new economy sector. By utilizing dedicated financial and business datasets, including enterprises' financial results, news, market dynamics and knowledge repositories, among other resources, to train its LLM to thoroughly understand and analyze business information, 36Kr has developed a model that keenly grasps the business nuances to generate accurate analysis and interpretation. 36Kr Silicon Valley Media Lab constantly maintains its database, serving as the reference foundation to ensure that its fact-based model produces rigorous and up-to-date business and financial analysis.
Furthermore, 36Kr's professionally-training, fine-tuning capability enables its LLM-empowered "Empty Office" to quickly and efficiently create informative content for the new economy sector. For instance, in the case of a business event, such as a new product launch, an AI agent can instantly extract relevant data from the database, automatically perform a comprehensive analysis, and issue reports within just seconds. This top-speed response gives 36Kr's business and financial-focused media platform an unrivaled edge.
Mr. Dagang Feng, Co-chairman and CEO of 36Kr, commented, "The launch of 36Kr Silicon Valley Media Lab is a testament to our AI technology acumen and vision as well as our commitment to extending media's boundaries. By integrating pioneering AI technology into content creation, 36Kr will constantly elevate the efficiency and quality of content production alongside the rapid advancement of the LLM, fostering a superior content ecosystem encompassing business, finance and technology, further turbocharging the evolution of the New Economy. As we adopt and develop more AI tools amid the technology's rapid advancement, we are strategically positioning the Company to break new ground and ultimately drive long-term growth for our business."
About 36Kr Holdings Inc.
36Kr Holdings Inc. is a prominent brand and a pioneering platform dedicated to serving New Economy participants in China with the mission of empowering New Economy participants to achieve more. The Company started its business with high-quality New Economy-focused content offerings, covering a variety of industries in China's New Economy with diverse distribution channels. Leveraging traffic brought by high-quality content, the Company has expanded its offerings to business services, including online advertising services, enterprise value-added services, and subscription services, to address the evolving needs of New Economy companies and upgrading needs of traditional companies. The Company is supported by a comprehensive database and strong data analytics capabilities. Through diverse service offerings and significant brand influence, the Company is well-positioned to continuously capture the high growth potential of China's New Economy.
For more information, please visit: http://ir.36kr.com.
Safe Harbor Statement
This announcement contains forward-looking statements. These statements are made under the "safe harbor" provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as "will," "expects," "anticipates," "future," "intends," "plans," "believes," "estimates," "confident" and similar statements. Statements that are not historical facts, including statements about the Company's beliefs and expectations, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties. A number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement, including but not limited to the following: the Company's goal and strategies; the Company's future business development, results of operations and financial condition; relevant government policies and regulations relating to our business and industry; the Company's expectations regarding the use of proceeds from this offering; the Company's expectations regarding demand for, and market acceptance of, its services; the Company's ability to maintain and enhance its brand; the Company's ability to provide high-quality content in a timely manner to attract and retain users; the Company's ability to retain and hire quality in-house writers and editors; the Company's ability to maintain cooperation with third-party professional content providers; the Company's ability to maintain relationships with third-party platforms; general economic and business conditions in China; possible disruptions in commercial activities caused by natural or human-induced disasters; and assumptions underlying or related to any of the foregoing. Further information regarding these and other risks is included in the Company's filings with the SEC. All information provided in this press release and in the attachments is as of the date of this press release, and the Company undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement, except as required under applicable law.
For investor and media inquiries, please contact:
In China:
36Kr Holdings Inc.
Investor Relations
Tel: +86 (10) 8965-0708
E-mail: ir@36kr.com
The Piacente Group, Inc.
Jenny Cai
Tel: +86 (10) 6508-0677
E-mail: 36Kr@tpg-ir.com
In the United States:
The Piacente Group, Inc.
Brandi Piacente
Tel: +1-212-481-2050
E-mail: 36Kr@tpg-ir.com
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SOURCE 36Kr Holdings Inc. | https://www.wistv.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/36kr-launches-silicon-valley-media-lab-empower-content-ecosystem-with-llm-based-ai-technology/ | 2023-07-31T11:43:35 | 0 | https://www.wistv.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/36kr-launches-silicon-valley-media-lab-empower-content-ecosystem-with-llm-based-ai-technology/ |
- 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.wistv.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/blitz-insurance-partners-with-ascend-expand-payment-financing-offerings/ | 2023-07-31T11:43:48 | 0 | https://www.wistv.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/blitz-insurance-partners-with-ascend-expand-payment-financing-offerings/ |
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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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.wistv.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/hilton-garden-inn-la-romana-dominican-republic-celebrates-its-opening/ | 2023-07-31T11:44:01 | 0 | https://www.wistv.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/hilton-garden-inn-la-romana-dominican-republic-celebrates-its-opening/ |
- CARDIO-TTRansform is the largest, most comprehensive ATTR-CM study with more than 1,400 patients enrolled
- Eplontersen is currently under U.S. FDA review for ATTRv-polyneuropathy, with ATTR-CM representing a second, larger potential patient population
CARLSBAD, Calif., July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: IONS) today announced the completion of enrollment in the Phase 3 CARDIO-TTRansform cardiovascular outcomes study of eplontersen in patients with transthyretin-mediated amyloid cardiomyopathy (ATTR-CM), a large and growing patient population at risk of life-threatening cardiovascular (CV) events. The study enrolled more than 1,400 patients.
Eplontersen is an investigational antisense medicine designed to inhibit the production of transthyretin and slow the progression of cardiomyopathy for people living with hereditary or wild-type ATTR-CM.
"CARDIO-TTRansform is the largest and most comprehensive ATTR-CM study ever conducted. The evaluation of eplontersen in this broad, diverse patient population will enable robust and clinically meaningful analysis of the composite endpoint of CV mortality and recurrent CV events," said Eugene Schneider, M.D., executive vice president and chief clinical development officer for Ionis. "It will also allow us to gather data from important patient subsets, including patients with or without stabilizer therapy and those with or without hereditary disease within the evolving ATTR-CM landscape. We look forward to reporting results as early as the first half of 2025."
As part of a global development and commercialization agreement, Ionis and AstraZeneca are seeking regulatory approval for eplontersen for the treatment of transthyretin-mediated amyloid polyneuropathy (ATTRv-PN) in the U.S. and plan to seek regulatory approval in Europe and other parts of the world. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration accepted the New Drug Application for eplontersen for the treatment of ATTRv-PN with a PDUFA action date of Dec. 22, 2023. Eplontersen was granted Orphan Drug Designation in the U.S.
For more information on the CARDIO-TTRansform study, please visit www.clinicaltrials.gov (NCT04136171).
About the CARDIO-TTRansform Study
CARDIO-TTRansform is a global, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled Phase 3 cardiovascular outcome study in more than 1,400 patients with ATTR cardiomyopathy (ATTR-CM). It is designed to compare eplontersen to placebo in patients with both wild-type ATTRwt-CM and hereditary ATTRv-CM who are either naïve to treatment or on a currently available standard of care. The primary composite endpoint is cardiovascular (CV) mortality and recurrent CV clinical events comparing the two study arms up to week 140. Secondary endpoints include the change from baseline in the 6-minute walk test (6MWT) and the Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire (KCCQ) scores at week 121, as well as the rates of CV mortality, CV clinical events and all-cause mortality at week 140.
About Eplontersen
Eplontersen is an investigational LIgand-Conjugated Antisense (LICA) medicine designed to inhibit the production of TTR protein. Eplontersen is being developed as a monthly self-administered subcutaneous injection to treat all types of ATTR. ATTR amyloidosis is a systemic, progressive and fatal disease in which patients experience multiple overlapping clinical manifestations caused by the inappropriate formation and aggregation of TTR amyloid deposits in various tissues and organs, including peripheral nerves, heart, intestinal tract, eyes, kidneys, central nervous system, thyroid and bone marrow. The progressive accumulation of TTR amyloid deposits in these tissues and organs leads to organ failure and eventually death.
About Transthyretin-mediated Amyloid Cardiomyopathy (ATTR-CM)
Transthyretin-mediated amyloid cardiomyopathy (ATTR-CM) is an underdiagnosed and potentially fatal disease. It is caused by the accumulation of misfolded TTR protein in the cardiac muscle. Patients experience ongoing debilitating heart damage resulting in progressive heart failure, which results in death within three to five years from disease onset. ATTR-CM includes both the genetic and wild-type form of the disease. Worldwide, there are an estimated 300,000 – 500,0001,2 patients with ATTR-CM.
About Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
For more than 30 years, Ionis has been a leader in RNA-targeted therapy, pioneering new markets and changing standards of care. Ionis currently has four marketed medicines and a promising late-stage pipeline highlighted by cardiovascular and neurological franchises. Our scientific innovation began and continues with the knowledge that sick people depend on us, which fuels our vision to become the leader in genetic medicine, utilizing a multi-platform approach to discover, develop and deliver life-transforming therapies.
To learn more about Ionis visit www.ionispharma.com and follow us on Twitter @ionispharma.
Ionis' Forward-looking Statements
This press release includes forward-looking statements regarding Ionis' business and the therapeutic and commercial potential of eplontersen, Ionis' technologies and other products in development. Any statement describing Ionis' goals, expectations, financial or other projections, intentions or beliefs is a forward-looking statement and should be considered an at-risk statement. Such statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties including those related to our commercial products and the medicines in our pipeline, and particularly those inherent in the process of discovering, developing and commercializing medicines that are safe and effective for use as human therapeutics, and in the endeavor of building a business around such medicines. Ionis' forward-looking statements also involve assumptions that, if they never materialize or prove correct, could cause its results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Although Ionis' forward-looking statements reflect the good faith judgment of its management, these statements are based only on facts and factors currently known by Ionis. As a result, you are cautioned not to rely on these forward-looking statements. These and other risks concerning Ionis' programs are described in additional detail in Ionis' annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended Dec. 31, 2022, and the most recent Form 10-Q quarterly filing, which are on file with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Copies of these and other documents are available from the Company.
In this press release, unless the context requires otherwise, "Ionis," "Company," "we," "our," and "us" all refer to Ionis Pharmaceuticals and its subsidiaries.
Ionis Pharmaceuticals® is a registered trademark of Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
1 Mohamed-Salem L, et al. Prevalence of wild type ATTR assessed as myocardial uptake in bone scan in the elderly population. Int J Cardiol. 2018 Nov 1;270:192-196. doi: 10.1016/j.ijcard.2018.06.006.
2 Cuscaden C, et al. Estimation of prevalence of transthyretin (ATTR) cardiac amyloidosis in an Australian subpopulation using bone scans with echocardiography and clinical correlation. J Nucl Cardiol. 2020 May 8. doi: 10.1007/s12350-020-02152-x.
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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.wistv.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/juggernaut-capital-partners-natures-one-founder-jay-highman-have-sold-natures-one-bobbie-baby-inc/ | 2023-07-31T11:44:15 | 1 | https://www.wistv.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/juggernaut-capital-partners-natures-one-founder-jay-highman-have-sold-natures-one-bobbie-baby-inc/ |
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.wistv.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/labcorp-host-investor-day-september-14-2023/ | 2023-07-31T11:44:21 | 1 | https://www.wistv.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/labcorp-host-investor-day-september-14-2023/ |
The tech giant made the line of sneakers as a one-time gift for its employees in the '90s. A size 10.5 pair has found its way onto the Sotheby's website, where it's on sale for $50,000.
Copyright 2023 NPR
The tech giant made the line of sneakers as a one-time gift for its employees in the '90s. A size 10.5 pair has found its way onto the Sotheby's website, where it's on sale for $50,000.
Copyright 2023 NPR | https://www.knau.org/2023-07-31/a-pair-of-white-sneakers-made-specifically-for-apple-employees-is-up-for-auction | 2023-07-31T11:44:22 | 1 | https://www.knau.org/2023-07-31/a-pair-of-white-sneakers-made-specifically-for-apple-employees-is-up-for-auction |
Adult Males are Slightly More Likely to Live with Parents Than Their Female Counterparts
58% of Gen Z Consumers Live with Family Members
SAN FRANCISCO, July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- LendingClub Corporation (NYSE: LC), the parent company of LendingClub Bank, America's leading digital marketplace bank, today released findings from the 24th edition of the Reality Check: Paycheck-To-Paycheck research series, conducted in partnership with PYMNTS. The Household Finances Deep Dive Edition examines the impact of household composition on consumers' ability to manage expenses and put aside savings. The series draws on insights from a survey of 4,602 U.S. consumers conducted from June 5 to June 16, as well as analysis of other economic data.
The Paycheck-to-Paycheck Landscape
In June 2023, 61% of U.S. consumers lived paycheck to paycheck, unchanged from June 2022 — as is the share of those struggling to pay bills (at 21%) — even though more middle-income consumers cited living paycheck to paycheck in June 2023 than last year. Among consumers earning $50,000 to $100,000, 65% lived paycheck to paycheck as of June 2023, compared to 60% in June 2022. Meanwhile, the shares of high-income consumers — those earning more than $100,000 annually — and low-income consumers — those earning less than $50,000 annually — living paycheck to paycheck in June 2023 sit at 45% and 77%, respectively, relatively unchanged from June 2022.
This stability in the financial situation of U.S. households indicates that consumers continue to adapt to inflationary pressures, finding ways to manage their spending and live within their means.
Household Composition Determines Financial Lifestyle
Consumers living with only a partner or spouse are likely to face less financial hardship, while those with dependents and those living with friends or housemates are more likely to live paycheck to paycheck.
The research finds that 86% of consumers live with one or more people, and one-third of paycheck-to-paycheck consumers live in households of four or more people. Consumers not living paycheck to paycheck are most likely to reside in two-person households, at 41%. Meanwhile, 49% of millennials and 55% of bridge millennials live in households of four or more people, making them the age groups most likely to reside in the largest households.
There is also a direct correlation among household size, stage of life and financial lifestyle. As household size increases, the ratio of income earners to non-earners typically falls, attributable to households with dependent children. When looking at the share of paycheck-to-paycheck consumers who live in a two-member household, the data finds that 54% do so — 7 percentage points below the sample average. Meanwhile, at 66%, consumers with children under the age of 18 are 12% more likely to live paycheck to paycheck than those without children, at 59%. Among consumers living with friends or housemates, 77% live paycheck to paycheck — the most likely to do so. This suggests that those sharing expenses with a partner or spouse fare better, that is until they have children or even parents to support.
"As household size increases, the ratio of income earners to household members typically falls, creating a higher likelihood of financial distress," said Alia Dudum, LendingClub's Money Expert. "The relationship between household income and household composition explains why many families tend to struggle financially and why millennials and bridge millennials, many of whom are in their peak child-rearing years, tend to remain financially vulnerable."
Economic Considerations Top Reason to Stay in the Family Household
Economics are the main driver for consumers to live with family longer, with 43% wanting to save money and 30% unable to afford housing independently. Besides economic reasons, consumers remain at home to maintain family ties (24%), for transitional reasons (23%), and to provide care (22%).
At one-fifth (20%), adult males are slightly more likely to live with parents than their female counterparts (18%), a phenomenon that grows significantly among those financially struggling (26% of males compared to 18% of females). At 58%, Gen Z is the generation most likely to stay with family members, with 50% citing economic reasons. Members of Gen Z living with three or more people — often familial settings — spent 22% of their income on housing, compared to 30% of those living alone or with a partner.
That said, consumers living with family members to offset expenses are not planning extended stays. For example, one-third of those consumers expect to move out in the coming year, particularly millennials and bridge millennials.
Financial Transparency Determined by Relationship Status
Financial transparency within shared households is paramount to ensure bills are paid and expenses are covered, but the transparency level depends on who consumers live with. Couples living together share financial information 87% of the time and have a joint bank account 76% of the time. Parents are also likely to discuss finances with the children residing in their household, with 45% of parents sharing financial information with their children and 34% granting them access to a shared account. Bill splitting is the most common financial interaction for consumers living with friends or housemates, at 74%. Additionally, borrowing money from other household members is a financial option many use to make ends meet, with consumers mostly engaging in this practice with parents or siblings, at 47%, and friends and housemates, at 44%.
Families and couples maintain outstanding credit card balances that are significantly higher, on average, than those of consumers who live alone. Consumers with children under the age of 18 average 50% more credit card debt than those who live alone. Families represent the lion's share of credit card spending, holding average balances of $6,300 for consumers living with a partner and $7,200 for those living with children under 18. Living with a partner or children also significantly increases a consumer's likelihood of having an auto loan or mortgage.
"With today's inflationary pressures, sharing household finances has become not only common but crucial," continued Dudum. "The increasing complexity of modern lifestyles and the rising cost of living have necessitated a shift in the way consumers approach household finances. One person solely bearing the burden of managing all financial matters has become a minority practice. Instead, couples, families, and even roommates increasingly jointly navigate their economic realities, and it's a trend that is here to stay."
To view the full report, visit: https://www.pymnts.com/study/reality-check-paycheck-to-paycheck-inflation-household-spending-shared-expenses/
Methodology
New Reality Check: The Paycheck-to-Paycheck Report — The Household Finances Deep Dive Edition is based on a census-balanced survey of 4,602 U.S. consumers conducted from June 5 to June 16, as well as analysis of other economic data. The data in this report is not intended to be a representation of LendingClub's core member base. The Paycheck-to-Paycheck series expands on existing data published by government agencies, such as the Federal Reserve System and the Bureau of Labor Statistics, to provide a deep look into the core elements of American consumers' financial wellness: income, savings, debt and spending choices. Our sample was balanced to match the U.S. adult population in a set of key demographic variables: 51% of respondents identified as female, 33% were college-educated and 38% declared incomes of more than $100,000 per year.
About LendingClub
LendingClub Corporation (NYSE: LC) is the parent company of LendingClub Bank, National Association, Member FDIC. LendingClub Bank is the leading digital marketplace bank in the U.S., where members can access a broad range of financial products and services designed to help them pay less when borrowing and earn more when saving. Based on more than 150 billion cells of data and over $85 billion in loans, our advanced credit decisioning and machine-learning models are used across the customer lifecycle to expand seamless access to credit for our members while generating compelling risk-adjusted returns for our loan investors. Since 2007, more than 4.7 million members have joined the Club to help reach their financial goals. For more information about LendingClub, visit https://www.lendingclub.com.
Contact:
For Investors: IR@lendingclub.com
Media Contact: Press@lendingclub.com
PYMNTS Contact: information@PYMNTS.com
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SOURCE LendingClub Corporation | https://www.wistv.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/lendingclub-pymnts-research-shows-86-consumers-live-with-one-or-more-people-yet-those-living-with-only-partners-or-spouses-reap-financial-benefits/ | 2023-07-31T11:44:27 | 1 | https://www.wistv.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/lendingclub-pymnts-research-shows-86-consumers-live-with-one-or-more-people-yet-those-living-with-only-partners-or-spouses-reap-financial-benefits/ |
NPR's Leila Fadel talks with former Trump White House attorney Ty Cobb about the federal investigation into efforts to overturn the election, and the potential legal jeopardy for the former president.
Copyright 2023 NPR
NPR's Leila Fadel talks with former Trump White House attorney Ty Cobb about the federal investigation into efforts to overturn the election, and the potential legal jeopardy for the former president.
Copyright 2023 NPR | https://www.knau.org/2023-07-31/another-indictment-against-trumps-efforts-to-undermine-democracy-could-come-soon | 2023-07-31T11:44:28 | 1 | https://www.knau.org/2023-07-31/another-indictment-against-trumps-efforts-to-undermine-democracy-could-come-soon |
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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How beavers are helping restore wetlands and create buffers against wildfires Published July 31, 2023 at 4:23 AM MST Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Listen • 1:43 Some experts now see beavers — nature's helpers — as their dams can mitigate the effects of drought and wildfires. Copyright 2023 NPR | https://www.knau.org/2023-07-31/how-beavers-are-helping-restore-wetlands-and-create-buffers-against-wildfires | 2023-07-31T11:44:34 | 0 | https://www.knau.org/2023-07-31/how-beavers-are-helping-restore-wetlands-and-create-buffers-against-wildfires |
A Libyan man who says he escaped execution by the Russian mercenary Wagner group is taking them to court in the U.S. — alleging torture and multiple human rights abuses.
Copyright 2023 NPR
A Libyan man who says he escaped execution by the Russian mercenary Wagner group is taking them to court in the U.S. — alleging torture and multiple human rights abuses.
Copyright 2023 NPR | https://www.knau.org/2023-07-31/libyan-man-who-says-he-was-tortured-wants-to-hold-wagner-group-accountable | 2023-07-31T11:44:40 | 0 | https://www.knau.org/2023-07-31/libyan-man-who-says-he-was-tortured-wants-to-hold-wagner-group-accountable |
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.wistv.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/opteev-develops-worlds-first-multiplex-biochip-that-precisely-identifies-covid-flu-rsv-respiratory-pathogens-under-1-minute/ | 2023-07-31T11:44:40 | 0 | https://www.wistv.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/opteev-develops-worlds-first-multiplex-biochip-that-precisely-identifies-covid-flu-rsv-respiratory-pathogens-under-1-minute/ |
Introducing the industry's first-ever utility side-by-side with a 1500cc 3-cylinder engine for more power to make tough jobs easier and the industry's only STEELDRIVE transmission for greater durability
MINNEAPOLIS, July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Polaris Off Road, the global leader in powersports and off-road innovation, is once again breaking new ground with the industry's first extreme duty utility side-by-side: the all-new RANGER XD 1500. With its unprecedented capability, brute strength and unmatched comfort, the new extreme duty class of RANGER side-by-sides are engineered with the first-ever ProStar 1500cc 3-cylinder engine that offers an industry-leading 110 horsepower, the industry-exclusive STEELDRIVE automatic transmission for greater durability and precise control, and over 70 new accessories for enhanced customization, highlighted by Polaris' exclusive Lock & Ride MAX system. The RANGER XD 1500 establishes a new benchmark for utility side-by-sides.
"We spent over five years meeting with farmers, ranchers, large acreage property owners and big game hunters to develop an extreme duty vehicle that was missing from the market. From its ProStar 1500cc engine to the industry's only STEELDRIVE transmission, RANGER XD 1500 is unlike anything else offered today and is yet another example of our relentless commitment to advancing the industry with fresh thinking and innovative solutions that meet the real-world needs of our utility customers," said Steve Menneto, President of Polaris Off Road.
"Polaris RANGER has been the No. 1 selling utility side-by-side brand for more than 15 years and with the introduction of RANGER Extreme Duty, we've taken the industry's hardest-working lineup and expanded it," said Chris Judson, Vice President of Off Road Utility. "A segment of our utility customers said they are facing exceptionally large tasks and they simply need a machine with more power, more torque, more hauling and towing capacity, and more durability. And our team set out to deliver just that, incorporating dozens of new features and the latest engineering to make the RANGER XD 1500 more capable, stronger, and more comfortable than any other utility side-by-side out there."
Unprecedented Capability
Farmers, ranchers, and large landowners routinely haul and tow heavy loads around the property, and they've been asking for a solution when it comes to their heaviest tasks. The RANGER XD 1500 delivers unprecedented capability for hard-working customers to haul more, tow more, and get more done in less time. With the industry's only 1500cc utility engine, the RANGER XD 1500 provides over 30% more power and over 50% more torque than the next closest competitor.
- ProStar 1500cc 3-Cylinder Engine – Effortless towing, hauling, and confidence in tough terrain with an industry-leading 110HP and 105 lb-ft torque.
- 1,500 lb Cargo Box Capacity – Three-quarter ton box capacity providing nearly 50% more box volume than existing models for maximum productivity with fewer trips and bigger loads.
- 3,500 lb Towing Capacity – For those routinely towing heavy loads on the property, drive better productivity with nearly 40% more towing than existing models.
- Industry-leading Ground Clearance – All RANGER XD 1500 models get 15" of ground clearance with high-clearance arched A-arms to overcome large obstacles.
Brute Strength
Utility customers asked for a more durable, longer lasting offering to maximize their uptime and drive efficiency. Designed to last longer than any model before it, RANGER XD 1500 is the industry's most durable utility side-by-side and has been engineered from the ground up to be stronger and stand up to the demands of the longest days.
- Industry-exclusive STEELDRIVE transmission – Offers a 100 percent steel constructed belt that delivers smooth, precise operation and a fully sealed, liquid-cooled design for unmatched durability.
- High-Strength Steel Heavy Duty Frame – RANGER XD 1500 has a high-strength steel one-piece chassis featuring 160 percent more torsional stiffness for a smoother ride and better cab sealing.
- Industry-leading Service Intervals – RANGER XD 1500 offers the industry's longest service intervals so customers can maximize their uptime.
Unmatched Comfort
- From the farm to remote backcountry, utility customers work from before the sun rises to after it sets, and need something that delivers all-day comfort. Beyond industry-leading capability and durability, the RANGER XD 1500 prioritizes comfort across the entire lineup to keep customers going strong on the longest days.
- Most Spacious Interior – Equipped with the most spacious and premium cab available in utility side-by-sides, the XD 1500 offers increased leg and shoulder room, making it easy to enter and exit the vehicle. Adjustable seating and a telescopic steering wheel lets drivers find the perfect fit for height and riding preferences.
- Premium Seating – Contoured seating with added bolstering provides more rider comfort along with a center seat that flips down into an armrest with additional cup holders.
- Available Heated Seats – For comfort on the coldest days, RANGER XD 1500 NorthStar Ultimate is the first utility side-by-side that comes from the factory with heated seats.
- Drive Modes – RANGER XD 1500 comes with an intuitive and easy-to-use rotary drive mode selector that lets customers choose from four different drive modes, including:
- Heating and Air Conditioning (HVAC) – Riders can stay comfortable in harsh weather conditions in the RANGER XD 1500 NorthStar Edition, featuring an all-new HVAC system and a fully-enclosed, next generation ProShield cab that's been redesigned with improved sealing to prevent dust and water intrusion, while locking in the temperature from the climate-controlled cab.
- Sun Visors – All-new integrated sun visors provide improved visibility throughout the day for added confidence while driving.
- RIDE COMMAND – Available 7" waterproof touchscreen display powered by RIDE COMMAND technology featuring a back-up camera, GPS navigation regardless of cell service, and AM/FM radio with Bluetooth® streaming capability.
- RIDE COMMAND+ – Customers can keep tabs on their vehicle directly from the Polaris App and access critical vehicle information like vehicle location, maintenance reminders, and issue diagnostics right from the palm of their hand with the industry's only connected-vehicle technology. Available from the factory on NorthStar Ultimate.
Customization
Customers have been asking for increased versatility, durability, and ease of use for the different work applications they face throughout the day. With over 70 new Polaris Engineered Accessory options designed specifically for the RANGER XD 1500, plus options from partners brands including JBL®, Rhino Rack®, Pro Armor, Kolpin, and HD Parts, customers have more opportunity than ever before to make their vehicle fit their specific needs.
- Lock & Ride MAX – Polaris' easiest to use, most versatile, and confident accessory attachment platform ever. With customizable configurations and the ability to reconfigure on the fly with no tools required, this new accessory platform allows users to prepare for their day, their way. Customers can simply choose and place their accessory, lock it in place, and ride confidently knowing their gear is secure.
- New JBL® Audio – Polaris partnered with JBL® to create the highest performing audio system ever included in a RANGER from the factory. For customers wanting to turn it up a notch, the JBL® Trail Pro 4200 audio upgrade adds rear speakers and two subwoofers for an immersive audio experience.
- Glacier Pro HD Plow – New 84" plow designed for faster, more efficient plowing during the winter months. A hydraulic plow lift and angle kit can be paired with an all-new plow controller to manage the largest plow Polaris has ever offered, all without ever leaving the comfort of the cab.
2024 RANGER XD 1500 Premium: Starting at US $29,999 / CAN $36,199
The RANGER XD 1500 Premium commands a large presence thanks to heavy-duty components and the industry's largest bumper, providing complete front-end protection. The vehicle comes equipped with one of the most comprehensive standard packages in a side-by-side to date including 29" tires, tilt steering and seat slider for customizable comfort, four drive modes, high output LED headlights for enhanced visibility, and USB ports with multiple charging capabilities. The vehicle also comes equipped with boosted brakes and heavy-duty suspension to ensure performance across a variety of off-road environments.
2024 RANGER XD 1500 NorthStar Premium: Starting at US $39,999 / CAN $48,799
The next step up is the RANGER XD 1500 NorthStar Premium. This machine features a fully enclosed cab with HVAC temperature and five different mode controls, lockable full doors with power windows and a fixed front glass windshield. Additional features include an electronically controlled power tilt bed to dump heavy loads with ease, an overhead switch panel for easy accessorization, and an overhead rear work light to illuminate the cargo box in low-light conditions. NorthStar Premium comes stock with 30" Kenda® CrossTrail tires and available 32" tires to overcome large obstacles and tough terrain.
2024 RANGER XD 1500 NorthStar Ultimate: Starting at US $44,999 / CAN $54,499
Rounding out the lineup is the RANGER XD 1500 NorthStar Ultimate, which features everything from the NorthStar Premium trim, plus the 7" infotainment display powered by RIDE COMMAND and heated seats. The NorthStar Ultimate trim also delivers an immersive sound experience, featuring full AM/FM radio with Bluetooth® streaming capability and industry-exclusive JBL® speakers for precise audio and premium sound. Finally, the vehicle comes standard with RIDE COMMAND+, allowing for vehicle health monitoring and more.
The 2024 RANGER XD 1500 lineup is expected to begin shipping to dealers in late summer. To learn more about the 2024 RANGER family, please visit https://ranger.polaris.com/en-us/ or join the conversation and follow on Facebooksm, Instagramsm, YouTubesm and Twittersm.
About Polaris
As the global leader in powersports, Polaris Inc. (NYSE: PII) pioneers product breakthroughs and enriching experiences and services that have invited people to discover the joy of being outdoors since our founding in 1954. Polaris' high-quality product line-up includes the Polaris RANGER®, RZR® and Polaris GENERAL™ side-by-side off-road vehicles; Sportsman® all-terrain off-road vehicles; military and commercial off-road vehicles; snowmobiles; Indian Motorcycle® mid-size and heavyweight motorcycles; Slingshot® moto-roadsters; Aixam quadricycles; Goupil electric vehicles; and pontoon and deck boats, including industry-leading Bennington pontoons. Polaris enhances the riding experience with a robust portfolio of parts, garments, and accessories. Proudly headquartered in Minnesota, Polaris serves more than 100 countries across the globe. www.polaris.com
Warning: vehicle rollaway can cause serious injury or death. This vehicle can roll whenever the gear selector is not in the park position. Always shift to park when stopping the engine or leaving the vehicle. When leaving the vehicle on an incline is unavoidable, use extra care. If leaving the vehicle unattended, block the rear wheels on the downhill side and keep children, pets, and others away form the gear selector. Notice: Vehicle payload and trailer weight will affect the angle of hill on which the vehicle will hold.
Kenda® is a registered trademark of Kenda Rubber Industrial Co, Ltd.
Bluetooth® is a registered trademark of Bluetooth Sig, Inc.
JBL® is a registered trademark of Harman International Industries, Incorporated
Rhino-Rack® is a registered trademark of Rhino Rack Australia Pty Limited
Unless noted, trademarks are the property of Polaris Industries Inc.
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SOURCE Polaris Inc. | https://www.wistv.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/polaris-expands-its-ranger-lineup-with-all-new-ranger-xd-1500-an-entirely-new-class-extreme-duty-utility-side-by-sides/ | 2023-07-31T11:44:47 | 0 | https://www.wistv.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/polaris-expands-its-ranger-lineup-with-all-new-ranger-xd-1500-an-entirely-new-class-extreme-duty-utility-side-by-sides/ |
Highlights Include the Return of Polaris Sportsman 570 and XP 1000 Hunt Editions, Along with a Host of
Aesthetic and Performance Upgrades Across the Lineup
MINNEAPOLIS, July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- On the heels of debuting its innovative Polaris XPEDITION and the all new Extreme Duty RANGER XD 1500, Polaris Off Road today unveiled updates for 2024 to the off-road industry's most expansive lineup. The 2024 lineup features a host of rider-inspired updates and refreshed styling and new colors. Additionally, the customer-favorite Polaris Sportsman 570 and XP 1000 Hunt editions make a return, and a Premium trim offering is now available on the 2024 GENERAL 1000 to provide customers with an upgrade in style and performance. RIDE COMMAND+ also received enhanced features for 2024, delivering unmatched connectivity and peace of mind to riders through all-new Location Bump Alerts and Check-In Messages.
"From the completely redesigned 2024 RZR XP and the industry's first "adventure side-by-side" Polaris XPEDITION, to our introduction of the all-new RANGER XD 1500, this year has been a powerful showcase of our ongoing commitment to lead the industry and innovate for our riders," said Steve Menneto, President of Polaris Off Road. "While those revolutionary product debuts are pivotal, our unwavering focus on refining and enhancing our current offerings based on customer needs and feedback remains essential, and that's what the 2024 updates represent."
From fresh new styles and colorways, to improved trim levels that appeal to a wide variety of riders, the Polaris Off Road 2024 model year lineup and RIDE COMMAND+ technology enhancements include the following:
RIDE COMMAND+:
Making its debut last fall, RIDE COMMAND+, the industry's first connected-vehicle technology, continues to roll out new enhancements to its service for 2024. With new features like Location Alerts, that will notify the owner if its vehicle has been bumped or moved from its last location, owners can now protect their vehicle more than ever before. RIDE COMMAND+ is now available as a factory option for 2024 RZR Pro R Ultimate, RANGER XD 1500 NorthStar, RANGER XP 1000 NorthStar, Polaris XPEDITION NorthStar and Sportsman XP 1000 RIDE COMMAND Edition. This service is also available on most 2024 RZR, RANGER, Sportsman and Polaris XPEDITION models as an accessory install.
Sportsman
Polaris Sportsman, the long-standing No. 1 selling automatic 4x4 ATV, is reintroducing the Sportsman 570 and XP 1000 Hunt Editions, while also implementing key improvements across the core 2024 lineup. A customer favorite, specifically designed to meet the unique needs of hunters, the Sportsman 570 and XP 1000 Hunt editions include accessories such as the 3,500 lb Polaris Winch, Kolpin Gun Scabbard & Mount, Kolpin Ratchet Claws and more.
Additionally, the 2024 Sportsman 450 and 570 lineup boasts several quality refinements for a better riding experience including a new rear brake pedal for reduced pedal effort and feel, improved sealing around the shifter, and enhanced seat fitment delivering a more comfortable ride. The 570 EPS trim and above will also include enhanced PVT clutch sealing with a higher intake location for better performance in wet conditions.
For added utility, the model year 2024 Sportsman 570 lineup will be equipped with new LED lights for the Premium and Utility HD for added visibility from dawn to dusk.
New color options also are available for the 570 Premium and Trail, 570 Ride Command Edition, Sportsman 850 Premium and Ultimate Trail, Sportsman XP 1000 Ultimate Trail, Sportsman XP 1000 High Lifter Edition, Scrambler XP 1000 S and Sportsman XP 1000 S.
The 2024 Sportsman lineup starts at $6,999 US MSRP and will begin shipping to dealers this early fall. For additional pricing on the entire model lineup, visit https://www.polaris.com/en-us/off-road/sportsman/
GENERAL
Polaris GENERAL is the industry's most versatile crossover side-by-side, capable of tackling tough trails, while also knocking out tasks around the property. For 2024, the GENERAL 1000 receives a new Premium trim offering that provides both style and performance enhancements. Featuring 14" wheels with 27" Coronado tires, and FOX® Podium QS3® shocks that riders can adjust between soft, medium and firm based on terrain changes, the new Premium trim will deliver a smooth ride over rugged terrain, while LED headlights provide greater visibility at morning and night. These upgrades will help riders knock out more tasks and hit the trails confidently in the GENERAL 1000.
Additionally, new colorways on the GENERAL 1000 model include Ghost Gray and Volcanic Orange. The Premium and Ultimate trim levels for the GENERAL XP will feature new colors and graphics in Matte Silver Quartz and Polaris Blue.
The 2024 GENERAL lineup starts at $17,499 US MSRP and will begin shipping to dealers this summer. For additional pricing on the entire model lineup, visit https://www.polaris.com/en-us/off-road/general/
RZR
Polaris RZR, the No. 1 sport side-by-side brand, receives fresh new colors and graphics across its lineup, helping riders make a bold statement when hitting the trails. The 2024 RZR Trail and RZR Trail S are now available in Storm Blue on the Sport trim and two-tone Storm Blue with White Lightning on the Ultimate. Both Sport and Ultimate trim levels now receive the same upgraded steering wheel offered in the fully-redesigned 2024 RZR XP that provides a sportier feel while driving on trails. New for 2024, the RZR Trail and Trail S Sport level feature electric power steering and LED headlights standard, providing riders easier steering input on tight trail corners and enhanced visibility. Additionally for 2024, the RZR Trail S Ultimate trim now features Walker Evans Racing® shocks, while the Sport trim moved to ZF Sachs shocks, both offering riders plush suspension performance against the rugged terrain.
For 2024, the RZR Pro XP Sport and Premium models feature Walker Evans Racing® shocks, while the Ultimate will continue to be equipped with FOX® Live Valve shocks with DYNAMIX active suspension. Both the Premium and Ultimate trim received a refresh with new graphics on the Super Graphite colorway.
Lastly and by consumer demand, the Wide Open lineup of RZR Pro R and RZR Turbo R receives refreshed color options for 2024. For the first time since launching, the RZR Pro R Ultimate is available in an all-new Matte Onyx Black with Lifted Lime accents or Matte Heavy Metal, while the Premium trim level is offered in Matte Heavy Metal. The 2024 RZR Turbo R also welcomes vibrant new colors like Velocity Blue with Green Burst accents and Military Tan with Orange Burst accents.
The 2024 RZR lineup starts at $15,999 US MSRP and will begin shipping to dealers this fall. For additional pricing on the entire model lineup, visit https://www.polaris.com/en-us/off-road/rzr/
RANGER
In addition to the newly launched Extreme Duty RANGER XD 1500, the Polaris RANGER lineup receives a variety of rider-inspired upgrades and quality refinements for 2024. RANGER SP 570 gets new color options, while the NorthStar Edition gets exclusive tailgate badging and new 25" 8-ply Pro Armor X-Terrain tires for added durability and enhanced puncture resistance.
Additionally, Polaris expands the color options for the RANGER 1000 Premium which will now be offered in the sleek Granite Grey color and graphics, while the XP 1000 will be featured in two new options: Desert Sand and Super Graphite with orange burst accents. Furthermore, the RANGER XP 1000 NorthStar Ultimate model boasts connectivity features such as vehicle health, issue diagnostics, and maintenance reminders enabled by RIDE COMMAND+.
The 2024 RANGER lineup starts at $11,699 US MSRP and will begin shipping to dealers this fall. For additional pricing on the entire model lineup, visit https://www.polaris.com/en-us/off-road/ranger/
Youth
Dedicated to inspiring the next generation of riders, Polaris Off Road delivers the industry's largest and most varied lineup of youth offerings. For 2024, the Polaris ORV Youth lineup receives a refresh with eye-catching new colors and graphics. This lineup continues to provide industry-leading safety features that give parents peace of mind and help instill confidence in growing riders, including pin code start, adjustable speed limiter, geofencing, helmet aware technology and industry-exclusive safety gear kit.
Specifically, the 2024 RZR 200 EFI is now offered in Storm Gray and a new graphic pattern with bright red accents. The Outlaw 70 EFI ATV is offered in Velocity Blue with either Lifted Lime or Fierce Fuchsia accents, while the Outlaw 110 EFI is now offered in both Bright White with Polaris Blue and Bright White with Radiant Green details.
The 2024 Polaris Youth lineup starts at $2,999 US MSRP and will begin shipping to dealers this winter. For additional pricing on the entire model lineup, visit https://www.polaris.com/en-us/off-road/shop-by-use/youth/
Polaris XPEDITION
The Polaris XPEDITION, which recently launched in May 2023, is the first-of-its-kind adventure side-by-side, combining the all-terrain capabilities of traditional side-by-sides with comfort and cargo capabilities typically associated with overlanding at the highest level. With a host of standard features and optional configurations to accommodate the greatest range of outdoor pursuits and enable consumers to keep chasing the wild, the 2024 Polaris XPEDITION XP and ADV are the most adaptable, comfortable and capable adventure machine on the market.
The 2024 Polaris XPEDITION lineup starts at $28,999 US MSRP and is currently shipping to dealers. For additional pricing on the entire model lineup, visit https://www.polaris.com/en-us/off-road/polaris-xpedition/
To learn more about the Polaris ORV 2024 lineup and to stay up to date on testing and demo opportunities, please visit https://offroad.polaris.com/en-us/ or join the conversation and follow on FacebookSM, InstagramSM, YouTubeSM and TwitterSM. Walker Evans Racing® is a registered trademark of Walker Evans Enterprises Incorporated; FOX® is a registered trademark of Fox Factory Inc.
About Polaris
As the global leader in powersports, Polaris Inc. (NYSE: PII) pioneers product breakthroughs and enriching experiences and services that have invited people to discover the joy of being outdoors since our founding in 1954. Polaris' high-quality product line-up includes the Polaris RANGER®, RZR® and Polaris GENERAL™ side-by-side off-road vehicles; Sportsman® all-terrain off-road vehicles; military and commercial off-road vehicles; snowmobiles; Indian Motorcycle® mid-size and heavyweight motorcycles; Slingshot® moto-roadsters; Aixam quadricycles; Goupil electric vehicles; and pontoon and deck boats, including industry-leading Bennington pontoons. Polaris enhances the riding experience with a robust portfolio of parts, garments, and accessories. Proudly headquartered in Minnesota, Polaris serves more than 100 countries across the globe. www.polaris.com
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SOURCE Polaris Inc. | https://www.wistv.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/polaris-off-road-stays-gas-with-2024-lineup-featuring-rider-inspired-updates-amp-refreshed-styles-its-industry-leading-range-side-by-sides-atvs/ | 2023-07-31T11:44:53 | 1 | https://www.wistv.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/polaris-off-road-stays-gas-with-2024-lineup-featuring-rider-inspired-updates-amp-refreshed-styles-its-industry-leading-range-side-by-sides-atvs/ |
BEIJING, July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- SANY Group ("SANY") has announced the 2023 employee stock ownership plan (ESOP). This is the fourth consecutive year that SANY has launched the ESOP, which gives employees an opportunity to own shares in the company through the setting up of incentive funds. The 2023 ESOP has set up a fund size of around 590 million yuan (USD 82 million) with a share repurchase price planned at 16.13 yuan per share (USD 2.24). The capital will be from the incentive funds accrued following relevant provisions of the group.
SANY has always focused on improving employee benefits and adhering to the principle of "growing together, pursuing common development, and sharing achievements." By establishing a comprehensive incentive and restraining mechanism, it aims to inspire employees' enthusiasm and creativity and align the interests of shareholders, the listed company, and individuals. This encourages all parties to join efforts to boost SANY's long-term development.
SANY's annual ESOP aims to share the fruits of the group's achievements with employees. The number of employees awarded with stock ownership incentives is growing annually, and the proportion of mid-level and key position employees is increasing year by year:
- 2020: SANY awarded 8.31 million shares to 2,264 employees, 71.52 percent were employees in mid-level management, key positions, and core business (technical) positions.
- 2021: SANY awarded 7.54 million shares to 4,205 employees, 91.33 percent were employees in mid-level management, key positions, and core business (technical) positions.
- 2022: SANY awarded 20.5 million shares to 6,996 employees, 94.26 percent were employees in mid-level management, key positions, and core business (technical) positions.
- 2023: SANY is awarding 36.62 million shares to 7,131 employees, 95.69 percent were employees in mid-level management, key positions, and core business (technical) positions.
The source of shares for the 2023 ESOP is the shares that have already been repurchased by SANY's special account. It does not exceed 36.62 million shares in total and is within one percent of SANY's current total capital stock.
In the meantime, SANY Renewable Energy (SH688349) released an announcement relating to exercising of the second exercise period of the 2020 stock option incentive plan, with 16.0368 million granted options to be exercised, with a three-year restricted period. The subsidiary is committed to becoming a global leader of clean energy equipment and services, and contributing to reaching the goals of carbon peaking and carbon neutrality.
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SOURCE SANY Group | https://www.wistv.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/sany-announces-2023-employee-stock-ownership-plan/ | 2023-07-31T11:45:00 | 0 | https://www.wistv.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/sany-announces-2023-employee-stock-ownership-plan/ |
The Avocados From Mexico® Chocolate Dulce De Leche Cupcake will be available at Sprinkles bakeries nationwide for one week beginning July 31
DALLAS, July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Talk about a perfect pairing! Avocados From Mexico®, the number one selling avocado brand in the U.S., is making National Avocado Day even better by partnering with renowned dessert bakery chain Sprinkles for a delicious collaboration – a limited-edition cupcake featuring fresh Mexican avocados.
The Avocados From Mexico® Chocolate Dulce De Leche Sprinkles cupcake is a delectable banana cupcake that's studded with pecans and generously filled with a soft dulce de leche core. And to top it all off? A zesty frosting that blends rich cream cheese and chocolate made with fresh Mexican avocados for a delightful, creamy finish.
"The new Avocados From Mexico Chocolate Dulce De Leche cupcake features the highest quality and best-tasting ingredients," said Sprinkles Vice President, Culinary, Charles Craig. "By blending fresh avocado and smooth cream cheese alongside the banana and dulce de leche cupcake, we were able to elevate all the ingredients resulting in a cupcake that is out-of-this world. We can't wait for fans to try it!"
Beginning on July 31, National Avocado Day, consumers can make their week better by enjoying Avocados From Mexico in cupcake form — available at Sprinkles nationwide through August 6.
"Avocados From Mexico make everything better, and we're so proud that our avocados will get to shine in a unique way on National Avocado Day," said Kelly Burke, Director of Brand Marketing at Avocados From Mexico. "Our brand is known for bringing the good times with great tasting avocados. We are excited to partner with a beloved brand like Sprinkles to spark good times in a new way with everyone's favorite sweet treat."
"Sprinkles Cupcakes has always taken an innovative approach to classic desserts, and this new collaboration with Avocados From Mexico is no exception," said Sprinkles CMO, Michelle Wong. "Avocados From Mexico was an obvious choice for their quality and taste, and we can't wait for our guests to discover our latest cupcake, starring this beloved fruit."
To learn more about Avocados From Mexico, visit https://avocadosfrommexico.com, Facebook (facebook.com/avocadosfrommexico), Instagram (@avocadosfrommexico) or Twitter (@AvosFromMexico). #MakeItBetter #AFMxSprinkles
About Avocados From Mexico
Avocados From Mexico is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Mexican Hass Avocado Importers Association (MHAIA), formed for the purpose of advertising, promotion, public relations and research for all stakeholders of Avocados From Mexico. Under agreements, MHAIA and the Association of Avocado Exporting Producers & Packers of Mexico (APEAM) have combined resources to fund and manage Avocados From Mexico, with the intent to provide a focused, highly- effective and efficient marketing program in the United States. Avocados From Mexico is headquartered in Irving, Texas.
About Sprinkles
Sprinkles offers premium cupcakes, cakes and cookies that are baked fresh in small batches throughout the day and handcrafted with only the finest ingredients. Sprinkles opened its first bakery in Beverly Hills in 2005, drawing long lines of loyal cupcake fans and celebrity endorsements. Sprinkles prides themselves in being passionate innovators and since debuting the world's first Cupcake ATM, the brand has introduced layer cakes, cookies and brownies, launched a national shipping platform and has grown to over 70 bakeries and ATMs coast-to-coast. Sprinkles launched domestic and international franchising in 2022. For additional information on Sprinkles, follow @sprinklescupcakes on social and visit www.sprinkles.com.
CONTACT: Ana Ambrosi, aambrosi@avocadosfrommexico.com
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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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SOURCE Taoping Inc. | https://www.wistv.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/taoping-announces-1-for-10-reverse-stock-split/ | 2023-07-31T11:45:13 | 1 | https://www.wistv.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/taoping-announces-1-for-10-reverse-stock-split/ |
This Launch Marks the Latest Expansion of the Brand's Complexion Offerings as it Doubles Down on The Skincare-Meets-Makeup Hybrid Category
NEW YORK, July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- TULA Skincare, the leading clinically proven probiotic extract powered skincare brand has announced the expansion of its complexion offerings to include concealer.
After learning that TULA's customers were looking for a skin brightening eye treatment along with a concealer, the brand created a state-of-the-art clean skincare-makeup hybrid that delivers skin-boosting benefits with high-performance medium-to-full coverage.
Available in a 20-shade range, the dermatologist-tested, Radiant Skin Brightening Serum Concealer is infused with TULA's unique Rainbow Seabright™ Elixir. This clinically-proven serum-like formula instantly conceals dark circles and discoloration for longwearing, crease-proof results, while brightening the appearance of skin over time. Additional ingredients include TULA's S6Pro Complex® - a US patent pending super six blend of prebiotics and probiotic extracts to help soothe skin, improve skin smoothness and maintain skin balance, along with eye peptides and tea leaf caffeine to help improve the look of dark circles, skin texture, and eye bags. The Radiant Skin Brightening Serum Concealer can be paired with the brand's Radiant Skin Brightening Serum Skin Tint or Filter Primer Blurring & Moisturizing Primer to help build one's complexion wardrobe, or spot conceal for a no-makeup, makeup look.
"Expanding our complexion category to include a concealer was a natural next step for us, especially knowing the strong desire our customers have had for an eye treatment with brightening benefits." said TULA Skincare CEO, Savannah Sachs. " We are excited to have another offering for our glow getters that will surely be a staple in their skincare and beauty routines."
To mark the launch, TULA will be executing a multi-channel launch campaign across its digital platform, and organic social, paid media, and influencer channels. Efforts will include launching a custom "shade finder" on tula.com to help customers find their perfect match concealer shade, highlighting content speaking to the "no-makeup, makeup" and makeup-skincare hybrid trends across TikTok and Instagram, and partnering with a curated set of influencers and providing them with an early access link exclusively for their followers to purchase the concealer prior to launch. In addition to tula.com, the concealer will launch in Ulta Beauty stores nationwide and online and will be featured in an upcoming issue of the Ulta Beauty Magazine, with in-store complexion events planned in the coming months in multiple doors.
TULA's Radiant Skin Brightening Serum Concealer will be available for purchase on July 31 on tula.com, and will retail for $32.
About TULA Skincare
TULA is a doctor-founded skincare brand built on clinically proven formulas powered by probiotic extracts. We believe that the same types of ingredients which are good for your body are also great for your skin. We focus on being healthy, not perfect and on empowering everyone to feel confident in their skin.
Media Contact: Zoe Jeans at Bux + Bewl Communications: zoe@buxandbewl.com
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SOURCE TULA Skincare | https://www.wistv.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/tula-skincare-launches-new-radiant-skin-brightening-serum-concealer/ | 2023-07-31T11:45:20 | 1 | https://www.wistv.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/tula-skincare-launches-new-radiant-skin-brightening-serum-concealer/ |
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.wistv.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/ | 2023-07-31T11:45:27 | 1 | https://www.wistv.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 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.koin.com/hill-politics/lawmakers-set-to-face-ticking-clock-on-health-care-priorities/ | 2023-07-31T11:45:31 | 1 | https://www.koin.com/hill-politics/lawmakers-set-to-face-ticking-clock-on-health-care-priorities/ |
Georgia man electrocuted after jumping into lake
ATLANTA (WANF/Gray News) - A Georgia man is dead after jumping into Lake Lanier Thursday evening, WANF reports.
The Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office said 24-year-old Thomas Shepard Milner jumped into the lake from his family’s dock near Dove Trail and was electrocuted when he entered the water.
A family friend told investigators they heard Milner scream for help and tried to get him out of the water using a ladder.
When that didn’t work, neighbors stepped in to help and took a boat out to Milner, the sheriff’s office said. The person in the boat jumped in the water to pull Milner out but reported feeling a burning sensation, which they immediately recognized as an electric shock.
After swimming to shore and turning off the power box near the dock, the person returned to the water to pull Milner back to shore, according to investigators.
Witnesses told authorities Milner’s uncle administered CPR until emergency medical crews got to the scene. The 24-year-old was rushed to Northside Forsyth Hospital. He died from his injuries the next day.
Milner’s mother, Martha Milner, told WANF her son was gentle and kind and loved the lake.
“Shepard was known for his quirkiness, his humor and his dedication,” she said.
According to Martha Milner, the dock at their lake property was less than three years old and outfitted with electricity by a licensed electrician.
Boaters like Chris Morris were saddened to hear about the death on Sunday.
“It’s a freak accident,” he said.
It is unclear why the water was electrified.
The investigation remains ongoing.
Copyright 2023 WANF via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.wsaz.com/2023/07/31/georgia-man-electrocuted-after-jumping-into-lake/ | 2023-07-31T11:45:31 | 0 | https://www.wsaz.com/2023/07/31/georgia-man-electrocuted-after-jumping-into-lake/ |
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — An escalating dispute over a gas field in the Persian Gulf poses an early challenge to a Chinese-brokered agreement to reconcile regional rivals Saudi Arabia and Iran.
Saudi Arabia and neighboring Kuwait jointly claim the offshore Al-Durra gas field. Iran says it has rights to the field, which it refers to as Arash. The two sides held talks in Iran in March but were unable to agree on a border demarcation.
A spokesman for Iran’s Foreign Ministry, Nasser Kanaani, said the country would not tolerate any infringement on its rights, echoing remarks by the country’s oil minister the previous day.
“We have expressed our readiness to engage in dialogue with the Kuwaiti side,” Kanaani told reporters Monday. “But if there is no interest in mutual utilization of this joint field, the Islamic Republic of Iran has naturally put the exploration and utilization of the resources on its agenda.”
Kuwait’s oil minister told Sky News Arabia last week that his country would commence drilling and production without waiting for a deal.
Saudi Arabia has sided with Kuwait, saying the two countries have exclusive ownership of the field, and has called on Iran to return to negotiations.
Saudi Arabia and Iran, which have backed opposite sides in conflicts across the Middle East and accused each other of destabilizing the region, formally restored diplomatic relations in April following a seven-year freeze. They have since reopened embassies and welcomed senior officials on visits.
But they continue to back opposite sides in Yemen’s civil war, which is ongoing despite a 15-month cease-fire. Saudi Arabia is also in negotiations with the United States over potentially normalizing relations with Israel, which Iran’s leaders have said should be wiped off the map.
“Any step in the direction toward normalization of ties with this aggressive regime will only serve to give it more leeway to commit more atrocities against the Palestinian nation,” Kanaani, the Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman, said.
It’s unclear whether the dispute over the gas field, which goes back to the 1960s, will escalate beyond rhetoric. But tensions are already high in the Persian Gulf, where the U.S. is building up military forces in response to what it says is Iran’s unlawful seizure of oil tankers and harassment of commercial vessels.
Saudi Arabia and Kuwait agreed last year to jointly develop the gas field. Kuwait said at the time that they aimed to produce 1 billion cubic feet of natural gas and 84,000 barrels of liquefied gas per day. Iran denounced the agreement as illegal and said it should be included in any such plans. | https://www.seattletimes.com/business/dispute-over-persian-gulf-gas-field-poses-early-challenge-to-saudi-iranian-rapprochement/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_all | 2023-07-31T11:45:31 | 1 | https://www.seattletimes.com/business/dispute-over-persian-gulf-gas-field-poses-early-challenge-to-saudi-iranian-rapprochement/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_all |
Georgia man electrocuted after jumping into lake
ATLANTA (WANF/Gray News) - A Georgia man is dead after jumping into Lake Lanier Thursday evening, WANF reports.
The Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office said 24-year-old Thomas Shepard Milner jumped into the lake from his family’s dock near Dove Trail and was electrocuted when he entered the water.
A family friend told investigators they heard Milner scream for help and tried to get him out of the water using a ladder.
When that didn’t work, neighbors stepped in to help and took a boat out to Milner, the sheriff’s office said. The person in the boat jumped in the water to pull Milner out but reported feeling a burning sensation, which they immediately recognized as an electric shock.
After swimming to shore and turning off the power box near the dock, the person returned to the water to pull Milner back to shore, according to investigators.
Witnesses told authorities Milner’s uncle administered CPR until emergency medical crews got to the scene. The 24-year-old was rushed to Northside Forsyth Hospital. He died from his injuries the next day.
Milner’s mother, Martha Milner, told WANF her son was gentle and kind and loved the lake.
“Shepard was known for his quirkiness, his humor and his dedication,” she said.
According to Martha Milner, the dock at their lake property was less than three years old and outfitted with electricity by a licensed electrician.
Boaters like Chris Morris were saddened to hear about the death on Sunday.
“It’s a freak accident,” he said.
It is unclear why the water was electrified.
The investigation remains ongoing.
Copyright 2023 WANF via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.kmvt.com/2023/07/31/georgia-man-electrocuted-after-jumping-into-lake/ | 2023-07-31T11:45:31 | 1 | https://www.kmvt.com/2023/07/31/georgia-man-electrocuted-after-jumping-into-lake/ |
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.koin.com/news/customers-want-instant-gratification-workers-say-theyre-on-the-brink/ | 2023-07-31T11:45:33 | 1 | https://www.koin.com/news/customers-want-instant-gratification-workers-say-theyre-on-the-brink/ |
Lawsuit alleges flight attendants served too much alcohol to passenger that groped woman, her daughter
(CNN) - A passenger is suing Delta Airlines, claiming flight attendants overserved alcohol to a man who became drunk while on board and groped a mother and her teenage daughter.
The alleged incident happened during an international flight last summer.
The suit claims the flight attendants ignored the mother’s pleas for them to stop serving alcohol to the man and that the passenger was making them feel unsafe.
The plaintiffs in the case said during the nine-hour flight from New York to Greece, the man made obscene gestures and sexually assaulted the 16-year-old girl sitting next to him.
When the plane landed in Greece, the man was allowed to walk free despite the mother’s request that authorities arrest him in Athens.
Delta has not commented on the suit but says the airline has zero tolerance for passengers who engage in inappropriate or unlawful behavior.
Copyright 2023 CNN Newsource. All rights reserved. | https://www.wsaz.com/2023/07/31/lawsuit-alleges-flight-attendants-served-too-much-alcohol-passenger-that-groped-woman-her-daughter/ | 2023-07-31T11:45:33 | 0 | https://www.wsaz.com/2023/07/31/lawsuit-alleges-flight-attendants-served-too-much-alcohol-passenger-that-groped-woman-her-daughter/ |
Lawsuit alleges flight attendants served too much alcohol to passenger that groped woman, her daughter
(CNN) - A passenger is suing Delta Airlines, claiming flight attendants overserved alcohol to a man who became drunk while on board and groped a mother and her teenage daughter.
The alleged incident happened during an international flight last summer.
The suit claims the flight attendants ignored the mother’s pleas for them to stop serving alcohol to the man and that the passenger was making them feel unsafe.
The plaintiffs in the case said during the nine-hour flight from New York to Greece, the man made obscene gestures and sexually assaulted the 16-year-old girl sitting next to him.
When the plane landed in Greece, the man was allowed to walk free despite the mother’s request that authorities arrest him in Athens.
Delta has not commented on the suit but says the airline has zero tolerance for passengers who engage in inappropriate or unlawful behavior.
Copyright 2023 CNN Newsource. All rights reserved. | https://www.kmvt.com/2023/07/31/lawsuit-alleges-flight-attendants-served-too-much-alcohol-passenger-that-groped-woman-her-daughter/ | 2023-07-31T11:45:33 | 0 | https://www.kmvt.com/2023/07/31/lawsuit-alleges-flight-attendants-served-too-much-alcohol-passenger-that-groped-woman-her-daughter/ |
One of the biggest mistakes you can make when it comes to protecting yourself from financial scams is thinking you’re too smart to be duped by one.
“We’re all vulnerable — we can all fall for a scam given the right set of circumstances,” says Eva Velasquez, president and CEO of the Identity Theft Resource Center, a nonprofit organization that provides advice and assistance related to identity theft. Keeping yourself safe starts with accepting that fact, she adds.
“You look at the profiles of victims who filed complaints and it runs the gamut from highly educated, high-income people all the way down to the most vulnerable people in our population,” says John Breyault, vice president of public policy, telecommunications and fraud at the National Consumers League, a nonprofit advocacy group that speaks out about consumer concerns.
While there isn’t a “foolproof solution to stay safe from all scams,” as Breyault puts it, there are strategies you can employ to reduce your risk. Here are four of the most important ones:
HANG UP AND ‘GO TO THE SOURCE’
If you’re contacted by anyone claiming to be your bank or other familiar company, end the conversation and call the institution’s verified number yourself, Velasquez says. “We always say, ‘If you did not initiate the interaction, then you need to go to the source,’” she adds.
Otherwise, you don’t actually know who’s on the other end of the line, she says, especially because scammers can spoof the number that shows up on your caller ID so it might look legitimate.
In some cases, you might want to pay your bank a visit in person to get clarification. When Thorn Roberts, owner of a small business in Elizabeth, West Virginia, received a payment request he didn’t recognize, he went to his bank to ask about it.
“They knew it was a scam,” he says. As a result, he immediately canceled his accounts and created new ones. Thanks to his quick action and the bank’s help, his money was safe.
SECURE AND MONITOR YOUR ACCOUNTS
Basic online security practices can also help protect you, Velasquez says. She recommends enabling multifactor authentication on your financial accounts, creating unique passwords and not sharing personal details such as your birthdate online.
Jason Zirkle, training director at the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners and former fraud analyst with law enforcement, suggests checking your financial accounts at least once a week and investigating any unidentified charges immediately. Even one small erroneous charge could suggest someone has access to your account, signaling the beginning of a larger problem.
GET FAMILIAR WITH COMMON SCAMS
The Federal Trade Commission reports that the top scams of 2022 include people impersonating institutions like banks, phony sweepstakes and fake job postings. “You don’t have to become an expert in each one, but you need to understand the hallmarks of most scams: They contact you first, dangle some sort of bait in front of you and create a sense of urgency,” Zirkle says. Then, they ask for either money or personal information, which they use to access your money.
That’s what happened to former government executive and security expert Ken Westbrook’s mother earlier this year. A fake tech support window popped up on her computer, which likely came from a malicious ad. It connected her to criminals who persuaded her to call them and send gift cards and cashier’s checks under the guise of protecting her bank accounts from being hacked.
“My mom knew gift cards were a red flag, but she did it anyway because they scared her,” says Westbrook, who lives in the Washington, D.C., area. Eventually, Westbrook discovered what was happening and put a stop to it, but only after his mom lost thousands of dollars.
These scammers “sound like the nicest tech support people that you’ve ever dealt with,” says Chris Pierson, founder and CEO of BlackCloak, a cybersecurity firm. “They install remote management tools to see what’s on your screen and then can suck out your files and extort you.”
REPORT SCAMS AND BE YOUR OWN ADVOCATE
Reporting fraud to government agencies and private organizations allows for better fraud tracking. While there’s no centralized source for fraud tracking, you can report it to the Federal Trade Commission, your state’s attorney general’s office, the FBI, your local police station, your bank’s fraud department, the Better Business Bureau’s Scam Tracker and the Identity Theft Resource Center, among others.
Most people who lose money to scams never see it again. “The first thing you need to do is accept your money is probably gone and you won’t get it back,” Zirkle says. He suggests “being your own advocate” with your bank and police. In some cases, your financial institution or law enforcement might be able to help you recover some or all of it.
Still, some losses are harder to quantify. “In addition to a financial crime, it’s an emotional crime,” Westbrook says. “People are affected by this for the rest of their lives. What I tell everyone, and tell my mom, is, ‘It’s not your fault. The thieves work for organized crime gangs who are very good at what they do.’”
________________________________
This column was provided to The Associated Press by the personal finance website NerdWallet. Kimberly Palmer is a personal finance expert at NerdWallet and the author of “Smart Mom, Rich Mom.” Email: kpalmer@nerdwallet.com. Twitter: @KimberlyPalmer.
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NerdWallet: How to prevent identity theft https://bit.ly/nerdwallet-how-to-prevent-identity-theft | https://www.seattletimes.com/business/kimberly-palmer-how-to-stay-safe-from-financial-scams/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_all | 2023-07-31T11:45:33 | 1 | https://www.seattletimes.com/business/kimberly-palmer-how-to-stay-safe-from-financial-scams/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_all |
New nuclear unit now serving customers with clean, reliable energy 24/7
ATLANTA, July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Georgia Power declared today that Plant Vogtle Unit 3 has entered commercial operation and is now serving customers and the State of Georgia. The new unit represents a long-term investment in the state's clean energy future and will provide reliable, emissions-free energy to customers for decades to come.
"The Plant Vogtle 3 & 4 nuclear expansion is another incredible example of how Georgia Power is building a reliable and resilient energy future for our state," said Kim Greene, chairman, president and CEO of Georgia Power. "It is important that we make these kinds of long-term investments and see them through so we can continue providing clean, safe, reliable and affordable energy to our 2.7 million customers. Today's achievement is a testament to our commitment to doing just that, and it marks the first day of the next 60 to 80 years that Vogtle Unit 3 will serve our customers with clean, reliable energy."
Vogtle Unit 3 is the first newly-constructed nuclear unit in the U.S. in over 30 years and can power an estimated 500,000 homes and businesses. Once all four units are online, the Plant Vogtle site will be the largest generator of clean energy in the nation and support continued growth in Georgia as more industries, businesses and families come to the state.
"Today is a historic day for the State of Georgia, Southern Company, and the entire energy sector, as we continue transforming the way we power the lives of millions of Americans," said Chris Womack, president and CEO of Southern Company. "With Unit 3 completed, and Unit 4 in the final stages of construction and testing, this project shows just how new nuclear can and will play a critical role in achieving a clean energy future for the United States. Bringing this unit safely into service is a credit to the hard work and dedication of our teams at Southern Company and the thousands of additional workers who have helped build that future at this site, as well as all of the partners who have helped make this day a reality."
Nuclear energy is the only zero-emission baseload energy source available today, offering high reliability, and efficient operations around the clock. Nuclear energy currently provides approximately 25% of Georgia Power's overall energy mix, including the existing units at Plant Vogtle and Georgia's other nuclear facility at Plant Hatch in Baxley, Georgia.
"The Vogtle expansion is an American energy success story and would not be possible without the support of strong public and private partners like our partners at North America's Building Trades Unions," said Tom Fanning, chairman of the Board of Directors for Southern Company. "We continue to appreciate their support and those who have stood with us at the local, state and federal levels to complete this new clean energy source to serve electric customers. Providing leadership in our industry and a commitment to safety and quality are in Southern Company's DNA. Today's milestone at the Vogtle expansion site underscores this legacy, and I couldn't be prouder of the dedication our teams have shown in seeing Unit 3 through to completion."
The final stages of construction and testing continue at Vogtle Unit 4, with the unit projected to be placed in service during the late fourth quarter 2023 or the first quarter of 2024. The unit completed hot functional testing in May, in significantly less time than Unit 3 as the team continues leveraging best practices and learnings from the earlier unit. The Vogtle site has also received nuclear fuel for Unit 4, with a total of 157 fuel assemblies necessary for the safe and reliable startup of the unit.
Also, last week, Georgia Power announced the receipt of the 103(g) finding from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) for Vogtle Unit 4. This finding was confirmed in an official letter received by Southern Nuclear and signifies that the new unit has been constructed and will be operated in conformance with the Combined License and NRC regulations. No further NRC findings are necessary in order for Southern Nuclear to load fuel or begin the startup sequence for the new unit.
The new Vogtle units are an essential part of Georgia Power's commitment to delivering clean, safe, reliable and affordable energy to its 2.7 million customers. Southern Nuclear will operate the new units on behalf of the co-owners: Georgia Power, Oglethorpe Power, MEAG Power and Dalton Utilities.
About Georgia Power
Georgia Power is the largest electric subsidiary of Southern Company (NYSE: SO), America's premier energy company. Value, Reliability, Customer Service and Stewardship are the cornerstones of the company's promise to 2.7 million customers in all but four of Georgia's 159 counties. Committed to delivering clean, safe, reliable and affordable energy, Georgia Power maintains a diverse, innovative generation mix that includes nuclear, coal and natural gas, as well as renewables such as solar, hydroelectric and wind. Georgia Power focuses on delivering world-class service to its customers every day and the company is recognized by J.D. Power as an industry leader in customer satisfaction. For more information, visit www.GeorgiaPower.com and connect with the company on Facebook (Facebook.com/GeorgiaPower), Twitter (Twitter.com/GeorgiaPower) and Instagram (Instagram.com/ga_power).
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
Certain information contained in this release is forward-looking information based on current expectations and plans that involve risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking information includes, among other things, statements concerning the projected in-service date for Plant Vogtle Unit 4 and the future operations of Plant Vogtle Units 3 and 4. Georgia Power cautions that there are certain factors that can cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking information that has been provided. The reader is cautioned not to put undue reliance on this forward-looking information, which is not a guarantee of future performance and is subject to a number of uncertainties and other factors, many of which are outside the control of Georgia Power; accordingly, there can be no assurance that such suggested results will be realized. The following factors, in addition to those discussed in Georgia Power's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022, and subsequent securities filings, could cause actual results to differ materially from management expectations as suggested by such forward-looking information: the ability to control costs and avoid cost and schedule overruns during the development, construction, and operation of facilities or other projects, including Plant Vogtle Unit 4, which includes components based on new technology that only within the last few years began initial operation in the global nuclear industry at this scale, due to current and/or future challenges which include, but are not limited to, changes in labor costs, availability and productivity, challenges with the management of contractors or vendors, subcontractor performance, adverse weather conditions, shortages, delays, increased costs, or inconsistent quality of equipment, materials, and labor, contractor or supplier delay, the impacts of inflation, delays due to judicial or regulatory action, nonperformance under construction, operating, or other agreements, operational readiness, including specialized operator training and required site safety programs, engineering or design problems or any remediation related thereto, design and other licensing-based compliance matters, challenges with start-up activities, including major equipment failure, or system integration, and/or operational performance, continued challenges related to the COVID-19 pandemic or future pandemic health events, continued public and policymaker support for projects, environmental and geological conditions, delays or increased costs to interconnect facilities to transmission grids, and increased financing costs as a result of changes in market interest rates or as a result of project delays; the ability to overcome or mitigate the current challenges, or challenges yet to be identified, at Plant Vogtle Unit 4, that could further impact the cost and schedule for the project; legal proceedings and regulatory approvals and actions related to construction projects, such as Plant Vogtle Unit 4, including Georgia Public Service Commission approvals and U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission ("NRC") actions; under certain specified circumstances, a decision by holders of more than 10% of the ownership interests of Plant Vogtle Unit 3 and 4 not to proceed with construction; the notices of tender by Oglethorpe Power Corporation and the City of Dalton of a portion of their ownership interests in Plant Vogtle Units 3 and 4 to Georgia Power, including related litigation; the ability to construct facilities in accordance with the requirements of permits and licenses (including satisfaction of NRC requirements), to satisfy any environmental performance standards and the requirements of tax credits and other incentives, and to integrate facilities into the Southern Company system upon completion of construction; the inherent risks involved in operating and constructing nuclear generating facilities; the ability of counterparties of Georgia Power to make payments as and when due and to perform as required; the direct or indirect effect on Georgia Power's business resulting from cyber intrusion or physical attack and the threat of cyber and physical attacks; catastrophic events such as fires, earthquakes, explosions, floods, tornadoes, hurricanes and other storms, droughts, pandemic health events, political unrest, wars or other similar occurrences; the potential effects of the continued COVID-19 pandemic; and the direct or indirect effects on Georgia Power's business resulting from incidents affecting the U.S. electric grid or operation of generating or storage resources. Georgia Power expressly disclaim any obligation to update any forward–looking information.
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MANCHESTER, England (AP) — Manchester United announced a 10-year extension to its partnership with Adidas that the English club said Monday will be worth more than $1 billion.
United’s deal with the German sportswear brand as its official uniform supplier runs to 2035 and “has a minimum cash guarantee of 900 million pounds ($1.15 billion), subject to certain adjustments,” the team said, making it the most lucrative in Premier League history.
“It is very natural for us to continue our cooperation,” Adidas CEO Bjorn Gulden said. “We will combine tradition and innovation to please both the players and the fans.”
“We look forward to continuing our partnership with one of the most iconic clubs in football.”
The deal for the club’s single biggest source of revenue provides stability at a time when it is up for sale, with United’s American ownership weighing up offers from Qatari banker Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani and English businessman Jim Ratcliffe.
Adidas supplied United’s uniform from 1980-1992 and the partnership started again at the beginning of the 2015-16 season.
___
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(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.
Top Stories from The Hill
- White House takes the gloves off ahead of 2024
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- Murphy says Alito’s Supreme Court seat ‘exists only because of an act passed by Congress’
- Trump attorney calls him ‘the most ethical American I know’ in wake of superseding indictment
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.koin.com/news/dozens-of-former-trump-cabinet-officials-wont-publicly-support-his-2024-bid/ | 2023-07-31T11:45:35 | 0 | https://www.koin.com/news/dozens-of-former-trump-cabinet-officials-wont-publicly-support-his-2024-bid/ |
Elvina Kalieva 2023 Livesport Prague Open 2021 Odds
Elvina Kalieva's round of 32 match in the Livesport Prague Open 2021 will be versus Linda Noskova. Kalieva is +4000 to win this tournament at Tennis Club Sparta Praha.
Find all the latest odds for the 2023 Livesport Prague Open 2021 and place your bets with a new user bonus from BetMGM.
Kalieva at the 2023 Livesport Prague Open 2021
- Next Round: Round of 32
- Tournament Dates: July 28 - August 6
- Venue: Tennis Club Sparta Praha
- Location: Prague, Czechia
- Court Surface: Hard
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Kalieva's Next Match
Kalieva will meet Noskova in the round of 32 on Tuesday, August 1 at 5:00 AM ET, after getting past Tayisiya Morderger 6-2, 6-3 in the qualification final.
Kalieva is listed at +375 to win her next matchup against Noskova. Check out the latest odds for the entire field at BetMGM.
Want to bet on Kalieva? Head to BetMGM using our link for a bonus bet special offer for new players!
Kalieva Stats
- Kalieva defeated Morderger 6-2, 6-3 on Sunday in the qualifying round.
- In five tournaments over the past year, Kalieva is yet to win a title, and her overall record is 3-5.
- Kalieva has a record of 2-3 on hard courts over the last 12 months.
- In her eight matches over the past year, across all court surfaces, Kalieva has averaged 18.6 games.
- On hard courts, Kalieva has played five matches over the past 12 months, and she has totaled 20.8 games per match while winning 49.0% of games.
- Over the past year, Kalieva has been victorious in 12.5% of her return games and 28.6% of her service games.
- Kalieva has claimed 50% of her service games on hard courts and 11.1% of her return games over the past 12 months.
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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.koin.com/news/were-just-too-poor-record-heat-waves-reveal-plight-of-americans-without-air-conditioning/ | 2023-07-31T11:45:35 | 1 | https://www.koin.com/news/were-just-too-poor-record-heat-waves-reveal-plight-of-americans-without-air-conditioning/ |
LONDON (AP) — Britain said on Monday it will grant hundreds of new oil and gas licenses in the North Sea in a bid for energy independence, ignoring calls from environmental campaigners and the United Nations to stop the development of new fossil fuel projects.
The plans announced by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak include a pledge to invest 20 billion pounds ($26 billion) in carbon capture and storage projects as Sunak maintained the government’s commitment to eliminate net carbon emissions by 2050.
Sunak, who is traveling to Scotland to formally unveil the package, said Britain will still need fossil fuels even after the country reaches its net zero target. He said it is better to produce oil and natural gas at home rather than rely on foreign leaders like Russian President Vladimir Putin, whose invasion of Ukraine sent global energy prices soaring around the globe.
“We have all witnessed how Putin has manipulated and weaponized energy — disrupting supply and stalling growth in countries around the world,’’ Sunak said in a statement. “Now more than ever, it’s vital that we bolster our energy security and capitalize on that independence to deliver more affordable, clean energy to British homes and businesses.’’
The plan comes as Sunak faces pressure to roll back expensive environmental commitments as his Conservative Party scrambles to attract voters amid opinion polls showing that the party is likely headed toward a crushing defeat in the next general election.
But U.N. scientists and environmental campaigners are calling on governments around the world to accelerate the transition away from fossil fuels after a summer of record high temperatures, drought and floods linked to man-made climate change. Burning oil and gas to power vehicles, factories and electricity generating stations releases huge amounts of carbon dioxide, the main driver of global warming.
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has raised concerns that governments were backtracking on their commitments to cut greenhouse gas emissions at a time when they should accelerate their efforts.
“The problem is not simply fossil fuel emissions, it’s fossil fuels — period,” Guterres told reporters last month in New York.
“The solution is clear: The world must phase out fossil fuels in a just and equitable way — moving to leave oil, coal and gas in the ground where they belong — and massively boosting renewable investment in a just transition.”
Britain began pumping oil and gas from the North Sea in the mid-1970s, a major source of jobs and tax revenue, particularly in Scotland. But production has been declining since around 2000, making support for the industry a major political issue.
British authorities have pledged to reduce net carbon emissions by 68% by the end of the decade, on the way to reaching net-zero by 2050. Achieving net-zero means releasing only as much greenhouse gasses as can be pulled out of the atmosphere through natural or technological means.
But the government’s climate advisers say the pace of progress is “worryingly slow.” In a report last month, an advisory panel that tracks the U.K.’s decarbonization efforts slammed officials for backtracking on commitments and said Britain had “lost its clear global leadership position on climate action.”
The Climate Change Committee said backing for a new coal mine and new domestic oil and gas production undermined Britain’s “international messaging” on the need to stop developing fossil fuel projects.
The carbon capture and storage projects backed by Sunak aim to remove carbon dioxide from industrial emissions and pump it into old gas fields for permanent storage underground.
Environmental campaigners say the risk of focusing on this technology is that it may distract the government from other programs needed to accelerate the drive to net-zero, and deceive consumers into thinking that continued use of fossil fuels is compatible with such a goal.
“It’s a bit difficult to take seriously the idea that this should be prioritized for prime ministerial attention when so much else needs it instead,” Doug Parr, the chief scientific officer for Greenpeace UK, told the BBC.
Stuart Haszeldine, a professor of carbon capture and storage at the University of Edinburgh, said Sunak’s cash injection could be “transformative” in expanding carbon capture and storage, but there is reason to be skeptical about the motives of the energy industry, which has traditionally been more focused on making money for shareholders than pursuing environmental targets.
“Unless the governments make carbon capture and storage profitable, oil companies tend not to be very interested,” Haszeldine told the BBC. “Their money can talk very loudly, but it doesn’t listen very well.”
“What governments are often subjected to is intense lobbying by oil and gas companies to continue extracting oil and gas and to go slow on carbon capture and storage,” he added. | https://www.seattletimes.com/business/uk-to-grant-hundreds-of-new-oil-and-gas-licenses-ignoring-calls-from-environmentalists/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_all | 2023-07-31T11:45:35 | 0 | https://www.seattletimes.com/business/uk-to-grant-hundreds-of-new-oil-and-gas-licenses-ignoring-calls-from-environmentalists/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_all |
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.pahomepage.com/hill-politics/lawmakers-set-to-face-ticking-clock-on-health-care-priorities/ | 2023-07-31T11:45:37 | 1 | https://www.pahomepage.com/hill-politics/lawmakers-set-to-face-ticking-clock-on-health-care-priorities/ |
NIAMEY, Niger (AP) — West African nations have given Niger’s coup leaders one week to reinstate the country’s democratically elected president and have threatened to use force if the demands aren’t met.
The announcement came at the end of an emergency meeting of West African countries Sunday in Nigeria, where the regional bloc, known as ECOWAS, convened to respond to last week’s military takeover. President Mohamed Bazoum remains under house arrest and has yet to resign.
“In the event the authority’s demands are not met within one week, (the bloc will) take all measures necessary to restore constitutional order in the Republic of Niger. Such measures may include the use of force,” said the statement.
The bloc also imposted strict sanctions, including suspending all commercial and financial transactions between ECOWAS member states and Niger and freezing of assets in regional central banks.
Economic sanctions could have a deep impact on Nigeriens, who live in the third-poorest country in the world, according to the latest U.N. data. The country relies on imports from Nigeria for up to 90% of its power, according to the International Renewable Energy Agency.
The sanctions could be disastrous and Niger needs to find a solution to avoid them, Prime Minister Ouhoumoudou Mahamadou told French media outlet Radio France Internationale on Sunday.
“When people say there’s an embargo, land borders are closed, air borders are closed, it’s extremely difficult for people … Niger is a country that relies heavily on the international community,” he said.
The 15-nation ECOWAS bloc has unsuccessfully tried to restore democracies in nations where the military took power in recent years. Four nations are run by military governments in West and Central Africa, where there have been nine successful or attempted coups since 2020.
In the 1990s, ECOWAS intervened in Liberia during its civil war. In 2017, it intervened in Gambia to prevent the new president’s predecessor, Yahya Jammeh, from disrupting the handover of power. Around 7,000 troops from Ghana, Nigeria, and Senegal entered, according to the Global Observatory, which provides analysis on peace and security issues.
If the regional bloc uses force, it could trigger violence not only between Niger and ECOWAS forces but also civilians supporting the coup and those against it, Niger analysts say.
“While this remains to be a threat and unlikely action, the consequences on civilians of such an approach if putschists chose confrontation would be catastrophic,” said Rida Lyammouri, senior fellow at the Policy Center for the New South, a Morocco-based think tank.
“I believe economic sanctions are the ones to be imposed, but don’t see a military intervention happening because of the violence that could trigger,” he said.
The military junta, which seized power on Wednesday when members of the presidential guard surrounded Bazoum’s house and detained him, is already cracking down on the government and civil liberties.
On Sunday, junta spokesman Col. Maj. Amadou Abdramane said on state television that all government cars need to be returned by midday Monday and banned the use of social media to diffuse messages against state security. He also claimed that Bazoum’s government had authorized the French to carry out strikes to free Bazoum. The Associated Press can’t verify his allegations.
In anticipation of the ECOWAS decision Sunday, thousands of pro-junta supporters took to the streets in the capital, Niamey, denouncing its former colonial ruler, France, waving Russian flags and telling the international community to stay away.
Demonstrators in Niger are openly resentful of France, and Russia is seen by some as a powerful alternative. The nature of Moscow’s involvement in the rallies, if any, isn’t clear, but some protesters have carried Russian flags, along with signs reading “Down with France” and supporting Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“The situation of this country is not good … It’s time for change, and change has arrived,” said Moussa Seydou, a protester. “What we want from the putschists — all they have to do is improve social conditions so that Nigeriens can live better in this country and bring peace,” he said. | https://www.seattletimes.com/business/west-african-nations-threaten-to-use-force-if-nigers-president-isnt-reinstated-within-a-week/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_all | 2023-07-31T11:45:38 | 1 | https://www.seattletimes.com/business/west-african-nations-threaten-to-use-force-if-nigers-president-isnt-reinstated-within-a-week/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_all |
WATCH: Concertgoer throws drink at Cardi B; she hurls microphone at them
Published: Jul. 31, 2023 at 6:58 AM EDT|Updated: 47 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.wsaz.com/2023/07/31/watch-concertgoer-throws-drink-cardi-b-she-hurls-microphone-them/ | 2023-07-31T11:45:39 | 0 | https://www.wsaz.com/2023/07/31/watch-concertgoer-throws-drink-cardi-b-she-hurls-microphone-them/ |
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.wistv.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/white-house-announces-partnership-with-affordablehousingcom-end-junk-fees/ | 2023-07-31T11:45:40 | 0 | https://www.wistv.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/white-house-announces-partnership-with-affordablehousingcom-end-junk-fees/ |
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.pahomepage.com/news/were-just-too-poor-record-heat-waves-reveal-plight-of-americans-without-air-conditioning/ | 2023-07-31T11:45:43 | 0 | https://www.pahomepage.com/news/were-just-too-poor-record-heat-waves-reveal-plight-of-americans-without-air-conditioning/ |
BEIJING, July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- 36Kr Holdings Inc. ("36Kr" or the "Company") (NASDAQ: KRKR), a prominent brand and a pioneering platform dedicated to serving New Economy participants in China, today announced the launch of its 36Kr Media Lab in Silicon Valley, an initiative to embrace the large language models (LLM) revolution taking place in the content creation industry and optimize the application of artificial intelligence (AI) for the new economy sector.
36Kr Silicon Valley Media Lab's first project leveraging LLM, "Empty Office," will experimentally explore scenarios where AI can think and work as humans, enhancing content production efficiency and reducing costs. Through "Empty Office," 36Kr is also building innovative media solutions that will transform traditional video, graphic and text communications into avant-garde dialogues between customized AI characters and audiences. These network-based dialogues will be naturally and seamlessly driven by real-time data generation, and available anytime, anywhere.
At the same time, 36Kr Silicon Valley Media Lab continues to focus on tailoring its LLM to the new economy sector. By utilizing dedicated financial and business datasets, including enterprises' financial results, news, market dynamics and knowledge repositories, among other resources, to train its LLM to thoroughly understand and analyze business information, 36Kr has developed a model that keenly grasps the business nuances to generate accurate analysis and interpretation. 36Kr Silicon Valley Media Lab constantly maintains its database, serving as the reference foundation to ensure that its fact-based model produces rigorous and up-to-date business and financial analysis.
Furthermore, 36Kr's professionally-training, fine-tuning capability enables its LLM-empowered "Empty Office" to quickly and efficiently create informative content for the new economy sector. For instance, in the case of a business event, such as a new product launch, an AI agent can instantly extract relevant data from the database, automatically perform a comprehensive analysis, and issue reports within just seconds. This top-speed response gives 36Kr's business and financial-focused media platform an unrivaled edge.
Mr. Dagang Feng, Co-chairman and CEO of 36Kr, commented, "The launch of 36Kr Silicon Valley Media Lab is a testament to our AI technology acumen and vision as well as our commitment to extending media's boundaries. By integrating pioneering AI technology into content creation, 36Kr will constantly elevate the efficiency and quality of content production alongside the rapid advancement of the LLM, fostering a superior content ecosystem encompassing business, finance and technology, further turbocharging the evolution of the New Economy. As we adopt and develop more AI tools amid the technology's rapid advancement, we are strategically positioning the Company to break new ground and ultimately drive long-term growth for our business."
About 36Kr Holdings Inc.
36Kr Holdings Inc. is a prominent brand and a pioneering platform dedicated to serving New Economy participants in China with the mission of empowering New Economy participants to achieve more. The Company started its business with high-quality New Economy-focused content offerings, covering a variety of industries in China's New Economy with diverse distribution channels. Leveraging traffic brought by high-quality content, the Company has expanded its offerings to business services, including online advertising services, enterprise value-added services, and subscription services, to address the evolving needs of New Economy companies and upgrading needs of traditional companies. The Company is supported by a comprehensive database and strong data analytics capabilities. Through diverse service offerings and significant brand influence, the Company is well-positioned to continuously capture the high growth potential of China's New Economy.
For more information, please visit: http://ir.36kr.com.
Safe Harbor Statement
This announcement contains forward-looking statements. These statements are made under the "safe harbor" provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as "will," "expects," "anticipates," "future," "intends," "plans," "believes," "estimates," "confident" and similar statements. Statements that are not historical facts, including statements about the Company's beliefs and expectations, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties. A number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement, including but not limited to the following: the Company's goal and strategies; the Company's future business development, results of operations and financial condition; relevant government policies and regulations relating to our business and industry; the Company's expectations regarding the use of proceeds from this offering; the Company's expectations regarding demand for, and market acceptance of, its services; the Company's ability to maintain and enhance its brand; the Company's ability to provide high-quality content in a timely manner to attract and retain users; the Company's ability to retain and hire quality in-house writers and editors; the Company's ability to maintain cooperation with third-party professional content providers; the Company's ability to maintain relationships with third-party platforms; general economic and business conditions in China; possible disruptions in commercial activities caused by natural or human-induced disasters; and assumptions underlying or related to any of the foregoing. Further information regarding these and other risks is included in the Company's filings with the SEC. All information provided in this press release and in the attachments is as of the date of this press release, and the Company undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement, except as required under applicable law.
For investor and media inquiries, please contact:
In China:
36Kr Holdings Inc.
Investor Relations
Tel: +86 (10) 8965-0708
E-mail: ir@36kr.com
The Piacente Group, Inc.
Jenny Cai
Tel: +86 (10) 6508-0677
E-mail: 36Kr@tpg-ir.com
In the United States:
The Piacente Group, Inc.
Brandi Piacente
Tel: +1-212-481-2050
E-mail: 36Kr@tpg-ir.com
View original content:
SOURCE 36Kr Holdings Inc. | https://www.wsaz.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/36kr-launches-silicon-valley-media-lab-empower-content-ecosystem-with-llm-based-ai-technology/ | 2023-07-31T11:45:46 | 0 | https://www.wsaz.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/36kr-launches-silicon-valley-media-lab-empower-content-ecosystem-with-llm-based-ai-technology/ |
- 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
View original content:
SOURCE WuXi AppTec | https://www.wistv.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/wuxi-apptec-announced-strong-results-second-quarter-first-half-2023-top-an-exceptionally-strong-year-2022/ | 2023-07-31T11:45:47 | 1 | https://www.wistv.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/wuxi-apptec-announced-strong-results-second-quarter-first-half-2023-top-an-exceptionally-strong-year-2022/ |
A Libyan man who says he escaped execution by the Russian mercenary Wagner group is taking them to court in the U.S. — alleging torture and multiple human rights abuses.
Copyright 2023 NPR
A Libyan man who says he escaped execution by the Russian mercenary Wagner group is taking them to court in the U.S. — alleging torture and multiple human rights abuses.
Copyright 2023 NPR | https://www.kasu.org/2023-07-31/libyan-man-who-says-he-was-tortured-wants-to-hold-wagner-group-accountable | 2023-07-31T11:45:47 | 1 | https://www.kasu.org/2023-07-31/libyan-man-who-says-he-was-tortured-wants-to-hold-wagner-group-accountable |
(NEXSTAR) — For five days this year, all national parks will be offering free admission to all visitors. One of those special days is nearly upon us.
The National Park Service announced the 2023 free days late last year. There are more than 400 parks, monuments, seashores and other NPS lands, the majority of which do not require an entrance fee. For the roughly 100 that do, these free admission days open the gates to everyone.
We’ve already had two free days this year: Jan. 16, which is Martin Luther King Day, and April 22, which was the first day of National Park Week.
Now, on Friday, Aug. 4, we’ll have another, which marks the anniversary of the Great Americans Outdoors Act.
The act, GAOA, was signed in 2020 and brought bipartisan investments to “improve visitor experiences, bolster climate resilience, and invest in the economy by creating good-paying jobs” at the parks, the Department of the Interior explains.
In honor of the bill signing anniversary, you won’t need to pay entrance fees at parks that usually require them. Fees will, however, still be necessary for overnight camping, cabin rentals, transportation, group day use and use of special areas.
The next two free admission days are Sept. 23, National Public Lands Day, and Nov. 11, Veterans Day.
Last year, there were roughly 312 million recreational visits to 395 national parks that track attendance, a 15 million increase over 2021. The most visited park was Blue Ridge Parkway, which received 15.7 million visits last year, edging out the Golden Gate National Recreation Area by slightly more than 72,000 visits. | https://www.pahomepage.com/news/you-can-get-into-the-national-parks-for-free-this-week-heres-when/ | 2023-07-31T11:45:49 | 1 | https://www.pahomepage.com/news/you-can-get-into-the-national-parks-for-free-this-week-heres-when/ |
HONG KONG (AP) — A French man is believed to have fallen to his death from a high-rise residential building in Hong Kong last week, police said on Monday, with local media outlets identifying him as daredevil Remi Lucidi.
Police said a 30-year-old man’s body was found on a patio in the city’s upscale Mid-Levels area. He was believed to have engaged in extreme sports, police said, without identifying him.
Officers conducted an initial investigation and said he apparently fell from a rooftop. No suicide note was found at the scene, they said. The cause of his death would have to be verified by an autopsy, they added.
Local media, including the South China Morning Post, said the man was Lucidi, 30. The Post cited an unnamed source saying he was last seen alive knocking on a penthouse window on the 68th floor of a residential tower on Thursday evening. The Associated Press has not been able to verify his identity.
Lucidi, who used the name “Remi Enigma” on social media, last posted a photo of Hong Kong’s night view a week ago on Instagram and tagged the location as Times Square in shopping district Causeway Bay. The photo appeared to be taken from above.
Supporters mourned him on social media.
Lucidi posted to Instagram as he climbed various tall structures around the world and took selfies, including one he captioned, “Above the Sky, 425m” and tagged Dubai as the location. | https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/french-daredevil-who-climbed-towers-around-world-believed-to-have-fallen-to-his-death-in-hong-kong/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_all | 2023-07-31T11:45:51 | 0 | https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/french-daredevil-who-climbed-towers-around-world-believed-to-have-fallen-to-his-death-in-hong-kong/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_all |
HOUSTON, July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- AutomationEdge, a leading Hyperautomation platform has announced strategic partnership with eAlliance Corp, a cutting-edge Hyperautomation solutions provider.
The partnership will enable eAlliance Corp to provide AutomationEdge solutions such as CogniBot - a conversational AI platform, DocEdge - an intelligent document processing platform, Intelligent Service Desk Ticket Data Analysis, IT Process Automation (ITPA) and RPA. This collaboration will empower AutomationEdge and eAlliance Corp to help customers innovate with automation to move the needle on the top and bottom line.
AutomationEdge, along with its Hyperautomation platform, has also build the ready automation solutions across industries. It will help customers achieve faster Go-To-Market for automation projects with lower cost. It is empowering 250+ customers globally in Healthcare, Banking, Insurance, Financial Services and other industries.
For over 20 years, eAlliance Corp has been delivering technology solutions to businesses worldwide across industries. It has been a trusted advisor to its customer in innovation, strategy and execution of automation solutions. Through this partnership, eAlliance will be able to offer innovative business process automation solutions to customers focusing on key enterprise domains such as finance & accounting, customer service, procurement, human resources, cash applications and more.
About AutomationEdge
AutomationEdge is a leading Hyperautomation platform across the globe with end-to-end automation capabilities. With its platforms working together as one solution, it has enabled seamless process automation for global enterprises.
AutomationEdge has already delivered its innovative solutions to large multinational organizations like American Express, Smart Dubai Government, Wipro, AccentCare, Danone, University of Maryland Medical System, Aspen Pharmacare, Oman LNG, Mashreq Bank, HDFC Bank, and Genpact, to name a few.
For more details, contact sales or request a demo.
About eAlliance Corp
eAlliance Corp is a professional services firm with big company expertise and small company relationships, taking pride in agility and real-time responsiveness. eAlliance Corp is a trusted name in the Hyperautomation industry, offering comprehensive services and solutions to help businesses achieve their automation goals with ease. Founded in 2002 in Chicago, IL, staffed with resources in the US and India possessing vast experience and leadership in business and technology.
For more details, visit website.
For media inquiries, please contact:
Rahul Wandile
Media Relations – AutomationEdge
rahul.wandile@automationedge.com
www.automationedge.com
Follow AutomationEdge on: Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and YouTube
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SOURCE AutomationEdge | https://www.wsaz.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/automationedge-ealliance-corp-announced-partnership-hyperautomation-solutions/ | 2023-07-31T11:45:52 | 1 | https://www.wsaz.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/automationedge-ealliance-corp-announced-partnership-hyperautomation-solutions/ |
"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.kasu.org/arts-culture/arts-culture/2023-07-31/the-power-and-heartbreak-behind-the-song-that-won-the-tiny-desk-contest | 2023-07-31T11:45:54 | 1 | https://www.kasu.org/arts-culture/arts-culture/2023-07-31/the-power-and-heartbreak-behind-the-song-that-won-the-tiny-desk-contest |
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.wistv.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/yatsen-issues-2022-esg-report/ | 2023-07-31T11:45:54 | 0 | https://www.wistv.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/yatsen-issues-2022-esg-report/ |
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.pahomepage.com/uncategorized/customers-want-instant-gratification-workers-say-theyre-on-the-brink/ | 2023-07-31T11:45:55 | 0 | https://www.pahomepage.com/uncategorized/customers-want-instant-gratification-workers-say-theyre-on-the-brink/ |
TOKYO (AP) — A Japanese court sentenced a man to 23 years in prison on Monday for stabbing a passenger and setting a fire on a Tokyo express train while dressed in a Joker costume on Halloween two years ago, officials said.
The Tachikawa branch of Tokyo District Court found Kyota Hattori, 26, guilty of attempted murder for stabbing and seriously injuring a male passenger in his 70s and of spraying lighter fluid in the train car and then lighting it to try to kill others. Twelve people were injured by the fire, most of them not seriously.
During the trial, Hattori told the court he was so shocked when he learned that his girlfriend had married someone else only six months after they broke up that he decided to carry out the attack so he could end his life by receiving the death penalty, NHK public television reported.
In the ruling, Judge Yu Takeshita said the attack was an “indiscriminate crime with a selfish motive that targeted many passengers who happened to be on the train.”
Prosecutors sought 25 years in prison, arguing that the attack was premeditated and that Hattori had deliberately chosen a special express train that makes fewer stops so passengers would have less chance of escaping. Witnesses said he wore an outfit like the Joker villain in Batman comics.
Defense lawyers asked for 12 years, saying the attack did not constitute attempted murder because most passengers were out of reach when Hattori set the fire.
Gun-related crime is rare in Japan because of strict gun control laws, but there has been a series of high-profile knife attacks in recent years on subways and elsewhere, and there is growing concern about homemade guns and explosives.
Train operators in major cities have stepped up safety measures, including installing security cameras in train cars and conducting more frequent safety drills.
In August 2021, on the day before the closing ceremony of the Tokyo Olympics, a 36-year-old man stabbed 10 passengers on a commuter train in Tokyo in a random attack. The man later told police that he wanted to attack women who looked happy.
The previous month, a 37-year-old man stabbed three passengers with a knife on an airport train in Osaka. | https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/japanese-court-sentences-joker-to-23-years-for-stabbing-passenger-setting-a-fire-on-a-tokyo-train/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_all | 2023-07-31T11:45:58 | 1 | https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/japanese-court-sentences-joker-to-23-years-for-stabbing-passenger-setting-a-fire-on-a-tokyo-train/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_all |
Impact "much bigger than a single project"
WAYNESBORO, Ga., July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Bechtel, the engineering, procurement, and construction company brought in to complete construction on new Units 3 and 4 at the Vogtle nuclear power plant in Georgia, today issued the following statement from Brendan Bechtel, Bechtel Chairman and CEO, marking the start of commercial operations for Unit 3:
"We are extremely proud of Bechtel's part in achieving this milestone. Our team has been 100 percent committed to Vogtle's completion since being brought in to finish the project.
"Today's start of commercial operations for Vogtle Unit 3 gives the Southeast a major new source of clean, reliable, carbon-free baseload energy. And, as the first new nuclear unit built in the U.S. in more than 30 years, it helps put America back on the map as a leader in the global nuclear industry.
"Bechtel has supported the design and construction of 150 nuclear plants worldwide. We know firsthand how Vogtle Units 3 and 4 go a long way in restoring America's muscle memory in nuclear construction, including the workforce and domestic supply chains required to build America's largest nuclear power plant. Vogtle Unit 3 comes online at a pivotal time when energy security concerns and the need to cut carbon emissions are driving growth in the world's nuclear fleet.
"Plant Vogtle will generate more carbon-free electricity yearly than any other energy facility currently operating in the country. Its completion reinforces that the United States is the responsible partner of choice for new nuclear energy around the world, and maintains U.S. interests in ensuring strong safety, security, and non-proliferation standards. This is why Vogtle's impact is much bigger than a single project.
"Thank you to the thousands of skilled craft professionals, union partners, engineers, project managers, procurement experts, suppliers, subcontractors, and everyone who made this day possible. And thank you to Georgia Power and Southern Nuclear for the opportunity to bring this project over the finish line. We look forward to doing the same with Unit 4 in the coming months."
Background
In 2017, Bechtel was brought in by Georgia Power and Southern Nuclear to take over construction of Vogtle Units 3 and 4, bringing extensive experience supporting the design and construction of 150 nuclear plants worldwide. Vogtle Units 3 and 4 are the first Westinghouse AP1000 units to ever be built in the U.S.
Bechtel has completed more than 76,000 megawatts of new nuclear generation capacity and has designed, built, or performed engineering and/or construction services on more than 80% of nuclear plants in the United States. Today, the company leads efforts in designing and constructing advanced nuclear plants, critical to global efforts to achieve net zero carbon emissions.
Bechtel partnered with North America's Building Trades Unions (NABTU) to build Plant Vogtle Units 3 and 4. At peak, Bechtel and NABTU had a combined 9,000 workers on site.
About Bechtel
Bechtel is a trusted engineering, construction, and project management partner to industry and government. Differentiated by the quality of our people and our relentless drive to deliver the most successful outcomes, we align our capabilities to our customers' objectives to create a lasting positive impact. Since 1898, we have helped customers complete more than 25,000 projects in 160 countries on all seven continents that have created jobs, grown economies, improved the resiliency of the world's infrastructure, increased access to energy, resources, and vital services, and made the world a safer, cleaner place.
Bechtel serves the Energy; Infrastructure; Manufacturing & Technology; Mining & Metals; and Nuclear, Security & Environmental markets. Our services span from initial planning and investment through start-up and operations. www.bechtel.com
Contact:
Amanda Meixel
ammeixel@bechtel.com
M: 1-706-360-5526
P: 1-703-429-6313
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SOURCE Bechtel | https://www.wsaz.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/bechtel-commercial-operations-vogtle-unit-3-is-an-important-milestone-us-nuclear-industry/ | 2023-07-31T11:45:58 | 1 | https://www.wsaz.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/bechtel-commercial-operations-vogtle-unit-3-is-an-important-milestone-us-nuclear-industry/ |
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.kasu.org/environment-infrastructure/environment-infrastructure/2023-07-31/as-temperatures-climbed-into-the-90s-a-black-bear-cooled-off-in-a-jacuzzi | 2023-07-31T11:46:00 | 1 | https://www.kasu.org/environment-infrastructure/environment-infrastructure/2023-07-31/as-temperatures-climbed-into-the-90s-a-black-bear-cooled-off-in-a-jacuzzi |
(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.
Top Stories from The Hill
- White House takes the gloves off ahead of 2024
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- Murphy says Alito’s Supreme Court seat ‘exists only because of an act passed by Congress’
- Trump attorney calls him ‘the most ethical American I know’ in wake of superseding indictment
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.pahomepage.com/uncategorized/dozens-of-former-trump-cabinet-officials-wont-publicly-support-his-2024-bid/ | 2023-07-31T11:46:01 | 0 | https://www.pahomepage.com/uncategorized/dozens-of-former-trump-cabinet-officials-wont-publicly-support-his-2024-bid/ |
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.wistv.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/zapscale-sets-new-industry-standard-with-easiest-customer-success-platform-one-day-onboarding/ | 2023-07-31T11:46:00 | 1 | https://www.wistv.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/zapscale-sets-new-industry-standard-with-easiest-customer-success-platform-one-day-onboarding/ |
Melbourne, Australia (AP) — Australia striker Sam Kerr was benched again but Canada captain Christine Sinclair returned to the starting lineup for a pivotal Women’s World Cup group-stage finale Monday between the co-hosts and the Olympic champions.
Kerr, Australia’s captain, missed her team’s previous two Group B matches because of a calf injury sustained in training on the eve of the tournament opener.
While Kerr was included on the bench and had indicated she’d be available for the match against Canada, Matildas head coach Tony Gustavsson suggested the decision to play Kerr would always “come down to the wire.”
Despite missing their captain, the Matildas won their first match against Ireland 1-0 in Sydney. A 3-2 upset loss to Nigeria in Brisbane meant Australia’s match against Canada was a virtual must-win situation for the hosts.
Sinclair, international soccer’s all-time leading scorer, returned to the starting 11 after only playing half of Canada’s 2-1 win over Ireland. Canada head coach Bev Priestman confirmed at Sunday’s pre-match news conference that Sinclair would be available for the match.
Sinclair started in Canada’s group opener, a 0-0 draw against Nigeria, then went on as a substitute at halftime in Canada’s win over Ireland.
After having a penalty saved against Nigeria, Sinclair is still aiming to become the first player to score in six World Cups.
Australia’s Mary Fowler, who scored the Matildas’ winning goal against Ireland, has returned to the starting lineup after a mild concussion sustained at practice forced her out of the match against Nigeria.
___
Emily Dozier and Cassidy Hettesheimer are students at the University of Georgia’s Carmical Sports Media Institute.
___
AP Women’s World Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/fifa-womens-world-cup and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | https://www.seattletimes.com/sports/soccer/australias-kerr-on-the-bench-canadas-sinclair-to-start-in-womens-world-cup-group-stage-finale/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_all | 2023-07-31T11:46:04 | 0 | https://www.seattletimes.com/sports/soccer/australias-kerr-on-the-bench-canadas-sinclair-to-start-in-womens-world-cup-group-stage-finale/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_all |
- 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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Elvina Kalieva 2023 Livesport Prague Open 2021 Odds
Elvina Kalieva's round of 32 match in the Livesport Prague Open 2021 will be versus Linda Noskova. Kalieva is +4000 to win this tournament at Tennis Club Sparta Praha.
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Kalieva at the 2023 Livesport Prague Open 2021
- Next Round: Round of 32
- Tournament Dates: July 28 - August 6
- Venue: Tennis Club Sparta Praha
- Location: Prague, Czechia
- Court Surface: Hard
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Kalieva's Next Match
Kalieva will meet Noskova in the round of 32 on Tuesday, August 1 at 5:00 AM ET, after getting past Tayisiya Morderger 6-2, 6-3 in the qualification final.
Kalieva is listed at +375 to win her next matchup against Noskova. Check out the latest odds for the entire field at BetMGM.
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Kalieva Stats
- Kalieva defeated Morderger 6-2, 6-3 on Sunday in the qualifying round.
- In five tournaments over the past year, Kalieva is yet to win a title, and her overall record is 3-5.
- Kalieva has a record of 2-3 on hard courts over the last 12 months.
- In her eight matches over the past year, across all court surfaces, Kalieva has averaged 18.6 games.
- On hard courts, Kalieva has played five matches over the past 12 months, and she has totaled 20.8 games per match while winning 49.0% of games.
- Over the past year, Kalieva has been victorious in 12.5% of her return games and 28.6% of her service games.
- Kalieva has claimed 50% of her service games on hard courts and 11.1% of her return games over the past 12 months.
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