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(The Hill) — The Department of Education released a beta website on Monday for the Biden administration’s new income-driven student loan repayment plan, known as the Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE) plan.
“A beta version of the updated [Income-Driven Repayment (IDR)] application is now available and includes the option to enroll in the new SAVE Plan – the most affordable repayment plan yet,” the department said on the site.
Previously, the administration had numerous IDR options for borrowers, which advocates have said led to a confusing system for borrowers.
The new SAVE plan will replace the Revised Pay As You Earn Repayment (REPAYE) plan, one of the most widely used out of the four IDR options available to borrowers. The other three IDR plans will be phased out by the department or limited in the future.
The SAVE plan will make three significant changes this year compared to the REPAYE option. The first raises the income exemption from 150 percent above the poverty line to 225 percent, meaning a single person earning less than $32,800 would have $0 monthly payments under the plan.
The plan also won’t allow unpaid interest to grow if a person is making their monthly student loan payments. Lastly, spousal income for borrowers who are married and file separately will not be included.
The website – first reported by CNN — shows a demo of the application process, where some information such as tax returns can be automatically inserted due to information the government has on file for a borrower.
“We will be able to show borrowers their exact monthly payment amount and give them the ability to choose the most affordable repayment plan for them,” one official told CNN.
Officials told the network the full website launch will happen in August after the department has time to assess the site’s performance during the beta launch. Those who apply for SAVE during the beta period will not have to reapply after the full launch.
Those on the previous REPAYE IDR plan will be automatically enrolled in the new plan and do not need to use the launched application.
The Hill has reached out to the Department of Education for comment on the beta launch.
Other aspects of the SAVE program will be implemented next year such as payments getting reduced from 10 percent to 5 percent of income above 225 percent of the poverty line for undergraduate loans.
The SAVE plan, touted as the most generous IDR plan by the administration, is expected to cost between $150 billion to $350 billion a year, according to varying estimates.
The launch of the SAVE plan comes two months before borrowers end their three-year-long pause on student loan payments and begin President Joe Biden’s “on-ramp” repayment system.
Under the system, interest will still accrue, but borrowers will not be penalized in other ways such as credit score ratings for not paying their student loan payments up until Sept. 2024. | https://www.texomashomepage.com/news/national-news/new-income-driven-student-loan-repayment-plan-available-to-borrowers/ | 2023-07-31T17:27:36 | 1 | https://www.texomashomepage.com/news/national-news/new-income-driven-student-loan-repayment-plan-available-to-borrowers/ |
LOS ANGELES (AP) — This year Whitney Houston would have turned 60, and a special celebration to raise money for a good cause is being planned for her birthday.
Houston’s estate, Sony and Primary Wave Music will host the second annual Whitney Houston Legacy of Love on Aug. 9, which will benefit the late singer’s foundation aimed at helping young people.
Houston’s close friends BeBe Winans and Kim Burrell will perform at the gala at Atlanta’s St. Regis Hotel, as will Whitney’s brother, Gary, who toured with her for three decades.
“When I turned 50, Whitney gave me two celebrations — one in Ireland and one in London. I always tell everyone now that one of them was for her,” says Pat Houston, Whitney Houston’s sister-in-law and the executor of her estate. Houston died in February 2012 at age 48. “This year is Whitney at 60 — we’re all looking forward to being a part of the power of love in that room.”
Founded by the singer in 1989, the Whitney Houston Foundation for Children aims to empower youth, by providing resources to unhoused children, giving out college scholarships, and raising funds for charities like the Children’s Defense Fund and St. Jude Children’s Research.
A charity auction will raise money for the foundation.
“We’re going to auction off a beautiful lavender dress Dolly Parton wore when she sang ‘I Will Always Love You’ at Country Music Television’s ‘100 Greatest Love Songs of Country Music’ special in 2004,” says Pat Houston. “This dress is particularly special because it’s lavender, and lavender is Whitney’s favorite color.”
The song, originally written by Parton, was recorded by Houston and became one of her great, everlasting hits. The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) certified it diamond early last year, which means the track has sold and streamed 10 million equivalent units in the United States. It became her first diamond single and made Houston the third woman to ever achieve diamond status with both a single and an album, following Mariah Carey and Taylor Swift.
Clive Davis will serve as honorary chairman. Recording Academy President Harvey Mason jr. is scheduled to attend. Also expected are Gamma’s Larry Jackson and Whitney Houston’s musical director Rickey Minor.
“I always tell people, Whitney is the star,” Pat Houston said. “Everybody in that room is royalty, but she’s loyalty — and she’s still showing that.” | https://www.texomashomepage.com/news/national-news/whitney-at-60-houston-estate-announces-2nd-annual-gala/ | 2023-07-31T17:27:42 | 0 | https://www.texomashomepage.com/news/national-news/whitney-at-60-houston-estate-announces-2nd-annual-gala/ |
SAN FRANCISCO, July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Delta Dental of California and affiliates today announced that Mike Castro will retire as its chief executive officer (CEO) Dec. 31, 2023 and become chairman of the board of Delta Dental of California effective Jan. 1, 2024. Sarah Chavarria, current president of Delta Dental of California, will succeed Mr. Castro to become president and CEO Jan. 1, 2024.
Mr. Castro has led the company as CEO of Delta Dental since 2019. During his two decades with the company, he has held a variety of leadership roles, including serving as chief financial officer for 14 years.
"It has been a privilege to lead our business," said Mike Castro, chief executive officer of Delta Dental of California. "Over the years, many people have asked how I want to define my legacy at Delta Dental. The simple answer has always been the same: to leave the company better than I found it, and in better hands. I'm proud to say we're a stronger company than we were five years ago, and we have a deep bench of exceptional leaders to help us continue to capitalize on our position of strength thanks to the team."
Sarah Chavarria was promoted to president in 2022 and has led the organization's Operations, Technology, People, Growth, Marketing and Communication divisions. She began her career at Delta Dental as chief people officer and later expanded her leadership to include oversight of the other teams.
"I want to thank Mike for his support, exceptional leadership and dedication to Delta Dental, which have laid the foundation for a successful future," said Sarah Chavarria, president of Delta Dental of California. "We will continue our partnership when he moves into his new role as chairman of the board. Together, we will ensure our customers, providers and employees remain at the forefront of our business and that we stay focused on our purpose to improve health by providing access to quality care for our more than 45 million members."
About Delta Dental of California
Since 1955, Delta Dental of California has offered comprehensive, high quality oral health care coverage to millions of enrollees and built the strongest network of dental providers in the country. The Delta Dental of California enterprise includes its affiliates Delta Dental Insurance Company, Delta Dental of Pennsylvania, Delta Dental of New York, Inc., as well as the national DeltaCare USA network, and provides dental benefits to more than 45 million people across 15 states and the District of Columbia*. All are members of the Delta Dental Plans Association based in Oak Brook, Illinois, the not-for-profit national association that through a national network of Delta Dental companies collectively covers millions of people nationwide. For more information about Delta Dental of California, please visit www.deltadentalins.com
*Delta Dental of California's operating areas encompass Alabama, California, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Montana, Nevada, New York, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah, West Virginia and District of Columbia.
For media inquiries, contact:
Tom Sarris
Director, Corporate Communications
Delta Dental of California
tsarris@delta.org
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SOURCE Delta Dental of California | https://www.wagmtv.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/mike-castro-retire-ceo-become-chairman-board-delta-dental-california-president-sarah-chavarria-named-successor/ | 2023-07-31T17:27:42 | 0 | https://www.wagmtv.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/mike-castro-retire-ceo-become-chairman-board-delta-dental-california-president-sarah-chavarria-named-successor/ |
NEW YORK (AP) — Trucking company Yellow Corp. has shut down operations and is headed for a bankruptcy filing, according to the Teamsters Union and multiple media reports.
After years of financial struggles, reports of Yellow preparing for bankruptcy emerged last week — as the Nashville, Tennessee-based trucker saw customers leave in large numbers. Yellow shut down operations on Sunday, according to the Wall Street Journal, following the layoffs of hundreds of nonunion employees on Friday.
In an announcement early Monday, the Teamsters said that the union received legal notice confirming Yellow was ceasing operations and filing for bankruptcy.
“Today’s news is unfortunate but not surprising. Yellow has historically proven that it could not manage itself despite billions of dollars in worker concessions and hundreds of millions in bailout funding from the federal government,” Teamsters general president Sean O’Brien said in a statement. “This is a sad day for workers and the American freight industry.”
The Associated Press reached out to Yellow for comment on Monday. No bankruptcy filings had gone live as of the early morning.
The bankruptcy reports have renewed attention around Yellow’s ongoing negotiations with unionized workers, a $700 million pandemic-era loan from the government and other bills the trucker has racked up over time. Yellow, formerly known as YRC Worldwide Inc., is one of the nation’s largest less-than-truckload carriers. The company’s reported closure puts 30,000 jobs at risk.
Here’s what you need to know.
WHAT WOULD BANKRUPTCY MEAN FOR YELLOW?
According to Satish Jindel, president of transportation and logistics firm SJ Consulting, Yellow handled an average of 49,000 shipments per day in 2022. Last week, he estimated that number was down to between 10,000 and 15,000 daily shipments.
With customers leaving — as well reports of Yellow stopping freight pickups last week — bankruptcy would “be the end of Yellow,” Jindel told The Associated Press, noting increased risk for liquidation.
“The likelihood of them surviving and remaining solvent diminishes really by the day,” added Bruce Chan, a research director at investment banking firm Stifel.
Yellow declined to comment when contacted by The Associated Press on Friday. In a Wednesday statement to The Journal, the company said it was continuing “to prepare for a range of contingencies.” On Thursday, Yellow said it was in talks with multiple parties about selling its third-party logistics organization.
Even if Yellow was able to sell its logistics firm, it would “not generate a sufficient amount of cash to keep them operational on any sort of permanent basis,” Chan said. “Without a major equity injection, it would be very difficult for them to survive.”
HOW MUCH DEBT DOES YELLOW HAVE?
As of late March, Yellow had an outstanding debt of about $1.5 billion. Of that, $729.2 million was owed to the federal government.
In 2020, under the Trump administration, the Treasury Department granted the company a $700 million pandemic-era loan on national security grounds. Last month, a congressional probe concluded that the Treasury and Defense Departments “made missteps” in this decision — and noted that Yellow’s “precarious financial position at the time of the loan, and continued struggles, expose taxpayers to a significant risk of loss.”
The government loan is due in September 2024. As of March, Yellow had made $54.8 million in interest payments and repaid just $230 million of the principal owed, according to government documents.
Yellow’s current finances and prospect of bankruptcy “is probably two decades in the making,” Chan said, pointing to poor management and strategic decisions dating back to the early 2000s. “At this point, after each party has bailed them out so many times, there is a limited appetite to do that anymore.”
In May, Yellow reported a loss of $54.6 million, a decline of $1.06 per share, for its first quarter of 2023. Operating revenue was about $1.16 billion in the period.
A Wednesday investors note from financial service firm Stephens estimated that Yellow could be burning between $9 million and $10 million each day. Using a liquidity disclosure from earlier this month, Yellow had roughly $100 million in cash at the end of June, the note added — estimating that the company has been burning through increasing amounts of money through July.
“It is reasonable to believe that the Company could breach its $35 mil. liquidity requirement at any moment,” Stephens analyst Jack Atkins and associate Grant Smith wrote.
DID THE COMPANY JUST AVERT A STRIKE?
Last week’s reports of bankruptcy preparations arrived just days after a strike from the Teamsters, which represents Yellow’s 22,000 unionized workers, was averted.
A series of heated exchanges have built up between the Teamsters and Yellow, who sued the union in June after alleging it was “unjustifiably blocking” restructuring plans needed for the company’s survival. The Teamsters called the litigation “baseless” — with O’Brien pointing to Yellow’s “decades of gross mismanagement,” which included exhausting the $700 million federal loan.
On July 23, a pension fund agreed to extend health benefits for workers at two Yellow Corp. operating companies, averting a strike — and giving Yellow “30 days to pay its bills,” notably $50 million that Yellow failed to pay the Central States Health and Welfare Fund on July 15, the union said. While the strike didn’t occur, talks of a walkout may have caused some Yellow customers to pull back, Chan said.
“The financial struggles of Yellow are not related to the union and the contracts,” Jindel said, pointing to management’s responsibility around its services and prices. He added the union wages from Yellow are “lower than any competitor.”
WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF YELLOW WENT UNDER?
As Yellow customers take their shipments to other carriers, like FedEx or ABF Freight, prices will go up.
Yellow’s prices have historically been the cheapest compared to other carriers, Jindel said. “That’s why they obviously were not making money,” he added. “And while there is capacity with the other LTL carriers to handle the diversions from Yellow, it will come at a high price for (current shippers and customers) of Yellow.”
Chan adds that we’re in an interesting time for the LTL marketplace — noting that, if Yellow liquidates, “the freight would find a home” with other carriers, which may not have been true in recent years.
“It may take time, but there’s room for it to be absorbed,” he said. | https://www.texomashomepage.com/news/national-news/yellow-trucking-shutdown-bankruptcy-heres-what-to-know/ | 2023-07-31T17:27:48 | 0 | https://www.texomashomepage.com/news/national-news/yellow-trucking-shutdown-bankruptcy-heres-what-to-know/ |
HAZLET, N.J. (WPIX) — A New Jersey family is suing a movie theater chain after the mother and her son, who has autism, were thrown out.
Their offense? The mother took her son into the women’s restroom when he needed to go to the bathroom.
“All this time, it was humiliating and scary for my son,” Christine Gallinaro, of Holmdel, told WPIX.
It was supposed to be a fun trip to the movies for Gallinaro and her 15-year-old son, John.
Gallinaro‘s husband wasn’t with them, so when John, who is nonverbal, had to go to the bathroom, she took him into the ladies’ room at Cinemark‘s Hazlet 12. There was no family restroom.
Gallinaro said no one in the ladies’ room complained. She said many understood that her son has special needs and needed an adult to help him. But the theater manager let her and her son know she disapproved.
“I asked her if there was a problem. I explained that he was disabled, and she said a grown man should not be in this bathroom,” Gallinaro said.
Gallinaro said the manager called security and then the police to eject them from the movie theater. On the cellphone video, Gallinaro said it was clear to her that the security and police were sympathetic to her plight.
The Gallinaros filed a lawsuit last week against the movie theater chain.
“What happened that day was unlawful, wrong, and bizarre,” said Austin Tobin, the Gallinaro family’s lawyer.
“Since this happened and has been made public, there has been an overwhelming response of support, particularly from mothers of disabled children,” Gallinaro said.
A few days after the June 16 incident, Gallinaro said the movie theater regional manager reached out to offer a refund, but the mother said the humiliation was too great.
WPIX contacted the movie theater for comment on the allegations but did not receive a response. | https://www.texomashomepage.com/news/national/humiliating-mom-son-with-autism-thrown-out-of-nj-theater-for-using-ladies-room/ | 2023-07-31T17:27:49 | 1 | https://www.texomashomepage.com/news/national/humiliating-mom-son-with-autism-thrown-out-of-nj-theater-for-using-ladies-room/ |
Mr. Carr is President and CEO of Capital Impact Partners and CDC Small Business Finance, which operate under the Momentus Capital Brand
ARLINGTON, Va. and SAN DIEGO, July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- For all of us at Momentus Capital, 2022 was a year to remember. Working in cities and communities across the country, we put over $760 million into the hands of entrepreneurs, developers, and other local leaders. In addition, lenders utilized our Ventures Lending Technologies' suite of products to deploy more than $20 billion in financing to their clients. These numbers represent the highest level of investment in the history of our family of organizations.
But beyond these headline figures, what do these numbers represent? What do these dollars actually support? When I get asked this question, three things come to mind:
First and foremost, our work supports people. The people that we invest in are pursuing their own dreams for themselves and their communities. Most are small business owners and community real estate developers, but no matter their line of work, I see them the same way: as builders. In many cases, these folks are the folks that the traditional financial sector has left behind. Through their businesses, projects, and community leadership, they are building a better future for themselves and those around them – and we are proud to support their vision.
Second, our work advances a culture that puts the voices of these leaders at the center of what we do. Local voices shape our priorities, our projects, and our strategies. One of the reasons I admire our staff so deeply is because they are committed to this culture. We adopted our four Core Values – being visionary, invested, collaborative, and intentionally inclusive – to strengthen this culture. We build authentic relationships with our colleagues, our partners, and the community leaders we support. As we do, we strive to always actively listen to how they describe their own wants, needs, and vision.
Finally and most importantly, our work supports communities. Strengthening and supporting communities is the reason we exist. We are committed to the idea that the people of every community in America deserve to live, work, play, and dream without being constrained by a lack of capital, a lack of knowledge, a lack of power. Every bit of capital we provide is about directing power – economic, social, and cultural – to communities with dreams, assets, and aspirations that outstrip the power our current system has allowed them.
We do the work we do so that people, cultures, and communities across this country can thrive. As you can see in our Annual Report, we did a lot last year in the service of this goal. As with every year, our achievements are thanks to the expertise and dedication of our incredible staff. I am grateful for their commitment to our mission and proud of the way they approach this work. As the "first generation" of Momentus Capital employees, they are advancing the work while helping us to build a new type of organization, shaping the day-to-day environment of our organization. Every day, I feel lucky and honored to work with this team.
Of course, the real work is ahead of us, not behind. We are on a multi-year journey to build an integrated financial services organization that puts purpose over profit. Working together with partners, we will redefine how capital flows into underestimated communities so that everyone has access to the resources they need to thrive. The result? An economic system that respects and uplifts all peoples' right to achieve the dreams they have for themselves, their communities, and generations to come.
Thank you, as always, for your interest and support.
To read our full FY2022 Annual Report, please click here.
About Momentus Capital
The Momentus Capital branded family of organizations refers to the combined operations of Capital Impact Partners, CDC Small Business Finance, Momentus Direct Capital, Momentus Securities, and Ventures Lending Technologies. While each organization under the Momentus Capital brand still operates as a separate entity, their clients will now have access to more resources and products.
The Momentus Capital branded family of organizations is transforming how capital and investments flow into communities to provide people access to the capital and opportunities they deserve. We are working to reinvent traditional financial systems that have failed to address systemic issues of inequality, economic empowerment, and the widening racial wealth gap by offering a continuum of financial, knowledge, and social capital to help local leaders build inclusive and equitable communities and create generational wealth. This includes a comprehensive package of loan products, impact investment opportunities, training and business advising programs, and technology services that advance locally-led solutions.
Leveraging 80 years of combined experience, nearly $3 billion in assets, and strong community engagement, we have delivered $23 billion in financing, created and preserved 250,000 jobs, and served 12,000 small businesses and five million people across their history.
With headquarters in Arlington, Virginia, and San Diego, California, Momentus Capital operates nationally with a focus on larger urban areas and cities in Arizona, California, Michigan, Nevada, New York, Texas, and the Washington metro area.
Learn more at momentuscap.org.
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COLLEGE STATION, Texas (KIAH) — The board of regents at Texas A&M University named Mark A. Welsh III as the new interim president in a special-called meeting Sunday.
Chancellor John Sharp previously named Welsh on July 21 as the acting president of the university. The board’s action was needed to place Welsh into a longer-term role to lead the university.
“I cannot think of a better person than Mark Welsh to lead Texas A&M right now,” Sharp said. “He has experience running a large organization, but he also is widely respected and universally well-liked in the Aggie community. General Welsh has earned a reputation as a smart, thoughtful and collaborative leader. We are lucky to have him in the president’s office.”
Welsh has been dean of the university’s Bush School of Government and Public Service since 2016, but his time in the academic realm came after a long and decorated career in the United States Air Force.
“I am grateful to the Board of Regents and Chancellor Sharp for their confidence in me to lead this great university during a time of transition,” Welsh said. “As interim president, my primary focus is to ensure our faculty and staff have the resources and support they need to continue their critically important work. I’m deeply committed to Texas A&M, our core values and traditions, and to an environment that values the voice of every member of our faculty, staff and student body. I pledge to every Aggie that I will work tirelessly to represent this great institution in a way that reflects your pride in it.”
Texas A&M’s board of regents also voted to negotiate a potential settlement with Kathleen McElroy over her botched hiring.
McElroy was hired as a tenure-track journalism professor earlier this summer, but she wound up turning down the job when she was offered a less lucrative position after conservative groups expressed concern about her experience.
Former A&M President Katherine Banks resigned over the backlash.
Additionally, the regents directed the System’s Office of General Counsel to complete a thorough investigation as quickly as possible and emphasized that they support the release of its the findings to the public. | https://www.texomashomepage.com/news/texas/texas-am-names-mark-a-welsh-iii-as-interim-president/ | 2023-07-31T17:27:55 | 1 | https://www.texomashomepage.com/news/texas/texas-am-names-mark-a-welsh-iii-as-interim-president/ |
Multi-year contract is the largest in NRAEF history. Watch this video to learn about NRAEF apprenticeship programs.
WASHINGTON, July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation (NRAEF) has been awarded a five-year $12.2 million contract by the U.S. Department of Labor to grow its Hospitality Sector Registered Apprenticeship (HSRA) program by 5,000 participants. The award is the largest in NRAEF history and affirms its commitment to building a diverse hospitality workforce.
With a special focus on addressing barriers to historically underrepresented populations, the HSRA program will enroll 1,000 new apprentices annually across the hospitality industry over the next five years. Apprentices will receive on-the-job training, as well as nationally-recognized credentials to help them advance through the ranks, earn more, and ultimately build a long-term industry career. Awarded by the DOL's Employment and Training Administration, the project aims to strengthen the Foundation's ongoing industry-wide work to connect current and future industry workers with advancement pathways through apprenticeship.
"Apprenticeship is an answer to many of the workforce obstacles faced by the hospitality industry. More importantly, it is life changing to individual apprentices, offering them a path to better pay, industry skills, and a career," said NRAEF president Rob Gifford. "This new DOL contract represents the next chapter of our work to change 5,000 lives, strengthen the hospitality industry, and ensure it reflects the diversity of the people we serve."
The HSRA program is housed in the NRAEF's Restaurant & Hospitality Leadership Center (RHLC). Since establishing itself as the first recognized apprenticeship program for hospitality management, the HSRA program has grown to include line cook, hotel cook, kitchen manager, restaurant manager, lodging manager, and maintenance employee programs. All programs are no cost to both employers and their employees and help hospitality employers build and manage tailored curriculums that merge on-the-job experience with related training instruction. Learn more about restaurant and hospitality apprenticeship at ChooseRestaurants.org/RHLC.
About the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation (NRAEF):
As the supporting philanthropic foundation of the National Restaurant Association, the NRAEF's charitable mission includes enhancing the industry's training and education, career development, and community engagement efforts. The NRAEF and its programs work to Attract, Empower, and Advance today's and tomorrow's restaurant and foodservice workforce. NRAEF programs include: ProStart® – a high-school career and technical education program; Restaurant Ready/HOPES – Partnering with community based organizations to provide people with skills training and job opportunities; Military – helping military servicemen and women transition their skills to restaurant and foodservice careers; Scholarships – financial assistance for students pursuing restaurant, foodservice and hospitality degrees; and the Restaurant & Hospitality Leadership Center (RHLC) – accredited apprenticeship programs designed to build the careers of service professionals. For more information on the NRAEF, visit ChooseRestaurants.org. Click here for the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation's 2022 Annual Impact Report.
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SOURCE National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation | https://www.wagmtv.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/national-restaurant-association-educational-foundation-receives-122-million-contract-strengthen-grow-diversify-hospitality-industry-apprenticeship/ | 2023-07-31T17:27:55 | 1 | https://www.wagmtv.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/national-restaurant-association-educational-foundation-receives-122-million-contract-strengthen-grow-diversify-hospitality-industry-apprenticeship/ |
Formation of new Board and updates to key management roles set to drive and accelerate progression in the region
CARLSBAD, Calif., July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Nice, a global leader in Home and Building Management solutions, today announced pivotal changes within its North American entity to further boost growth and innovation.
, former Chief Commercial Officer of GE Grid Solutions, appointed as Nice North America CEO.
Nice North America begins its next phase of evolution by establishing a new Board to provide strategic oversight of regional operations, a move indicating a sustained commitment to increasing shareholder value, improving corporate governance, and driving strategic growth. The Board will lead four specialized committees, each focused on accelerating growth in the areas of ESG, People Strategy, Audit & Compliance, and Strategy.
Leading the coordination of the Board will be Luca Longhin, who is appointed President of Nice North America and is a long-standing contributor to the mission of Nice. Since 2019, Luca has worked extensively on the North American vision and strategy for growth, including driving post-acquisition integration of businesses in the region. His deep understanding of Nice business dynamics will ensure that North America continues on its successful trajectory while contributing significantly to global objectives.
Emanuel Bertolini is appointed as the new CEO of Nice North America, bringing over two decades of project management, sales, and P&L leadership experience. Emanuel has amassed an impressive track record of driving growth and success in his previous roles at GE, including Chief Commercial Officer of GE Grid Solutions, CEO Americas of GE Grid Solutions, and various board positions. Emanuel's proven leadership and dedication to fostering a culture of teamwork, safety, and compliance align perfectly with the values and mission of Nice.
Emanuel is recognized as a growth-oriented leader with a proven track record of delivering results. His extensive background and global expertise equip him with a deep understanding of business dynamics and the ability to drive success. Throughout his leadership journey, he has fostered a culture of teamwork, valuing diverse teams and perspectives, prioritizing safety, and ensuring compliance.
"We are excited about the organizational developments and future of Nice North America," said Roberto Griffa, CEO of Nice group. "Luca's history of success, not only in the region but also throughout his career with Nice, will continue building on the solid foundation established. We are also thrilled about the appointment of Emanuel, a highly regarded leader, and are delighted to welcome him to Nice. His global expertise working across a range of industries make him an excellent fit for the role in driving continued success to achieve the company's strategic objectives."
Addressing his appointment as CEO of Nice North America, Emanuel Bertolini had this to say: "I am pleased to embark on this exciting journey with Nice, a dynamic and globally recognized company. The clear mission, exceptional team, and diverse portfolio of innovative products and solutions position us strongly to achieve success in the marketplace. Together with Luca, the Board, and our dedicated team, I look forward to collaborating with the talented individuals at Nice to deliver outstanding value to our shareholders and our customers."
In his new role as CEO, Emanuel will officially join on August 7, 2023 and report directly to the newly formed Board. Luca will report to Roberto Griffa and the Nice Executive Committee in Italy. This governance structure is designed to accelerate the progression of Nice in North America, building on its innovative smart home and building management solutions.
The moves take place as the company continues its rapid expansion and convergence of brands, beginning first with ELAN®, SpeakerCraft®, and Panamax® brands to create a more powerful whole home solution by the end of 2023.
About Nice North America
Nice North America, a subsidiary of Nice, one of the largest manufacturers of smart residential, commercial, and industrial solutions in the world, with seamless and easy-to-install technology for smart home control, security and automation, perimeter access, protection and control, sunshade solutions, power management, and whole home entertainment. The company is headquartered in Carlsbad, CA, with several R&D and manufacturing centers across the region. Professional integrators, dealers, and distribution partners grow their business with CEU training and education, technical and field support, and award-winning sales and marketing programs. The company is a proud national sponsor of the Gary Sinise Foundation R.I.S.E. program, supporting wounded veterans and their families with specially adapted smart homes. For further information visit www.niceforyou.com.
Press Contacts:
Agency Contact
BCW
Brittany Gbur
Brittany.gbur@bcw-global.com
Corporate Contact
Mark Burson
Chief Marketing Officer
Nice North America
m.burson@niceforyou.com
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SOURCE Nice North America | https://www.wagmtv.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/nice-charts-course-bolster-growth-with-strategic-leadership-appointments-evolution-organizational-structure/ | 2023-07-31T17:28:02 | 1 | https://www.wagmtv.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/nice-charts-course-bolster-growth-with-strategic-leadership-appointments-evolution-organizational-structure/ |
SULLIVAN COUNTY, Tenn. (WJHL) – Authorities in Sullivan County are on the scene of a barricaded subject Monday afternoon.
News Channel 11 has a crew on the scene along Henson Road in Bristol, where the Sullivan County Sheriff’s Office (SCSO) said a subject had barricaded themself inside a home.
Police have not identified the barricaded subject as of 12:30 p.m., and no further details have been released yet.
This is a developing story. News Channel 11 will continue to provide details as they become available online and on-air. | https://www.wjhl.com/news/crime/sullivan-co-sheriffs-office-on-scene-of-barricaded-subject/ | 2023-07-31T17:28:06 | 1 | https://www.wjhl.com/news/crime/sullivan-co-sheriffs-office-on-scene-of-barricaded-subject/ |
The moon will seem extra big and bright and thus be quite a sight this August, with a sturgeon supermoon visible on Tuesday and then a rare blue supermoon coming at the end of the month.
Two of the four supermoon events of 2023 will take place in August, with the first happening on Tuesday. On Aug. 30 there will be a blue supermoon, which won't happen again until 2032. Here's what you need to know so you can catch this summer's lunar double feature.
What is a supermoon?
A perigean full moon, better known as a supermoon, happens when the moon is full during its closest orbits to Earth. This gives its appearance an extra pop, making it look up to 8% bigger and 16% brighter than a typical full moon, according to The Old Farmer's Almanac.
According to NASA, the moon's typical orbit ranges between 226,000 and 251,000 miles from Earth, but variances can bring it a bit closer or farther away. Only the closest three or four approaches each year qualify as supermoons. The last one was on July 3.
Up first is the sturgeon supermoon on Tuesday
The sturgeon moon got its name from Native American tribes that found that the giant sturgeon from the Great Lakes were "most readily caught" at this time of the summer, according to Farmer's Almanac. It's also known as a green corn moon, grain moon, flying up moon, harvest moon, ricing moon, black cherries moon and the mountain shadow moon.
This spectacle will hit peak illumination at 2:32 p.m. ET. "That evening, look toward the southeast after sunset to catch a glimpse of the Sturgeon Moon rising," Farmer's Almanac says.
A sturgeon, for non-anglers, is an enormous fish with roots in the Jurassic period that spends its life — up to 150 years — in both fresh and saltwater. The white sturgeon is the largest freshwater fish in North America, reaching as long as 20 feet and nearly 2,000 pounds, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. But most of the sturgeon inhabiting the Great Lakes measure about 6 feet in length and weigh approximately 200 pounds.
The second show is a rare blue supermoon
While a supermoon references the moon's orbit in relation to Earth, a blue moon has to do with frequency, referring to when there's a second full moon in a single calendar month, NASA says. It's also used to describe the third of four full moons in an astrological season.
The moon takes 27.3 days to orbit the Earth, but because of how the sun's light hits the satellite, it takes 29.5 days to complete its lunar cycle from one new moon to the next.
The term "once in a blue moon" is an idiom used to describe a rare but nonetheless recurring event. But according to NASA they're not actually all that rare, recurring every two-and-a-half years or so.
A blue supermoon, however, happens far less frequently. According to the website Time and Date, the last blue supermoon was in December 2009, and the next one won't be until August 2032.
This year's blue supermoon will peak at 9:36 p.m. ET on Aug. 30, Farmer's Almanac says, but you can use their moonrise calculator to see when it will be visible in your area.
The end of August supermoon will be the biggest and brightest of 2023 because the moon will be "exceptionally close" to Earth at 222,043 miles, nearly 17,000 miles closer than average.
Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.wlrn.org/npr-breaking-news/2023-07-31/if-you-miss-augusts-super-blue-moon-youll-have-to-wait-9-years-for-your-next-chance | 2023-07-31T17:28:06 | 1 | https://www.wlrn.org/npr-breaking-news/2023-07-31/if-you-miss-augusts-super-blue-moon-youll-have-to-wait-9-years-for-your-next-chance |
Clare Normoyle has been working as a Digital Producer at NewsChannel 9 since October 2022. She has a bachelor’s degree from SUNY Fredonia with a major in Journalism and a minor in English. Originally from Camillus, New York, Clare is happy to be able to work in the city she grew up in.
In her free time, Clare makes jewelry, enjoys reading, and is always searching for a good thrift find and watching a good sunset. | https://www.localsyr.com/clare-normoyle/ | 2023-07-31T17:28:06 | 1 | https://www.localsyr.com/clare-normoyle/ |
The company's 2022 annual audit shows impressive growth with a focus on regional expansion, becoming first fintech startup from Singapore to have over 20 offices globally
SAN FRANCISCO and SINGAPORE, July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Nium, the leader in real-time global payments, has published its 2022 audit, showing US$82M in net revenue which grew 2.7x YoY and ended at more than $100M net revenue run rate. Nium is Singapore's first global fintech focused on payments to reach this revenue milestone. In 2022, the company focused its development on serving high-growth client use cases, in industries such as travel, payroll, spend management, and financial services. This strategy has allowed for the business to accelerate its growth agenda, including global expansion, organic product innovation, continued hiring of top talent, and M&A activity.
"Moving money across borders is broken," said Prajit Nanu, Founder and CEO at Nium. "Legacy banks and payment processors have failed to give businesses the solutions they need to expand globally. Nium fills this gap and has emerged as the new global business standard for real-time, cross-border money movement. We are thrilled to see such success last year and are extremely bullish on not only the scale we've already seen this year, but what we'll see by the end of 2023."
Nium has hundreds of clients across multiple industries including financial institutions, payroll, spend management, and travel. Financial institutions were a priority last year as Nium focused on helping them target new markets with instant bank payouts and expand to emerging markets. Nium powers among the largest brands and platforms in the globe, including Rippling, Payoneer, Amadeus, Aspire, MasterCard and eDreams.
Nium's issuing product also saw substantial success, with over 30M cards issued just last year. Nium helps navigate this rapidly changing landscape, by allowing travel intermediaries and operators to efficiently pay travel suppliers around the world, optimizing every transaction for maximum profitability. On the product side, the company launched Nium Airline Payments, a closed-loop payments solution powered by Universal Air Travel Plan, which provides airlines, travel agents, and online travel agencies with a sustainable and equitable 'closed loop' payment model.
Last year saw exponential growth on Nium's leadership team, including the hires of CPO, Robin Gandhi; GC, Dylan Lowrey; and CTO, Ramana Satyavarapu. With hiring at the forefront, the Nium team was awarded the Great Places to Work certification in India, Malta, Singapore, and the US. Nium also expanded into new markets, including Malaysia and Japan. Due to this expansion of the company and team, Nium saw a slightly higher burn rate than in 2021.
Over the past year Nium raised additional capital at a $2.0bn valuation, adding new investors such as BOND, NewView Capital, Moore Capital and Tribe Capital. The business is very well capitalized and continues to invest in product innovation, new markets and M&A opportunities. "Our investors believe in our mission of building the payments infrastructure for on-demand money and our funding has helped us accelerate our growth aspirations. We're thrilled to have the support of these notable investors and continue to look forward to working closely together to advance our business." said Nanu.
Nium plays in the foundational payment infrastructure market that has proven to be one of the few thriving markets during these challenging times. The company's extensive global reach, broad license portfolio, real-time payments network, enhanced payroll solution, and a team of industry leaders have been the pillars of its success. In 2023, Nium has been focused on regional expansion. The company's recent hires of Volker Steinle to lead Americas business development, Anupam Pahuja to lead Asia Pacific and Middle East business development, and Manuel Sandhofer to lead Europe business development are examples of that investment. This expertise, coupled with new licenses pending regulatory approval, has set Nium up for success in emerging markets including LATAM and Africa. The company has also recently opened new offices in San Francisco, Amsterdam, India, and Singapore.
About Nium
Nium, the leader in real-time global payments, was founded on the mission to deliver the global payments infrastructure of tomorrow, today. With the onset of the on-demand economy, its payments infrastructure is shaping how banks, fintechs, and businesses everywhere collect, convert, and disburse funds instantly across borders. Its payout network supports 100 currencies and spans 190+ countries, 100 of which in real-time. Funds can be disbursed to accounts, wallets, and cards and collected locally in 35 markets. Nium's growing card issuance business is already available in 34 countries. Nium holds regulatory licenses and authorizations in more than 40 countries, enabling seamless onboarding, rapid integration, and compliance – independent of geography. The company is co-headquartered in San Francisco and Singapore, with regional offices in London, Amsterdam, Hong Kong, Mumbai, Bengaluru, and Chennai.
Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1678669/Nium_Logo.jpg
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SOURCE Nium | https://www.wagmtv.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/nium-announces-2022-net-revenue-grew-27x-yoy-us82m/ | 2023-07-31T17:28:08 | 1 | https://www.wagmtv.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/nium-announces-2022-net-revenue-grew-27x-yoy-us82m/ |
(WFLA) — Paul Reubens, known for his role in the Pee-wee Herman films, has died at age 70, according to posts on the Pee-wee Herman social media pages.
According to a statement on Facebook, the actor died Sunday night.
“Last night we said farewell to Paul Reubens, an iconic American actor, comedian, writer and producer whose beloved character Pee-wee Herman delighted generations of children and adults with his positivity, whimsy and belief in the importance of kindness,” his team said in the statement.
The statement added that Reubens had “bravely and privately fought cancer for years with his trademark tenacity and wit.”
The post also quoted Reubens apologizing for not going public with his condition.
“Please accept my apology for not going public with what I’ve been facing the last six years,” he said. “I have always felt a huge amount of love and respect from my friends, fans and supporters. I have loved you all so much and enjoyed making art for you.”
Calling the actor “gifted and prolific talent,” the actor’s team said, “He will forever live in the comedy pantheon and in our hearts as a treasured friend and man of remarkable character and generosity of spirit.”
This is a developing story. | https://www.wjhl.com/news/national/pee-wee-herman-star-paul-reubens-dies-at-age-70/ | 2023-07-31T17:28:12 | 1 | https://www.wjhl.com/news/national/pee-wee-herman-star-paul-reubens-dies-at-age-70/ |
The Florida Department of Education has issued new standards for teaching Black history in public schools that have again drawn national media attention.
As part of the new approach, Florida educators will now have to teach middle school students that enslaved people in America derived “in some instances…personal benefit” from slavery through the skills they learned.
On Friday's South Florida Roundup show, WLRN’s Tim Padgett discussed the contentious history lesson with Florida state Sen. Rosalind Osgood, a Democrat who represents much of Broward County in her 32nd District; and Mayade Ersoff, a history teacher at Palmetto Middle School in the City of Pinecrest in Miami-Dade County.
“We feel insulted,” said Osgood, who is Black. “I've sent down an email blast from my office and I've gotten an overwhelming response from people both Black and white, that are really hurt by this kind of rhetoric.”
Osgood said she will co-host a town hall to encourage community members to voice their concerns about the new Florida teaching guidelines on African-American history. It will take place Aug. 10 at 7 p.m. at Antioch Baptist Church, one of the largest churches in Miami Gardens — a majority Black city.
“We know that history is where we get empirical evidence of things that work well, and it also gives us our horrible lessons learned that we should never repeat,” said Osgood, a former Broward County school board member.
Florida Education Commissioner Manny Diaz has agreed to attend the forum.
Diaz has commented that the new rules are meant to teach kids “the good, the bad and the ugly” about that part of U.S. history. But teachers especially here in South Florida are asking: what in the world could have ever been “good” about slavery?
“That's fake history intended for political use only and the kids, the students in middle school and high school and elementary school have the right to learn about the truth,” said Ersoff. “The facts only, not twisted history.”
Florida, especially Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis, was already under intense national scrutiny for recent efforts to modify how Black studies are taught in the state — moves that critics say water down if not strip away the necessary discussion of systemic racism in America.
DeSantis, a 2024 presidential candidate, has repeatedly defended the new language while insisting that his critics, who include Vice President Kamala Harris and two leading Black Republicans in Congress, are intentionally misinterpreting one line of the sweeping curriculum.
“At the end of the day, you got to choose: Are you going to side with Kamala Harris and liberal media outlets or are you going to side with the state of Florida?” DeSantis told reporters as he campaigned in Iowa. “I think it’s very clear that these guys did a good job on those standards. It wasn’t anything that was politically motivated.”
Ersoff said the infusion of politics in education has driven many of her “colleagues or former colleagues from different schools” out of the teaching profession.
“Teachers have enough to deal with and now we have to deal with these political white supremacy guidelines,” Ersoff said. “And that's just totally unacceptable and totally unacceptable for the Black children in my classes.”
Other topics discused on the South Florida Roundup show: the tragedy of Miami-Dade’s police director, the triumph of Miami Beach’s new police chief and who was the real José Martí.
Listen to the full conversation here and wherever you get your podcasts. | https://www.wlrn.org/the-south-florida-roundup/2023-07-31/critics-slam-floridas-black-history-lesson-on-benefit-of-slavery | 2023-07-31T17:28:12 | 1 | https://www.wlrn.org/the-south-florida-roundup/2023-07-31/critics-slam-floridas-black-history-lesson-on-benefit-of-slavery |
Max joined the NewsChannel 9 team as a Digital Producer in June 2023.
He is an alumnus of Boston University with a major in Journalism and a minor in History.
As a Toledo, Ohio native, Max is happy to be exploring his new home in Syracuse and seeing all that Central New York has to offer.
In his spare time, Max enjoys learning about history, exploring nature, and watching college football. | https://www.localsyr.com/max-bevington/ | 2023-07-31T17:28:12 | 1 | https://www.localsyr.com/max-bevington/ |
WASHINGTON, July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- National Partnership for Healthcare and Hospice Innovation (NPHI) President, Carole Fisher has attracted publicity for her role hosting the popular podcast series – "The Girlfriends". Produced by NOVEL for iHeartRadio, the thrilling nine-part series, led by Fisher, uncovers the horrific backstory of Gail Katz's death, the systems that failed her and all the girlfriends that brought her justice.
THE GIRLFRIENDS explores the bonds of friendship, female solidarity, empowerment, and bringing justice to all people who suffer at the hands of abuse and domestic violence. Since its release on July 10, The Girlfriends has achieved success – currently ranking at #1 in Canada, the United Kingdom and United States on Apple Podcasts.
"This is more than just being another binge-worthy true crime podcast series. It's about raising awareness around the horrors of abuse, especially domestic and sexual violence," said Carole Fisher, NPHI President. "It has been a privilege and an honor to speak up on behalf of Gail Katz, and so many other women who are victims of domestic violence. Together, we must do more to elevate the voices of those in danger."
NOVEL collaborated with the leading global charity NOMORE.org dedicated to ending domestic violence and sexual assault by increasing awareness, inspiring action, and fueling culture change. NPHI maintains close links to these related issues through its engagement with Healthsperien LLC and applauds Carole Fisher for her continued commitment to social impact and raising awareness on the issues of domestic violence against women.
"I am extremely pleased to hear of the success of this podcast, and I support its greater goal in raising awareness around the pervasiveness of domestic violence," said Tom Koutsoumpas, NPHI CEO. "Carole's entire lifework has been centered around helping and speaking out for others and her participation in this podcast highlights her never-ending commitment to creating social impact and change where it is rightly needed."
Carole, who is employed directly by the renowned DC Policy Firm, Healthsperien LLC, has presided over the day-to-day operations of NPHI since January 2021. In this capacity, she brings a wealth of expertise that has helped NPHI grow exponentially and evolve with the ever-changing hospice landscape. Prior to her time at Healthsperien and NPHI, she served as a highly regarded C-suite leader, including a long-time engagement as the CEO of Nathan Adelson Hospice in her hometown of Las Vegas, Nevada.
You can find The Girlfriends on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and anywhere else you get your podcasts.
About Carole Fisher: Ms. Fisher serves as President for the National Partnership for Healthcare and Hospice Innovation (NPHI). Utilizing her previous experiences and deep familiarity with not-for-profit community-based hospice and palliative healthcare, she is charged with leading a wide range of activities for NPHI. With an emphasis on developing strategic partnerships, meaningful collaborations and transformational innovations, Ms. Fisher provides support for NPHI members leading complex organizations.
Ms. Fisher spends her time working between her homes in Las Vegas, Nevada and Covington, Louisiana. She frequently travels to Washington D.C. for policy-related initiatives.
You can find Carole on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram under @CaroleAFisher.
The National Partnership for Healthcare and Hospice Innovation (NPHI) is a membership organization comprising 100+ not-for-profit, community-integrated hospice and palliative care providers dedicated to ensuring patients and their families have access to care that reflects their individual goals, values, and preferences. Representing providers from 37 states and the District of Columbia, NPHI and its members help design more innovative and effective models of care, advocate for comprehensive and community-integrated care customized to meet each person's unique needs, and build collaboration between national thought leaders, decision-makers, and other healthcare stakeholders to improve hospice care. Learn more at hospiceinnovations.org.
Press Contact:
Matt Wilkinson
Communications Manager, NPHI
+1 (801) 615-4207
mwilkinson@hospiceinnovations.org
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SOURCE National Partnership for Healthcare and Hospice Innovation | https://www.wagmtv.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/nphi-president-carole-fisher-hosts-trending-true-crime-podcast-girlfriends/ | 2023-07-31T17:28:15 | 1 | https://www.wagmtv.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/nphi-president-carole-fisher-hosts-trending-true-crime-podcast-girlfriends/ |
More than 180 landowners have applied to a state-funded program — a target of Gov. Ron DeSantis’ veto pen — designed to keep swaths of rural property from commercial and residential development.
The state Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services announced Friday it will quickly start to rank the proposals that collectively seek to cover more than 200,000 acres through the Rural and Family Lands Protection Program. The deadline to apply for the program was Thursday.
The program puts land into conservation easements, allowing landowners to continue farming and cattle operations in exchange for not developing the property.
In a press release, Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson said the proposals exceed the available funding, “which I will work to correct this coming legislative session.”
READ MORE: Agricultural industry left 'perplexed' over DeSantis' $100m conservation veto
Simpson in June opened the first application cycle for the program, which was created in 2001, since 2017, according to the release. The Legislature appropriated $300 million for the program last year, but only about $50 million of the funds were spent.
Final spending by the state for the program requires approval from the governor and Cabinet, which in May approved $57.6 million to place 18,279 acres in St. Lucie, DeSoto, Walton, Hardee, Polk, Highlands and Charlotte counties into conservation easements.
DeSantis, who is running for president, in June vetoed an additional $100 million the Legislature earmarked for the program this year. The veto comprised nearly one-fifth of DeSantis’ cuts from the budget for the fiscal year that began July 1. The governor’s office has pointed to money being available from the prior fiscal year for the program.
Former President Donald Trump has raised the veto as a way to attack DeSantis, as the Republican candidates campaign in Iowa.
“Ron DeSanctimonious would be a COMPLETE DISASTER for American Farmers and the people of Iowa!” Trump posted on his Truth Social platform, along with a video attacking DeSantis’ action.
During an appearance earlier this month on the “Deeper Dive with Dara Kam” podcast, Simpson also questioned DeSantis’ veto.
Simpson, who served for two years as Senate president prior to his election as agriculture commissioner in November, noted that the Legislature set aside billions of dollars in reserves in this year’s $117 billion state budget. The reserves built on funds amassed under Simpson's tenure, he said.
"We left over $22 billion in reserves,” Simpson said. “I didn't see where the $100 million would have made that big a difference on a $117 billion budget.”
Simpson also said DeSantis’ veto could delay efforts to keep 40,000 to 60,000 acres of agricultural land from development and potentially impact future acquisition efforts as land prices rise.
"We were very proud two or three or four years ago to put $200 (million) or $300 million in some of these Florida Forever (land acquisition) programs. And if the money's still sitting there — and in a lot of cases it is — now we only get about half of our value for that money,” Simpson said during the podcast appearance. “So, I think it's important to the government — and in my agency of the Department of Agriculture — we're going to have a process in place. ... If the Legislature appropriates the dollars, we can spend them in real time."
Simpson also views the program as helping to connect lands for the burgeoning Florida Wildlife Corridor.
“Your farmers not only produce your food and fiber, the most safe, affordable, abundant food anywhere in the world, but we are the first environmentalists," Simpson said. "It is incumbent upon our farming community to take care of these properties. And again, I will go back and say I believe the farming community does a substantially better job than our state resources do and at a far better value to our taxpayer."
The corridor, which received $850 million in the current fiscal year budget, is envisioned as connecting 18 million acres of land from the Florida Keys to the Panhandle.
About 8 million of those acres need to be secured, with a goal of 900,000 acres added by the end of this decade.
A bill signed by DeSantis earlier this year (SB 106) directs an additional $200 million to expand Florida's Greenways and Trails System and the SUN Trail Network into the wildlife corridor.
Copyright 2023 WFSU | https://www.wlrn.org/transportation-development/2023-07-31/floridas-rural-land-program-draws-nearly-200-applicants | 2023-07-31T17:28:18 | 0 | https://www.wlrn.org/transportation-development/2023-07-31/floridas-rural-land-program-draws-nearly-200-applicants |
Partnership Will Enable OneValley to Provide Up to 1.1M Entrepreneurial Users with Algorithmic-Driven Web Content Scored for Reliability and Personalized to Help Them Grow Their Business
VIENNA, Va., July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Seekr, a revolutionary artificial intelligence company specializing in transparent content evaluation, announced today it has entered into a strategic partnership with OneValley, a Silicon Valley-based global entrepreneurship platform that powers many of the world's top innovation, entrepreneurial and non-profit ecosystems. The partnership integrates Seekr's groundbreaking search capabilities into OneValley's information-sharing platform, enabling 1.1 million entrepreneurial users supported by OneValley to access algorithmic-driven news that is personalized and scored for reliability.
"The OneValley platform is already a treasure trove of high-value information for entrepreneurs, providing guidance and insights on everything from ideation and launch to growth and scaling. Seekr's content evaluation capabilities amplify that value proposition, taking the platform to the next level," said Rob Clark, President and Chief Technology Officer at Seekr. "Our technology enables the OneValley platform to identify relevant information, regardless of whether it lives on the platform or on the broader internet, score it for reliability, curate it so that it's tailored to the unique needs and interests of each individual entrepreneur, and finally serve it up to the entrepreneur on-demand."
"As OneValley continues to expand worldwide, this unique partnership with Seekr will provide our customers with the knowledge they need to win in their markets," said Nikhil Sinha, CEO of OneValley. "We further expect that usage on the platform will continue to grow and enhance the life cycle growth from startup to big business."
Seekr's AI-powered search and evaluation technology will be fully integrated into OneValley's online consumer platform, Passport, and its enterprise platform, PassportOS. The technology will enable every OneValley user to generate a bespoke flow of news and other relevant content tailored to meet their unique individual interests and needs.
Under the terms of the agreement, the platform will also feature a stream of real-time news and relevant information powered by Seekr. Additionally, Seekr will provide OneValley with a dynamic competitive analysis tool that provides entrepreneurs and startups with insights into competitor movements and a fuller understanding of how market trends are moving over time.
For further information, visit www.seekr.com.
About Seekr Technologies Inc.
Seekr is a privately held artificial intelligence company that specializes in transparent content evaluation and objective ratings. Its AI technology is designed to rate all content, both authentic content created by humans, and synthetic, machine-generated content. Seekr empowers user choice and control by streamlining access to reliable information. The centerpiece of Seekr's technology is an independent search engine that is powered by proprietary AI and employs natural language processing (NLP) to generate a Seekr Score and Political Lean Indicator. Seekr is committed to building a web that people can trust by giving everyone access to technology that makes it easy to find reliable content in context.
Media Contact:
Ed Patru, EVP Communications
(202) 360-7063
epatru@seekr.com
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SOURCE Seekr Technologies | https://www.wagmtv.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/onevalley-seekr-announce-strategic-content-partnership/ | 2023-07-31T17:28:22 | 1 | https://www.wagmtv.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/onevalley-seekr-announce-strategic-content-partnership/ |
WASHINGTON, July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- EarthEcho International, the leading nonprofit dedicated to building a global youth movement to protect and restore our ocean planet, is pleased to announce the 2023 class of its ResilienSEA Externship program. This inaugural program unites 19 youth, ages 17-20, from BIPOC communities across North America, for a hands-on career development experience. The initiative introduces participants to the field of regenerative ocean aquaculture – ocean "farming" that restores coastal habitats while creating both economic and ecological benefits. The ResilienSEA Externship program is made possible through the generous support of La Mer Blue Heart Oceans Fund and The Estée Lauder Companies Travel Retail division.
EarthEcho International recognizes the power of the ocean as a source of solutions to the climate crisis. All of humanity is connected to the ocean, but access to our ocean and the opportunity to pursue careers that contribute to ocean-based climate solutions is a privilege that all do not enjoy equally.
"Often the communities most vulnerable to sea level rise and increasingly intense storms are those whose members have been cut off to daily access to waters that are vital to their communities for both cultural and economic reasons," said Stacey Rafalowski, Chief Program Officer, EarthEcho International. "We look forward to working with this talented group of young people in their journey to make a lasting impact in their communities and beyond."
Through an ongoing, eight-week virtual program, and an in-person convening in San Diego, CA, this August, the paid ResilienSEA Externship provides participants with an opportunity to learn from and network with professionals in the field of regenerative ocean aquaculture and seaweed innovation, participate in a hands-on job shadowing experience, and engage in peer learning to build confidence and competence to take action in externs' home communities, with a focus on using entrepreneurship to tackle ocean health challenges.
The 2023 ResilienSEA externs represent communities in Canada and the United States:
- Akhila Mahidhara, Edison, NJ, USA
- Emilia Fiebel, Hollywood, FL, USA
- Iredia Otoadese, Fanny Bay, BC, Canada
- Ishaani Srivastava, Piscataway, NJ, USA
- Jin Hu, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- Kassandra Chavarria Sosa, Burnaby, BC, Canada
- Kendall Ford, Jacksonville, FL, USA
- Lauren Ejiaga, New Orleans, LA, USA
- Mugdha Chiplunkar, Duvall, WA, USA
- Natalie Martinez, Corpus Christi, TX, USA
- Nina Shetty, Sammamish, WA, USA
- Nitya Masina, Sammamish, WA, USA
- Rajaa Berry, LaSalle, ON, Canada
- Sarika Sawant, Glendale, AZ, USA
- Serenity Washington, Cape Coral, FL, USA
- Skye Garrett, Capitol Heights, MD, USA
- Sofía Lammot Pérez, Dorado, PR, USA
- Srinivas Gollapudi, Upland, CA, USA
- Violet Smith, Columbia, MD, USA
For more information about the ResilienSEA externs please visit www.earthecho.org/youth/resiliensea-externship.
For more information about EarthEcho International, visit www.earthecho.org or follow us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/earthecho Instagram: www.instagram.com/earthecho and Twitter: www.twitter.com/earthecho.
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SOURCE EarthEcho International | https://www.wagmtv.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/philippe-cousteau-jrs-earthecho-international-collaborates-with-youth-color-build-careers-blue-economy/ | 2023-07-31T17:28:28 | 1 | https://www.wagmtv.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/philippe-cousteau-jrs-earthecho-international-collaborates-with-youth-color-build-careers-blue-economy/ |
- Introduced syndromic quantitative PCR assays and a fully automated molecular diagnostic testing system, STARlet AIOS™
- Conducted symposium sessions on the usefulness of PCR testing in diagnosing gastrointestinal diseases
- Participated in a presentation event for major Korean in-vitro diagnostic companies organized by KHIDI
SEOUL, South Korea, July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Seegene Inc. (KQ096530), a leading South Korean company providing a total solution for PCR molecular diagnostics, took part in the 2023 American Association of Clinical Chemistry (AACC) Annual Scientific Meeting & Clinical Lab Expo in California between July 25-27. Seegene showcased its "unique syndromic quantitative PCR assays and automated PCR solution 'STARlet AIOS™ (All-in-One System).'"
The company stated, "Under the concept of 'All Tests with One System,' we introduced our leading assays, the Allplex™ and Novaplex™, and proposed Automated seamless PCR testing systems that can be applied to all of Seegene's assays. This has been well-received by in-vitro diagnostic experts and partner companies from around the world."
Meanwhile, an in-depth discussion was conducted in the symposium sessions on the usefulness of PCR testing in diagnosing gastrointestinal diseases. This symposium reaffirmed Seegene's position as an important contributor to improving gastrointestinal testing, where the availability of skilled technicians for microscopy is declining. A panel of experts presented research results demonstrating that PCR testing provides more efficient and accurate results than traditional microscopic stool sample tests for diagnosing gastrointestinal diseases. Conventional testing methods for these pathogens are characterized by long processing times and require significant expertise to interpret the microscopy results.
In addition, Kim Seong-youl, the head of Seegene's Global Marketing Center, participated in a presentation event for major Korean in-vitro diagnostic companies organized by the Korea Health Industry Development Institute (KHIDI) and announced Seegene's unique competitive edge and future vision.
Kim said, "We received a lot of interest from participants from various countries by proposing a solution to build the basis for the next phase of diagnostic business in line with Seegene's vision of creating a world free from diseases. Following AACC, we hope to expand sales of non-COVID diagnostic assays based on syndromic testing globally and increase awareness of our next-generation OneSystem™ business."
Using syndromic quantitative PCR assays for comprehensive and accurate testing
Seegene captivated visitors at the exhibition booth by showcasing comprehensive and accurate testing using syndromic quantitative PCR assays. Seegene's syndromic quantitative PCR technology is the world's only simultaneous multiplex molecular diagnostic technology based on real-time PCR. The core feature of Seegene's syndromic PCR technologies is the ability to simultaneously test 14 pathogens that cause similar symptoms in a single tube and provide quantitative information on the infectivity profile to correlate with the severity of illness. The syndromic quantitative PCR technology can accurately reveal the pathogen responsible for a patient's symptoms, the complexity of infections, the severity of the disease, and can determine the priority of treatment depending on the degree of infection. It also allows for efficient high-volume testing, which is more cost-effective and saves time in identifying the cause of the disease.
PCR testing that does not require an expert using STARlet AIOS™
First unveiled at the 2021 AACC, Seegene's STARlet AIOS™ is a molecular diagnostic testing system that fully automates (sample in – result out) the entire process of PCR, from nucleic acid extraction to gene amplification and result analysis. As it provides a 'hands-free' PCR workflow where the results are produced just by inserting a sample, it can be operated by those with minimal PCR experience. Furthermore, by not involving human hands, the likelihood of testing errors due to contamination or mistakes (human error) can be minimized. The STARlet AIOS™ is compatible with a wide range of Seegene's syndromic assays that can simultaneously test for multiple targets within a single tube. It organically links existing devices, such as nucleic acid extraction instruments, PCR setups, and PCR thermal cyclers, to make the system easy to use, manage, and integrate into existing lab infrastructures.
Participation in the world's largest AACC Since 2007
Celebrating its 75th year, AACC is the world's largest gathering for the clinical laboratory and diagnostics industry. Seegene has taken part since 2007 to broadcast its proprietary molecular diagnostic technology worldwide while establishing cooperation with partners from multiple countries.
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SOURCE Seegene Inc. | https://www.wagmtv.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/seegene-unveils-solutions-popularize-molecular-diagnostics-2023-aacc/ | 2023-07-31T17:28:35 | 1 | https://www.wagmtv.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/seegene-unveils-solutions-popularize-molecular-diagnostics-2023-aacc/ |
New Contract Protecting Nearly 8,000 Workers Overwhelmingly Approved
WASHINGTON, July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Teamsters have overwhelmingly ratified a new national contract at TForce Freight by 81 percent. The five-year master agreement provides members with significant improvements to wages and benefits, and safeguards against subcontracting and technology.
"Teamsters at TForce have set a powerful example for how to take on the employer and win a strong agreement. Over the next five years, TForce workers will continue to establish better standards for freight under this contract, including the most lucrative economic package in the industry and vital protections for technology, pension, health care, and safety," said Sean M. O'Brien, Teamsters General President and Chair of the Teamsters National Freight Industry Negotiating Committee (TNFINC).
The agreement will go into effect August 1, 2023, and expire July 31, 2028. Contract highlights include:
- Wage Increases: The highest wage increases in the history of the national contract. Full-time local cartage and clerks will receive increases of $4.50 per hour over the life of the agreement. Road drivers will receive industry-leading increases to their current mileage rate over the length of the deal, starting at $0.7557 in August 2023 and increasing to $0.8257 by January 2028. The agreement eliminates split wage increases and two-tier wages.
- Health, Welfare, and Pension Contributions: TForce is required to increase its contributions to health, welfare, and pension plans. These contributions will provide vital support for members' health care and retirement needs.
- Technology Safeguards: The agreement includes provisions to safeguard members' rights and well-being from invasive technology. It prevents discipline from cameras and prohibits the use of robots, driverless vehicles, drones, or other technology to move freight or replace drivers, clerks, or dockworkers.
- Additional Holiday: Martin Luther King Day has been added as a paid holiday.
- Safety: All newly purchased equipment and vehicles must have air conditioning.
- Discretionary Days and Vacation: Starting January 1, 2024, two additional discretionary days will be added to the contractual floor, increasing the minimum number of paid days from four to six. There will be no blackout dates.
- Work Rule Protections: Shuttle and drayage work will not count towards the guarantee covered under the agreement. Road drivers will only perform road work and cannot work the docks except for the current mini-hub operations. TForce must have approval from the Teamsters for any other expansion of mini-hub operations.
- Protections Against Subcontracting: Road drivers would be protected against subcontracting. Penalties have been put in place to ensure rail and subcontracting come back into the bargaining unit.
"Our members at TForce have spoken loud and clear, and they overwhelmingly agree this new contract will deliver massive economic gains and non-economic improvements," said John A. Murphy, Teamsters National Freight Director and TNFINC Co-Chair. "The entire union thanks our lead negotiators Kris Taylor and Ed Thompson and the full negotiating team for their efforts to bargain an industry-defining agreement. Most of all, we thank the tireless and dedicated rank-and-filers who served on the negotiating committee to improve the lives of their fellow Teamsters at TForce."
Teamsters voted in-person last week and ballots were counted on Sunday. The agreement covers approximately 7,800 Teamsters at 126 local unions throughout the U.S.
Founded in 1903, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters represents 1.2 million hardworking people in the U.S., Canada, and Puerto Rico. Visit Teamster.org for more information. Follow us on Twitter @Teamsters and "like" us on Facebook at Facebook.com/teamsters.
Contact:
Daniel Moskowitz, (770) 262-4971
dmoskowitz@teamster.org
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SOURCE International Brotherhood of Teamsters | https://www.wagmtv.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/teamsters-tforce-freight-ratify-national-agreement/ | 2023-07-31T17:28:42 | 0 | https://www.wagmtv.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/teamsters-tforce-freight-ratify-national-agreement/ |
Jarren Duran Player Prop Bets: Red Sox vs. Mariners - July 31
Published: Jul. 31, 2023 at 12:31 PM EDT|Updated: 56 minutes ago
Jarren Duran, with a slugging percentage of .455 in his past 10 games -- including one home run -- will be in action for the Boston Red Sox against the Seattle Mariners, with George Kirby on the hill, July 31 at 9:40 PM ET.
In his previous appearance, he went 1-for-2 with a double against the Giants.
Jarren Duran Game Info & Props vs. the Mariners
- Game Day: Monday, July 31, 2023
- Game Time: 9:40 PM ET
- Stadium: T-Mobile Park
- Live Stream: Watch this game on Fubo!
- Mariners Starter: George Kirby
- TV Channel: ROOT Sports NW
- Hits Prop: Over/under 1.5 hits (Over odds: +195)
- Home Runs Prop: Over/under 0.5 home runs (Over odds: +525)
- RBI Prop: Over/under 0.5 RBI (Over odds: +225)
- Runs Prop: Over/under 0.5 runs (Over odds: -105)
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Explore More About This Game
Jarren Duran At The Plate
- Duran has 31 doubles, two triples, six home runs and 20 walks while hitting .315.
- Duran has gotten at least one hit in 65.1% of his games this season (54 of 83), with at least two hits 25 times (30.1%).
- In six games this year, he has hit a home run (7.2%, and 2% of his trips to the dish).
- Duran has an RBI in 24 of 83 games this year, with multiple RBI in seven of them. He has also driven in three or more of his team's runs in three contests.
- He has scored in 34.9% of his games this year, with two or more runs scored in 9.6%.
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Jarren Duran Home/Away Batting Splits
Mariners Pitching Rankings
- The 9.2 strikeouts per nine innings compiled by the Mariners pitching staff ranks seventh in MLB.
- The Mariners' 3.84 team ERA ranks fifth among all league pitching staffs.
- The Mariners surrender the seventh-fewest home runs in baseball (115 total, 1.1 per game).
- Kirby will try to earn his 10th victory when he gets the start for the Mariners, his 21st of the season. He is 9-8 with a 3.49 ERA and 112 strikeouts through 123 2/3 innings pitched.
- His most recent appearance came on Tuesday against the Minnesota Twins, when the right-hander tossed four innings, surrendering five earned runs while giving up seven hits.
- The 25-year-old's 3.49 ERA ranks 20th, 1.075 WHIP ranks eighth, and 8.2 K/9 ranks 39th among qualifying pitchers this season.
© 2023 Data Skrive. All rights reserved. | https://www.wagmtv.com/sports/betting/2023/07/31/jarren-duran-mlb-player-prop-bets/ | 2023-07-31T17:28:48 | 1 | https://www.wagmtv.com/sports/betting/2023/07/31/jarren-duran-mlb-player-prop-bets/ |
MLB Probable Starting Pitchers Tonight: Monday, July 31
Monday's MLB schedule features a slew of intriguing pitching matchups, and we've got all of the probable pitchers listed below. Top billing goes to the bout between the Orioles and the Blue Jays, who will be sending Kyle Gibson and Chris Bassitt to the mound, respectively.
Read on to find the probable pitcher matchups for every game on the schedule for July 31.
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Today's Probable Starting Pitchers
Phillies at Marlins Probable Pitchers
The Philadelphia Phillies will send Taijuan Walker (11-4) to the bump as they face the Marlins, who will look to Edward Cabrera (5-6) for the game between the teams Monday.
Vegas Odds for Phillies at Marlins
- MIA Odds to Win: -110
- PHI Odds to Win: -110
- Total: 8.5 runs
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Live Stream Phillies at Marlins
- Game Time: 6:40 PM ET
- Streaming: BSFL (regional restrictions may apply)
- Watch for free: Sign up today for a free trial to Fubo.
Brewers at Nationals Probable Pitchers
The Milwaukee Brewers will send Corbin Burnes (9-6) to the mound as they face the Nationals, who will counter with Jake Irvin (3-5) for the matchup between the clubs Monday.
Vegas Odds for Brewers at Nationals
- MIL Odds to Win: -210
- WSH Odds to Win: +170
- Total: 8.5 runs
- Sign up with BetMGM Sportsbook, and new depositors can use bonus code "GNPLAY" for special offers!
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Live Stream Brewers at Nationals
- Game Time: 7:05 PM ET
- Streaming: MASN2 (regional restrictions may apply)
- Watch for free: Sign up today for a free trial to Fubo.
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Rays at Yankees Probable Pitchers
The Tampa Bay Rays will send Tyler Glasnow (4-3) to the hill as they face the Yankees, who will give the start to Domingo German (5-7) when the clubs face off Monday.
Vegas Odds for Rays at Yankees
- TB Odds to Win: -145
- NYY Odds to Win: +120
- Total: 8.5 runs
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Live Stream Rays at Yankees
- Game Time: 7:05 PM ET
- Streaming: MLB Network (regional restrictions may apply)
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Orioles at Blue Jays Probable Pitchers
The Baltimore Orioles will send Gibson (9-6) to the mound as they play the Blue Jays, who will counter with Bassitt (10-5) when the teams play Monday.
Vegas Odds for Orioles at Blue Jays
- TOR Odds to Win: -130
- BAL Odds to Win: +110
- Total: 9 runs
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Live Stream Orioles at Blue Jays
- Game Time: 7:07 PM ET
- Streaming: MLB Network (regional restrictions may apply)
- Watch for free: Sign up today for a free trial to Fubo.
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Angels at Braves Probable Pitchers
The Los Angeles Angels will send Griffin Canning (6-4) to the bump as they face the Braves, who will look to Charlie Morton (10-8) for the game between the teams Monday.
Vegas Odds for Angels at Braves
- ATL Odds to Win: -225
- LAA Odds to Win: +180
- Total: 9.5 runs
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Live Stream Angels at Braves
- Game Time: 7:20 PM ET
- Streaming: BSSO (regional restrictions may apply)
- Watch for free: Sign up today for a free trial to Fubo.
Reds at Cubs Probable Pitchers
The Cincinnati Reds will send Andrew Abbott (6-2) to the mound as they face the Cubs, who will counter with Marcus Stroman (10-7) when the clubs play Monday.
Vegas Odds for Reds at Cubs
- CHC Odds to Win: -120
- CIN Odds to Win: +100
- Total: 8 runs
- Sign up with BetMGM Sportsbook, and new depositors can use bonus code "GNPLAY" for special offers!
Live Stream Reds at Cubs
- Game Time: 8:05 PM ET
- Streaming: MARQ (regional restrictions may apply)
- Watch for free: Sign up today for a free trial to Fubo.
Guardians at Astros Probable Pitchers
The Cleveland Guardians will send Noah Syndergaard (1-4) to the bump as they play the Astros, who will look to J.P. France (6-3) when the clubs face off Monday.
Vegas Odds for Guardians at Astros
- HOU Odds to Win: -175
- CLE Odds to Win: +145
- Total: 9 runs
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Live Stream Guardians at Astros
- Game Time: 8:10 PM ET
- Streaming: SportsNet SW (regional restrictions may apply)
- Watch for free: Sign up today for a free trial to Fubo.
Padres at Rockies Probable Pitchers
The San Diego Padres will send Seth Lugo (4-5) to the mound as they play the Rockies, who will hand the ball to Austin Gomber (8-8) for the matchup between the teams Monday.
Vegas Odds for Padres at Rockies
- SD Odds to Win: -200
- COL Odds to Win: +165
- Total: 11.5 runs
- Sign up with BetMGM Sportsbook, and new depositors can use bonus code "GNPLAY" for special offers!
Live Stream Padres at Rockies
- Game Time: 8:40 PM ET
- Streaming: SportsNet RM (regional restrictions may apply)
- Watch for free: Sign up today for a free trial to Fubo.
Red Sox at Mariners Probable Pitchers
The Boston Red Sox will send Nick Pivetta (7-5) to the mound as they play the Mariners, who will give the start to George Kirby (9-8) for the game between the teams Monday.
Vegas Odds for Red Sox at Mariners
- SEA Odds to Win: -135
- BOS Odds to Win: +110
- Total: 7.5 runs
- Sign up with BetMGM Sportsbook, and new depositors can use bonus code "GNPLAY" for special offers!
Live Stream Red Sox at Mariners
- Game Time: 9:40 PM ET
- Streaming: ROOT Sports NW (regional restrictions may apply)
- Watch for free: Sign up today for a free trial to Fubo.
Diamondbacks at Giants Probable Pitchers
The Arizona Diamondbacks will send Ryne Nelson (6-5) to the mound as they take on the Giants, who will look to Alex Cobb (6-3) when the clubs meet Monday.
Vegas Odds for Diamondbacks at Giants
- SF Odds to Win: -150
- ARI Odds to Win: +125
- Total: 8 runs
- Sign up with BetMGM Sportsbook, and new depositors can use bonus code "GNPLAY" for special offers!
Live Stream Diamondbacks at Giants
- Game Time: 9:45 PM ET
- Streaming: NBCS-BA (regional restrictions may apply)
- Watch for free: Sign up today for a free trial to Fubo.
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© 2023 Data Skrive. All rights reserved. | https://www.wagmtv.com/sports/betting/2023/07/31/mlb-probable-starting-pitchers/ | 2023-07-31T17:28:54 | 1 | https://www.wagmtv.com/sports/betting/2023/07/31/mlb-probable-starting-pitchers/ |
With two nonlocal teams, Lower Merion and Malvern Prep, meeting in the boys championship game of the A-Town Throwdown, the spotlight (not to mention a bright sun) was focused on the girls title game at Cedar Beach.
Emmaus and Parkland took advantage of the opportunity to showcase their programs.
In the end, the Trojans shined a little brighter, pulling away late for a 43-37 victory and their first tourney championship since 2015 and seventh overall.
Tournament MVP Madi Siggins tallied 11 points and added numerous rebounds and assists, while all-tourney selection Talia Zurinskas scored 12 of her 16 points in the second half.
“All weekend our defense has been fabulous,” said coach Ed Ohlson, whose team went 6-0. “Early on, we were a little tired, but then we found our energy and played well defensively in the second half.”
Emmaus controlled most of the first half and led 19-17 at the break. They stretched the lead to five early in the second half.
Parkland took the lead at 26-25 on a three-pointer by Zurinkas and went on a late 8-0 run to secure the victory.
Zurinskas was the team’s leading scorer last year with 15 points per game. Siggins was right behind at 14 per contest for a team that went 15-9, 13-3 in the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference.
“It’s a nice end to our summer and we’ll take the things we learned here and take them into our open gyms and during the season we’ll try to get better with everything we’ve been doing,” Ohlson said. “We call Zurinskas ‘Big Shot Talia’ and Delaney [Chilcote] gets her the ball and she hits them. Madi rebounds the ball and gets the ball back out to both of them.”
Bella Hallal had a big basket late on a drive to the basket, but was injured on the play and had to be helped off the court.
“This was her first time playing after sitting out last year and she did a tremendous job,” Ohlson said.
Parkland figures to be strong, but Ohlson said “it’s going to be a dogfight all year. Three of the final four teams were teams in our division with Central Catholic and Emmaus.”
Siggins, who is also a talented volleyball player, is looking forward to what’s ahead.
“It was a good win and I’m excited for our season,” she said.
Making the all-tournament team from Emmaus were May Cooper, Julia Adams and Kayla Snyder.
Gabby DeVita led the Green Hornets in scoring with nine points, but was held to two in the second half.
Doug Snyder Community Service Award
One of the most prestigious awards of the tournament went to Jason Bogden, who is not only the voice of Court 1 at Cedar Beach during the A-Town Throwdown, but also the scorekeeper for Southern Lehigh and the director of basketball operations at Northampton Community College and the North Catasauqua Adult League.
Also, the tournament committee began a Dante Kaintz Volunteer of the Year award in honor of the late Kaintz, who died in a car accident in December at the age of 21. Kaintz, a 2019 Catasauqua grad, was a regular at the tournament.
The first Kaintz winners were Kate Kollet and her son, Jack Garrity, who spent the entire weekend helping at Cedar Beach.
Central sweeps 3-point, dunk contests
If you’re wondering whether Allentown Central Catholic has enough talent to repeat as Eastern Pennsylvania Conference and District 11 4A champs and possibly make a deep in the PIAA playoffs, all you needed to see were the late-night festivities Saturday at Cedar Beach.
With hundreds of fans surrounding the courts, the Vikings’ Lucas Mushrush, a rising junior, won the 3-point contest and Central’s David Fridia outpointed his teammate Jahrel Vigo for the slam-dunk crown.
“I don’t know,” Fridia said when asked how he won. “It was just a great environment, great people. I had to go on a run. I really didn’t know what to do. It was fun being around all of these people. I just want to come back and win a championship on Sunday.”
Mushrush, who made a league-high 83 treys last season, was the favorite going into the 3-point contest and he didn’t disappoint. He had a bit of a homecourt advantage.
“I live up a couple of blocks and I’ve been coming to this park and shooting on the courts here and that basket in particular since I was a little kid,” he said. “Being out here on a Saturday night in front of a bunch of people was a great feeling.”
Mushrush outlasted Executive’s Rylan Muniz and Parkland’s Jude Ruisch, a rising sophomore in the final round.
“You get butterflies before it starts, but when I took my first shot I just kind of got focused and just let it all happen,” Mushrush said. “It’s late at night but the guys are out here just playing basketball. It’s a fun atmosphere. Living here in the area for awhile now I am just realizing how much the Lehigh Valley cares about their basketball. It’s just a great thing with so many great teams and so many great players you can compete against.”
Both Mushrush and Fridia talked about wanting to win the tournament championship, which would have given the Vikings a sweep of the major summer events, but ACCHS fell to Lower Merion 34-32 in the semifinals.
Bethlehem Catholic’s Cici Hernandez won the girls 3-point title and she also appreciated the community support and the electric environment at Cedar Beach.
“I was just glad to be a part of it,” said Hernandez, who led the EPC with 73 treys last winter. “I wasn’t even going to do it at first but [Toomey Anderson, a tournament co-director] said he needed some people. I was up for it. I think I made 13 in the last round. It was good competition.”
In addition to the contests, the first Darryl Dawkins “Dunk U Very Much” award was presented to Allen’s soon-to-be senior Sherley Tejada, who was honored for her spirit, enthusiasm and dedication to the team. Nick Dawkins, Darryl’s son and a 6-foot-4, 320-pound offensive lineman at Penn State, was on hand to make the presentation.
Give me Liberty
That’s what many picking the eventual champion of the 2023-24 Eastern Pennsylvania Conference season might be saying after a strong Hurricanes showing in the Throwdown. Liberty reached the semis before losing 48-39 to Malvern Prep in the semifinals.
“This tournament was great for us and thanks to Randy Atiyeh and Toomey Anderson for bringing in the quality of teams they did,” Long said. “For us to play a Malvern Prep, a team we generally won’t see, is a great experience for our guys. Did we fall short? Yeah, but I am proud of our guys and overall it was a great culmination for our summer and now I am ready to cheer on our fall sports guys.”
Liberty returns several key pieces, including Morning Call rookies of the year Blake Hargrove and Jake Pukszyn, and Dywane Chess, who shined as a sophomore.
But Long said his team needs to keep getting better.
“I’m hopeful but we have to improve and stay healthy,” he said. “We have to take this month and relax. We played a lot of basketball. Maybe too much basketball. So it’s time to give them a break and then we’ll get back in the gym once school starts and get ready for the season.”
Not a bad start
Eric Zuber was recently hired as the JV coach at Parkland, returning to a program where he had been a coach, and he couldn’t have asked for a better start to his tenure.
The Trojans beat Reading 45-32 in the JV tournament championship game. Blake Nassry scored 15 points.
“I coached under Andy Stephens for a few years and got out of it for family and now I’m happy to be back with [new head coach] Eddie Ohlson and the rest of the guys,” Zuber said. “We have a talented group and I was fortunate to be able to step into his spot over the summer. Coach [B.J.] Dugan did a fantastic job with the job we just had as freshmen. There’s a lot of skill, but a long way to go to be where they need to be.”
Zuber credited the entire squad including players like Nas Adams, TJ Lawrence, Tyler Beck, Ryan Kearney, Ruisch, JJ Brader and Nassry.
“It’s always good experience at a tournament like this when you can play some good competition from outside the area,” Zuber said. “We played a great Malvern Prep team and Reading is always a fantastic team. It’s always good to test yourself against competition from outside the area. Most of our kids are incoming sophomores and we have two incoming freshmen.”
Zuber said that while the coaching staff has changed in terms of roles, the standard remains the same.
“I’m really happy for Coach Ohlson, who is a good friend will do a fantastic job and I am happy to be back,” said Zuber, a 2009 graduate who played basketball and football during his Trojans days. “We’re fortunate to have a great group.”
Nassry was named the MVP while Beck and Lawrence made the all-Awesome team.
Sunday scoreboard
BOYS VARSITY
Sweet 16
Dobbins Tech 37, Emmaus 27 … Zachary Campbell 12. St. Joe’s Prep 47, Stroudsburg 42 … Jordan Ellberbee 19; ACCHS 42, Bensalem 38 … Jahrel Vigo 14; Lower Merion 54, Muhlenberg Twp 27 … Owen McCabe 22. Parkland 42, Abington 37 … Zaire Smaltz 13; Liberty 49, West Scranton 28 … Blake Hargrove, Dwyane Chess 14. Executive 44, Overbrook 40 … Gabe Hornberger 17. … Malvern Prep 53, Fels 35 … Cooper 13.
Quarterfinals
Liberty 32, Parkland 24 … Dywane Chess 10; Lower Merion 59, Dobbins Tech 56 … Owen McCabe 18; ACCHS 44, St. Joe’s Prep 36 … Jahrel Vigo 16; Malvern Prep 45, Executive 28 … No high scorer available.
Semifinals
Malvern Prep 48, Liberty 39 … Ryan Williams 22 for MP, Blake Hargrove 14 for Liberty.
JV BOYS
Quarterfinals
Allen 39, Bensalem 36; Malvern Prep 38, St. John Vianney 17; Reading 50, Nazareth 29; Parkland def. Muhlenberg Twp.
Semifinals
Parkland 63, Allen 34; Reading 53, Malvern Prep 52.
Finals
Parkland 45, Reading 32.
BOYS RISERS CHAMPIONSHIP
Executive 48, Emmaus 36 … Noeah Newsome 13.
GIRLS VARSITY
Quarterfinals
Imhotep 30, Becahi 26; Emmaus 32, Bensalem 19 … Mya Cooper 10; Parkland 43, Tamaqua 21; ACCHS 37, Dunmore 27.
Semifinals
Parkland 44, ACCHS 31 … Talia Zurinskas 20; Emmaus 27, Imhotep 24 … Kayla Snyder 9.
Championship
Parkland 43, Emmaus 37
JV GIRLS CHAMPIONSHIP
Becahi 29, Whitehall 15 … Kendall Medina 9 and all-Awesome MVP | https://www.mcall.com/2023/07/30/a-town-throwdown-parkland-girls-basketball/ | 2023-07-31T17:29:14 | 1 | https://www.mcall.com/2023/07/30/a-town-throwdown-parkland-girls-basketball/ |
KETTERING, Ohio (WDTN) — The Kettering Police Department is expected to speak on a fatal shooting that occurred at a BP gas station over the weekend.
According to the Kettering Police Department, officers responded to a shooting at the BP on South Smithville Road just after 6 a.m. on Sunday, July 30.
When officers arrived on the scene, they found a deceased male.
There was no suspect on the scene, however, Kettering police reported that they have detained a person of interest for questioning regarding the incident.
The Kettering Police Department is expected to provide an update on the incident at 2 p.m. on Monday, July 31.
You can watch the news conference LIVE in the video player above. | https://www.wdtn.com/news/local-news/kettering-police-to-speak-on-fatal-gas-station-shooting/ | 2023-07-31T17:29:14 | 1 | https://www.wdtn.com/news/local-news/kettering-police-to-speak-on-fatal-gas-station-shooting/ |
The Dayton Daily News is investigating a state program that collects money from the estates of deceased Medicaid recipients after they die — and how that impacts grieving families who are often unaware of the program until they get the bill.
Here are five key takeaways from our recent investigation in Medicaid Estate Recovery:
1. Ohio Medicaid collected $87.5 million in 2022 from Medicaid recipients’ estates after they died. The amount collected by the state has increased steadily from $40.6 million in 2017, totaling $366 million over that time period.
2. Ohio Medicaid collects more in estate recovery than most other states. A 2019 report found that the five states with the largest collections — Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Wisconsin — account for 38.5% of all recoveries.
3. People can lose their homes. Collecting unpaid Medicaid funds from a deceased recipient often includes placing a lien on the person’s property after they die. One woman reporter Nick Blizzard interviewed was her father’s live-in caretaker for years before he died and now fears she’ll lose her home. A local attorney noted another similar case in Kettering happening now. “That happens on a regular basis,” said attorney Ted Gudorf.
4. Changes need to be made, according to local experts and advocates for the elderly. Issues include insufficient efforts to educate people about the program when they apply for Medicaid, and more exemptions for surviving family members facing hardship.
5. There are steps families can take to protect assets from Medicaid Estate Recovery, but people must be proactive and often it requires the help of legal experts. This story looks at options and a local group that works to help educate families about the program.
We are continuing to dig into this program and how it affects local people. If your family has been impacted by Ohio Medicaid Estate Recovery, please fill out our form below.
About the Author | https://www.springfieldnewssun.com/local/ohio-medicaid-collecting-money-from-estates-of-dead-recipients-5-key-takeaways-from-our-investigation/TJSAVCUUG5ADTN6ZAKPA4FHXZA/ | 2023-07-31T17:29:17 | 1 | https://www.springfieldnewssun.com/local/ohio-medicaid-collecting-money-from-estates-of-dead-recipients-5-key-takeaways-from-our-investigation/TJSAVCUUG5ADTN6ZAKPA4FHXZA/ |
By The Associated Press
EVIAN-LES-BAINS, France (AP) — Céline Boutier became the third woman from France to win a major championship when she closed with a 3-under 68 for a six-shot victory in the Evian Championship.
The outcome was never really in doubt as Boutier began the final round with a three-shot lead and opened with two birdies. Brooke Henderson of Canada had a 70 to finish second.
Boutier is the first Frenchwoman to win the Amundi Evian Championship, which was designated an LPGA major in 2013. She finished at 14-under 270.
The other two French women to win LPGA majors were Patricia Meunier-Lebouc in the 2004 Kraft Nabisco Championship and Catherine Lacoste, who won the 1967 U.S. Women’s Open as an amateur.
Nasa Hataoka of Japan, who started the final round in second place, could only manage a 70 and tied for third with former U.S. Women’s Open champion Yuka Saso (70), Celine Borge (68) Gaby Lopez (68) and A Lim Kim (69).
Rose Zhang closed with a 68 and tied for ninth, her third top 10 in a major since she turned pro in June.
PGA TOUR
BLAINE, Minn. (AP) — Lee Hodges shot 4-under 67 in the final round for a wire-to-wire victory Sunday in the 3M Open and his first PGA Tour victory, setting tournament records with a 260 and a seven-shot win.
The victory gets Hodges into the Masters next year and moved him to No. 33 in the FedEx Cup with one tournament left before the postseason.
Hodges, who led by five at the start of the round, led by three over J.T. Poston going to the par-5 18th. Poston took a risky shot trying to make eagle and went into the water, leading to triple bogey and a 69. He went from second place alone to a three-way for second, costing him $260,000 and 92 points in the FedEx Cup.
Martin Laird and Kevin Streelman also tied for second.
Tony Finau, the defending champion and highest-ranked player at 10th in the FedEx Cup standings participating in this field, shot a 70 to land in a three-way tie for seventh.
PGA TOUR CHAMPIONS
BRIDGEND, Wales (AP) — Alex Cejka defeated Padraig Harrington with a birdie on the second playoff hole Sunday to win the Senior British Open at Royal Porthcawl.
Cejka, who closed with 5-over 76, birdied the second extra hole to claim his third senior major title after he and Harrington (75) tied at 5-over 289 in miserable wet and windy conditions.
Harrington, who also finished runner-up to Darren Clarke last year, narrowly missed an eagle putt on the first extra hole at No. 18. Returning to the 18th, the Irishman duffed a chip from the back of the green and had to settle for a par.
Cejka began the final round with a double bogey on the first and dropped another shot on the fourth, but battled back to hold a two-shot lead with two holes to play. But he bogeyed the 17th hole, and Harrington caught him with a birdie on the par-5 18th.
Vijay Singh shot 77 and finished two shots out of the playoff. Conditions were so difficult that Y.E. Yang and Rob Labritz were the only players to match par.
KORN FERRY TOUR
GLENVIEW, Ill. (AP) — Trace Crowe made a 20-foot birdie on the first extra hole to extend the playoff, then won with a par on the second playoff hole to capture the NV5 Invitational for his first Korn Ferry Tour victory.
Patrick Fishburn made a 30-foot eagle putt on the 18th hole in regulation for a 7-under 64 that got him into the playoff with Crowe, who overcame a triple bogey on the second hole with eight birdies for a 66. They finished at 259.
Crowe had to made a 20-footer to match birdies with Fishburn on the first playoff hole. Back to the 18th, Fishburn took two shots from the bunker and made bogey.
Ryan McCormick birdied the last two holes for a 66 to finish one shot out of the playoff.
OTHER TOURS
Bryan Kim made a 7-foot birdie on the 35th hole and went on to a 2-up victory over Joshua Bai in the rain-delayed U.S. Junior Amateur. The victory gives the 18-year-old Kim, an incoming freshman at Duke, a spot in the U.S. Open next year at Pinehurst No. 2. … Kensei Hirata lost an early lead and rallied for a 1-under 71 for a two-shot victory in the Japan PGA Championship on the Japan Golf Tour. Taiga Semikawa and Takumi Kanaya tied for second. … One week after Brandon Robinson Thompson made the cut in the British Open, he won his first Challenge Tour title on Sunday by closing with a 4-under 67 for a two-shot victory in the Irish Challenge. … Davis Shore closed with a 4-under 67 and won the Osprey Valley Open by one shot over Myles Creighton on the PGA Tour Canada. … Peter Kamis closed with a 2-under 70 for a one-shot victory in the FNB Eswatini Challenge on the Sunshine Tour in South Africa. … Kokona Sakurai shot 6-under 66 and won the Rakuten Super Ladies by one shot on the Japan LPGA.
___
AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | https://www.mcall.com/2023/07/30/boutier-wins-first-lpga-major-hodges-wins-first-pga-tour-title/ | 2023-07-31T17:29:20 | 1 | https://www.mcall.com/2023/07/30/boutier-wins-first-lpga-major-hodges-wins-first-pga-tour-title/ |
(WFLA) — Paul Reubens, known for his role in the Pee-wee Herman films, has died at age 70, according to posts on the Pee-wee Herman social media pages.
According to a statement on Facebook, the actor died Sunday night.
“Last night we said farewell to Paul Reubens, an iconic American actor, comedian, writer and producer whose beloved character Pee-wee Herman delighted generations of children and adults with his positivity, whimsy and belief in the importance of kindness,” his team said in the statement.
The statement added that Reubens had “bravely and privately fought cancer for years with his trademark tenacity and wit.”
The post also quoted Reubens apologizing for not going public with his condition.
“Please accept my apology for not going public with what I’ve been facing the last six years,” he said. “I have always felt a huge amount of love and respect from my friends, fans and supporters. I have loved you all so much and enjoyed making art for you.”
Calling the actor “gifted and prolific talent,” the actor’s team said, “He will forever live in the comedy pantheon and in our hearts as a treasured friend and man of remarkable character and generosity of spirit.”
This is a developing story. | https://www.wdtn.com/news/u-s-world/pee-wee-herman-star-paul-reubens-dies-at-age-70/ | 2023-07-31T17:29:20 | 1 | https://www.wdtn.com/news/u-s-world/pee-wee-herman-star-paul-reubens-dies-at-age-70/ |
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Dismiss Weather Alerts Alerts Bar | https://www.kbtx.com/page/best-vintage-gear-contest/ | 2023-07-31T17:29:22 | 1 | https://www.kbtx.com/page/best-vintage-gear-contest/ |
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — Health care providers in Alabama filed a lawsuit on Monday against the state’s attorney general that seeks to clarify whether they could be charged for helping women get abortions outside the state.
Since abortion became almost entirely illegal in Alabama, the phone rings at least once a day at a former clinic in Tuscaloosa as women — sometimes crying and often desperate — try to find where they can go in other states to end an unwanted pregnancy, the clinic director said.
“We get a lot of the anger — and we know that it’s not us that they are angry at,” said Robin Marty, operations director for the West Alabama Women’s Center. “It’s the situation, but it is very, very hard for my staff. They want to be able to help them.”
Staff members who want to provide assistance are afraid to give much information beyond a website that lists abortion clinic locations, after the state’s Republican Attorney General Steve Marshall suggested people could face criminal charges for helping Alabama women obtain abortions elsewhere.
The three health care providers filed the lawsuit to get a court declaration and injunction clarifying that the state's criminal statutes can't be used to prosecute people who help women leave the state for an abortion. The suit was filed by the Women’s Center, the Alabama Women’s Center in Huntsville, and Dr. Yashica Robinson, an obstetrician.
“What the attorney general has tried to do via these threats is to effectively extend Alabama’s abortion ban outside of its borders for Alabama residents,” Meagan Burrows, a lawyer with the American Civil Liberties Union, which is representing the providers in the lawsuit.
Burrows said the threat of prosecution is harming both the health care providers and the women who want to obtain abortions.
In a statement Monday, the attorney general's office said it “will continue to vigorously enforce Alabama laws protecting unborn life which include the Human Life Protection Act. That includes abortion providers conspiring to violate the Act.”
The lawsuit cites Marshall's comments on a conservative radio talk show last year, in which he said that state law can't be used to prosecute a woman for getting an abortion out of state.
However, Marshall said, “if an individual held themselves out as an entity or a group that is using funds that they are able to raise to be able to facilitate those visits, then that’s something that we’re going to look at closely.”
After the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade and handed authority on abortion law to the states, the Deep South quickly became an area of limited abortion access.
Alabama bans abortion at any stage of pregnancy with no exceptions for rape and incest. The only exemption is if it's needed because pregnancy threatens the health of the woman.
The landscape outside the state has also evolved rapidly and continues to change quickly as trigger laws and new bans are allowed to take effect. Clinics that remain open are extremely busy.
Marty, the clinic director, said most people who reach out to the clinic know “there is no abortion in Alabama. What they aren’t aware of is how far that extends.” | https://www.springfieldnewssun.com/nation-world/alabama-health-care-providers-sue-over-threat-of-prosecution-for-abortion-help/LTXJXCYRLNEKDEX2GXNSQWCX7I/ | 2023-07-31T17:29:23 | 1 | https://www.springfieldnewssun.com/nation-world/alabama-health-care-providers-sue-over-threat-of-prosecution-for-abortion-help/LTXJXCYRLNEKDEX2GXNSQWCX7I/ |
PITTSBURGH — Josh Palacios hit a two-run home run in the 10th inning, and the Pittsburgh Pirates rallied twice from two runs down to beat the Phillies 6-4 on Sunday and clinch the three-game series.
With Jared Triolo on as the automatic runner, Palacios led off the 10th by driving a slider from Andrew Vasquez (2-1) 367 feet to right. He celebrated his 28th birthday with his second homer of the season as the Pirates (47-58) took two of three from the Phillies (56-49), who fell a half-game behind in the hunt for the third NL wild card.
Palacios, who went 3 for 5, is the first Pirates player to hit a walkoff home run on his birthday, according to Elias Sports Bureau.
“After I hit that ball, I think I blacked out,” Palacios said. “I don’t know. I still might be blacked out right now. … Best birthday I can ask for, aside for probably my first birthday, coming into this Earth.”
Alec Bohm singled to start the 10th for Philadelphia and went to second on a throwing error by Triolo, putting automatic runner Bryce Harper on third. Harper hesitated to run when Trea Turner flew out to right, ultimately charging home when catcher Endy Rodriguez threw to second with Bohm scrambling back to the base. Nick Gonzales’ throw back to Rodriguez beat Harper for the second out. Angel Perdomo (2-1) struck out Edmundo Sosa to end the threat.
“I’ve seen us play better, that’s for sure,” Phillies manager Rob Thomson said. “We have to clean it up. We made some fundamental mistakes. … We have to clean it all up and we will.”
With two outs in the seventh, Harper bounced a 2-2 pitch down the first-base line that kicked off the glove of Connor Joe, who attempted a diving stop at first. Backup catcher Garrett Stubbs scored to break a 2-2 tie before Bohm tacked on another run with an RBI single.
“When talent doesn’t play well or play smart, you get beat,” Harper said. “It doesn’t matter who you’re playing, it’s still professional baseball.”
Bryan Reynolds cut the deficit to 4-3 on a single in the seventh, with Joe scoring on an error by rookie Johan Rojas in center. Triolo singled off Yunior Marte to start the eighth before advancing to third on Palacios’ double and scoring the tying run on a sacrifice to right from Nick Gonzales.
Phillies starter Cristopher Sánchez did not allow a hit in five innings, lowering his ERA to 2.66 this season. The 26-year-old left-hander struck out three, walked two and hit three others before being pulled after 73 pitches (46 strikes) with an upset stomach.
“I had a little stomachache going on. I didn’t feel like I had much energy today,” Sánchez said. “I think I did a good job. Even if I don’t feel well because I have something going on, I’m going to go out and compete.”
After Sánchez exited, Joe sent a leadoff single trickling through the right side of the infield off Seranthony Domínguez. Reynolds followed with his 12th home run of the season, belting a fastball 418 feet to right-center field to tie it 2-all.
“Our guys kept going,” Pirates manager Derek Shelton said. “We were getting no-hit through five. We get the base hit, Bryan gets the homer. We just continued to play and made good plays.”
Bohm had three RBIs, giving the Phillies a 2-0 lead with a two-run homer in the fourth that went 396 feet to right-center field off a first-pitch changeup from Rich Hill, who gave up five hits and three walks with seven strikeouts in five innings.
Up next
Phillies: RHP Taijuan Walker (11-4, 4.06) will be called upon Monday to start a four-game road series against the Marlins. Walker is 0-1 in his past two starts since winning seven straight.
Pirates: RHP Johan Oviedo (4-11, 4.60) will take the mound Tuesday in the first of a two-game series against the Tigers. Oviedo has allowed one run in two of his past three starts after surrendering 13 combined his previous two outings. | https://www.mcall.com/2023/07/30/palacios-celebrates-his-birthday-with-a-2-run-walkoff-homer-pirates-rally-twice-to-beat-phillies/ | 2023-07-31T17:29:25 | 1 | https://www.mcall.com/2023/07/30/palacios-celebrates-his-birthday-with-a-2-run-walkoff-homer-pirates-rally-twice-to-beat-phillies/ |
While the question won’t haunt manager Rob Thomson, it will be repeatedly presented through thousands of Twitter messages, podcast asides, column critiques, blog accusations and microphone blather blurts.
How could he possibly have lifted pitcher Cristopher Sanchez Sunday after five innings and all of 73 pitches?
As it turned out, Thomson would have five more mostly alarming innings to come up with an answer or three.
“A few reasons,” he said after another Phillies base-running mistake, this one courtesy of Alec Bohm, helped pave the way to a 6-4 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates. Among the reasons?
“It was the top of the order (coming up in the sixth inning),” Thomson said during a recorded post-game media session in Pittsburgh. And the ever popular, “third time through” the lineup was mentioned prominently. But then came the primary reason, that of Sanchez “wasn’t feeling well.
“Stomach upset,” the manager said. “I wanted to … make sure he got out of there on a right note.”
Sanchez has been coming on strong lately. He entered at 0-3 but with a recently decreasing 2.98 ERA. He had kept the Pirates hitless through five but did hit three of their batters along the way. By Thomson’s observations, while acknowledging the 26-year-old lefty hadn’t allowed any hits, “I didn’t think he was as sharp as he was before.”
So that, and the case of Sanchez’s fluttering stomach, was enough for Thomson to remove the guy with a 2-0 lead. In came reliever Seranthony Dominguez, who since his recent return from the Injured List, also hasn’t been as sharp as he was before. Dominguez proved it when he allowed the second batter he faced, Bryan Reynolds, to pop a two-run shot into the right-field stands for a tied game.
Maybe it was Thomson’s stomach that was a little upset when that happened.
“I had a little stomach ache going on and I didn’t feel like I had too much energy today,” Sanchez said through team translator Diego Ettedgui. He added he “felt good” enough, however, to come out for the sixth inning if Thomson allowed.
“Even if I don’t feel well,” Sanchez added, “I’m going out there to compete.”
Regardless of what the fan/media critics say or scream, Thomson will have no problem shrugging it off and going out there Monday in Miami and keep competing. He’s not a manager who plays the angles to make himself look good. But apparently he’s also a manager who plays the numbers, as in those of the analytical kind.
Third time through? Thomson probably figured the odds were such that the no-hitter was on life support. Besides … there were those other numbers Thomson and his pitch counters were paying attention to, saying Sanchez “probably had about 15 pitches left.”
Sanchez last pitched on July 24. In what became a 3-2 loss, he went seven strong innings and threw 92 pitches. That was by far his longest outing of his short season, which began with his first major league start in April, saw him returned to Lehigh Valley, then make a return trip to the Phillies’ rotation on June 17. He has served as the fifth starter ever since, but in recent weeks has been speculated as a guy whose spot in the rotation will soon be filled by whichever veteran starter Phils president Dave Dombrowski acquires by the Tuesday trade deadline.
You can never have enough pitching, the old cliche dictates, and for this year’s Phillies, with top two starters Zack Wheeler and Aaron Nola so inconsistent, and especially with a talent-rich group of offensive studs looking like anything but, that could never be truer.
Besides, even with Jose Alvarado out and Dominguez still trying to find his groove, the Phillies still have a strong and effective bullpen. All of which told Thomson the time was right to let the kid enjoy the fruits of his five innings of no-hit labor and leave it at that.
Oops.
The disagreeables will argue that never should you deprive the guy of a chance to keep going in such a situation. After all, maybe he can be lifted after allowing his first hit? Or his second…
That would be managing from the gut, which Thomson often does. It’s what he should have done in this situation, too.
Of course, there was a lot more wrong with this Phillies team over the weekend than taking Sanchez out of a game prematurely.
The Phillies continue to shrug off chances to turn scoring chances into big innings. They continue to run the bases with their heads and sometimes their minds down. And the fielding too often is showing signs of stress.
Offensively, both Trea Turner and now Nick Castellanos are foremost in the coming up small at the plate department.
While Turner has had issues most of the season in making an adjustment, drawing many comparisons to the way Castellanos went from a 30-homer guy in Cincinnati to an offensively clueless guy for most of last season, Castellanos turned it all around and made the NL All-Star team this summer.
But he has been showing signs of slippage. Castellanos was slashing .314/.358/.505 on July 1. He enters a series opener in Miami on Monday slashing .162/.194/.303 for this nasty month.
Not a good trend, but one that might move Dombrowski to act before the deadline. Through various sublime to ridiculous rumors, it appears the Phillies president is after a veteran outfielder with power, along with a fifth starter to supplant Sanchez.
That seems to be the trend, anyway. | https://www.mcall.com/2023/07/30/parent-lifting-cristopher-sanchez-early-not-easily-digestible-for-phillies-fans/ | 2023-07-31T17:29:26 | 1 | https://www.mcall.com/2023/07/30/parent-lifting-cristopher-sanchez-early-not-easily-digestible-for-phillies-fans/ |
Three new pygmy goats are now on display at the Lehigh Valley Zoo, they are seen on exhibit Sunday, July 30, 2023. Hobart, Odin and Oliver came to the zoo from Rose Bridge Farm & Sanctuary in Dresher, Montgomery County, and were rescued as babies. The trio, all approximately 7 months old, arrived June 27 and were in quarantine to receive physical examinations and vaccinations. The trio are a breed of domestic goat that stays small and stocky. They stand less than 2 feet tall and weigh 45-60 pounds when fully grown.
Hannah Allen feeds one of the three new pygmy goats Sunday, July 30, 2023, at the Lehigh Valley Zoo. Hobart, Odin and Oliver came to the zoo from Rose Bridge Farm & Sanctuary in Dresher, Montgomery County, and were rescued as babies. The trio, all approximately 7 months old, arrived June 27 and were in quarantine to receive physical examinations and vaccinations. The trio are a breed of domestic goat that stays small and stocky. They stand less than 2 feet tall and weigh 45-60 pounds when fully grown. (Amy Shortell/The Morning Call)
Charles Easley, left, Soniayah Easley,center, and Leanna Rivera, right, pet the new pygmy goats Sunday, July 30, 2023, at the Lehigh Valley Zoo. Hobart, Odin and Oliver came to the zoo from Rose Bridge Farm & Sanctuary in Dresher, Montgomery County, and were rescued as babies. The trio, all approximately 7 months old, arrived June 27 and were in quarantine to receive physical examinations and vaccinations. The trio are a breed of domestic goat that stays small and stocky. They stand less than 2 feet tall and weigh 45-60 pounds when fully grown. (Amy Shortell/The Morning Call)
Hannah Allen feeds one of the three new pygmy goats Sunday, July 30, 2023, at the Lehigh Valley Zoo. Hobart, Odin and Oliver came to the zoo from Rose Bridge Farm & Sanctuary in Dresher, Montgomery County, and were rescued as babies. The trio, all approximately 7 months old, arrived June 27 and were in quarantine to receive physical examinations and vaccinations. The trio are a breed of domestic goat that stays small and stocky. They stand less than 2 feet tall and weigh 45-60 pounds when fully grown. (Amy Shortell/The Morning Call)
Three new pygmy goats are now on display at the Lehigh Valley Zoo, they are seen on exhibit Sunday, July 30, 2023. Hobart, Odin and Oliver came to the zoo from Rose Bridge Farm & Sanctuary in Dresher, Montgomery County, and were rescued as babies. The trio, all approximately 7 months old, arrived June 27 and were in quarantine to receive physical examinations and vaccinations. The trio are a breed of domestic goat that stays small and stocky. They stand less than 2 feet tall and weigh 45-60 pounds when fully grown. (Amy Shortell/The Morning Call)
People watch the new pygmy goats interact Sunday, July 30, 2023, at the Lehigh Valley Zoo. Hobart, Odin and Oliver came to the zoo from Rose Bridge Farm & Sanctuary in Dresher, Montgomery County, and were rescued as babies. The trio, all approximately 7 months old, arrived June 27 and were in quarantine to receive physical examinations and vaccinations. The trio are a breed of domestic goat that stays small and stocky. They stand less than 2 feet tall and weigh 45-60 pounds when fully grown. (Amy Shortell/The Morning Call)
People watch the new pygmy goats interact Sunday, July 30, 2023, at the Lehigh Valley Zoo. Hobart, Odin and Oliver came to the zoo from Rose Bridge Farm & Sanctuary in Dresher, Montgomery County, and were rescued as babies. The trio, all approximately 7 months old, arrived June 27 and were in quarantine to receive physical examinations and vaccinations. The trio are a breed of domestic goat that stays small and stocky. They stand less than 2 feet tall and weigh 45-60 pounds when fully grown. (Amy Shortell/The Morning Call)
Hannah Allen feeds one of the three new pygmy goats Sunday, July 30, 2023, at the Lehigh Valley Zoo. Hobart, Odin and Oliver came to the zoo from Rose Bridge Farm & Sanctuary in Dresher, Montgomery County, and were rescued as babies. The trio, all approximately 7 months old, arrived June 27 and were in quarantine to receive physical examinations and vaccinations. The trio are a breed of domestic goat that stays small and stocky. They stand less than 2 feet tall and weigh 45-60 pounds when fully grown. (Amy Shortell/The Morning Call)
Three new pygmy goats are now on display at the Lehigh Valley Zoo, they are seen on exhibit Sunday, July 30, 2023. Hobart, Odin and Oliver came to the zoo from Rose Bridge Farm & Sanctuary in Dresher, Montgomery County, and were rescued as babies. The trio, all approximately 7 months old, arrived June 27 and were in quarantine to receive physical examinations and vaccinations. The trio are a breed of domestic goat that stays small and stocky. They stand less than 2 feet tall and weigh 45-60 pounds when fully grown. (Amy Shortell/The Morning Call)
Three new pygmy goats are now on display at the Lehigh Valley Zoo, they are seen on exhibit Sunday, July 30, 2023. Hobart, Odin and Oliver came to the zoo from Rose Bridge Farm & Sanctuary in Dresher, Montgomery County, and were rescued as babies. The trio, all approximately 7 months old, arrived June 27 and were in quarantine to receive physical examinations and vaccinations. The trio are a breed of domestic goat that stays small and stocky. They stand less than 2 feet tall and weigh 45-60 pounds when fully grown. (Amy Shortell/The Morning Call)
Three new pygmy goats are now on display at the Lehigh Valley Zoo, they are seen on exhibit Sunday, July 30, 2023. Hobart, Odin and Oliver came to the zoo from Rose Bridge Farm & Sanctuary in Dresher, Montgomery County, and were rescued as babies. The trio, all approximately 7 months old, arrived June 27 and were in quarantine to receive physical examinations and vaccinations. The trio are a breed of domestic goat that stays small and stocky. They stand less than 2 feet tall and weigh 45-60 pounds when fully grown. (Amy Shortell/The Morning Call)
Three new pygmy goats are now on display at the Lehigh Valley Zoo, they are seen on exhibit Sunday, July 30, 2023. Hobart, Odin and Oliver came to the zoo from Rose Bridge Farm & Sanctuary in Dresher, Montgomery County, and were rescued as babies. The trio, all approximately 7 months old, arrived June 27 and were in quarantine to receive physical examinations and vaccinations. The trio are a breed of domestic goat that stays small and stocky. They stand less than 2 feet tall and weigh 45-60 pounds when fully grown. (Amy Shortell/The Morning Call)
People watch the new pygmy goats interact Sunday, July 30, 2023, at the Lehigh Valley Zoo. Hobart, Odin and Oliver came to the zoo from Rose Bridge Farm & Sanctuary in Dresher, Montgomery County, and were rescued as babies. The trio, all approximately 7 months old, arrived June 27 and were in quarantine to receive physical examinations and vaccinations. The trio are a breed of domestic goat that stays small and stocky. They stand less than 2 feet tall and weigh 45-60 pounds when fully grown. (Amy Shortell/The Morning Call) | https://www.mcall.com/2023/07/30/pgymy-goat-trio-makes-their-debut-at-lehigh-valley-zoo-photos/ | 2023-07-31T17:29:27 | 1 | https://www.mcall.com/2023/07/30/pgymy-goat-trio-makes-their-debut-at-lehigh-valley-zoo-photos/ |
WASHINGTON (AP) — The National Institutes of Health is beginning a handful of studies to test possible treatments for long COVID, an anxiously awaited step in U.S. efforts against the mysterious condition that afflicts millions.
Monday's announcement from the NIH's $1.15 billion RECOVER project comes amid frustration from patients who've struggled for months or even years with sometimes-disabling health problems — with no proven treatments and only a smattering of rigorous studies to test potential ones.
"This is a year or two late and smaller in scope than one would hope but nevertheless it's a step in the right direction," said Dr. Ziyad Al-Aly of Washington University in St. Louis, who isn't involved with NIH's project but whose own research highlighted long COVID's toll. Getting answers is critical, he added, because "there's a lot of people out there exploiting patients' vulnerability" with unproven therapies.
Scientists don’t yet know what causes long COVID, the catchall term for about 200 widely varying symptoms.
“If I get 10 people, I get 10 answers of what long COVID really is," U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra said.
That's why so far the RECOVER initiative has tracked 24,000 patients in observational studies to help define the most common and burdensome symptoms –- findings that now are shaping multipronged treatment trials. The first two will look at:
— Whether taking up to 25 days of Pfizer's antiviral drug Paxlovid could ease long COVID, because of a theory that some live coronavirus, or its remnants, may hide in the body and trigger the disorder. Normally Paxlovid is used when people first get infected and for just five days.
— Treatments for “brain fog” and other cognitive problems. They include Posit Science Corp.’s BrainHQ cognitive training program, another called PASC-Cognitive Recovery by New York City’s Mount Sinai Health System, and a Soterix Medical device that electrically stimulates brain circuits.
Two additional studies will open in the coming months. One will test treatments for sleep problems. The other will target problems with the autonomic nervous system — which controls unconscious functions like breathing and heartbeat — including the disorder called POTS.
A more controversial study of exercise intolerance and fatigue also is planned, with NIH seeking input from some patient groups worried that exercise may do more harm than good for certain long COVID sufferers.
The trials are enrolling 300 to 900 adult participants for now but have the potential to grow. Unlike typical experiments that test one treatment at a time, these more flexible “platform studies” will let NIH add additional potential therapies on a rolling basis.
“We can rapidly pivot,” Dr. Amy Patterson with the NIH explained. A failing treatment can be dropped without ending the entire trial and “if something promising comes on the horizon, we can plug it in.”
The flexibility could be key, according to Dr. Anthony Komaroff, a Harvard researcher who isn’t involved with the NIH program but has long studied a similarly mysterious disorder known as chronic fatigue syndrome or ME/CFS. For example, he said, the Paxlovid study “makes all sorts of sense,” but if a 25-day dose shows only hints of working, researchers could extend the test to a longer course instead of starting from scratch.
Komaroff also said that he understands people's frustration over the wait for these treatment trials, but believes NIH appropriately waited “until some clues came in about the underlying biology," adding: “You’ve got to have targets.”
___
The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group. The AP is solely responsible for all content. | https://www.springfieldnewssun.com/nation-world/brain-fog-and-other-long-covid-symptoms-are-the-focus-of-new-small-treatment-studies/BZNLKJFJVVG75GBHTOSN5QCWAA/ | 2023-07-31T17:29:30 | 0 | https://www.springfieldnewssun.com/nation-world/brain-fog-and-other-long-covid-symptoms-are-the-focus-of-new-small-treatment-studies/BZNLKJFJVVG75GBHTOSN5QCWAA/ |
Smoked Trout Salad With Dill Dressing and Potato Chips
Greens, tart quick-pickled cucumbers and dill freshen up salty smoked trout. Potato chips, added just before serving, give this salad extra crunch. Get the recipe.
Fennel, Lentil and Smoked Trout Salad
Top crisp, thinly sliced fennel with lentils and flaky smoked fish. The shallot-mustard vinaigrette adds verve. There’s no need to stick to smoked trout — salmon or whitefish work just as well here. Get the recipe.
Couscous Salad With Smoked Trout and Pepperoncini
Here, warm couscous gets tossed with a garlicky dressing, tomatoes and pepperoncini before it’s topped with smoked trout and fresh herbs. Any smoked fish works here, as does non-smoked canned salmon or tuna. Get the recipe.
Ricotta and Potato Chip Fish Cakes With Peas
Crushed potato chips give these plush salmon cakes fish-and-chips flair. Ricotta makes them creamy, and almost pillowy. Served with peas, they make an easy and elegant main course. Get the recipe.
Creamy Salmon Pasta
Combining canned salmon, yogurt, a bit of onion and lemon juice in a food processor or blender produces a surprisingly easy, inexpensive and delicious sauce for pasta. Get the recipe.
Quick Lentil Salmon Salad
While you’re cooking a cup of lentils, make a pungent, herbaceous vinaigrette. Once the little legumes are done and drained, coat them in the dressing, and then top them with canned salmon, slices of red onion and a generous squeeze of lemon. Get the recipe.
Chale Sauce With Sardines
Here, Ghanaian chale sauce forms a base for meaty tinned sardines. Not into sardines? The sauce — rich with roasted bell pepper, onions, ginger, a bit of Scotch bonnet chile, garlic and Madras curry powder — is great with just about any protein or vegetable. Get the recipe.
Lemon-Dressed Farro, Tuna and Chickpea Salad
Pearled farro gives this salad a slightly nutty flavor, which pairs especially well with oil-packed tuna, chickpeas, lemon and parsley. Diced sweet onion, tossed into the salad at the end, gives it some pep. Get the recipe.
Tuna, Celery and White Bean Salad
This fresh combination of oil-packed tuna, crunchy celery, white beans and herbs is great the day it’s made, but if you have time, make it a day ahead to give the ingredients and flavors time to mingle. Get the recipe.
Tunisian Fricasses
Canned tuna sandwiches, dressed with olive oil, hard-boiled eggs, tender potatoes and olives, are popular throughout the Mediterranean. In this version, harissa gives the sandwich a hit of spice. Get the recipe.
Mediterranean Chopped Salad Bowl With Tuna
Crunchy lettuce is an ideal backdrop for oil-packed tuna, bell peppers, green olives, parsley and a red wine vinaigrette. Feel free to substitute or add any vegetable or tender herb you may have on hand, such as fresh basil, cooked green beans or broccoli, tomatoes, radishes or radicchio. Get the recipe.
Sesame Tonnato Noodles
Italian tonnato sauce was the inspiration behind this deeply savory and creamy bowl of noodles. Fish sauce, rice vinegar, scallions and sesame seeds give it pops of salinity, tanginess and crunch. Get the recipe.
Mackerel Toasts
A lemony horseradish mayonnaise makes these open-faced tinned fish sandwiches a surprisingly elegant meal — even though it takes just 10 minutes to make. Get the recipe.
Fast and Easy Tomato Sauce
Anchovies are this sauce’s not-so-secret weapon: They give it a big backdrop of umami. Bonus: The sauce needs only 25 minutes on the stove. Get the recipe.
Spaghetti With Anchovy, Lemon and Arugula
This easy pasta dish is bright, briny and supercharged by anchovies, lemon juice and peppery raw arugula. Get the recipe.
Bitter Greens With Shaved Radish, Almonds and Anchovy Vinaigrette
Anchovies might be an common addition to pasta sauces, but they’re also terrific in salad dressings. Here, they’re the key to making this combination of greens, radishes, almonds and oranges a fast, filling and flavorful meal. Get the recipe. | https://www.washingtonpost.com/food/2023/07/31/tinned-fish-recipes-salmon-tuna-sardines/ | 2023-07-31T17:29:32 | 1 | https://www.washingtonpost.com/food/2023/07/31/tinned-fish-recipes-salmon-tuna-sardines/ |
MLB Probable Starting Pitchers Tonight: Monday, July 31
Monday's MLB schedule features a slew of intriguing pitching matchups, and we've got all of the probable pitchers listed below. Top billing goes to the bout between the Orioles and the Blue Jays, who will be sending Kyle Gibson and Chris Bassitt to the mound, respectively.
Read on to find the probable pitcher matchups for every game on the schedule for July 31.
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Today's Probable Starting Pitchers
Phillies at Marlins Probable Pitchers
The Philadelphia Phillies will send Taijuan Walker (11-4) to the bump as they face the Marlins, who will look to Edward Cabrera (5-6) for the game between the teams Monday.
Vegas Odds for Phillies at Marlins
- MIA Odds to Win: -110
- PHI Odds to Win: -110
- Total: 8.5 runs
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Live Stream Phillies at Marlins
- Game Time: 6:40 PM ET
- Streaming: BSFL (regional restrictions may apply)
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Brewers at Nationals Probable Pitchers
The Milwaukee Brewers will send Corbin Burnes (9-6) to the mound as they face the Nationals, who will counter with Jake Irvin (3-5) for the matchup between the clubs Monday.
Vegas Odds for Brewers at Nationals
- MIL Odds to Win: -210
- WSH Odds to Win: +170
- Total: 8.5 runs
- Sign up with BetMGM Sportsbook, and new depositors can use bonus code "GNPLAY" for special offers!
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Live Stream Brewers at Nationals
- Game Time: 7:05 PM ET
- Streaming: MASN2 (regional restrictions may apply)
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Rays at Yankees Probable Pitchers
The Tampa Bay Rays will send Tyler Glasnow (4-3) to the hill as they face the Yankees, who will give the start to Domingo German (5-7) when the clubs face off Monday.
Vegas Odds for Rays at Yankees
- TB Odds to Win: -145
- NYY Odds to Win: +120
- Total: 8.5 runs
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Live Stream Rays at Yankees
- Game Time: 7:05 PM ET
- Streaming: MLB Network (regional restrictions may apply)
- Watch for free: Sign up today for a free trial to Fubo.
Orioles at Blue Jays Probable Pitchers
The Baltimore Orioles will send Gibson (9-6) to the mound as they play the Blue Jays, who will counter with Bassitt (10-5) when the teams play Monday.
Vegas Odds for Orioles at Blue Jays
- TOR Odds to Win: -130
- BAL Odds to Win: +110
- Total: 9 runs
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Live Stream Orioles at Blue Jays
- Game Time: 7:07 PM ET
- Streaming: MLB Network (regional restrictions may apply)
- Watch for free: Sign up today for a free trial to Fubo.
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Angels at Braves Probable Pitchers
The Los Angeles Angels will send Griffin Canning (6-4) to the bump as they face the Braves, who will look to Charlie Morton (10-8) for the game between the teams Monday.
Vegas Odds for Angels at Braves
- ATL Odds to Win: -225
- LAA Odds to Win: +180
- Total: 9.5 runs
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Live Stream Angels at Braves
- Game Time: 7:20 PM ET
- Streaming: BSSO (regional restrictions may apply)
- Watch for free: Sign up today for a free trial to Fubo.
Reds at Cubs Probable Pitchers
The Cincinnati Reds will send Andrew Abbott (6-2) to the mound as they face the Cubs, who will counter with Marcus Stroman (10-7) when the clubs play Monday.
Vegas Odds for Reds at Cubs
- CHC Odds to Win: -120
- CIN Odds to Win: +100
- Total: 8 runs
- Sign up with BetMGM Sportsbook, and new depositors can use bonus code "GNPLAY" for special offers!
Live Stream Reds at Cubs
- Game Time: 8:05 PM ET
- Streaming: MARQ (regional restrictions may apply)
- Watch for free: Sign up today for a free trial to Fubo.
Guardians at Astros Probable Pitchers
The Cleveland Guardians will send Noah Syndergaard (1-4) to the bump as they play the Astros, who will look to J.P. France (6-3) when the clubs face off Monday.
Vegas Odds for Guardians at Astros
- HOU Odds to Win: -175
- CLE Odds to Win: +145
- Total: 9 runs
- Sign up with BetMGM Sportsbook, and new depositors can use bonus code "GNPLAY" for special offers!
Live Stream Guardians at Astros
- Game Time: 8:10 PM ET
- Streaming: SportsNet SW (regional restrictions may apply)
- Watch for free: Sign up today for a free trial to Fubo.
Padres at Rockies Probable Pitchers
The San Diego Padres will send Seth Lugo (4-5) to the mound as they play the Rockies, who will hand the ball to Austin Gomber (8-8) for the matchup between the teams Monday.
Vegas Odds for Padres at Rockies
- SD Odds to Win: -200
- COL Odds to Win: +165
- Total: 11.5 runs
- Sign up with BetMGM Sportsbook, and new depositors can use bonus code "GNPLAY" for special offers!
Live Stream Padres at Rockies
- Game Time: 8:40 PM ET
- Streaming: SportsNet RM (regional restrictions may apply)
- Watch for free: Sign up today for a free trial to Fubo.
Red Sox at Mariners Probable Pitchers
The Boston Red Sox will send Nick Pivetta (7-5) to the mound as they play the Mariners, who will give the start to George Kirby (9-8) for the game between the teams Monday.
Vegas Odds for Red Sox at Mariners
- SEA Odds to Win: -135
- BOS Odds to Win: +110
- Total: 7.5 runs
- Sign up with BetMGM Sportsbook, and new depositors can use bonus code "GNPLAY" for special offers!
Live Stream Red Sox at Mariners
- Game Time: 9:40 PM ET
- Streaming: ROOT Sports NW (regional restrictions may apply)
- Watch for free: Sign up today for a free trial to Fubo.
Diamondbacks at Giants Probable Pitchers
The Arizona Diamondbacks will send Ryne Nelson (6-5) to the mound as they take on the Giants, who will look to Alex Cobb (6-3) when the clubs meet Monday.
Vegas Odds for Diamondbacks at Giants
- SF Odds to Win: -150
- ARI Odds to Win: +125
- Total: 8 runs
- Sign up with BetMGM Sportsbook, and new depositors can use bonus code "GNPLAY" for special offers!
Live Stream Diamondbacks at Giants
- Game Time: 9:45 PM ET
- Streaming: NBCS-BA (regional restrictions may apply)
- Watch for free: Sign up today for a free trial to Fubo.
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© 2023 Data Skrive. All rights reserved. | https://www.dakotanewsnow.com/sports/betting/2023/07/31/mlb-probable-starting-pitchers/ | 2023-07-31T17:29:32 | 0 | https://www.dakotanewsnow.com/sports/betting/2023/07/31/mlb-probable-starting-pitchers/ |
Sharon Hofmann encourages her schnauzer, Waz, to jump over obstacles in an agility course during the Dog Days of Summer event Sunday, July 30, 2023, at the Saucon Valley Farmers Market in Hellertown.
Staff prepare fresh lemonade from Macungie Mountain Herb Farms in their trailer during the Dog Days of Summer event Sunday, July 30, 2023, at the Saucon Valley Farmers Market in Hellertown.(Amy Shortell/The Morning Call)
Zachary L. drinks fresh lemonade from Macungie Mountain Herb Farms trailer during the Dog Days of Summer event Sunday, July 30, 2023, at the Saucon Valley Farmers Market in Hellertown. (Amy Shortell/The Morning Call)
Tucker enjoys some whipped cream in a cup as his owner, Alyssa Calilas, holds it for him during the Dog Days of Summer event Sunday, July 30, 2023, at the Saucon Valley Farmers Market in Hellertown. (Amy Shortell/The Morning Call)
Sharon Hofmann and husband Ken encourage their schnauzer, Waz, to jump over obstacles in an agility course during the Dog Days of Summer event Sunday, July 30, 2023, at the Saucon Valley Farmers Market in Hellertown.(Amy Shortell/The Morning Call)
Rokia Whitehouse sketches a portrait of Rory the dog during the Dog Days of Summer event Sunday, July 30, 2023, at the Saucon Valley Farmers Market in Hellertown.(Amy Shortell/The Morning Call)
Sharon Hofmann encourages her schnauzer, Waz, to jump over obstacles in an agility course during the Dog Days of Summer event Sunday, July 30, 2023, at the Saucon Valley Farmers Market in Hellertown.(Amy Shortell/The Morning Call)
Sharon Hofmann encourages her schnauzer, Waz, to jump over obstacles in an agility course during the Dog Days of Summer event Sunday, July 30, 2023, at the Saucon Valley Farmers Market in Hellertown.(Amy Shortell/The Morning Call)
Kelce the dog helps sell products at Maries Soap booth during the Dog Days of Summer event Sunday, July 30, 2023, at the Saucon Valley Farmers Market in Hellertown.(Amy Shortell/The Morning Call)
Fresh produce is for sale during the Dog Days of Summer event Sunday, July 30, 2023, at the Saucon Valley Farmers Market in Hellertown.(Amy Shortell/The Morning Call)
Rokia Whitehouse sketches a portrait of Rory the dog during the Dog Days of Summer event Sunday, July 30, 2023, at the Saucon Valley Farmers Market in Hellertown.(Amy Shortell/The Morning Call)
Mike Garcia fills orders at Lets Taco Bout It Mexican Tacos food stand during the Dog Days of Summer event Sunday, July 30, 2023, at the Saucon Valley Farmers Market in Hellertown.(Amy Shortell/The Morning Call)
Alyssa Calilas and her dog, Tucker, buy dog treats during the Dog Days of Summer event Sunday, July 30, 2023, at the Saucon Valley Farmers Market in Hellertown. (Amy Shortell/The Morning Call)
Sharon Hofmann encourages her schnauzer, Waz, to jump over obstacles in an agility course during the Dog Days of Summer event Sunday, July 30, 2023, at the Saucon Valley Farmers Market in Hellertown.(Amy Shortell/The Morning Call)
Mike Garcia fills orders at Lets Taco Bout It Mexican Tacos food stand during the Dog Days of Summer event Sunday, July 30, 2023, at the Saucon Valley Farmers Market in Hellertown.(Amy Shortell/The Morning Call)
Mike Garcia fills orders at Lets Taco Bout It Mexican Tacos food stand during the Dog Days of Summer event Sunday, July 30, 2023, at the Saucon Valley Farmers Market in Hellertown.(Amy Shortell/The Morning Call) | https://www.mcall.com/2023/07/30/saucon-valley-farmers-market-goes-to-the-dogs-photos/ | 2023-07-31T17:29:34 | 1 | https://www.mcall.com/2023/07/30/saucon-valley-farmers-market-goes-to-the-dogs-photos/ |
WASHINGTON (AP) — The National Institutes of Health is beginning a handful of studies to test possible treatments for long COVID, an anxiously awaited step in U.S. efforts against the mysterious condition that afflicts millions.
Monday's announcement from the NIH's $1.15 billion RECOVER project comes amid frustration from patients who've struggled for months or even years with sometimes-disabling health problems — with no proven treatments and only a smattering of rigorous studies to test potential ones.
"This is a year or two late and smaller in scope than one would hope but nevertheless it's a step in the right direction," said Dr. Ziyad Al-Aly of Washington University in St. Louis, who isn't involved with NIH's project but whose own research highlighted long COVID's toll. Getting answers is critical, he added, because "there's a lot of people out there exploiting patients' vulnerability" with unproven therapies.
Scientists don’t yet know what causes long COVID, the catchall term for about 200 widely varying symptoms. Between 10% and 30% of people are estimated to have experienced some form of long COVID after recovering from a coronavirus infection, a risk that has dropped somewhat since early in the pandemic.
“If I get 10 people, I get 10 answers of what long COVID really is," U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra said.
That's why so far the RECOVER initiative has tracked 24,000 patients in observational studies to help define the most common and burdensome symptoms –- findings that now are shaping multipronged treatment trials. The first two will look at:
— Whether taking up to 25 days of Pfizer's antiviral drug Paxlovid could ease long COVID, because of a theory that some live coronavirus, or its remnants, may hide in the body and trigger the disorder. Normally Paxlovid is used when people first get infected and for just five days.
— Treatments for “brain fog” and other cognitive problems. They include Posit Science Corp.’s BrainHQ cognitive training program, another called PASC-Cognitive Recovery by New York City’s Mount Sinai Health System, and a Soterix Medical device that electrically stimulates brain circuits.
Two additional studies will open in the coming months. One will test treatments for sleep problems. The other will target problems with the autonomic nervous system — which controls unconscious functions like breathing and heartbeat — including the disorder called POTS.
A more controversial study of exercise intolerance and fatigue also is planned, with NIH seeking input from some patient groups worried that exercise may do more harm than good for certain long COVID sufferers.
The trials are enrolling 300 to 900 adult participants for now but have the potential to grow. Unlike typical experiments that test one treatment at a time, these more flexible “platform studies” will let NIH add additional potential therapies on a rolling basis.
“We can rapidly pivot,” Dr. Amy Patterson with the NIH explained. A failing treatment can be dropped without ending the entire trial and “if something promising comes on the horizon, we can plug it in.”
The flexibility could be key, according to Dr. Anthony Komaroff, a Harvard researcher who isn’t involved with the NIH program but has long studied a similarly mysterious disorder known as chronic fatigue syndrome or ME/CFS. For example, he said, the Paxlovid study “makes all sorts of sense,” but if a 25-day dose shows only hints of working, researchers could extend the test to a longer course instead of starting from scratch.
Komaroff also said that he understands people's frustration over the wait for these treatment trials, but believes NIH appropriately waited “until some clues came in about the underlying biology," adding: “You’ve got to have targets.”
___
The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group. The AP is solely responsible for all content. | https://www.springfieldnewssun.com/nation-world/brain-fog-and-other-long-covid-symptoms-are-the-focus-of-new-small-treatment-studies/SFNVIQAP4ZBNRIH2U4UMQNW4VM/ | 2023-07-31T17:29:36 | 0 | https://www.springfieldnewssun.com/nation-world/brain-fog-and-other-long-covid-symptoms-are-the-focus-of-new-small-treatment-studies/SFNVIQAP4ZBNRIH2U4UMQNW4VM/ |
The story of TMNT, as the cool kids refer to the chelonian quartet, begins in the mid-1980s with comics by Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird. It’s the story of four turtles, mutated by a mysterious ooze, being raised by their adoptive father and mentor, Splinter, a mutant rat. Over the years, the foursome became a marketing juggernaut, with an animated TV show, thousands of toys and tie-ins, a couple of live-action movies, a concept album turned stage musical (yes, really), and an appearance on a Barbara Walters special (really, really). They never entirely went away but continued to lurk in the pop culture shadows with another mediocre movie here and an animated series there. Now they’re back — and what a joyful return it is.
“Mutant Mayhem” begins, unsurprisingly, with a bit of backstory about how Leonardo, Donatello, Raphael and Michelangelo (voices of Nicholas Cantu, Micah Abbey, Brady Noon and Shamon Brown Jr., respectively) came to be. Splinter (Jackie Chan) raised the anthropomorphic amphibians from infancy after they all became infected by a substance created in a mysterious laboratory. Having experienced plenty of discrimination as an ordinary, pre-mutant rat, Splinter understandably has shunned the human world, convincing his young wards to stay in the New York City sewers to keep safe. But, just as human teens would, they decide that they know better than their perfectly rational (and much more experienced) parent and venture into the world above.
There they meet high school journalist April O’Neil (Ayo Edebiri of “The Bear”), looking for the story that will save the world (and prom). She befriends the protagonists, and they start working together — the turtles to take down a gang of other mutants, led by the insectlike Superfly (Ice Cube), with April reporting on it. It’s a win-win: April impresses her peers, and the city recognizes that the turtles are heroes, giving them the acceptance they crave. Meanwhile, Splinter is grappling with the fact that his boys need him a little less and want to be on their own a lot more.
Two things make “Mutant Mayhem” stand out from the crowd: the voice acting and the visuals. The young actors voicing the turtles not only bring a unique presence to each character, but when the four are together, it’s an absolute cacophony of ribbing ridicule. Edebiri is also a standout, showing why she was a sought-after voice actor. And though Ice Cube always sounds like Ice Cube, it works.
The animation also soars. A combination of what looks like hand drawing, visible brushstrokes and a vaguely stop-motion aesthetic is reminiscent of “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse,” but it also feels looser and more graffitilike (and not quite as good, but what is?). Fight scenes teeter on the brink of chaos without ever going over it, and the editing is both lovely to look at and integral to keeping things on track. Throw in a few deep cuts for the parents in the audience and you’ve got a movie that your 15-year-old might actually want to see with you. Just don’t be weird or breathe too loud, and definitely don’t hug them in public and — fine, we get it. Gawd.
Seth Rogen and longtime writing partner Evan Goldberg, heading up a large team of writers, clearly have a love for the source material and a sense for how it fits into the modern world. Moreover, “Mutant Mayhem” is the rare TMNT outing that emphasizes the “teenage” part of the title, rather than “mutant,” “ninja” or “turtles.” This is a story of family and of friendship, with enough humor to keep it from getting too sappy and enough restraint to keep it from getting too sophomoric. While there’s nothing overtly inappropriate for the younger set, there are a few times when the quartet are in perilous situations that may be too much for sensitive viewers. They pass quickly.
Any parent of a boy who has turned around one day only to find that the Minecraft-obsessed child they knew has turned into a hairy, kind of stinky quasi-psychopath intent on either injuring himself or giving his mother or father a heart attack in the process will be reminded of just how special a time this is. (For parents whose sons aren’t quite there yet, buckle up, and plan on doubling your food budget.) Seeing a child start to grow into the adult they’ll become — and seeing a movie together that grapples with what that means — is a gift. A messy, loud, confusing, joyfully chaotic, over-too-soon gift.
Talk about Turtle Power. This film’s got it.
PG. At area theaters. Contains sequences of violence and action, strong language, and impolite material. 99 minutes. | https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/movies/2023/07/31/teenage-mutant-ninja-turtles-mutant-mayhem-movie-review/ | 2023-07-31T17:29:38 | 1 | https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/movies/2023/07/31/teenage-mutant-ninja-turtles-mutant-mayhem-movie-review/ |
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Churchill Downs will implement safety measures for its September meet including new track surface maintenance equipment and additional monitoring and equine care following 12 horse deaths before and after the Kentucky Derby that spurred suspension of its spring meet.
Racing is scheduled to resume Sept. 14 and run through Oct. 1 at the historic track, which paused racing operations on June 7 to conduct an internal safety review following the spate of horse deaths from racing or training injuries. Seven died in the days leading up to the 149th Derby on May 6, including two in races preceding the premier event.
The Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority recommended suspending the remainder of the meet, which moved to Ellis Park in western Kentucky. Training continued at Churchill Downs during the investigation, and a release on Monday stated that while industry experts found no issues with the racing surfaces, the track invested in new maintenance equipment. It will also double the frequency of surface testing among infrastructure upgrades.
Churchill Downs Inc. CEO Bill Carstanjen said the track’s commitment to safety “remains paramount” in the release and added, “our participants, fans and the public can be assured that we will continue to investigate, evaluate and improve upon every policy and protocol.”
The announcement comes days after Carstanjen said racing would resume this fall with no changes and called the deaths "a series of unfortunate circumstances" in an earnings call with CDI investors.
Churchill Downs veterinarians will receive additional resources for specialized horse care and to assist in pre-race inspections and entry screening, the release added. The track will work with HISA and industry experts to predict at-risk horses through advanced analytic techniques.
A safety management committee including horsemen, track employees and veterinarians will also be created.
___
AP sports: https://apnews.com/hub/sports and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | https://www.springfieldnewssun.com/nation-world/churchill-downs-to-improve-track-maintenance-veterinary-resources-for-fall-meet-after-horse-deaths/22RAWZZ2FNA2JCT3UAZGQT4D6Q/ | 2023-07-31T17:29:42 | 1 | https://www.springfieldnewssun.com/nation-world/churchill-downs-to-improve-track-maintenance-veterinary-resources-for-fall-meet-after-horse-deaths/22RAWZZ2FNA2JCT3UAZGQT4D6Q/ |
The moon will seem extra big and bright and thus be quite a sight this August, with a sturgeon supermoon visible on Tuesday and then a rare blue supermoon coming at the end of the month.
Two of the four supermoon events of 2023 will take place in August, with the first happening on Tuesday. On Aug. 30 there will be a blue supermoon, which won't happen again until 2032. Here's what you need to know so you can catch this summer's lunar double feature.
What is a supermoon?
A perigean full moon, better known as a supermoon, happens when the moon is full during its closest orbits to Earth. This gives its appearance an extra pop, making it look up to 8% bigger and 16% brighter than a typical full moon, according to The Old Farmer's Almanac.
According to NASA, the moon's typical orbit ranges between 226,000 and 251,000 miles from Earth, but variances can bring it a bit closer or farther away. Only the closest three or four approaches each year qualify as supermoons. The last one was on July 3.
Up first is the sturgeon supermoon on Tuesday
The sturgeon moon got its name from Native American tribes that found that the giant sturgeon from the Great Lakes were "most readily caught" at this time of the summer, according to Farmer's Almanac. It's also known as a green corn moon, grain moon, flying up moon, harvest moon, ricing moon, black cherries moon and the mountain shadow moon.
This spectacle will hit peak illumination at 2:32 p.m. ET. "That evening, look toward the southeast after sunset to catch a glimpse of the Sturgeon Moon rising," Farmer's Almanac says.
A sturgeon, for non-anglers, is an enormous fish with roots in the Jurassic period that spends its life — up to 150 years — in both fresh and saltwater. The white sturgeon is the largest freshwater fish in North America, reaching as long as 20 feet and nearly 2,000 pounds, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. But most of the sturgeon inhabiting the Great Lakes measure about 6 feet in length and weigh approximately 200 pounds.
The second show is a rare blue supermoon
While a supermoon references the moon's orbit in relation to Earth, a blue moon has to do with frequency, referring to when there's a second full moon in a single calendar month, NASA says. It's also used to describe the third of four full moons in an astrological season.
The moon takes 27.3 days to orbit the Earth, but because of how the sun's light hits the satellite, it takes 29.5 days to complete its lunar cycle from one new moon to the next.
The term "once in a blue moon" is an idiom used to describe a rare but nonetheless recurring event. But according to NASA they're not actually all that rare, recurring every two-and-a-half years or so.
A blue supermoon, however, happens far less frequently. According to the website Time and Date, the last blue supermoon was in December 2009, and the next one won't be until August 2032.
This year's blue supermoon will peak at 9:36 p.m. ET on Aug. 30, Farmer's Almanac says, but you can use their moonrise calculator to see when it will be visible in your area.
The end of August supermoon will be the biggest and brightest of 2023 because the moon will be "exceptionally close" to Earth at 222,043 miles, nearly 17,000 miles closer than average.
Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.nprillinois.org/2023-07-31/if-you-miss-augusts-super-blue-moon-youll-have-to-wait-9-years-for-your-next-chance | 2023-07-31T17:29:44 | 1 | https://www.nprillinois.org/2023-07-31/if-you-miss-augusts-super-blue-moon-youll-have-to-wait-9-years-for-your-next-chance |
The moon will seem extra big and bright and thus be quite a sight this August, with a sturgeon supermoon visible on Tuesday and then a rare blue supermoon coming at the end of the month.
Two of the four supermoon events of 2023 will take place in August, with the first happening on Tuesday. On Aug. 30 there will be a blue supermoon, which won't happen again until 2032. Here's what you need to know so you can catch this summer's lunar double feature.
What is a supermoon?
A perigean full moon, better known as a supermoon, happens when the moon is full during its closest orbits to Earth. This gives its appearance an extra pop, making it look up to 8% bigger and 16% brighter than a typical full moon, according to The Old Farmer's Almanac.
According to NASA, the moon's typical orbit ranges between 226,000 and 251,000 miles from Earth, but variances can bring it a bit closer or farther away. Only the closest three or four approaches each year qualify as supermoons. The last one was on July 3.
Up first is the sturgeon supermoon on Tuesday
The sturgeon moon got its name from Native American tribes that found that the giant sturgeon from the Great Lakes were "most readily caught" at this time of the summer, according to Farmer's Almanac. It's also known as a green corn moon, grain moon, flying up moon, harvest moon, ricing moon, black cherries moon and the mountain shadow moon.
This spectacle will hit peak illumination at 2:32 p.m. ET. "That evening, look toward the southeast after sunset to catch a glimpse of the Sturgeon Moon rising," Farmer's Almanac says.
A sturgeon, for non-anglers, is an enormous fish with roots in the Jurassic period that spends its life — up to 150 years — in both fresh and saltwater. The white sturgeon is the largest freshwater fish in North America, reaching as long as 20 feet and nearly 2,000 pounds, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. But most of the sturgeon inhabiting the Great Lakes measure about 6 feet in length and weigh approximately 200 pounds.
The second show is a rare blue supermoon
While a supermoon references the moon's orbit in relation to Earth, a blue moon has to do with frequency, referring to when there's a second full moon in a single calendar month, NASA says. It's also used to describe the third of four full moons in an astrological season.
The moon takes 27.3 days to orbit the Earth, but because of how the sun's light hits the satellite, it takes 29.5 days to complete its lunar cycle from one new moon to the next.
The term "once in a blue moon" is an idiom used to describe a rare but nonetheless recurring event. But according to NASA they're not actually all that rare, recurring every two-and-a-half years or so.
A blue supermoon, however, happens far less frequently. According to the website Time and Date, the last blue supermoon was in December 2009, and the next one won't be until August 2032.
This year's blue supermoon will peak at 9:36 p.m. ET on Aug. 30, Farmer's Almanac says, but you can use their moonrise calculator to see when it will be visible in your area.
The end of August supermoon will be the biggest and brightest of 2023 because the moon will be "exceptionally close" to Earth at 222,043 miles, nearly 17,000 miles closer than average.
Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.wvasfm.org/science/2023-07-31/if-you-miss-augusts-super-blue-moon-youll-have-to-wait-9-years-for-your-next-chance | 2023-07-31T17:29:44 | 0 | https://www.wvasfm.org/science/2023-07-31/if-you-miss-augusts-super-blue-moon-youll-have-to-wait-9-years-for-your-next-chance |
GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Florida coach Billy Napier opened fall practice talking to his team about expectations — internal ones, anyway.
The once-mighty Gators are mostly an afterthought in the Southeastern Conference these days. Coming off consecutive 6-7 seasons — one in former coach Dan Mullen's final season and the other in Napier's inaugural campaign — Florida was picked to finish fifth in the Eastern Division in the league's annual preseason media poll.
That's one spot above last.
It was the lowest preseason prognostication for the Gators since also coming in fifth in 2015, former coach Jim McElwain's first season. Florida responding by winning the East that year. Could it happen again? It would be an unbelievable long shot considering Napier pretty much has an overhauled roster after losing quarterback Anthony Richardson and 14 other starters.
“I really feel like we’re going to shock a lot of people this year as far as the standard is so low right now,” cornerback Jaydon Hill said. “It blows my mind a little bit. But then again, we’ve just got to win games. It just comes down to winning.”
Florida hasn’t won nearly enough for a fanbase that grew accustomed to it under legends Steve Spurrier and Urban Meyer. Although the Gators have enjoyed pockets of success since, they have yet to put it all together in terms of recruiting talent, developing players and building a consistent contender.
Napier had a detailed plan when he took over in November 2021, but it didn’t account for having to navigate a burgeoning transfer portal or a constantly changing name, image and likeness landscape.
So Napier sounds more like a coach entering their first year rather than one expecting the kind of second-year jumps that helped vault Spurrier and Meyer to stardom. He’s implemented several team-building exercises, including moving players into on-campus dorms for the opening week of training camp and rooming them with guys from other position groups.
They’ll eat every meal in an old-school dining hall — no phones allowed — and work on developing leadership as much as perfecting concepts, formations and plays.
“I think it’s important that we connect and try to create crossover relationships in all parts of what we do,” Napier said. “It’s absolutely important to what we do.”
Adding another layer to his unification efforts, Napier has a get-to-know-your-teammate initiative that requires players to be able to provide names and hometowns on the spot for 10 colleagues pictured.
“It’s one thing to know the guy’s first name, but it’s another thing to know his first and last name, where he’s from, part of his story, and I think with time we’ll get to that place,” Napier said. “But it’s about agreeing that there’s an expectation, and then, ‘Hey, if you can do better, you can do better.’ I think that’s the key to the drill. That’s where we’re at as a team.”
It’s a far cry from having to tamp down expectations of making the College Football Playoff or winning championships. No one’s ruled those out in Gainesville, but most would agree they seem more plausible down the road.
Florida returns seven starters from last year's team and has a number of transfers to work into the mix. Quite possibly the main reason for Florida's humble preseason forecast is because the team appears locked into starting former Wisconsin quarterback Graham Mertz, who completed 60% of his passes for 5,405 yards, with 38 touchdowns and 26 interceptions, in four years with the Badgers.
Florida lost four-star QB recruit Jaden Rashada in a failed NIL deal in January, leaving Mertz and former Ohio State backup Jack Miller to compete for the starting job. All signs point to Mertz taking the first snap when the Gators open the season at Utah on Aug. 31.
Although Napier appears to have Florida on the path back to national relevancy; the team's 2024 recruiting class is ranked third behind Georgia and Ohio State, according to 247sports.com. In the meantime, the only expectations he's focused on are the internal ones.
“The expectation we’re going to establish for each other ... should be much higher than any outside narrative or outside opinion,” Napier said. “If I’m walking around the building each day, if I’m living life and I’m most concerned with not letting the people down that are going to be in this team meeting in a couple hours, that’s the most important piece.”
___
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Credit: AP | https://www.springfieldnewssun.com/nation-world/florida-enters-year-2-under-billy-napier-amid-lowest-expectations-in-nearly-a-decade/2ZE5F76MMZAPDJX2K3QU2T5O3M/ | 2023-07-31T17:29:49 | 1 | https://www.springfieldnewssun.com/nation-world/florida-enters-year-2-under-billy-napier-amid-lowest-expectations-in-nearly-a-decade/2ZE5F76MMZAPDJX2K3QU2T5O3M/ |
JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel's Supreme Court said Monday that a full panel of 15 justices would hear petitions in September against a contentious law that was passed last week by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government and which has spurred mass protests.
The law was one of a series of proposed changes to Israel's judiciary put forward by Netanyahu's government earlier this year that seek to curb the power of the Supreme Court. The judicial overhaul plan has been met with months of sustained mass protest against the legislation and drawn criticism from the White House.
Critics of the overhaul say that the package of laws would concentrate power in the hands of the ruling coalition and erode the system of checks and balances between branches of government. Proponents say the measures are necessary to limit the power of unelected judges who they say are overly activist.
Netanyahu and his allies passed a law last week that removes the high court's ability to annul government decisions considered "unreasonable." The "reasonableness standard" was implemented by the Supreme Court earlier this year to thwart the appointment of a Netanyahu ally as interior minister after he had recently pleaded guilty to tax offenses.
The court said the hearing concerning the law striking down the “reasonableness standard” would take place on Sept. 12 with a full bench of 15 justices. The Supreme Court typically hears cases with smaller panels of justices, but appears to have opted for a full complement of judges because of the highly delicate nature of the matter.
The Netanyahu administration's push to overhaul the judiciary has deeply divided an already highly polarized country and sparked the longest sustained protests in the country's history.
Netanyahu and his allies took office in December after the country's fifth election in under four years, most of them referendums on the longtime leader's fitness to serve while on trial for corruption. | https://www.springfieldnewssun.com/nation-world/israels-full-high-court-to-hear-petitions-against-judiciary-law-in-september-that-spurred-protests/V4XM432M5JFKVJZRL6RPMDL7UY/ | 2023-07-31T17:29:55 | 0 | https://www.springfieldnewssun.com/nation-world/israels-full-high-court-to-hear-petitions-against-judiciary-law-in-september-that-spurred-protests/V4XM432M5JFKVJZRL6RPMDL7UY/ |
BAYREUTH, Germany (AP) — Two years after the debut of the Bayreuth Festival’s first female conductor, Nathalie Stutzmann became the second to lead a Richard Wagner opera in the Festpielhaus' famous covered pit.
The 58-year-old former contralto, fresh off her first season as Atlanta Symphony Orchestra music director, drew a luminous performance of “Tannhäuser” on Friday night in a revival of the Tobias Kratzer 2019 production — the one featuring the title character in a clown suit and a murder in a Burger King parking lot.
“It’s good news to be second,” Stutzmann said. "It proves that things are moving.”
Launched by Richard Wagner in 1876 and currently run by great-granddaughter Katharina Wagner, the festival broke its conductor gender barrier when Oksana Lyniv led a new staging of “Der Fliegende Holländer (The Flying Dutchman)” in 2021. The 45-year-old returned this summer to preside over the Dmitri Tcherniakov production for the third straight year.
“They are very highly accepted,” Katharina Wagner said. “I hope that this question would disappear with time, that we are just talking about good conductors and not female and male conductors anymore.”
Stutzmann’s year so far has also included debuts with the New York Philharmonic and the Metropolitan Opera, where she provoked the orchestra when she alleged in a New York Times interview that musicians were bored playing while not being able to see onstage activity. The orchestra criticized her in a statement, prompting Stutzmann to apologize.
At Bayreuth, conductors must adjust to a pit Richard Wagner designed to keep the orchestra hidden from the audience, arranged in nine rows that descend toward the stage: violins in the first two, followed by violas, cellos, double basses, woodwinds, brass and percussion. The instrumental sound mixes with voices before traveling out to 30 rows of seats and three tiers of boxes.
“I had done a lot of research, so I knew the experience would be new and unexpected and tricky,” Stutzmann said in a response to an emailed question. “We hear the sound completely different from what the audience hears, that’s why we have to rely on our assistants. ... You hardly hear the singers on stage and they sound always late even when we are perfectly together!”
Stutzmann’s performance, using the original Dresden score, featured unusual clarity when the overture slowed and the volume lowered during a pilgrims’ chorus repeat in the overture. She was greeted with boisterous applause and foot-stomping during 14 minutes of curtain calls.
Stutzmann has been invited back to conduct the 2024 revival of the sold-out “Tannhäuser” staging, notorious for the director adding the drag queen Le Gateau Chocolat and dwarf actor Manni Laudenbach, who combine with the title character and the goddess Venus to form a counterculture clique Richard Wagner never could have envisioned for a work that premiered in 1845.
During an interview in New York before heading to Germany, Stutzmann said “Tannhäuser” was the perfect vehicle for her Bayreuth debut, given her quarter-century as a contralto and the opera’s full title, which translates to “Tannhäuser and the Minstrels' Contest at Wartburg.”
She winked.
“It’s a singer competition, after all,” she said with a laugh. | https://www.springfieldnewssun.com/nation-world/nathalie-stutzmann-become-second-woman-to-conduct-at-bayreuth-2-years-after-gender-barrier-broken/U422HSVQVNE6POAKDJO2LERTAE/ | 2023-07-31T17:29:57 | 1 | https://www.springfieldnewssun.com/nation-world/nathalie-stutzmann-become-second-woman-to-conduct-at-bayreuth-2-years-after-gender-barrier-broken/U422HSVQVNE6POAKDJO2LERTAE/ |
NIAMEY, Niger (AP) — West African nations have announced travel and economic sanctions against Niger and have threatened to use force if the leaders of a coup don't reinstate the democratically elected president within one week.
The sanctions announced after the regional bloc known as ECOWAS convened to respond to last week's military takeover add to a growing list of penalties against the country, one of the least developed in the world, according to the latest U.N. Human Development Index. Niger relies heavily on foreign aid: analysts fear sanctions could further impoverish its 25 million people.
"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," the ECOWAS bloc said in a statement after its meeting on Sunday. One of its demands is the immediate release and reinstatement of Nigerian President Mohamed Bazoum, who remains under house arrest and has yet to resign.
Niger, a former French colony, had been regarded by the West as one of the last democratic partners in the Sahel region in its battle against Islamic extremists. The European Union and the United States have poured millions of dollars in military aid and assistance into the country. The French and the US provide training to Niger’s forces and the French military does joint operations in the north.
ECOWAS suspended all commercial and financial transactions between its member states and Niger, as well as freezing Nigerien assets held in regional central banks. Economic sanctions could have a deep impact on Nigeriens: 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, the country's 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 the country, 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 between 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.
Lyammouri also said he does not see a “military intervention happening because of the violence that could trigger.”
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken commended Sunday the resolve of the ECOWAS leadership to “defend constitutional order in Niger” after the sanctions announcement, and joined the bloc in calling for the immediate release of Bazoum and his family.
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 evening it arrested four government officials, including Mahamane Sani Mahamadou, the minister of petroleum and son of former President Mahamadou Issoufou; Kassoum Moctar, minister of education; Ousseini Hadizatou Yacouba, the minister of mines, and Foumakoye Gado, the president of the ruling party. That's according to someone close to the president, who was not authorized to speak about the situation, and a Nigerien analyst who did not want to be named for fear of reprisal.
The same night, junta spokesman Col. Maj. Amadou Abdramane said on state television that all government cars must 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.
Bazoum has yet to resign. He is still being detained and believed to be in his house in the capital, Niamey. The first photos of him since the coup appeared Sunday evening, sitting on a couch smiling beside Chad's President Mahamat Deby, who had flown in to mediate between the government and the junta.
In anticipation of the ECOWAS decision Sunday, thousands of pro-junta supporters took to the streets in Niamey, denouncing 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.
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Credit: AP | https://www.springfieldnewssun.com/nation-world/niger-faces-crippling-sanctions-after-coup-as-one-of-the-last-democracies-in-the-sahel-crumbles/LMQQ2AUJ3BA7VAJ2NAGA3U2UG4/ | 2023-07-31T17:30:04 | 1 | https://www.springfieldnewssun.com/nation-world/niger-faces-crippling-sanctions-after-coup-as-one-of-the-last-democracies-in-the-sahel-crumbles/LMQQ2AUJ3BA7VAJ2NAGA3U2UG4/ |
Man arrested following attempted car theft near downtown Lincoln, police say
LINCOLN, Neb. (KOLN) - A man was arrested Friday evening in connection to an attempted car robbery near downtown Lincoln that sent a 33-year-old-woman to the hospital.
Lincoln Police arrested 35-year-old Christopher Svoboda near 18th and D Streets around 7:50 p.m. on Friday.
Police said on Thursday a woman stopped near 15th and Garfield Streets to help Svoboda who appeared to be stumbling and intoxicated.
She gave him a ride to 18th and D Streets but said he fell when getting out of her Toyota Corolla. As she attempted to help Svoboda, he got into her Corolla and tried to drive away, police said.
Police said the woman clung to the Corolla, got back inside and tried to get him to stop but he crashed into a tree. He ran off after the incident.
The woman was taken to the hospital for non-life-threatening injuries.
Svoboda was lodged and cited for two felonies, robbery and leaving the scene of an injury accident, and misdemeanor willful reckless driving.
Copyright 2023 KOLN. All rights reserved. | https://www.1011now.com/2023/07/31/man-arrested-following-attempted-car-theft-near-downtown-lincoln-police-say/ | 2023-07-31T17:30:10 | 0 | https://www.1011now.com/2023/07/31/man-arrested-following-attempted-car-theft-near-downtown-lincoln-police-say/ |
KHAR, Pakistan (AP) — Hundreds of mourners in northwestern Pakistan carried caskets draped in colorful cloths to burial sites in the hills Monday after a suicide bombing killed at least 54 people at an election rally for a pro-Taliban cleric.
No one immediately claimed responsibility for Sunday’s bombing in Bajur that killed at least five children and wounded nearly 200 people.
The attack appeared to reflect divisions between Islamist groups, which have a strong presence in the district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province that borders Afghanistan. It targeted the Jamiat Ulema Islam party, which has ties to the Afghan and Pakistani Taliban.
At least 1,000 people, according to police, were crowded into a tent near a market for the rally ahead of fall elections.
“People were chanting God is Great as the leaders arrived," said Khan Mohammad, a local resident who said he was standing outside the tent, "and that was when I heard the deafening sound of the bomb.”
Mohammad said he heard people crying for help, and minutes later ambulances arrived and began taking the wounded away.
Police said their initial investigation suggested that the Islamic State group’s regional affiliate, a rival of the Taliban, could be responsible, while a Pakistan security analyst pointed to breakaway factions of the Pakistani Taliban as possible suspects.
The Pakistani military spent years fighting the Pakistani Taliban, also known as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, or TTP, in Bajur before declaring the district clear of militants in 2016. But the Jamiat Ulema Islam party, headed by hard-line cleric and politician Fazlur Rehman, has remained a potent political force.
On Monday, police recorded statements from some of the wounded at a hospital in Khar, the district's principal town.
The Islamic State in Khorasan Province, which police identified as a suspect in the attack, is based in neighboring Afghanistan’s Nangarhar province and is a rival of the Afghan Taliban and al-Qaida.
Pakistani security analyst Mahmood Shah said some TTP members have been known to disobey their top leadership to carry out attacks, as have breakaway factions of the group.
Shah said such factions could have perpetrated the attack to cause “confusion, instability and unrest ahead of the elections.”
On Monday, female relatives and children wailed and beat their chests at family homes as the dead were taken for funerals, following local customs. Hundreds of men followed the caskets to mosques and open areas for special funeral prayers and then into the hills for burial.
As condolences continued to pour in from across the country, dozens of people who had lesser injuries were discharged from hospital, while the critically wounded were taken to the provincial capital of Peshawar by army helicopters. The death toll continued to rise as some critically wounded people died in hospital, physician Gul Naseeb said.
Gul Akbar, the father of an 11-year-old boy who was wounded in the attack, told The Associated Press that his entire family was in a state of shock after hearing about the bombing Sunday. He said he first went to the scene of the attack, and later found his son Taslim Khan being treated in a hospital in Khar.
“What would I have done if he had also been martyred? Five children died in this barbaric attack, and we want to know what our children did wrong,” he said.
Rehman's party is preparing to contest elections, which are expected in October or November. Abdul Rasheed, one of the party's senior leaders, said the bombing was aimed at weakening the party but that “such attacks cannot deter our resolve.”
Rehman’s party is part of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s coalition government, which came to power in April 2022 by ousting former Prime Minister Imran Khan through a no-confidence vote in the legislature.
Sharif called Rehman to express his condolences and assure the cleric that those who orchestrated the attack would be punished. Khan condemned the bombing Sunday, as did the U.S. and Russian embassies in Islamabad.
The Pakistani Taliban also distanced themselves from the bombing, saying that it was intended to set Islamists against each other. Zabihullah Mujahid, the spokesman for the Afghan Taliban, wrote in a tweet that “such crimes cannot be justified in any way.”
The bombing came hours before Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng arrived in Islamabad, where he signed new agreements to boost trade and economic ties to mark a decade of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, a sprawling package under which China has invested $10 billion in Pakistan over 10 years, according to Sharif.
“We will not tolerate any obstacles in the way of friendship with China," Sharif said, as he stood next to He.
But the government canceled a cultural event that had been arranged in honor of He, according to Sharif, while the nation mourns.
Some Chinese nationals have also been targeted by militants in northwestern Pakistan and elsewhere.
Rehman, who has long supported Afghanistan’s Taliban government, survived at least two known bomb attacks in 2011 and 2014, when bombings damaged his car at rallies.
Sunday's bombing was one of the worst in northwestern Pakistan in the last decade. In 2014, 147 people, mostly schoolchildren, were killed in a Taliban attack on an army-run school in Peshawar.
In January, 74 people were killed in a bombing at a mosque in Peshawar. And in February, more than 100 people, mostly policemen, died in a bombing at a mosque inside a high-security compound housing Peshawar police headquarters.
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Associated Press writer Munir Ahmed contributed to this story from Islamabad.
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Credit: AP | https://www.springfieldnewssun.com/nation-world/pakistan-buries-the-dead-after-54-killed-in-a-bombing-at-an-election-rally-for-a-pro-taliban-cleric/VKODHR3F5VACVHSM72ERMLJL5E/ | 2023-07-31T17:30:10 | 1 | https://www.springfieldnewssun.com/nation-world/pakistan-buries-the-dead-after-54-killed-in-a-bombing-at-an-election-rally-for-a-pro-taliban-cleric/VKODHR3F5VACVHSM72ERMLJL5E/ |
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russian ballistic missiles slammed into an apartment complex and a university building in President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's hometown Monday, killing six people and wounding 75 others as the blasts trapped residents beneath rubble, Ukrainian officials said.
One of the two missiles that hit the central city of Kryvyi Rihon destroyed part of an apartment building between the fourth and ninth floors, Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko said. Video showed black smoke billowing from corner units and burned out or damaged cars on a tree-lined street.
The dead included a 10-year-old girl and her mother, according to Zelenskyy. More than 350 people were involved in the rescue operation, he said in a Telegram post.
The morning attack also destroyed part of a four-story university building.
The strike on Zelenskyy's hometown, which has been hit in the past, happened a day after the Ukrainian president warned that the fighting was drawing closer to Russian land.
“Gradually, the war is returning to the territory of Russia — to its symbolic centers and military bases, and this is an inevitable, natural and absolutely fair process,” Zelenskyy said Sunday in his nightly video address.
It was not clear whether the missile strikes were in retaliation for his comments.
Meanwhile, a Ukrainian artillery strike on the partially occupied Donetsk province killed two people and wounded six others in the regional capital, according to Denis Pushilin, the Moscow-installed leader of the illegally annexed province.
A bus was also hit as Ukrainian forces shelled the city of Donetsk multiple times Monday, Pushilin said.
Neither side's claims could be independently verified.
A recent Ukrainian counteroffensive, deploying weaponry supplied by Kyiv's Western allies and aimed at driving Russian forces out of occupied areas, intensified last week. At the same time, Ukraine has sought to take the war deep into Russia, reportedly using drones to hit targets as far away as Moscow.
Ukrainian drone attacks on Russia and Moscow-annexed territory, especially Crimea, have become more frequent. The latest strike, on Sunday, damaged two office buildings a few miles (kilometers) from the Kremlin. Ukrainian officials did not acknowledge the attack.
Russia tightened security in the aftermath of that attack, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Monday, describing the assault as an “act of desperation.”
“The Kyiv regime is in a very, very difficult situation,” Peskov said, “as the counteroffensive is not working out as planned.”
“It’s obvious that the multibillion-dollar resources that have been transferred by NATO countries to the Kyiv regime are actually being spent inefficiently,” Peskov said.
“This raises big questions in Western capitals and great discomfort among taxpayers in Western countries.”
Russian President Vladimir Putin, analysts say, is wagering that Western support for Kyiv will wane as the war drags on and costs mount.
Another Ukrainian drone targeted a district police department early Monday in Russia’s Bryansk region, which borders Ukraine, but there were no casualties, the local governor said.
Bombarding populated areas with missiles, artillery and drones has been a hallmark of Moscow’s military strategy throughout the war, and that approach has continued during the Ukrainian counteroffensive that started in June.
Russian officials insist they take aim only at legitimate military targets, but Ukraine and its supporters say mass civilian deaths during previous attacks are evidence of war crimes.
“In recent days, the enemy has been stubbornly attacking cities, city centers, shelling civilian objects and housing,” Zelenskyy said. “But this terror will not frighten us or break us.”
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said Monday that his forces have increased the intensity of attacks on Ukrainian military facilities.
It was not immediately clear which military facilities he was referring to, as Russia's recent missile strikes have hit civilian infrastructure.
In the southern city of Odesa, Russian strikes in recent weeks targeted port infrastructure and grain silos, after Moscow broke off an export agreement for Ukrainian grain. The Ukrainian foreign ministry estimated Monday that about 180,000 metric tons of grain have been destroyed by Russia in the past nine days.
Russian shelling Monday also killed four civilians and wounded 17 in the southern Ukrainian city of Kherson. A 70-year-old woman was killed by shelling in her home in a Kharkiv province village near Izyum, authorities said.
In eastern Ukraine’s Donetsk province, one person was reported killed and seven people were injured after Russia shelled 12 cities and villages, according to Gov. Pavlo Kyrylenko.
In other developments Monday, China introduced restrictions on the export of long-range civilian drones. Authorities cited the war in Ukraine and concern that drones could be converted for military purposes.
Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s government is friendly with Moscow, but says it's neutral in the war. It has been stung by reports that both sides might be using Chinese-made drones for reconnaissance and possibly attacks.
Meanwhile, Russian mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin said Monday that his Wagner Group is not currently recruiting fighters.
In an audio message published on a Telegram channel associated with the Wagner chief, Prigozhin said the company had suspended recruitment as there is currently “no shortage of personnel.”
Prigozhin previously agreed with Western estimates that he lost more than 20,000 men in the long battle for the Ukrainian city of Bakhmut.
Prigozhin last month led a short-lived mutiny against Moscow, demanding a leadership change in the Russian military. In an attempt to control him, Russian authorities insisted that Wagner fighters can only return to Ukraine if they join Russia's regular army.
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Follow AP's coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
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Credit: AP | https://www.springfieldnewssun.com/nation-world/russian-ballistic-missile-strikes-kill-at-least-6-people-in-zelenskyys-hometown-in-central-ukraine/FXPXMKYHTVGA3LTCSM7P6OG72Y/ | 2023-07-31T17:30:18 | 1 | https://www.springfieldnewssun.com/nation-world/russian-ballistic-missile-strikes-kill-at-least-6-people-in-zelenskyys-hometown-in-central-ukraine/FXPXMKYHTVGA3LTCSM7P6OG72Y/ |
Man slapped during argument arrested after showing handgun, police say
LINCOLN, Neb. (KOLN) - A man was arrested after police say he showed a handgun during an altercation between several people in west Lincoln Thursday.
Lincoln Police responded to the incident around 7:10 p.m. at Frontier Harley Davidson near Northwest 40th Street and Interstate 80.
Officers spoke with witnesses who said during an argument between several people, a man was slapped and responded by showing a handgun. He left the area after the incident.
A few minutes later, police found 23-year-old Norman Sefrna at the EZ Go near 25th and O Streets. He was found in possession of a 9mm Glock Handgun and was taken into custody for a misdemeanor, carrying a concealed weapon.
No injuries were reported during the incident.
Copyright 2023 KOLN. All rights reserved. | https://www.1011now.com/2023/07/31/man-slapped-during-argument-arrested-after-showing-handgun-police-say/ | 2023-07-31T17:30:23 | 1 | https://www.1011now.com/2023/07/31/man-slapped-during-argument-arrested-after-showing-handgun-police-say/ |
Changes to pet food and specialty pet food packaging will provide consistency and transparency
CHAMPAIGN, Ill., July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Pet owners will soon find updated packaging and labels when shopping for pet food and specialty pet food products, including treats and supplements -- the first major update in more than 40 years. The Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) approved the new suggested labeling guidelines that include standardized nutrition information, clear ingredient statements, and storage and handling instructions. The modern design and updated information will ensure consistency and transparency, so consumers can easily make more informed buying decisions for their pets.
The passage of the revised Model Regulations for Pet Food and Specialty Pet Food sets a new standard for pet food manufacturers and distributors to follow. Feed regulatory professionals across the United States and Canada worked cooperatively with consumers and professionals within the pet food industry on a strategic course to ensure pet food labels provide a more comprehensive view of the product.
"The feedback we received from both consumers and industry advisors throughout this process was an important part of our collaboration to make improvements. We sought public comment to learn more about how pet food label changes would enhance transparency and provide clearer information in a consumer-friendly format. New packaging and labels will be well-defined and easy to understand. And that's good news for all of us, from pet owners and manufacturers to pets themselves," said Austin Therrell, executive director of AAFCO.
Major Label Changes
As states begin the rulemaking process of adopting and enforcing the Model Regulations for Pet Food and Specialty Pet Food, AAFCO recommends a transition period of six years for manufacturers to fully incorporate the label and packaging changes to their products. Pet owners will see some changes before that date, but all packaging should be consistent by the end of the six-year period. Below is a snapshot of what to expect from label updates in four key areas:
- Nutrition Facts Box – Updated to resemble human-food labeling more closely.
- Intended Use Statement – Updated to new location on the lower-third of the front display panel to help consumers easily identify the purpose of the pet food.
- Ingredient Statement – Updated to clarify the use of consistent terminology and allow parentheticals and common or usual names for vitamins.
- Handling and Storage Instructions (optional) – Updated and standardized with optional icons for greater consistency.
About Pet Food Label Modernization (PFLM)
AAFCO and its key stakeholders have worked together since 2015, to develop the revised Pet Food Model Regulations. Multiple rounds of consumer research were conducted to understand how pet food labels can better communicate important information. AAFCO used the feedback from consumers and industry officials to develop this new update and to support uniform state implementation of the new regulations. This initiative has been a key example of the benefit of industry and consumer collaboration to solve challenges and make improvements to pet food labels. For more information about PFLM, visit http://www.aafco.org/pflm.
About AAFCO
The Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) has been guiding state, federal and international feed regulators with ingredient definitions, label standards and laboratory standards for more than 110 years, while supporting the health and safety of people and animals. Its members are charged by their state or federal laws to regulate the manufacture, sale and distribution of animal feeds and feed ingredients. Learn more at aafco.org.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE The Association of American Feed Control Officials | https://www.1011now.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/aafco-membership-approves-new-model-pet-food-specialty-pet-food-regulations/ | 2023-07-31T17:30:24 | 1 | https://www.1011now.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/aafco-membership-approves-new-model-pet-food-specialty-pet-food-regulations/ |
US customers can now experience Angel Aligner with over two decades of superior aligner technology, transforming a million healthy smiles
SANTA ANA, Calif., July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- With over 20 years of experience and a commitment to research and digital innovation, Angelalign Technology Inc., is excited to announce the launch of its custom-made clear aligners into the U.S. market. Angelalign Technology is a leading global provider of clear aligner dental technology and evidence-based clinical expertise. With 1 million smiles treated,1 the company is now expanding its expertise and global footprint.
Since 2003, Angelalign Technology has maintained productive scientific collaborations with orthodontists and universities around the world, enabling the company to build a large database of complex orthodontic cases. State-of-the-art research and development (R&D) and customized production facilities are now globally positioned to bring a fresh perspective and technological advancements to clear aligner manufacturing and customer service.
The company is dedicated to research and development, with an average of 11% of annual revenue invested into R&D every year. Innovative highlights include:
- angelButton™ – Manufactured directly into the aligner to provide an additional anchorage point to support the use of elastics and TADs, these buttons can be added and/or adjusted anywhere on the arch and are designed with high structural integrity to facilitate efficient tooth movement via elastics.
"Angel Aligner solved the problems of having buttons. The buttons are built into the aligners, which will reduce emergencies, and additional appointments can be avoided."
Dr. Amanda Cheng, Orthodontist, California
- iOrtho™ – A secure cloud-based service platform housing patient management data for Angel Aligner™ treatments. The treatment planning software has user-friendly 3D controls, allowing doctors to customize and review Angel Aligner case designs.
"Working with the iOrtho software has been amazing and the turnaround time has been great in our practice."
Dr. Stephen Bradford, Orthodontics by Bradford, Florida
- Intelligent Root System (IRS) – Get an accurate 3D digital representation of the patient's tooth, root and jawbone relationship that uses CBCT data and IO scans and adjusts throughout the course of treatment via an Intelligent Root System (IRS).
- masterControl S (MCS) – A soft multi-layered polymer material with gentle but long-lasting orthodontic force design for more efficient tooth movement. MCS exhibits enhanced tear and stain resistance, mechanical stability and unique reflective properties.
- angelAttach – Optimized and conventional attachments are designed for better orthodontic force and more effective and accurate tooth movement.
Angel Aligner™ has a large specialized team of technicians with over 3.5 years of tenure, orthodontically attuned to precision case designs with specialized knowledge in complex malocclusions. They're ready to support treatment planning needs with high-quality case designs and 10-day turnaround times.
"The treatment plans coming back are excellent. I don't have to do a lot of modifying."
Dr. James Crouse, The Brace Place, Maryland
Angel Aligner™ delivers a simple approach, innovative products and tools and experienced customer support to continuously push the edge of technology, product development and service to better serve orthodontic professionals and ultimately, their patients.
"We're excited to combine two decades of research, development and clinical expertise in clear aligner technology with the seasoned experience of our leadership, sales and integration specialists in the North American market," said Jason Tabb, General Manager, North America.
About Angel Aligner™
Angelalign Technology Inc., a leading global provider of clear aligner technology and clinical expertise, has announced the launch of its custom-made clear aligners into new markets worldwide. With over 20 years of experience and a commitment to research and digital innovation, Angelalign Technology has treated 1 million smiles and offers unparalleled customer service and state-of-the-art production facilities.
1As of June 30, 2023, the total number of cases of any and all the products and services provided by all entities owned or controlled by Angelalign Technology Inc. has exceeded one million.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Angel Aligner | https://www.1011now.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/angel-aligner-launches-game-changing-clear-aligner-technology-us-markets/ | 2023-07-31T17:30:27 | 0 | https://www.1011now.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/angel-aligner-launches-game-changing-clear-aligner-technology-us-markets/ |
Changes to pet food and specialty pet food packaging will provide consistency and transparency
CHAMPAIGN, Ill., July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Pet owners will soon find updated packaging and labels when shopping for pet food and specialty pet food products, including treats and supplements -- the first major update in more than 40 years. The Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) approved the new suggested labeling guidelines that include standardized nutrition information, clear ingredient statements, and storage and handling instructions. The modern design and updated information will ensure consistency and transparency, so consumers can easily make more informed buying decisions for their pets.
The passage of the revised Model Regulations for Pet Food and Specialty Pet Food sets a new standard for pet food manufacturers and distributors to follow. Feed regulatory professionals across the United States and Canada worked cooperatively with consumers and professionals within the pet food industry on a strategic course to ensure pet food labels provide a more comprehensive view of the product.
"The feedback we received from both consumers and industry advisors throughout this process was an important part of our collaboration to make improvements. We sought public comment to learn more about how pet food label changes would enhance transparency and provide clearer information in a consumer-friendly format. New packaging and labels will be well-defined and easy to understand. And that's good news for all of us, from pet owners and manufacturers to pets themselves," said Austin Therrell, executive director of AAFCO.
Major Label Changes
As states begin the rulemaking process of adopting and enforcing the Model Regulations for Pet Food and Specialty Pet Food, AAFCO recommends a transition period of six years for manufacturers to fully incorporate the label and packaging changes to their products. Pet owners will see some changes before that date, but all packaging should be consistent by the end of the six-year period. Below is a snapshot of what to expect from label updates in four key areas:
- Nutrition Facts Box – Updated to resemble human-food labeling more closely.
- Intended Use Statement – Updated to new location on the lower-third of the front display panel to help consumers easily identify the purpose of the pet food.
- Ingredient Statement – Updated to clarify the use of consistent terminology and allow parentheticals and common or usual names for vitamins.
- Handling and Storage Instructions (optional) – Updated and standardized with optional icons for greater consistency.
About Pet Food Label Modernization (PFLM)
AAFCO and its key stakeholders have worked together since 2015, to develop the revised Pet Food Model Regulations. Multiple rounds of consumer research were conducted to understand how pet food labels can better communicate important information. AAFCO used the feedback from consumers and industry officials to develop this new update and to support uniform state implementation of the new regulations. This initiative has been a key example of the benefit of industry and consumer collaboration to solve challenges and make improvements to pet food labels. For more information about PFLM, visit http://www.aafco.org/pflm.
About AAFCO
The Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) has been guiding state, federal and international feed regulators with ingredient definitions, label standards and laboratory standards for more than 110 years, while supporting the health and safety of people and animals. Its members are charged by their state or federal laws to regulate the manufacture, sale and distribution of animal feeds and feed ingredients. Learn more at aafco.org.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE The Association of American Feed Control Officials | https://www.kfyrtv.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/aafco-membership-approves-new-model-pet-food-specialty-pet-food-regulations/ | 2023-07-31T17:30:30 | 0 | https://www.kfyrtv.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/aafco-membership-approves-new-model-pet-food-specialty-pet-food-regulations/ |
US customers can now experience Angel Aligner with over two decades of superior aligner technology, transforming a million healthy smiles
SANTA ANA, Calif., July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- With over 20 years of experience and a commitment to research and digital innovation, Angelalign Technology Inc., is excited to announce the launch of its custom-made clear aligners into the U.S. market. Angelalign Technology is a leading global provider of clear aligner dental technology and evidence-based clinical expertise. With 1 million smiles treated,1 the company is now expanding its expertise and global footprint.
Since 2003, Angelalign Technology has maintained productive scientific collaborations with orthodontists and universities around the world, enabling the company to build a large database of complex orthodontic cases. State-of-the-art research and development (R&D) and customized production facilities are now globally positioned to bring a fresh perspective and technological advancements to clear aligner manufacturing and customer service.
The company is dedicated to research and development, with an average of 11% of annual revenue invested into R&D every year. Innovative highlights include:
- angelButton™ – Manufactured directly into the aligner to provide an additional anchorage point to support the use of elastics and TADs, these buttons can be added and/or adjusted anywhere on the arch and are designed with high structural integrity to facilitate efficient tooth movement via elastics.
"Angel Aligner solved the problems of having buttons. The buttons are built into the aligners, which will reduce emergencies, and additional appointments can be avoided."
Dr. Amanda Cheng, Orthodontist, California
- iOrtho™ – A secure cloud-based service platform housing patient management data for Angel Aligner™ treatments. The treatment planning software has user-friendly 3D controls, allowing doctors to customize and review Angel Aligner case designs.
"Working with the iOrtho software has been amazing and the turnaround time has been great in our practice."
Dr. Stephen Bradford, Orthodontics by Bradford, Florida
- Intelligent Root System (IRS) – Get an accurate 3D digital representation of the patient's tooth, root and jawbone relationship that uses CBCT data and IO scans and adjusts throughout the course of treatment via an Intelligent Root System (IRS).
- masterControl S (MCS) – A soft multi-layered polymer material with gentle but long-lasting orthodontic force design for more efficient tooth movement. MCS exhibits enhanced tear and stain resistance, mechanical stability and unique reflective properties.
- angelAttach – Optimized and conventional attachments are designed for better orthodontic force and more effective and accurate tooth movement.
Angel Aligner™ has a large specialized team of technicians with over 3.5 years of tenure, orthodontically attuned to precision case designs with specialized knowledge in complex malocclusions. They're ready to support treatment planning needs with high-quality case designs and 10-day turnaround times.
"The treatment plans coming back are excellent. I don't have to do a lot of modifying."
Dr. James Crouse, The Brace Place, Maryland
Angel Aligner™ delivers a simple approach, innovative products and tools and experienced customer support to continuously push the edge of technology, product development and service to better serve orthodontic professionals and ultimately, their patients.
"We're excited to combine two decades of research, development and clinical expertise in clear aligner technology with the seasoned experience of our leadership, sales and integration specialists in the North American market," said Jason Tabb, General Manager, North America.
About Angel Aligner™
Angelalign Technology Inc., a leading global provider of clear aligner technology and clinical expertise, has announced the launch of its custom-made clear aligners into new markets worldwide. With over 20 years of experience and a commitment to research and digital innovation, Angelalign Technology has treated 1 million smiles and offers unparalleled customer service and state-of-the-art production facilities.
1As of June 30, 2023, the total number of cases of any and all the products and services provided by all entities owned or controlled by Angelalign Technology Inc. has exceeded one million.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Angel Aligner | https://www.kfyrtv.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/angel-aligner-launches-game-changing-clear-aligner-technology-us-markets/ | 2023-07-31T17:30:33 | 0 | https://www.kfyrtv.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/angel-aligner-launches-game-changing-clear-aligner-technology-us-markets/ |
Multifamily Lender Strives to Leverage Strong Performance to Attract Top Boston Talent
BOSTON, July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Arbor Realty Trust (NYSE:ABR) announces a new and larger office location at 501 Boylston St., a historically significant Class A property close to Copley Square in Boston's lively Back Bay neighborhood.
Arbor, which has 15 offices in cities across the United States, moved its 88-member Boston team from 1 Lincoln St. in expectation of the team's expansion and growth, and with the recognition that Boston's thriving economy and talent pool is also creating opportunities in our core business of multifamily lending. Boston has had 8.5% annual rent growth through April 2023 and is presently the third-tightest multifamily rental market in the United States, our proprietary research reveals.
This past Friday, Arbor Realty Trust reported an outstanding second quarter and a dividend increase to $0.43, reflecting a 12th increase in the last 14 quarters.
Join Us - Arbor is Hiring in Boston and Nationally
Are you interested in a career in multifamily lending? Arbor is hiring in Boston and at many other locations. Advance your career at a firm that encourages entrepreneurial drive, collaborative spirit, and the quest for excellence.
Browse our current job openings.
About Arbor
Arbor Realty Trust, Inc. (NYSE: ABR) is a nationwide real estate investment trust and direct lender, providing loan origination and servicing for multifamily, single-family rental (SFR) portfolios, and other diverse commercial real estate assets. Headquartered in Uniondale, New York, Arbor manages a multibillion-dollar servicing portfolio, specializing in government-sponsored enterprise products. Arbor is a leading Fannie Mae DUS® lender, Freddie Mac Optigo® Seller/Servicer, and an approved FHA Multifamily Accelerated Processing (MAP) lender. Arbor's product platform also includes bridge, CMBS, mezzanine, and preferred equity loans. Arbor is rated by Standard and Poor's and Fitch. In June 2023, Arbor was added to the S&P SmallCap 600® index. Arbor is committed to building on its reputation for service, quality, and customized solutions with an unparalleled dedication to providing our clients excellence over the entire life of a loan.
CONTACT: press@arbor.com
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Arbor Realty Trust | https://www.1011now.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/arbor-realty-trust-expands-presence-boston-opening-office-historically-significant-building/ | 2023-07-31T17:30:34 | 1 | https://www.1011now.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/arbor-realty-trust-expands-presence-boston-opening-office-historically-significant-building/ |
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — The San Francisco prosecutor's office began laying out its case Monday against a tech consultant charged with murder in the stabbing death of Cash App founder Bob Lee, who was found bleeding on a deserted city street in April.
In the preliminary hearing, a judge will decide if there's enough evidence to go to trial.
Prosecutors have provided no motive and released little information in a case that has drawn outsized media attention, partly due to Lee's status in the tech world. Lee created Cash App, a mobile payment service, and was the chief product officer of the cryptocurrency MobileCoin.
Nima Momeni, 38, has been in jail since his arrest April 13. He has pleaded not guilty, and he faces 26 years to life if convicted.
That came more than a week after Lee, 43, was found bleeding in a deserted part of downtown San Francisco early April 4. Lee was rushed to a hospital, where he died.
In making a motion to keep Momeni detained in jail without bail, prosecutors argued that he planned the attack, drove Lee to a secluded spot and stabbed him three times after a dispute related to Momeni's younger sister.
Assistant District Attorney Omid Talai said at a May hearing that Momeni used a knife that was part of a unique kitchen set belonging to his sister. Analysis showed Momeni’s DNA on the weapon's handle and Lee’s DNA on the bloody blade, Talai said.
Police recovered a knife with a 4-inch (10-centimeter) blade at the scene.
Momeni has hired two new lawyers, Saam Zangeneh and Bradford Cohen, both based in Florida. His first attorney, Paula Canny, withdrew in late May, citing a conflict of interest that she declined to disclose.
In arguing for bail, Canny said that Momeni was not a flight risk and would not leave the two people he loves most, his sister and mother. She said Momeni needs to fight the charges or face deportation to Iran, a country that his mother fled when the children were younger to escape a violent husband.
An unnamed friend of Lee told homicide investigators they had been hanging out and drinking with Momeni’s sister the day before the stabbing, prosecutors said in their motion to deny bail.
The friend said Momeni later questioned Lee about whether his sister was doing drugs or otherwise engaging in inappropriate behavior and Lee said she had not.
Surveillance video showed Lee later entering the posh Millennium Tower downtown, where Momeni’s sister Khazar lives with her husband, prominent San Francisco plastic surgeon Dino Elyassnia. Video footage then showed Lee and Momeni leaving the building together shortly after 2 a.m. and driving off in Momeni’s car.
Lee was found shortly after 2:30 a.m. in the Rincon Hill neighborhood, which has tech offices and condominiums but little activity in the early morning hours.
Credit: AP
Credit: AP | https://www.springfieldnewssun.com/nation-world/san-francisco-prosecutors-to-lay-out-murder-case-against-consultant-in-death-of-cash-apps-bob-lee/3WZOHCMUAZAWPGJIFKFV73WSHQ/ | 2023-07-31T17:30:38 | 1 | https://www.springfieldnewssun.com/nation-world/san-francisco-prosecutors-to-lay-out-murder-case-against-consultant-in-death-of-cash-apps-bob-lee/3WZOHCMUAZAWPGJIFKFV73WSHQ/ |
Multifamily Lender Strives to Leverage Strong Performance to Attract Top Boston Talent
BOSTON, July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Arbor Realty Trust (NYSE:ABR) announces a new and larger office location at 501 Boylston St., a historically significant Class A property close to Copley Square in Boston's lively Back Bay neighborhood.
Arbor, which has 15 offices in cities across the United States, moved its 88-member Boston team from 1 Lincoln St. in expectation of the team's expansion and growth, and with the recognition that Boston's thriving economy and talent pool is also creating opportunities in our core business of multifamily lending. Boston has had 8.5% annual rent growth through April 2023 and is presently the third-tightest multifamily rental market in the United States, our proprietary research reveals.
This past Friday, Arbor Realty Trust reported an outstanding second quarter and a dividend increase to $0.43, reflecting a 12th increase in the last 14 quarters.
Join Us - Arbor is Hiring in Boston and Nationally
Are you interested in a career in multifamily lending? Arbor is hiring in Boston and at many other locations. Advance your career at a firm that encourages entrepreneurial drive, collaborative spirit, and the quest for excellence.
Browse our current job openings.
About Arbor
Arbor Realty Trust, Inc. (NYSE: ABR) is a nationwide real estate investment trust and direct lender, providing loan origination and servicing for multifamily, single-family rental (SFR) portfolios, and other diverse commercial real estate assets. Headquartered in Uniondale, New York, Arbor manages a multibillion-dollar servicing portfolio, specializing in government-sponsored enterprise products. Arbor is a leading Fannie Mae DUS® lender, Freddie Mac Optigo® Seller/Servicer, and an approved FHA Multifamily Accelerated Processing (MAP) lender. Arbor's product platform also includes bridge, CMBS, mezzanine, and preferred equity loans. Arbor is rated by Standard and Poor's and Fitch. In June 2023, Arbor was added to the S&P SmallCap 600® index. Arbor is committed to building on its reputation for service, quality, and customized solutions with an unparalleled dedication to providing our clients excellence over the entire life of a loan.
CONTACT: press@arbor.com
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Arbor Realty Trust | https://www.kfyrtv.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/arbor-realty-trust-expands-presence-boston-opening-office-historically-significant-building/ | 2023-07-31T17:30:39 | 1 | https://www.kfyrtv.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/arbor-realty-trust-expands-presence-boston-opening-office-historically-significant-building/ |
SAN FRANCISCO, July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Asian American Foundation (TAAF), with support from Walmart and the Walmart Foundation through the Walmart.org Center for Racial Equity, today announced the launch of The AAPI Nonprofit Database. This interactive database addresses the historical inequity of funding directed towards the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community by providing a platform where anyone looking to donate, volunteer, or get involved can more easily locate and support AAPI nonprofit organizations across the country.
With less than 0.2% of philanthropic giving going to AAPI nonprofits and causes, the community remains underfunded and under-resourced. TAAF is working to help fill this critical gap, and the database is a necessary first step to meeting the need. The database will feature nonprofits of all sizes, giving visibility and driving donations to grassroots organizations who have been working tirelessly to support underrepresented AAPI communities throughout the country.
"In the face of continued Anti-Asian hate and rhetoric, it is now more important than ever to invest in resources to support the diverse needs of AAPI communities," said Norman Chen, CEO of TAAF. "We know people want to support AAPI causes, especially following the horrific events impacting our community, but they may not always know where to begin or which organizations are aligned with their interests. Impactaapi.org will make AAPI nonprofits and causes accessible through one interactive tool to remove the barriers to entry and help combat the chronic underfunding and under-resourcing that AAPI organizations have faced."
At launch, the database will feature over 600 nonprofit organizations focused on serving AAPI communities. The AAPI Nonprofit Database will allow users to filter by location, focus area, population served, budget size or years in service, among others. Users will have the opportunity to make donations directly to the nonprofit of their choice or learn how to get more involved. If users need help to get started, a feature will allow visitors to take a short quiz, matching them to a curated list of organizations based on their interests.
Nonprofits have the opportunity to opt-in, get listed, and update their profile pages, including linking directly to their donation pages or website. Organizations whose data has been updated in the past year will have "verified" status indicating current data.
"Walmart and the Walmart Foundation have been long-time supporters of the AAPI community and are thrilled to support The Asian American Foundation in launching The AAPI Nonprofit Database," said Kimberly McGee, Senior Manager for the Walmart.org Center for Racial Equity. "As a founding AAPI Giving Challenge supporter, we are focused on driving access and resources to advance equity in the AAPI nonprofit community. The AAPI Nonprofit Database brings us closer to that goal by putting power into the hands of the broader public, whether by driving donations or getting more involved."
The AAPI Giving Challenge was launched in May 2021 with over 130 corporations, foundations, and individual donors committed $1.1 billion in funding and in-kind resources directly to AAPI communities, organizations, and relevant causes over five years. The AAPI Nonprofit Database highlights the commitment of corporate partners to work with the AAPI community to drive towards solutions together.
TAAF acknowledges Asian Pacific Fund and AAPI Data for their collaboration in providing guidance on the creation of this database.
The AAPI Nonprofit Database can be found at https://impactaapi.org. Nonprofit organizations interested in being listed can submit a request here.
ABOUT THE ASIAN AMERICAN FOUNDATION (TAAF)
The Asian American Foundation serves the Asian American and Pacific Islander community in its pursuit of belonging and prosperity that is free from discrimination, slander, and violence. Founded in 2021 in response to the rise in anti-Asian hate and address the long standing underinvestment in AAPI communities, TAAF funds best in class organizations working to mobilize against hate and violence, educate communities, and reclaim our narratives through our core pillars of Anti-hate, Education, Narrative Change, and Resources & Representation. Through our grants, high-impact initiatives and events, we're creating a permanent and irrevocable sense of belonging for millions of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in the United States. For additional information about TAAF, please visit www.taaf.org.
Media Contact:
Joy Moh
joy.moh@taaf.org
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE The Asian American Foundation | https://www.kfyrtv.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/asian-american-foundation-launches-interactive-aapi-nonprofit-database-unlock-resources-support-aapi-focused-organizations/ | 2023-07-31T17:30:40 | 0 | https://www.kfyrtv.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/asian-american-foundation-launches-interactive-aapi-nonprofit-database-unlock-resources-support-aapi-focused-organizations/ |
SAN FRANCISCO, July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Asian American Foundation (TAAF), with support from Walmart and the Walmart Foundation through the Walmart.org Center for Racial Equity, today announced the launch of The AAPI Nonprofit Database. This interactive database addresses the historical inequity of funding directed towards the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community by providing a platform where anyone looking to donate, volunteer, or get involved can more easily locate and support AAPI nonprofit organizations across the country.
With less than 0.2% of philanthropic giving going to AAPI nonprofits and causes, the community remains underfunded and under-resourced. TAAF is working to help fill this critical gap, and the database is a necessary first step to meeting the need. The database will feature nonprofits of all sizes, giving visibility and driving donations to grassroots organizations who have been working tirelessly to support underrepresented AAPI communities throughout the country.
"In the face of continued Anti-Asian hate and rhetoric, it is now more important than ever to invest in resources to support the diverse needs of AAPI communities," said Norman Chen, CEO of TAAF. "We know people want to support AAPI causes, especially following the horrific events impacting our community, but they may not always know where to begin or which organizations are aligned with their interests. Impactaapi.org will make AAPI nonprofits and causes accessible through one interactive tool to remove the barriers to entry and help combat the chronic underfunding and under-resourcing that AAPI organizations have faced."
At launch, the database will feature over 600 nonprofit organizations focused on serving AAPI communities. The AAPI Nonprofit Database will allow users to filter by location, focus area, population served, budget size or years in service, among others. Users will have the opportunity to make donations directly to the nonprofit of their choice or learn how to get more involved. If users need help to get started, a feature will allow visitors to take a short quiz, matching them to a curated list of organizations based on their interests.
Nonprofits have the opportunity to opt-in, get listed, and update their profile pages, including linking directly to their donation pages or website. Organizations whose data has been updated in the past year will have "verified" status indicating current data.
"Walmart and the Walmart Foundation have been long-time supporters of the AAPI community and are thrilled to support The Asian American Foundation in launching The AAPI Nonprofit Database," said Kimberly McGee, Senior Manager for the Walmart.org Center for Racial Equity. "As a founding AAPI Giving Challenge supporter, we are focused on driving access and resources to advance equity in the AAPI nonprofit community. The AAPI Nonprofit Database brings us closer to that goal by putting power into the hands of the broader public, whether by driving donations or getting more involved."
The AAPI Giving Challenge was launched in May 2021 with over 130 corporations, foundations, and individual donors committed $1.1 billion in funding and in-kind resources directly to AAPI communities, organizations, and relevant causes over five years. The AAPI Nonprofit Database highlights the commitment of corporate partners to work with the AAPI community to drive towards solutions together.
TAAF acknowledges Asian Pacific Fund and AAPI Data for their collaboration in providing guidance on the creation of this database.
The AAPI Nonprofit Database can be found at https://impactaapi.org. Nonprofit organizations interested in being listed can submit a request here.
ABOUT THE ASIAN AMERICAN FOUNDATION (TAAF)
The Asian American Foundation serves the Asian American and Pacific Islander community in its pursuit of belonging and prosperity that is free from discrimination, slander, and violence. Founded in 2021 in response to the rise in anti-Asian hate and address the long standing underinvestment in AAPI communities, TAAF funds best in class organizations working to mobilize against hate and violence, educate communities, and reclaim our narratives through our core pillars of Anti-hate, Education, Narrative Change, and Resources & Representation. Through our grants, high-impact initiatives and events, we're creating a permanent and irrevocable sense of belonging for millions of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in the United States. For additional information about TAAF, please visit www.taaf.org.
Media Contact:
Joy Moh
joy.moh@taaf.org
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE The Asian American Foundation | https://www.1011now.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/asian-american-foundation-launches-interactive-aapi-nonprofit-database-unlock-resources-support-aapi-focused-organizations/ | 2023-07-31T17:30:41 | 1 | https://www.1011now.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/asian-american-foundation-launches-interactive-aapi-nonprofit-database-unlock-resources-support-aapi-focused-organizations/ |
The New York Mets are paying Texas $35.51 million over the next 14 months as part of the Max Scherzer trade, leaving the Rangers in effect responsible for $22.5 million owed to the three-time Cy Young Award winner, according to details of the deal obtained by The Associated Press.
New York, just 50-55 despite a record-high payroll, has cut costs by nearly $26 million in pay and luxury tax this year by getting rid of Scherzer and reliever David Robertson ahead of Tuesday's trade deadline. The Mets have offloaded just over $13.5 million in salary, resulting in an additional tax saving of about $12.15 million.
Texas acquired Scherzer on Sunday for minor league infielder Luisangel Acuña, a brother of Atlanta All-Star outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr. Scherzer’s cost to the Rangers is $10 million this year and $12.5 million in 2024.
The Rangers assumed responsibility for the 39-year-old right-hander's salary on Monday, when he was owed $58.01 million for the remainder of a $130 million, three-year contract he agreed to before the 2022 season.
Of the $14.67 million left of Scherzer's $43.33 million salary for this season's final 64 days, the Mets will pay Texas $4.67 million in four installments of $1.16 million on Aug. 15 and 31 and Sept. 15 and 30.
Scherzer gets a $43.33 million salary next season in the final year of the deal. The Mets will pay the Rangers $30.83 million in 12 installments of $2.56 million on the 15th and final day of each month from April 2024 through September 2024.
New York's payroll rose to a projected $365 million after it acquired reliever Trevor Gott from Seattle on July 3, and the Mets' luxury tax payroll increased to about $385 million. That was on track for a tax of about $95 million.
When the Mets traded Robertson to Miami last week, the Marlins assumed $3.54 million remaining of Robertson’s $10 million salary.
___
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
Credit: AP | https://www.springfieldnewssun.com/nation-world/scherzer-costs-texas-225m-with-mets-to-pay-rangers-just-over-355m-through-2024/A2W3ZY6Y7RBG3LQG47GDMRLPKM/ | 2023-07-31T17:30:44 | 0 | https://www.springfieldnewssun.com/nation-world/scherzer-costs-texas-225m-with-mets-to-pay-rangers-just-over-355m-through-2024/A2W3ZY6Y7RBG3LQG47GDMRLPKM/ |
BAYREUTH, Germany — (AP) — Two years after the debut of the Bayreuth Festival’s first female conductor, Nathalie Stutzmann became the second to lead a Richard Wagner opera in the Festpielhaus' famous covered pit.
The 58-year-old former contralto, fresh off her first season as Atlanta Symphony Orchestra music director, drew a luminous performance of “Tannhäuser” on Friday night in a revival of the Tobias Kratzer 2019 production — the one featuring the title character in a clown suit and a murder in a Burger King parking lot.
“It’s good news to be second,” Stutzmann said. "It proves that things are moving.”
Launched by Richard Wagner in 1876 and currently run by great-granddaughter Katharina Wagner, the festival broke its conductor gender barrier when Oksana Lyniv led a new staging of “Der Fliegende Holländer (The Flying Dutchman)” in 2021. The 45-year-old returned this summer to preside over the Dmitri Tcherniakov production for the third straight year.
“They are very highly accepted,” Katharina Wagner said. “I hope that this question would disappear with time, that we are just talking about good conductors and not female and male conductors anymore.”
Stutzmann’s year so far has also included debuts with the New York Philharmonic and the Metropolitan Opera, where she provoked the orchestra when she alleged in a New York Times interview that musicians were bored playing while not being able to see onstage activity. The orchestra criticized her in a statement, prompting Stutzmann to apologize.
At Bayreuth, conductors must adjust to a pit Richard Wagner designed to keep the orchestra hidden from the audience, arranged in nine rows that descend toward the stage: violins in the first two, followed by violas, cellos, double basses, woodwinds, brass and percussion. The instrumental sound mixes with voices before traveling out to 30 rows of seats and three tiers of boxes.
“I had done a lot of research, so I knew the experience would be new and unexpected and tricky,” Stutzmann said in a response to an emailed question. “We hear the sound completely different from what the audience hears, that’s why we have to rely on our assistants. ... You hardly hear the singers on stage and they sound always late even when we are perfectly together!”
Stutzmann’s performance, using the original Dresden score, featured unusual clarity when the overture slowed and the volume lowered during a pilgrims’ chorus repeat in the overture. She was greeted with boisterous applause and foot-stomping during 14 minutes of curtain calls.
Stutzmann has been invited back to conduct the 2024 revival of the sold-out “Tannhäuser” staging, notorious for the director adding the drag queen Le Gateau Chocolat and dwarf actor Manni Laudenbach, who combine with the title character and the goddess Venus to form a counterculture clique Richard Wagner never could have envisioned for a work that premiered in 1845.
During an interview in New York before heading to Germany, Stutzmann said “Tannhäuser” was the perfect vehicle for her Bayreuth debut, given her quarter-century as a contralto and the opera’s full title, which translates to “Tannhäuser and the Minstrels' Contest at Wartburg.”
She winked.
“It’s a singer competition, after all,” she said with a laugh.
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. | https://www.wftv.com/entertainment/nathalie-stutzmann/GJLJTIWP5KRIFZ6UAX3GRMIVHY/ | 2023-07-31T17:30:47 | 1 | https://www.wftv.com/entertainment/nathalie-stutzmann/GJLJTIWP5KRIFZ6UAX3GRMIVHY/ |
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va., July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Blue Ridge Bankshares, Inc. (the "Company") (NYSE American: BRBS), the holding company of Blue Ridge Bank, National Association ("Blue Ridge Bank" or the "Bank") and BRB Financial Group, Inc. ("BRB Financial Group"), announced today financial results for the quarter ended June 30, 2023.
For the second quarter of 2023, the Company reported net loss from continuing operations of $19.5 million, or $1.03 per diluted common share, compared to net income from continuing operations of $1.6 million, or $0.09 per diluted common share, for the first quarter of 2023, and net income from continuing operations of $1.1 million, or $0.06 per diluted common share, for the second quarter of 2022.
A Message From Blue Ridge Bankshares, Inc. President and CEO, G. William "Billy" Beale:
"The net loss for the quarter was driven primarily by higher provision expense and the associated reversal of interest income related to loans that were placed on nonaccrual during the quarter. This group of loans, totaling $58.1 million at quarter-end, were sourced by a former lender, and is best described as specialty finance that we deemed to be not in keeping with our desired risk profile. I don't believe this asset quality matter is pervasive within our loan portfolio, and excluding these loans, measures of asset quality were generally stable as compared to the prior quarter.
Having recently joined the organization in May 2023, I am pleased to have found Blue Ridge to be a quality bank providing exceptional service to its customers. My foremost priority, and that of our team, is to remain focused on our regulatory remediation efforts, as we continue to work diligently to bring the Bank's fintech policies, procedures, and operations into conformity with regulatory directives. At the same time, we want to re-energize the core banking franchise by attracting new customers from within our footprint, while supporting our fintech partners that continue to gain momentum."
Q2 2023 Highlights
(Comparisons for Second Quarter 2023 are relative to First Quarter 2023 unless otherwise noted)
Formal Written Agreement:
- As previously disclosed, Blue Ridge Bank entered into a formal written agreement (the "Agreement") with the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency ("OCC") on August 29, 2022. The Agreement principally concerns the Bank's fintech line of business and requires the Bank to continue enhancing its controls for assessing and managing the third-party, BSA/AML, and IT risks stemming from its fintech partnerships. A complete copy of the Agreement was filed as an exhibit to the Company's Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") on September 1, 2022 and can be accessed on the SEC's website (www.sec.gov) and the Company's website (www.mybrb.com). The Company continues to actively work to bring the Bank's fintech policies, procedures, and operations into conformity with OCC directives. The Company reports that, although work is progressing, many aspects of the Agreement require considerable time for completion, implementation, validation, and sustainability. Remediation costs related to regulatory matters were $2.4 million in the second quarter of 2023 compared to $1.1 million in the prior quarter.
Asset Quality:
- Nonperforming loans totaled $86.1 million, or 2.68% of total assets, compared to $30.7 million, or 0.92% of total assets, at the prior quarter-end. The increase reflects the migration of a group of specialty finance loans to nonaccrual status during the quarter. These loans had a 1.79% impact on the nonperforming loans to total assets ratio for the second quarter.
- The Company recorded a provision for credit losses of $20.5 million, compared to $3.7 million last quarter. Net loan charge-offs were $8.0 million in the quarter, representing an annualized net charge-off rate of 1.29% of average loans, compared to $1.1 million, representing an annualized net charge-off rate of 0.17% of average loans, for the prior quarter. Net loan charge-offs in the quarter were primarily attributable to one loan.
- The allowance for credit losses ("ACL") as a percentage of total loans held for investment was 1.76% at quarter-end, compared to 1.22% at the prior quarter-end. Specific reserves associated with the aforementioned specialty finance loans totaled $14.1 million at June 30, 2023.
Capital:
- As previously announced, on July 12, 2023, the Board of Directors determined to forego the declaration and payment of a cash dividend on the Company's common stock in the third quarter of 2023. The decision was based on the desire to preserve capital and available cash.
- The ratio of tangible stockholders' equity to tangible total assets was 6.3%1, compared to 6.8%1 at the prior quarter-end. Tangible book value per common share was $10.551, compared to $11.931 at the prior quarter-end.
- For the quarter ended June 30, 2023, the Bank's tier 1 leverage ratio, tier 1 risk-based capital ratio, common equity tier 1 capital ratio, and total risk-based capital ratio were 7.86%, 9.27%, 9.27%, and 10.77%, respectively, compared to 8.50%, 10.06%, 10.06%, and 11.12%, respectively, at the prior quarter-end. Capital ratios at quarter-end were within regulatory guidelines to categorize the Bank as well capitalized.
Net Interest Income / Net Interest Margin:
- Net interest income was $20.4 million, a decline of $7.0 million from the prior quarter, primarily reflecting the reversal of $4.7 million in interest income, related to the aforementioned group of specialty finance loans, and higher funding costs. These impacts were partially offset by increasing loan yields in the quarter, which increased 5 basis points excluding the effect of the interest income reversal.
- Net interest margin was 2.67% compared to 3.58% for the prior quarter. The reversal of interest income noted above had an approximate negative 60 basis points impact on second quarter net interest margin.
- Cost of deposits and total cost of funds were 2.21% and 2.49%, respectively, compared to 1.74% and 2.11%, respectively, for the prior quarter. Federal Home Loan Bank of Atlanta ("FHLB") and Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond ("FRB") advances were $284.1 million at June 30, 2023, compared to $239.1 million at the prior quarter-end. Deposit costs and overall funding costs increased during the second quarter of 2023 due primarily to the impact of higher average balances of wholesale funding secured in late first quarter in response to then market events, as well as interest rates on deposits that adjust with changes in federal funds rates.
Balance Sheet:
- Total deposit balances declined $148.0 million, or 5.4%, from the prior quarter-end, due primarily to a decrease of $93.8 million in wholesale funding, primarily time deposits and interest-bearing demand balances. Excluding wholesale funding, total deposits during the second quarter of 2023 declined by 2.1% from the prior quarter-end.
- Deposits related to fintech relationships were $708 million at June 30, 2023, compared to $716 million at the prior quarter-end. These deposits represented 27.1% of total deposits at June 30, 2023, compared to 25.9% of total deposits at the prior quarter-end. Excluding wholesale funding, deposits related to fintech relationships represented 30.1% and 29.8% of total deposits at June 30, 2023 and March 31, 2023, respectively.
- Loans held for investment, excluding Paycheck Protection Program ("PPP") loans, were $2.45 billion, essentially level with the prior quarter-end.
- The held for investment loan to deposit ratio measured 94.1% at quarter-end, compared to 89.0% at the prior quarter-end. The increase was primarily due to the reduction in wholesale deposits.
Noninterest Income / Noninterest Expense:
- Noninterest income was $9.7 million, compared to $7.3 million for the prior quarter, due primarily to fair value adjustments to mortgage servicing rights ("MSRs"), reported in residential mortgage banking income, which were a positive $0.8 million, compared to a negative $2.1 million in the prior quarter.
- Noninterest expense was $34.1 million, compared to $28.8 million for the prior quarter. Increased expenses primarily reflected higher other contractual services, legal, regulatory remediation, and FDIC insurance costs, partially offset by lower salaries and employee benefits costs. Higher other contractual services expense was primarily due to outsourced BSA/AML compliance services as the Bank continues to augment its compliance staff, while higher legal expense was primarily attributable to corporate, employee benefit plans, and other employment matters. Higher FDIC insurance cost relative to the prior quarter was primarily due to balance sheet growth, while lower salaries and employee benefits cost was primarily due to continued headcount reduction in the mortgage division. During the quarter, the Company sold its wholesale mortgage business operating as LenderSelect Mortgage Group.
Income Statement:
Net Interest Income
Net interest income was $20.4 million for the second quarter of 2023, compared to $27.4 million for the first quarter of 2023, and $24.1 million for the second quarter of 2022. Relative to both the prior quarter and year-ago periods, net interest income declined due to a lower net interest margin resulting primarily from the aforementioned reversal of interest income related to the specialty finance loans moved to nonaccrual status during the second quarter of 2023, the impact of higher interest rates on the Company's deposits and overall funding costs, and actions taken to add balance sheet liquidity following the market events of March 2023. Relative to the prior year period, these developments were partially offset by an increase in average interest-earning asset balances, and relative to both prior periods, higher loan yields.
Total interest income was $39.0 million for the second quarter of 2023, compared to $43.1 million for the first quarter of 2023, and $26.2 million for the second quarter of 2022. The decline relative to the prior quarter reflects the aforementioned reversal of interest income related to loans placed on nonaccrual status during the second quarter of 2023. The increase relative to the prior year reflects higher average balances of and yields on interest-earning asset balances, partially offset by the reversal of interest income on loans moved to nonaccrual status during the second quarter of 2023, and lower income from purchase accounting adjustments. The yield on average loans held for investment, excluding PPP loans, was 5.54% for the second quarter of 2023, compared to 6.24% for the first quarter of 2023, and 4.97% for the second quarter of 2022. The reversal of interest income noted above had an approximate negative 75 basis points impact on the yield on average loans held for investment, excluding PPP loans, for the second quarter of 2023.
Total interest expense was $18.6 million for the second quarter of 2023, compared to $15.7 million for the first quarter of 2023, and $2.2 million for the second quarter of 2022. The increase relative to the prior quarter and the year-ago period reflects higher deposit costs and overall funding costs due to higher market interest rates and a shift in the mix of average interest-bearing liabilities, primarily to higher cost wholesale funding sources.
Average balances of interest-earning assets increased $3.6 million, or 0.1%, to $3.06 billion, in the second quarter of 2023, relative to the prior quarter, and increased by $582.0 million, or 23.5%, from the year-ago period. Relative to the prior quarter, average interest-earning asset balances were relatively flat, reflecting a slight decline in average total securities and loans held for investment balances, offset by higher average balances of loans held for sale and interest-earning deposits in other banks. Relative to the prior year-ago period, average interest-earning asset balances increased due primarily to higher balances of loans held for investment and interest-earning deposits at other banks, partially offset by lower average securities balances.
Average balances of interest-bearing liabilities increased $177.1 million, or 8.2%, to $2.35 billion, in the second quarter of 2023, relative to the prior quarter, and increased $719.3 million, or 44.2%, relative to the year-ago period. Relative to the prior quarter, the increase reflected higher average interest-bearing deposits, primarily higher average wholesale time deposits, partially offset by lower average FHLB borrowings. Relative to the prior year, the increase reflected higher average interest-bearing deposits and higher average FHLB borrowings.
Cost of funds was 2.49% for the second quarter of 2023, compared to 2.11% for the first quarter of 2023, and 0.36% for the second quarter of 2022, while cost of deposits was 2.21%, 1.74%, and 0.26%, for the same respective periods. Higher deposit costs and overall funding costs reflect the impact of higher market interest rates, higher average balances and related interest costs of FHLB borrowings, and a shift in the mix of funding, including an increase in higher cost time deposits, which includes an increase in wholesale funding average balances and a decline in average noninterest-bearing deposits.
Net interest margin was 2.67% for the second quarter of 2023, compared to 3.58% for the first quarter of 2023, and 3.89% for the second quarter of 2022. The decline in net interest margin relative to both prior periods primarily reflects the aforementioned reversal of interest income related to loans placed on nonaccrual status during the second quarter of 2023, the impact of higher interest rates on funding costs, and less benefit from purchase accounting adjustments. These declines were partially offset by higher yields on loans, excluding the reversal of interest income.
Provision for Credit Losses
The Company recorded a provision for credit losses of $20.5 million for the second quarter of 2023, compared to $3.7 million for the first quarter of 2023, and $7.5 million for the second quarter of 2022. Relative to both prior periods, the increase in provision is primarily attributable to specific reserves and charge-offs on the aforementioned group of specialty finance loans.
Noninterest Income
Noninterest income was $9.7 million for the second quarter of 2023, compared to $7.3 million for the first quarter of 2023, and $10.2 million for the second quarter of 2022. Relative to the prior quarter, the increase reflected higher residential mortgage banking income, primarily due to the aforementioned fair value adjustments to MSRs, and, to a lesser extent, higher bank and purchase card income, partially offset by lower other noninterest income and negative fair value adjustments of other equity investments. Relative to the year-ago period, the decline reflected lower residential mortgage banking income, partially offset by higher other noninterest income and higher gain on sale of government guaranteed loans.
Noninterest Expense
Noninterest expense was $34.1 million for the second quarter of 2023, compared to $28.8 million for the first quarter of 2023, and $25.3 million for the second quarter of 2022. Relative to the prior quarter and year-ago period, the increase primarily reflects higher other contractual services, legal, regulatory remediation, and FDIC insurance costs, partially offset by lower salaries and employee benefits costs.
Balance Sheet:
Loans
Loans held for investment, excluding PPP loans, were $2.45 billion at June 30, 2023, compared to $2.45 billion at March 31, 2023, and $2.05 billion at June 30, 2022. Loan balances were flat with the prior quarter level, while the Company selectively replaced the amortization of balances with higher yielding loans. The increase in loan balances relative to the year ago period reflected the high level of growth, particularly in the second half of 2022.
Deposits
Total deposits were $2.61 billion at June 30, 2023, a decline of $148.0 million, or 5.4%, from the prior quarter-end, and an increase of $277.4 million, or 11.9%, from the year-ago period. Relative to the prior quarter, the decrease reflected a decline in wholesale funding, primarily time deposits, and, to a lesser extent, declines in other deposit types. Relative to the year-ago period, the increase reflected higher wholesale funding balances, interest-bearing demand and money market deposits, partially offset by lower noninterest-bearing demand deposits. Noninterest-bearing deposits declined 3.1% and 26.7% relative to the prior quarter and year-ago periods, respectively, and represented 22.0%, 21.5%, and 33.6% of total deposits at June 30, 2023, March 31, 2023, and June 30, 2022, respectively. The change from the year-ago period was primarily due to certain fintech-related balances shifting to interest-bearing accounts.
The held for investment loan to deposit ratio was 94.1% at June 30, 2023, compared to 89.0% at the prior quarter-end, and 88.4% at the year-ago period-end. The increase on a linked quarter basis was due primarily to lower wholesale funding at second quarter-end 2023, while the increase from the year-ago period end was due to second half 2022 loan growth.
Fintech Business:
Interest and fee income related to fintech partnerships represented approximately $3.4 million, $2.9 million, and $1.8 million of total revenue for the Company for the second quarter of 2023, the first quarter of 2023, and the second quarter of 2022, respectively.
Deposits related to fintech relationships were $708 million at June 30, 2023, compared to $716 million at the prior quarter-end. These deposits represented 27.1% of total deposits at June 30, 2023, compared to 25.9% of total deposits at the prior quarter-end. Included in deposits related to fintech relationships were assets managed by BRB Financial Group's trust division of $37.2 million as of June 30, 2023.
Other Matters:
On May 15, 2023, the Company sold its wholesale mortgage business operating as LenderSelect Mortgage Group ("LSMG") to a third-party for $250 thousand in cash. The Company recorded a loss on the sale of LSMG of $553 thousand, which is reported in other noninterest income in the consolidated statements of operations for the three and six months ended June 30, 2023.
In the first quarter of 2022, the Company sold its majority interest in MoneyWise Payroll Solutions, Inc. ("MoneyWise") to the holder of the minority interest in MoneyWise. Income statement amounts related to MoneyWise are reported as discontinued operations for all periods presented.
Non-GAAP Financial Measures:
The accounting and reporting policies of the Company conform to U.S. generally accepted accounting principles ("GAAP") and prevailing practices in the banking industry. However, management uses certain non-GAAP measures to supplement the evaluation of the Company's performance. Management believes presentations of these non-GAAP financial measures provide useful supplemental information that is essential to a proper understanding of the operating results of the Company's core businesses. These non-GAAP disclosures should not be viewed as a substitute for operating results determined in accordance with GAAP, nor are they necessarily comparable to non-GAAP performance measures that may be presented by other companies. Reconciliations of GAAP to non-GAAP measures are included at the end of this release.
Forward-Looking Statements:
This release of the Company contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements represent plans, estimates, objectives, goals, guidelines, expectations, intentions, projections, and statements of the Company's beliefs concerning future events, business plans, objectives, expected operating results and the assumptions upon which those statements are based. Forward-looking statements include, without limitation, any statement that may predict, forecast, indicate, or imply future results, performance or achievements, and are typically identified with words such as "may," "could," "should," "will," "would," "believe," "anticipate," "estimate," "expect," "aim," "intend," "plan," or words or phases of similar meaning. The Company cautions that the forward-looking statements are based largely on its expectations and are subject to a number of known and unknown risks and uncertainties that are subject to change based on factors which are, in many instances, beyond the Company's control. Actual results, performance or achievements could differ materially from those contemplated, expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements.
The following factors, among others, could cause the Company's financial performance to differ materially from that expressed in such forward-looking statements: (i) the strength of the United States economy in general and the strength of the local economies in which it conducts operations; (ii) changes in the level of the Company's nonperforming assets and charge-offs; (iii) management of risks inherent in the Company's real estate loan portfolio, and the risk of a prolonged downturn in the real estate market, which could impair the value of collateral and the ability to sell collateral upon any foreclosure; (iv) the effects of, and changes in, trade, monetary, and fiscal policies and laws, including interest rate policies of the Federal Reserve, inflation, interest rate, market, and monetary fluctuations; (v) changes in consumer spending and savings habits; (vi) the Company's ability to identify, attract, and retain experienced management, relationship managers, and support personnel, particularly in a competitive labor environment; (vii) technological and social media changes impacting the Company, the Bank, and the financial services industry in general; (viii) changing bank regulatory conditions, laws, regulations, policies, or programs, whether arising as new legislation or regulatory initiatives, that could lead to restrictions on activities of banks generally, or the Bank in particular, more restrictive regulatory capital requirements, increased costs, including deposit insurance premiums, increased regulations, prohibition of certain income producing activities, or changes in the secondary market for loans and other products; (ix) the impact of changes in financial services policies, laws and regulations, including laws, regulations and policies concerning taxes, banking, securities and insurance, and the application thereof by regulatory bodies; (x) the Company's involvement, from time to time, in legal proceedings and examination and remedial actions by regulators; (xi) the impact of, and the ability to comply with, the terms of the formal written agreement between the Bank and the OCC; (xii) the impact of changes in laws, regulations, and policies affecting the real estate industry; (xiii) the effect of changes in accounting policies and practices, as may be adopted from time to time by bank regulatory agencies, the SEC, the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board, the Financial Accounting Standards Board, or other accounting standards setting bodies; (xiv) the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, including the adverse impact on our business and operations and on the Company's customers which may result, among other things, in increased delinquencies, defaults, foreclosures and losses on loans; (xv) the occurrence of significant natural disasters, including severe weather conditions, floods, health related issues, and other catastrophic events; (xvi) geopolitical conditions, including acts or threats of terrorism and/or military conflicts, or actions taken by the U.S. or other governments in response to acts or threats of terrorism and/or military conflicts, which could impact business and economic conditions in the U.S. and abroad; (xvii) the timely development of competitive new products and services and the acceptance of these products and services by new and existing customers; (xviii) the willingness of users to substitute competitors' products and services for the Company's products and services; (xix) the Company's inability to successfully manage growth or implement its growth strategy; (xx) reputational risk and potential adverse reactions of the Company's customers, suppliers, employees or other business partners; (xxi) the effect of acquisitions the Company may make, including, without limitation, disruption of employee or customer relationships, and the failure to achieve the expected revenue growth and/or expense savings from such acquisitions; (xxii) the Company's participation in the PPP established by the U.S. government and its administration of the loans and processing fees earned under the program; (xxiii) the Company's involvement, from time to time, in legal proceedings, and examination and remedial actions by regulators; (xxiv) the Company's potential exposure to fraud, negligence, computer theft, and cyber-crime; (xxv) the Bank's ability to effectively manage its fintech partnerships, and the abilities of those fintech companies to perform as expected; (xxvi) the Bank's ability to pay dividends to the Company; and (xxvii) other risks and factors identified in the "Risk Factors" sections and elsewhere in documents the Company files from time to time with the SEC.
1 Non-GAAP financial measure. Further information can be found at the end of this press release.
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SOURCE Blue Ridge Bankshares, Inc. | https://www.kfyrtv.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/blue-ridge-bankshares-inc-announces-second-quarter-2023-results/ | 2023-07-31T17:30:47 | 1 | https://www.kfyrtv.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/blue-ridge-bankshares-inc-announces-second-quarter-2023-results/ |
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va., July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Blue Ridge Bankshares, Inc. (the "Company") (NYSE American: BRBS), the holding company of Blue Ridge Bank, National Association ("Blue Ridge Bank" or the "Bank") and BRB Financial Group, Inc. ("BRB Financial Group"), announced today financial results for the quarter ended June 30, 2023.
For the second quarter of 2023, the Company reported net loss from continuing operations of $19.5 million, or $1.03 per diluted common share, compared to net income from continuing operations of $1.6 million, or $0.09 per diluted common share, for the first quarter of 2023, and net income from continuing operations of $1.1 million, or $0.06 per diluted common share, for the second quarter of 2022.
A Message From Blue Ridge Bankshares, Inc. President and CEO, G. William "Billy" Beale:
"The net loss for the quarter was driven primarily by higher provision expense and the associated reversal of interest income related to loans that were placed on nonaccrual during the quarter. This group of loans, totaling $58.1 million at quarter-end, were sourced by a former lender, and is best described as specialty finance that we deemed to be not in keeping with our desired risk profile. I don't believe this asset quality matter is pervasive within our loan portfolio, and excluding these loans, measures of asset quality were generally stable as compared to the prior quarter.
Having recently joined the organization in May 2023, I am pleased to have found Blue Ridge to be a quality bank providing exceptional service to its customers. My foremost priority, and that of our team, is to remain focused on our regulatory remediation efforts, as we continue to work diligently to bring the Bank's fintech policies, procedures, and operations into conformity with regulatory directives. At the same time, we want to re-energize the core banking franchise by attracting new customers from within our footprint, while supporting our fintech partners that continue to gain momentum."
Q2 2023 Highlights
(Comparisons for Second Quarter 2023 are relative to First Quarter 2023 unless otherwise noted)
Formal Written Agreement:
- As previously disclosed, Blue Ridge Bank entered into a formal written agreement (the "Agreement") with the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency ("OCC") on August 29, 2022. The Agreement principally concerns the Bank's fintech line of business and requires the Bank to continue enhancing its controls for assessing and managing the third-party, BSA/AML, and IT risks stemming from its fintech partnerships. A complete copy of the Agreement was filed as an exhibit to the Company's Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") on September 1, 2022 and can be accessed on the SEC's website (www.sec.gov) and the Company's website (www.mybrb.com). The Company continues to actively work to bring the Bank's fintech policies, procedures, and operations into conformity with OCC directives. The Company reports that, although work is progressing, many aspects of the Agreement require considerable time for completion, implementation, validation, and sustainability. Remediation costs related to regulatory matters were $2.4 million in the second quarter of 2023 compared to $1.1 million in the prior quarter.
Asset Quality:
- Nonperforming loans totaled $86.1 million, or 2.68% of total assets, compared to $30.7 million, or 0.92% of total assets, at the prior quarter-end. The increase reflects the migration of a group of specialty finance loans to nonaccrual status during the quarter. These loans had a 1.79% impact on the nonperforming loans to total assets ratio for the second quarter.
- The Company recorded a provision for credit losses of $20.5 million, compared to $3.7 million last quarter. Net loan charge-offs were $8.0 million in the quarter, representing an annualized net charge-off rate of 1.29% of average loans, compared to $1.1 million, representing an annualized net charge-off rate of 0.17% of average loans, for the prior quarter. Net loan charge-offs in the quarter were primarily attributable to one loan.
- The allowance for credit losses ("ACL") as a percentage of total loans held for investment was 1.76% at quarter-end, compared to 1.22% at the prior quarter-end. Specific reserves associated with the aforementioned specialty finance loans totaled $14.1 million at June 30, 2023.
Capital:
- As previously announced, on July 12, 2023, the Board of Directors determined to forego the declaration and payment of a cash dividend on the Company's common stock in the third quarter of 2023. The decision was based on the desire to preserve capital and available cash.
- The ratio of tangible stockholders' equity to tangible total assets was 6.3%1, compared to 6.8%1 at the prior quarter-end. Tangible book value per common share was $10.551, compared to $11.931 at the prior quarter-end.
- For the quarter ended June 30, 2023, the Bank's tier 1 leverage ratio, tier 1 risk-based capital ratio, common equity tier 1 capital ratio, and total risk-based capital ratio were 7.86%, 9.27%, 9.27%, and 10.77%, respectively, compared to 8.50%, 10.06%, 10.06%, and 11.12%, respectively, at the prior quarter-end. Capital ratios at quarter-end were within regulatory guidelines to categorize the Bank as well capitalized.
Net Interest Income / Net Interest Margin:
- Net interest income was $20.4 million, a decline of $7.0 million from the prior quarter, primarily reflecting the reversal of $4.7 million in interest income, related to the aforementioned group of specialty finance loans, and higher funding costs. These impacts were partially offset by increasing loan yields in the quarter, which increased 5 basis points excluding the effect of the interest income reversal.
- Net interest margin was 2.67% compared to 3.58% for the prior quarter. The reversal of interest income noted above had an approximate negative 60 basis points impact on second quarter net interest margin.
- Cost of deposits and total cost of funds were 2.21% and 2.49%, respectively, compared to 1.74% and 2.11%, respectively, for the prior quarter. Federal Home Loan Bank of Atlanta ("FHLB") and Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond ("FRB") advances were $284.1 million at June 30, 2023, compared to $239.1 million at the prior quarter-end. Deposit costs and overall funding costs increased during the second quarter of 2023 due primarily to the impact of higher average balances of wholesale funding secured in late first quarter in response to then market events, as well as interest rates on deposits that adjust with changes in federal funds rates.
Balance Sheet:
- Total deposit balances declined $148.0 million, or 5.4%, from the prior quarter-end, due primarily to a decrease of $93.8 million in wholesale funding, primarily time deposits and interest-bearing demand balances. Excluding wholesale funding, total deposits during the second quarter of 2023 declined by 2.1% from the prior quarter-end.
- Deposits related to fintech relationships were $708 million at June 30, 2023, compared to $716 million at the prior quarter-end. These deposits represented 27.1% of total deposits at June 30, 2023, compared to 25.9% of total deposits at the prior quarter-end. Excluding wholesale funding, deposits related to fintech relationships represented 30.1% and 29.8% of total deposits at June 30, 2023 and March 31, 2023, respectively.
- Loans held for investment, excluding Paycheck Protection Program ("PPP") loans, were $2.45 billion, essentially level with the prior quarter-end.
- The held for investment loan to deposit ratio measured 94.1% at quarter-end, compared to 89.0% at the prior quarter-end. The increase was primarily due to the reduction in wholesale deposits.
Noninterest Income / Noninterest Expense:
- Noninterest income was $9.7 million, compared to $7.3 million for the prior quarter, due primarily to fair value adjustments to mortgage servicing rights ("MSRs"), reported in residential mortgage banking income, which were a positive $0.8 million, compared to a negative $2.1 million in the prior quarter.
- Noninterest expense was $34.1 million, compared to $28.8 million for the prior quarter. Increased expenses primarily reflected higher other contractual services, legal, regulatory remediation, and FDIC insurance costs, partially offset by lower salaries and employee benefits costs. Higher other contractual services expense was primarily due to outsourced BSA/AML compliance services as the Bank continues to augment its compliance staff, while higher legal expense was primarily attributable to corporate, employee benefit plans, and other employment matters. Higher FDIC insurance cost relative to the prior quarter was primarily due to balance sheet growth, while lower salaries and employee benefits cost was primarily due to continued headcount reduction in the mortgage division. During the quarter, the Company sold its wholesale mortgage business operating as LenderSelect Mortgage Group.
Income Statement:
Net Interest Income
Net interest income was $20.4 million for the second quarter of 2023, compared to $27.4 million for the first quarter of 2023, and $24.1 million for the second quarter of 2022. Relative to both the prior quarter and year-ago periods, net interest income declined due to a lower net interest margin resulting primarily from the aforementioned reversal of interest income related to the specialty finance loans moved to nonaccrual status during the second quarter of 2023, the impact of higher interest rates on the Company's deposits and overall funding costs, and actions taken to add balance sheet liquidity following the market events of March 2023. Relative to the prior year period, these developments were partially offset by an increase in average interest-earning asset balances, and relative to both prior periods, higher loan yields.
Total interest income was $39.0 million for the second quarter of 2023, compared to $43.1 million for the first quarter of 2023, and $26.2 million for the second quarter of 2022. The decline relative to the prior quarter reflects the aforementioned reversal of interest income related to loans placed on nonaccrual status during the second quarter of 2023. The increase relative to the prior year reflects higher average balances of and yields on interest-earning asset balances, partially offset by the reversal of interest income on loans moved to nonaccrual status during the second quarter of 2023, and lower income from purchase accounting adjustments. The yield on average loans held for investment, excluding PPP loans, was 5.54% for the second quarter of 2023, compared to 6.24% for the first quarter of 2023, and 4.97% for the second quarter of 2022. The reversal of interest income noted above had an approximate negative 75 basis points impact on the yield on average loans held for investment, excluding PPP loans, for the second quarter of 2023.
Total interest expense was $18.6 million for the second quarter of 2023, compared to $15.7 million for the first quarter of 2023, and $2.2 million for the second quarter of 2022. The increase relative to the prior quarter and the year-ago period reflects higher deposit costs and overall funding costs due to higher market interest rates and a shift in the mix of average interest-bearing liabilities, primarily to higher cost wholesale funding sources.
Average balances of interest-earning assets increased $3.6 million, or 0.1%, to $3.06 billion, in the second quarter of 2023, relative to the prior quarter, and increased by $582.0 million, or 23.5%, from the year-ago period. Relative to the prior quarter, average interest-earning asset balances were relatively flat, reflecting a slight decline in average total securities and loans held for investment balances, offset by higher average balances of loans held for sale and interest-earning deposits in other banks. Relative to the prior year-ago period, average interest-earning asset balances increased due primarily to higher balances of loans held for investment and interest-earning deposits at other banks, partially offset by lower average securities balances.
Average balances of interest-bearing liabilities increased $177.1 million, or 8.2%, to $2.35 billion, in the second quarter of 2023, relative to the prior quarter, and increased $719.3 million, or 44.2%, relative to the year-ago period. Relative to the prior quarter, the increase reflected higher average interest-bearing deposits, primarily higher average wholesale time deposits, partially offset by lower average FHLB borrowings. Relative to the prior year, the increase reflected higher average interest-bearing deposits and higher average FHLB borrowings.
Cost of funds was 2.49% for the second quarter of 2023, compared to 2.11% for the first quarter of 2023, and 0.36% for the second quarter of 2022, while cost of deposits was 2.21%, 1.74%, and 0.26%, for the same respective periods. Higher deposit costs and overall funding costs reflect the impact of higher market interest rates, higher average balances and related interest costs of FHLB borrowings, and a shift in the mix of funding, including an increase in higher cost time deposits, which includes an increase in wholesale funding average balances and a decline in average noninterest-bearing deposits.
Net interest margin was 2.67% for the second quarter of 2023, compared to 3.58% for the first quarter of 2023, and 3.89% for the second quarter of 2022. The decline in net interest margin relative to both prior periods primarily reflects the aforementioned reversal of interest income related to loans placed on nonaccrual status during the second quarter of 2023, the impact of higher interest rates on funding costs, and less benefit from purchase accounting adjustments. These declines were partially offset by higher yields on loans, excluding the reversal of interest income.
Provision for Credit Losses
The Company recorded a provision for credit losses of $20.5 million for the second quarter of 2023, compared to $3.7 million for the first quarter of 2023, and $7.5 million for the second quarter of 2022. Relative to both prior periods, the increase in provision is primarily attributable to specific reserves and charge-offs on the aforementioned group of specialty finance loans.
Noninterest Income
Noninterest income was $9.7 million for the second quarter of 2023, compared to $7.3 million for the first quarter of 2023, and $10.2 million for the second quarter of 2022. Relative to the prior quarter, the increase reflected higher residential mortgage banking income, primarily due to the aforementioned fair value adjustments to MSRs, and, to a lesser extent, higher bank and purchase card income, partially offset by lower other noninterest income and negative fair value adjustments of other equity investments. Relative to the year-ago period, the decline reflected lower residential mortgage banking income, partially offset by higher other noninterest income and higher gain on sale of government guaranteed loans.
Noninterest Expense
Noninterest expense was $34.1 million for the second quarter of 2023, compared to $28.8 million for the first quarter of 2023, and $25.3 million for the second quarter of 2022. Relative to the prior quarter and year-ago period, the increase primarily reflects higher other contractual services, legal, regulatory remediation, and FDIC insurance costs, partially offset by lower salaries and employee benefits costs.
Balance Sheet:
Loans
Loans held for investment, excluding PPP loans, were $2.45 billion at June 30, 2023, compared to $2.45 billion at March 31, 2023, and $2.05 billion at June 30, 2022. Loan balances were flat with the prior quarter level, while the Company selectively replaced the amortization of balances with higher yielding loans. The increase in loan balances relative to the year ago period reflected the high level of growth, particularly in the second half of 2022.
Deposits
Total deposits were $2.61 billion at June 30, 2023, a decline of $148.0 million, or 5.4%, from the prior quarter-end, and an increase of $277.4 million, or 11.9%, from the year-ago period. Relative to the prior quarter, the decrease reflected a decline in wholesale funding, primarily time deposits, and, to a lesser extent, declines in other deposit types. Relative to the year-ago period, the increase reflected higher wholesale funding balances, interest-bearing demand and money market deposits, partially offset by lower noninterest-bearing demand deposits. Noninterest-bearing deposits declined 3.1% and 26.7% relative to the prior quarter and year-ago periods, respectively, and represented 22.0%, 21.5%, and 33.6% of total deposits at June 30, 2023, March 31, 2023, and June 30, 2022, respectively. The change from the year-ago period was primarily due to certain fintech-related balances shifting to interest-bearing accounts.
The held for investment loan to deposit ratio was 94.1% at June 30, 2023, compared to 89.0% at the prior quarter-end, and 88.4% at the year-ago period-end. The increase on a linked quarter basis was due primarily to lower wholesale funding at second quarter-end 2023, while the increase from the year-ago period end was due to second half 2022 loan growth.
Fintech Business:
Interest and fee income related to fintech partnerships represented approximately $3.4 million, $2.9 million, and $1.8 million of total revenue for the Company for the second quarter of 2023, the first quarter of 2023, and the second quarter of 2022, respectively.
Deposits related to fintech relationships were $708 million at June 30, 2023, compared to $716 million at the prior quarter-end. These deposits represented 27.1% of total deposits at June 30, 2023, compared to 25.9% of total deposits at the prior quarter-end. Included in deposits related to fintech relationships were assets managed by BRB Financial Group's trust division of $37.2 million as of June 30, 2023.
Other Matters:
On May 15, 2023, the Company sold its wholesale mortgage business operating as LenderSelect Mortgage Group ("LSMG") to a third-party for $250 thousand in cash. The Company recorded a loss on the sale of LSMG of $553 thousand, which is reported in other noninterest income in the consolidated statements of operations for the three and six months ended June 30, 2023.
In the first quarter of 2022, the Company sold its majority interest in MoneyWise Payroll Solutions, Inc. ("MoneyWise") to the holder of the minority interest in MoneyWise. Income statement amounts related to MoneyWise are reported as discontinued operations for all periods presented.
Non-GAAP Financial Measures:
The accounting and reporting policies of the Company conform to U.S. generally accepted accounting principles ("GAAP") and prevailing practices in the banking industry. However, management uses certain non-GAAP measures to supplement the evaluation of the Company's performance. Management believes presentations of these non-GAAP financial measures provide useful supplemental information that is essential to a proper understanding of the operating results of the Company's core businesses. These non-GAAP disclosures should not be viewed as a substitute for operating results determined in accordance with GAAP, nor are they necessarily comparable to non-GAAP performance measures that may be presented by other companies. Reconciliations of GAAP to non-GAAP measures are included at the end of this release.
Forward-Looking Statements:
This release of the Company contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements represent plans, estimates, objectives, goals, guidelines, expectations, intentions, projections, and statements of the Company's beliefs concerning future events, business plans, objectives, expected operating results and the assumptions upon which those statements are based. Forward-looking statements include, without limitation, any statement that may predict, forecast, indicate, or imply future results, performance or achievements, and are typically identified with words such as "may," "could," "should," "will," "would," "believe," "anticipate," "estimate," "expect," "aim," "intend," "plan," or words or phases of similar meaning. The Company cautions that the forward-looking statements are based largely on its expectations and are subject to a number of known and unknown risks and uncertainties that are subject to change based on factors which are, in many instances, beyond the Company's control. Actual results, performance or achievements could differ materially from those contemplated, expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements.
The following factors, among others, could cause the Company's financial performance to differ materially from that expressed in such forward-looking statements: (i) the strength of the United States economy in general and the strength of the local economies in which it conducts operations; (ii) changes in the level of the Company's nonperforming assets and charge-offs; (iii) management of risks inherent in the Company's real estate loan portfolio, and the risk of a prolonged downturn in the real estate market, which could impair the value of collateral and the ability to sell collateral upon any foreclosure; (iv) the effects of, and changes in, trade, monetary, and fiscal policies and laws, including interest rate policies of the Federal Reserve, inflation, interest rate, market, and monetary fluctuations; (v) changes in consumer spending and savings habits; (vi) the Company's ability to identify, attract, and retain experienced management, relationship managers, and support personnel, particularly in a competitive labor environment; (vii) technological and social media changes impacting the Company, the Bank, and the financial services industry in general; (viii) changing bank regulatory conditions, laws, regulations, policies, or programs, whether arising as new legislation or regulatory initiatives, that could lead to restrictions on activities of banks generally, or the Bank in particular, more restrictive regulatory capital requirements, increased costs, including deposit insurance premiums, increased regulations, prohibition of certain income producing activities, or changes in the secondary market for loans and other products; (ix) the impact of changes in financial services policies, laws and regulations, including laws, regulations and policies concerning taxes, banking, securities and insurance, and the application thereof by regulatory bodies; (x) the Company's involvement, from time to time, in legal proceedings and examination and remedial actions by regulators; (xi) the impact of, and the ability to comply with, the terms of the formal written agreement between the Bank and the OCC; (xii) the impact of changes in laws, regulations, and policies affecting the real estate industry; (xiii) the effect of changes in accounting policies and practices, as may be adopted from time to time by bank regulatory agencies, the SEC, the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board, the Financial Accounting Standards Board, or other accounting standards setting bodies; (xiv) the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, including the adverse impact on our business and operations and on the Company's customers which may result, among other things, in increased delinquencies, defaults, foreclosures and losses on loans; (xv) the occurrence of significant natural disasters, including severe weather conditions, floods, health related issues, and other catastrophic events; (xvi) geopolitical conditions, including acts or threats of terrorism and/or military conflicts, or actions taken by the U.S. or other governments in response to acts or threats of terrorism and/or military conflicts, which could impact business and economic conditions in the U.S. and abroad; (xvii) the timely development of competitive new products and services and the acceptance of these products and services by new and existing customers; (xviii) the willingness of users to substitute competitors' products and services for the Company's products and services; (xix) the Company's inability to successfully manage growth or implement its growth strategy; (xx) reputational risk and potential adverse reactions of the Company's customers, suppliers, employees or other business partners; (xxi) the effect of acquisitions the Company may make, including, without limitation, disruption of employee or customer relationships, and the failure to achieve the expected revenue growth and/or expense savings from such acquisitions; (xxii) the Company's participation in the PPP established by the U.S. government and its administration of the loans and processing fees earned under the program; (xxiii) the Company's involvement, from time to time, in legal proceedings, and examination and remedial actions by regulators; (xxiv) the Company's potential exposure to fraud, negligence, computer theft, and cyber-crime; (xxv) the Bank's ability to effectively manage its fintech partnerships, and the abilities of those fintech companies to perform as expected; (xxvi) the Bank's ability to pay dividends to the Company; and (xxvii) other risks and factors identified in the "Risk Factors" sections and elsewhere in documents the Company files from time to time with the SEC.
1 Non-GAAP financial measure. Further information can be found at the end of this press release.
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SOURCE Blue Ridge Bankshares, Inc. | https://www.1011now.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/blue-ridge-bankshares-inc-announces-second-quarter-2023-results/ | 2023-07-31T17:30:48 | 1 | https://www.1011now.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/blue-ridge-bankshares-inc-announces-second-quarter-2023-results/ |
Provides DUI/DWI Solutions and Free Virtual Continuing Education
DES MOINES, Iowa, July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Consumer Safety Technology, a leader in safety and detection products and services, announced today it has been named the Official DUI/DWI Services Sponsor for The Florida Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (FACDL). The expanded partnership will provide continuing education seminars and exclusive benefits to support FACDL attorneys and their clients.
FACDL is the only statewide organization in Florida dedicated solely to criminal defense attorneys. A not-for-profit corporation, FACDL was formed for scientific and educational purposes and is affiliated with the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers.
"Expanding our partnership with FACDL reinforces our commitment to supporting criminal defense attorneys across the state," said Kathy Boden Holland, CEO, CST. "By offering members valuable continuing legal education content and access to products and services for every step in the DUI process, we aim to enhance their expertise and effectiveness in representing clients."
CST's suite of comprehensive alcohol and impairment solutions includes Intoxalock, the leading ignition interlock brand in the US, and trusted partner to attorneys and monitoring authorities. Through the partnership, FACDL members can easily address multiple client needs with products and services covering the entire DUI process, not just one area.
- Intoxalock – Intoxalock devices are approved in Florida and meet all state criteria for court-ordered devices. With VIP support from Intoxalock, FACDL member's clients will receive expedited assistance. www.intoxalock.com
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- New Directions - Assessments that DUI and DWI defendants can use to strengthen their case in court. As part of the partnership, FACDL members will receive priority scheduling for assessments. All clients will receive a customized assessment tailored to their unique situation and needs. New Directions also offers a money-back guarantee if the assessment is not accepted in court. https://www.ndsbs.com/
Key FACDL event dates:
- October 4, 2023 - Ignition Interlock 101: The 5 Most Common Mistakes Clients – FACDL members will learn more about ignition interlock devices and the benefits, requirements, and technical aspects of the device.
- November 16-17, 2023 - CST will serve as the top-tier sponsor for the DUI Defense Seminar, Blood, Breath & Tears, at the University of Florida Levin College of Law in Gainesville, Florida.
For more information on how FACDL attorney members can join the Intoxalock Select Attorney Network and get instant access to client savings materials visit the FACDL and Intoxalock Partner page.
About Consumer Safety Technology
Consumer Safety Technology (CST) is a leader in safety and detection products and services that help people live responsibly and make communities safer. A force for good for more than 30 years, CST and its family of leading brands serve as a trusted partner to both individuals and authorities. CST's portfolio features comprehensive alcohol and impairment solutions that uniquely cover the entire DUI process and include: Intoxalock, the number one ignition interlock brand in the US; Breathe Easy, specialized and low-cost insurance; and New Directions, virtual court and employer accepted assessments. Driven by a commitment to delivering reliable and exceptional service, combined with innovative technology that makes positive change, CST has achieved sustained growth and success. CST is a portfolio company of L. Catterton and was named Best Place to Work for Working Parents in 2022 and 2023. For more information visit www.consumersafetytechnology.com or via LinkedIn.com.
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SOURCE Intoxalock | https://www.kfyrtv.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/consumer-safety-technology-announces-expanded-partnership-with-florida-association-criminal-defense-lawyers/ | 2023-07-31T17:30:50 | 1 | https://www.kfyrtv.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/consumer-safety-technology-announces-expanded-partnership-with-florida-association-criminal-defense-lawyers/ |
Provides DUI/DWI Solutions and Free Virtual Continuing Education
DES MOINES, Iowa, July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Consumer Safety Technology, a leader in safety and detection products and services, announced today it has been named the Official DUI/DWI Services Sponsor for The Florida Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (FACDL). The expanded partnership will provide continuing education seminars and exclusive benefits to support FACDL attorneys and their clients.
FACDL is the only statewide organization in Florida dedicated solely to criminal defense attorneys. A not-for-profit corporation, FACDL was formed for scientific and educational purposes and is affiliated with the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers.
"Expanding our partnership with FACDL reinforces our commitment to supporting criminal defense attorneys across the state," said Kathy Boden Holland, CEO, CST. "By offering members valuable continuing legal education content and access to products and services for every step in the DUI process, we aim to enhance their expertise and effectiveness in representing clients."
CST's suite of comprehensive alcohol and impairment solutions includes Intoxalock, the leading ignition interlock brand in the US, and trusted partner to attorneys and monitoring authorities. Through the partnership, FACDL members can easily address multiple client needs with products and services covering the entire DUI process, not just one area.
- Intoxalock – Intoxalock devices are approved in Florida and meet all state criteria for court-ordered devices. With VIP support from Intoxalock, FACDL member's clients will receive expedited assistance. www.intoxalock.com
- Breathe Easy - High-risk insurance coverage is often a requirement following a DUI or DWI conviction. Breathe Easy insurance brokerage works with several providers, and FACDL members can rely on Breathe Easy representatives to find the best coverage for the lowest price on behalf of their clients. https://www.breatheeasyins.com/
- New Directions - Assessments that DUI and DWI defendants can use to strengthen their case in court. As part of the partnership, FACDL members will receive priority scheduling for assessments. All clients will receive a customized assessment tailored to their unique situation and needs. New Directions also offers a money-back guarantee if the assessment is not accepted in court. https://www.ndsbs.com/
Key FACDL event dates:
- October 4, 2023 - Ignition Interlock 101: The 5 Most Common Mistakes Clients – FACDL members will learn more about ignition interlock devices and the benefits, requirements, and technical aspects of the device.
- November 16-17, 2023 - CST will serve as the top-tier sponsor for the DUI Defense Seminar, Blood, Breath & Tears, at the University of Florida Levin College of Law in Gainesville, Florida.
For more information on how FACDL attorney members can join the Intoxalock Select Attorney Network and get instant access to client savings materials visit the FACDL and Intoxalock Partner page.
About Consumer Safety Technology
Consumer Safety Technology (CST) is a leader in safety and detection products and services that help people live responsibly and make communities safer. A force for good for more than 30 years, CST and its family of leading brands serve as a trusted partner to both individuals and authorities. CST's portfolio features comprehensive alcohol and impairment solutions that uniquely cover the entire DUI process and include: Intoxalock, the number one ignition interlock brand in the US; Breathe Easy, specialized and low-cost insurance; and New Directions, virtual court and employer accepted assessments. Driven by a commitment to delivering reliable and exceptional service, combined with innovative technology that makes positive change, CST has achieved sustained growth and success. CST is a portfolio company of L. Catterton and was named Best Place to Work for Working Parents in 2022 and 2023. For more information visit www.consumersafetytechnology.com or via LinkedIn.com.
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SOURCE Intoxalock | https://www.1011now.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/consumer-safety-technology-announces-expanded-partnership-with-florida-association-criminal-defense-lawyers/ | 2023-07-31T17:30:50 | 1 | https://www.1011now.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/consumer-safety-technology-announces-expanded-partnership-with-florida-association-criminal-defense-lawyers/ |
Cleveland Plain Dealer. July 30, 2023.
Editorial: Ranked choice voting works in some other states. In Ohio, it’s fodder for a publicity stunt
Ranked choice voting is not a radical idea. It was used for decades in parts of Ohio. And with two states (Maine and Alaska), two counties and 46 cities now using it elsewhere in the United States, advocates estimate 13 million voters currently have a chance to rank candidates on a single ballot. The ranking process, which appears to work seamlessly in these jurisdictions, then winnows the field down to a choice most voters ranked well, reducing the likelihood of extremists prevailing at either end of the ideological spectrum.
But now that one single town in Ohio, University Heights, with fewer than 14,000 residents, had the temerity to consider the idea -- to consider it, but not to move ahead with it -- entrenched powers in Columbus have leapt into action to squash this idea without further ado.
In what can best be described as a publicity stunt, a Republican lawmaker from Bowling Green has moved ahead briskly to introduce a bill to ban ranked choice voting in Ohio -- violating (once again) the home rule powers the Ohio Constitution guarantees the state's cities, villages, and charter counties.
State Sen. Theresa Gavarone's Senate Bill 137 would not just prohibit ranked choice voting but also deny to any Ohio municipality or charter county (Cuyahoga and Summit) that might have the temerity to try it anyway its share of state Local Government Fund aid.
Gavarone agues that, “Ranked choice voting flies in the face of what the founders of the country and those in Ohio had in mind when they established the one vote, one voice model centuries ago,” cleveland.com’s Sabrina Eaton reported.
By that measure -- basing today’s laws on what the founders “had in mind” when they wrote the Constitution in 1787 -- women and Blacks might not be able to vote today.
Nor is it a radical departure from local tradition. According to Rank the Vote Ohio, between 1913 and 1961, five Ohio cities used ranked-choice voting: Cleveland, Ashtabula, Toledo, Hamilton, and Cincinnati. (With a November 1921 charter amendment, Cleveland voters adopted ranked choice voting for City Council elections. It was repealed ten years later).
Ranked choice voting is also in keeping with a one-vote standard. Everybody still votes on one ballot on which they rank the candidates.
Eaton describes the procedure: “Voters rank multiple candidates on a ballot in order of preference. If no candidate gets an initial majority of … first-choice votes, the candidate with the fewest first-choice ballots drops out, and ballots for the eliminated candidate are reallocated to each voter’s second-choice candidate. … Eliminating the candidate with the fewest ballots and reallocating votes to other contenders continues until a winner gets a majority.”
FairVote, another nonpartisan nonprofit that advocates for ranked choice voting, reports that " 51 American jurisdictions have RCV … reaching approximately 13 million voters. This includes two states" -- Maine and Alaska -- "three counties, and 46 cities."
Alaska's use of RCV became widely known in November, when U.S. Rep. Mary Peltola, a Democrat, won election to a full term, besting Republican ex-Gov. Sarah Palin.
Gavarone herself doesn't appear to practice what she preaches on the supposed inviolability of voting rules. She is one of two primary sponsors of Senate Joint Resolution 2 that put Issue 1 on Ohio's statewide Aug. 8 ballot. It would require a 60% "yes" vote on any proposed amendment to the Ohio Constitution. For 111 years, the required "yes" vote has been 50% plus 1.
Last year, Gavarone joined other General Assembly Republicans voting to all but abolish August special elections based on their low turnout and costs. This year, Gavarone co-sponsored a bill seeking to permit August elections -- to decide constitutional amendments such as Issue 1.
The Ohio Constitution guarantees home rule rights to the state’s municipalities and charter counties. Gavarone should respect that, not try to undermine it more than the General Assembly already has.
All else equal, if a city or village or charter county wants to try what it sees as an arguably more representative method of voting -- one that’s already in use elsewhere in this country -- that’s the community’s business, not the Statehouse’s.
That’s what the Ohio Constitution all but says, and what practicality demands. You’d think a supposedly conservative General Assembly would understand that. Evidently, not all its members do.
___
Toledo Blade. July 29, 2023.
Editorial: Angry teachers correct
Ohio State Teachers Retirement System Executive Director Bill Neville deserves a lot of credit for traveling to Maumee and spending time in the lion's den of irate educators who are angry over their pension's performance ( "Area educators sound off on Ohio teacher retirement fund," Wednesday ).
Some 500,000 teachers see 28% of their compensation devoted to the STRS pension system (half of it paid by taxpayers). That is way more than the 12.4% paid to Social Security.
Ohio is one of seven states that assume total retirement risk and does not participate in Social Security. Retired teachers are angry because they see STRS investment staff collecting millions in annual bonuses even when they have gone without cost of living adjustments. An $11 million staff bonus is up for a board vote in August.
STRS is one of the largest pensions in the United States because it collects $4 billion a year from teachers and their school districts. But the fund pays more than $7 billion a year in benefits, so investment performance is crucial.
Because STRS has not consistently earned enough money to close the gap, the teacher’s retirement fund is asking to increase taxpayer contributions to the pension by 28.5%.
STRS is not alone.
The Ohio Police and Fire Pension Fund is seeking a 22% hike in the taxpayer contribution to the retirement fund. It is fortunate that STRS reports investment results for their last fiscal year of 7.5% and did not add to the gap between obligations and assets.
OP&F, with a risky, high leverage portfolio The Blade red-flagged in September, lost $2.1 billion on a negative 8.73% investment return last year ( "Ohio's out of the box public pension," Sept. 18 ).
Storm clouds are gathering over these Ohio pensions that will hit every taxpayer or place more cuts on public retirees as years of political neglect become evident.
Wall Street investment managers reap hundreds of millions from Ohio, pension employees pocket six-figure bonuses, and politicians collect campaign contributions laundered through organizations created for that purpose. Benefits to retirees and costs to taxpayers are the last priority at the Statehouse.
STRS retirees have repeatedly spoken out in opposition to the lavish fees collected by Wall Street whales from their pension and the bonuses to STRS employees.
Their voices will surely be joined by Ohio taxpayers when the process begins to try for massively increased pension contributions.
The ignorance-is-bliss malfeasance of state politicians will end if taxpayers join beneficiaries in awareness that Ohio pensions have been overserving insiders and creating a monumental liability for future generations.
The STRS retirees seeking a change in the investment portfolio to fully transparent index funds are precursors of the coming debate. The activist teachers are right, regardless of sophisticated sounding claims made by STRS investment experts to defend the status quo.
Mr. Neville claims STRS cannot move the 31% of the investment portfolio devoted to high-cost alternative investments because the fund needs to be diversified.
Nationally recognized public retirement fund expert Richard Ennis has recently released a white paper concluding these investments are “highly correlated with stocks” but cost 10 times more on average.
Because of the high costs, the alternative investment portfolio actually causes STRS to fall short of potential return by 1.2% every year.
That is about a billion dollars and far more than the cost of an annual 3% COLA to STRS retirees. The investment expense monitoring company used by STRS, CEM Benchmarking, has written that only half the true costs of alternative investments are known to their pension clients.
The Securities and Exchange Commission is attempting to change their regulations to force alternative investment managers to reveal all of their costs and STRS is supporting the effort.
But it begs the question, why is Ohio investing with firms that aren’t trusted by the SEC or investment industry experts?
A portfolio filled with alternative investments doesn’t diversify the fund but it does allow asset values to be set by fund managers without input from a market.
Accounting fiction — fraud — lets the pensions claim asset values supplied by fund managers who use unsubstantiated performance claims to dupe more pensions into investing.
The Equable Institute, a think tank devoted to public pension research, recently concluded “valuation risk” from alternative investments is a clear and present danger to most of America’s public pensions.
Excess optimism helps pensions perform on paper but there will be a crisis if a third of the portfolio cannot be sold for the assumed value. In the key issue of dispute between disgruntled teachers and their retirement system the educators are right. Alternative investments don’t cut risk they just add cost.
Ohio voters need to know this before the battle over more tax money for a bailout begins.
___
Youngstown Vindicator. July 30, 2023.
Editorial: Ohio voters are not taking lightly changes that would come with Issue 1
We are very pleased to report that it now appears the critical importance of the effects of Issue 1 on future attempts to amend Ohio’s constitution has not been lost on voters.
In fact, early predictions of miserably low voter turnout for the Aug. 8 special election are proving to be very wrong.
Bravo!
The vote on state Issue 1, of course, is to change the percentage of votes required for future amendments to the Ohio Constitution. If approved, future constitutional amendment proposals would need 60% support to pass rather than the current simple majority.
Also, if Issue 1 is passed, effective Jan. 1, 2024, proposed constitutional amendments would need at least 5% of those who voted in the last gubernatorial election from all of the state’s 88 counties to qualify for the ballot rather than the current 44-county minimum.
Issue 1 is the only item on the Aug. 8 special election ballot and needs a simple majority to pass.
Early voting turnout for the election has been strong statewide. Certainly, such an important change never should be made by the woefully low turnout that generally plagues August elections.
In fact, it was the consistently low August voter turnout that led the Ohio Legislature to vote this year to remove all special August elections in Ohio except for under a very few unique circumstances. That’s why we, like so many other Ohio voters, were sorely disappointed at the hypocritical decision from our state’s Republican lawmakers when they decided, instead, to go ahead with this measure, costing taxpayers more than $20 million, all in an apparent rush to see Ohio’s constitution changed to limit the way in which constitutional amendments may be made in the future.
The public was not taking this decision lightly, and whether folks like it or hate it, they seem to be making their opinions heard at the polls.
Local boards of elections leaders now tell us that early voter interest for the Aug. 8 special election has Mahoning Valley election directors expecting turnout to be on par with a typical general election in an odd-numbered year, or a nonpresidential primary.
“It’s pretty amazing for a special election,” said Stephanie Penrose, Trumbull County Board of Elections director. “It’s pacing like a general election. It’s even on pace with the gubernatorial primary last year. This has captured people’s interest.”
“There’s a lot of interest in this race,” Tom McCabe, Mahoning County Board of Elections director, said. “This is going to be better than most odd-year primaries and could potentially be close to what we get in primaries with governor races.”
McCabe, who also is chairman of the Mahoning County Republican Party, said the party can’t keep the yard signs at headquarters supporting Issue 1 in stock.
So, whether you, as a voter, support or oppose Issue 1, we urge you to get out and make your voice heard now during early voting at your local board of elections office, or Aug. 8 at your local polling place.
If you’ve already voted or made arrangements to cast your ballot, we applaud you.
Indeed, such an important decision must not be made by a small percentage of voters.
___
Elyria Chronicle. July 27, 2023.
Editorial: Better police training would serve the public and officers
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine was right to call for improved police training in the aftermath of a Circleville police dog attacking a truck driver.
“This incident in Circleville should be a lesson, a wake-up call to everyone that police training in the state of Ohio is not equal,” DeWine, a Republican, said.
We agree, but it shouldn’t have taken what happened outside the small town south of Columbus on July 4 to spur a call for improved police training. Too often, police reform efforts fail to gain traction with lawmakers.
Body camera recordings raise troubling questions about the actions of the dog’s handler, identified by the Ohio Highway Patrol as then-Circleville Police Officer Ryan Speakman.
Speakman, who is white, was fired Wednesday, nearly a month after the incident.
Troopers tried to get the truck driver, 23-year-old Jadarrius Rose of Memphis, Tennessee, who is Black, to stop for a vehicle inspection, but he continued driving.
In recordings of 911 calls released by the Ross County Sheriff’s Office, Rose can be heard telling dispatchers that he didn’t know why police were trying to stop him and didn’t feel safe pulling over because he feared officers were “trying to kill him,” The Associated Press reported.
The dispatcher he spoke with told him to pull over and that police weren’t trying to hurt him.
Once Rose did stop, he at first refused to get out of the truck and then didn’t immediately comply with orders to get on the ground. He eventually raised his hands and appeared to be surrendering when Speakman released the dog, according to body camera recordings.
This despite a trooper repeatedly telling Speakman, “Do not release the dog with his hands up!”
The dog can be seen attacking Rose, who begged officers to get the dog off him. Troopers can be heard yelling at Speakman to “Get the dog off him!”
Rose was treated for dog bites and has been charged with failure to comply.
We don’t know why Speakman released the dog, but from the video it appears he should have known better. Certainly the troopers on the scene believed it was unnecessary and are to be commended for trying to stop Speakman.
Perhaps it was a matter of training, as DeWine suggested.
“There is no substitute for training,” DeWine said. “Our big police departments are expertly trained, but when you get to smaller police departments, they may not have the resources to have that training that’s needed.”
Big police departments aren’t immune from problems, either, but DeWine is correct that better training would be helpful for smaller departments.
DeWine called for the state to build a “scenario-based training facility” that would be funded in the state’s next capital budget. He also wanted the General Assembly to set aside money so departments could use it at little or no cost, The Columbus Dispatch reported.
Exactly what would be offered at the facility if it becomes a reality was still under discussion, according to Andy Wilson, the director of the Ohio Department of Public Safety.
At a minimum, de-escalation tactics and training on how to recognize and respond to mental health issues should be included. So should reviews of when — and when not — to use force.
Indeed, we hope such training is part of what will be taught at a new facility that would be jointly operated by the Elyria Police Department and the FBI. The first phase of the project is expected to include multiple firing ranges, a support building and an indoor simulation building.
We don’t know the scope of what DeWine envisions, or whether he’ll be able to secure funding for it, but it’s possible that some of the training he wants could take place in Elyria.
Nor should training be confined solely to police officers.
Corrections officers also could benefit, as demonstrated by a recent incident at the Lorain County Jail in which Corrections Officer Brian Tellier threw inmate Jeffrey Fry to the ground, where he struck his head.
Fry later was manhandled onto a gurney without the use of a backboard or a collar that are commonly used when back and neck injuries are suspected. In a jail surveillance recording, Fry appeared injured and unable to stand on his own.
That incident is now the subject of an FBI investigation, although an internal probe determined that Tellier broke rules dealing with “physical mistreatment of a prisoner” and being dishonest about what happened. Despite those findings, he remained on active duty as of last week.
Improved training would be a step toward better preparing officers to deal with the public in a fair and even-handed manner.
___
Sandusky Register. July 27, 2023.
Editorial: Dodgy Yost continues to let down
We’re astonished by audacious disregard Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost has toward transparency and straight talk on a whole variety of topics, from public records to prosecuting women who report possible sex crimes and to not prosecuting or pursuing serial rapists.
We’ve seen examples of all three of these things, and Yost remains unresponsive to questions about this errant behavior.
On Tuesday, a spokesperson for Yost finally acknowledged that the state Bureau of Criminal Investigation was conducting an investigation of at least one Huron County sheriff’s office employee accused of wrongdoing, but hid the name of that person and that person’s job title.
Yost, in that instance, stood toe-to-toe with Huron County Sheriff Todd Corbin in violating the spirit and intent of the state’s public records law, hiding public information from the public. Yes, the public has an absolute right to know who has been on paid leave for two months, and what that person has been accused of doing that prompted a suspension.
Corbin and Yost — because of their behavior and disregard for the responsibilities each has — have tainted the investigation before results from it are even available.
On Wednesday, a reporter was searching for answers why Yost joined other state attorneys general in signing a letter asking the federal government to drop privacy protections for women who seek abortions out of state. Again, a spokesperson responded and claimed the letter was about crime victims, not about women seeking abortions. Problem is, the letter Yost signed doesn’t mention crime victims at all, but does mention opposition tactics to women seeking abortions 49 times.
We’ve asked Yost many times about his decision to prosecute a woman who reported a strange sexual encounter in 2020. He wrongly charged her with falsification. She was acquitted when a judge determined she was telling the truth about what happened and that the investigation was botched. Yost has never explained himself.
We’ve asked Yost many times about his decision not to prosecute an accused serial rapist who was identified through linked DNA samples from three women who reported being raped. He’s never explained himself.
At least with regard to Yost wanting to gain access to the private medical records of women, a spokesperson responded. Unfortunately that response was simply not credible. We grow more disappointed in the attorney general with each unfortunate misstep, and there are too many missteps to count.
END | https://www.springfieldnewssun.com/news/ohio/editorial-roundup-ohio/KZOCKIJAPFBBRN24NZ7TUBQ3WI/ | 2023-07-31T17:30:51 | 1 | https://www.springfieldnewssun.com/news/ohio/editorial-roundup-ohio/KZOCKIJAPFBBRN24NZ7TUBQ3WI/ |
MONTGOMERY, Ala. — (AP) — Health care providers in Alabama filed a lawsuit on Monday against the state’s attorney general that seeks to clarify whether they could be charged for helping women get abortions outside the state.
Since abortion became almost entirely illegal in Alabama, the phone rings at least once a day at a former clinic in Tuscaloosa as women — sometimes crying and often desperate — try to find where they can go in other states to end an unwanted pregnancy, the clinic director said.
“We get a lot of the anger — and we know that it’s not us that they are angry at,” said Robin Marty, operations director for the West Alabama Women’s Center. “It’s the situation, but it is very, very hard for my staff. They want to be able to help them.”
Staff members who want to provide assistance are afraid to give much information beyond a website that lists abortion clinic locations, after the state’s Republican Attorney General Steve Marshall suggested people could face criminal charges for helping Alabama women obtain abortions elsewhere.
The three health care providers filed the lawsuit to get a court declaration and injunction clarifying that the state's criminal statutes can't be used to prosecute people who help women leave the state for an abortion. The suit was filed by the Women’s Center, the Alabama Women’s Center in Huntsville, and Dr. Yashica Robinson, an obstetrician.
“What the attorney general has tried to do via these threats is to effectively extend Alabama’s abortion ban outside of its borders for Alabama residents,” Meagan Burrows, a lawyer with the American Civil Liberties Union, which is representing the providers in the lawsuit.
Burrows said the threat of prosecution is harming both the health care providers and the women who want to obtain abortions.
In a statement Monday, the attorney general's office said it “will continue to vigorously enforce Alabama laws protecting unborn life which include the Human Life Protection Act. That includes abortion providers conspiring to violate the Act.”
The lawsuit cites Marshall's comments on a conservative radio talk show last year, in which he said that state law can't be used to prosecute a woman for getting an abortion out of state.
However, Marshall said, “if an individual held themselves out as an entity or a group that is using funds that they are able to raise to be able to facilitate those visits, then that’s something that we’re going to look at closely.”
After the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade and handed authority on abortion law to the states, the Deep South quickly became an area of limited abortion access.
Alabama bans abortion at any stage of pregnancy with no exceptions for rape and incest. The only exemption is if it's needed because pregnancy threatens the health of the woman.
The landscape outside the state has also evolved rapidly and continues to change quickly as trigger laws and new bans are allowed to take effect. Clinics that remain open are extremely busy.
Marty, the clinic director, said most people who reach out to the clinic know “there is no abortion in Alabama. What they aren’t aware of is how far that extends.”
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. | https://www.wftv.com/news/health/alabama-health-care/AGMROPPMD6IODPSYI3I7X5LQ3U/ | 2023-07-31T17:30:54 | 0 | https://www.wftv.com/news/health/alabama-health-care/AGMROPPMD6IODPSYI3I7X5LQ3U/ |
GENEVA, July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Fractal, a shipping company developed to enhance global energy security, reiterates its unwavering commitment to strict adherence to international law and rigorous safety standards. The company diligently monitors the global price of crude and faithfully abides by the rules established by the price cap mechanism. This dedication to ethical business practices and full compliance, including adhering to the price cap regulations set by the EU, US, and other international regulatory bodies, reinforces Fractal's responsible approach in the energy sector.
"Our mission at Fractal is not just to ensure the smooth transportation of goods globally, but also to uphold the highest standards of safety, compliance, and respect for international law," stated Mathieu Philippe, Chief Executive Officer and Ultimate Beneficial Owner of Fractal. "We are proud to contribute to the world's energy security while adhering to the legal boundaries and fostering sustainable practices in the shipping industry."
Fractal's expertise lies in efficiently transporting crude oil and petroleum products worldwide, serving a diverse and global clientele with a primary focus on customers seeking reliable access to energy products. Each client relationship is built on the foundation of mutual respect for international law, further emphasizing Fractal's commitment to responsible and transparent business conduct.
To ensure the utmost level of compliance, Fractal has implemented a robust "Know Your Customer" process, enhancing its ability to meet regulatory requirements and maintain the highest ethical standards. Additionally, the company strictly adheres to international sanctions and compliance regimes, including in operations involving trade with Russia crude, in pursuit of conducting business responsibly and ethically.
Fractal's fleet consistently meets the industry's most stringent safety standards. Every vessel in the fleet undergoes regular inspections under the Ship Inspection Report Programme (SIRE), guaranteeing compliance and top-notch maintenance.
Every vessel in our fleet is certified by world-renowned certification bodies, members of the International Association of Classification Societies (IACS), such as DNV, BV, Lloyd's Register, ABS, NKK. Additionally, our ships are insured by prominent international groups of P&I clubs, including the West of England and American Club. This is a testament to our commitment to maintaining not only regulatory compliance but also the highest safety standards.
"At Fractal, safety, compliance, and respect for international law are at the core of everything we do. Our strategic and efficient shipping operations differentiate us in the global shipping industry, and we are steadfast in our commitment to contributing to the world's economy responsibly," said Mathieu Philippe.
About Fractal:
Fractal is an international shipper with a focus on the global transportation of crude oil and petroleum products. The company is dedicated to upholding the principles of international law, safety, and compliance while contributing to the world's energy security. Fractal's commitment to ethical business practices and safety sets it apart in the global shipping industry.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Fractal | https://www.kfyrtv.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/fractal-reaffirms-its-commitment-ethical-business-practices-compliance-safety-global-shipping-industry/ | 2023-07-31T17:30:56 | 1 | https://www.kfyrtv.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/fractal-reaffirms-its-commitment-ethical-business-practices-compliance-safety-global-shipping-industry/ |
GENEVA, July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Fractal, a shipping company developed to enhance global energy security, reiterates its unwavering commitment to strict adherence to international law and rigorous safety standards. The company diligently monitors the global price of crude and faithfully abides by the rules established by the price cap mechanism. This dedication to ethical business practices and full compliance, including adhering to the price cap regulations set by the EU, US, and other international regulatory bodies, reinforces Fractal's responsible approach in the energy sector.
"Our mission at Fractal is not just to ensure the smooth transportation of goods globally, but also to uphold the highest standards of safety, compliance, and respect for international law," stated Mathieu Philippe, Chief Executive Officer and Ultimate Beneficial Owner of Fractal. "We are proud to contribute to the world's energy security while adhering to the legal boundaries and fostering sustainable practices in the shipping industry."
Fractal's expertise lies in efficiently transporting crude oil and petroleum products worldwide, serving a diverse and global clientele with a primary focus on customers seeking reliable access to energy products. Each client relationship is built on the foundation of mutual respect for international law, further emphasizing Fractal's commitment to responsible and transparent business conduct.
To ensure the utmost level of compliance, Fractal has implemented a robust "Know Your Customer" process, enhancing its ability to meet regulatory requirements and maintain the highest ethical standards. Additionally, the company strictly adheres to international sanctions and compliance regimes, including in operations involving trade with Russia crude, in pursuit of conducting business responsibly and ethically.
Fractal's fleet consistently meets the industry's most stringent safety standards. Every vessel in the fleet undergoes regular inspections under the Ship Inspection Report Programme (SIRE), guaranteeing compliance and top-notch maintenance.
Every vessel in our fleet is certified by world-renowned certification bodies, members of the International Association of Classification Societies (IACS), such as DNV, BV, Lloyd's Register, ABS, NKK. Additionally, our ships are insured by prominent international groups of P&I clubs, including the West of England and American Club. This is a testament to our commitment to maintaining not only regulatory compliance but also the highest safety standards.
"At Fractal, safety, compliance, and respect for international law are at the core of everything we do. Our strategic and efficient shipping operations differentiate us in the global shipping industry, and we are steadfast in our commitment to contributing to the world's economy responsibly," said Mathieu Philippe.
About Fractal:
Fractal is an international shipper with a focus on the global transportation of crude oil and petroleum products. The company is dedicated to upholding the principles of international law, safety, and compliance while contributing to the world's energy security. Fractal's commitment to ethical business practices and safety sets it apart in the global shipping industry.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Fractal | https://www.1011now.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/fractal-reaffirms-its-commitment-ethical-business-practices-compliance-safety-global-shipping-industry/ | 2023-07-31T17:30:57 | 0 | https://www.1011now.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/fractal-reaffirms-its-commitment-ethical-business-practices-compliance-safety-global-shipping-industry/ |
Seven-time Grand Slam champ Venus Williams has been awarded a wild card for the Western & Southern Open, the tournament announced today.
Williams joins a women’s field featuring the world’s top 39 WTA players and four other wild cards. Williams’ addition means there are 12 Grand Sam major winners and five current or former world No. 1s in the tournament, set for Aug. 12-20 at Lindner Family Tennis Center in Mason.
Williams, 43, had 49 career singles title, four Olympic gold medals and is a former world No. 1.
This will be Williams’ 10th singles appearance in Mason. She was a semifinalist in 2012 and reached the quarterfinals in 2019.
Eight players will join the women’s field from the qualifying tournament Aug. 12-13.
The combined men’s and women’s tournament will feature 18 Grand Slam champions who have won a collective 56 Grand Slam titles, nine current or former world No. 1s, and 11 past Western & Southern Open champs.
The Western & Southern Open is one of only five events in the world to host an ATP Masters 1000 and WTA 1000 tournament in the same week at the same venue, joining Madrid, Miami, Rome and Indian Wells, California.
TCaroline Garcia and Borna Coric are the defending singles champions. The doubles titles were claimed by Lyudmyla Kichenok and Jelena Ostapenko and Rajeev Ram and Joe Salisbury.
Tickets for single sessions to the 2023 tournament are on sale now at wsopen.com and Ticketmaster.com. Multi-day ticket packages are sold out.
About the Author | https://www.springfieldnewssun.com/sports/venus-williams-added-to-western-southern-open-tourney-field/GAWWVVZ2TNFDHDJB4NQNV5C434/ | 2023-07-31T17:30:58 | 1 | https://www.springfieldnewssun.com/sports/venus-williams-added-to-western-southern-open-tourney-field/GAWWVVZ2TNFDHDJB4NQNV5C434/ |
WASHINGTON — (AP) — The National Institutes of Health is beginning a handful of studies to test possible treatments for long COVID, an anxiously awaited step in U.S. efforts against the mysterious condition that afflicts millions.
Monday's announcement from the NIH's $1.15 billion RECOVER project comes amid frustration from patients who've struggled for months or even years with sometimes-disabling health problems — with no proven treatments and only a smattering of rigorous studies to test potential ones.
"This is a year or two late and smaller in scope than one would hope but nevertheless it's a step in the right direction," said Dr. Ziyad Al-Aly of Washington University in St. Louis, who isn't involved with NIH's project but whose own research highlighted long COVID's toll. Getting answers is critical, he added, because "there's a lot of people out there exploiting patients' vulnerability" with unproven therapies.
Scientists don’t yet know what causes long COVID, the catchall term for about 200 widely varying symptoms. Between 10% and 30% of people are estimated to have experienced some form of long COVID after recovering from a coronavirus infection, a risk that has dropped somewhat since early in the pandemic.
“If I get 10 people, I get 10 answers of what long COVID really is," U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra said.
That's why so far the RECOVER initiative has tracked 24,000 patients in observational studies to help define the most common and burdensome symptoms –- findings that now are shaping multipronged treatment trials. The first two will look at:
— Whether taking up to 25 days of Pfizer's antiviral drug Paxlovid could ease long COVID, because of a theory that some live coronavirus, or its remnants, may hide in the body and trigger the disorder. Normally Paxlovid is used when people first get infected and for just five days.
— Treatments for “brain fog” and other cognitive problems. They include Posit Science Corp.’s BrainHQ cognitive training program, another called PASC-Cognitive Recovery by New York City’s Mount Sinai Health System, and a Soterix Medical device that electrically stimulates brain circuits.
Two additional studies will open in the coming months. One will test treatments for sleep problems. The other will target problems with the autonomic nervous system — which controls unconscious functions like breathing and heartbeat — including the disorder called POTS.
A more controversial study of exercise intolerance and fatigue also is planned, with NIH seeking input from some patient groups worried that exercise may do more harm than good for certain long COVID sufferers.
The trials are enrolling 300 to 900 adult participants for now but have the potential to grow. Unlike typical experiments that test one treatment at a time, these more flexible “platform studies” will let NIH add additional potential therapies on a rolling basis.
“We can rapidly pivot,” Dr. Amy Patterson with the NIH explained. A failing treatment can be dropped without ending the entire trial and “if something promising comes on the horizon, we can plug it in.”
The flexibility could be key, according to Dr. Anthony Komaroff, a Harvard researcher who isn’t involved with the NIH program but has long studied a similarly mysterious disorder known as chronic fatigue syndrome or ME/CFS. For example, he said, the Paxlovid study “makes all sorts of sense,” but if a 25-day dose shows only hints of working, researchers could extend the test to a longer course instead of starting from scratch.
Komaroff also said that he understands people's frustration over the wait for these treatment trials, but believes NIH appropriately waited “until some clues came in about the underlying biology," adding: “You’ve got to have targets.”
___
The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. | https://www.wftv.com/news/health/brain-fog-other-long/SJV3M5NKLQHPELUN67SEKWFO7Y/ | 2023-07-31T17:31:00 | 1 | https://www.wftv.com/news/health/brain-fog-other-long/SJV3M5NKLQHPELUN67SEKWFO7Y/ |
ANAHEIM, Calif., July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Hybribio (300639.SZ) exhibited live at the 75th ADLM (former AACC) Annual Scientific Meeting & Clinical Lab Expo, July 25-27, at Anaheim Convention Center, California, USA. This event attracted 958 exhibitors and over 70,000 attendees worldwide from different areas of clinical chemistry, molecular diagnostics, mass spectrometry, translational medicine, lab management, and other areas of progressing laboratory science.
At the booth No.1482, Hybribio (300639.SZ) featured cervical cancer HPV diagnostic solutions, which include Hybribio 14 High-risk HPV with 16/18 Genotyping Real-time PCR Kit, 21 HPV GenoArray Diagnostic Kit, 37 HPV GenoArray Diagnostic Kit, 13 High-risk HPV Real-time PCR Kit, 23 HPV Genotyping Real-time PCR Kit, 14 High-Risk HPV E6/E7 mRNA Real-time PCR Kit (PCR with Fluorescent Probe), and SOX1 and PAX1 Methylation Real-time PCR Kit. Hybribio presented its successful experience in cervical cancer prevention and control in China to global attendees, aiming to unite experts in different aspects (clinical laboratories, hospitals, research institutes, enterprises, etc.) to promote the global elimination of cervical cancer. Moreover, all HPV detection kits manufactured by Hybribio are CE-certified and have been exported to more than 20 countries around the world.
Being the top HPV DNA test manufacturer in China, Hybribio (300639.SZ) not only has the biggest Chinese market share (over 40%) of HPV testing kits but also contributes greatly to the movement of eliminating cervical cancer. In the past two decades, Hybribio has taken up 40 % of national breast-cervical cancer screening projects and provided more than 50 million HPV DNA tests for females in China (2003-2023). Furthermore, Hybribio established the China HPV database with the Ministry of Health P. R. China in 2009, monitoring the long-term evolution of Human Papillomavirus infection and cervical cancer in China.
The booth highlighted 14 High-risk HPV with 16/18 Genotyping Real-time PCR Kit, which successfully obtained the first clinical screening license approved in China, with a high sensitivity and specificity of 93.6% and 88.46%, respectively. The negative predictive value using this kit with a 3-year follow-up is 99.84% which means that this kit is explicitly suitable for cervical cancer primary screening, co-screening with pap smear and ASC-US triage. Moreover, Hybribio HPV testing reagents have achieved a 100% coincident rate in the WHO HPV external quality assessment for seven consecutive times from 2011 to 2022.
For laboratory automated instrument, the fully Automated Sample Preparation Liquid System (HB-IEX96A) integrates functions including de-capping and re-capping, barcode scanning, tube loading, pipetting, nucleic acid extraction and PCR plate liquid transferring, which is able to achieve a one-step workflow and enhance laboratory efficiency by reducing human errors. The in-booth demonstration of this instrument drew many visitors' attention, attributed to its wide applicability, powerful functions and excellent design. With this fully Automated Sample Preparation Liquid System (HB-IEX96A), it could alleviate laboratory labor burden and improve testing efficiency significantly for a large-scale screening project.
The year 2023 is the 20th anniversary of Hybribio Biotech. Hybribio has been adhering to its original aspiration of taking care of maternity and child health in the past two decades. In Molecular diagnostics, Hybribio has developed a series of nucleic acid diagnostics kits for reproductive health infections, neonatal and prenatal genetic diseases, respiratory tract infections and cancer markers. By 2023, one billion people have benefited from using Hybribio's products and services. Meanwhile, Hybribio is constantly expanding its product line in different areas. Apart from molecular diagnostic assays and automated instruments, Hybribio also develops a variety of laboratory consumables, including pipette tips, PCR consumables, deep-well place, tip comb and sample tubes.
Upcoming Event
Hybribio (300639.SZ) is going to attend MEDICA 2023 at Dusseldorf, Germany, 13-16 November 2023. Hybribio is looking forward to meeting you in person at MEDICA 2023, where Hybribio will feature more cutting-edge diagnostics solutions and high-throughput automated instruments.
About Hybribio
Founded in 2003, Hybribio (300639.SZ) is a leading nucleic acid test supplier and manufacturer who specializes in in-vitro diagnostic products with a fully integrated one-step operation chain from R&D, manufacturing, and sales & marketing to after-sales technical support services. Hybribio provides products including, but not limited to, HPV testing, reproductive health, genetic diseases, methylation, respiratory tract infection, pharmacogenetics and instrumentation.
For more information, please visit: www.hybribio.com
CONTACT: Qiyu Lin, qylin@hybribio.cn
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Guangdong Hybribio Biotech Co.,Ltd. | https://www.kfyrtv.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/hybribio-showcased-cutting-edge-cervical-cancer-hpv-diagnostic-solutions-adlm-2023/ | 2023-07-31T17:31:03 | 1 | https://www.kfyrtv.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/hybribio-showcased-cutting-edge-cervical-cancer-hpv-diagnostic-solutions-adlm-2023/ |
ANAHEIM, Calif., July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Hybribio (300639.SZ) exhibited live at the 75th ADLM (former AACC) Annual Scientific Meeting & Clinical Lab Expo, July 25-27, at Anaheim Convention Center, California, USA. This event attracted 958 exhibitors and over 70,000 attendees worldwide from different areas of clinical chemistry, molecular diagnostics, mass spectrometry, translational medicine, lab management, and other areas of progressing laboratory science.
At the booth No.1482, Hybribio (300639.SZ) featured cervical cancer HPV diagnostic solutions, which include Hybribio 14 High-risk HPV with 16/18 Genotyping Real-time PCR Kit, 21 HPV GenoArray Diagnostic Kit, 37 HPV GenoArray Diagnostic Kit, 13 High-risk HPV Real-time PCR Kit, 23 HPV Genotyping Real-time PCR Kit, 14 High-Risk HPV E6/E7 mRNA Real-time PCR Kit (PCR with Fluorescent Probe), and SOX1 and PAX1 Methylation Real-time PCR Kit. Hybribio presented its successful experience in cervical cancer prevention and control in China to global attendees, aiming to unite experts in different aspects (clinical laboratories, hospitals, research institutes, enterprises, etc.) to promote the global elimination of cervical cancer. Moreover, all HPV detection kits manufactured by Hybribio are CE-certified and have been exported to more than 20 countries around the world.
Being the top HPV DNA test manufacturer in China, Hybribio (300639.SZ) not only has the biggest Chinese market share (over 40%) of HPV testing kits but also contributes greatly to the movement of eliminating cervical cancer. In the past two decades, Hybribio has taken up 40 % of national breast-cervical cancer screening projects and provided more than 50 million HPV DNA tests for females in China (2003-2023). Furthermore, Hybribio established the China HPV database with the Ministry of Health P. R. China in 2009, monitoring the long-term evolution of Human Papillomavirus infection and cervical cancer in China.
The booth highlighted 14 High-risk HPV with 16/18 Genotyping Real-time PCR Kit, which successfully obtained the first clinical screening license approved in China, with a high sensitivity and specificity of 93.6% and 88.46%, respectively. The negative predictive value using this kit with a 3-year follow-up is 99.84% which means that this kit is explicitly suitable for cervical cancer primary screening, co-screening with pap smear and ASC-US triage. Moreover, Hybribio HPV testing reagents have achieved a 100% coincident rate in the WHO HPV external quality assessment for seven consecutive times from 2011 to 2022.
For laboratory automated instrument, the fully Automated Sample Preparation Liquid System (HB-IEX96A) integrates functions including de-capping and re-capping, barcode scanning, tube loading, pipetting, nucleic acid extraction and PCR plate liquid transferring, which is able to achieve a one-step workflow and enhance laboratory efficiency by reducing human errors. The in-booth demonstration of this instrument drew many visitors' attention, attributed to its wide applicability, powerful functions and excellent design. With this fully Automated Sample Preparation Liquid System (HB-IEX96A), it could alleviate laboratory labor burden and improve testing efficiency significantly for a large-scale screening project.
The year 2023 is the 20th anniversary of Hybribio Biotech. Hybribio has been adhering to its original aspiration of taking care of maternity and child health in the past two decades. In Molecular diagnostics, Hybribio has developed a series of nucleic acid diagnostics kits for reproductive health infections, neonatal and prenatal genetic diseases, respiratory tract infections and cancer markers. By 2023, one billion people have benefited from using Hybribio's products and services. Meanwhile, Hybribio is constantly expanding its product line in different areas. Apart from molecular diagnostic assays and automated instruments, Hybribio also develops a variety of laboratory consumables, including pipette tips, PCR consumables, deep-well place, tip comb and sample tubes.
Upcoming Event
Hybribio (300639.SZ) is going to attend MEDICA 2023 at Dusseldorf, Germany, 13-16 November 2023. Hybribio is looking forward to meeting you in person at MEDICA 2023, where Hybribio will feature more cutting-edge diagnostics solutions and high-throughput automated instruments.
About Hybribio
Founded in 2003, Hybribio (300639.SZ) is a leading nucleic acid test supplier and manufacturer who specializes in in-vitro diagnostic products with a fully integrated one-step operation chain from R&D, manufacturing, and sales & marketing to after-sales technical support services. Hybribio provides products including, but not limited to, HPV testing, reproductive health, genetic diseases, methylation, respiratory tract infection, pharmacogenetics and instrumentation.
For more information, please visit: www.hybribio.com
CONTACT: Qiyu Lin, qylin@hybribio.cn
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Guangdong Hybribio Biotech Co.,Ltd. | https://www.1011now.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/hybribio-showcased-cutting-edge-cervical-cancer-hpv-diagnostic-solutions-adlm-2023/ | 2023-07-31T17:31:04 | 0 | https://www.1011now.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/hybribio-showcased-cutting-edge-cervical-cancer-hpv-diagnostic-solutions-adlm-2023/ |
(WSYR-TV) — If you love bluegrass, you’re in luck. This Sunday is the oldest bluegrass event in New York State and New England. It’s the 50th Bluegrass Ramble Picnic!
Mr. Bluegrass of Central New York, Bill Knowlton, gathers with Iris and Steve to talk about the upcoming oldest Bluegrass event in New York State and New England that is taking place this Sunday.
The 50th Bluegrass Ramble Picnic is free and open to the public featuring 17 bands playing throughout the day. All bands participating in the event are from New York State.
If you miss the event in person, don’t worry. A later broadcast will be on the “Bluegrass Ramble” radio show Sunday at 9 p.m. on WCNY. Learn more by visiting the WCNY website here. | https://www.localsyr.com/bridge-street/bluegrass-ramble-picnic-set-for-this-sunday/ | 2023-07-31T17:31:06 | 0 | https://www.localsyr.com/bridge-street/bluegrass-ramble-picnic-set-for-this-sunday/ |
JERUSALEM — (AP) — Israel's Supreme Court said Monday that a full panel of 15 justices would hear petitions in September against a contentious law that was passed last week by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government and which has spurred mass protests.
The law was one of a series of proposed changes to Israel's judiciary put forward by Netanyahu's government earlier this year that seek to curb the power of the Supreme Court. The judicial overhaul plan has been met with months of sustained mass protest against the legislation and drawn criticism from the White House.
Critics of the overhaul say that the package of laws would concentrate power in the hands of the ruling coalition and erode the system of checks and balances between branches of government. Proponents say the measures are necessary to limit the power of unelected judges who they say are overly activist.
Netanyahu and his allies passed a law last week that removes the high court's ability to annul government decisions considered "unreasonable." The "reasonableness standard" was implemented by the Supreme Court earlier this year to thwart the appointment of a Netanyahu ally as interior minister after he had recently pleaded guilty to tax offenses.
The court said the hearing concerning the law striking down the “reasonableness standard” would take place on Sept. 12 with a full bench of 15 justices. The Supreme Court typically hears cases with smaller panels of justices, but appears to have opted for a full complement of judges because of the highly delicate nature of the matter.
The Netanyahu administration's push to overhaul the judiciary has deeply divided an already highly polarized country and sparked the longest sustained protests in the country's history.
Netanyahu and his allies took office in December after the country's fifth election in under four years, most of them referendums on the longtime leader's fitness to serve while on trial for corruption.
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. | https://www.wftv.com/news/israels-full-high/63GE4TOYBEOTEJUX7XHPDGAJ54/ | 2023-07-31T17:31:07 | 0 | https://www.wftv.com/news/israels-full-high/63GE4TOYBEOTEJUX7XHPDGAJ54/ |
SAN FRANCISCO, July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Delta Dental of California and affiliates today announced that Mike Castro will retire as its chief executive officer (CEO) Dec. 31, 2023 and become chairman of the board of Delta Dental of California effective Jan. 1, 2024. Sarah Chavarria, current president of Delta Dental of California, will succeed Mr. Castro to become president and CEO Jan. 1, 2024.
Mr. Castro has led the company as CEO of Delta Dental since 2019. During his two decades with the company, he has held a variety of leadership roles, including serving as chief financial officer for 14 years.
"It has been a privilege to lead our business," said Mike Castro, chief executive officer of Delta Dental of California. "Over the years, many people have asked how I want to define my legacy at Delta Dental. The simple answer has always been the same: to leave the company better than I found it, and in better hands. I'm proud to say we're a stronger company than we were five years ago, and we have a deep bench of exceptional leaders to help us continue to capitalize on our position of strength thanks to the team."
Sarah Chavarria was promoted to president in 2022 and has led the organization's Operations, Technology, People, Growth, Marketing and Communication divisions. She began her career at Delta Dental as chief people officer and later expanded her leadership to include oversight of the other teams.
"I want to thank Mike for his support, exceptional leadership and dedication to Delta Dental, which have laid the foundation for a successful future," said Sarah Chavarria, president of Delta Dental of California. "We will continue our partnership when he moves into his new role as chairman of the board. Together, we will ensure our customers, providers and employees remain at the forefront of our business and that we stay focused on our purpose to improve health by providing access to quality care for our more than 45 million members."
About Delta Dental of California
Since 1955, Delta Dental of California has offered comprehensive, high quality oral health care coverage to millions of enrollees and built the strongest network of dental providers in the country. The Delta Dental of California enterprise includes its affiliates Delta Dental Insurance Company, Delta Dental of Pennsylvania, Delta Dental of New York, Inc., as well as the national DeltaCare USA network, and provides dental benefits to more than 45 million people across 15 states and the District of Columbia*. All are members of the Delta Dental Plans Association based in Oak Brook, Illinois, the not-for-profit national association that through a national network of Delta Dental companies collectively covers millions of people nationwide. For more information about Delta Dental of California, please visit www.deltadentalins.com
*Delta Dental of California's operating areas encompass Alabama, California, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Montana, Nevada, New York, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah, West Virginia and District of Columbia.
For media inquiries, contact:
Tom Sarris
Director, Corporate Communications
Delta Dental of California
tsarris@delta.org
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Delta Dental of California | https://www.kfyrtv.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/mike-castro-retire-ceo-become-chairman-board-delta-dental-california-president-sarah-chavarria-named-successor/ | 2023-07-31T17:31:10 | 0 | https://www.kfyrtv.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/mike-castro-retire-ceo-become-chairman-board-delta-dental-california-president-sarah-chavarria-named-successor/ |
SAN FRANCISCO, July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Delta Dental of California and affiliates today announced that Mike Castro will retire as its chief executive officer (CEO) Dec. 31, 2023 and become chairman of the board of Delta Dental of California effective Jan. 1, 2024. Sarah Chavarria, current president of Delta Dental of California, will succeed Mr. Castro to become president and CEO Jan. 1, 2024.
Mr. Castro has led the company as CEO of Delta Dental since 2019. During his two decades with the company, he has held a variety of leadership roles, including serving as chief financial officer for 14 years.
"It has been a privilege to lead our business," said Mike Castro, chief executive officer of Delta Dental of California. "Over the years, many people have asked how I want to define my legacy at Delta Dental. The simple answer has always been the same: to leave the company better than I found it, and in better hands. I'm proud to say we're a stronger company than we were five years ago, and we have a deep bench of exceptional leaders to help us continue to capitalize on our position of strength thanks to the team."
Sarah Chavarria was promoted to president in 2022 and has led the organization's Operations, Technology, People, Growth, Marketing and Communication divisions. She began her career at Delta Dental as chief people officer and later expanded her leadership to include oversight of the other teams.
"I want to thank Mike for his support, exceptional leadership and dedication to Delta Dental, which have laid the foundation for a successful future," said Sarah Chavarria, president of Delta Dental of California. "We will continue our partnership when he moves into his new role as chairman of the board. Together, we will ensure our customers, providers and employees remain at the forefront of our business and that we stay focused on our purpose to improve health by providing access to quality care for our more than 45 million members."
About Delta Dental of California
Since 1955, Delta Dental of California has offered comprehensive, high quality oral health care coverage to millions of enrollees and built the strongest network of dental providers in the country. The Delta Dental of California enterprise includes its affiliates Delta Dental Insurance Company, Delta Dental of Pennsylvania, Delta Dental of New York, Inc., as well as the national DeltaCare USA network, and provides dental benefits to more than 45 million people across 15 states and the District of Columbia*. All are members of the Delta Dental Plans Association based in Oak Brook, Illinois, the not-for-profit national association that through a national network of Delta Dental companies collectively covers millions of people nationwide. For more information about Delta Dental of California, please visit www.deltadentalins.com
*Delta Dental of California's operating areas encompass Alabama, California, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Montana, Nevada, New York, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah, West Virginia and District of Columbia.
For media inquiries, contact:
Tom Sarris
Director, Corporate Communications
Delta Dental of California
tsarris@delta.org
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Delta Dental of California | https://www.1011now.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/mike-castro-retire-ceo-become-chairman-board-delta-dental-california-president-sarah-chavarria-named-successor/ | 2023-07-31T17:31:10 | 0 | https://www.1011now.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/mike-castro-retire-ceo-become-chairman-board-delta-dental-california-president-sarah-chavarria-named-successor/ |
Man mauled to death by pack of dogs, sheriff says
SKIPPERVILLE, Ala. (WTVY/Gray News) – A man was mauled to death by a pack of dogs, according to Dale County Sheriff Mason Bynum, who explained investigators originally believed the man had been murdered.
Authorities said acquaintances found the body of 27-year-old Demarcus “Sam” McKenzie in the driveway of a home.
Bynum said it looked like McKenzie was leaving the house when the dogs became aggressive toward him.
“The victim began to run down the driveway as two to three more dogs joined in on the attack,” he explained.
The sheriff said surveillance video shows McKenzie falling and the dogs pouncing on him.
“At one point, five to six dogs are seen violently attacking and mauling the victim as he struggles to stand. After a few minutes, the dogs overpower the victim, and he appears to become incapacitated,” Bynum said.
The sheriff plans to discuss the tragedy with Dale County District Attorney Kirke Adams but did not say who owns the dogs or if they could face charges.
The body’s condition led officers to first believe that McKenzie had been shot, Bynum said.
Copyright 2023 WTVY via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.wistv.com/2023/07/31/man-mauled-death-by-pack-dogs-sheriff-says/ | 2023-07-31T17:31:11 | 1 | https://www.wistv.com/2023/07/31/man-mauled-death-by-pack-dogs-sheriff-says/ |
(WSYR-TV) — This Monday morning marks the last day of July, and Iris and Steve are here to close up this month with some morning chatter.
Ever dream about work? Don’t worry; you aren’t the only one! Steve and Iris discuss their ‘work nightmares’ that startle them before heading to Bridge Street.
Cardi B lets fans know that they must “B-gone” if they disrespect her. Steve dives into the entertainment world to talk about the now-viral video shared Saturday on social media of Cardi B lashing back by spiking her microphone at a fan who threw water at her in Vegas.
We know about the Baseball Hall of Fame, but now baseball fans all over New York have been banning together to view the New York State Hall of Fame Museum that opened its door July 29th in Gloversville. Steve talks about how NY native and MLB Network anchor Brian Kinney made a special appearance at the opening. | https://www.localsyr.com/bridge-street/bridge-street-host-chat-july-31-2023/ | 2023-07-31T17:31:12 | 0 | https://www.localsyr.com/bridge-street/bridge-street-host-chat-july-31-2023/ |
ORLANDO, Fla. — With the start of a new work week came some bad news for Florida drivers.
>>> STREAM CHANNEL 9 EYEWITNESS NEWS LIVE <<<
AAA said the average price for a gallon of gas was nearly 20 cents more than a week ago and almost 30 cents higher than two weeks ago.
In fact, the auto club said motorists have recently been paying the highest prices of the summer.
READ: FHP: Man, 28, killed in crash on John Young Parkway in Orange County
On Friday, a gallon of regular unleaded fuel averaged $3.67 in the Sunshine State.
It was the highest daily average price since mid-April, but remained below this year’s high of $3.72 per gallon, AAA said.
READ” Man killed after shooting at Palm Bay police during standoff, officials say
“Oil prices are the primary culprit behind the recent jump at the pump,” according to AAA’s Mark Jenkins.
“The U.S. price of oil rose 15% through the past five weeks, which raised the cost of producing gasoline,” he said.
READ: Police: 5 young people hospitalized after crashing car into concrete wall in Daytona Beach
Additionally, record-breaking heat has led to some refinery outages along the Gulf Coast, leading to reductions in fuel.
To check gas prices in your neighborhood, click here.
Click here to download the free WFTV news and weather apps, click here to download the WFTV Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
©2023 Cox Media Group | https://www.wftv.com/news/local/gas-prices-surge-hit-three-month-high-florida/66A5O4ZOLFGLNN5CHPNE57NISE/ | 2023-07-31T17:31:14 | 1 | https://www.wftv.com/news/local/gas-prices-surge-hit-three-month-high-florida/66A5O4ZOLFGLNN5CHPNE57NISE/ |
Mr. Carr is President and CEO of Capital Impact Partners and CDC Small Business Finance, which operate under the Momentus Capital Brand
ARLINGTON, Va. and SAN DIEGO, July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- For all of us at Momentus Capital, 2022 was a year to remember. Working in cities and communities across the country, we put over $760 million into the hands of entrepreneurs, developers, and other local leaders. In addition, lenders utilized our Ventures Lending Technologies' suite of products to deploy more than $20 billion in financing to their clients. These numbers represent the highest level of investment in the history of our family of organizations.
But beyond these headline figures, what do these numbers represent? What do these dollars actually support? When I get asked this question, three things come to mind:
First and foremost, our work supports people. The people that we invest in are pursuing their own dreams for themselves and their communities. Most are small business owners and community real estate developers, but no matter their line of work, I see them the same way: as builders. In many cases, these folks are the folks that the traditional financial sector has left behind. Through their businesses, projects, and community leadership, they are building a better future for themselves and those around them – and we are proud to support their vision.
Second, our work advances a culture that puts the voices of these leaders at the center of what we do. Local voices shape our priorities, our projects, and our strategies. One of the reasons I admire our staff so deeply is because they are committed to this culture. We adopted our four Core Values – being visionary, invested, collaborative, and intentionally inclusive – to strengthen this culture. We build authentic relationships with our colleagues, our partners, and the community leaders we support. As we do, we strive to always actively listen to how they describe their own wants, needs, and vision.
Finally and most importantly, our work supports communities. Strengthening and supporting communities is the reason we exist. We are committed to the idea that the people of every community in America deserve to live, work, play, and dream without being constrained by a lack of capital, a lack of knowledge, a lack of power. Every bit of capital we provide is about directing power – economic, social, and cultural – to communities with dreams, assets, and aspirations that outstrip the power our current system has allowed them.
We do the work we do so that people, cultures, and communities across this country can thrive. As you can see in our Annual Report, we did a lot last year in the service of this goal. As with every year, our achievements are thanks to the expertise and dedication of our incredible staff. I am grateful for their commitment to our mission and proud of the way they approach this work. As the "first generation" of Momentus Capital employees, they are advancing the work while helping us to build a new type of organization, shaping the day-to-day environment of our organization. Every day, I feel lucky and honored to work with this team.
Of course, the real work is ahead of us, not behind. We are on a multi-year journey to build an integrated financial services organization that puts purpose over profit. Working together with partners, we will redefine how capital flows into underestimated communities so that everyone has access to the resources they need to thrive. The result? An economic system that respects and uplifts all peoples' right to achieve the dreams they have for themselves, their communities, and generations to come.
Thank you, as always, for your interest and support.
To read our full FY2022 Annual Report, please click here.
About Momentus Capital
The Momentus Capital branded family of organizations refers to the combined operations of Capital Impact Partners, CDC Small Business Finance, Momentus Direct Capital, Momentus Securities, and Ventures Lending Technologies. While each organization under the Momentus Capital brand still operates as a separate entity, their clients will now have access to more resources and products.
The Momentus Capital branded family of organizations is transforming how capital and investments flow into communities to provide people access to the capital and opportunities they deserve. We are working to reinvent traditional financial systems that have failed to address systemic issues of inequality, economic empowerment, and the widening racial wealth gap by offering a continuum of financial, knowledge, and social capital to help local leaders build inclusive and equitable communities and create generational wealth. This includes a comprehensive package of loan products, impact investment opportunities, training and business advising programs, and technology services that advance locally-led solutions.
Leveraging 80 years of combined experience, nearly $3 billion in assets, and strong community engagement, we have delivered $23 billion in financing, created and preserved 250,000 jobs, and served 12,000 small businesses and five million people across their history.
With headquarters in Arlington, Virginia, and San Diego, California, Momentus Capital operates nationally with a focus on larger urban areas and cities in Arizona, California, Michigan, Nevada, New York, Texas, and the Washington metro area.
Learn more at momentuscap.org.
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SOURCE Momentus Capital | https://www.kfyrtv.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/momentus-capital-annual-report-fy2022-ellis-carr-creating-access-capital-opportunities-all/ | 2023-07-31T17:31:16 | 1 | https://www.kfyrtv.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/momentus-capital-annual-report-fy2022-ellis-carr-creating-access-capital-opportunities-all/ |
Mr. Carr is President and CEO of Capital Impact Partners and CDC Small Business Finance, which operate under the Momentus Capital Brand
ARLINGTON, Va. and SAN DIEGO, July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- For all of us at Momentus Capital, 2022 was a year to remember. Working in cities and communities across the country, we put over $760 million into the hands of entrepreneurs, developers, and other local leaders. In addition, lenders utilized our Ventures Lending Technologies' suite of products to deploy more than $20 billion in financing to their clients. These numbers represent the highest level of investment in the history of our family of organizations.
But beyond these headline figures, what do these numbers represent? What do these dollars actually support? When I get asked this question, three things come to mind:
First and foremost, our work supports people. The people that we invest in are pursuing their own dreams for themselves and their communities. Most are small business owners and community real estate developers, but no matter their line of work, I see them the same way: as builders. In many cases, these folks are the folks that the traditional financial sector has left behind. Through their businesses, projects, and community leadership, they are building a better future for themselves and those around them – and we are proud to support their vision.
Second, our work advances a culture that puts the voices of these leaders at the center of what we do. Local voices shape our priorities, our projects, and our strategies. One of the reasons I admire our staff so deeply is because they are committed to this culture. We adopted our four Core Values – being visionary, invested, collaborative, and intentionally inclusive – to strengthen this culture. We build authentic relationships with our colleagues, our partners, and the community leaders we support. As we do, we strive to always actively listen to how they describe their own wants, needs, and vision.
Finally and most importantly, our work supports communities. Strengthening and supporting communities is the reason we exist. We are committed to the idea that the people of every community in America deserve to live, work, play, and dream without being constrained by a lack of capital, a lack of knowledge, a lack of power. Every bit of capital we provide is about directing power – economic, social, and cultural – to communities with dreams, assets, and aspirations that outstrip the power our current system has allowed them.
We do the work we do so that people, cultures, and communities across this country can thrive. As you can see in our Annual Report, we did a lot last year in the service of this goal. As with every year, our achievements are thanks to the expertise and dedication of our incredible staff. I am grateful for their commitment to our mission and proud of the way they approach this work. As the "first generation" of Momentus Capital employees, they are advancing the work while helping us to build a new type of organization, shaping the day-to-day environment of our organization. Every day, I feel lucky and honored to work with this team.
Of course, the real work is ahead of us, not behind. We are on a multi-year journey to build an integrated financial services organization that puts purpose over profit. Working together with partners, we will redefine how capital flows into underestimated communities so that everyone has access to the resources they need to thrive. The result? An economic system that respects and uplifts all peoples' right to achieve the dreams they have for themselves, their communities, and generations to come.
Thank you, as always, for your interest and support.
To read our full FY2022 Annual Report, please click here.
About Momentus Capital
The Momentus Capital branded family of organizations refers to the combined operations of Capital Impact Partners, CDC Small Business Finance, Momentus Direct Capital, Momentus Securities, and Ventures Lending Technologies. While each organization under the Momentus Capital brand still operates as a separate entity, their clients will now have access to more resources and products.
The Momentus Capital branded family of organizations is transforming how capital and investments flow into communities to provide people access to the capital and opportunities they deserve. We are working to reinvent traditional financial systems that have failed to address systemic issues of inequality, economic empowerment, and the widening racial wealth gap by offering a continuum of financial, knowledge, and social capital to help local leaders build inclusive and equitable communities and create generational wealth. This includes a comprehensive package of loan products, impact investment opportunities, training and business advising programs, and technology services that advance locally-led solutions.
Leveraging 80 years of combined experience, nearly $3 billion in assets, and strong community engagement, we have delivered $23 billion in financing, created and preserved 250,000 jobs, and served 12,000 small businesses and five million people across their history.
With headquarters in Arlington, Virginia, and San Diego, California, Momentus Capital operates nationally with a focus on larger urban areas and cities in Arizona, California, Michigan, Nevada, New York, Texas, and the Washington metro area.
Learn more at momentuscap.org.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Momentus Capital | https://www.1011now.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/momentus-capital-annual-report-fy2022-ellis-carr-creating-access-capital-opportunities-all/ | 2023-07-31T17:31:17 | 0 | https://www.1011now.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/momentus-capital-annual-report-fy2022-ellis-carr-creating-access-capital-opportunities-all/ |
Newberry community reflects following Funeral of fallen Lieutenant Michael Wood
NEWBERY, S.C. (WIS) - The funeral for fallen Newberry police officer Michael Wood will be on Monday, July 31, starting at 10 a.m.
Wood, 48, died after his unmarked patrol car and a tractor-trailer collided on July 26. Wood served with the Newberry Police Department for 20 years. He was promoted to lieutenant in 2017.
Governor Henry McMaster ordered all flags be lowered to half-staff on July 31 in honor of Wood’s remarkable bravery and supreme sacrifice.
Wood was honored at Wiles Chapel on the campus of Newberry College at 10 a.m. Monday, July 31.
His obituary stated memorials can be made to Serve and Connect in Columbia.
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Copyright 2023 WIS. All rights reserved. | https://www.wistv.com/2023/07/31/newberry-community-reflects-following-funeral-fallen-lieutenant-michael-wood/ | 2023-07-31T17:31:17 | 1 | https://www.wistv.com/2023/07/31/newberry-community-reflects-following-funeral-fallen-lieutenant-michael-wood/ |
(WSYR-TV) — The first Tuesday in August is set aside by law enforcement as a “National Night Out,” to build community. Onondaga County Sheriff’s Deputy Katie Kruger has long been involved in outreach efforts, including “National Night Out.”
For this year’s event there will be nine police agencies, two fire departments, three ambulance corps, 911 center, emergency management, county parks, as well as some community partners such as SafeKids-Upstate Trauma, Summit FCU, and Delta Sonic.
The Onondaga County Sheriff’s Office hosts the “National Night Out” Tuesday night from 4 to 8 p.m. at Long Branch Park on Onondaga Lake.
Syracuse police will also host an event, Tuesday, August 1 from 4 to 7:30 p.m. at Kirk Park on West Borden Ave.
There will be vendors selling food at both events, but otherwise, admission is free and open to everyone. | https://www.localsyr.com/bridge-street/national-night-out-builds-community-with-law-enforcement/ | 2023-07-31T17:31:18 | 0 | https://www.localsyr.com/bridge-street/national-night-out-builds-community-with-law-enforcement/ |
St. Lucie County - Monday July 31, 2023: Weather permitting, St. Lucie County Mosquito Control District will perform two aerial larviciding missions over coastal mosquito impoundments between Friday, Aug. 4 and Friday, Aug. 11 to help reduce the hatch-offs of saltmarsh mosquitoes.
A small yellow plane will treat one area north of FAU’s Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute and another on South Hutchinson Island near Bear Point Sanctuary.
Spreading granular larvicide along the marsh fringes helps reduce mosquito breeding that could normally result as the water levels rise. The eggs of saltmarsh mosquitoes can rest in marsh soil along the edges of the impoundments indefinitely, hatching once they are contacted by river water. Once the water levels of the impoundments are raised to a controlled height, the water reduces further hatching by covering the soil that is prime habitat for the mosquitoes.
Fogging maps and schedules can be found on the district’s website at: www.StLucieMosquito.org.
Residents are reminded to protect themselves and their property in the fight against mosquitoes. To prevent mosquito bites, residents are reminded to wear light clothing that covers the arms and legs when jogging or walking in the evenings, as well as using mosquito repellent with DEET. Homeowners can also assist in the prevention of mosquito populations by practicing the "tip and toss" method of emptying containers that collect standing water around their homes and yards. Even a bottle cap full of standing water can provide a breeding habitat for mosquitoes. Plants, especially bromeliads, can also serve as mosquito breeding grounds. However, there are commercial granules that can be purchased to help eliminate the threat.
The St. Lucie County Mosquito Control District is dedicated to protecting people, livestock and pets from mosquitoes and the diseases they carry.
To find out more about what you can do to prevent the breeding of mosquitoes in your yard, please visit: www.StLucieMosquito.org. | https://www.wqcs.org/wqcs-news/2023-07-31/st-lucie-county-aerial-larviciding-for-mosquitoes-slated-for-friday-august-4-and-friday-august-11 | 2023-07-31T17:31:19 | 0 | https://www.wqcs.org/wqcs-news/2023-07-31/st-lucie-county-aerial-larviciding-for-mosquitoes-slated-for-friday-august-4-and-friday-august-11 |
Pee-wee Herman actor Paul Reubens dies at 70Polk County man strikes gold, becomes overnight multi-millionaire in lottery scratch-off gamePhotos: Paul Reubens, 'Pee-Wee Herman,' through the yearsMan turns himself in after weekend shooting in east Orange CountyHappy 148th Birthday, Orlando: Here are 9 fun facts about our City Beautiful | https://www.wftv.com/news/local/orlando-police-share-video-suspects-wanted-after-string-car-break-ins/TNH6UKW325EGNGNZV7PPIKE7KY/ | 2023-07-31T17:31:20 | 1 | https://www.wftv.com/news/local/orlando-police-share-video-suspects-wanted-after-string-car-break-ins/TNH6UKW325EGNGNZV7PPIKE7KY/ |
Paul Reubens, best known as Pee-wee Herman, dies at age 70
(Gray News) - Paul Reubens, an actor and comedian best known to a generation as Pee-wee Herman, has died at age 70.
His Facebook page said the actor died on Sunday after a private battle with cancer.
“Last night we said farewell to Paul Reubens, an iconic American actor, comedian, writer and producer whose beloved character Pee-wee Herman delighted generations of children and adults with his positivity, whimsy and belief in the importance of kindness,” the post said.
In addition to the kiddie TV show “Pee-wee’s Playhouse” and the cult classic movie “Pee-wee’s Big Adventure,” Reubens has appeared in a number of TV shows and films, including small parts in “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” movie and the Hulu show “What We Do in the Shadows.”
Copyright 2023 Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.wistv.com/2023/07/31/paul-reubens-best-known-pee-wee-herman-dies-age-70/ | 2023-07-31T17:31:23 | 1 | https://www.wistv.com/2023/07/31/paul-reubens-best-known-pee-wee-herman-dies-age-70/ |
Multi-year contract is the largest in NRAEF history. Watch this video to learn about NRAEF apprenticeship programs.
WASHINGTON, July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation (NRAEF) has been awarded a five-year $12.2 million contract by the U.S. Department of Labor to grow its Hospitality Sector Registered Apprenticeship (HSRA) program by 5,000 participants. The award is the largest in NRAEF history and affirms its commitment to building a diverse hospitality workforce.
With a special focus on addressing barriers to historically underrepresented populations, the HSRA program will enroll 1,000 new apprentices annually across the hospitality industry over the next five years. Apprentices will receive on-the-job training, as well as nationally-recognized credentials to help them advance through the ranks, earn more, and ultimately build a long-term industry career. Awarded by the DOL's Employment and Training Administration, the project aims to strengthen the Foundation's ongoing industry-wide work to connect current and future industry workers with advancement pathways through apprenticeship.
"Apprenticeship is an answer to many of the workforce obstacles faced by the hospitality industry. More importantly, it is life changing to individual apprentices, offering them a path to better pay, industry skills, and a career," said NRAEF president Rob Gifford. "This new DOL contract represents the next chapter of our work to change 5,000 lives, strengthen the hospitality industry, and ensure it reflects the diversity of the people we serve."
The HSRA program is housed in the NRAEF's Restaurant & Hospitality Leadership Center (RHLC). Since establishing itself as the first recognized apprenticeship program for hospitality management, the HSRA program has grown to include line cook, hotel cook, kitchen manager, restaurant manager, lodging manager, and maintenance employee programs. All programs are no cost to both employers and their employees and help hospitality employers build and manage tailored curriculums that merge on-the-job experience with related training instruction. Learn more about restaurant and hospitality apprenticeship at ChooseRestaurants.org/RHLC.
About the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation (NRAEF):
As the supporting philanthropic foundation of the National Restaurant Association, the NRAEF's charitable mission includes enhancing the industry's training and education, career development, and community engagement efforts. The NRAEF and its programs work to Attract, Empower, and Advance today's and tomorrow's restaurant and foodservice workforce. NRAEF programs include: ProStart® – a high-school career and technical education program; Restaurant Ready/HOPES – Partnering with community based organizations to provide people with skills training and job opportunities; Military – helping military servicemen and women transition their skills to restaurant and foodservice careers; Scholarships – financial assistance for students pursuing restaurant, foodservice and hospitality degrees; and the Restaurant & Hospitality Leadership Center (RHLC) – accredited apprenticeship programs designed to build the careers of service professionals. For more information on the NRAEF, visit ChooseRestaurants.org. Click here for the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation's 2022 Annual Impact Report.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation | https://www.kfyrtv.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/national-restaurant-association-educational-foundation-receives-122-million-contract-strengthen-grow-diversify-hospitality-industry-apprenticeship/ | 2023-07-31T17:31:23 | 1 | https://www.kfyrtv.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/national-restaurant-association-educational-foundation-receives-122-million-contract-strengthen-grow-diversify-hospitality-industry-apprenticeship/ |
Multi-year contract is the largest in NRAEF history. Watch this video to learn about NRAEF apprenticeship programs.
WASHINGTON, July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation (NRAEF) has been awarded a five-year $12.2 million contract by the U.S. Department of Labor to grow its Hospitality Sector Registered Apprenticeship (HSRA) program by 5,000 participants. The award is the largest in NRAEF history and affirms its commitment to building a diverse hospitality workforce.
With a special focus on addressing barriers to historically underrepresented populations, the HSRA program will enroll 1,000 new apprentices annually across the hospitality industry over the next five years. Apprentices will receive on-the-job training, as well as nationally-recognized credentials to help them advance through the ranks, earn more, and ultimately build a long-term industry career. Awarded by the DOL's Employment and Training Administration, the project aims to strengthen the Foundation's ongoing industry-wide work to connect current and future industry workers with advancement pathways through apprenticeship.
"Apprenticeship is an answer to many of the workforce obstacles faced by the hospitality industry. More importantly, it is life changing to individual apprentices, offering them a path to better pay, industry skills, and a career," said NRAEF president Rob Gifford. "This new DOL contract represents the next chapter of our work to change 5,000 lives, strengthen the hospitality industry, and ensure it reflects the diversity of the people we serve."
The HSRA program is housed in the NRAEF's Restaurant & Hospitality Leadership Center (RHLC). Since establishing itself as the first recognized apprenticeship program for hospitality management, the HSRA program has grown to include line cook, hotel cook, kitchen manager, restaurant manager, lodging manager, and maintenance employee programs. All programs are no cost to both employers and their employees and help hospitality employers build and manage tailored curriculums that merge on-the-job experience with related training instruction. Learn more about restaurant and hospitality apprenticeship at ChooseRestaurants.org/RHLC.
About the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation (NRAEF):
As the supporting philanthropic foundation of the National Restaurant Association, the NRAEF's charitable mission includes enhancing the industry's training and education, career development, and community engagement efforts. The NRAEF and its programs work to Attract, Empower, and Advance today's and tomorrow's restaurant and foodservice workforce. NRAEF programs include: ProStart® – a high-school career and technical education program; Restaurant Ready/HOPES – Partnering with community based organizations to provide people with skills training and job opportunities; Military – helping military servicemen and women transition their skills to restaurant and foodservice careers; Scholarships – financial assistance for students pursuing restaurant, foodservice and hospitality degrees; and the Restaurant & Hospitality Leadership Center (RHLC) – accredited apprenticeship programs designed to build the careers of service professionals. For more information on the NRAEF, visit ChooseRestaurants.org. Click here for the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation's 2022 Annual Impact Report.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation | https://www.1011now.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/national-restaurant-association-educational-foundation-receives-122-million-contract-strengthen-grow-diversify-hospitality-industry-apprenticeship/ | 2023-07-31T17:31:23 | 1 | https://www.1011now.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/national-restaurant-association-educational-foundation-receives-122-million-contract-strengthen-grow-diversify-hospitality-industry-apprenticeship/ |
Former Hunter Biden associate Devon Archer is sitting for a closed-door transcribed interview with the House Oversight and Accountability Committee on Monday, in an appearance that is expected to fuel Republican attempts to link President Biden to his son’s business dealings.
The interview follows a letter from the Department of Justice over the weekend regarding Archer’s sentencing for an unrelated matter that is adding to GOP claims of government obstruction of their investigation into the Biden family’s business dealings — even as Archer’s attorney beat down the speculation.
The Justice Department (DOJ) in its letter requested that a judge set a date for Archer to start his one-year prison sentence for his conviction for defrauding a Native American tribe, despite Archer’s counsel saying it was “premature” to do so because of an anticipated appeal and an “error” in sentencing.
That set off alarm bells in the GOP.
“I don’t know if this a coincidence, or if this is another example of the weaponization of the Department of Justice,” House Oversight Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) said Sunday on Fox News.
Other Republicans went further, accusing the DOJ of explicit interference in the GOP-led investigation. Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) said lawmakers should return from an August recess for emergency hearings if Archer did not show up.
But Archer’s attorney stressed the letter would not impact his planned interview, which had been rescheduled multiple times since Comer subpoenaed him in June.
“We are aware of speculation that the Department of Justice’s weekend request to have Mr. Archer report to prison is an attempt by the Biden administration to intimidate him in advance of his meeting with the House Oversight Committee on Monday,” Acher’s lawyer Matthew Schwartz said in a Sunday statement, first provided to Politico. “To be clear, Mr. Archer does not agree with that speculation. In any case, Mr. Archer will do what he has planned to do all along, which is to show up on Monday and to honestly answer the questions that are put to him by the Congressional investigators.”
The DOJ said in a subsequent letter that it was not requesting that Archer surrender before his expected congressional testimony.
His appearance went on as scheduled. A smiling Archer did not answer shouted questions as he arrived at the interview with his lawyer Monday morning.
The interview will comprise four hours of questioning divided evenly between Republicans and Democrats, and it is expected to end midafternoon. Reps. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.), and Dan Goldman (D-N.Y.) were in attendance.
“I believe he can tell us things we haven’t heard before,” Biggs said.
Goldman cast doubt on the GOP attempts to link the president to his son’s business dealings.
“We’re all waiting for any pin, whether it be a linchpin or other pin, to figure out how this is connected at all to President Biden,” Goldman said. | https://www.localsyr.com/hill-politics/hunter-biden-associate-devon-archer-gives-closed-door-interview/ | 2023-07-31T17:31:24 | 1 | https://www.localsyr.com/hill-politics/hunter-biden-associate-devon-archer-gives-closed-door-interview/ |
ORLANDO, Fla. — Orlando’s Health Jewett Orthopedic Institute is offering a new technology for golfers and soccer players recovering from injuries.
>>> STREAM CHANNEL 9 EYEWITNESS NEWS LIVE <<<
It’s an interactive soccer and golf simulator that will help people return to sports stronger than ever.
It gives real-time feedback to both the patient and physical therapist by tracking data that will help guide treatment following an injury.
As an example, the simulator can provide information on a golf athlete’s swing speed, ball speed, and spin rate. It provides similar data for soccer players who are working to get back on the field.
Read: Police kill man who shot at them, held relatives hostage during standoff at Palm Bay home
“A lot of times, patients are a bit fearful of returning to the activity that caused their injury,” said Orlando Health Jewett Orthopedic Institute physical therapist Bryan Manarte, PT, DPT. “This allows them to test their swing or kick with their therapist at their side. We can then use the data to see what we need to work on next.”
Read:
For more information, click here:
Click here to download the free WFTV news and weather apps, download the WFTV Now app for your smart TV, and stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
©2023 Cox Media Group | https://www.wftv.com/news/local/orlando-rehab-has-new-way-help-injured-athletes-track-their-recovery-progress/IJHUB6KKRREQZPNJQLU5JAMCOM/ | 2023-07-31T17:31:27 | 0 | https://www.wftv.com/news/local/orlando-rehab-has-new-way-help-injured-athletes-track-their-recovery-progress/IJHUB6KKRREQZPNJQLU5JAMCOM/ |
Top Player Prop Bets for Braves vs. Angels on July 31, 2023
Player prop bet odds for Ronald Acuna Jr., Shohei Ohtani and others are available when the Atlanta Braves host the Los Angeles Angels at Truist Park on Monday at 7:20 PM ET.
Bet on this matchup or its props with BetMGM!
Braves vs. Angels Game Info
- When: Monday, July 31, 2023 at 7:20 PM ET
- Where: Truist Park in Atlanta, Georgia
- How to Watch on TV: BSSO
- Live Stream: Watch the MLB on Fubo!
Explore More About This Game
MLB Props Today: Atlanta Braves
Charlie Morton Props
- Strikeouts Prop: Over/Under 6.5 (Over Odds: -179)
Morton Stats
- Charlie Morton (10-8) will take the mound for the Braves, his 21st start of the season.
- He has earned a quality start eight times in 20 starts this season.
- Morton has started 20 games this season, and he's lasted five or more innings 18 times. He averages 5.7 innings per appearance.
- He has four appearances with no earned runs allowed in 20 chances this season.
- Among qualified major league pitchers this season, the 39-year-old's 3.57 ERA ranks 23rd, 1.421 WHIP ranks 53rd, and 9.5 K/9 ranks 23rd.
Morton Recent Games
Check out the latest odds and place your bets on any of Charlie Morton's player props with BetMGM.
Ronald Acuña Jr. Props
- Hits Prop: Over/Under 1.5 (Over Odds: +130)
- Runs Prop: Over/Under 0.5 (Over Odds: -185)
- Home Runs Prop: Over/Under 0.5 (Over Odds: +330)
- RBI Prop: Over/Under 0.5 (Over Odds: +125)
Acuna Stats
- Acuna has 138 hits with 26 doubles, a triple, 24 home runs, 54 walks and 61 RBI. He's also stolen 51 bases.
- He has a slash line of .335/.416/.578 so far this year.
- Acuna will look for his fourth straight game with a hit in this contest. During his last five outings he is hitting .412 with a home run, five walks and three RBI.
Acuna Recent Games
Matt Olson Props
- Hits Prop: Over/Under 0.5 (Over Odds: -227)
- Runs Prop: Over/Under 0.5 (Over Odds: -141)
- Home Runs Prop: Over/Under 0.5 (Over Odds: +230)
- RBI Prop: Over/Under 0.5 (Over Odds: +110)
Olson Stats
- Matt Olson has 19 doubles, two triples, 35 home runs, 61 walks and 88 RBI (102 total hits). He has swiped one base.
- He has a slash line of .259/.361/.584 on the year.
- Olson enters this game looking to extend his five-game hit streak. During his last five outings he is hitting .368 with three home runs, a walk and eight RBI.
Olson Recent Games
Bet on player props for Ronald Acuña Jr., Matt Olson or other Braves players with BetMGM.
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MLB Props Today: Los Angeles Angels
Shohei Ohtani Props
- Hits Prop: Over/Under 0.5 (Over Odds: -244)
- Runs Prop: Over/Under 0.5 (Over Odds: -125)
- Home Runs Prop: Over/Under 0.5 (Over Odds: +295)
- RBI Prop: Over/Under 0.5 (Over Odds: +160)
Ohtani Stats
- Ohtani has 17 doubles, seven triples, 39 home runs, 66 walks and 81 RBI (118 total hits). He's also stolen 12 bases.
- He's slashed .302/.403/.680 so far this year.
- Ohtani will look for his fifth straight game with a hit in this matchup. In his last five games he is batting .353 with a double, three home runs, four walks and four RBI.
Ohtani Recent Games
Hunter Renfroe Props
- Hits Prop: Over/Under 0.5 (Over Odds: -227)
- Runs Prop: Over/Under 0.5 (Over Odds: +140)
- Home Runs Prop: Over/Under 0.5 (Over Odds: +400)
- RBI Prop: Over/Under 0.5 (Over Odds: +165)
Renfroe Stats
- Hunter Renfroe has 94 hits with 25 doubles, 17 home runs and 31 walks. He has driven in 47 runs.
- He's slashing .256/.315/.463 so far this year.
- Renfroe has picked up at least one hit in two games in a row. In his last five games he is batting .579 with three doubles, two home runs, two walks and five RBI.
Renfroe Recent Games
Bet on player props for Shohei Ohtani, Hunter Renfroe or other Angels players with BetMGM.
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© 2023 Data Skrive. All rights reserved. | https://www.wistv.com/sports/betting/2023/07/31/braves-vs-angels-mlb-player-prop-bets/ | 2023-07-31T17:31:29 | 0 | https://www.wistv.com/sports/betting/2023/07/31/braves-vs-angels-mlb-player-prop-bets/ |
Formation of new Board and updates to key management roles set to drive and accelerate progression in the region
CARLSBAD, Calif., July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Nice, a global leader in Home and Building Management solutions, today announced pivotal changes within its North American entity to further boost growth and innovation.
, former Chief Commercial Officer of GE Grid Solutions, appointed as Nice North America CEO.
Nice North America begins its next phase of evolution by establishing a new Board to provide strategic oversight of regional operations, a move indicating a sustained commitment to increasing shareholder value, improving corporate governance, and driving strategic growth. The Board will lead four specialized committees, each focused on accelerating growth in the areas of ESG, People Strategy, Audit & Compliance, and Strategy.
Leading the coordination of the Board will be Luca Longhin, who is appointed President of Nice North America and is a long-standing contributor to the mission of Nice. Since 2019, Luca has worked extensively on the North American vision and strategy for growth, including driving post-acquisition integration of businesses in the region. His deep understanding of Nice business dynamics will ensure that North America continues on its successful trajectory while contributing significantly to global objectives.
Emanuel Bertolini is appointed as the new CEO of Nice North America, bringing over two decades of project management, sales, and P&L leadership experience. Emanuel has amassed an impressive track record of driving growth and success in his previous roles at GE, including Chief Commercial Officer of GE Grid Solutions, CEO Americas of GE Grid Solutions, and various board positions. Emanuel's proven leadership and dedication to fostering a culture of teamwork, safety, and compliance align perfectly with the values and mission of Nice.
Emanuel is recognized as a growth-oriented leader with a proven track record of delivering results. His extensive background and global expertise equip him with a deep understanding of business dynamics and the ability to drive success. Throughout his leadership journey, he has fostered a culture of teamwork, valuing diverse teams and perspectives, prioritizing safety, and ensuring compliance.
"We are excited about the organizational developments and future of Nice North America," said Roberto Griffa, CEO of Nice group. "Luca's history of success, not only in the region but also throughout his career with Nice, will continue building on the solid foundation established. We are also thrilled about the appointment of Emanuel, a highly regarded leader, and are delighted to welcome him to Nice. His global expertise working across a range of industries make him an excellent fit for the role in driving continued success to achieve the company's strategic objectives."
Addressing his appointment as CEO of Nice North America, Emanuel Bertolini had this to say: "I am pleased to embark on this exciting journey with Nice, a dynamic and globally recognized company. The clear mission, exceptional team, and diverse portfolio of innovative products and solutions position us strongly to achieve success in the marketplace. Together with Luca, the Board, and our dedicated team, I look forward to collaborating with the talented individuals at Nice to deliver outstanding value to our shareholders and our customers."
In his new role as CEO, Emanuel will officially join on August 7, 2023 and report directly to the newly formed Board. Luca will report to Roberto Griffa and the Nice Executive Committee in Italy. This governance structure is designed to accelerate the progression of Nice in North America, building on its innovative smart home and building management solutions.
The moves take place as the company continues its rapid expansion and convergence of brands, beginning first with ELAN®, SpeakerCraft®, and Panamax® brands to create a more powerful whole home solution by the end of 2023.
About Nice North America
Nice North America, a subsidiary of Nice, one of the largest manufacturers of smart residential, commercial, and industrial solutions in the world, with seamless and easy-to-install technology for smart home control, security and automation, perimeter access, protection and control, sunshade solutions, power management, and whole home entertainment. The company is headquartered in Carlsbad, CA, with several R&D and manufacturing centers across the region. Professional integrators, dealers, and distribution partners grow their business with CEU training and education, technical and field support, and award-winning sales and marketing programs. The company is a proud national sponsor of the Gary Sinise Foundation R.I.S.E. program, supporting wounded veterans and their families with specially adapted smart homes. For further information visit www.niceforyou.com.
Press Contacts:
Agency Contact
BCW
Brittany Gbur
Brittany.gbur@bcw-global.com
Corporate Contact
Mark Burson
Chief Marketing Officer
Nice North America
m.burson@niceforyou.com
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SOURCE Nice North America | https://www.kfyrtv.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/nice-charts-course-bolster-growth-with-strategic-leadership-appointments-evolution-organizational-structure/ | 2023-07-31T17:31:29 | 1 | https://www.kfyrtv.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/nice-charts-course-bolster-growth-with-strategic-leadership-appointments-evolution-organizational-structure/ |
Formation of new Board and updates to key management roles set to drive and accelerate progression in the region
CARLSBAD, Calif., July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Nice, a global leader in Home and Building Management solutions, today announced pivotal changes within its North American entity to further boost growth and innovation.
, former Chief Commercial Officer of GE Grid Solutions, appointed as Nice North America CEO.
Nice North America begins its next phase of evolution by establishing a new Board to provide strategic oversight of regional operations, a move indicating a sustained commitment to increasing shareholder value, improving corporate governance, and driving strategic growth. The Board will lead four specialized committees, each focused on accelerating growth in the areas of ESG, People Strategy, Audit & Compliance, and Strategy.
Leading the coordination of the Board will be Luca Longhin, who is appointed President of Nice North America and is a long-standing contributor to the mission of Nice. Since 2019, Luca has worked extensively on the North American vision and strategy for growth, including driving post-acquisition integration of businesses in the region. His deep understanding of Nice business dynamics will ensure that North America continues on its successful trajectory while contributing significantly to global objectives.
Emanuel Bertolini is appointed as the new CEO of Nice North America, bringing over two decades of project management, sales, and P&L leadership experience. Emanuel has amassed an impressive track record of driving growth and success in his previous roles at GE, including Chief Commercial Officer of GE Grid Solutions, CEO Americas of GE Grid Solutions, and various board positions. Emanuel's proven leadership and dedication to fostering a culture of teamwork, safety, and compliance align perfectly with the values and mission of Nice.
Emanuel is recognized as a growth-oriented leader with a proven track record of delivering results. His extensive background and global expertise equip him with a deep understanding of business dynamics and the ability to drive success. Throughout his leadership journey, he has fostered a culture of teamwork, valuing diverse teams and perspectives, prioritizing safety, and ensuring compliance.
"We are excited about the organizational developments and future of Nice North America," said Roberto Griffa, CEO of Nice group. "Luca's history of success, not only in the region but also throughout his career with Nice, will continue building on the solid foundation established. We are also thrilled about the appointment of Emanuel, a highly regarded leader, and are delighted to welcome him to Nice. His global expertise working across a range of industries make him an excellent fit for the role in driving continued success to achieve the company's strategic objectives."
Addressing his appointment as CEO of Nice North America, Emanuel Bertolini had this to say: "I am pleased to embark on this exciting journey with Nice, a dynamic and globally recognized company. The clear mission, exceptional team, and diverse portfolio of innovative products and solutions position us strongly to achieve success in the marketplace. Together with Luca, the Board, and our dedicated team, I look forward to collaborating with the talented individuals at Nice to deliver outstanding value to our shareholders and our customers."
In his new role as CEO, Emanuel will officially join on August 7, 2023 and report directly to the newly formed Board. Luca will report to Roberto Griffa and the Nice Executive Committee in Italy. This governance structure is designed to accelerate the progression of Nice in North America, building on its innovative smart home and building management solutions.
The moves take place as the company continues its rapid expansion and convergence of brands, beginning first with ELAN®, SpeakerCraft®, and Panamax® brands to create a more powerful whole home solution by the end of 2023.
About Nice North America
Nice North America, a subsidiary of Nice, one of the largest manufacturers of smart residential, commercial, and industrial solutions in the world, with seamless and easy-to-install technology for smart home control, security and automation, perimeter access, protection and control, sunshade solutions, power management, and whole home entertainment. The company is headquartered in Carlsbad, CA, with several R&D and manufacturing centers across the region. Professional integrators, dealers, and distribution partners grow their business with CEU training and education, technical and field support, and award-winning sales and marketing programs. The company is a proud national sponsor of the Gary Sinise Foundation R.I.S.E. program, supporting wounded veterans and their families with specially adapted smart homes. For further information visit www.niceforyou.com.
Press Contacts:
Agency Contact
BCW
Brittany Gbur
Brittany.gbur@bcw-global.com
Corporate Contact
Mark Burson
Chief Marketing Officer
Nice North America
m.burson@niceforyou.com
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Nice North America | https://www.1011now.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/nice-charts-course-bolster-growth-with-strategic-leadership-appointments-evolution-organizational-structure/ | 2023-07-31T17:31:30 | 1 | https://www.1011now.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/nice-charts-course-bolster-growth-with-strategic-leadership-appointments-evolution-organizational-structure/ |
Former President Trump predicted Monday that he would be indicted “any day now” as part of special counsel Jack Smith’s investigation into his conduct after the 2020 election.
“I assume that an Indictment from Deranged Jack Smith and his highly partisan gang of Thugs, pertaining to my ‘PEACEFULLY & PATRIOTICALLY Speech, will be coming out any day now, as yet another attempt to cover up all of the bad news about bribes, payoffs, and extortion, coming from the Biden ‘camp,’” Trump posted on Truth Social. “This seems to be the way they do it. ELECTION INTERFERENCE! PROSECUTORIAL MISCONDUCT!”
Smith is investigating Trump’s attempts to remain in power after losing the 2020 election, which culminated with Trump delivering a speech Jan. 6, 2021, in which he repeated false claims about the election being rigged. Trump supporters then violently stormed and ransacked the Capitol in a bid to halt the certification of the election results.
Anticipation over a potential indictment of Trump has been building for weeks after the former president shared that he had received a letter from the Justice Department notifying him he was a target of their investigation.
Target letters typically indicate prosecutors believe they have enough evidence to bring charges against an individual.
In addition, a handful of former Trump officials have reportedly testified in recent weeks as part of Smith’s investigation into the former president’s actions after the 2020 election. Prosecutors are said to have been interested in whether Trump acknowledged that he lost the election despite his public claims that it was fraudulent and could be overturned.
Trump pursued a multi-pronged plan to remain in office following the 2020 election, turning to the DOJ, state officials and even his own supporters, who violently ransacked the Capitol after then-Vice President Mike Pence refused Trump’s request to overturn the results.
The former president’s attorneys met last week with officials from Smith’s office. Trump called it a “productive” meeting, and he indicated his representatives sought to make the case against bringing charges.
A federal grand jury hearing evidence in the case meets Tuesdays and Thursdays. | https://www.localsyr.com/hill-politics/trump-expects-to-be-indicted-on-jan-6-charges-any-day-now/ | 2023-07-31T17:31:30 | 0 | https://www.localsyr.com/hill-politics/trump-expects-to-be-indicted-on-jan-6-charges-any-day-now/ |
The Pro Football Hall of Fame will formally welcome its Class of 2023 on Saturday. This week, Yahoo Sports is highlighting each member of the nine-man class, leading up to the big ceremony.
Don Coryell never won a Super Bowl or even made it that far. He won just three playoff games in 14 seasons as an NFL head coach, never more than one in any postseason.
He had a 111-83-1 record as a coach in the NFL, which is good but not one associated with a Hall of Famer. He had fun teams, particularly the San Diego Chargers of the early 1980s, but never ultimate success.
Coryell isn't being inducted to the Hall of Fame because of his record or postseason wins. It's because when you watch the NFL, you see offenses still using some of Coryell's innovations in the passing game.
Coryell might not have won big, but he changed the way the game was played.
Don Coryell the 'father of the modern passing game'
Coryell introduced a pass-heavy offense — which was dubbed "Air Coryell" in his Chargers days — to a run-first NFL. He wanted to make a defense worry about the entire field with deep routes and spread formations that weren't common to that era of the NFL. Coryell's offenses were heavy on motion, unlike the rest of the league then. He lined up tight end Kéllen Winslow in different spots to stress a defense, something other coaches would copy years later but flummoxed defenses back then. He forced defenses to start using extra defensive backs, which is the norm today.
Coryell was running an offense that looks very familiar in 2023. He was just doing it four decades ago.
"Don is the father of the modern passing game," former Rams coach Mike Martz told Voice of San Diego. "People talk about the 'West Coast' offense, but Don started the 'West Coast' decades ago and kept updating it. You look around the NFL now, and so many teams are running a version of the Coryell offense. Coaches have added their own touches, but it's still Coryell's offense. He has disciples all over the league. He changed the game."
Every NFL offense borrows something from Coryell's scheme. That's why he's going to the Hall of Fame.
Coryell's offenses dominate
Coryell doesn't have a record that would lead one to automatically assume he'd be in the Hall of Fame, but he was a good coach.
At San Diego State, Coryell was 104-19-2. His innovative offenses allowed SDSU to overcome talent deficits. He would become the first coach to win 100 games in the NFL and in college.
He then went to the NFL and helped lift the St. Louis Cardinals out of the doldrums, winning 10 games his second season. He won NFL Coach of the Year that season. Coryell had a good run with the Cardinals but never won a playoff game with them.
He spent eight full seasons with the Chargers and they finished top five in total offense every season. The Chargers led the NFL in passing seven of eight seasons, and finished second once. Dan Fouts, Charlie Joiner and Winslow put up tremendous numbers and made the Hall of Fame.
Had the Chargers not gone 0-2 in AFC championship games in those years, Coryell might not have had to wait so long for his Hall of Fame call. At the end of the 1980 season, the Chargers were upset at home in the AFC championship game by the Raiders, a wild-card team. The next year, the Chargers won one of the greatest playoff games ever, a divisional 41-38 overtime win at the Miami Dolphins. The next week they played the Cincinnati Bengals in the "Freezer Bowl," with a wind chill of 59 degrees below zero, and lost.
Ultimately, Coryell's legacy goes beyond wins and losses. That's rare for any NFL head coach. But Coryell's spot in the Hall of Fame was well earned. | https://www.wftv.com/news/national/2023-hall-fame-don/GOOJNPBMZQGH264QOVKCIJCOQI/ | 2023-07-31T17:31:33 | 0 | https://www.wftv.com/news/national/2023-hall-fame-don/GOOJNPBMZQGH264QOVKCIJCOQI/ |
Braves vs. Angels Probable Starting Pitchers Today - July 31
The Atlanta Braves (67-36) host the Los Angeles Angels (55-51) at 7:20 PM ET on Monday, a game featuring two of the league's most consistent batters. Ronald Acuna Jr. has an average of .335 (second in league) for the Braves, while Shohei Ohtani ranks 10th at .302 for the Angels.
The probable pitchers are Charlie Morton (10-8) for the Braves and Griffin Canning (6-4) for the Angels.
Bet Now: Get the latest odds for this matchup and pitcher props on BetMGM. New depositors can use bonus code "GNPLAY" for special offers!
Braves vs. Angels Pitcher Matchup Info
- Date: Monday, July 31, 2023
- Time: 7:20 PM ET
- TV: BSSO
- Location: Atlanta, Georgia
- Venue: Truist Park
- Live Stream: Watch this game on Fubo!
- Probable Pitchers: Morton - ATL (10-8, 3.57 ERA) vs Canning - LAA (6-4, 4.46 ERA)
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Braves Probable Starting Pitcher Tonight: Charlie Morton
- The Braves' Morton (10-8) will make his 21st start of the season.
- The right-hander's last appearance was on Tuesday, when he threw 3 2/3 innings against the Boston Red Sox, giving up four earned runs while allowing six hits.
- The 39-year-old has pitched in 20 games this season with an ERA of 3.57, a 2.35 strikeout-to-walk ratio and a WHIP of 1.421.
- In 20 starts this season, he's earned eight quality starts.
- Morton has made 18 starts of five or more innings in 20 chances this season, and averages 5.7 frames when he pitches.
- He has four appearances with no earned runs allowed in 20 chances this season.
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Angels Probable Starting Pitcher Tonight: Griffin Canning
- Canning (6-4) gets the starting nod for the Angels in his 17th start of the season. He's put together a 4.46 ERA in 84 2/3 innings pitched, with 91 strikeouts.
- In his most recent time out on Tuesday, the right-hander went five innings against the Detroit Tigers, giving up two earned runs while surrendering seven hits.
- The 27-year-old has amassed a 4.46 ERA and 9.7 strikeouts per nine innings over 16 games this season, while allowing a batting average of .245 to opposing hitters.
- Canning is trying to record his sixth quality start of the year.
- Canning is aiming for his third straight outing lasting five or more innings. He averages 5.3 frames per start.
- He has made two appearances this season in which he did not give up an earned run.
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© 2023 Data Skrive. All rights reserved. | https://www.wistv.com/sports/betting/2023/07/31/braves-vs-angels-mlb-probable-starting-pitchers/ | 2023-07-31T17:31:36 | 0 | https://www.wistv.com/sports/betting/2023/07/31/braves-vs-angels-mlb-probable-starting-pitchers/ |
(WSYR-TV) — Great things can happen when a group of musicians “band” together, especially on Syracuse University’s campus. SU’s radio station WAER 88.3 brought together five up-and-coming musicians to meet, write, record, and produce a song called Salt City Mashup.
Mira Grimm, a 15-year-old vocalist and guitar player, Ashley Kang, the content producer of WAER, and Joe Driscoll, a veteran in Syracuse Music Scene and mentor, link together to talk about their newest song.
The content producer of WAER recorded the entire process and created a special project called the “Salt City Mashup.” The original song is also now available to listen titled “That’s My Luck.” Although Syracuse is small, most musicians did not know each other until it was time to perform.
As a musical mentor, Joe Driscoll made sure the musicians’ process ran smoothly. The fivesome recorded at Belfer Audio Laboratory on campus and worked with the sound recording professor and his students to complete the audio engineering on the song.
For more information, check out waer.org. You can also listen to the song on YouTube. | https://www.localsyr.com/news/local-news/banding-together-at-su-for-a-salt-city-mashup/ | 2023-07-31T17:31:36 | 0 | https://www.localsyr.com/news/local-news/banding-together-at-su-for-a-salt-city-mashup/ |
The company's 2022 annual audit shows impressive growth with a focus on regional expansion, becoming first fintech startup from Singapore to have over 20 offices globally
SAN FRANCISCO and SINGAPORE, July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Nium, the leader in real-time global payments, has published its 2022 audit, showing US$82M in net revenue which grew 2.7x YoY and ended at more than $100M net revenue run rate. Nium is Singapore's first global fintech focused on payments to reach this revenue milestone. In 2022, the company focused its development on serving high-growth client use cases, in industries such as travel, payroll, spend management, and financial services. This strategy has allowed for the business to accelerate its growth agenda, including global expansion, organic product innovation, continued hiring of top talent, and M&A activity.
"Moving money across borders is broken," said Prajit Nanu, Founder and CEO at Nium. "Legacy banks and payment processors have failed to give businesses the solutions they need to expand globally. Nium fills this gap and has emerged as the new global business standard for real-time, cross-border money movement. We are thrilled to see such success last year and are extremely bullish on not only the scale we've already seen this year, but what we'll see by the end of 2023."
Nium has hundreds of clients across multiple industries including financial institutions, payroll, spend management, and travel. Financial institutions were a priority last year as Nium focused on helping them target new markets with instant bank payouts and expand to emerging markets. Nium powers among the largest brands and platforms in the globe, including Rippling, Payoneer, Amadeus, Aspire, MasterCard and eDreams.
Nium's issuing product also saw substantial success, with over 30M cards issued just last year. Nium helps navigate this rapidly changing landscape, by allowing travel intermediaries and operators to efficiently pay travel suppliers around the world, optimizing every transaction for maximum profitability. On the product side, the company launched Nium Airline Payments, a closed-loop payments solution powered by Universal Air Travel Plan, which provides airlines, travel agents, and online travel agencies with a sustainable and equitable 'closed loop' payment model.
Last year saw exponential growth on Nium's leadership team, including the hires of CPO, Robin Gandhi; GC, Dylan Lowrey; and CTO, Ramana Satyavarapu. With hiring at the forefront, the Nium team was awarded the Great Places to Work certification in India, Malta, Singapore, and the US. Nium also expanded into new markets, including Malaysia and Japan. Due to this expansion of the company and team, Nium saw a slightly higher burn rate than in 2021.
Over the past year Nium raised additional capital at a $2.0bn valuation, adding new investors such as BOND, NewView Capital, Moore Capital and Tribe Capital. The business is very well capitalized and continues to invest in product innovation, new markets and M&A opportunities. "Our investors believe in our mission of building the payments infrastructure for on-demand money and our funding has helped us accelerate our growth aspirations. We're thrilled to have the support of these notable investors and continue to look forward to working closely together to advance our business." said Nanu.
Nium plays in the foundational payment infrastructure market that has proven to be one of the few thriving markets during these challenging times. The company's extensive global reach, broad license portfolio, real-time payments network, enhanced payroll solution, and a team of industry leaders have been the pillars of its success. In 2023, Nium has been focused on regional expansion. The company's recent hires of Volker Steinle to lead Americas business development, Anupam Pahuja to lead Asia Pacific and Middle East business development, and Manuel Sandhofer to lead Europe business development are examples of that investment. This expertise, coupled with new licenses pending regulatory approval, has set Nium up for success in emerging markets including LATAM and Africa. The company has also recently opened new offices in San Francisco, Amsterdam, India, and Singapore.
About Nium
Nium, the leader in real-time global payments, was founded on the mission to deliver the global payments infrastructure of tomorrow, today. With the onset of the on-demand economy, its payments infrastructure is shaping how banks, fintechs, and businesses everywhere collect, convert, and disburse funds instantly across borders. Its payout network supports 100 currencies and spans 190+ countries, 100 of which in real-time. Funds can be disbursed to accounts, wallets, and cards and collected locally in 35 markets. Nium's growing card issuance business is already available in 34 countries. Nium holds regulatory licenses and authorizations in more than 40 countries, enabling seamless onboarding, rapid integration, and compliance – independent of geography. The company is co-headquartered in San Francisco and Singapore, with regional offices in London, Amsterdam, Hong Kong, Mumbai, Bengaluru, and Chennai.
Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1678669/Nium_Logo.jpg
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SOURCE Nium | https://www.kfyrtv.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/nium-announces-2022-net-revenue-grew-27x-yoy-us82m/ | 2023-07-31T17:31:36 | 1 | https://www.kfyrtv.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/nium-announces-2022-net-revenue-grew-27x-yoy-us82m/ |