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(The Center Square) — Boston Scientific plans to invest $62.5 million to expand its presence in Georgia.
The Massachusetts-based company plans to bring roughly 340 new jobs to Johns Creek over seven years. Boston Scientific, which employs roughly 300 Georgians, purchased Alpharetta-based EndoChoice in 2016 for roughly $210 million.
Georgia economic development officials would not say whether the state offered incentives to entice Boston Scientific. They cited a state law that allows officials to keep such information from the public while a project is "active."
"We could not be more thrilled with the decision by Boston Scientific to significantly expand their operations with a new facility in Johns Creek," Metro Atlanta Chamber President and CEO Katie Kirkpatrick said in an announcement.
"Metro Atlanta is rich in assets to support the life sciences industry, including our medical schools, our universities, our large cluster of life science businesses, our highly educated and skilled workforce and more," Kirkpatrick added. "The region is experiencing growing momentum in the life sciences industry, and we look forward to supporting Boston Scientific with their expansion plans."
A news release indicated the state provided Georgia Quick Start workforce training. However, Jessica Atwell, a Georgia Department of Economic Development communications specialist, did not share the value of the training.
In an announcement, Marty Turpeau, chairman of the Development Authority of Fulton County, called the news "a game changer for Fulton County." | https://www.thecentersquare.com/georgia/boston-scientific-plans-62-5m-expansion-in-georgia-but-taxpayer-contribution-is-unknown/article_fdcdb5c2-f8a2-11ec-a28e-f3823477b6bd.html | 2022-06-30T19:15:31Z | https://www.thecentersquare.com/georgia/boston-scientific-plans-62-5m-expansion-in-georgia-but-taxpayer-contribution-is-unknown/article_fdcdb5c2-f8a2-11ec-a28e-f3823477b6bd.html | true | 1 |
Community Health Accreditation Partner Awards SimiTree's QAPI Program Its "CHAP-Certified" Status
HAMDEN, Conn., June 30, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- SimiTree, an outsourced services, coding, professional services and talent management resource for post-acute and behavioral health organizations, has been awarded the prestigious "CHAP Verified" status by Community Health Accreditation Partner (CHAP) for its Quality Assessment and Performance Improvement (QAPI) program.
"A review of various SimiTree QAPI processes and documents confirmed a robust QAPI program for home health and hospice agencies," said Teresa Harbour, SVP Accreditation at CHAP. "Their tools were very comprehensive and easy to use."
SimiTree's QAPI Program achieved CHAP Verified status through a thorough product survey to verify that SimiTree's QAPI program allows organizations to meet the intent of CHAP's applicable standards, said Harbour.
"Through SimiTree's QAPI program, we show home health and hospice agencies to drive patient engagement and satisfaction, improve clinical expertise, raise total performance scores under VBP, address agency vulnerabilities, and more," said J'non Griffin, SimiTree Principal and Senior Vice President, Coding and OASIS. "We're honored to receive this recognition for our QAPI team's expertise, who are knowledgable in developing and tracking data-based performance improvement projects and support."
SimiTree, an outsourced services, coding, professional services and talent management resource serving the home health, hospice, applied behavioral analysis, palliative care, and other post-acute organizations, was created by the merger of Simione Healthcare Consultants and BlackTree Healthcare Consulting in May 2021. SimiTree further expanded its behavioral health footprint in 2022 with a strategic alignment with INFINITY, a SimiTree company.
In addition to clinical, financial, and operational consulting, SimiTree offers a robust suite of outsourced services, including billing, coding, OASIS, Review Choice Demonstration (RCD) and Quality Assessment and Performance Improvement (QAPI), and revenue cycle management; executive placement, interim management, retention consulting and other talent solutions; mergers and acquisitions support; compliance assessments and risk mitigation plans; sales and growth training; and benchmarking and data analytics. For more information, visit www.SimiTreeHC.com.
CHAP is an independent, nonprofit organization accrediting providers of home and community-based care. Founded in 1965, CHAP was first to recognize the need for and value of home and community-based care standards and accreditation. As a Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)–approved accrediting organization, CHAP surveys organizations providing home health, hospice, and home medical equipment services to establish if Medicare Conditions of Participation and DMEPOS Quality Standard are met and recommend certification to CMS. CHAP's purpose is to partner with organizations nationwide to advance quality in the delivery of care and services in the home and community.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Lynn Eastep, Vice President, Marketing, SimiTree, leastep@simitreehc.com
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SOURCE SimiTree | https://www.alaskasnewssource.com/prnewswire/2022/06/30/simitrees-qapi-program-awarded-chap-verified-seal/ | 2022-06-30T19:17:52Z | https://www.alaskasnewssource.com/prnewswire/2022/06/30/simitrees-qapi-program-awarded-chap-verified-seal/ | false | 22 |
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ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — New York lawmakers plan to vote Thursday on legislation seeking to limit the proliferation of firearms in public after the Supreme Court gutted the state’s century-old handgun licensing law.
The state is overhauling its rules for carrying guns after the court decided that ordinary citizens had a right to arm themselves in public for self-defense, something the state limited in the past mostly to people working in law enforcement or security.
New rules being rushed through an emergency session of the Legislature would allow many more gun owners to apply for a license to carry a concealed weapon, but would seek to set new restrictions on where firearms can be carried.
One provision, proposed by Gov. Kathy Hochul on Wednesday, would ban people from carrying firearms into places of business unless owners put up signage saying guns are welcome.
New York would be the first state to pass such a rule, according to David Pucino, deputy chief counsel at Giffords Law Center. In states where carrying guns is more common, businesses that want to keep guns out are usually required to post signs indicating weapons aren’t allowed.
New York would also set new requirements for obtaining a handgun permit, including mandating 15 hours of in-person fire range training. The Legislature is also primed to enact new rules around firearm storage in homes and vehicles.
Gun advocate groups are critical of the new proposed restrictions, saying some of them infringe on the rights upheld by the Supreme Court.
Hochul and fellow Democrats also plan on compiling a list of “sensitive places” where the average person will be banned from carrying firearms, including hospitals, schools and public transportation.
Other provisions require background checks for all purchases of ammunition for guns that require a permit, and bar people with a history of dangerous behavior from getting handgun permits.
___
Maysoon Khan is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on under-covered issues. Follow Maysoon Khan on Twitter. | https://www.lmtonline.com/news/article/New-York-lawmakers-to-vote-on-new-gun-rules-17277224.php | 2022-06-30T19:22:15Z | https://www.lmtonline.com/news/article/New-York-lawmakers-to-vote-on-new-gun-rules-17277224.php | false | 38 |
Standing well over 6 feet tall and donning a vintage jean jacket and oversized cowboy hat, 28-year-old Bubba Bellin stood out like a sore thumb as he ordered a sludge cup at Middle Way Café on Monday. At only 10am, this was Bellin’s second caffeine hit of the day, and the jittery effects seemed to be taking hold as he excitedly recounted his days as a collegiate rugby player.
“You can always tell the musicians who were athletes at one time. We’re just used to people pushing us to be better, and we welcome that kind of feedback. I’m always trying to improve my craft,” said Bellin as he fidgeted with his empty coffee cup.
As a part-time hired gun and co-songwriter living in the heart of Texas, Bellin is used to being open to collaboration.
“There will be days when I feel like I have no creative juices going, so I enjoy having the opportunity to co-write. Sometimes, it even feels like free therapy,” laughed Bellin. “The best songs come from vulnerability, but when you’re co-writing, you don’t have time to go get beers and talk about your life because there’s a deadline. You basically have to meet a stranger and immediately get completely naked – in an emotional sense. Actually, getting naked would almost be less vulnerable.”
But Bellin’s openness doesn’t end with his professional collaborations. When performing as himself, he keeps his sets fluid enough to appeal to the night’s audience.
“I joke a lot about being a human jukebox. Everything from Willie to Merle and anything in between is in my repertoire,” said Bellin.
The son of a former New York City radio employee, Bellin grew up with an appreciation for all genres of music. On car rides as a child, Bellin would listen intently as his father explained the art of storytelling through songwriting.
“[My father] really loved songwriting. He would spend hours explaining what made a great song. I think that all just sat in my brain as a kid,” explained Bellin.
At 16, Bellin was bequeathed an old Jeep Cherokee and a carefully curated country playlist. It was the spark of inspiration he needed to embark on his own musical pathway.
“When I moved to Texas for college, I realized that there is a whole scene of people who really appreciate country music as an art form. I originally went to college for a degree in education, and I was thinking about being a horse trainer. But I decided to be a degenerate musician instead,” said Bellin with a facetious grin.
On the contrary, Bellin exudes kindness and refreshingly rare authenticity. In fact, when he saw an elderly woman sitting on her own after our interview, he decided to play her a few songs.
“She just seemed like she needed something nice to happen today,” he said as he casually repacked his guitar.
As it turns out, Bellin’s prediction was correct.
“I’d had been feeling so down lately,” admitted his audience of one, Patricia Olson.
Bellin’s emotional sensitivity also carries into his original music.
“The best way to describe my music is what you get when Marvin Gaye and Merle Haggard met in the studio for a day. It has poppy, catchy melodies, but there is depth to the lyrics. In my opinion, the melody communicates as much emotion as the lyrics, so I aim to treat them both with care,” said Bellin.
Those lucky enough to catch Bellin’s 10pm performance on Saturday, July 1 at Koot’s will be treated to pedal steel, classic country-western sensibilities, and maybe even a little stand-up comedy.
“I really like to engage with the crowd and tell jokes. I’m not one to be background noise, so if it takes a few covers and jokes to draw in the audience, that’s exactly what I am going to do. I want people to leave with a smile on their faces,” said Bellin.
Backstories is part of a by-weekly column profiling Alaskans (and the occasional visitor) in 750 words or less. | https://www.anchoragepress.com/music/backstories/article_13804802-f7f0-11ec-862a-d37db1f88d4d.html | 2022-06-30T19:25:07Z | https://www.anchoragepress.com/music/backstories/article_13804802-f7f0-11ec-862a-d37db1f88d4d.html | false | 1 |
Sonny Barger, figurehead of Hells Angels, dies at 83
LIVERMORE, Calif. (AP) — Sonny Barger, the leather-clad figurehead of the notorious Hells Angels motorcycle club, has died. He was 83.
Barger’s death was announced on his Facebook page late Wednesday.
“If you are reading this message, you’ll know that I’m gone. I’ve asked that this note be posted immediately after my passing,” a posting said. “I’ve lived a long and good life filled with adventure. And I’ve had the privilege to be part of an amazing club.”
The post said that “I passed peacefully after a brief battle with cancer.”
Barger’s former attorney, Fritz Clapp, told The Associated Press that Barger had liver cancer and died Wednesday night at home in Livermore, California. Barger composed the post placed on the Facebook page managed by Barger’s wife, Zorana, he said.
Ralph “Sonny” Barger was a founding member of the Oakland, California, chapter of the Hells Angels in 1957 and was present at its most infamous moment — the 1969 Rolling Stones concert at Altamont Speedway during which bikers hired as security staff fatally stabbed a concertgoer who pulled a gun on one of their members.
The Hells Angels were typically depicted by the media as the dark fringe of the 1960s counterculture, embracing freedom, drugs and rock music, but also crime and violence.
But Barger, the unofficial spokesman for the Hells Angels, downplayed their outlaw reputation.
“They say we’re organized crime, but if you took every Hells Angel on the face of the Earth and got rid of them you wouldn’t drop the crime rate in the world one-tenth of one percent,” he said in a 2000 interview for Heads magazine. “We’re a little drop in the bucket. There’s more cops committing crimes than Hells Angels.”
Barger’s own arrest record included charges ranging from drunken driving to attempted murder. He served 13 years in various prisons, according to news reports.
He claimed that one of his most satisfying experiences was his acquittal in 1980 on a count of racketeering, and the declaration of a mistrial on a charge of conspiracy to violate the racketeering law.
But in 1988, a jury found Barger guilty of conspiracy to violate federal firearms and explosives laws in plots to kill members of a rival gang. He was sentenced to a six-year term at the Phoenix Federal Correctional Institution and was released in 1992.
Barger capitalized on his notoriety. He wrote three books about his life and philosophy, including a best-selling autobiography, “Hell’s Angel.” A chapter title in one of his books was “Nothing states your position more clearly than a punch in the face.” He also wrote two novels.
Sonny Barger Productions operates a website and sells clothing.
A high school dropout at 16, Barger grew up in Oakland and joined the Army in 1955 with a forged birth certificate. He was kicked out with an honorable discharge after the forgery was discovered.
He started the Hells Angels with friends and soon learned there were other Hells Angels clubs in California. Barger helped unify the clubs.
He served as the main character in Hunter Thompson’s 1966 expose “Hell’s Angels: The Strange and Terrible Saga of the Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs.”
“He’s smart and he’s crafty and he has a kind of wild animal cunning. He was clearly the most competent person around,” Thompson wrote.
Of the Altamont killing, Barger argued that the Hells Angels acted in self-defense. The club member charged in the incident was acquitted. The stabbing was captured by a camera crew filming the documentary “Gimme Shelter.”
Barger underwent a laryngectomy in the early 1980s for throat cancer, which he attributed to a long, three-pack-a-day cigarette habit. Thereafter, he breathed through a plastic valve in his neck, and covered the vent to speak.
“Live your life the Sonny Barger way? I don’t recommend it,” he wrote in the opening lines to his 2005 book “Freedom: Credos from the Road.”
___
Biographical material compiled by former AP reporter Gary Kane.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.ky3.com/2022/06/30/sonny-barger-figurehead-hells-angels-dies-83/ | 2022-06-30T19:25:28Z | https://www.ky3.com/2022/06/30/sonny-barger-figurehead-hells-angels-dies-83/ | false | 43 |
PHILADELPHIA, June 30, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Berger Montague is investigating securities fraud allegations on behalf of investors who purchased the securities Apyx Medical Corporation ("Apyx" or the "Company") (NASDAQ: APYX) between May 12, 2021 and March 11, 2022 (the "Class Period").
If you purchased the securities of Apyx during the Class Period, would like to discuss Berger Montague's investigation, or have questions concerning your rights or interests, please contact attorneys Andrew Abramowitz at aabramowitz@bm.net or (215) 875-3015, or Michael Dell'Angelo at mdellangelo@bm.net or (215) 875-3080 or visit: https://investigations.bergermontague.com/apyx-medical-/
Whistleblowers: Anyone with non-public information regarding Apyx is encouraged to confidentially assist Berger Montague's investigation or take advantage of the SEC Whistleblower program. Under this program, whistleblowers who provide original information may receive rewards totaling up to thirty percent (30%) of recoveries obtained by the SEC. For more information, contact us.
On March 14, 2022, Apyx disclosed that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) would be posting a Medical Device Safety Communication (MDSC) related to the Company's Advanced Energy Products. The Company further disclosed that "[b]ased on our initial interactions with the FDA, we believe the Agency's MDSC will pertain to the use of our Advanced Energy products outside of their FDA-cleared indication for general use in cutting, coagulation, and ablation of soft tissue during open and laparoscopic surgical procedures."
On this news, Apyx's stock fell $4.02, or 40.6%, to close at $5.88 per share on March 14, 2022, on unusually heavy trading volume.
The complaint filed in this class action alleges that throughout the Class Period, Defendants misled investors about the fact that: (1) a significant number of Apyx's Advanced Energy products were used for off-label indications; and (2) such off-label uses led to an increase in the number of medical device reports filed by Apyx reporting serious adverse events.
Berger Montague, with offices in Philadelphia, Minneapolis, Washington, D.C., and San Diego, has been a pioneer in securities class action litigation since its founding in 1970. Berger Montague has represented individual and institutional investors for over five decades and serves as lead counsel in courts throughout the United States.
Contacts
Andrew Abramowitz, Senior Counsel
Berger Montague
(215) 875-3015
aabramowitz@bm.net
Michael Dell'Angelo, Executive Shareholder
Berger Montague
(215) 875-3080
mdellangelo@bm.net
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SOURCE Berger Montague | https://www.wctv.tv/prnewswire/2022/06/30/apyx-medical-corporation-company-news-berger-montague-investigates-securities-fraud-allegations-against-apyx-medical-corp-nasdaq-apyx-lead-plaintiff-deadline-is-august-5-2022/ | 2022-06-30T19:27:19Z | https://www.wctv.tv/prnewswire/2022/06/30/apyx-medical-corporation-company-news-berger-montague-investigates-securities-fraud-allegations-against-apyx-medical-corp-nasdaq-apyx-lead-plaintiff-deadline-is-august-5-2022/ | false | 23 |
Invest in Indonesia Infrastructure
NEW YORK, June 30, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Indonesia has huge investment opportunities. The Indonesia Investment Forum By Sector Series is held regularly in Singapore, Hong Kong, New York, and many other global investment centers in the world since 2013.
The forum discusses various investment opportunities in Indonesia and will open the dialogue between Indonesian business as the investment target and Global Investors.
Christovita Wiloto, Founder and Chairman of Indonesia Investment Forum says: "This year we will have a New York Indonesia Investment Forum By Sector Series. On July and August 2022 we will have 3 free webinars. On September, October, and November 2022 we will have in person conferences in NYC."
On 6 and 20 of July, at the free webinars Road to New York, Indonesia Investment Forum, the topics will be INVEST IN INDONESIA INFRASTRUCTURE part 1 and 2.
- Mychal Jefferson, Chairman Hamershlag Private
- Destiawan Soewardjono, President Director Waskita Karya
- Hendra Purnama, Investment Director of Dayamitra Telecommunication
- Christovita Wiloto, Founder & Chairman of Indonesia Investment Forum
- Aline Wiratmaja, Moderator of Indonesia Investment Forum
The time for the event to be held simultaneously throughout the world will be Monday, July 6, 2022. With the time according to the country concerned:
New York: 9-11 am
Jakarta: 8-10 pm
Tokyo, Seoul: 10-12 pm
London: 2-4 pm
Paris: 3-5 pm
Singapore, Hong Kong, Shanghai: 9-11 pm Dubai: 5-7 pm
Christovita explains: "The Infrastructure sector in Indonesia is estimated to grow at a CAGR of approximately 3% during the forecast period. Indonesia's government increased its infrastructure investment needs by USD 429.7 billion in 2020-2024. Currently, the financing of infrastructure through the Government and Private Cooperation Scheme has reached 83 projects with a total investment of USD 40 billion."
Although 30 projects with a total value of USD 50 billion were generated for the non-government budget expenditure financing scheme. PPP (Public-Private Partnership) scheme is set to build 11 projects with a potential project value of Rp19.7 trillion in 2020. Besides that, the government has four focuses on its budget, namely: education, healthcare, social protection, and infrastructure.
Please visit www.indonesiainvestmentforum.com to register and join the free webinars.
Yordis Victory
Consultant
Indonesia Investment Forum
iifnyc2022@powerpr.id
This release was issued through WebWire®. For more information, visit http://www.webwire.com.
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SOURCE Indonesia Investment Forum | https://www.kcbd.com/prnewswire/2022/06/30/new-york-indonesia-investment-forum-by-sectors-series-2022/ | 2022-06-30T19:27:35Z | https://www.kcbd.com/prnewswire/2022/06/30/new-york-indonesia-investment-forum-by-sectors-series-2022/ | true | 10 |
ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — New York will ban people from carrying firearms into many places of business unless the owners put up a sign explicitly saying guns are welcome, Gov. Kathy Hochul said Wednesday.
The Democrat said she and legislative leaders have agreed on the broad strokes of a gun control bill that is poised to pass as soon as Thursday, just days after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the state’s handgun licensing law.
Because of the court’s ruling, ordinary New Yorkers will, for the first time in more than a century, be able to get a license to carry a gun outside the home for personal defense. Previously, it was hard to get an unrestricted handgun license unless you worked in law enforcement or security.
But Hochul said she also wanted to protect the rights of property owners who decide they don’t want firearms on the premises.
Businesses that want guns around would have to put up a sign reading, “Concealed weapons welcome here,” or words to that effect, Hochul said. “Otherwise the presumption will be in the state of New York that they are not.”
“We’re going to protect the rights of private property owners allow them to not have to be subjected to someone walking into their workplace or a bar, restaurant with a concealed weapon,” Hochul said.
Gun rights groups bristled at the idea that firearms could be banned from many places by default.
“She’s telling business owners how they need to conduct their business if they want to stay open. These are unconstitutional mandates, and I think it’ll be struck down by the courts,” said Aaron Dorr, the executive director of the New York State Firearms Association.
The push to pass new restrictions follows the Supreme Court’s decision striking down a provision in New York’s licensing law which required people to show an unusual threat to their safety to carry a handgun.
The state is setting new requirements for getting a handgun permit, Hochul said, including mandating 15 hours of in-person fire range training. The legislature will also enact new rules around firearm storage in homes and vehicles, she said.
Hochul and fellow Democrats also plan on creating a comprehensive list of “sensitive places” where the average citizen will be banned entirely from carrying firearms, including government buildings, hospitals, schools and public transit.
A handful of states, including California, are considering similar steps to revise gun control measures after the Supreme Court ruling.
New York would be the first state to pass a law to allow concealed weapons only in businesses that explicitly allow it, according to David Pucino, deputy chief counsel for Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence.
In many states where carrying guns is common, the onus is usually on businesses to post signs saying firearms aren’t allowed. Some states, including Louisiana and South Carolina, require people to get permission to bring firearms into private dwellings.
“The state is responding in a very strong way to address the new risks created by the court, but in a way that fits into the framework the court has put forward about what a constitutional set of gun laws look like,” Pucino said.
The Supreme Court ruling said states could ban firearms in particular locations but warned it would be unconstitutional to simply ban guns in all densely populated areas.
Hochul said she is still working with lawmakers to hammer out specifics of the gun control legislation, including on her proposal to bar people with a history of dangerous behavior from getting handgun permits.
Lawmakers will also require background checks for all purchases of ammunition for guns that require a permit, Hochul said.
That’s something already required in several states, and a 2013 state law also would have required such checks in New York once the state set up a database. But legislative leaders and former Gov. Andrew Cuomo agreed in 2015 to halt work on that database.
Dorr, the executive director of the New York State Firearms Association, said requiring background checks would hassle law-abiding gun owners without helping public safety.
“No criminal is going to walk into a retail store to purchase ammunition,” Dorr said. “This is an absurd attempt to demonize law abiding gun owners one more time.”
___
Maysoon Khan contributed reporting from Albany, N.Y. Khan is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. Follow Maysoon Khan on Twitter. | https://www.wkrg.com/national/new-york-governor-state-to-limit-where-guns-can-be-carried/ | 2022-06-30T19:33:46Z | https://www.wkrg.com/national/new-york-governor-state-to-limit-where-guns-can-be-carried/ | false | 33 |
Earthquake of magnitude 6.0 strikes near Luzon, Philippines –GFZ
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July 1 (Reuters) - An earthquake of magnitude 6.0 struck near Luzon island in the Philippines on Friday, GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences said.
The quake was at a depth of 10 km (6.21 miles), it said.
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Reporting by Akriti Sharma in Bengaluru
Editing by Chris Reese
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. | https://www.reuters.com/business/environment/earthquake-magnitude-60-strikes-near-luzon-philippines-gfz-2022-06-30/ | 2022-06-30T19:37:18Z | https://www.reuters.com/business/environment/earthquake-magnitude-60-strikes-near-luzon-philippines-gfz-2022-06-30/ | false | null |
MADISON, Wis. (AP) _ The winning numbers in Thursday afternoon's drawing of the Wisconsin Lottery's "Pick 3 Midday" game were:
5-7-1
(five, seven, one)
MADISON, Wis. (AP) _ The winning numbers in Thursday afternoon's drawing of the Wisconsin Lottery's "Pick 3 Midday" game were:
5-7-1
(five, seven, one) | https://www.manisteenews.com/lottery/article/Winning-numbers-drawn-in-Pick-3-Midday-game-17277314.php | 2022-06-30T19:37:43Z | https://www.manisteenews.com/lottery/article/Winning-numbers-drawn-in-Pick-3-Midday-game-17277314.php | false | null |
About a quarter of Americans live with a disability, but nearly a third of the most popular federal websites are difficult for disabled people to access.
It has been 10 years since the Department of Justice filed a biennial report on the federal government's compliance with accessibility standards for information technology, a bipartisan group of concerned senators say. The reports are required by Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act.
On Thursday, a group of seven senators sent a letter to the department asking for the DOJ to once again issue these reports, and the lawmakers want to know why the agency hasn't filed them. The letter not only has bipartisan support, but also the support of chairs and ranking members of three Senate committees.
"To have no reporting in a decade is just ... unacceptable," said one of the senators, Bob Casey, D-Pa., told NPR.
"It's critical because of the barriers that people with disabilities face all the time, when it comes to the full access that they should to have the resources of the federal government, and the resources, especially that are provided online," he said.
Under Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act, the federal government is required to make all of its websites accessible to disabled people, and to publicly report on its compliance with accessibility standards every two years.
The Justice Department did not immediately respond to NPR's request for comment about the senators' letter.
"Website accessibility means that a website has been designed with the needs of people with disabilities in mind so anyone can navigate that website," says Ashley Johnson, who is the senior policy analyst at the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation. This can include making sure the websites can work well with assistive technology devices such as screen readers that read aloud content, and screen magnifiers that enlarge content.
Without regular reports, "Congress, taxpayers and agencies themselves lack a crucial source of feedback for identifying and resolving longstanding accessibility issues," the senators wrote.
Casey told NPR that reporting is critical — "not just for the executive branch and the legislative branch to have this information, but to get the information out publicly so that not only people with disabilities, but all Americans know what is happening in these agencies as it relates to accessibility."
DOJ previously reported mixed success in federal website accessibility
The latest DOJ report, from 2012, had "identified substantial gaps in Section 508 compliance across the federal government and included recommendations for agencies to meet their accessibility requirement," the senators wrote. For example, the DOJ reported a "mixed levels of success" in implementing Section 508, and recommended that agencies increase training, appoint 508 coordinators, and establish 508 offices or programs.
It is unclear why the DOJ stopped issuing these biennial reports, as well as whether it collected Section 508 compliance data or issued recommendations more recently than 2012. Questions remain on whether the DOJ has the resources and personnel necessary to comply with the law and issue these reports, and what its plans are to begin meeting the reporting requirement. The senators said they want answers regarding the situation by July 29.
Why is accessibility important?
Within the U.S., 26% of Americans live with a disability. Yet, a 2021 report by the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation found that 30% of the most popular federal websites did not pass an automated accessibility test for their homepage and 48% of those sites failed the test on at least one of their three most popular pages.
"Without accessible websites and other information technology, people with disabilities aren't treated equally under the law," Casey said.
Johnson, of the foundation, said that the fact that the DOJ hasn't reported on the federal government's compliance over the last decade speaks to a larger issue of disabled people not being prioritized by society at large.
"We're all so used to having information at our fingertips, literally on our phones. But if you have a disability, and you can't get that information from the agencies," Casey said.
"It just flies in the face of not just transparency, but what our society has come to expect in terms of the ability for people to access information," he added. "So we look forward to [the DOJ's] answers and those answers will help us get a better sense of what's happening and what next steps have to be taken."
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.kios.org/2022-06-30/doj-fails-to-report-on-making-federal-websites-accessible-to-disabled-people | 2022-06-30T19:39:40Z | https://www.kios.org/2022-06-30/doj-fails-to-report-on-making-federal-websites-accessible-to-disabled-people | true | 11 |
DOWNERS GROVE, Ill. — Liz Zolcak has been named the new President of Fresh Thyme Market, succeeding Gerald Melville, who has announced his retirement after a 43-year retail career.
“I am thrilled and humbled to take on this exciting new challenge and to be trusted to lead such an incredible team,” Zolcak said. “Gerald and I have been able to accomplish significant wins with the team during our time working together, and I’m looking forward to even more successes ahead.”
Zolcak has 17 years of retail leadership experience and joined Fresh Thyme Market in 2020 as Vice President of Operations, overseeing the company’s 71 stores. She previously led in both domestic and international operations with Kroger and ALDI, including roles as Vice President of Retail Operations for Kroger, Division President of Ruler Foods, and Marketing Director for ALDI.
Melville became President of Fresh Thyme Market in 2019, joining the retailer from Meijer, the Grand Rapids, Michigan-based supercenter chain.
“My tenure at Fresh Thyme Market has been challenging and exciting,” Melville said. “As I move on to my next phase, I’m very confident Fresh Thyme Market is poised for continued success as I hand the baton to Liz.”
About Fresh Thyme Market
Fresh Thyme Market, a local, community-focused grocer with 71 stores in 10 states throughout the Midwest, was born from a genuine desire to help people live better and healthier lives. Every day Fresh Thyme Market works to be a trusted resource in our communities, bringing people access to real food at real affordable prices. With a local focus on what the community needs, each store provides fresh, natural and organic food at affordable prices. By offering an immersive, intuitive shopping experience, Fresh Thyme Market meets people wherever they are on their journey to living a healthier lifestyle. To learn more, visit freshthyme.com or keep in touch by liking Fresh Thyme at facebook.com/freshthymemarket, and following them at twitter.com/freshthymefm and https://www.instagram.com/freshthyme/. | https://www.perishablenews.com/retailfoodservice/liz-zolcak-named-president-of-fresh-thyme-market/ | 2022-06-30T19:40:16Z | https://www.perishablenews.com/retailfoodservice/liz-zolcak-named-president-of-fresh-thyme-market/ | true | 1 |
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Fourth of July is around the corner. And if you don’t feel like celebrating the U.S right now, you can at least celebrate the dozens of unbeatable deals currently live on retailers across the country this weekend.
Independence Day marks one of the best deals day of the year, right behind Black Friday and Prime Day. We’ve already found some hidden gems that you’ll want to snag fast before they sell out. We’re talking a Le Creuset Dutch Oven that’s 34% off, this luxe duvet color that’s more than half off, and a $50 air fryer.
But there are thousands more deals to sift through so we recommend you take a seat and indulge in some online shopping for the next hour or two. For home goods and kitchenware, head to Sur La Table and Anthropologie; clothes at Madewell and Urban Outfitters; and tech at Best Buy and Amazon.
Check out the best 4th of July deals below:
Sur La Table (70% Off)
Take 20% off your Anthropologie order with the code JULY. This means that you get an additional 20% off sale items. Save 34% on this stunning Le Creuset Dutch Oven; 66% off these rectangular baking sets; and 69% off these sleek double-wall coffee glasses.
Anthropologie (Up to 50% Off)
Save an extra 50% off Anthropologie’s sale items with this limited-time Independence Day sale. Pay less than $10 for a gorgeous multi-colored Tallulah Tumbler; less than $100 off these luxe platform loafers; and $50 for this floral mini dress perfect for summer.
Avocado (Up to $250 Off)
Use the code JULY to save up to $250 on Avocado’s environmentally-friendly sleepers. The Organic Luxury Mattress is one of the best mattresses on the site, featuring 17 premium layers of organic and natural latex, wool, silk, hemp and cotton.
Adidas (30% Off)
Oversized sweatshirts; crew socks; Ultraboost running shoes; and slides — Adidas’s Fourth of July sale has deals up to 50% off throughout the entire weekend.
Urban Outfitters (Up to 80% Off)
Save up to 80% off select styles on Urban Outfitters. This adorable mushroom sweatshirt is only $9.99; this duvet cover is more than half off; and these funky sunglasses are only $5 right now.
Everlane (Up to 55% Off)
Everlane’s sale section cuts a swath through every style, from staple tees and tanks to sundresses and accessories. This stylish button-down is only $36 right now; this ultra-chic trench coat is 66% off right now; and this chunky cardigan (which is simply so, so good….) is only $66. Run, don’t walk!
And if you really want to stunt this summer, you’ll go for this vibrant rib-knit cardigan set, that comes in green, blue and black. It’s to die for.
Revolve (Up to 65% Off)
It’s wedding season and there’s no better place to find a dress than Revolve, which has 65% off on the trendiest brands for the summer holiday. We particularly love this Philamena Stripe Midi Dress (35% off); these ’90s mid-rise Agolde jeans, the perfect boyfriend fit (40% off); and this suede and leather purse by Chloe (more than $100 off).
Madewell (Up to 50% Off)
You’ll be the most polished one in the office thanks to Madewell’s weekend sale, which brings down the price by 50% on the most stylish office wear, such as basic tees, slacks and loafers. In our carts? These classic Francis Loafers (45% off); this adorable and breezy pull-on jumpsuit (25% off) ; and this patchwork gingham dress that is 42% off and can do no wrong. Take an extra 25% off sale items with the code SUNSHINE.
Lululemon (Up to 65% Off)
Lululemon’s We Made Too Much section has some of the best deals on loungewear and athletic bwear on the internet. Get their classic high-rise black leggings for $59; this cozy pullover hoodie for $49; and their breezy linerless shorts for $49.
Best Buy (Up to 80% Off)
Best Buy has more deals than ever this Fourth of July — on everything from electronics and tech, to home appliances and furniture. The best deals we found: a $50 digital air fryer; $100 Airpod Pros; this $119 Sony soundbar; and the best-selling Samsung Neo QLED Smart TV, currently $700 off (yes., $700 off!). | https://variety.com/shop/best-4th-of-july-sales-deals-1235306919/ | 2022-06-30T19:43:37Z | https://variety.com/shop/best-4th-of-july-sales-deals-1235306919/ | false | 2 |
WASHINGTON, June 30, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Florida students will have an opportunity soon to hear from NASA astronauts aboard the International Space Station. The space-to-Earth call will air live at 11:05 a.m. EDT Wednesday, July 6, on NASA Television, the NASA app, and the agency's website.
NASA astronauts Bob Hines and Jessica Watkins will answer prerecorded video questions from Gifford Youth Achievement Center students. The Gifford Youth Achievement Center is a nonprofit organization providing year-round educational programs to improve academic achievement for students from disadvantaged communities. The downlink will be part of a science fair focused on how NASA enables space exploration entitled, Living in Space, Preparing on Earth.
The event is virtual. Media interested in covering the event should contact the Gifford Youth Achievement Center media point of contact, Stephanie Nelson, at: snelson@gyac.net or 772-794-1005.
Linking students directly to astronauts aboard the space station provides unique, authentic experiences designed to enhance student learning, performance, and interest in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Astronauts living in space aboard the orbiting laboratory communicate with NASA's Mission Control Center in Houston 24 hours a day through the Near Space Network Tracking and Data Relay Satellites.
For more than 21 years, astronauts have continuously lived and worked aboard the space station, testing technologies, performing science, and developing the skills needed to explore farther from Earth. As part of its Artemis program, the agency will send astronauts to the Moon preparing for future exploration of Mars. Inspiring the next generation of explorers – the Artemis Generation – ensures America will continue to lead in space exploration and discovery.
See videos and lesson plans highlighting research on the International Space Station at:
https://www.nasa.gov/stemonstation
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SOURCE NASA | https://www.wmbfnews.com/prnewswire/2022/06/30/florida-students-hear-nasa-astronauts-aboard-space-station/ | 2022-06-30T19:44:47Z | https://www.wmbfnews.com/prnewswire/2022/06/30/florida-students-hear-nasa-astronauts-aboard-space-station/ | false | 21 |
Libra Horoscope Today: Daily predictions for July 1,'22 states, be vigilant
- Dear Libra, your daily astrological predictions for July 1, 2022 suggests, to be vigilant regarding your colleagues and competitors.
LIBRA (Sept 24-Oct 23) Lady luck is likely to smile on Libra natives. Reformed strategies would enable you to save money. Today, you need to be vigilant regarding your colleagues and competitors. Don't be overconfident with your co-workers and listen to their input as well. You will be relaxed mentally and will be happy in your personal life too. Some of you look forward to a new romantic relationship for happiness. Engaging in enjoyable and productive activities might help you relax. Avoid stress as much as possible, and do not forget to exercise and eat healthily. There could be some unnecessary travel which can increase your mental stress. Those pursuing academics may face some health issues which can impact their studies. Real estate is one thing on which you can rely to invest. Friends come to your aid if the need arises. Social life will be eventful for Libra natives and it will be a good chance to step out and disconnect from work stress.
Libra Finance Today Once in a while, you need to calculated risks when it comes to money, and this day may provide that opportunity to Libra natives. You may reap rich dividends. Money flow is likely to be encouraging. There are also chances of coming into some unexpected gains.
Libra Family Today The family environment for Libra natives will be auspicious and there will be love and affection among family members. You will get the support of your siblings on important family matters.
Libra Career Today Your communication skills can prove to be an asset in your career, hence work on them. Do not depend on colleagues for every task, but make it a habit of working on your own; only then you will find success. You will have to be more active in taking charge of situations rather than expecting others to do it for you.
Libra Health Today The fitness you have been missing may come naturally to Libra natives today. This is the day to consult your fitness expert for some inputs check-up and customize a diet plan. You will enjoy a bloom in health.
Libra Love Life Today If you are single Libra, you may connect deeply with someone you are attracted to. Don’t rush into anything because of your emotions. Take your time. Those married will be able to resolve persisting differences and enjoy a memorable time with their significant other.
Lucky Number: 2
Lucky Colour: Silver
By: Manisha Koushik, Dr Prem Kumar Sharma
(Astrologer, Palmist, Numerologist & Vastu Consultant)
Email: support@askmanisha.com, psharma@premastrologer.com
Url: www.askmanisha.com, www.premastrologer.com
Contact: Panchkula: +91-172-2562832, 2572874
Delhi: +91-11-47033152, 40532026 | https://www.hindustantimes.com/astrology/horoscope/libra-horoscope-today-daily-predictions-for-july-1-22-states-be-vigilant-101656605702795.html | 2022-06-30T19:44:56Z | https://www.hindustantimes.com/astrology/horoscope/libra-horoscope-today-daily-predictions-for-july-1-22-states-be-vigilant-101656605702795.html | false | 2 |
Over 900 people will be eligible to participate in this round, while over 1,800 eligible employees can take part in the next round of Esop liquidity in July 2023.
“Rewarding employees by creating wealth opportunities is one of our priorities. We are happy to see the wealth created for employees from the recent Esop liquidity event,” said Girish Menon, head of human resources, Swiggy.
The programme, put in place in October last year, was pegged at $35-$40 million at a valuation of $5.5 billion, after the quick commerce player received $1.25 billion in funding in July 2021.
The value of these stock options have increased in tandem with the company’s valuation.
Swiggy was last valued at $10.7 billion following a $700-million round in January.
Discover the stories of your interest
The Sriharsha Majety-led company has also rolled out a new programme called “Build Your Own Dollar (BYOD)”, under which Swiggy employees can choose to invest in Swiggy Esops.
Earlier, only those employees above a certain grade or based on performance were offered Esops.
The BYOD program is now open to all permanent employees, the company said.
“Taking this further, we are delighted to extend the opportunity to own Swiggy Esops to all employees through our BYOD program. We are committed to enabling every employee to potentially gain from our growth and success,” Menon said.
Swiggy conducted its first share buyback in June 2018, while the second one in November 2020 was commissioned via a secondary sale in the range of $7-9 million. | https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/tech/startups/swiggy-rolls-out-esop-liquidity-worth-23-million/articleshow/92569361.cms | 2022-06-30T19:50:26Z | https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/tech/startups/swiggy-rolls-out-esop-liquidity-worth-23-million/articleshow/92569361.cms | true | 1 |
American Academy of Ophthalmology looks to build momentum on national, bipartisan reform bill to ensure timely access to care
SAN FRANCISCO, June 30, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- After a year of sustained advocacy from the ophthalmology community, Aetna announced this week that it will no longer require pre-approval for cataract surgeries starting July 1, 2022, except for people enrolled in Medicare Advantage in Florida and Georgia*. While it remains unclear why these two states are excluded from the rollback, the American Academy of Ophthalmology will continue its effort to protect all patients from abusive prior authorization policies.
Last July, the nation's third-largest health insurer instituted a sweeping and unprecedented new policy requiring pre-approval for all physician-prescribed cataract surgeries. The policy applied equally among its members, from children born with cataracts, to adults whose cataracts interfere with their ability to drive, to people in need of emergency cataract surgery before vision-threatening retinal conditions can be treated.
The impact was swift and chaotic. The Academy estimates that 10,000 to 20,000 Aetna beneficiaries had their cataract surgery unnecessarily delayed in the month of July alone. Since then, the Academy has heard countless stories of patients who were delayed or denied sight-restoring care.
"Aetna's decision to impose a prior authorization requirement for cataract surgery was very difficult to understand since the indications for surgery are well established and the benefits clear," said Stephen D. McLeod, MD, CEO of the Academy. "And the immediate impact on patients subject to unnecessary delay should have been obvious: this is an incredibly common procedure with some 4 million Americans undergoing cataract surgery each year. It has an extremely high success rate with regards to safety and vision improvement, and studies have consistently shown that cataract surgery improves quality of life, lowers the risk of falls and car accidents, and is associated with reduced cognitive decline amongst older adults"
The Academy teamed up with the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery to provide documented patient cases and membership data that substantiated the need for Aetna to rescind its disruptive policy. Both organizations amplified the voices of patients across the country who were harmed by unnecessary care delays and ophthalmologists whose practices struggled under a burdensome approval process that prevented needed treatment.
Advocacy efforts included meeting with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to request increased oversight and working with bipartisan Congressional leaders to advance the Improving Seniors' Timely Access to Care Act of 2021 (H.R. 3173/S. 3018).
Today, support for this common-sense legislation, which will put important guardrails around prior authorization, has grown to include more than 300 U.S. House members and 34 U.S. Senators. The legislation has been endorsed by nearly 500 patient, provider, and other advocacy organizations.
"We thank the original sponsors of the bills, Representatives Suzan DelBene (D-WA), Mike Kelly (R-PA), Ami Bera, MD (D-CA), and Larry Bucshon, MD (R-IN) as well as Senators Roger Marshall, MD (R-KS), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ), and John Thune (R-SD), for their steadfast leadership in advancing legislation that will help to ensure our nation's seniors continue to receive the high-quality, timely care they deserve," said David Glasser, MD, the Academy's secretary for Federal Affairs.
If enacted, the legislation would streamline and standardize prior authorization in the Medicare Advantage (MA) program, providing much-needed oversight and transparency while protecting beneficiaries from unnecessary care delays and denials. The legislation would require Medicare Advantage plans to:
- Establish an electronic prior authorization (ePA) program and require MA plans to adopt ePA capabilities, including the ability to provide real-time decisions;
- Annually publish specified prior authorization information, including average response time and the percentage of requests approved, to improve transparency;
- Ensure prior authorization requests are reviewed by qualified medical personnel; and
- Protect beneficiaries from any disruptions in care due to prior authorization requirements as they transition between MA plans.
While the Academy is encouraged by Aetna's reversal and hopeful that federal reform legislation will be enacted into law, Academy leadership remains vigilant in the ongoing battle to protect patients and physicians from abusive health insurance practices.
*Cataract surgery for Florida and Georgia MA beneficiaries will still require prior authorization through iCare.
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SOURCE American Academy of Ophthalmology | https://www.kwqc.com/prnewswire/2022/06/30/big-win-patients-aetna-drops-prior-authorization-most-cataract-surgeries/ | 2022-06-30T19:57:01Z | https://www.kwqc.com/prnewswire/2022/06/30/big-win-patients-aetna-drops-prior-authorization-most-cataract-surgeries/ | false | 15 |
MINNEAPOLIS, June 30, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Ahead of America's 246th birthday on Monday, July 4th, 2022, Grill Masters Club and BBQGuys surveyed entrants to its Master the Grill Giveaway: "How do you plan to celebrate Independence Day this year?"
Of the 8,650 total survey respondents, a whopping 67% indicated they plan to celebrate with a barbecue. Fireworks was the second most popular celebration activity with 25%, followed by picnic 19%, attend a parade/community celebration 17%, travel/vacation 11%, camping 8%, with only 3% of respondents indicating they do not plan to celebrate. (Respondents were allowed to select all activities that apply.)
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SOURCE Grill Masters Club | https://www.wowt.com/prnewswire/2022/06/30/2-out-3-survey-respondents-plan-bbq-4th-july/ | 2022-06-30T19:58:24Z | https://www.wowt.com/prnewswire/2022/06/30/2-out-3-survey-respondents-plan-bbq-4th-july/ | true | null |
You need to enable JavaScript to run this app. | https://sportspyder.com/nfl/philadelphia-eagles/articles/39945605 | 2022-06-30T20:04:13Z | https://sportspyder.com/nfl/philadelphia-eagles/articles/39945605 | true | null |
You need to enable JavaScript to run this app. | https://sportspyder.com/nfl/detroit-lions/articles/39945922 | 2022-06-30T20:05:45Z | https://sportspyder.com/nfl/detroit-lions/articles/39945922 | false | null |
Nothing Wrong With Hate-Checking a Stranger’s Alt Every Night
It keeps you honest
Welcome to Miss Type, a column about etiquette in the digital age. This week: Is it healthy to be this obsessed with hate-checking a stranger’s alt account?
Unconventional wisdom: I don’t think social media is toxic because it breeds jealousy in me, but because it encourages a sense of smugness that already needs no prodding to spill forth from my guts. I can be a smarmy, self-satisfied type, and every day is a fight to keep that to myself. I’ve found through trial and error that sequestering the evidence strictly in my private Notes app diary is a better strategy for navigating modern living than attempting to tweet about it in a wry or self-deprecating way.
But the risks and joys of Twitter aren’t solely what you might say, there is also what you may read. For example, there’s one account I can’t quit checking, and I use it to self-soothe by indulging my worst impulses. It’s the alt account of a person I don’t follow (I manually search for it, every day) and who doesn’t know I exist. They’re sort of my tether, but I have no interest in rectifying our broken halves into a whole. They’re addicted to posting, and their tweets range from scream-y takes about major league baseball to “she’s a dumb cunt” quote tweet callouts this person is too cowardly to do on main to staged thirst traps employing their toddler as a prop.
But most important, my alt-account poster is pissed to hell about every single thing, and this makes me laugh. But it also makes me wonder: Why can’t I access such fury within myself and fire it off from a Twitter nom de plume littered with selfies? Have I suppressed it, like I do with my smugness? It’s all so confusing and possibly unethical to derive so much pleasure from some stranger’s rage and boob close-ups.
Would a therapist or a primary care physician suggest that I continue to check this account every night after I do the crossword and go to bed? Of course not. And really, the joke’s on me, because I’m the one manually searching an account I hate but don’t follow after every day to get their take on a Twitter fight, a Supreme Court decision, or the movie Elvis. They’ve become my own personal influencer.
But where has the advice of therapists or doctors gotten me anyway, besides exactly where I am right now? I’m Miss Type today – nay, Doctor Type – and I’m here to say that if you find yourself in a situation like this, it’s fine, as long as you’re careful. A little bit of poison indulged in small doses isn’t always harmful, and in fact helps immensely in keeping you upright and able, like a pony beer on the day of a hangover or a polio vaccine.
You’re checking that account because there’s something kindred between the two of you, and don’t ever forget it. Maybe you wish you were brazen enough to call an acquaintance a “fucking idiot” in writing or free enough to post tit pics to the net. Maybe there’s something you can learn from the account. But never let them know that – never interact. | https://www.gawker.com/culture/hate-checking-strangers-alt-twitter-instagram-social-media-etiquette | 2022-06-30T20:05:50Z | https://www.gawker.com/culture/hate-checking-strangers-alt-twitter-instagram-social-media-etiquette | false | 1 |
Whitmer: Michigan legislature has 'no common ground' in fight to ban abortions
KALAMAZOO, Mich. (WWMT) — Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said she's pulling out all the stops to make sure abortion remains accessible in the state. The Supreme Court on Friday overruled Roe V. Wade, meaning abortion is no longer a constitutional right in the United States. It is illegal in Michigan, but...
abcnews4.com | https://www.newsbreak.com/news/2649058401906/whitmer-michigan-legislature-has-no-common-ground-in-fight-to-ban-abortions | 2022-06-30T20:06:43Z | https://www.newsbreak.com/news/2649058401906/whitmer-michigan-legislature-has-no-common-ground-in-fight-to-ban-abortions | true | null |
MIAMI, June 30, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- South Florida PBS' Health Channel is named finalist for its two original productions, "Hope is Here: Episode 4 & Episode 5" in the Cancer Category of the 2022 Sharecare Awards, which celebrates the year's best digitally driven programs that promote health and well-being.
HOPE IS HERE features inspiring and refreshing personal stories told by cancer survivors, and the loved ones of those who lost the fight against this "emperor of all maladies" and sparked a movement. The stories highlighted in Hope is Here are based off, Bonnie J. Addario's book, The Living Room, which focuses on the impact of lung cancer on the lives of its victims. Mrs. Addario's personal lung cancer story is shared in episode one of Hope is Here.
The two episodes named finalist include the stories of Gina Hollenbeck and Emily Bennett Taylor. As a mother, Gina Hollenbeck forges ahead towards a vibrant and meaningful journey with a mission to help find a cure for not only herself but for others who suffer from this deadly disease. In episode 5, we meet newlyweds Emily Bennett Taylor and her husband Miles. They recount their determination to live life to its fullest while fighting for the chance to have children despite a grave cancer diagnosis.
South Florida PBS is one of 59 finalists competing to win the Sharing Care Award, and the public is invited to select the winner by voting at www.sharecareawards.org/voting between now and Tuesday, July 12, 2022.
"It is an honor for South Florida PBS to have two original productions, Hope is Here, Episodes 4 & 5, as finalists for the 2022 Sharecare award. Hope is Here embodies what the Health Channel represents, H=Hope," stated Dolores Sukhdeo, President and CEO for South Florida PBS.
South Florida PBS is Florida's largest public media company, including Public Broadcasting stations WXEL-TV, serving the Palm Beaches and the Treasure Coast and WPBT2, serving Miami-Dade and Broward counties, and the Health Channel, the only 24/7 channel dedicated to health in the nation. Leading the way in this global society, South Florida PBS is committed to creating and presenting award-winning programs focused on kids, education, arts and culture, health, environment, science, and civic engagement.
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SOURCE South Florida PBS; Health Channel | https://www.uppermichiganssource.com/prnewswire/2022/06/30/south-florida-pbs-health-channel-named-finalist-2022-sharecare-awards/ | 2022-06-30T20:07:13Z | https://www.uppermichiganssource.com/prnewswire/2022/06/30/south-florida-pbs-health-channel-named-finalist-2022-sharecare-awards/ | false | 21 |
NEW YORK, June 30, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Prime Number Acquisition I Corp. (NASDAQ: PNACU) (the "Company"), a newly organized blank check company incorporated as a Delaware business company and led by Chief Executive Officer and Chairman Dongfeng Wang, today announced that commencing July 6, 2022, holders of the units sold in the Company's initial public offering may elect to separately trade the Company's Class A Common Stock shares, warrants, and rights included in the units. No fractional warrants will be issued upon separation of the units and only whole warrants will trade. The Class A Common Stock shares, warrants and rights that are separated will trade on The Nasdaq Global Market ("NASDAQ") under the symbols "PNAC," "PNACW," and "PNACR." Those units not separated will continue to trade on NASDAQ under the symbol "PNACU." Holders of units will need to have their brokers contact Vstock Transfer, LLC, the Company's transfer agent, in order to separate the units into Class A Common Stock shares, warrants and rights. The units began trading on NASDAQ under the ticker symbol "PNACU" on May 13, 2022. The offering was made only by means of a prospectus. Copies of the prospectus relating to this offering may be obtained by accessing the SEC's website, www.sec.gov.
This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction.
About Prime Number Acquisition I Corp.
Prime Number Acquisition I Corp. is a newly organized blank check company formed as a Delaware corporation for the purpose of effecting a merger, capital stock exchange, asset acquisition, stock purchase, reorganization, or similar business combination with one or more businesses. The Company has not selected any business combination target and have not, nor has anyone on its behalf, initiated any substantive discussions, directly or indirectly, with any business combination target. The company's efforts to identify a prospective target business will not be limited to a particular industry or geographic region, although the Company is prohibited from undertaking initial business combination with any entity that conducts a majority of its business or is headquartered in China (including Hong Kong and Macau).
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release includes forward looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Forward looking statements are subject to numerous conditions, risks and changes in circumstances, many of which are beyond the control of the Company, including those set forth in the "Risk Factors" section of the Company's registration statement, as amended from time to time, and prospectus for the offering filed with the SEC. Such forward-looking statements include the successful consummation of the Company's initial public offering or exercise of the underwriters' over-allotment option. The Company expressly disclaims any obligations or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect any change in the Company's expectations with respect thereto or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any statement is based.
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SOURCE Prime Number Acquisition I Corp. | https://www.fox19.com/prnewswire/2022/06/30/prime-number-acquisition-i-corp-announces-separate-trading-its-class-common-stock-shares-warrants-rights-commencing-july-6-2022/ | 2022-06-30T20:07:43Z | https://www.fox19.com/prnewswire/2022/06/30/prime-number-acquisition-i-corp-announces-separate-trading-its-class-common-stock-shares-warrants-rights-commencing-july-6-2022/ | false | 14 |
WASHINGTON, June 30, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Mary T. Boyle was sworn in as a Commissioner for the Consumer Product Safety Commission today. Boyle was nominated by President Joseph R. Biden in July, 2021.
Boyle has served in leadership roles at the CPSC for more than a decade, including as General Counsel. Most recently she served as the agency's Executive Director. Throughout her tenure, she has spearheaded key initiatives to protect consumers from hazardous and unsafe products, including the agency's safety efforts on safe sleep and high-powered magnets. In addition, over the years, Boyle has been instrumental in advancing the agency's enforcement efforts.
Before joining the Commission staff, Boyle developed affordable housing programs for the city of Gaithersburg, Md., worked in private practice at a major international law firm, and served on Capitol Hill as a staff member for the late Congressman Stephen J. Solarz and for the Asia and Pacific Subcommittee of the House Foreign Affairs Committee.
"Mary's depth of knowledge, insight and commitment to public safety will serve her well in her new role and will be a tremendous asset to the Commission as we work to keep consumers safe from hazardous products," said CPSC Chair Alexander Hoehn-Saric. "I am grateful the Commission will continue to benefit from Mary's expertise and I look forward working with her, and with the rest of our colleagues, to improve consumer product safety for all Americans."
Boyle has spent more than a decade at CPSC in senior positions across the agency, most recently as Executive Director, and was a career member of the Senior Executive Service prior to her confirmation as Commissioner. Her work has covered a broad range of issues, including policy, administration, legal advice, budgets, product recalls, civil penalty negotiations, and development of rules and regulations.
As Executive Director, Boyle had responsibility for the programmatic, operational, and administrative functions of the agency. She developed the agency's budgets and operating plans, managed its regulatory portfolio, and supervised agency efforts to identify and reduce hazards to consumers. Her responsibilities also included compliance enforcement, import surveillance, and international programs and she worked both with the small business ombudsman and the consumer ombudsman to improve the agency's outreach to citizens.
Prior to being named Executive Director, Boyle served as the agency's General Counsel, the chief legal officer of the agency. Her work included legal analysis and review of proposed product safety standards, substantial product hazard determinations, and administrative litigation. In addition, in conjunction with the Department of Justice, she was responsible for all Federal court actions to which the Commission was a party.
Boyle received her B.A. in English from Georgetown University in 1985 and her law degree from the University of Virginia in 1991. She is a member of the District of Columbia and Maryland Bars.
Boyle was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. She now lives with her husband in Bethesda, Maryland. They have three adult children.
About the U.S. CPSC
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is charged with protecting the public from unreasonable risk of injury or death associated with the use of thousands of types of consumer products. Deaths, injuries, and property damage from consumer product-related incidents cost the nation more than $1 trillion annually. CPSC's work to ensure the safety of consumer products has contributed to a decline in the rate of injuries associated with consumer products over the past 50 years.
Federal law prohibits any person from selling products subject to a Commission ordered recall or a voluntary recall undertaken in consultation with the CPSC.
For lifesaving information:
- Visit CPSC.gov.
- Sign up to receive our e-mail alerts.
- Follow us on Facebook, Instagram @USCPSC and Twitter @USCPSC.
- Report a dangerous product or a product-related injury on www.SaferProducts.gov.
- Call CPSC's Hotline at 800-638-2772 (TTY 301-595-7054).
- Contact a media specialist.
Release Number: 22-179
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SOURCE U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission | https://www.nbc11news.com/prnewswire/2022/06/30/mary-t-boyle-sworn-cpsc-commissioner/ | 2022-06-30T20:08:17Z | https://www.nbc11news.com/prnewswire/2022/06/30/mary-t-boyle-sworn-cpsc-commissioner/ | false | 12 |
We are in a new space race. In the 1960s, the U.S. and USSR were in a race to the moon. Today in the 2020s, capitalism is in a race to monetize space. Buying a space ETF in 2021 could be like buying VGT back in 2004. Both the ARKX and UFO ETFs have less than 3 years' performance, meaning the methodology for investing will inform us of which is the better ETF. UFO has a better methodology and moving forward should outperform ARKX.
Source: Seeking Alpha BATS:ARKX & NASDAQ:UFO Pages, Compiled by Author
Given their brief existence, we can’t compare them based on past performance, so at face value both ETFs look very similar with the only difference of any significance being UFO has a dividend and ARKX does not.
Source: ARKX & UFO Prospectus
Between ARKX & UFO, there are 8 holdings in common and they make up 31.77% and 24.94% of the ETFs, respectively, which shows there is a significant difference between their investment strategies.
The ARKX ETF was launched on March 30, 2021. The investment strategy is for the ETF to invest at least 80% of its assets in equity securities engaged in space exploration and innovation. It defines space exploration as “leading, enabling, or benefiting from technologically enabled products and/or services that occur beyond the surface of the earth.” It defines innovation as “disruptive innovation” which is further defined as a tech enabled service or product that is expected to change an industry landscape.
ARKX is actively managed, meaning they may sell a stock if it is overvalued, or a sector, industry, or company specific change makes it an unfavorable investment. The fund can also buy hedges, derivatives, and move into cash if they feel such investment tactics are useful in the present environment. This is not something I found in ARK’s fund ARKK or ARKW and may be part of a new strategy to avoid the volatility other ARK funds have experienced this year.
At this point, it becomes clear that ARKX is not solely focused on space and has some latitude to invest in other equities. I suspect this is in part to improve the ETF’s performance in the short term since the pickings for space related stocks are rather slim.
I think it will be a few years before we know for sure how much of ARKX will be focused on space vs. innovation. At the time of this writing, the most famous space companies, SpaceX and Blue Origin, have no expected IPO date. In Elon Musk’s biography by Ashlee Vance, Musk states that there will be no SpaceX IPO until a Mars launch is “secure”. He goes on to say based on his experience with Tesla (TSLA) that taking SpaceX public would complicate SpaceX’s mission of going to Mars. Jeff Bezos, the owner of Blue Origin, has said nothing about a potential IPO.
It should also be pointed out that ARKX does not hold any shares in the most famous public space company, Virgin Galactic (SPCE), so there is reason to question whether ARKX would hold SpaceX and Blue Origin if they went public.
On the innovation side, ARKX holds well-known companies like NVIDIA (NVDA), JD.com (JD), Netflix (NFLX), and Tencent (OTCPK:TCEHY). Altogether, the innovative companies make up 15-20% of the ETF. I expect these are long-term investments and not something ARKX would sell to buy shares in SpaceX.
UFO seeks to track the S-Network Space Index developed by S-Network Global Indexes. The ETF intends to invest at least 80% of its assets in companies that make at least 50% of their revenues or profits from space related businesses that are components of the underlying index.
The underlying index focuses on “space-related business” defined as products or services entirely dependent on “space-based functions” which is defined as a function carried out by hardware, humans, or software physically located in space. Lastly, it uses the Karman line to define what space is. For those unaware, the Karman line defines space as an altitude of 62 miles or 100 kilometres.
Being a passive index subjects you to certain arbitrage disadvantages. We saw this last year when Tesla was being added to the S&P 500. A number of funds were forced to buy Tesla at or near record highs due to investors buying the stock in anticipation of inclusion. The same applies to stocks that are being removed from the index. Usually this is not a problem because a 500-member index means smaller companies represent little of the index, and usually when a company is added to the S&P 500 it is one of the smaller companies.
UFO does not have the benefits the S&P 500 has. Its portfolio consists of around 30 stocks and future IPOs of space related companies can become a large part of the index, such as SpaceX which is already valued at $70 billion. Starlink, a subsidiary of SpaceX, is likely to go public before the parent company and may fetch a high valuation as a way to gain exposure to SpaceX the same way companies like Yahoo gave investors exposure to Chinese companies in the last decade.
UFO is allowed to buy companies it expects to be included in the underlying index before their inclusion is announced and is likewise able to sell companies it expects to be removed prior to announcement. They can also purchase securities outside of the index in order to replicate the index’s movements. This flexibility will hopefully reduce the disadvantage of passive investing.
ARKX’s greatest strength is its management. Cathie Wood has become one of the most well-known money managers in finance. ARK funds have a reputation of making accurate picks of the future and the space industry seemingly falls within ARK’s area of expertise. ARKX’s ability to buy innovation related companies gives it access to a larger growth universe in the present given the space industry is still in its infancy. Buying ARKX is a bet on the ARK team to pick the winners in space like they have with tech.
UFO benefits from passive index investing. The last decade saw a move toward passive investing from active management due to academic publications showing the underperformance of active management. The index UFO follows is a pure space play focused exclusively on companies that require operations in space to run their business. For the time being, this means the index is heavy on satellite companies like Garmin (NASDAQ:GRMN), and industrial companies like Boeing (NYSE:BA) which have been actively traded for decades and are not as volatile as newer space companies like Virgin Galactic. This should help reduce volatility in the ETF while still capturing the growth associated with space.
The most significant weakness of ARKX is its split focus. People looking at ARKX are largely interested in exposure to space and are not interested in owning shares in companies like Netflix. I believe everyone is in agreement that space will be a trillion dollar industry by 2040, possibly sooner. By splitting its AUM between space focused companies and other innovation companies like Netflix, they are setting ARKX’s performance to be less correlated to the space industry compared to peers like UFO, ITA and ROKT.
UFO’s greatest weakness is the fee they charge. As a passive investment product, it is expected to have a lower fee compared to actively managed products. What we find is both ARKX and UFO charge a 0.75% fee. ROKT is a passive ETF and charges a fee that is almost 50% less of what UFO charges. This means that UFO will most likely be undercut as more space focused ETFs come to market.
I believe UFO presents a better investment compared to ARKX because of its singular focus on companies that are dependent on space for their business. The fact that UFO also holds SPCE, and ARKX does not, gives the investor confidence that UFO will also hold other space companies when they become public like Astra (HOL), Redwire (GNPK), Rocket Lab (VACQ), and Spire Global (NSH).
Right now, the pickings are slim in the space industry and all Space ETFs are unable to invest in the most exciting companies. That is changing with SPACs bringing several companies public and this is a trend that is likely to continue. The strategy of UFO’s underlying index is the closest you can get to a guarantee that UFO will be holding these companies too. Anyone concerned that the ETF is heavy on orbital satellites should note that at the present the majority of economic use we get from space is related to satellites.
This article was written by
Disclosure: I/we have no positions in any stocks mentioned, and no plans to initiate any positions within the next 72 hours. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article. | https://seekingalpha.com/article/4433371-arkx-vs-ufo-etf-hitchhike-a-ride-to-the-galaxy-on-ufo | 2022-06-30T20:09:10Z | https://seekingalpha.com/article/4433371-arkx-vs-ufo-etf-hitchhike-a-ride-to-the-galaxy-on-ufo | false | 1 |
Key market indices end flat in choppy trade
Sensex gained 350.57 pts to 53,377.54 in intra-session, but fag-end selling erodes early gains
Mumbai: Benchmark indices ended on a flat note on Thursday as fag-end selling wiped out intra-day gains amid weak global trends. The BSE benchmark Sensex slipped 8.03 points or 0.02 per cent to settle at 53,018.94. During the day, it had gained 350.57 points or 0.66 per cent to 53,377.54. Similarly, the broader NSE Nifty fell 18.85 points or 0.12 per cent to close at 15,780.25.
"Asian and European markets struggled to regain footing amid global recession fears, leading to a resurgent US dollar, which benefitted from safe-haven demand. FII selling nearing exhaustion provided comfort to the jittery Indian market," said Vinod Nair, head (research) at Geojit Financial Services. "The undertone remains bearish due to weak global cues and persistent foreign fund outflows. There is so much uncertainty that traders don't want to risk placing huge bullish bets," said Shrikant Chouhan, Head of Equity Research (Retail), Kotak Securities Ltd.
Foreign institutional investors (FIIs) remained net sellers in the capital market, as they sold shares worth Rs 851.06 crore on Wednesday, as per exchange data. Tech Mahindra was the biggest laggard in the Sensex pack, dropping 2.09 per cent, followed by Bajaj Finance, Bajaj Finserv, Tata Steel, IndusInd Bank, HCL Tech and M&M. In contrast, Axis Bank, SBI, Kotak Mahindra Bank, NTPC, Larsen & Toubro and Reliance Industries were among the prominent gainers, rising up to 1.74 per cent. | https://www.thehansindia.com/business/key-market-indices-end-flat-in-choppy-trade-751308 | 2022-06-30T20:11:03Z | https://www.thehansindia.com/business/key-market-indices-end-flat-in-choppy-trade-751308 | true | 2 |
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CORBIN
July 3 – The fireworks show for Corbin will be held Sunday at the Corbin Arena. Fireworks will go off at 9:45 p.m., but there will be plenty of live entertainment and vendors to enjoy all evening. The band Ruthless Vendetta will perform at 6:30 p.m., while Gravel Switch will perform at 8 p.m. This event is free and open to the public, and those in attendance are encouraged to bring their own lawn chairs.
July 4 - West Knox Volunteer Fire Department will host fireworks at the firehouse at dusk.
LONDON
July 2 – The City of London will host their annual Red, White and Boom festivities on Saturday at College Park located on Hwy 192 next to Laurel County Public Library. Festivities begin at 4 p.m. Saturday with live entertainment, contests and much more. Fireworks will begin at dusk. The event is free and open to the public.
July 2 – The London Community Band will host their annual Patriotic Concert on Saturday at London First Baptist Church beginning at 7 p.m.
July 2 – Wildcat Harley-Davidson will host their “Red, White and Vroom” Cruise-In on Saturday. The event will begin at 11 a.m. and will include free hot dogs, ice cream and live music by Cody Lee Meece. The cruise-in is free for any car or bike club/enthusiast who wishes to join. There will be a crowd vote for People’s Choice car and bike and a runner-up for each.
WILLIAMSBURG
July 4 – The City of Williamsburg will host their annual Independence Day Celebration on Monday, July 4 at the Kentucky Splash Waterpark and Campground. Festivities will begin at 7 p.m. with a Picnic in the Park under the umbrella by the gift shop of the waterpark. Hot dogs, chips and a drink will be served for $6 with other treats available, as well. There will also be Lifeguard Olympics and other activities provided by the staff, as well as a hot dog eating contest at 7:30 p.m. and the annual Duck Race that will begin at 8 p.m. with a $500 grand prize. There will be no entry charge into the waterpark after 7 p.m.
July 2 – The Goldbug Volunteer Fire Department will be hosting their fourth annual Fourth of July event and fundraiser on Saturday, July 2, at the Whitley County Soccer Complex. Beginning at 6 p.m., families can enjoy smoked BBQ with homemade sides and a dessert for $7 for ages 8 and up and a fireworks display beginning at dusk. Those in attendance are encouraged to bring their own lawn chairs to enjoy the fireworks show.
July 4 – The annual “Let Freedom Ring!” event, hosted by the Captain Charles Gatliff Chapter of the Kentucky Society of the Sons of the American Revolution (KYSSAR) and the William Whitley Chapter of the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR), will be held on Monday at 11 a.m. at Patriot Park which is located at the University of the Cumberlands in front of the Hutton School of Business, near the Liberty Bell replica. The program will last approximately 45 minutes and will include a reading of the Declaration of Independence and the traditional bell ringing.
BARBOURVILLE
July 2 — Barbourville is hosting several events throughout the day Saturday. Skate the City will be in Mitchell's parking lot from 1-10 p.m. A patriotic dog costume contest will be at 4 p.m. in Mitchell's parking lot, at 5 p.m. a kids bicycle and scooter parade will go around Court Square, and Knox Street Thunder from 4-9 p.m. around Court Square. A concert featuring Sneaky Pete Band will be in the courthouse parking lot from 5-7 p.m., followed by Rags and Riches Band at 7:30-9:30 p.m. The Miss and Mr. Red, White and Blue Pageant will be in Mitchell's parking lot at 5:30 p.m., followed by the hot dog eating contest at 7 p.m. A golf cart parade will begin at 9 p.m. that will go from Court Square to Knox Street.
July 4 – The City of Barbourville will host their annual fireworks show on Monday, July 4 at the old Barbourville Waterpark. The fireworks display will begin at dusk. Live music from the Silhouette Band will begin at 7 p.m. The event is open to the public and people are encouraged to bring their own blankets or lawn chairs for the show. New this year is the City of Barbourville’s Red, White, and Blue 4th of July Parade beginning at 9 p.m. and will begin on the Court Square.
HOLLY BAY MARINA
July 2 – Holly Bay Marina will host their annual fireworks show on Saturday, July 2, and will start right at dark. The fireworks will be set off at the no wake buoys. | https://www.thetimestribune.com/news/local_news/fourth-of-july-events-set-in-tri-county/article_5dbc533f-2128-530b-9680-7eeb4c733eb9.html | 2022-06-30T20:13:02Z | https://www.thetimestribune.com/news/local_news/fourth-of-july-events-set-in-tri-county/article_5dbc533f-2128-530b-9680-7eeb4c733eb9.html | true | 1 |
In March 2020, nationwide shutdowns in response to the coronavirus pandemic resulted in massive stock price declines for REITs. Since then, prices have continued to increase. The Vanguard REIT index is trading higher than pre-COVID levels today, demonstrating the lack of potential value REITs at COVID discounts. Whitestone REIT remains an exception. Their stock trades at $8.40 today, nearly 40% below their pre-COVID levels of $13.50.
Whitestone has weathered the pandemic remarkably well. Rental collection rates stand at 95%, declines in same store net operating income have been in the low single digits, and they hold a highly attractive portfolio of shopping centers in Arizona and Texas. Whitestone’s highly attractive portfolio and market locations combine with a very low valuation relative to comparable shopping center REITs. Despite the compelling value proposition posed by WSR, concerns exist surrounding poor earnings growth history, management compensation, and leverage.
Whitestone owns 53 shopping centers in six markets: Phoenix, Austin, Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, and Chicago. They also hold five properties that consist of land for development.
Excluding Whitestone's Chicago holding, their five markets are in high growth and business friendly states. These markets have faced reduced disruption from COVID and are positioned to experience superior growth population and employment prospects. Whitestone's properties are also located in densely populated and high income regions.
Their properties can generate greater traffic levels, especially among consumers with higher levels of disposable income that can be spent at their properties.
Whitestone’s weighted average lease term is just over 4 years, and their current occupancy rate is 89%.
The story of retail has been bifurcation. A massive discrepancy in the performance of retail has occurred based on the subsector. CBRE recently detailed in their yearly outlook that single-tenant retail and open air shopping centers located in higher growth suburbs or smaller metro areas possess stability that will continue to attract investor demand and potential for cap rate compression. This contrasts with the immense struggles occurring among malls and urban-core shopping centers, which are experiencing the greatest rental rate and occupancy declines.
While single-tenant retail is viewed as the preferred asset class among retail real estate investors, Whitestone’s shopping center portfolio has several features that contribute to their positive outlook. Two big themes that will impact retail real estate over the next several years include the continued rise of e-commerce and the immense pent-up demand that has been created by temporary shutdowns and massive federal stimulus packages.
Whitestone’s portfolio is primarily composed of service-oriented tenants that occupy around 2,500 square foot spaces. With the pandemic in the rearview mirror as shutdowns and occupancy restrictions are lifted, e-commerce remains the foremost long-term risk to shopping center performance.
Whitestone's top five tenant sectors include restaurants, grocery, financial services, salons, and medical and dental.
Each of these sectors have been resistant to e-commerce penetration, given their service-based nature. In a call from 2017, management indicated that 83% of their tenants are defined as e-commerce resistant. Management has positioned the company well to weather potential turbulence from elevated retailer bankruptcies.
Federal stimulus has contributed to more than $2.6 trillion in excess savings. Middle and upper income households have massively built up their savings, which will drive demand for experiential real estate. Whitestone’s service-oriented portfolio should insulate them from e-commerce penetration. And their tenants are well-positioned to benefit from pent up demand that could explode in the next several quarters.
While the average rent escalations on single-tenant retail properties are in the low 1% range, Whitestone has generated superior leasing spreads. In the first quarter, Whitestone generated 9% leasing spreads with a weighted average lease term of 4.3 years, resulting in average annual rental rate increases of over 2%.
Source - Company Q1 Supplement
Recent leasing trends are far from an anomaly. Leasing trends have actually been weaker than previous years because of the pandemic. Whitestone’s ability to generate consistently above-average results is a testament to the strength of their properties and market location. Whitestone’s leasing spreads have bested shopping center REIT peers and are favorable to the modest low 1% annual lease escalations for most net lease retail properties.
In 2020, Whitestone generated $.93 in core FFO. Subtracting leasing commissions, tenant improvements, and maintenance capex gives a good estimate of the company’s cash flow available for distribution. These cash outflows are often not reported with FFO, distorting the company’s true earnings levels. Though they vary by year, they are recurring.
Whitestone’s true CAD per share is closer to $.75 per share, resulting in a P/CAD ratio of around 11.
Whitestone's multiple is vastly lower than the earnings multiples of many of Whitestone’s peer shopping center companies, though they carry higher debt levels. The valuation discount comes despite Whitestone’s similar rental rates and recent outperformance over the past year.
The company’s discount to estimated net asset value is also quite jarring. Whitestone has published that their estimated cap rate is 6%. This initially appeared quite low, but after taking into account their portfolio stability and Kimco’s recent acquisitions of Weingarten at a cap rate in the high 5% range, it is probably in the range.
Assuming cap rates between 6-7% would generate a net asset value in the range of $12.90 and $17.50 per share, way above their current stock price of $8.30.
The recent Weingarten acquisition has particularly sold me on Whitestone, given that they both hold sunbelt- dominated portfolios with similar rental rates and percentage of assets grocery-anchored.
Whitestone’s stock price is unjustifiably discounted relative to their fair value. Legitimate concerns regarding management keep the company from trading in line with its peer shopping center companies. For one, management is way over compensated. Whitestone’s G&A as a percentage of revenue is just over 18%. In contrast, most of their peers are in the range of 5 and 10%. Dane Bowler made a great point in a past article on Whitestone that this equates to around 6% of their market cap they are shedding each year, making it harder to grow the company and attract investors.
As mentioned previously, Whitestone has much higher debt levels than many of their peer shopping center companies. Management has routinely stated over the years they intend to reduce leverage levels, which have only gotten worse over the past several years. In their Q4 2017 conference call, management remarked they wanted to reduce their debt/EBITDA ratio to the range of 6-7. Currently, it stands at over 9, up from 8.6 in 2017. It is no coincidence that Cedar Realty and Whitestone both have very high management spending and debt levels and are rewarded by investors with low multiples.
Lastly, earnings have been declining for Whitestone over the past several years recently. The company’s FFO core per share is down 31% since 2016.
Declining earnings are the result of property dispositions and a dividend payout that had been uncovered by cash available for distribution for years. Previously, Whitestone was paying out $1.14 in dividends annually. The annual dividend payout has been reduced to $.43 per share, which is still good for a 5.2% yield and allows for excess funds to be used for renovations and potential new acquisitions. Rent collections inching back towards pre-COVID levels and population and employment growth tailwinds propelling the sunbelt region could reverse the trend of earnings decline.
Whitestone’s portfolio of stable shopping centers located in the sunbelt and discounted valuation present a strong value proposition at current prices. Their recent stock price decline comes as shopping center REIT prices return even higher than pre-COVID levels. Management has impressed by purchasing and managing assets that have achieved strong NOI growth. Now they must work to translate this into FFO per share growth if they are going to finally achieve capital appreciation. Cutting the dividend was a good first step, but they must also work to bring down management costs and reduce leverage levels. The stock price has potential if necessary changes are made to the company over the next couple years.
This article was written by
Alex Mansour is an undergraduate college student. Writing for Seeking Alpha since 2019, I cover primarily the equity real estate investment trust (REITs) space. I invest across all sectors of real estate, focusing on companies with strong earnings growth and trading at discounts to fair value. Relative to other analysts, my coverage emphasizes smaller and underfollowed companies that receive less attention from the mainstream, resulting in discounted valuations. While a long-term investor, I will recycle capital from companies that have reached or exceeded their fair value into more undervalued companies.
Subscribe to my free newsletter on substack: https://dividendstocks.substack.com/publish
Promoting Contributor for Hoya Capital Income Builder.
Disclosure: I am/we are long WSR. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article. | https://seekingalpha.com/article/4433414-whitestone-reit-monthly-dividend-payer-with-a-compelling-story-and-valuation | 2022-06-30T20:13:47Z | https://seekingalpha.com/article/4433414-whitestone-reit-monthly-dividend-payer-with-a-compelling-story-and-valuation | true | 1 |
Unions Threaten To Picket SAHCO Over 13th-Month Gross Salary
LAGOS – Aviation unions are set to ground activities at the Skyway Aviation Handling Company (SAHCO) Plc from next Monday, following the refusal of its management to approve the 13th-month gross salary to its members in the company.
A statement jointly signed by Comrade Frances Akinjole, Comrade Ocheme Aba, Deputy General Secretary and General Secretary of the Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN) and National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE), respectively said that the action was the resolution of the joint congress of the unions reached on Tuesday, December 14, 2021.
The statement hinted that the management had failed to effect the payment of 100 per cent gross salary as the 13th month to every staff, which was duly expressed in their joint letter of December 14, 2021, stressing that the action of the management violated the Condition of Service (CoS) of the company’s workers.
The statement added: “We hereby inform that SAHCO workers are fully mobilised to commence a total withdrawal of services in all SAHCO operational locations nationwide, starting from Monday, December 20, 2021.
”The sanctity of SAHCO staff Conditions of Service (CoS) must be sustained.” | https://independent.ng/unions-threaten-to-picket-sahco-over-13th-month-gross-salary/ | 2022-06-30T20:15:45Z | https://independent.ng/unions-threaten-to-picket-sahco-over-13th-month-gross-salary/ | false | 1 |
Healthvista India Limited has filed preliminary papers with markets regulator SEBI to raise about Rs 1,000 crore through an initial public offering.
The company is an out-of-hospital healthcare provider with brand Portea.
The IPO (Initial Public Offering) comprises fresh issue of equity shares aggregating up to Rs 200 crore and an Offer For sale (OFS) of up to 56,252,644 shares by selling shareholders, according to the Draft Red Herring Prospectus (DRHP).
Under the OFS, Accel Growth III Holdings (Mauritius) Limited; Accel India III (Mauritius) Limited, Ventureast Life Fund III LLC Limited, MEMG CDC Ventures; Qualcomm Asia Pacific Pte Ltd, Accel India V (Mauritius) and Sabre Partners Trust will offload shares.
According to market sources, the IPO is expected to fetch about Rs 1,000 crore. Proceeds from the fresh issue will be used towards funding working capital requirements of its subsidiary, Medybiz Pharma, payment of debt, purchase of medical equipment, marketing as well as brand building activities, inorganic growth initiatives and general corporate purposes.
SBI Capital Markets, IIFL Securities and JM Financial are the book running Lead managers to the issue. The equity shares of the company are proposed to be listed on BSE and NSE. | https://www.moneycontrol.com/news/business/ipo/healthvista-india-files-draft-papers-for-ipo-8764031.html | 2022-06-30T20:17:55Z | https://www.moneycontrol.com/news/business/ipo/healthvista-india-files-draft-papers-for-ipo-8764031.html | true | 6 |
The Orangutan Project to hold event to raise awareness for Critically Endangered orangutans
NEW YORK, June 30, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- With just 10 years remaining to save orangutans from Extinction, world-renowned scientist and conservationist Leif Cocks is coming to New York to help raise awareness of the urgent need to protect Critically Endangered orangutans and to share his vision for a future we can believe in.
The visit on Tuesday, July 12 is part of a series of talks that Cocks, founder of conservation organization The Orangutan Project, is giving around the world to bring people together in the common goal of securing a sustainable future for all living beings.
"There are so many reasons to be hopeful – despite being in the midst of an extinction crisis," Cocks says. "The Orangutan Project is at the forefront of action and change, working directly with partners on the ground in Borneo and Sumatra, and guests on Tuesday, July 12 will get a deeper understanding of how protecting rainforests will safeguard wildlife and create a more sustainable world for us all."
During his talk, Cocks will give compelling insight into the fight to safeguard some of our planet's last remaining rainforest ecosystems and how we can collectivize to make meaningful change to secure the future of our planet and all living beings.
"Without urgent intervention, in 10 years, orangutans may be doomed to Extinction," Cocks said. "That's why I'm heading to New York, where I'll share my vision about what people can do, right now, to get involved and make a meaningful difference."
The event, "A future we can believe in with Leif Cocks," is being held on Tuesday, July 12 from 6 p.m. at the 3 West Club, 3 West 51st Street, New York and includes a three-course vegan meal.
Joining Cocks for an extended Q&A is special guest Christen O'Brien - writer, marketing executive, technology entrepreneur, and philanthropist who will share her insights into giving and what inspired her to become an advocate for The Orangutan Project.
The event is being emceed by well-known standup comedian, writer, and host Ophira Eisenberg, who is known for hosting NPR's National Comedy Trivia radio show and podcast Ask Me Another. He has also appeared on TV shows including The Late Late Show, Comedy Central, and The Today Show.
Guests will also be treated to entertainment from New York-based, Australian performer Jennifer Reed, who has numerous theatre credits to her name including Ghost, Thoroughly Modern Millie and Nine.
For more information, or to reserve your ticket, visit www.theorangutanproject.org/newyork
Leif Cocks is the founder of The Orangutan Project, an international charity that has raised over $25 million for orangutan conservation since 1998. Beginning his career as a zookeeper, curator and small population biologist at a zoo, Leif has worked hands on with orangutans for more than 25 years, including establishing the most successful breeding colony of orangutans in the world, facilitating orangutan rescues and successfully reintroducing orangutans to the wild, including the first ever zoo-born orangutan.
Leif is highly regarded as a world-renowned expert on orangutans, publishing several papers in peer-reviewed journals on orangutans and also serving on numerous boards and technical advisory groups. He is the author of a number of books including "Finding Our Humanity" and "Orangutans My Cousins, My Friends." In 2019, Leif was awarded the Order of Australia Medal (OAM) from the Australian Government, and his university's highest award, the John Curtin Medal, for his dedication to species conservation.
The Orangutan Project was established in 1998 with a critical mission; to ensure that Critically Endangered orangutan species are protected against Extinction and will continue to live in viable wild populations for generations to come. Today, The Orangutan Project is a dynamic, fast-growing and successful non-profit organisation that has raised over $25 million to support a wide range of critical projects that address the holistic problem facing fragmented orangutan populations - including fighting deforestation and habitat loss at the highest level. Find out more at www.theorangutanproject.org
For media enquiries, please contact:
Erryn Stephens
Philanthropy & Partnerships Manager
The Orangutan Project
erryn.stephens@orangutan.org.au
MEDIA CONTACT:
Heather Ripley
Orange Orchard
(865) 977-1973
hripley@orangeorchardpr.com
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SOURCE The Orangutan Project | https://www.witn.com/prnewswire/2022/06/30/world-renowned-orangutan-conservationist-coming-new-york-share-his-vision-future-we-can-believe/ | 2022-06-30T20:19:59Z | https://www.witn.com/prnewswire/2022/06/30/world-renowned-orangutan-conservationist-coming-new-york-share-his-vision-future-we-can-believe/ | false | 11 |
Inside timeline of fugitive Kaitlin Armstrong’s last movements in US and mistakes that led to her escape to Costa Rica
A FUGITIVE yoga teacher wanted for the murder of a pro cyclist she allegedly killed in a jealous rage has been captured by authorities after last being seen over a month ago in a New York City airport.
Kaitlin Armstrong, 34, was arrested at a hostel on Santa Teresa Beach in Provincia de Puntarenas, Costa Rica, on Wednesday after 43 days on the run, US Marshals announced.
The US Marshals released a statement saying Armstrong will be deported from Costa Rica and will return to the US.
The Marshals Service also revealed that Armstrong had been using a fraudulent passport and arrived in Costa Rica on May 18 after flying from Newark, New Jersey.
Armstrong is believed to have sold her car in Texas for more than $12,000 on May 13, just one day before she departed Austin.
Officials also believe she flew from Austin to Houston on May 14 before boarding a flight to Newark.
The woman then received transportation back to Newark on May 18, authorities learned through questioning.
“The Marshals Service elevated the Kaitlin Armstrong investigation to major case status early in this investigation, which likely played a key role in her capture after a 43-day run,” said US Marshal for the Western District of Texas Susan Pamerleau.
“This is an example of combining the resources of local, state, federal and international authorities to apprehend a violent fugitive, bring an end to that run and hopefully a sense of closure to the victim’s family.”
Armstrong is accused of shooting Moriah Wilson, 25, in Austin, Texas, on May 11, 2022.
Most read in US News
Wilson was found dead from multiple gunshot wounds hours after she went swimming with Armstrong's boyfriend, fellow cyclist Colin Strickland, whom she briefly dated last fall.
Armstrong was brought in for questioning by police on May 12, 2022, but was released on a technicality.
She was last seen on May 14 leaving LaGuardia Airport in New York City - three days before a warrant was issued for her arrest.
However, there were no outbound flights made with reservations under her name, according to the US Marshals Lone Star Fugitive Task Force.
JEALOUS RAGE
Armstrong is believed to have shot Moriah multiple times in a jealous rage after learning that she met up with fellow cyclist Strickland, 35, who had been dating Armstrong at the time.
Moriah and Strickland had a brief fling last year while Strickland’s relationship with Armstrong was on a break.
They remained friends after the relationship ended and still spent time with one another.
Cops said Strickland told Armstrong that he was going out to deliver flowers but his phone battery had died, so he would be unable to contact her.
But he was actually taking a dip with Moriah at the Deep Eddy pool - which police believe motivated Armstrong to pursue deadly revenge.
It is thought she may have discovered the duo's location after finding Moriah's public account on the Strava fitness app.
Moments after an SUV was picked up on a Ring camera, Moriah's friend returned home to find her shot dead in a pool of blood.
Yoga teacher Armstrong then returned home to Strickland after allegedly murdering the 25-year-old and was apprehended by cops - before vanishing.
ARMSTRONG'S DISAPPEARANCE
With no trace of Armstrong since she was located at the airport, private investigator Jason Jensen told The US Sun that he believes the fugitive may be using an alias to avoid detection and has likely altered her appearance.
According to documents obtained by Jensen, which have been viewed by The US Sun, three days after Armstrong was last sighted, a person identifying themselves as "Christine Armstrong" registered for a driver's license in New York.
The address listed on that license appears to be the location of a Haven For Humanity wellness center in Livingston Manor, New York.
Christine is listed as a communications representative on Haven for Humanity's website.
A request for comment left with Christine went unanswered.
However, a spokesperson for Haven for Humanity confirmed to The US Sun that Christine is a volunteer for the company and is currently staying at its Camp Haven compound in New York.
The spokesperson declined to confirm when Christine arrived at the wellness center.
LAST 'SIGHTING'
It's also unclear whether Christine has relocated from Austin to New York permanently, and whether she has had any contact with her sister since she vanished.
But an unnamed camper claimed to Fox News on Wednesday that he had seen Kaitlin Armstrong at Camp Haven around a month ago, and has previously seen Christine at the campsite too.
"She was [here] a while back," the man said of Kaitlin. "Right before the whole thing blew up."
PI Jensen has compared the case to the hunt for Brian Laundrie, who went on the run after murdering his girlfriend Gabby Petito during a 2021 cross-country road trip before being found dead several weeks later.
"They've basically created this Brian Laundrie scenario for themselves; they could've put a couple of officers on her to watch her closely but they haven't and now they got to invest all these resources, manpower, and other assets trying to track her down all the way across the country - just like they did with Laundrie."
Anyone with details on where Armstrong could be is asked to call the US Marshals Service Communications Center at (800) 336-0102 or submit a tip using the USMS Tips app. | https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/18915905/kaitlin-armstrong-captured-costa-rica-timeline-murder/ | 2022-06-30T20:20:48Z | https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/18915905/kaitlin-armstrong-captured-costa-rica-timeline-murder/ | true | 4 |
Nearly 200 pro-abortion protesters are arrested after blocking street near the Supreme Court following decision
NEARLY 200 pro-abortion protesters have been arrested after blocking a street near the Supreme Court amid the Roe v. Wade decision.
The US Capitol Police announced the arrest of 181 protesters on Thursday afternoon, charging them with crowding, obstructing or incommoding.
Capitol police initially claimed they took 221 people into custody; however, they later clarified that the number was inaccurate and, in fact, 181 protesters were arrested.
Cops say the activists were blocking the intersection of Constitution Avenue, NE, and First Street, NE, in Washington DC, just steps from the Supreme Court.
The demonstration, organized by the Center for Popular Democracy Action and Planned Parenthood Action Fund, continued a trend of days of protests over the court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade last week.
Protesters wearing green bandannas gathered shortly before noon and marched - behind a large banner that said “We won’t back down” - to their sit-in site near the Supreme Court.
“This is about a woman’s right to her own body,” actress Alysia Reiner said at the protest.
“We need to stand up for bodily autonomy in the face of a government that cares so little about our rights.”
US Capitol Police gave the activists three warnings to disperse before making arrests.
On Tuesday, two women were arrested after they scaled a construction crane near Capitol Hill and unfurled a banner slamming President Joe Biden following last week's Supreme Court decision.
Most read in The Sun
The banner read "BIDEN PROTECT ABORTION".
The activists were identified as Rachel O'Leary Carmona, Women's March Executive Director, and Tamika Middleton, Women's March Managing Director.
In a press release, the group wrote: "Biden needs to secure the reelection, will scale a crane in Washington D.C. to send the President a clear message: we will not go back.
"Fight to protect the women that brought you to power or step aside and elect someone who will. It’s as simple as that," Carmona said.
"You have the power to codify reproductive rights through executive action and you have the power to expand the court. Use it and stop hiding from your own shadow."
The women were taken into custody by DC Metro police. | https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/19054699/hundreds-pro-abortion-protesters-arrested-near-supreme-court/ | 2022-06-30T20:21:38Z | https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/19054699/hundreds-pro-abortion-protesters-arrested-near-supreme-court/ | false | 1 |
Buggy tours through grape fields, charcuterie served among luscious vines and an inaugural Independence Day weekend fireworks show are beckoning wine lovers to visit the recently relaunched Peconic Bay Vineyards in Cutchogue.
The winery in the heart of North Fork wine country has seen an influx of day trippers and overnight guests booking one of the five rooms at its quaint five-bedroom historic farmhouse — one of the oldest in all of Cutchogue — as peak summer gets underway.
“What’s unique about Peconic Bay Vineyards is we offer a lot of in-vineyard experiences,” says Ken Cereola, general manager of the winery. “We try to get people outside of the tasting room and out into the vineyard area.”
Soloviev Group, the parent company of Crossroads America, whose CEO is East Hampton billionaire Stefan Soloviev — one of the nation’s largest landowners — purchased the farm in 2019, one of several local acquisitions in recent years. The company is seeking approval to build a 40-room boutique hotel on the property. In the meantime, visitors are encouraged to stay at The Chequit, a 150-year-old hotel on Shelter Island that the company also recently bought and renovated.
Cereola says Peconic Bay Vineyards’ electric beach buggy tours of the vineyard are “super popular.” The tours are followed by a tasting flight and picnic in the vineyard groves that comes with a charcuterie board. The wine tours also can include an appearance from winemaker Greg Gove.
Peconic Bay Vineyards also offers wine and oyster specials. It teamed up with Hampton Oyster Company, which runs a full-service oyster bar out of the tasting room on weekends. Live music also graces the tasting room on Fridays.
“We have a very well-balanced atmosphere at the winery,” he says. “High-quality wine but still a very relaxing approachable upscale environment. We pride ourselves on hospitality. It’s just an absolutely beautiful setting. We have fire pits on the property.”
The farmhouse accommodations will also offer tour packages and brunch served with a side of fabulous vineyard views.
Kicking off the height of the season will be Peconic Bay Vineyards hosting its first annual All American BBQ and Fireworks Show co-hosted by the Cutchogue Fire Department with the show by Santore Family Fireworks Company.
General admission on the east lawn is open 5–9 p.m. July 1. Tickets are $50. Wine, beer, concessions and barbecue by the Cutchogue Fire Department will be available for purchase. A VIP seating area will be open 6–9 p.m. in the tasting room patio. Tickets are $85 with food by The Catered Fork.
“I’m thrilled to partner with the Cutchogue Fire Department on our July 1 fireworks event at Peconic Bay Vineyards,” says Stacey Soloviev, director of Community Relations for Peconic Bay Vineyards. “We have such a fun night planned with great wine and food, live music and of course spectacular fireworks!”
Peconic Bay Vineyards is located at 31320 Main Road in Cutchogue. For more information visit peconicbayvineyards.com Reservations can be made at exploretock.com/peconicbayvineyards. | https://www.danspapers.com/2022/06/peconic-bay-vineyard-summer-2022/ | 2022-06-30T20:23:11Z | https://www.danspapers.com/2022/06/peconic-bay-vineyard-summer-2022/ | true | 1 |
PM Modi launches two new schemes for MSMEs
1 min read . Updated: 01 Jul 2022, 01:47 AM IST- RAMP will be implemented in collaboration with the World Bank with an investment of ₹6,000 crore over five years
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday launched two schemes for supporting micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) —‘Raising and Accelerating MSME Performance’ (RAMP) and ‘Capacity Building of First-Time MSME Exporters’ (CBFTE).
Aimed at scaling up the implementation capacity and coverage of MSMEs, with impact enhancement of existing MSME schemes, RAMP will be implemented in collaboration with the World Bank with an investment of ₹6,000 crore over five years.
According to the government, it will complement the ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan’ by fostering innovation, encouraging ideation, incubating new business and entrepreneurship by developing quality standards, improving practices and processes, enhancing market access, and deploying technological tools and ‘Industry 4.0’ to make MSMEs competitive and self-reliant.
The CBFTE scheme aims to encourage MSMEs to offer products and services of international standards for the global market. This will enhance the participation of Indian MSMEs in the global value chain and help them realise their export potential, said an official statement.
During the launch, Modi also announced new features of the ‘Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Programme’ (PMEGP) to ramp up the MSME sector. He also digitally transferred assistance to beneficiaries of PMEGP for 2022-23,
Modi said the efforts of MSMEs will be a key driver of ‘Aatmnirbhar Bharat’. He emphasised that it is important for India’s MSME sector to be strong for increasing India’s exports and for India’s products to reach new markets.
“Our government is taking decisions and making new policies keeping in mind your ability and the immense potential of this sector," he added. | https://www.livemint.com/economy/pm-modi-launches-two-new-schemes-for-msmes-11656607901918.html | 2022-06-30T20:25:40Z | https://www.livemint.com/economy/pm-modi-launches-two-new-schemes-for-msmes-11656607901918.html | false | 2 |
What are we looking for?
The S&P 500 continues to trend lower, below its 20-day and 50-day moving averages, giving us a bearish bias regarding the broad U.S. market. As the market remains under pressure, we decided to search for defensive value plays – stocks that are well below historical value – using the disciplined stock selection criteria of legendary investor Benjamin Graham.
The screen
We use Strategy Builder stock screener to search for companies in the U.S. market that are indicating the best value using traditional value investing criteria. We began by setting a minimum market capitalization threshold of US$10-billion. We wish to focus on large cap names in the market owing to the greater stability and safety that they offer.
Then we employed four key value investing criteria to identify stocks that would be of interest to bargain-hunting value investors. The screen filtered for stocks indicating a price-to-earnings ratio of 10 or less, and a price-to-book ratio of two or less, to help us find companies that may be considered undervalued in relation to the broad market. (These thresholds are at least 20 per cent lower than the S&P 500′s P/E and price-to-book figures, which was suggested by Mr. Graham in his value investing strategy.)
Next, we will apply two dividend-related criteria to our screen.
- We will select only companies with dividend yields of more than 2 per cent, which tops the 1.7 per cent yield currently indicated for the S&P 500 index.
- We like companies that have a track record of raising their dividend payments over time. We screened for stocks indicating a five-year average dividend growth rate of at least 10 per cent.
Finally, we screened for companies that are indicating a five-year earnings a share growth rate of at least 10 per cent in order to provide a historical view of how the company has grown its earnings.
For informational purposes, we have included year-to-date and one-year returns.
More about Trading Central
Trading Central is a global leader in financial market research and investment analytics for retail online brokers and institutions. Its product suite provides actionable trading ideas based on technical and fundamental research covering stocks, exchange-traded funds, indexes, forex, options and commodities.
What we found
Topping our list is Reliance Steel & Aluminum Co., an operator of metals service centres based in Los Angeles. The company has the best year-to-date price performance on our list at 6 per cent, not bad considering the S&P 500 is down approximately 21 per cent in the same period. Looking at value characteristics, Reliance has a P/E of just 6.53 and a P/B of 1.62, which are well below the broad market average. It has the second-highest five-year EPS growth rate on our list, at 39 per cent.
Prudential Financial Inc., based in Newark, N.J., has the largest market cap on our list at US$36.1-billion. Prudential has the lowest price-to-book on our list at 0.82 and the highest dividend yield at 5 per cent.
The company with the lowest P/E on our list, at 4.75, is Fidelity National Financial Inc., which focuses on the real estate and mortgage industry. The company has the second-highest dividend yield on our list at 4.8 per cent.
The investment ideas presented here are for information only. They do not constitute advice or a recommendation by Trading Central in respect of the investment in financial instruments. Investors should conduct further research before investing.
Gary Christie is head of North American research at Trading Central in Ottawa.
Be smart with your money. Get the latest investing insights delivered right to your inbox three times a week, with the Globe Investor newsletter. Sign up today. | https://www.theglobeandmail.com/investing/investment-ideas/number-cruncher/article-ben-graham-inspired-value-stock-criteria-uncover-10-dividend-paying-us/ | 2022-06-30T20:31:35Z | https://www.theglobeandmail.com/investing/investment-ideas/number-cruncher/article-ben-graham-inspired-value-stock-criteria-uncover-10-dividend-paying-us/ | true | 1 |
RED BANK, N.J., June 30, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Provention Bio, Inc. (Nasdaq: PRVB) (the "Company"), a biopharmaceutical company dedicated to intercepting and preventing immune-mediated diseases, today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has extended its review period by three months for the Biologics License Application (BLA) for teplizumab. The extended User Fee Goal date is November 17, 2022.
The Company was also informed that if no major deficiencies are identified during the review period, the FDA plans to communicate proposed labeling and, if necessary, any post-marketing requirement or commitment requests by October 17, 2022.
As part of its ongoing review and communications, the FDA informed the Company yesterday that it considers a timely response to an information request made earlier this month to be a Major Amendment to the BLA resubmission, requiring additional time for the Agency's review.
"We are committed to collaborating closely with the Agency as it completes its review," said Ashleigh Palmer, Co-Founder and CEO of Provention Bio. "We want to thank the FDA for its continued diligence as we continue to work towards bringing this potential first disease modifying therapy to patients with type 1 diabetes in the United States, for whom there is currently no approved treatment other than a life-time of exogenous insulin therapy."
Provention Bio, Inc. (Nasdaq: PRVB) is a biopharmaceutical company focused on advancing the development of investigational therapies that may intercept and prevent debilitating and life-threatening immune-mediated diseases. The BLA for teplizumab, its lead investigational drug candidate, for the delay of progression to Stage 3 clinical type 1 diabetes in at-risk individuals has been filed by the FDA. The Company's pipeline includes additional clinical-stage product candidates that have demonstrated in pre-clinical or clinical studies proof-of-mechanism and/or proof-of-concept in other autoimmune diseases, including celiac disease and lupus. Visit www.ProventionBio.com for more information and follow us on Twitter: @ProventionBio.
Provention Bio, Inc. uses its website, www.proventionbio.com, as a means of disclosing material nonpublic information and for complying with its disclosure obligations under Regulation F.D. Such disclosures will be included on the Company's website in the "News" section. Accordingly, investors should monitor this portion of the Company's website, in addition to following its press releases, SEC filings and public conference calls and webcasts.
Certain statements in this press release are forward-looking, including but not limited to, statements relating to the medical need in T1D at-risk patients, the potential therapeutic effects and safety of teplizumab in at-risk T1D patients, FDA's review of the BLA resubmission, including label negotiations, and potential for approval of teplizumab and potential regulatory and commercialization timelines. These statements may be identified by the use of forward-looking words such as "may," among others. These forward-looking statements are based on the Company's current expectations and actual results could differ materially. There are a number of factors that could cause actual events to differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements. These factors include, but are not limited to, risks related to FDA disagreeing with the Company's interpretation of data and analysis and information in the BLA resubmission; delays in or failure to obtain FDA approvals for teplizumab or other Company product candidates and the potential for noncompliance with FDA regulations; any inability to successfully work with FDA to address its concerns and requests in a timely manner or at all during the review process for teplizumab, including any inability to provide the FDA with data, analysis or other information sufficient to support an approval of the BLA for teplizumab; any inability to satisfactorily address matters PK comparability, product quality, safety or any other FDA requirements during the BLA review process to obtain an approval of teplizumab; the potential impacts of COVID-19 on our business and financial results; changes in law, regulations, or interpretations and enforcement of regulatory guidance; uncertainties of patent protection and litigation; the Company's dependence upon third parties; substantial competition; the Company's need for additional financing and the risks listed under "Risk Factors" in the Company's quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2022 and any subsequent filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. As with any pharmaceutical under development, there are significant risks in the development, regulatory approval and commercialization of new products. Provention does not undertake an obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise, except as may be required by applicable law. The information set forth herein speaks only as of the date hereof.
Investor Contact:
Robert Doody, VP of Investor Relations rdoody@proventionbio.com
484-639-7235
Media Contact:
Kaelan Hollon, VP of Communications khollon@proventionbio.com
202-421-4921
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SOURCE Provention Bio, Inc. | https://www.blackhillsfox.com/prnewswire/2022/06/30/provention-bio-announces-extension-fda-user-fee-goal-date-teplizumab-november-17-2022/ | 2022-06-30T20:32:47Z | https://www.blackhillsfox.com/prnewswire/2022/06/30/provention-bio-announces-extension-fda-user-fee-goal-date-teplizumab-november-17-2022/ | false | 11 |
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court's climate change ruling on Thursday is likely to hinder the Biden administration's plans to cut greenhouse gas emissions in half by the end of the decade and to make the electric grid carbon-free by 2035.
In its major decision, the court limited the reach of the nation's main anti-air pollution law that's used to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from power plants. The 6-3 ruling declared that the Clean Air Act does not give the Environmental Protection Agency broad authority to regulate emissions from plants that contribute to global warming.
Power plants account for roughly 30% of carbon dioxide output.
The decision also could have a broader effect on other agencies’ regulatory efforts, from education to transportation and food.
Leaders in coal-state West Virginia welcomed the ruling. But President Joe Biden called it “another devastating decision that aims to take our country backwards." He said he will continue to use his authority when possible to protect public health and address climate change.
A look at how the court ruling could impact efforts to slow global warming and other regulatory actions by the executive branch.
WHAT DID THE COURT SAY?
Chief Justice John Roberts, writing for the court, said the Clean Air Act doesn’t give EPA the authority to regulate carbon dioxide emissions in a way that would force a nationwide transition away from the use of coal to generate electricity, and that Congress must speak clearly on this subject.
“A decision of such magnitude and consequence rests with Congress itself, or an agency acting pursuant to a clear delegation from that representative body,” he wrote.
The Clean Air Act, which EPA used in its rulemaking, was passed in 1970, when global warming was little known.
"It's almost as if the court needs Congress to make a new law every time a new problem emerges, which is ridiculous and dangerous,'' said Georgetown University Law Professor Lisa Heinzerling, a former EPA official. She authored winning arguments in a 2007 case in which a previous high court found that greenhouse gases are air pollutants under the Clean Air Act and can in fact be regulated by the EPA.
WHAT DOES THE RULING MEAN FOR THE FIGHT AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE?
In the short term. the ruling makes it harder for the Biden administration to meet its ambitious goal to slow climate change, even as environmental damage attributable to global warming increases and warnings about the future grow ever more dire. Biden has pledged to cut U.S. greenhouse gas emissions at least in half by 2030 and push the country’s electrical grid to become carbon-free by 2035.
But those goals are in clear jeopardy after the Supreme Court decision handed the responsibility to Congress. Biden's legislative approach has little chance against opposition from congressional Republicans and Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin from West Virginia.
“Unfortunately, the climate system doesn’t care about our politics,'' said Northern Illinois climate scientist Victor Gensini, adding that the court was "essentially leaving the decision to regulate carbon dioxide and other gases to those in Congress that may not have the best interest of the planet in mind.”
WHAT DOES IT MEAN FOR PEOPLE?
With the fight against climate change slowed, advocates say, sea level rise and weather extremes such as hotter wildfires and more severe droughts are likely to continue.
“In a way, this ruling is most concerning for communities who live on the fence line of power plants, who are exposed on a daily basis to the airborne pollutants that are released with greenhouse gases, and they face the most acute exposures,” said Sabrina McCormick, associate professor of environmental and occupational health at George Washington University.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom said the ruling makes it even more important that his state and others continue efforts to combat the climate crisis. “While the court has once again turned back the clock, California refuses to go backward — we’re just getting started,″ Newsom said.
California has taken a lead in setting strict emissions standards for cars and trucks.
HOW WILL THE RULING AFFECT OTHER FEDERAL AGENCIES?
Some legal scholars say the ruling's impact extends beyond climate change and the EPA to affect a host of major regulatory actions by the executive branch. The court held that Congress must speak with specificity when it wants to give an agency authority to regulate on an issue of major national significance.
"The court is clearly announcing it will apply this question about major questions broadly and aggressively,'' Heinzerling said.
She cited earlier rulings by the court to block the Biden administration’s vaccine mandate for large employers and lifting a federal ban on evictions imposed during the COVID-19 pandemic. In both cases, the court ruled that Congress had not given federal agencies specific power to adopt the wide-ranging measures.
“The court doesn’t want an agency to find authority for the first time" in an existing statute to address a new problem, Heinzerling said.
Even before the court's ruling, opponents were threatening court action challenging the Education Department's proposed rule extending protections under the Title IX women's rights law to LGBTQ students, and an upcoming regulation of the rights of transgender students in athletics.
“Whenever the Biden regulations come out, it’s absolutely going to be a bevy of court challenges to them, and this will absolutely be an argument trying to invalidate those regulations,” said Scott Schneider, a lawyer who has worked on Title IX issues.
UCLA law professor Blake Emerson said the court made clear it “is not going to accept agencies’ policy judgments if they aren’t explicitly given that authority in the statute” by Congress.
As a result, agencies are likely to become more cautious ”and maybe less effective in their efforts to address major threats to public health and safety," he said.
WHAT WILL CONGRESS DO?
The court ruling says it is up to Congress to act with specificity on “major questions” such as climate change. On a practical level, that is unlikely.
Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, a Rhode Island Democrat who is a leading advocate for strong action on climate, said the court has handcuffed the government's ability to act.
“The problem is this: They closed down administrative agencies’ ability to regulate, and then they send the questions over to Congress where we are blockaded by the filibuster and where all the big, dark polluter money that they let into the political system holds sway,'' he told The Associated Press.
However, West Virginia Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, the top Republican on the Senate environment panel, hailed the court ruling, which comes in a case brought by her state.
“If Congress had intended to give EPA such sweeping authority to transform an entire sector of our economy, Congress would have done so explicitly,'' Capito said. She vowed to continue strong oversight over EPA.
WHAT CAN EPA DO?
The decision does not prohibit EPA from regulating carbon emissions from coal plants, advocates said, but does limit its authority to do so.
EPA head Michael Regan said the agency will move forward with "lawfully setting and implementing environmental standards that meet our obligation to protect all people and all communities from environmental harm.″
The agency expects to propose a new power plant rule early next year.
“EPA has an important role to play, and it's important that they act,'' said David Doniger, senior strategic director of climate and clean energy at the Natural Resources Defense Council.
The Edison Electric Institute, which represents investor-owned electric companies, said U.S. electric companies are committed to providing clean energy "without compromising on the reliability and affordability that customers value.''
Utilities will continue to work with EPA as officials "undertake a new rulemaking that is consistent with the court’s decision,” said Emily Fisher, EEI's general counsel and senior vice president.
___
Associated Press writers Seth Borenstein and Drew Costley in Washington, Jennifer McDermott in Providence, Rhode Island,, Annie Ma in Charlotte, North Carolina, and Kathleen Ronayne in Sacramento, California, contributed to this story.
Credit: Charlie Riedel
Credit: Charlie Riedel
Credit: Evan Vucci
Credit: Evan Vucci
Credit: Jacquelyn Martin
Credit: Jacquelyn Martin
Credit: Jacquelyn Martin
Credit: Jacquelyn Martin | https://www.daytondailynews.com/nation-world/explainer-why-courts-epa-climate-change-ruling-matters/ZIXGXJUOJBCGXIVAQDJPMFIUM4/ | 2022-06-30T20:33:13Z | https://www.daytondailynews.com/nation-world/explainer-why-courts-epa-climate-change-ruling-matters/ZIXGXJUOJBCGXIVAQDJPMFIUM4/ | false | 11 |
WASHINGTON (AP) — Slightly fewer Americans applied for unemployment benefits last week, reflecting a robust job market despite rising job cuts in some sectors of the economy that have cooled in recent months.
Applications for jobless aid for the week ending June 25 ticked down to 231,000, a decline of 2,000 from the previous week, the Labor Department reported Thursday. First-time applications generally represent the number of layoffs.
The four-week average for claims, which evens out some of the week-to-week volatility, rose by 7,250 from the previous week, to 231,750.
The total number of Americans collecting jobless benefits for the week ending June 18 was 1,328,000, down 3,000 from the previous week. That figure has hovered near 50-year lows for months.
Much of the recent job security and wage gains that Americans have enjoyed recently have been gobbled up by inflation levels not seen in four decades.
Earlier in June, the Labor Department reported that consumer prices surged 8.6% last month from a year earlier. The Federal Reserve responded by raising its main borrowing rate — its main tool for fighting rising prices — by three-quarters of a point. That increase is on top of a half-point increase in early May.
The government reported that U.S. employers added 390,000 jobs in May, extending a streak of solid hiring that has bolstered an economy under pressure. Though the job growth in May was healthy, it was the lowest monthly gain in a year and there have been signs that more layoffs could be coming, at least in some sectors.
Jobless claims applications the past few weeks, though still relatively low, have been the highest since the first weeks of 2022 as some highly visible companies have announced job cuts.
The CEO of electric car maker Tesla, Elon Musk, acknowledged that the company was cutting about 10% of its salaried workforce, or 3.5% of its total headcount. Musk has described the electric automaker’s factories in Austin and Berlin as “money furnaces” that were losing billions of dollars because supply chain breakdowns were limiting the number of cars they can produce.
Netflix laid off 150 employees in May and another 300 in June after the streaming entertainment giant reported losing subscribers for the first time in more than a decade.
Online automotive retailer Carvana said last month that it’s letting about 2,500 workers go, roughly 12% of its workforce.
Online real estate broker Redfin, under pressure from a housing market that’s cooled due to higher interest rates, is laying off 8% of its workers. Another real estate company, Compass, is letting go of 450 employees.
Those cuts have extended to companies in the cryptocurrency sector with prices for bitcoin and other digital assets cratering in recent months.
Crypto trading platform Coinbase Global is cutting about 1,100 jobs, about 18% of its global workforce, as part of a restructuring in order to help manage its operating expenses in response to current market conditions. | https://www.cbs17.com/business/ap-business/slightly-fewer-americans-apply-for-jobless-claims-last-week/ | 2022-06-30T20:35:07Z | https://www.cbs17.com/business/ap-business/slightly-fewer-americans-apply-for-jobless-claims-last-week/ | true | 110 |
The video doorbell is one of the first lines of defense for smart home security. It's also a great way to know who or what is at your door without physically getting up and going to the door. Blink offers its version of a smart video doorbell at a much lower price than some of its biggest competitors, making it a good option for people who are new to the video doorbell market.
If you don't know, Blink is owned by Amazon, which also owns Ring. To put the two brands in perspective: Ring could easily be considered the bells-and-whistles variant of smart cameras, while Blink is more of the essential version.
Before we start, Blink offers its Sync Module, which allows you to watch multiple cameras nearly at once and save video footage locally without a subscription. You'll need the module for some Blink devices. For example, the Doorbell does not need you to own a Sync Module, but if you have more than one Blink camera, we suggest you add the Sync Module.
How to set up a Blink Video Doorbell
If you've just received or bought a Blink Video Doorbell, go ahead and grab your phone, and we'll tell you how to set it up properly.
Step 1: Go to the app store on your phone and download the Blink app. If you want to be even more proactive (and it's necessary if you eventually want to connect your system to Alexa), go ahead and create a Blink account.
Creating the Blink account is pretty straightforward, here's how to do it:
- The app will ask you about your country of residence and your email, as well as to create a password.
- Two-factor authentication is on by default, so you'll need to input your phone number and the verification code you receive afterward.
- Complete the information to link your Amazon account to your new Blink account.
Step 2: Now you can start adding devices. Tap the Plus button in the top-right corner. A list will appear with several devices to choose from; select the Blink Video Doorbell.
Step 3: Scan the QR code on the back of the Doorbell.
The QR code is underneath the back plate with the battery slots. Ensure you're in a well-lit area so the camera can accurately pick up the code.
Step 4: Choose or create your system.
If you already have a Blink camera or system set up, you can choose to add the Doorbell to that home system. However, if this is your first Blink device install, you'll need to create a new home system. A system is simply the name of the group of included Blink security products and their collective alarm states. For example, you can name your system "Home" if you so please.
Step 5: Choose whether to add your Sync Module.
If you have a Sync Module, now is when to add it (of course, you can also add it later). If you plan on having multiple cameras with the Blink system, you'll need the Sync Module.
If you add the Sync Module now, the app will open the QR code scanner. Follow the setup process for that device. Then, you'll return to the app's home screen, where you can resume the setup process.
Step 6: Insert the included batteries into the back of doorbell where the QR code was. After you put in the batteries, the Doorbell will turn on and start to blink red.
Step 7: On most phones, you'll get a pop-up asking if you want to join the Wi-Fi network "Blink XXXX." If your phone doesn't have a pop-up, then go to your settings and connect to that specific network. Once you join, head back to the Blink app.
Step 8: Connect the doorbell to your home's Wi-Fi network in the app. This step helps ensure your Doorbell has a constant connection and that your router is close enough to provide a stable connection.
Step 9: Mount the Doorbell.
Now that setup is complete, you can mount the Doorbell in various ways. But first, check with the app to ensure it's at an optimal angle that's close to your door and can also see vital locations around the front of your home. You can mount the doorbell using a wired or wireless method. If you opt for using wires, the Blink replaces your existing doorbell and draws power from your home. Conversely, the wireless option uses the Video Doorbell chime. Either way, the Video Doorbell will still draw power first from the included batteries.
Use the included backplates to mount the Blink Doorbell and any optional mounts or wedges you may want to add. Depending on your home's siding, you will most likely need a power drill to complete the mounting steps. Once connected to Wi-Fi, the app will ask you how you want to mount the doorbell and then provide instructions.
How to set up Blink doorbell with Alexa
Once you connect the Blink Doorbell to Alexa, any future Blink cameras installed in your home are automatically detected and added to your Alexa home.
Step 1: Open the Blink app and tap on the Account button at the bottom of the screen.
Step 2: Tap the option to Link with Alexa.
Step 3: The app will direct you to download the Blink skill for your Alexa system and install it.
Step 4: Once you download the skill through the Amazon portal, it will ask you to sign into your Blink account with your email and password.
You'll need to enter the verification code that pops up right after you sign in.
Step 5: Your accounts are now linked so that any Echo devices can interact with your Blink devices. Linking your accounts will also enable Echo Show devices to display the feed from any Blink cameras.
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- The best home security cameras for 2022 | https://www.digitaltrends.com/home/how-to-set-up-blink-doorbell/ | 2022-06-30T20:36:03Z | https://www.digitaltrends.com/home/how-to-set-up-blink-doorbell/ | true | 1 |
NEW YORK, June 30, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Northern Lights Acquisition Corp. (the "Company") (Nasdaq: NLIT), a special purpose acquisition company, announced that it has amended that certain unit purchase agreement (the "Unit Purchase Agreement"), dated February 11, 2022, by and among the Company, 5AK, LLC, the Company's sponsor, SHF, LLC d/b/a Safe Harbor Financial, a Colorado limited liability company (the "Target"), SHF Holding Co., LLC, a Colorado limited liability company and the sole member of the Target (the "Seller"), and Partner Colorado Credit Union, a Colorado corporation and the sole member of the Seller, to extend the date by which the transactions contemplated thereby (the "Business Combination") had to be consummated from June 30, 2022 (the "Outside Date") until July 29, 2022, with the ability for the deadline to be extended through August 31, 2022. The extension of the Outside Date will provide the Company with additional time to complete the Business Combination as it awaits regulatory approval.
The Business Combination was approved by the Company's stockholders at the special meeting of stockholders held on June 28, 2022. Stockholders who previously submitted redemption requests in connection with the closing of the Business Combination may request that such redemption requests be reversed by contacting the Company's transfer agent, Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company. To the extent there are any material changes to the Business Combination as approved by the Company's stockholders, the Company will resolicit proxies.
About Northern Lights Acquisition Corp.
Northern Lights is a blank check company formed for the purpose of effecting a merger, amalgamation, share exchange, asset acquisition, share purchase, reorganization, or similar business combination with one or more businesses. For more information, visit https://northernlightsacquisitioncorp.com/home/default.aspx.
About Safe Harbor
Safe Harbor is one of the first service providers to offer reliable access to banking solutions for cannabis, hemp, CBD, and ancillary operators, making communities safer, driving growth in local economies, and fostering long-term partnerships. Safe Harbor, through its partners, serves the regulated cannabis industry and implements the highest standard of accountability, transparency, monitoring, reporting, and risk mitigation measures while meeting BSA obligations in line with FinCEN guidance on CRBs. Over the past seven years, Safe Harbor (including its predecessor) has assisted with the placement of over $12 billion in deposit transactions for customers with operations spanning 20 states with regulated cannabis markets. For more information, visit www.shfinancial.org.
Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
Certain statements contained in this press release constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of federal securities laws. Forward-looking statements may include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to (i) trends in the cannabis industry, including changes in U.S and state laws, rules, regulations and guidance relating to Safe Harbor's services; (ii) Safe Harbor's growth prospects and Safe Harbor's market size; (iii) Safe Harbor's projected financial and operational performance, including relative to its competitors; (iv) new product and service offerings Safe Harbor may introduce in the future; (v) the proposed business combination, including the implied enterprise value, the expected post-closing ownership structure and the likelihood and ability of the parties to successfully consummate the potential transaction; (vi) the risk that the proposed business combination may not be completed in a timely manner or at all, whether as a result of recent volatility in the capital markets or otherwise, which may adversely affect the price of Northern Lights' securities; (vii) the failure to satisfy the conditions to the consummation of the proposed business combination, including the approval of the proposed business combination by the stockholders of Northern Lights; (viii) the effect of the announcement or pendency of the proposed business combination on Northern Lights' or Safe Harbor's business relationships, performance, and business generally; (ix) the outcome of any legal proceedings that may be instituted against Northern Lights or Safe Harbor related to the definitive unit purchase agreement or the proposed business combination; (x) the ability to maintain the listing of Northern Lights' securities on the Nasdaq Capital Market; (xi) the price of Northern Lights' securities, including volatility resulting from changes in the competitive and highly regulated industry in which Safe Harbor plans to operate, variations in performance across competitors, changes in laws and regulations affecting Safe Harbor's business and changes in the combined capital structure; (xii) the ability to implement business plans, forecasts, and other expectations after the completion of the proposed business combination, and identify and realize additional opportunities; and (xiii) other statements regarding Safe Harbor's and Northern Lights' expectations, hopes, beliefs, intentions or strategies regarding the future. In addition, any statements that refer to projections, forecasts or other characterizations of future events or circumstances, including any underlying assumptions, are forward-looking statements. The words "anticipate," "believe," "continue," "could," "estimate," "expect," "intends," "outlook," "may," "might," "plan," "possible," "potential," "predict," "project," "should," "would," and similar expressions may identify forward-looking statements, but the absence of these words does not mean that a statement is not forward-looking. Forward-looking statements are predictions, projections and other statements about future events that are based on current expectations and assumptions and, as a result, are subject, are subject to risks and uncertainties. You should carefully consider the risks and uncertainties described in the "Risk Factors" section of Northern Lights' registration statement on Form S-1, the proxy statement relating to the proposed business combination, which has been filed in preliminary form by Northern Lights with the SEC, other documents filed by Northern Lights from time to time with SEC, and any risk factors made available to you in connection with Northern Lights, Safe Harbor, and the transaction. These forward-looking statements involve a number of risks and uncertainties (some of which are beyond the control of Safe Harbor and Northern Lights), and other assumptions, that may cause the actual results or performance to be materially different from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements.
Additional Information about the Business Combination and Where to Find It
The proposed business combination involving Northern Lights and Safe Harbor was submitted to the stockholders of Northern Lights for their consideration. Northern Lights filed a definitive proxy statement on Schedule 14A (the "Proxy Statement") with the SEC on June 10, 2022, which was distributed to the stockholders of Northern Lights in connection with Northern Lights' solicitation for proxies for the vote by the stockholders of Northern Lights connection with the proposed business combination and other matters as described in the Proxy Statement. Before making any voting decision, the stockholders of Northern Lights and other interested persons were advised to read the Proxy Statement, along with all other relevant documents filed with the SEC in connection with the proposed business combination and Northern Lights' solicitation of proxies for its special meeting of stockholders to be held to approve, among other things, the proposed business combination, because these documents contained important information about Northern Lights, Safe Harbor, and the proposed business combination. The stockholders approved the Business Combination on June 28, 2022. Stockholders may obtain free copies of the Proxy Statement, as well as other documents filed with the SEC regarding the proposed business combination and other documents filed with the SEC by Northern Lights, without charge, at the SEC's website located at www.sec.gov or by directing a request to Northern Lights Acquisition Corporation, 10 East 53rd Street, Suite 3001, New York, NY, 10022, or by telephone at (615) 554-0044.
No Offer or Solicitation
This press release relates to a proposed business combination between Northern Lights and Safe Harbor and does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities, or a solicitation of any vote or approval, nor shall there be any sale of securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction.
Participants in the Solicitation
Northern Lights and Safe Harbor, and certain of their respective directors and executive officers, under the rules of the SEC, may be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies from Northern Lights' stockholders in favor of the approval of the business combination. Information about the directors and officers of Northern Lights and their ownership of Northern Lights Class B common stock can also be found in Northern Lights' registration statement on Form S-1 filed with the SEC on June 2, 2021 in connection with its initial public offering, its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021 filed with the SEC on March 25, 2022, the Proxy Statement, and other documents subsequently filed by Northern Lights with the SEC. Information about the directors and executive officers of Safe Harbor, as well as information regarding the interests of other persons who may be deemed participants in the transaction, may be obtained by reading the Proxy Statement regarding the business combination. Free copies of this document may be obtained as described above.
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SOURCE Safe Harbor Financial; Northern Lights Acquisition Corp. | https://www.wifr.com/prnewswire/2022/06/30/northern-lights-acquisition-corp-announces-amendment-unit-purchase-agreement-extend-outside-date/ | 2022-06-30T20:37:10Z | https://www.wifr.com/prnewswire/2022/06/30/northern-lights-acquisition-corp-announces-amendment-unit-purchase-agreement-extend-outside-date/ | true | 51 |
Faith column: Reclaiming the sacred
With so much chaos around us, so much division, so many issues and problems that press upon us, it’s no wonder that there is a search for answers and solutions that go beyond mere policy or politics.
There is, I believe, a growing desire for many to find meaning and purpose in their lives that is deeper and higher than politics or ideology. In essence, I believe that there is a growing sense that the many crises we face are, at their heart, spiritual in nature.
For all of our nation’s history, we have lived with the false distinction between what we might call, “the spiritual” or religious, and the material or physical world around us that we can describe scientifically. But since the dawn of civilization, human beings have not lived with such a dualistic, divided understanding.
Human beings, up until our modern era, have always had a more holistic view of life, where there was no line between the spiritual and the material. Putting it biblically, we are created for God – we are created to be in relationship with Him, and this affects everything.
“In Him we live, and move, and have our being.”
In such a view, every aspect of our lives is sacred, to be experienced in relation to God.
We, who call ourselves Christians, nevertheless can buy into a view of the world that separates the spiritual from the material.
Do we really believe that God is actively working in the world? Do we actually believe that God can do miracles in our own day? Do we really believe God hears our prayers?
Or, as is often the case, is our faith is something we do on Sunday mornings. The other six days of the week are devoted to the secular, material world.
With all that confronts us, with all that we are experiencing, we are, I believe, beginning to change our view. Deep down, we know that there’s a spiritual problem in our culture, and we’re scrambling to find purpose and meaning.
We have for decades tried to find purpose and meaning in everything but God, and are now reaping a bitter harvest of cutting Him out of our lives.
Our culture has replaced worship of the One True God for the worship of a myriad of lesser ones – gods like consumerism, pleasure seeking, or worship of the State. There is even a kind of religious devotion to causes like environmentalism or anti-racism, as noble as they might be.
This is the very definition of idolatry, when we place any value, any purpose, any ideology, above our worship of God. And let me be clear – this is an issue not just for nonbelievers, but also for Christians in every tradition or denomination.
We may give lip service to being Christian, we may be in church every Sunday; but do the priorities of our lives day to day truly reflect that Christ has transformed us? This is a question we must each ask of ourselves, not pridefully judging others.
Without God, without Him being our highest aim, our highest purpose, we find ourselves divided into countless tribes and identities, demonizing those who don’t believe as we do, or have different values.
St. Paul writes in Galatians 3:28 that “In Christ, there is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”
He is our purpose. He is our unity. He is Lord, not just on Sunday morning, but every day of the week. When we place Him above every other priority, then we begin to experience the unity of the spiritual with the material.
Every part of our lives is placed in its proper order, and we begin to experience the abundant life Christ came to give. We also know peace, the “peace that passes all understanding,” because our trust is in God alone.
Such peace frees us from anxiety and fear, because we know that Christ will never forsake us. Such peace enables us to bear the Light of Christ in a dark world, and to offer safe haven to those who find themselves struggling in the chaos of the storms that rage around us.
Fr. David Henderson is priest at St. John the Baptist Orthodox Christian Church. He may be reached at davidwh787@gmail.com.
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Each donation will be used exclusively for the development and creation of increased news coverage. | https://www.craigdailypress.com/news/faith-column-reclaiming-the-sacred/ | 2022-06-30T20:43:10Z | https://www.craigdailypress.com/news/faith-column-reclaiming-the-sacred/ | true | 1 |
Which dock line is best?
You can’t just put a boat in park, turn off the engine and head onto the shore. You need to secure it in place first with a good dock line. There are two types of dock lines you should have — transient lines and permanent lines. Each has its own considerations.
The best overall dock line is the Innocedear Premium Navy Blue Dock Line Two-Pack. It’s made of tough nylon with a double braid, so you can rest assured that your boat won’t be going anywhere.
What to know before you buy a dock line
Transient vs. permanent
Transient and permanent dock lines are both required due to their differing functions.
- Transient lines are used when you’re away from your standard dock. They should be about two-thirds the length of your boat so you have more flexibility on objects you can dock to. They rarely have eyelets.
- Permanent lines are used at your regular docking place. They should be about half the length of your boat so they don’t take up more space than necessary and prevent your boat from drifting too far from the dock. They usually have eyelets.
Diameter
Your dock line needs to be thick enough to withstand the weight of your boat as it pulls away. You should have a minimum diameter of one-eighth of an inch for every 9 feet of boat length. For example, if your boat is 45 feet long, you should have a line that’s five-eighths of an inch thick.
What to look for in a quality dock line
Material
Dock lines are made from a variety of materials.
- Nylon is the main go-to for dock lines. It’s durable, flexible, ultraviolet- and fray-resistant and typically affordable. It doesn’t float though, so don’t drop it.
- Polypropylene is a cheaper alternative to nylon. It isn’t as resistant to UV rays, fraying and temperature changes. However, it’s still reasonably durable overall, and it floats.
- Polyester is a costlier alternative to nylon. It’s the most durable and resistant, but it’s stiff, making it harder to work with.
- Natural lines are also available, but they’re more meant for decoration than actual use due to low durability around water.
Eyelet
Eyelets are loops at the end of some dock lines that are used to quickly secure to cleats, whether on your boat or the dock. Some lines have eyelets on both ends.
Chafe guard
Chafe guards are tubes made of various materials, including foam and leather. They are placed toward the ends of lines to help them resist fraying.
How much you can expect to spend on a dock line
They can cost as little as $10 or as much as a few hundred dollars. Short and thin lines shouldn’t cost more than $15, while the average line costs $15-$30. Lines costing $50 or more are extra long and thick.
Dock line FAQ
How should I maintain my dock lines?
A. Maintaining a dock line involves proper storage and cleaning.
- Storage is as simple as keeping it neatly coiled when not in use. There are several methods you can use to store it properly, including tying it to the lifeline so it can hang freely and untangled.
- Cleaning a line is also simple, but it takes more effort. To get rid of grime, scrub the line with a brush and some soap while you submerge it in warm water. Then, rinse it off with a hose and hang it to dry. To give it back lost flexibility, place the line inside a secured pillowcase and wash it with plenty of fabric softener inside your washing machine, but let it air dry.
How long does a dock line last?
A. If you maintain it as best as you can it should last for two or three years on average. If you use it hard and constantly, it may only last for roughly six months.
What’s the best dock line to buy?
Top dock line
Innocedear Premium Navy Blue Dock Line Two-Pack
What you need to know: This durable double pack ensures you won’t need to buy another dock line for a long time
What you’ll love: The line is made of double braided military-grade nylon. It’s also treated to withstand the damage of salt and fresh water, weather and sunlight. It comes in three sizes with shorter lengths also having smaller diameters to fit any boat’s needs.
What you should consider: The nylon and treatment make this line feel a little slick in the hand. A few consumers received a different size than they ordered.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
Top dock line for the money
What you need to know: It’s a short line that’s great for quick tying.
What you’ll love: It comes in 4-, 5- or 6-foot lengths. An internal bungee cord gives it some stretch and snap back, plus it has eyelets at both ends for easy and strong security. Foam chafe guards protect the line and also float in case it falls in the water.
What you should consider: This is best used for short-term transient docking rather than permanent security. It can wear out after a few months if used heavily.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon and Dick’s Sporting Goods
Worth checking out
SeaSense Solid Braid Dock Line
What you need to know: This line has a medium length and diameter for a low cost.
What you’ll love: It’s 15 feet long and a half-inch in diameter. It’s made of multi-filament polypropylene for durability and flexibility, plus it has a chafe guard and eyelet on one end. It floats for easy retrieval, and it ships in a recyclable storage box.
What you should consider: A few purchasers had issues with fraying. Others reported a tendency for wood posts to leave splinters in the line.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
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Copyright 2022 BestReviews, a Nexstar company. All rights reserved. | https://www.wearecentralpa.com/reviews/br/camping-outdoors-br/boating-sailing-br/best-dock-line/ | 2022-06-30T20:43:20Z | https://www.wearecentralpa.com/reviews/br/camping-outdoors-br/boating-sailing-br/best-dock-line/ | true | 32 |
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The globally standardized video-over-IP technology, NDI, (opens in new tab) announced that its SDK plugin is now compatible with Epic Games’ Unreal Engine 5 (UE5) and is available for download now.
“As soon as Unreal Engine 5 was released by Epic, we were receiving requests for an NDI SDK plugin so more creatives can unite the powers of UE5, and NDI, to achieve more with video. NDI has a great relationship with Epic, and we’ve worked together for over 5 years to bring our joint users more value and are immensely excited to see how they harness the potential of our technologies together, to advance virtual storytelling,” said Tarif Sayed, President, and GM of NDI.
[ KILOVIEW Launches the NDI Recorder: Facts, Features, and What to Know (opens in new tab) ]
The NDI SDK enables systems like UE5 to find, send and receive video streams over IP, with an encoding algorithm independent of resolution and frame rate supporting up to 4K and beyond, along with 16 channels of floating-point audio. It also includes tools to implement video access and grouping, bi-directional metadata, IP commands, tally and more.
With the improved integration of NDI into Unreal, creators unlock full IP support for both inputs and outputs of audio and video – even with an alpha channel. The SDK allows creators to build commercial or free AR and VR without any royalties so both large, and small teams can push the boundaries of what is possible in creating visual content and experiences. Now, they can also leverage NDI’s revolutionary potential for sharing video-over-IP in the highest quality, with the lowest latency.
“We’re excited with the potential for creators to use the new SDK plugin for UE5 to make incredible real-time 3D content,” added Bernt Johannessen, Unreal Engine business director for Broadcast at Epic Games.
“With NDI, teams have access to multiple live video sources and Unreal Engine tools all on a standard network, removing obstacles and lowering complexity of live content creation without compromising quality. Unreal Engine is the world’s most open and advanced 3D creation tool on the market, and together with the world’s most used and adopted video-over-IP technology, we’re removing obstacles and giving storytellers more freedom to create amazing content.”
For more information, and to download the NDI SDK plugin for Unreal Engine 5, visit: https://ndi.tv/sdk/ (opens in new tab) | https://www.avnetwork.com/news/ndi-releases-anticipated-sdk-plugin-for-unreal-engine-5 | 2022-06-30T20:44:41Z | https://www.avnetwork.com/news/ndi-releases-anticipated-sdk-plugin-for-unreal-engine-5 | true | 2 |
Smart earbud will measure how astronauts sleep
Sleep is important for our health and well-being, and bad sleep can negatively impact our attention span, memory, decision-making skills, creativity and judgment.
Astronauts living in zero gravity with an artificial day-night cycle have trouble maintaining a natural circadian rhythm and normal sleep patterns. In fact, sleep is what astronauts complain about the most.
To avoid the negative short- and long-term side effects of poor sleep, Aarhus University's Centre for Ear-EEG has developed a technology that can monitor an astronaut's sleep in a non-invasive and discreet manner via so-called "ear-EEG" (ear-ElectroEncephaloGraphy). The technology, along with Danish astronaut Andreas Mogensen, will travel to the International Space Station ISS to examine the differences between human sleep patterns on earth and in space.
The project is called "Sleep in Orbit."
"Sleep is a kind of biomarker for our health and well-being. In fact, a great many diseases also impact the way we sleep, including a wide range of psychiatric disorders and neurodegenerative diseases. In general, however, there is no clear correlation between experienced sleep quality and physiological sleep. But physiological sleep is what's crucial to our cognitive functions," says Professor Preben Kidmose, head of Aarhus University's Center for Ear-EEG.
He continues, "These days, we know a bit about how astronauts experience sleep in space, but we don't know much about how space affects their sleep physiologically. That's one of the things that we're going to measure as part of this project. And it's also our job to analyze sleep patterns and find the differences between how an astronaut sleeps on Earth and how they sleep in space."
The ear-EEG is a small apparatus that is placed in the ear to measure electrical activity in the brain. Ear-EEG measures extremely small voltage changes on the surface of the skin inside the ear caused by electrical activity in the brain's neurons.
Sleep stages are, by definition, related to brain states, and these can be assessed based on the brain's electrical signals.
"We've been working on developing ear-EEG technology for more than 15 years as a way of measuring electrical activity from the brain outside a laboratory. And it turns out that ear-EEG is extremely good at characterizing our sleep. This technology gives us a unique opportunity to conduct long-term measurements of brain activity. And that means we can begin to study things that we otherwise wouldn't be able to measure. For example, we don't really know much about how our sleep varies over time, and how it's affected by our surroundings," says Preben Kidmose.
The shielded and discreet placement of the device makes the method more attractive than traditional EEG measurements that use electrodes placed on top of the head.
Thus, ear-EEG is far gentler and less obtrusive than traditional sleep measurements, and this makes the technology ideal for long-term monitoring of sleep patterns without disrupting a person's sleep.
"This project is important because in the future, we'll probably be in space a lot more often, and have to stay there for longer. And it's important to understand how it affects our sleep. And being able to make a precise physiological characterization of the sleep will also help us find out how we can help astronauts get a better night's sleep in space. Professor Kidmose's technology is a classic example of how technical sciences develop solutions that help people. I really look forward to following the progress of the project," says Eskild Holm Nielsen, dean of the Aarhus University Faculty of Technical Sciences.
The project, "Sleep in Orbit," will examine the differences between sleep patterns on earth and in space by using ear-EEG-based sleep monitoring to ensure the best possible living and working conditions for astronauts.
Aarhus University will provide the project with the measuring equipment used to measure ear-EEG, as well as the algorithms that will be used to calculate sleep stages. The actual data analysis will be conducted at Aarhus University.
Explore further | https://phys.org/news/2022-06-smart-earbud-astronauts.html | 2022-06-30T20:47:06Z | https://phys.org/news/2022-06-smart-earbud-astronauts.html | true | 1 |
CHARLOTTE, N.C., May 31, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Driven Brands Holdings Inc. ( DRVN) will present at the William Blair 42nd Annual Growth Stock Conference on June 7, 2022. Jonathan Fitzpatrick, President and CEO, and Tiffany Mason, EVP and CFO, will be presenting at approximately 8:40am CT / 9:40am ET.
The webcast will be available live on Driven Brands’ Investor Relations webpage at investors.drivenbrands.com. A replay of the webcast will be available later the same day until July 5, 2022.
About Driven Brands
Driven Brands™, headquartered in Charlotte, NC, is the largest automotive services company in North America, providing a range of consumer and commercial automotive needs, including paint, collision, glass, vehicle repair, oil change, maintenance and car wash. Driven Brands is the parent company of some of North America’s leading automotive service businesses including Take 5 Oil Change®, Meineke Car Care Centers®, Maaco®, 1-800-Radiator & A/C®, and CARSTAR®. Driven Brands has more than 4,500 locations across 14 countries, and services over 50 million vehicles annually. Driven Brands’ network generates more than $1.6 billion in annual revenue from more than $4.7 billion in system-wide sales. | https://www.gurufocus.com/news/1793040/driven-brands-to-present-at-the-william-blair-42nd-annual-growth-stock-conference | 2022-06-30T20:48:56Z | https://www.gurufocus.com/news/1793040/driven-brands-to-present-at-the-william-blair-42nd-annual-growth-stock-conference | false | 6 |
TDS for influencers, on crypto transactions from July 1; Demat rules to change
July 1 will bring a host of changes related to taxation, stock market, and late fee on PAN-Aadhaar linking. While the three major changes in the income tax rules proposed in the union budget 2022 will take effect from Friday, the central government has not given any confirmation on newly-introduced labour codes.
Here are the key changes expected to come into effect from July 1:
PAN-Aadhaar linking: According to the guidelines of Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT), if individuals fail to link their PAN with Aadhaar by June 30, they will have to pay a double fine of ₹1,000 from July 1. Those who failed to link their Permanent Account Number with Aadhaar by March 31, they had to pay ₹500 as penalty.
PAN-Aadhaar linking last date today. Here's how to link it
TDS on crypto transactions: The Finance Act 2022 has introduced Section 194S in the I-T Act, which mandates levy of 1% tax deducted at source (TDS) on payments towards virtual digital assets or cryptocurrencies beyond ₹10,000 in a year. The threshold limit for TDS would be ₹50,000 a year for specified persons, which include individuals/HUFs who are required to get their accounts audited under the I-T Act.
Earlier this month, CBDT notified certain amendments in I-T Rules with respect to furnishing TDS returns in Form 26QE and Form 16E. It requires detailed disclosure for TDS deductions for VDAs, under which date of transfer and mode of payment will have to be specified.
Tagging of Demat account: Capital markets regulator Sebi recently announced that all demat accounts of stock brokers, which are untagged, need to be appropriately tagged by June 30. If any demat account is left untagged, credit of securities will not be allowed from July 1. Debit of securities will also not be allowed in any demat account from August if left untagged. In a circular issued on June 20, the Securities and Exchange Board of India said that stock brokers shall obtain permission from Stock Exchanges to allow tagging of such demat accounts from August 01, 2022 onwards.
Stock brokers are required to maintain demat accounts only under five categories – Proprietary account, Pool account, Client unpaid securities account, client securities margin pledge account, and Client securities under margin funding account.
TDS for doctors, influencers on gifts: Becoming an “influencer” or YouTuber has become a popular career choice for children, according to a 2019 poll. They often receive gifts from companies in lieu of promoting their products or services. However, they will have to pay taxes for those items from July 1. The social media influencers will be liable to pay 10% TDS if they receive a product like a car, mobile, outfit, etc, and retain the same. In case they return the product after using the services, it will not fall under Section 194R. | https://www.hindustantimes.com/business/tds-for-influencers-on-crypto-transactions-from-july-1-demat-rules-to-change-101656568334221-amp.html | 2022-06-30T20:50:48Z | https://www.hindustantimes.com/business/tds-for-influencers-on-crypto-transactions-from-july-1-demat-rules-to-change-101656568334221-amp.html | false | 2 |
You need to enable JavaScript to run this app. | https://toronto.citynews.ca/2022/06/30/ecuador-agreement-ends-18-days-of-strikes/ | 2022-06-30T20:51:49Z | https://toronto.citynews.ca/2022/06/30/ecuador-agreement-ends-18-days-of-strikes/ | false | null |
June 30, 2022
THAT WOULD BE GOOD FOR NEW YORK, SINCE SHE’S TERRIBLE: How NY Republican nominee Lee Zeldin could win against Kathy Hochul in November.
THAT WOULD BE GOOD FOR NEW YORK, SINCE SHE’S TERRIBLE: How NY Republican nominee Lee Zeldin could win against Kathy Hochul in November.
As an Amazon Associate,
I earn from qualifying purchases. | https://instapundit.com/528882/ | 2022-06-30T20:53:24Z | https://instapundit.com/528882/ | true | null |
Gafisa SA (OTCPK:GFASY) Q1 2020 Earnings Conference Call May 15, 2020 10:00 AM ET
Company Participants
Ian Andrade - Chief Financial & IR Officer, VP, Management of Finance & IR
Guilherme Benevides - COO & VP, Operations
Conference Call Participants
Operator
Good morning, everyone, and welcome to Gafisa's First Quarter 2020 Results Conference Call.
Today, with us, we have Mr. Ian Andrade, Investors Relations and Chief Financial Officer; and Mr. Guilherme Benevides, Operations VP. We'd like to inform you that this presentation is being recorded. [Operator Instructions].
Before we begin, I would like to inform you that the management's statements involve risks, uncertainties and may refer to future events. Any changes in macroeconomic policies or laws and other operating results may affect the company's performance.
Now I would like to turn the floor over to Mr. Ian. Mr. Ian, good morning. You may proceed.
Ian Andrade
Good morning. I would like to wish you a safe moment to all of you, our employees, Gafisa stakeholders. I would like to convey my empathy and my wishes to all of you who are going through the COVID-19 isolation moment. It is important to highlight that the company has adopted all initiatives to protect lives of our employees, following the stricter practices and recommendations by the WHO and also the State of São Paulo. In this context, before we start our presentation, I would like to convey this message. I would like to convey my empathy and my solidarity to all of you who are with us today at this moment, where the mankind is going through a very tough moment due to the coronavirus.
In 1Q '20, we had very important highlights in financial, corporate and operating terms, with a focus on resuming Gafisa's growth cycle and strengthening our balance sheet. In March, we finished the acquisition of UPCON and subsequently the approval in the Special Shareholders' Meeting in March -- in April, actually. And we also approved the BRL310 million capital increase with a notice sent to the shareholders, and the deadline to exercise the preemptive right by 15 June 2020. The 2 moments in the case of the acquisition of UPCON that was disclosed to the market and we are adherent to the focus on resuming growth and the capital increase has a very clear nature related to strengthening our balance sheet, and it is also an opportunity for minority shareholders of the company and the other shareholders, too, to participate in a more relevant way in the new growth cycle of Gafisa.
In our pursuit to decreasing the financial liabilities, we have disclosed to the market the completion in March of the renegotiation with Banco do Brasil with BRL78 million and that debt extended its maturity rate to 2025, with a reduction in financial costs. In terms of financial results and financial performance in 1Q '20, we maintained our adjusted gross margin at the same level, very healthy level that we had in 4Q '19 of 38%, 37.5% in 1Q '20.
Another goal of ours that we are pursuing consistently in our new management since the first quarter 2019 is the reduction of general and administrative expenses. We had a reduction of 25% comparing the first quarter '20 to the fourth quarter 2019. So we are confirming the trend of gross margins and the health of our development portfolio in construction and we continue our effort to manage the fixed general and administrative expenses.
Now we are in a very relevant delivery cycle of projects. We have already delivered some projects and we develop -- we delivered a very important amount of PSV and the Vila Rica in the first quarter and the other 2 developments will be developed in April, and 1 in May. And in the pursuit of new paths of growth in relation to the real estate market, we announced 2 different business lines, real estate asset management and Gafisa Infrastructure.
Now I would like to turn the floor over to Guilherme Benevides, our Operations VP.
Guilherme Benevides
Thank you very much, Ian. Good morning, everyone, who have joined us in our 1Q '20 results conference call. I would like to convey the same message that Ian conveyed. I hope you are all home, you're safe and healthy.
Now moving on with the presentation. I'm going to talk about the operating results of 1Q '20. You can see our net presales, our gross sales rather of BRL38 million and dissolutions of BRL10 million. We had a decrease of 25% of dissolutions quarter-on-quarter. On the chart on the right-hand side, you can see that we had about 44% of the sales of delivered units and 56% are units under construction, which shows that our inventories between finished units and units under construction has good liquidity. Despite the difficulties caused by the pandemic, over the last 12 months, our SoS was 17%, in line with the last quarter of 2019.
You can see that on the next slide, we have our inventory. We have BRL884 million and BRL496 million are finished units and BRL358 million are units under construction. Out of this stock, we have BRL697 million in São Paulo, one BRL21 million in Rio and BRL36 million in other places, showing that most of our inventory is in the state with the highest liquidity in the country.
On the seventh slide, you can see the deliveries. We have delivered this year 3 developments: Vila Rica in the City of Santos; MOOV Vila Prudente; and Marques 2900, adding up to 350 delivered units and a PSV of about BRL180 million.
Now moving on to Slide 8. You can see the schedule of expected deliveries. We are going to have another 3 deliveries in the first half of the year, adding up to over BRL600 million and over 1,150 units. We are going to have another 2 deliveries, which adding up to the first deliveries. We are going to have over BRL700 million delivered in PSV and over 1,300 units delivered. Our first delivery this year of the projects that we already have the occupancy permits and we are preparing the general meeting installations. They are Square Ipiranga; Like Alto; and Moov Freguesia; with BRL430 million in PSV and over 800 units.
Now let's talk about the sales during the pandemic. We are selling our units digitally online. All of our sales team is very well prepared with all the materials and signing contracts digitally.
Now let's talk about our new launches. We have 15 developments at the moment, with over BRL600 million PSV approved and ready to be launched, and over BRL1 billion in PSV is still to be approved in the process of approval. We have over BRL250 million in the neighborhood of Jardins in the city of São Paulo and over BRL600 million in Campo Belo, and Moema, which are high income neighborhoods in São Paulo. And we keep on with the launches strategy as soon as the pandemic is under control and the market presents the appropriate conditions.
I would like to tell you also that we are continuing with our acquisition strategy. We have a pipeline under development with landbank that are option or are in the process of option. I would like to thank you all. And now I will turn the floor over to our VP of Finance, Ian Andrade.
Ian Andrade
Thank you very much, Guilherme. Now let's talk about the financial results in 1Q '20. Let's move on to Slide 10. The results -- financial results in 1Q '20 reinforce that we have a healthy portfolio for construction development. We had a decrease in revenue but our gross margin is of 30%, the same performance we had in 4Q '19 and we had a significant increase in comparison with the first quarter 2019. In the same slide, you can see the fixed expenses, which we've already mentioned in the highlights. Under the management -- the new management since March 2019, besides sustaining the gross margins at healthy levels, we have always pursued a continuous decrease in general and administrative expenses, with a reduction of 25% year-on-year -- actually, 25% reduction quarter-on-quarter.
Now let's talk about our gross margin. In this slide, Slide 11, you can see our adjusted gross margin, which is the accounting margin, excluding the financial expenses that are recognized in the cost of construction of the development. Our adjusted gross margin was 37.5%, in line with the same number that we had in 4Q '19 as a way to demonstrate how positive that margin is. Our gross margin, our backlog gross margin is of 36%.
Now let's talk about our debt and cash. In 1Q '20, Gafisa presented a reduction in the gross debt and maintenance of the healthy leverage level. 90% of our debts are related to debt related to the construction. So we have to take into account the transfers that were presented by Guilherme, so we have a real and concrete perspective of a decrease in leverage in a very significant way over the next quarters. As we mentioned earlier, the restructuring of our debt with Banco do Brasil brought not only a reduction in financial costs for the company, but also it allowed us to reclassify our long-term debt. BRL129 million has been classified as long-term in accounting terms.
Now to wrap up the presentation, I would like to highlight the capital increase of BRL310 million, BRL175 million for the acquisition of UPCON and BRL135 million to strengthen the company's cash. That's yet another movement towards strengthening our balance sheet, and it also highlights a great opportunity for all current shareholders of the company to take part in a new growth cycle.
I would like to highlight again that we are at your full disposal to answer any questions you may have and provide any clarification necessary. The deadline for the conclusion of the capital increase and for you to exercise your preemptive right is 15th of June 2020.
I would like to finish my presentation now by providing you the operating and financial highlights. And I would like to leave you with the message that we are following a very consistent path of structuring and strengthening our balance sheet, increasing the gross margin of our developments, decreasing and pursuing the optimization of the fixed costs, and we are ready to resume growth. We have the PSV to advance. We have relevant PSV under approval and also the inherent quality of the developments stands out in the competition and they are the foundation for the new growth cycle in Gafisa.
With that, I finish my presentation, and we can now start the question-and-answer session.
Question-and-Answer Session
Operator
[Operator Instructions]
We have our first question from Mr. Montero with Ginebra Capital [ph].
Unidentified Analyst
I would like to know a little bit more about the growth perspectives of the company for the future after this tough pandemic moment end?
Ian Andrade
Well, the growth perspective of the company when it comes to the financial aspects and also when it comes to management, are related to the fact that we have a strengthened balance sheet so that we can support the new growth cycle. And we have a management structure that's ready and dedicated to growth. Having said that, I would like to turn the floor over to Guilherme, who can tell you more about the market and our assets.
Guilherme Benevides
Raul, to answer your question, I would say that we continue with the growth strategy. We are preparing our products to be launched. As I said earlier, there are 6 projects that have already been approved with about BRL600 million in PSV, and they will be made available to the market as soon as the market starts responding to the pandemic. So our growth strategy remains the same with launches that are ready to go and that are very well positioning in -- that are very well positioned in high-valued locations in the city of São Paulo, so that we can start growing again.
Operator
[Operator Instructions]. The next question comes from Mr. Marcelo with MDM [ph].
Unidentified Analyst
I would like to understand more details about the new growth lines that you mentioned about asset management and infrastructure. And also, I would like to get more details about the acquisition of UPCON.
Ian Andrade
Okay. When it comes to the new growth lines, the 2 initiatives that we started structuring, our businesses that are related to the real estate development businesses and the opportunity that we identify in real estate asset management. And here, we are talking about third party management. So we are talking about major wealth families who have properties, banks or companies that have properties and that need management for that property. I'm not talking about management of finished developments, for example, in condominium management. I'm talking about adding value.
For example, major swathes of land that are inactive or underdeveloped or that do not have any development -- of any development going on in them because of a lack of knowledge from this target audience, then Gafisa can provide that service, real estate development services, and that can be a way for us to consolidate new businesses for the company. We are going to provide services and that can become a new lane, a new growth lane that will lead us to more businesses. We may become partners in those developments since we are going to have a lot of knowledge about them. So it is a way to develop a [indiscernible] business that has a lot of location to become an asset business. And we are also starting this new business line with some contracts in place. So that's why we are putting up a structure, a management structure because we want to do things right. We are putting together a new business because we already have some contracts and not the other way around.
Now when it comes to infrastructure, with the infrastructure business, as you know, it is a very broad business, and there's always a real estate angle to these businesses with concessions, with property assets that foster financial movements in a major concession or in major businesses. So the infrastructure business is very broad and our work is allowing us to look for opportunities using our real estate expertise and also capturing synergies for the infrastructure business because that business is a very good way for Brazil to grow as a whole. Today in Brazil, business people from any sector are looking at infrastructure, for infrastructure businesses or infrastructure-related businesses. So this is a way to use our expertise to have access to tap into a new growth plan that has a very good economic potential and that has good businesses. That can be captured by our real estate expertise.
Now when it comes to UPCON, beside the synergy and financial benefits, I'm going to ask Guilherme to answer that question because he is the founder of UPCON, and he knows its operations very well. He knows the value-added that they have there. So I think Guilherme would be the right person to answer that question.
Guilherme Benevides
Well, when it comes to the UPCON Gafisa relationship, I think that UPCON is bringing to Gafisa expertise of over 40 years, focused 100% on real estate. That's the core business of the company. So we are bringing in all of that experience, the 40-year experience of their shareholders and that is adding value to a listed company, and we can help them in the management, bring all that expertise together. And also UPCON brings us a major landbank volume with projects that are very well-structured and very well positioned in the market, adding value to Gafisa's assets too.
Operator
[Operator Instructions]. Okay. So if there are no more questions, I will turn the floor over to Mr. Ian Andrade and the other speakers for his final remarks.
Ian Andrade
I would like to thank you all for your participation. Thank you for your time and your interest in what we are doing here at Gafisa and the story that we are building together, the growth that is becoming more tangible. We are eager to implement the new growth cycle as soon as the market conditions and the sanitation conditions allow us to do so. We are focused and eager to launch our products to the market and really start this new moment at Gafisa, resuming growth, resuming launches of differentiated developments that are very well positioned in financial terms as well.
So thank you very much. I wish you stay healthy, you and your families, we are going to go through this global crisis with solidarity and common sense. So thank you very much.
Operator
With that, we conclude Gafisa's conference call for today. I would like to thank you all for your participation, and have a good day. | https://seekingalpha.com/article/4348041-gafisa-sa-gfasy-on-q1-2020-results-earnings-call-transcript | 2022-06-30T20:55:26Z | https://seekingalpha.com/article/4348041-gafisa-sa-gfasy-on-q1-2020-results-earnings-call-transcript | true | 1 |
The Canada Day long weekend is the perfect time for burgers on the grill, cold drinks and time with family and friends.
Yet a backyard barbecue comes with a bigger price tag this year.
Food prices soared 9.7 per cent in May compared with a year ago as inflation hit its highest level in nearly 40 years.
Prices for many barbecue favourites like steaks and veggies have increased even more, which will make entertaining with family and friends this weekend costlier.
Using prices gathered by Statistics Canada, the cost of hosting a Canada Day barbecue with eight adults and eight children today would cost $302.04 — more than 17 per cent higher than in 2021, when the bill came to $257.27.
The higher prices could prompt a shift in shopping and consumption habits as people look to save money at the grocery store.
“Prices are going up much faster than we’ve been accustomed to for the past four decades,” said Sal Guatieri, a senior economist at BMO Financial Group.
“People may start to switch to cheaper items, especially when it comes to food. They may substitute chicken for steak to save money, for example.”
Travelling over the long weekend will take an even bigger bite out of budgets. The cost of filling up one tank of gas and spending a night in a hotel room has risen to about $317 from about $220 a year ago — nearly 44 per cent higher.
Still, higher costs are not expected to deter Canadians from gathering and celebrating this Canada Day.
“The pent up demand to socialize and get out and have barbecues this summer will outweigh the higher costs,” Guatieri said.
“But once households have exhausted some of their savings and the pent up demand has waned, we could start to see a bigger change in behaviour.”
Despite skyrocketing costs, Canadians are better off this year compared to last year, University of Toronto economics professor Angelo Melino said.
“More Canadians are working and they’re working more hours,” he said. “The nation’s GDP, the amount of goods and services that we’re producing, has gone up and consumption has gone up pretty dramatically.”
While some higher costs could encourage Canadians to buy cheaper alternatives at the grocery, the prices for some backyard barbecue staples have remained stable.
“Alcohol and recreational cannabis are not up as much as other things so maybe beer is a cheap first of July beverage … but maybe (people will buy) hotdogs instead of steaks.”
Here is a look at the costs for items on a typical Canada Day barbecue menu:
(Food group percentages are the average price increase in May compared with one year ago, based on Statistics Canada inflation data. Additional details of a specific item’s price are average estimates from April 2021 and April 2022, the most recent month for which the price breakdown is available, and are not statistically comparable. Costs are the estimated cost of grocery shopping for a barbecue with 16 people.)
Beef: 11.2 per cent
The cost of a kilogram of striploin steak was $22.87 in April 2021. For a barbecue with eight adults, each consuming a roughly half-kilogram steak, the cost would be $91.48. A year later, the cost was $28.80 per kilogram for a total bill of $115.20.
Chicken: 7.9 per cent
In April 2021, chicken breasts cost $12.58 per kilogram. Two kilograms to share at the barbecue would cost $25.16. Today, with a price of $15.32 per kilogram, the cost would be $30.64.
Hotdogs, sausages: 9.9 per cent
In April 2021, about 400 grams of wieners cost $3.76, or about $7.52 for 800 grams (about two packages). In April 2022, the cost increased to $4.09 for 400 grams, or $8.18 for 800 grams.
Bread, rolls and buns: 11.1 per cent
White bread increased to $3.37 for 675 grams in April 2022 compared with $3.03 in April 2021.
Vegetables: 10.2 per cent, fresh fruit: 11.3 per cent
A kilogram of tomatoes increased to $4.21 from $3.70, a kilogram of potatoes went down to $4.18 from $4.22,a kilogram of onions rose to $5.28 from $4.14 and romaine lettuce rose to $3.58 from $2.63. The price of a cantaloupe rose to $3.28 in April from $2.82 a year before. The cost of one avocado rose to $2.35 in April from $1.76 a year before.
Ice cream: 4.1 per cent
A litre of ice cream that cost about $4.50 in 2021, or $9 for two litres, would now cost about $4.70 or $9.40 for two litres.
Edible fats, oils: 30 per cent, Condiments, spices and vinegars: 20.6 per cent
A litre of ketchup rose to $4.07 from $3.32, mayonnaise rose to $5.93 from $4.55 and vegetable oil increased to $10.83 for three litres, up from $6.48 a year before.
Beer: 4.8 per cent
A 24-pack of beer that cost $47.50 a year ago would cost about $49.50 today.
Wine: 4.7 per cent
A $20 bottle of wine a year ago would cost a little under $21 today, or $40 for two bottles compared with $42 today.
The total cost of hosting a Canada Day barbecue in 2021 would have been about $257.31. Today the same barbecue would cost $302.00 — more than 17 per cent higher.
For those travelling this Canada Day weekend, inflation will hit even harder.
Traveller accommodation: 40.2 per cent
Hotel rooms have gone up from about $141 a year ago to about $200 in May.
Gasoline: 48 per cent
Gasoline prices in Canada in May 2021 were $1.32 a litre. In May 2022, prices across Canada hit an average $1.95 a litre. The cost to fill up a 60 litre gas tank rose from $79.20 each in 2021 to $117 each in 2021.
For a family travelling this Canada Day and filling up one tank of gas and spending one night in a hotel room, the cost has risen from about $220.20 to $317 — nearly 44 per cent higher.
Brett Bundale, The Canadian Press | https://www.burnslakelakesdistrictnews.com/trending-now/hotdogs-instead-of-steaks-what-your-canada-day-bbq-will-cost-with-hot-inflation/ | 2022-06-30T20:55:53Z | https://www.burnslakelakesdistrictnews.com/trending-now/hotdogs-instead-of-steaks-what-your-canada-day-bbq-will-cost-with-hot-inflation/ | false | 22 |
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DALLAS (AP) — Airlines that have stumbled badly over the last two holidays face their biggest test yet of whether they can handle big crowds when July Fourth travelers mob the nation's airports this weekend.
Problems were popping up well before the weekend, with some disruptions caused by thunderstorms that slowed air traffic.
American Airlines canceled 8% of its flights on Tuesday and Wednesday, and United Airlines scrubbed 4% of its schedule both days, according to FlightAware.
Holiday revelers planning to drive face their own set of challenges, including high gasoline prices. The nationwide average has eased since hitting a record $5.02 in mid-June to $4.86 a gallon on Thursday, according to AAA, which expects prices to continue to ease because of rising gasoline inventories.
Americans are driving a bit less. Gas demand last week was down about 3% from the same week last June, according to government figures. In a Quinnipiac University poll in June, 40% of those surveyed said gas prices have caused them to change their summer vacation plans.
Air travel in the U.S. is almost back to pre-pandemic levels. Since last Saturday, an average of nearly 2.3 million people a day have gone through airport checkpoints — down just 8% from the same days in 2019. If that trend continues through weekend, records will be set for flying in the pandemic era.
Airlines may not have enough planes and flights to carry all of them, especially if there are cancellations due to weather, crew shortages or any other reason.
“Airlines are learning the hard way that there is a severe price for over-optimism,” said Joseph Schwieterman, a transportation expert at DePaul University. “They are on the edge of a cliff this holiday.”
Schwieterman calculates that airlines have little cushion between the number of travelers expected to fly this weekend and the flights they plan to operate — if all goes well. Any disruptions could cause chaos because planes are booked full — there will be no empty seats on later flights to accommodate stranded travelers.
Airlines have been caught short-staffed as they try to hire thousands of workers, including pilots, to replace those who they encouraged to quit when the pandemic caused air travel to plummet.
Many of them, including Delta, Southwest and JetBlue, have trimmed summer schedules to reduce stress on their operations. They are using larger planes on average to carry more passengers with the same number of pilots. Those steps haven't been enough so far this summer.
Delta Air Lines took the unusual step this week of warning travelers that there could be problems over the holiday weekend.
The Atlanta-based airline said it expects the biggest crowds since 2019, and this will create “some operational challenges.” It is allowing passengers booked on flights between Friday and the Monday holiday to change their schedule at no cost, even if the new flight comes with a higher fare.
“Delta people are working around the clock to rebuild Delta’s operation while making it as resilient as possible to minimize the ripple effect of disruptions,” the airline said.
Delta had by far the most canceled flights of any U.S. airline over the Memorial Day holiday stretch, when U.S. carriers scrubbed nearly 2,800 flights, and again last weekend, when it canceled 7% of its flights, according to FlightAware.
The airlines are increasingly trying to blame delays on understaffing at the Federal Aviation Administration, which manages the nation's airspace and hires air traffic controllers.
“This year versus previous years, the biggest issue has been air traffic control,” said Barry Biffle, the CEO of Frontier Airlines. “We've made a lot of steps to avoid the Jacksonville center in our scheduling, and we have reduced some flying to accommodate that.”
The FAA has a major facility in Jacksonville, Florida, that handles many flights up and down the East Coast. After a meeting with airline representatives in May, the FAA promised to increase staffing at the center.
Delta CEO Ed Bastian similarly blamed the FAA during an online meeting with employees Wednesday, trade publication Airline Weekly reported. Delta declined to comment.
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg pushed back earlier this week when the head of the trade group Airlines for America blamed the FAA for delays.
“The majority of cancellations and the majority of delays have nothing to do with air traffic control staffing,” Buttigieg told “NBC Nightly News."
Helane Becker, an airline analyst for investment firm Cowen, said there are many reasons for the disruptions including weather, FAA ground stops that last too long, and flight crews hitting their legal limit of working hours in a day. The airlines “seem to fail” when it comes down to daily operations, and the FAA didn't train enough new air traffic controllers — a process that can take up to four years — to offset retirements.
“We expect it to be a long, tiresome summer for everyone,” she said.
The loudest lawmakers mostly seem to blame the airlines for leaving passengers stranded. Some point out that Congress gave the industry $54 billion in pandemic relief.
Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., urged Buttigieg to require airlines to issue refunds for delays longer than an hour and fine them for delays longer than two hours and for scheduling flights that they can't staff. Sanders accused airlines of stranding passengers while charging “outrageously high prices.”
Buttigieg has threatened fines if airlines don't fix their operations.
Sens. Edward Markey, D-Mass., and Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., asked 10 airline CEOs this week to “take immediate action” to reduce travel disruptions. The senators demanded information about how each airline decides which flights to cancel and the number of consumer refunds requested and granted. | https://www.registercitizen.com/business/article/All-eyes-on-airlines-as-July-Fourth-holiday-17276968.php | 2022-06-30T20:56:12Z | https://www.registercitizen.com/business/article/All-eyes-on-airlines-as-July-Fourth-holiday-17276968.php | true | 59 |
Ketanji Brown Jackson was sworn in as Supreme Court Justice Thursday, filling the seat of outgoing Justice Stephen Breyer and becoming the first Black woman to serve on the country's highest court.
Copyright 2022 NPR
Ketanji Brown Jackson was sworn in as Supreme Court Justice Thursday, filling the seat of outgoing Justice Stephen Breyer and becoming the first Black woman to serve on the country's highest court.
Copyright 2022 NPR | https://www.wemu.org/2022-06-30/ketanji-brown-jackson-sworn-in-as-associate-justice-on-the-supreme-court | 2022-06-30T20:57:22Z | https://www.wemu.org/2022-06-30/ketanji-brown-jackson-sworn-in-as-associate-justice-on-the-supreme-court | true | null |
It's finally summer, and with everything going on in the world right now, you could probably use a little escape. As many of us retreat to beaches and pools to catch a break from the heat, here are eight books from the summer edition of NPR's Books We Love that you can take with you.
The exact definition of a beachy read depends on who you ask. But hopefully, you'll find something that suits your tastes in our picks below — whether you're in the mood for some light romance, short fiction or a thriller.
I Kissed Shara Wheeler by Casey McQuiston
Shara Wheeler kissed Chloe Green and then had the nerve to vanish. Thankfully, Shara has left behind a trail of pink-enveloped clues and a pair of whodunit high school boys whom she also kissed. The ragtag trio tear apart their small Alabama town in search of Shara – but what they find reveals just as much truth about themselves as it does Shara. This is a teenage Harriet the Spy – complete with romance, angst, rebellion and Taco Bell. In a year when LGBTQ youth and their families have faced intense political attacks, this book feels like a warm embrace.
— Lauren Migaki, senior producer, NPR Ed
The Swimmers by Julie Otsuka
In Julie Otsuka's new novel, The Swimmers, a ragtag group of regulars shows up every day to swim laps in a university pool. One day, a crack appears at the bottom near the drain, then another, reproducing in spiderlike clusters. When the pool is shut down for safety reasons, the daily rhythm of the swimmers' lives abruptly stops. The Swimmers is a slim, brilliant novel about the value and beauty of mundane routines that shape our days and identities. Jump in and soak up Otsuka's distinctive style, which has all the verve and playfulness of spoken-word poetry.
— Maureen Corrigan, book critic, Fresh Air
Book Lovers by Emily Henry
In someone else's rom-com, literary agent Nora Stephens is the villain — a city-slicker-workaholic the hero dumps for a small-town love. That script is flipped when Nora's sister drags her to Sunshine Falls, an idyllic, small town in North Carolina. Nora's vacation is off to a great start, until she runs into cold-hearted New York book editor Charlie Lastra, whose family owns the failing local bookshop. Their chemistry crackles as they try to outwit each other with taunts, teases and maybe flirts. Between laugh-out-loud exchanges about Bigfoot erotica, they consider what "happily ever after" looks like for two rom-com "villains."
— Lauren Migaki, senior producer, NPR Ed
All This Could Be Different by Sarah Thankam Mathews
If you've ever wanted to read a love letter to friendship, this is it. All This Could Be Different follows Sneha, a 22-year-old consultant in Milwaukee who is building a life for herself in a new city. From dating women to navigating financial anxiety to finding an unlikely group of friends, the novel explores the tenderness and troubles of Sneha's first few years of adulthood. Through exquisite observations, Sarah Thankam Mathews reflects on the gift of having people you can count on, who anchor you through new chapters.
— Nayantara Dutta, freelance writer
The Old Woman with the Knife by Gu Byeong-mo, translated by Chi-Young Kim
The opening of The Old Woman with the Knife – 65-year-old Hornclaw hunts her mark in a subway car while riders avoid offering her a seat – sets its gripping, bone-dry tone. Originally titled Pagwa (bruised fruit), the novel is by turns a character study, a One Last Job thriller, and a dark comedy about the indignities of aging and work (her mom-and-pop assassin business is, like everything else around her, being gentrified). But some of its best moments make a poignant register of life's little stings; rarely has a peach forgotten in the kitchen been so keenly felt.
— Genevieve Valentine, author and book critic
The Novelist by Jordan Castro
Jordan Castro is a novelist, and also a supporting character in The Novelist, a novel about a would-be novelist trying to write a novel. Got it? Sure, Castro's fiction debut is as meta as it gets, but that's part of its immense charm. The narrator of the book, which takes place during one morning, is determined to work on his novel but keeps getting distracted by making tea, the Internet, and his need to go to the bathroom. Castro's book is odd – that's undebatable – but it's also sweet, funny and beautifully written.
— Michael Schaub, book critic
Mouth to Mouth by Antoine Wilson
When you save someone's life, do you become responsible for them? This is the question that propels Mouth to Mouth forward. Set in the moneyed art world of Los Angeles, a young man with a secret seeks his fortune by attaching himself to a wealthy but cruel and duplicitous dealer. It's a lean, existentialist drama, and capped with a satisfying twist ending.
— Anya Kamenetz, correspondent, NPR Ed
Present Tense Machine by Gunnhild Øyehaug, translated by Sophie Hughes
In Gunnhild Øyehaug's playful yet poignant novel, a mother misreads a word as her young daughter plays nearby – a mistake that splits the mother's world into two parallel universes, irrevocably erasing her from her daughter's life and vice-versa. From then on, mother and daughter continue to exist as thinkers and artists – but in their own worlds. Each woman's identity reflects the novel's central duality: To be a biological mother is to be divided by gestation and birth, yet to be a creator is to assume an eternal, genderless and indivisible presence. By rejecting the classical concept of tragedy, Øyehaug's modern Genesis story beautifully unifies life and art.
— Thúy Ðinh, writer and book critic
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.kenw.org/2022-06-30/8-books-to-enjoy-at-the-beach-this-summer | 2022-06-30T20:57:29Z | https://www.kenw.org/2022-06-30/8-books-to-enjoy-at-the-beach-this-summer | true | 13 |
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Years before “Bridgerton” and the Regency-era fashion moment it helped inspire, director Emma Holly Jones was dreaming of an early 19th century romantic comedy with a diverse cast.
Inspiration isn’t always easy to pinpoint, but in this instance, Jones can trace the spark back to a fortuitous week in 2015. While listening to the “Blacklist” podcast, which spotlights unproduced screenplays, she heard Suzanne Allain’s script for “ Mr. Malcolm’s List,” a lively Jane Austen-inspired romp about a high society marriage market and a woman seeking to get revenge on the picky suitor who rejected her. As someone who was named after an Austen heroine herself, it stood out. Then, a few days later, she caught an early production of “Hamilton.”
“I came out of that show and my mind was just racing,” Jones said. “’Mr. Malcolm’s List’ in the style of ‘Hamilton.’”
It would take about seven years to get it to the big screen, however. The film, starring Freida Pinto, Sopé Dìrísù, Zawe Ashton and Theo James, arrives in U.S. theaters Friday from Bleecker Street.
Knowing that it might be difficult to finance a period piece from a first-time director, they started with a short film as a proof of concept. Many of the actors from the short, including Pinto as the scorned woman’s friend, reprise their roles in the feature. For most, it was an opportunity they rarely get.
“I always loved the Jane Austen period... those mannerisms, the costumes and the corsets,” said Pinto. “But I’d never been part of a world like that in my own acting career.”
Released by Refinery29 in early 2019, the short “Mr. Malcolm's List” was a hit and they were then certain that they had something that people wanted to see. To date it’s been viewed over 2 million times. Pinto even decided to executive produce the feature.
But there were still obstacles to come, from the pandemic to casting. To play Mr. Malcolm, a handsome earl’s son with considerable inherited wealth who is the catch of the season, casting director Tamara-Lee Notcutt introduced Jones to Sopé Dìrísù.
“From the moment I met him, I was like, he’s Malcolm or I don’t do the movie,” Jones said. “I'm just the most stubborn human.”
Dìrísù wasn’t a name at the time, but he had that Mr. Darcy quality that she needed. Jones put her foot down even when faced with mounting pressures to cast a more recognizable face.
The British actor, who is Black and has become more known recently with roles in “Gangs of London” and a BAFTA nomination, reveled in the opportunity to be in a historical period piece “not as a person who was owned," he said.
“I have played former slaves before and, for me, it was really important that that didn’t become a feature of my career,” Dìrísù said. “I’ve seen lots of my white colleagues and counterparts do a period drama. You don’t get the same opportunities as a global majority actor.”
Zawe Ashton had also always dreamed of playing a character in the novels she grew up loving, by Austen and Dickens and the Brontes. When another actor dropped out weeks before filming, Ashton was approached to play Julia Thistlewaite, the woman Mr. Malcolm's rejects. She had about 24 hours to read the script, make a decision and fly to Ireland to quarantine for two weeks before cameras started to roll, but she was on board.
“There are counterparts of mine out here who are suffering from bonnet fatigue because they’ve done so many period dramas,” Ashton said. “And so many of those dramas helped launch their careers at a very, very formative time. And I’m here thinking, ‘That’s so weird because I kind of feel like I could be Jane Eyre.’”
When they all began digging deeper into the era, they’d come to find that England in the early 19th century wasn’t nearly as whitewashed as films might have us believe.
“It’s breaking open an aspirational genre,” Ashton said. “There is so much historical inaccuracy in every period drama that you see, whether it’s the costumes or the music or the cadence of speaking. We’re not supposed to be watching documentaries. We’re supposed to be reconnecting to a bygone era and understanding our own lives by way of revisiting the past.”
The global pandemic slowed the progress of “Mr. Malcolm’s List," which was put on hold when everything shut down. Then while they were waiting for the go-ahead to shoot the feature, “Bridgerton” happened in December 2020. Though distinctly different in tone, the Shonda Rhimes-produced series featured a diverse cast dating and gossiping in Regency-era England. It quickly became a global phenomenon and one of Netflix’s most-watched shows.
“At first I was a bit worried, honestly,” Jones said. “But I think it almost opened up an audience and opened up the genre as a whole to different countries and different age groups. If you look on TikTok, there’s all these young people who love Regency drama and make their own costumes. I think ‘Bridgerton’ has played a huge part in that.”
And who came first is beside the point, Jones said. Other recent films that have taken similar approaches to casting, including Amma Asante’s “Belle” and Armando Iannucci’s “The Personal History of David Copperfield,” and she hopes that there will be many, many more. Plus, when it comes down to it, “Mr. Malcolm’s List” is supposed to be fun.
“I’m really hoping that this film helps elevate people’s moods,” Pinto said. “We’re living in a very, very testing time. There’s a lot of sadness. There’s a lot to fight for. And I’m just hoping that this gives people two hours of escape from their reality.”
—-
Follow AP Film Writer Lindsey Bahr on Twitter: www.twitter.com/ldbahr | https://www.greenwichtime.com/entertainment/article/Like-Bridgerton-Wait-till-you-catch-Mr-17277430.php | 2022-06-30T20:58:18Z | https://www.greenwichtime.com/entertainment/article/Like-Bridgerton-Wait-till-you-catch-Mr-17277430.php | false | 23 |
Juana Summers is a political correspondent for NPR covering race, justice and politics. She has covered politics since 2010 for publications including Politico, CNN and The Associated Press. She got her start in public radio at KBIA in Columbia, Mo., and also previously covered Congress for NPR.
Ashish Valentine joined NPR as its second-ever Reflect America fellow and is now a production assistant at All Things Considered. As well as producing the daily show and sometimes reporting stories himself, his job is to help the network's coverage better represent the perspectives of marginalized communities. | https://www.wkyufm.org/2022-06-30/supreme-court-allows-biden-administration-to-roll-back-remain-in-mexico-policy | 2022-06-30T20:59:39Z | https://www.wkyufm.org/2022-06-30/supreme-court-allows-biden-administration-to-roll-back-remain-in-mexico-policy | false | null |
Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah has helped its actors gain massive fame. Whether it is Disha Vakani, Nidhi Bhanushali or Neha Mehta, all of these actors are enjoying attention even despite leaving the show. Even Aradhana Sharma garnered a lot of love for her small role. But do you know Bigg Boss 13 fame Mahira Sharma was a part of the sitcom as well?
Mahira has been a part of multiple television shows and music videos. It was Lehanga sung by Jass Manak that grabbed a lot of media attention. The actress has also been a part of Kundali Bhagya, Bepanah Pyaar, Naagin 3 among others. But do you know her first big TV breakthrough was Taarak Mehta?
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It was back in 2014 that Mahira Sharma featured in an episode of Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah. It was in episode no. 1565 episode in which Mahira made her entry. She played the role of Anjali Mehta’s younger sister Ekta. She also played the host of one of the most famous Ganesh Chaturthi Mahotsav in 2017 in the show.
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Here’s a glimpse of Mahira Sharma from Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah below (from 16:11 mins):
Quite a memory down the lane, isn’t it?
On the professional front, Mahira Sharma regained fame with her participation in Bigg Boss 13. Her relationship with co-contestant Paras Chhabra has been quite the talk of the town. While the duo refuse to confess they are together, they surely seem to be in love as they’re always together.
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WASHINGTON, June 30, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Following is a statement from Jen Judson, president of the National Press Club and Gil Klein, president of the National Press Club Journalism Institute, on this week's actions by the Philippine government against the news site Rappler.
"In a last gasp of power, the Duterte Administration did not go quietly this week, taking a final swipe at Rappler, the hard-hitting and celebrated news site founded by Nobel Peace Prize winner Maria Ressa. The Philippine Securities and Exchange Commission on Tuesday reaffirmed a prior order to revoke Rappler's charter as a business. Rappler is appealing this action and will continue to operate.
"Thursday is a new day in the Philippines with a new Administration coming to office and we call on President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to quickly reverse the decisions to shutter Rappler and allow the newsroom and its journalists to operate unimpeded. We view this as an opportunity for the new Marcos government to make a good faith demonstration of its support for a free and secure democratic Philippines, of which a robust and independent press is a vital cornerstone. We look forward to a return to the rule of law in the Philippines as it relates to Rappler. We expect this will be the case. We stand by Maria Ressa."
In 2020, Ressa was named the John Aubuchon International Honoree by the National Press Club, the Club's highest honor for press freedom.
Founded in 1908, the National Press Club is the world's leading professional organization for journalists. With 3,000 members representing nearly every major news organization, the Club is a leading voice for press freedom in the U.S. and worldwide.
The National Press Club Journalism Institute promotes an engaged global citizenry through an independent and free press and equips journalists with skills and standards to inform the public in ways that inspire civic engagement.
Contact: Bill McCarren, 202-662-7534 for the National Press Club
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SOURCE National Press Club | https://www.wvlt.tv/prnewswire/2022/06/30/national-press-club-statement-philippine-government-attempts-shutdown-rappler/ | 2022-06-30T21:00:54Z | https://www.wvlt.tv/prnewswire/2022/06/30/national-press-club-statement-philippine-government-attempts-shutdown-rappler/ | true | 10 |
Customer rates fuel debate around New Mexico power plant
By SUSAN MONTOYA BRYAN
Associated Press
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — With little ceremony, it was lights out Thursday for one of the two remaining units at a coal-fired power plant in northwestern New Mexico that has provided electricity for millions of customers in the southwestern U.S. for nearly a half-century.
Unit 1 at the San Juan Generating Station was shuttered as state regulators ordered New Mexico’s largest utility to credit customers for millions of dollars in savings that will come from the plant’s closure in September, when the final unit goes offline.
Public Service Co. of New Mexico had planned to wait to pass along the savings until its next rate case before the Public Regulation Commission, but regulators in ordering quicker action said they have a responsibility to ensure that rates charged to customers are fair, just and reasonable.
“PNM’s new plan constitutes a moral hazard that, without the remediation ordered herein, threatens substantial and potentially irremediable harm to ratepayers,” the commission’s order reads.
The utility has vowed to appeal the decision, warning that applying a short-term credit would not be reflective of the costs to provide service to customers and that new rates proposed later this year would be much higher than they otherwise would have been.
PNM executives have said that such a “roller coaster” would significantly affect customers.
Pat Vincent-Collawn, PNM Resources chair and CEO, characterized the commission’s decision as an arbitrary penalty, noting that the utility opted not to file for rate increases over the last two years as it navigated a transition to more renewable energy resources.
The battle over financing and customer rates related to the closure of the San Juan plant has been ongoing for months.
A need to keep part of the plant open longer than expected also raised questions about the timing for issuing bonds that would allow the utility to recover lost investments in the plant.
Regulators approved PNM’s request to keep one unit open for an additional three months to avoid blackouts during the summer when air conditioners help drive up demand. The utility had warned that without San Juan, it wouldn’t have the capacity to meet customer needs since solar and battery storage projects meant to replace the coal-fired plant were behind schedule.
Under the commission’s ruling, utility customers would see a rate reduction of about 10%, or an annual savings to customers of about $94 million, when the plant closes in September. The order also prevents PNM from collecting operating costs since the plant would no longer serve customers.
The utility has denied that its plans amount to double dipping or that customers will miss out on savings.
The push in recent years for utilities to provide more electricity from non-fossil fuel resources has been driven by state mandates and tougher federal requirements aimed at reducing pollution.
The Biden administration has pledged to cut greenhouse gas emissions by half by 2030, and New Mexico’s mandates call for carbon-free generation within the next two decades. Environmentalists voiced concerns Thursday about meeting those goals given a ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court that limits how the nation’s main air pollution law can be used to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from power plants.
An inventory done earlier this year by the U.S. Energy Information Administration found that 85% of the scheduled retirements in 2022 involve coal-fired power plants, followed by natural gas and nuclear.
Still, there have been growing pains in New Mexico and elsewhere as demand outpaces the ability to construct more solar and battery storage operations. PNM has blamed supply chain issues for its delays.
Most of the coal-fired plants making up the remaining fleet in the U.S. were built in the 1970s and 1980s.
The San Juan plant and its towering concrete stacks have been part of northwestern New Mexico’s skyline since the 1970s. It has powered parts of Arizona, California and New Mexico over the years.
In the past week, workers have gathered for lunch and cake to mark the end of Unit 1.
Some workers had exit interviews Thursday, and many were holding out hope that the city of Farmington would be successful in its effort to keep the plant open as part of a proposed carbon capture project that has received some federal funding.
Justin Yazzie marked his last evening shift, opting for retirement after working for the utility for 44 years. He said it was a good job that allowed him to provide for his family.
“My heart is really hurting for the younger people. They don’t have the same opportunity that I had and we sure need it now,” he said, pointing to the growing pressure on oil and gas operations and other industries that have historically been the drivers of economic development in more rural areas in New Mexico and elsewhere in the West. | https://kesq.com/news/ap-arizona/2022/06/30/customer-rates-fuel-debate-around-new-mexico-power-plant/ | 2022-06-30T21:01:47Z | https://kesq.com/news/ap-arizona/2022/06/30/customer-rates-fuel-debate-around-new-mexico-power-plant/ | false | 11 |
Delicate teacups, gentlemen tipping hats to ladies with parasols. The new Regency romance, Mr. Malcolm's List has a lot in common with ones you've seen before, and that's true whether you're thinking the tradition-bound like Pride and Prejudice, or the multiculturally-cast like Bridgerton.
The story is set mostly in 1818, in posh enough circumstances that we're introduced to the title character as he's entering an opera house — dapper, top-hatted, tall, Black and handsome.
The honorable Jeremy Malcolm is, a narrator tells us, "the biggest catch of the season," though with no title of his own and only the younger son of — but never mind. You don't really need details.
Suffice it to say that he's soon sitting in a box with eligible bachelorette Julia Thistlewaite (Zawe Ashton) and that her line of casually-dismissive chatter is not going well. Julia wonders briefly why "they keep making foreign operas," and when he murmurs "are you not a fan of Rossini?" she doesn't recognize the composer's name. Julia knows even less about politics, and her suitor is soon making only halfhearted attempts to stifle a yawn.
He will not call on her again, which makes Julia the subject of gossip and a scandal-sheet caricature, and when she sends her amusingly dim cousin (Oliver Jackson-Cohen) to find out why, she discovers she didn't meet "the fourth qualification," on Mr. Malcolm's checklist of requirements for a bride.
A list of her own
Stung, and also indignant that matrimony has been reduced to an inventory, Julia brings her childhood friend Selina (Freida Pinto) to London — country mouse to Julia's city mouse – and hatches a plan to turn her into the ideal woman Mr. Malcolm seeks, then let him discover that she has a list of her own, and he doesn't meet its requirements.
What could possibly go wrong, right?
Selina reluctantly agrees to participate, and let's fast forward past the intensive training routine Julia devises, to the couple's first conversation, where Selina finds Mr. Malcolm hiding away upstairs at a ball "reflecting on the futility of a dream."
"Is any dream futile," Selina wonders, and in time-honored regency fashion, they're off.
Now, you know where this is going, and director Emma Holly Jones and screenwriter Susan Allain know how to postpone it getting there.
Delaying the inevitable
Postponement is sort of baked in actually; this project has been in the works since Allain self-published her novel in 2009. Then she wrote a screenplay that was featured on a 2015 podcast where Jones heard it. They produced a short teaser film hoping to attract funding, which went online in 2019. And the novel was officially published in 2020.
So if you think you detect echoes of TV's Bridgerton in the film's multiculturalism, it's more the other way 'round.
The story has a comfortable predictability, from attitudes needing adjustment, to broadly comic secondary characters, to a leading man who can admit to doubts.
Ṣọpẹ́ Dìrísù's Mr. Malcolm smolders handsomely, the ladies find various ways to put him in his place, and Mr. Malcolm's List ticks off regency romance requirements — lush surroundings, velvets and satins, rambunctious elders, not to mention comedy of errors, of manners, of pride without prejudice — quite as if the filmmakers are under the impression the audience has a list.
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.wshu.org/2022-06-30/ticking-down-a-checklist-of-qualifications-in-mr-malcolms-list | 2022-06-30T21:02:12Z | https://www.wshu.org/2022-06-30/ticking-down-a-checklist-of-qualifications-in-mr-malcolms-list | true | 22 |
Speaking in response to a phone call from Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Emir of Qatar, on Thursday, Ayatollah Seyyed Ebrahim Raeisi referred to numerous and official reports by the International Atomic Energy Agency that the Islamic Republic of Iran's nuclear program is completely transparent and has never deviated from the legal path."
He added, "Repeated accusations and repeated allegations against the Islamic Republic of Iran during the talks indicate their political targeting in the negotiations' process."
The President said that the Islamic Republic of Iran considers unilateral sanctions as oppressive, illegal and unjust and is determined to defend its rights, adding, "All efforts should be directed towards the full lifting of sanctions with necessary guarantees in that regard.”
Raeisi stressed, "A lasting agreement requires the lifting of sanctions and the unconditional abandonment of baseless claims."
Elsewhere in the conversation, the Iranian president referred to Qatar hosting the FIFA World Cup, and announced Iran’s readiness to help hold the important sporting event as best as possible, especially cultural cooperation, along with economic support, with the aim of making a constructive impact.
Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Emir of Qatar,, for his part, appreciated the support of the Islamic Republic of Iran for his country, and said, "Doha supports Tehran's position in materializing its rights and advancing the talks, especially strengthening bilateral relations and cooperation, and welcomes Iran’s initiatives for better holding of the World Cup in Qatar.”
KI | https://en.mehrnews.com/news/188602/West-not-adhere-to-serious-real-talks | 2022-06-30T21:03:59Z | https://en.mehrnews.com/news/188602/West-not-adhere-to-serious-real-talks | true | 1 |
Big Tech faces questions on helping law enforcement prosecute abortions
Tech companies are facing numerous questions on whether they will cooperate with law enforcement officials who may seek to prosecute abortions where the procedure is now banned. CBS News tech reporter Dan Patterson has more on the pressures these companies are facing, including from their own employees. | https://www.cbsnews.com/video/big-tech-faces-questions-on-helping-law-enforcement-prosecute-abortions/ | 2022-06-30T21:07:31Z | https://www.cbsnews.com/video/big-tech-faces-questions-on-helping-law-enforcement-prosecute-abortions/ | true | null |
Supreme Court limits EPA in curbing power plant emissions
By Mark Sherman (AP)
WASHINGTON (AP) — In a blow to the fight against climate change, the Supreme Court on Thursday limited how the nation’s main anti-air pollution law can be used to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from power plants.
By a 6-3 vote, with conservatives in the majority, the court said that the Clean Air Act does not give the Environmental Protection Agency broad authority to regulate greenhouse gas emissions from power plants that contribute to global warming.
The decision, said environmental advocates and dissenting liberal justices, was a major step in the wrong direction — “a gut punch,” one prominent meteorologist said — at a time of increasing environmental damage attributable to climate change amid dire warnings about the future.
The court’s ruling could complicate the administration’s plans to combat climate change. Its detailed proposal to regulate power plant emissions is expected by the end of the year. Though the decision was specific to the EPA, it was in line with the conservative majority’s skepticism of the power of regulatory agencies and it sent a message on possible future effects beyond climate change and air pollution.
The decision put an exclamation point on a court term in which a conservative majority, bolstered by three appointees of former President Donald Trump, also overturned the nearly 50-year-old nationwide right to abortion, expanded gun rights and issued major religious rights rulings, all over liberal dissents.
President Joe Biden aims to cut the nation’s greenhouse gas emissions in half by the end of the decade and to have an emissions-free power sector by 2035. Power plants account for roughly 30% of carbon dioxide output.
“Capping carbon dioxide emissions at a level that will force a nationwide transition away from the use of coal to generate electricity may be a sensible ‘solution to the crisis of the day,’” Chief Justice John Roberts wrote in his opinion for the court.
But Roberts wrote that the Clean Air Act doesn’t give EPA the authority to do so and that Congress must speak clearly on this subject.
“A decision of such magnitude and consequence rests with Congress itself, or an agency acting pursuant to a clear delegation from that representative body,” he wrote.
In a dissent, Justice Elena Kagan wrote that the decision strips the EPA of the power Congress gave it to respond to “the most pressing environmental challenge of our time.”
Kagan said the stakes in the case are high. She said, “The Court appoints itself—instead of Congress or the expert agency—the decisionmaker on climate policy. I cannot think of many things more frightening.”
Biden, in a statement, called the ruling “another devastating decision that aims to take our country backwards.” He said he would “not relent in using my lawful authorities to protect public health and tackle the climate crisis.”
And EPA head Michael Regan said his agency will move forward with a rule to impose environmental standards on the energy sector.
West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey, who led the legal challenge to EPA authority, said the “EPA can no longer sidestep Congress to exercise broad regulatory power that would radically transform the nation’s energy grid and force states to fundamentally shift their energy portfolios away from coal-fired generation.”
But University of Georgia meteorology professor Marshall Shepherd, a past president of the American Meteorological Society, said of the decision: “It feels like a gut punch to critical efforts to combat the climate crisis which has the potential to place lives at risk for decades to come.”
Richard Revesz, an environmental expert at the New York University School of Law, called the decision “a significant setback for environmental protection and public health safeguards.”
But he also said in a statement that EPA still has authority to address greenhouse gas emissions from the power sector.
EPA Administrator Regan said the agency “will move forward with lawfully setting and implementing environmental standards that meet our obligation to protect all people and all communities from environmental harm.”
Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York said the consequences of Thursday’s decision “will ripple across the entire federal government, from the regulation of food and drugs to our nation’s health care system, all of which will put American lives at risk.”
The court held that Congress must speak with specificity when it wants to give an agency authority to regulate on an issue of major national significance.
Several conservative justices have criticized what they see as the unchecked power of federal agencies.
Those concerns were evident in the court’s orders throwing out two Biden administration policies aimed at reducing the spread of COVID-19. Last summer, the court’s 6-3 conservative majority ended a pause on evictions over unpaid rent. In January, the same six justices blocked a requirement that workers at large employers be vaccinated or test regularly and wear a mask on the job.
Underlying all these issues is a lack of action from Congress, reflecting bitter, partisan disagreements over the role of the federal government.
On the environment, Biden’s signature plan to address climate, a sweeping social and environmental policy bill known as Build Back Better, is all but dead amid united opposition from congressional Republicans and conservative Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin from coal state West Virginia.
Under a trimmed down version, the legislation backed by Democrats would offer tax credits and spending to boost renewable power such as wind and solar and sharply increase the number of electric vehicles.
The justices heard arguments in the case on the same day that a United Nations panel’s report warned that the effects of climate change are about to get much worse, likely making the world sicker, hungrier, poorer and more dangerous in the coming years.
The power plant case has a long and complicated history that begins with the Obama administration’s Clean Power Plan. That plan would have required states to reduce emissions from the generation of electricity, mainly by shifting away from coal-fired plants.
But that plan never took effect. Acting in a lawsuit filed by West Virginia and others, the Supreme Court blocked it in 2016 by a 5-4 vote, with conservatives in the majority.
With the plan on hold, the legal fight over it continued. But after President Donald Trump took office, the EPA repealed the Obama-era plan. The agency under Trump argued that its authority to reduce carbon emissions was limited, and it devised a new plan that sharply reduced the federal government’s role in the issue.
New York, 21 other mainly Democratic states, the District of Columbia and some of the nation’s largest cities sued over the Trump plan. The federal appeals court in Washington ruled against both the repeal and the new plan, and its decision left nothing in effect while the new administration drafted a new policy.
Adding to the unusual nature of the high court’s involvement, the reductions sought in the Obama plan by 2030 already have been achieved through the market-driven closure of hundreds of coal plants.
Nineteen mostly Republican-led states and coal companies led the fight at the Supreme Court against broad EPA authority to regulate carbon output.
___
Associated Press writers Matthew Daly, Seth Borenstein and Cathy Bussewitz in New York contributed to this report. | https://www.abccolumbia.com/2022/06/30/supreme-court-limits-epa-in-curbing-power-plant-emissions/ | 2022-06-30T21:08:18Z | https://www.abccolumbia.com/2022/06/30/supreme-court-limits-epa-in-curbing-power-plant-emissions/ | true | 34 |
Overview:
Dynamic software company with unique intelligence in background and verification checks is looking for an in-house developer who would like to invest themselves in advanced technology and rapid growth potential.
An independent dynamic worker who is able to manage themselves and who is invested in staying ahead in Web Technology for the purposes of further development of this cloud based system as well as be mentored by our outsourced development company.
Experience and Qualification:
Min 3 years Computer Science Degree
– Working Experience in Web Technologies preferably front and back end
– Java Script/Type Script/Syntax
– Proficient in Node JS
– Good understanding of document Databased Model
Job Duties:
Support and working with the Operations manager in service delivery from a technical function for suppliers and clients.
Maintenance and bug fixes of current system.
New and ad hoc development as per future scope.
Working hand in hand with development company from an architecture point of view.
Desired Skills:
- Java
- databases
- front end
- back end
- web technologies
- typescript
- javascript
About The Employer:
Reverside is a Global ICT company focusing on Digital Engineering, Integration, Cyber-Security, Cloud and Digital Transformation services with delivery centers in Johannesburg, South Africa and Gurgaon, India. Reverside has its Global Headquarter in South Africa and is a B-BBEE Level 1 IT consulting & services organization. Reverside was founded in 2006 and has since grown to a strong team of over 300+ consultants, serving more than 40+ active clients globally.
Website – [URL Removed]
LinkedIn – [URL Removed] | https://it-online.co.za/2022/06/30/full-stack-developer-javascript-at-reverside/ | 2022-06-30T21:08:55Z | https://it-online.co.za/2022/06/30/full-stack-developer-javascript-at-reverside/ | true | 2 |
LAS VEGAS, June 30, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Resorts World Las Vegas unveiled its Las Vegas Convention Center Loop passenger station, providing direct underground access to the Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC) in an enjoyable, efficient and environmentally friendly way in minutes in all-electric Teslas. Resorts World Las Vegas is now also poised to connect to the expanded Vegas Loop system when development efforts move forward on the proposed innovative transportation system.
*** Visual Assets can be found here ***
The LVCC Loop is an innovative, all-electric, zero-emissions, underground public transportation system in which passengers are transported directly to their destination with no stops along the way. The Resorts World Las Vegas passenger station will be the first of over 55 stops anticipated to form the Vegas Loop, which aims to eventually transport thousands of passengers per hour throughout the resort corridor. The Vegas Loop will be constructed in phases that include the Resorts World Las Vegas passenger station, the LVCC Loop and future service extensions along the Strip and Downtown Las Vegas.
"Today marks a monumental moment not only for our resort, but for Las Vegas," said Scott Sibella, president of Resorts World Las Vegas. "Our passenger station will make a visit to our resort from the Las Vegas Convention Center easier than ever, and eventually connect us to key destinations throughout the city. Resorts World Las Vegas strives to transform the way people experience Las Vegas, and this offering does just that. We are proud to partner with The Boring Company on what we believe to be the future of travel."
"In addition to offering our convention customers direct access to Resorts World's world-class hospitality and entertainment, this milestone is an important step in the development of a game-changing transportation solution in Las Vegas," said Steve Hill, president and CEO of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA.)
Resorts World Las Vegas provides some of the city's most advanced technology features, such as cashless gaming, digital check-in, breathtaking LED technology and more. The partnership with The Boring Company further illustrates the resort's intention to integrate innovative technology throughout the entire guest experience.
Hours of operation for the Resorts World Las Vegas Passenger Station will vary based upon the LVCC events and convention calendar.
ABOUT RESORTS WORLD LAS VEGAS
Resorts World Las Vegas was developed by Genting Berhad, a publicly traded Malaysian corporation registered with the Nevada Gaming Commission. The company has affiliated operations in the Americas, Malaysia, Singapore, the United Kingdom and the Bahamas. In partnership with Hilton, Resorts World Las Vegas integrates three of Hilton's premium brands into its resort campus, including Las Vegas Hilton, the resort's full-service brand; Conrad Las Vegas, Hilton's lifestyle luxury brand; and LXR, Hilton's network of independent luxury properties, which operates as Crockfords Las Vegas, Genting's internationally renowned ultra-luxury brand. Resorts World Las Vegas features 3,506 guest rooms and suites, an innovative, next-generation gaming floor, world-class food and beverage options, a 5,000-capacity theatre, distinct nightlife venues, a curated retail collection of designer and boutique shops and more. The integrated resort weaves time-honored traditions of the international Resorts World brand into the fabric of Las Vegas, introducing a bold, fresh take on hospitality to the city with stunning design, progressive technology and world-class guest service. Resorts World Las Vegas is Sharecare Health Security VERIFIED™ with Forbes Travel Guide, a verification that ensures the resort has appropriate health safety procedures in place. For more information, visit rwlasvegas.com or find us on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and Instagram.
Media Contact: Emily Kjesbo, emilyk@abmc-us.com
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SOURCE Resorts World Las Vegas | https://www.wbko.com/prnewswire/2022/06/30/resorts-world-las-vegas-boring-company-officially-open-propertys-passenger-station-providing-direct-access-las-vegas-convention-center/ | 2022-06-30T21:09:58Z | https://www.wbko.com/prnewswire/2022/06/30/resorts-world-las-vegas-boring-company-officially-open-propertys-passenger-station-providing-direct-access-las-vegas-convention-center/ | true | 11 |
Concord Wealth Partners trimmed its position in shares of Tesla, Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA – Get Rating) by 1.2% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 1,411 shares of the electric vehicle producer’s stock after selling 17 shares during the period. Concord Wealth Partners’ holdings in Tesla were worth $1,520,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.
A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of TSLA. Paragon Capital Management Ltd acquired a new position in shares of Tesla in the 4th quarter worth approximately $25,000. AllSquare Wealth Management LLC lifted its holdings in Tesla by 766.7% during the 4th quarter. AllSquare Wealth Management LLC now owns 26 shares of the electric vehicle producer’s stock worth $27,000 after buying an additional 23 shares in the last quarter. Northwest Investment Counselors LLC acquired a new position in Tesla during the 4th quarter worth $31,000. Kathleen S. Wright Associates Inc. acquired a new position in Tesla during the 4th quarter worth $32,000. Finally, Industrial Alliance Investment Management Inc. acquired a new position in Tesla during the 4th quarter worth $32,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 40.64% of the company’s stock.
In other Tesla news, SVP Andrew D. Baglino sold 3,500 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, April 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $899.42, for a total value of $3,147,970.00. Following the transaction, the senior vice president now directly owns 20,138 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $18,112,519.96. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, CAO Vaibhav Taneja sold 1,300 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, April 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,141.94, for a total transaction of $1,484,522.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 25,985 shares in the company, valued at $29,673,310.90. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 416,669 shares of company stock valued at $368,203,194 over the last quarter. 25.10% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.
Shares of NASDAQ:TSLA opened at $685.47 on Thursday. Tesla, Inc. has a 52-week low of $620.46 and a 52-week high of $1,243.49. The company has a market capitalization of $710.41 billion, a P/E ratio of 93.01, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.40 and a beta of 2.13. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $761.54 and a 200 day simple moving average of $891.49. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.09, a quick ratio of 1.04 and a current ratio of 1.35.
Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA – Get Rating) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, April 20th. The electric vehicle producer reported $2.86 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.64 by $1.22. Tesla had a net margin of 13.51% and a return on equity of 28.11%. The business had revenue of $18.76 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $17.84 billion. During the same period last year, the business posted $0.39 EPS. Tesla’s revenue was up 80.5% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Tesla, Inc. will post 10.25 earnings per share for the current year.
About Tesla (Get Rating)
Tesla, Inc designs, develops, manufactures, leases, and sells electric vehicles, and energy generation and storage systems in the United States, China, and internationally. The company operates in two segments, Automotive, and Energy Generation and Storage. The Automotive segment offers electric vehicles, as well as sells automotive regulatory credits.
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Receive News & Ratings for Tesla Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Tesla and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. | https://www.tickerreport.com/banking-finance/9053852/concord-wealth-partners-sells-17-shares-of-tesla-inc-nasdaqtsla.html | 2022-06-30T21:10:45Z | https://www.tickerreport.com/banking-finance/9053852/concord-wealth-partners-sells-17-shares-of-tesla-inc-nasdaqtsla.html | true | 4 |
Woman Suspected of Murdering Perceived Romantic Rival in Texas Before Going on the Run Is Found in a Hostel on a Beach in Costa Rica
June 30, 2022 | Tags: LIBERTY DAILY
The post Woman Suspected of Murdering Perceived Romantic Rival in Texas Before Going on the Run Is Found in a Hostel on a Beach in Costa Rica appeared first on 🔔 The Liberty Daily.
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0 Comments | https://freedombunker.com/2022/06/30/woman-suspected-of-murdering-perceived-romantic-rival-in-texas-before-going-on-the-run-is-found-in-a-hostel-on-a-beach-in-costa-rica/ | 2022-06-30T21:11:19Z | https://freedombunker.com/2022/06/30/woman-suspected-of-murdering-perceived-romantic-rival-in-texas-before-going-on-the-run-is-found-in-a-hostel-on-a-beach-in-costa-rica/ | true | null |
NEW YORK, June 30, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Montran Corporation and eCurrency Mint announced today the successful integration of Montran's Real Time Gross Settlement (RTGS) with eCurrency's Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) platform. As a result, CBDC is seamlessly interfaced with central bank currency management payment operations. The first implementation is the Bank of Jamaica which currently has Montran's RTGS deployed for final settlement in Jamaican Dollars and is in the process of a national rollout of the eCurrency solution to provide Jamaica's Central Bank Digital Currency, Jam-Dex.
CBDC is issued under a well-defined set of governance, security and management processes similar to the issuance and distribution of today's notes and coins. CBDC must seamlessly interface with the central banking systems used for the payment and settlement of currency issued and redeemed to/from intermediary banks responsible for the distribution of digital currency to the public. The RTGS is the settlement and clearing infrastructure provided by the Central Bank. RTGS serves as a core function of the Central Bank and remains critical to the implementation of monetary and financial stability policies.
The collaboration between Montran and eCurrency provides Central Banks with the same level of control and efficiency on CBDC issuance and redemption as notes and coins. This comprehensive solution automates the process in which participants order CBDC and settle the order in the RTGS system, similar to the processes used for physical currency, with the added efficiency of digital currency. The solution is open and caters to standard messaging formats. It is also fully configurable to meet different country requirements and environments.
"This is a groundbreaking development by our two companies and is the first CBDC implementation to achieve this level of integration and interoperability. We are excited to be working with eCurrency to continue to innovate with CBDC and enable instant payments with Montran's ISO20022 compliant Instant Payments Solution," said Charles Walsh, Executive Vice President, Montran. "This is fully in line with Montran's overall strategy to extend and expand our existing strategic partnerships with our Central Bank clients in the Caribbean and around the world".
eCurrency is a pioneer in Central Bank Digital Currency. It is the world's first true retail CBDC solution enabling Central Banks to mint, issue, circulate and redeem CBDC as secure digital bearer instruments. CBDC is issued as legal tender and distributed through existing banking and fintech ecosystems. "We are delighted to form this partnership with Montran to provide a comprehensive solution for our central bank clients as they deploy and distribute CBDC in their national ecosystem", said Jonathan Dharmapalan, eCurrency CEO.
Montran Corporation is the world leader in providing comprehensive ISO20022 compliant Payment Market Infrastructure Solutions in over 70 countries. This includes complete national payment ecosystems for the clearing and settlement of wholesale, retail and instant payments for Central Banks, Central Clearing Institutions and Payment System Operators.
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SOURCE eCurrency Mint Inc. | https://www.kwtx.com/prnewswire/2022/06/30/montran-ecurrency-announce-very-first-cbdc-solution-fully-integrated-with-central-banks-rtgs-solution-central-bank-currency-management/ | 2022-06-30T21:13:05Z | https://www.kwtx.com/prnewswire/2022/06/30/montran-ecurrency-announce-very-first-cbdc-solution-fully-integrated-with-central-banks-rtgs-solution-central-bank-currency-management/ | false | 12 |
#Culture
All That is In The Heavens [Part 4]: Death Of A Queen
Rahman did not intend to let these men and women die on this ship of hell. Nor was he himself ready to die. He had not seen his homeworld since he was fifteen years old, and he wanted to see his mother again, at least.
Published
See the Story Index for Wael Abdelgawad’s other stories.
This is a multi-chapter novel. Previous Chapters: Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3|
LOCATION: PERSEUS ARM OF THE MILKY WAY GALAXY
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YEAR: 4097 HIJRI – 565 UNITED ARMY CALENDAR
United Army Squad 3690, in order of seniority:
- Yasin “Cutter” Rahman – Captain. Combat strategy master.
- Weili Menco Zhang – Corporal. Xeno-geographer. Calm and cool in battle. Carries a lasgun and a tekpi (trident).
- Ammar Abuzaid – Master Sergeant. Botanist and combat trainer. Oldest member of the squad. Quran hafedh.
- Bilal Mustafa – Fleet Officer. Xenobiologist, married to Rowaida.
- Rowaida Ali – Fleet Officer. Ship’s pilot, mechanic and fabricator, married to Bilal.
- Samir “Smasher” Sufyan – Specialist. Drone tech. Carries an axe. Multiple awards for valor, but also repeated misconduct violations.
- Amina Quraishi – Specialist. Computer tech and AI diagnostics. Hijabi. Silat expert. Fearless.
- Ami Abdulghaffar – Private first class. Medic and psychotherapist, plus botanist.
- Hisham – Private. Grenadier, plus supplies & requisitions.
- Summer – Private. Riflecarrier and food services.
- Tarek – Private. Riflecarrier and janitorial. 18 years old.
*Author’s Note: We were supposed to be done with the battle on the queenship, but I didn’t feel that I did justice to it in the last chapter. There were things I wanted to add. So I cut the end of chapter 3 and moved it here to chapter 4, and I added quite a bit. I apologize that this chapter does not move the story forward, but I think it adds some important details and character development. Sorry for the inconvenience, but this is the price you pay when reading a serialized novel, haha. – Wael.
Excerpt from The Life and Death of Yasin Rahman, By Dr. Ami Abdulghaffar:
Captain Rahman’s encounter with the Felis Somni – the Dreamcat – is sometimes narrated as an amusing interlude.
I was there. There was nothing amusing about it. The Felis Somni are not cute, cuddly or funny. They are murderous assassins, responsible for the deaths of thousands. Physically, they are fast, three times stronger than a man, and extraordinarily lithe. Their claws are like blades. They see in the dark and hear a whisper a hundred meters away. Emotionally, their baseline is rage and bitterness. Those who are militarily trained are cold, sociopathic. They kill as you and I would butter a piece of roti. Add to that their telepathic abilities, and it is almost unheard of for a dreamcat not to succeed in killing its target.
I had the opportunity, years later, to visit Felicidad, the dreamcat homeworld. You cannot imagine the unrelenting pressure of that world, both physically and emotionally. A massive world with a gravity that is twice Earth standard. Two hundred billion dreamcats piled atop each other in dilapidated cities that stretch into the sky and burrow underground. Most Felis Somni are black, while others are blue, purple and forest green, so their movement through the streets, tunnels and staircases of the city resembles the cascading of dark rivers. Violence is constant. Firearms are banned upon penalty of death, but attacks involving knives, clubs and claws are seen at any time. Their ability to project artificial waking dreams is used as a weapon, to deceive, kidnap and kill. Sometimes you’ll be walking down the street or even in the privacy of your hotel room, and the backwash or fallout of some powerful dream passes over you in waves. To call it disorienting is an understatement.
The wealthy on Felicidad travel with dozens of bodyguards. I myself traveled with a contingent of twenty guards. On every street corner there is a mercenary recruitment office. Every major galactic power, from the Tellians to the Perseans, has military training centers there.
Among the cats, being hired as an offworld mercenary or assassin is a great achievement, because it means an escape from crushing poverty and overpopulation. If you ever come face to face with a dreamcat assassin, say your prayers, because you do not have long to live.
By all rights, the dreamcat that boarded our ship – Tessi Red Tooth – should have killed Captain Rahman. I had training in recognizing altered states of mind, and as such I knew there was something wrong, something artificial, in the dream state that Tessi imposed upon me. Forcing myself to wake up, I stumbled to the docking bay, which I sensed was the origin point of the dream. The dream was still superimposed on my mind, but I was awake as well, existing in both realities. I saw everything that happened. Rahman was not trapped in the dream at all. He was fully aware, and as he fought the dreamcat he moved faster than I have ever seen a human being move.
Rahman did not keep many secrets from me, at least not in the end, but even I don’t know how he defeated Tessi’s dreamcast. I suppose we can call it Providence.
* * *
Never Lived
Rahman stood at the point of a wedge formed by a group of twenty surviving UA fighters, with Zhang on his right and Smasher on his left. He did not intend to let these men and women die on this ship of hell. Nor was he himself ready to die. He had not seen his homeworld since he was fifteen years old, and he wanted to see his mother again, at least.
More importantly, the men and women who stood beside him now, fighting like Tioman lions, were not only his crew but his family. They had entrusted their lives to his leadership. Most were young. They’d fought battles all over the galaxy but had never truly lived. They’d never had families and children, never experienced lives of peace, never had a chance to explore who they were as individual beings, outside the constant grind of war.
His eyes shot to Weili Menco Zhang. Rahman himself had never… His face flushed as he let this thought go. His eyes lingered on Zhang. Most of the humans had picked up alien weapons as the battle went on. Zhang still carried her tekpi – the razor-sharp trident – but she’d also acquired an alien projectile pistol. Outside of combat Zhang was often shy and self-effacing, but in battle she exuded confidence. Rahman watched as she chose her shots carefully, aiming and firing one bullet at a time. She was hyper-aware and utterly confident. Every shot that she fired killed, and crabs tumbled before her like the wooden targets at the annual Sultani Fair. Sometimes the big males crashed to the ground and rolled, so that the human soldiers had to part before them like space dust before an asteroid.
Zhang had also picked up the spears thrown by the spear-chucker. She wore them on her back, and every now and then drew one and pitched it at an enemy.
Fever Dream
Rahman could not see her eyes, as her goggles were intact. But although her steps were firm and her shots flew true, he saw that her legs and arms trembled, either with exhaustion or cold. She saw him looking, and gave him a quick nod. They were all on the verge of collapse. Ramming the queenship had been an insane idea. But there had been no alternative. Better to die fighting.
Rahman remembered Zhang saying, “I have to tell you something. I have hope for this universe because you exist.” Had she really said that? Or had he imagined it? It had the quality of a fever dream, or a child’s fervent wishing on the blown seeds of a dandelion. She’d never said anything remotely like that to him before. But then, he’d never rammed a spaceship into an alien queenship before, so maybe she’d tossed out a mashaAllah and obeyed a crazy heart-borne whim. Could it be true?
If it was, how beautiful, how incredibly energizing and eye opening, yet how sad.
He felt a deep sadness for the thousands of civilians – women and children – packed into the water room. Why was this ship carrying so many noncombatants? It made no sense. Why not leave them back on one of the crab worlds where they would be safe, far from the front line? He was a killer, yes, but he was not an instrument of massacre. He was not a religious man, but he was a Muslim! That meant something. What was about to happen was wrong. But he could not stop it.
Satria Malay
No time for pity now, neither for the crabs nor himself. The battle had reached its end stage. All the men and women under his command were flagging. Some were stumbling. The smell of the queenship was becoming overpowering. The crabs always smelled vaguely of rotten fish, and especially so in battle, when they moved vigorously and gave off the equivalent of crab sweat. The freezing water that covered the floors of crab ships stank of salt, seaweed and ammonia. And the air reeked of gunpowder, ozone from the laser rifles, and the copper tang of blood, both human and crab. It was nearly overwhelming at times. Many soldiers vomited when fighting on crab ships.
For about the thousandth time, Rahman wished that the skinsuit had been designed to block such odors. But he knew that odors were important sensory clues in battle. The skinsuit would not block them unless they were dangerous, like the particulate matter that blew off metallic surfaces hit by wave cannons.
His face was beginning to ache. The energy drug was wearing off, and it was possible that his skinsuit was compromised as well, because he should not feel cold, yet he did.
“Almost there!” Rahman bellowed as loudly as he could. “Keep going! Satria Malay!”
“Die fighting!” the soldiers chorused, and Abuzaid called, “Allahu Akbar!”
As Cool As Iced Cincau
Rahman gave a quick nod to his mentor, and Abuzaid grinned. Unbelievable. Even as weary as he must be, drenched in crab blood and wading through freezing water on a ship that was minutes from exploding, the old man was smiling. He was always like this in battle. The sergeant danced among the enemy fighters, as steady as a highliner, and as cool as the iced cincau that all Malay kids drank in summer. Abuzaid still had some charge left in his laser rifle and he used it carefully, ducking and weaving, hitting the crabs with quick bursts at close range, and following up with thrusts from a crab sword he’d picked up. Those things were heavy. The sergeant was strong, no doubt about that.
Rahman never worried about Abuzaid in battle. The sergeant was a supreme tactician, and had in fact trained Rahman himself in combat tactics, as he trained all the new recruits.
As for Rahman, he needed nothing but the shield he carried in one hand, and the nano-scalpel in the other. Unlike the rifles and pistols, the scalpel would never run out of charge. Block a strike, sidestep, cut the crab open, and repeat. This was why they called him Cutter.
He lost himself, letting his gaze become diffuse, focusing on nothing, using the extremity of his peripheral vision as an early warning system. Press forward, block out the pain, cold and stench. Nothing but the constant progression of death. No fear. No heroism or cowardice, for such things were labels applied later by bureaucrats and generals who reviewed the statistics of war and assigned praise or blame. On the battlefield there was only survival. You did your best, and you lived or died.
No thought as well of the thousands of innocent crab females and children that would die when this ship blew. Definitely must not think about that, because there was nothing he could do. They were all as good as dead.
Ami Abdulghaffar’s voice came over the i-link broadcast channel, addressing everyone. “Join the United Army, they said! Have a career, see the galaxy.”
“All expenses paid!” Aminah Quraishi added. “Eat delicious alien cuisines, see beautiful landscapes.”
Even Zhang, not a woman known for telling jokes, chimed in: “Wade through crystalline waters on exotic queenships!”
That got a laugh. Rahman appreciated what Ami had done. His feet felt lighter, and his burdens not so terrible.
“Meet exotic aliens,” added a male soldier that Rahman did not know, “and kill them.”
That was a downer, and brought them all back to their current nightmarish reality. They moved on.
Pyramid
The soldiers pressed like a cosmic steamroller. They were almost at the pyramid. It loomed above them, a dark structure with a single wide staircase, a series of platforms that spiraled around it, and a dark door near the top.
From somewhere behind them came a tremendous whooshing noise, followed by the strange keening sound that was the crab equivalent of screaming. Rahman had no idea what the noise was, but if it caused the crabs pain, it was good.
The UA fighters were surrounded. The creatures were actually climbing over the mounded dead bodies of their compatriots to attack. Although, were the crabs flagging as well? Their attacks had slowed, and they were not pressing as closely as before.
He called out to no one in particular. “Is it my imagination, or are they holding back?’
“They’re afraid!” Ami called back. “We’ve killed so many. They don’t want to die.”
“It’s not that,” Zhang said. “Look!” She pointed up the pyramid.
A third of the way up the pyramid, about thirty meters from the floor, a single massive crab and a dozen smaller crabs stood upon a platform. They were guarded by six robed warriors carrying old fashioned clubs and engraved bucklers. Rahman recognized the gigantic crab. Not personally, but he knew what she was. Every officer was trained to recognize the various species and classifications of crabs, including such a one as this. She was instantly identifiable by her black carapace and large rear wattle, used to carry hundreds of thousands of eggs.The huge crab was a queen.
She wore no armor but was draped in some sort of metallic black headdress that covered her head and neck and hung to the ground. Aside from that, she was naked. Her great black bulk glistened by the light of the many fires burning now in the queenship and reflecting red off the standing water.
Though crab battleships were called queenships, in reality not every queenship carried a queen. Queens were in fact rare among crabs, and were treated like gods. And the clutch of smaller crabs behind the female were princesses, for only female crabs could be royalty.
Frozen In Fear
Rahman understood now why the crab warriors were holding back. They were afraid that one of their own shots might ricochet and strike the queen. It was unlikely, but the crabs would take no chances. Second, they feared that the humans might attack the queen.
Rahman knew better. If the queen were killed the warriors would literally go insane. They would cast aside all thought of survival and fight in a frothing frenzy to the last one, no matter the cost. He knew this from painful experience.
“Move forward to the base of the pyramid!” Rahman commanded. “Don’t mount the steps. Stop at the base.”
The UA soldiers did so, and when they reached the pyramid’s base, the mass of crab warriors around them stopped as if they’d been flash-frozen. No crab warriors approached, no guns were fired, no weapons clashed. A deathly silence fell upon the queenship, broken only by the sounds of crackling fires and sloshing water.
The distant whooshing sound tore through the silence. Forty human eyes and a thousand crab eyes turned in its direction, but Rahman saw nothing.
“What’s going on?” Smasher demanded. He stood breathing hard, his ax on his shoulder, dripping blood onto his skinsuit. “Why aren’t they attacking?”
Leverage
Rahman did not reply. He looked up at the queen, who stood regally on the platform, surveying the scene below her. She was unafraid. Of course. The idea that any creature might attack her was unthinkable. And she was right. Rahman needed to use her safety as leverage to reach the troop carrier. The crabs did not know that the humans had planted explosives. They might be willing to let the crazy invaders go. Rahman set down the shield, tapped his skinpad to bring up the timer. It read three minutes and fifteen seconds.
Three minutes. Maybe there was a chance. Just maybe. But there was not a second to spare.
“Hey!” he called out, addressing not the humans but the amassed crabs. He sheathed his nanoknife and opened his arms wide. “Hey! We’ll make you a deal.” He didn’t know if the crabs understood, but he had to make them understand. He pointed up at the queen. “The queen, no harm. Safe!” He made a smooth, slow gesture with his hands, to indicate peace and safety. “We – “ he pointed to himself and the other soldiers – “that way!” Pointing to the troop carrier.
No response. The crabs that surrounded them on all sides stood like statues. Another distant whoosh. He ignored it and went through the whole talking and miming routine again.
They understood! The encircling army parted, leaving a path to the queenship. They were letting the humans go! It was going to work. There was just enough time to get off this terrible time bomb.
“Queen?” Smasher muttered. “That’s a queen?”
Betrayal
The troop carrier was only one hundred meters away. A fast run, a quick ignition sequence and they would be away from here before the bombs blew.
“They’re letting us go!” Rahman called to his fellow UA soldiers. “Get to the troop carrier, triple time!”
Before the humans could move, however, the crabs suddenly closed the gap and pressed closer with a sound like a collective sigh of weariness or fear.
“What happened?” Ami asked.
Rahman’s attention was seized by a bellow of rage, and he turned to see Smasher charging up the steps of the pyramid with Aminah Quraishi on his heels. Was she trying to stop him, or was she caught up in Sufyan’s madness?
“Stop!” Rahman hollered. “That’s an order! Do not harm the queen.”
Hearing his command, Quraishi held back, but Smasher was again lost in battle frenzy, and did not hear the command or chose not to. He dashed up the steps and attacked the ceremonial warriors who guarded the queen and princesses. With their traditional clubs and ceremonial robes, they were no match for Smasher’s ultra-sharp ax. In less than ten seconds he slaughtered them and advanced on the queen.
The great black queen scuttled as far back on the platform as she could. The little princesses huddled behind her in terror.
Ikhlas
Rahman gathered his strength to leap up the steps. It was time to put a stop to Smasher for once and all. He’d had enough of the man’s evil, his refusal to obey orders, his bloodthirsty savagery. If Smasher killed the queen, none of them would make it out of here alive. Besides, what was an enemy if not someone who hated life and relished death? Did it matter what race he belonged to, what species? And what was a friend if not someone who protected life, no matter what that life looked like?
Grizzled old Abuzaid liked to talk about ikhlas. He said it was something you maintained, not attained. Sincerity of worship, sincerity of existence. But ikhlas literally meant detachment, separation, and liberation. You gave up your attachment to all but God, gave up your desire for material things or the acclaim of men, and in doing so you became a mukhlis, pure in deed and intention.
What was the meaning of this war if they themselves – the so-called defenders of humanity – had become the evil ones? If you had the power to look upon the face of Shaytan, and you found that he looked just like you – then where was the ikhlas? Where was the sincerity of action before Allah, the sincerity of intention, the sincerity of truth? What use was it to accept the reality of your own death if you then met Allah as a wicked killer?
He must kill Smasher, not because the man would doom them all, but because he was evil.
Rahman turned to Abuzaid. “Shoot him.”
Without a pause, Abuzaid lifted his laser rifle, aimed at Sufyan and pulled the trigger. Nothing happened. The weapon was out of charge.
“Does anyone have a working rifle or pistol?” Rahman called out. Negative mutters came in reply.
Rahman had an idea, and turned to Zhang, but she’d already beaten him to it.
“On it,” she said as she hoisted a spear to her shoulder. “Wound or kill?”
“Center mass. Take him down.”
Death of a Queen
The queen had prostrated herself before Smasher, splaying her legs in a gesture of total helplessness. She spoke in the crab language, and even though Rahman understood nothing, the pleading tone was unmistakable.
She was surrendering. Rahman was stunned. If the humans accepted her surrender, all the crab warriors would lay down their weapons. If only there were a way to disable the TONC explosives, the UA could take this entire ship as a prize. But the bombs could not be stopped. With the queen’s surrender, however, the humans could escape unimpeded.
Rahman tapped his i-link and spoke directly to Smasher. “She’s surrendering. Do you hear me Sufyan, the queen is surrendering. This is our salvation. Do not harm her!”
His words fell on deaf ears. To Rahman’s horror, the big man lifted his ax, blood dripping from its razored edge.
Zhang let the spear fly. Her exhaustion must have affected her aim, or maybe some part of herself could not stomach the idea of killing a brother in arms, because instead of center mass, the spear drove through Smasher’s left leg above the knee, entering the hamstring and projecting out through the quadriceps. The big drone tech cried out in pain, then turned and shot Rahman a murderous, wounded look. With his ax he sliced the ends of the spear cleanly off, leaving only the section embedded in his leg, then turned back to the queen.
“Another spear,” Rahman commanded. “Through the heart this time.”
It was too late. Smasher brought the ax down squarely between the eyes of the queen. It sliced through the metallic stole as if it were paper, and drove deeply into her head, killing her instantly.
A terrible keening sound began among all the assembled crabs. It grew louder, piercing Rahman’s hearing like an ice pick, rising in pitch until it was almost out of the range of his hearing, yet still made his teeth grind in pain. He had never heard anything like it. As if on cue, the thousands of massed crabs raised their weapons.
Smasher wrenched the ax free, and lifted it above one of the children.
Zhang let her second spear fly, but at that moment Smasher bent forward to murder the princess, and the spear missed.
Attack
The crabs went berserk. They attacked en masse, as if in accord with a silent command, and they roared as they barrelled forward.
The whooshing sound came again, closer still.
“The pyramid!” Rahman cried out. “Climb the pyramid! We’ll fight from high ground!”
The humans dashed up the steps, with the two in the rear – two men from another squad – fighting off the pursuing crabs. But dozens of crabs ignored the steps and scurried directly up the sides of the great construct, digging their eight clawed feet into its sides. The pyramid’s surface was smooth, and many of the crabs slipped and fell, tumbling into their companions and creating chaos. Some managed to hold on, however, and soon the humans were besieged from all sides as they climbed.
When they reached the first platform, they found the queen and all the princesses dead. Smasher stood there breathing hard, blood dripping from his ax. “Hold here!” Rahman commanded the survivors. “Pull into a tight knot, back to back!”
It was as if they were Musa and his followers standing in the parted sea, with the waters towering on all sides. But the waters were alive, and they did not only stand, but crashed over them. The crabs came like mad creatures, not even trying to protect themselves, but only trying to kill the humans. A soldier that Rahman did not know – one the two men who’d brought up the rear – went down screaming as a crab tore him apart with its pincers. Quraishi fell to her knees with a sword through her shoulder. Smasher swung his ax like an avenging angel. Zhang was a blur, her tekpi whipping one way and another. Abuzaid, Rahman, Abdulghaffar, all fought the battle of their lives. Blood covered everyone.
It wasn’t enough. The crabs kept coming. Rahman could not pause to check his skinpad, but there couldn’t be more than two minutes left until the TONC detonation. There was no way out.
Sincerity
Rahman was not a religious man, but at moments like this prayers came unbidden. He still knew a handful of Quranic surahs that his grandmother had taught him in his youth, and even as he fought he recited Al-Ikhlas, mouthing the words quickly, remembering the meanings that had been drilled into his head. “Say: He is Allah, who is One.”
He thought about the female crab that had died trying to protect Ami. Could it be true that humanity had more in common with these crabs then they realized? “All that is in the Heavens and all that is in the Earth praises Allah, for He is the Almighty, the All-Wise.”
Maybe. Who knew? They’d always known the crabs were sentient. The creatures must, therefore, believe in something. They must worship something. Why not Allah the Almighty?
Ikhlas. Sincerity. He was a dead man, they were all dead. There was nothing left but to be his best self, to be sincere, to meet Allah without fear. Perhaps Abuzaid would find this interpretation sacrilegious, but Rahman surrendered all desire for life itself. They were all walking corpses, only they didn’t know it yet, because time did not tell you its secrets before it smudged you out of existence.
He would meet Allah as a mukhlis. Not as an innocent, nor even as a righteous man, but as someone who strived in his final moments to be true to what he believed in. Finally, that was all he had.
Flamethrowers
The whooshing noise came again, very close now, and from this vantage Rahman saw what it was. Two UA soldiers, a man and a woman, were pushing through the crabs, walking back to back, firing shoulder mounted flamethrowers. Flamethrowers were not UA weapons, so they must have improvised them somehow, and whatever flammable agent they’d used was as powerful as a volcanic explosion. Each time they fired, a thirty meter gout of fire exploded outward, engulfing scores of crabs, roasting them where they stood.
Crabs hated heat in general – their worlds were all watery and cold – and were terrified of fire. Even in their grief-maddened state they fled before these two fire spitting beasts.
“LOOK OUT, BOSS,” SAI said inside his head.
He brought his attention back to the battle, but it was too late. Something struck him from behind. He felt a sword penetrate deeply into his side, while a crab’s pincer seized his face. The pain was shocking and terrifying.
“I DON’T WANT TO DIE,” SAI said inside his head.
So it wasn’t his imagination. She was in there, talking to him. But he could not reply. His last thought before the world went black was, All that is in the heavens. All that is in the heavens…
—–
Next: All That is In the Heavens, Part 5: Autodoc
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Wael Abdelgawad's novels can be purchased at his author page at Amazon.com: Wael is an Egyptian-American living in California. He is the founder of several Islamic websites, including, Zawaj.com, IslamicAnswers.com and IslamicSunrays.com. He teaches martial arts, and loves Islamic books, science fiction, and ice cream. Learn more about him at WaelAbdelgawad.com. For a guide to all of Wael's online stories in chronological order, check out this handy Story Index.
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June 30, 2022 at 12:25 AM
Any readers out there? Let me know. I haven’t been getting many comments on this series.
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ST. LOUIS, June 30, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Arch Resources, Inc. (NYSE: ARCH) today announced the publication of its 2022 sustainability report, now available for download on the company's website homepage at archrsc.com. The report details Arch's commitment to the highest environmental, social and governance principles, and includes a robust discussion of the company's significant and ongoing progress in its 10-year pivot towards global steel and metallurgical coal markets, which are expected to play an essential role in the build-out of a new, low-carbon economy.
Among the highlights, the report delineates Arch's:
- Lost-time incident rate of 1.01 in 2021, which was nearly 2.5-times better than the industry average
- Perfect 2021 environmental compliance record under the federal mining law
- 100 percent compliance against 134,000 water quality measurements conducted in 2021
- Establishment of an industry-first thermal mine reclamation fund, which sets aside sufficient cash for final reclamation of its legacy thermal operations, and
- Reductions now totaling 56 percent in direct and indirect CO2e emissions against its 2013 baseline year
"We believe Arch's long-term success hinges on our ability to drive continuous improvement against a wide range of ESG-related metrics," said Paul A. Lang, Arch's CEO and president. "The Arch team's deep commitment to safety and environmental stewardship – as well as to the principles of transparency, integrity and good governance – serve as the very bedrock of the Arch corporate culture and provide a powerful foundation on which to build. We remain sharply focused on driving even greater progress and extending our industry leadership in these critical areas of performance, and welcome ongoing dialogue with our many stakeholders as we pursue these objectives."
Arch Resources is a premier producer of high-quality metallurgical products for the global steel industry. The company operates large, modern and highly efficient mines that consistently set the industry standard for both mine safety and environmental stewardship. Arch Resources from time to time utilizes its website – archrsc.com – as a channel of distribution for material company information. To learn more about us and our premium metallurgical products, go to www.archrsc.com.
Forward-Looking Statements: This press release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended - that is, statements related to future, not past, events. In this context, forward-looking statements often address our expected future business and financial performance, and future plans, including our sustainability objectives, commitments, plans, programs, targets, goals and strategies, and often contain words such as "should," "could," "estimates," "project," "target," "expects," "may," "plans," "believes," "seeks," "strives," "will" or variations of such words or similar words. Actual results or outcomes, including the sustainability objectives, targets and commitments set forth in this report, may vary significantly, and adversely, from those anticipated due to many factors, including: unexpected delays, difficulties, and expenses in executing against the objectives, targets and commitments identified in this report; unexpected cost increases or technical difficulties in constructing, developing, maintaining or modifying sites, technologies or processes; technological innovations; impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic; changes in coal prices, which may be caused by numerous factors beyond our control, including changes in the domestic and foreign supply of and demand for coal and the domestic and foreign demand for steel and electricity; volatile economic and market conditions; operating risks beyond our control, including risks related to mining conditions, mining, processing and plant equipment failures or maintenance problems; weather, natural disasters and climate-related events; the unavailability of raw materials, equipment or other critical supplies, mining accidents, and other inherent risks of coal mining that are beyond our control; the degree to which necessary data can be gathered and verified; loss of availability, reliability and cost-effectiveness of transportation facilities and fluctuations in transportation costs; inflationary pressures and availability and price of mining and other industrial supplies; the effects of foreign and domestic trade policies, actions or disputes on the level of trade among the countries and regions in which we operate, the competitiveness of our exports, or our ability to export; competition, both within our industry and with producers of competing energy sources, including the effects from any current or future legislation or regulations designed to support, promote or mandate renewable energy sources; alternative steel production technologies that may reduce demand for our coal; the loss of key personnel or the failure to attract additional qualified personnel and the availability of skilled employees and other workforce factors; our ability to secure new coal supply arrangements or to renew existing coal supply arrangements; the loss of, or significant reduction in, purchases by our largest customers; disruptions in the supply of coal from third parties; risks related to our international growth; our relationships with, and other conditions affecting our customers and our ability to collect payments from our customers; the availability and cost of surety bonds, including potential collateral requirements; additional demands for credit support by third parties and decisions by banks, surety bond providers, or other counterparties to reduce or eliminate their exposure to the coal industry; inaccuracies in our estimates of our coal reserves; defects in title or the loss of a leasehold interest; losses as a result of certain marketing and asset optimization strategies; cyber-attacks or other security breaches that disrupt our operations, or that result in the unauthorized release of proprietary, confidential or personally identifiable information; our ability to acquire or develop coal reserves in an economically feasible manner; our ability to comply with the restrictions imposed by our financing or insurance arrangements; our ability to service our outstanding indebtedness and raise funds necessary to repurchase our convertible notes for cash following a fundamental change or to pay any cash amounts due upon conversion; existing and future legislation and regulations affecting both our coal mining operations and our customers' coal usage, governmental policies and taxes, including those aimed at reducing emissions of elements such as mercury, sulfur dioxides, nitrogen oxides, particulate matter or greenhouse gases; increased pressure from political and regulatory authorities, along with environmental and climate change activist groups, and lending and investment policies adopted by financial institutions and insurance companies to address concerns about the environmental impacts of coal combustion; increased attention to environmental, social or governance matters ("ESG"); our ability to obtain and renew various permits necessary for our mining operations; risks related to regulatory agencies ordering certain of our mines to be temporarily or permanently closed under certain circumstances; risks related to extensive environmental regulations that impose significant costs on our mining operations, and could result in litigation or material liabilities; the accuracy of our estimates of reclamation and other mine closure obligations; the existence of hazardous substances or other environmental contamination on property owned or used by us; and risks related to tax legislation and our ability to use net operating losses and certain tax credits; and our ability to pay base or variable dividends in accordance with our announced capital return program. All forward-looking statements in this report, as well as all other written and oral forward-looking statements attributable to us or persons acting on our behalf, are expressly qualified in their entirety by the cautionary statements contained in this section and elsewhere in this report. These factors are not necessarily all of the important factors that could cause actual results or outcomes to vary significantly, and adversely, from those anticipated at the time such statements were first made. These risks and uncertainties, as well as other risks of which we are not aware or which we currently do not believe to be material, may cause our actual future results and outcomes to be materially, and adversely, different than those expressed in our forward-looking statements. For these reasons, readers should not place undue reliance on any such forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date on which such statements were made, and we do not undertake, and expressly disclaim, any duty to update our forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required by the federal securities laws. For a description of some of the risks and uncertainties that may affect our future results, you should see the "Risk Factors" in Item 1A of our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and subsequent Form 10-Q and current report on Form 8-K filings made with the Securities Exchange Commission ("SEC"). Furthermore, while future events discussed in this report may be significant, any significance should not be read as necessarily rising to the level of the definition of materiality used for the purposes of certain disclosures required to be included in our SEC filings. Moreover, given the uncertainties, estimates and assumptions inherent in the matters discussed in this report, and the timelines involved, materiality is inherently difficult to assess far in advance. In addition, given the inherent uncertainty of the estimates, assumptions and timelines associated with the matters discussed in this report, we may not be able to anticipate in advance whether or the degree to which we will or will not be able to meet our plans, targets or goals. In addition, non-financial information, such as that included in parts of this report, is subject to greater potential limitations than financial information, given the methods used for calculating or estimating such information. The company has not and does not intend to independently verify third-party data contained in this report or used in the estimates and assumptions necessary to the matters discussed in this report.
In addition, many of the standards and performance metrics used and referred to in the objectives, targets and commitments set forth or referred to in this report continue to evolve and are based on management expectations and assumptions believed to be reasonable at the time of preparation, but should not be considered guarantees. The standards and performance metrics used, and the expectations and assumptions they are based on, have not unless otherwise expressly specified, been verified by any third party.
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CHATTANOOGA, Tenn., June 30, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Unum Group (NYSE: UNM) will release its second quarter 2022 results August 2, 2022, at approximately 4:15 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. The earnings release and financial supplement will be available in the Investors section of the company's website, which can be directly accessed at www.investors.unum.com.
Members of Unum Group's senior management will host a conference call Wednesday, August 3, at 8 a.m. EST to discuss second quarter operations results. Topics may include forward-looking information, such as guidance on future results or trends in operations, as well as other material information. Interested parties are invited to listen and participate in the question-and-answer segment.
Callers in the U.S. Toll Free: 1-844-200-6205
Canada Toll Free: 1-833-950-0062
All Other Locations: +1-929-526-1599
Access code: 573667
A live webcast of the call will be available in a listen-only mode. Participants should access the webcast approximately 10 minutes before the call.
Webcast URL: https://events.q4inc.com/attendee/680035918
Unum will keep a recording of the call on the Investor site through Wednesday, August 10, 2022.
Callers in the U.S. Toll Free: 1-866-813-9403
Canada 1-226- 828-7578
Callers in U.K. Local: 0204-525-0658
All Other Locations: +44-204-525-0658
Replay Access Code: 951720
Unum (NYSE: UNM) an international provider of workplace benefits and services, has been helping workers and their families for more than 170 years. Through its Unum and Colonial Life brands, the company offers disability, life, accident, critical illness, dental, vision and stop-loss insurance; leave and absence management support and behavioral health services. In 2021, Unum reported revenues of $12.0 billion and paid $8.2 billion in benefits. The Fortune 500 company is one of the 2022 World's Most Ethical Companies, recognized by Ethisphere®.
Visit the Unum newsroom for more information, and connect with us on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
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WASHINGTON, June 30, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- NASA has awarded the JSC Engineering, Technology, and Science (JETS) II contract to Jacobs Technology Inc. of Tullahoma, Tennessee, to provide engineering and scientific products, technical services and related services for the agency's Johnson Space Center in Houston, other NASA centers and government agencies.
The cost-plus award-fee, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract has a potential base value of $1.8 billion. The contract contains an option to convert to a cost-plus fixed-fee contract, and the ability to issue firm-fixed-price task orders. The contract begins Oct. 1, with a five-year base period, followed by two two-year option periods and one one-year option period, which increase the potential value to $3.9 billion. The contract has a total potential performance period of 10 years.
Under the scope of work, Jacobs will be responsible for providing engineering design, development, sustaining engineering, analysis, assessment, technology development, test services, and laboratory/facility operation and maintenance for Johnson's Engineering Directorate. The scope also includes planetary mission and physical science research, astromaterial curation, and laboratory/facility operation and maintenance for Johnson's Exploration Integration and Science Directorate, as well as engineering and related services for other NASA centers and government agencies.
For information about NASA and other agency programs, visit:
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NEW YORK, June 30, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Neuberger Berman Real Estate Securities Income Fund Inc. (NYSE American: NRO) (the "Fund") has announced a distribution declaration of $0.0312 per share of common stock. The distribution announced today is payable on July 29, 2022, has a record date of July 15, 2022 and has an ex-date of July 14, 2022.
Under its level distribution policy, the Fund anticipates that it will make regular monthly distributions, subject to market conditions, of $0.0312 per share of common stock, unless further action is taken to determine another amount. There is no assurance that the Fund will always be able to pay a distribution of any particular amount, or that a distribution will consist of only net investment income. The Fund's ability to maintain its current distribution rate will depend on a number of factors, including the amount and stability of income received from its investments, availability of capital gains, the amount of leverage employed by the Fund, the cost of leverage and the level of other Fund fees and expenses.
The distribution announced today, as well as future distributions, may consist of net investment income, net realized capital gains and return of capital. In compliance with Section 19 of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, a notice would be provided for any distribution that does not consist solely of net investment income. The notice would be for informational purposes and not for tax reporting purposes, and would disclose, among other things, estimated portions of the distribution, if any, consisting of net investment income, capital gains and return of capital. The final determination of the source and tax characteristics of all distributions paid in 2022 will be made after the end of the year.
Neuberger Berman, founded in 1939, is a private, independent, employee-owned investment manager. The firm manages a range of strategies—including equity, fixed income, quantitative and multi-asset class, private equity, real estate and hedge funds—on behalf of institutions, advisors and individual investors globally. With offices in 25 countries, Neuberger Berman's diverse team has over 2,500 professionals. For eight consecutive years, the company has been named first or second in Pensions & Investments Best Places to Work in Money Management survey (among those with 1,000 employees or more). In 2020, the PRI named Neuberger Berman a Leader, a designation awarded to fewer than 1% of investment firms for excellence in Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) practices. The PRI also awarded Neuberger Berman an A+ in every eligible category for our approach to ESG integration across asset classes. The firm manages $447 billion in client assets as of March 31, 2022. For more information, please visit our website at www.nb.com.
Statements made in this release that look forward in time involve risks and uncertainties. Such risks and uncertainties include, without limitation, the adverse effect from a decline in the securities markets or a decline in the Fund's performance, a general downturn in the economy, competition from other closed end investment companies, changes in government policy or regulation, inability of the Fund's investment adviser to attract or retain key employees, inability of the Fund to implement its investment strategy, inability of the Fund to manage rapid expansion and unforeseen costs and other effects related to legal proceedings or investigations of governmental and self-regulatory organizations.
Contact:
Neuberger Berman Investment Advisers LLC
Investor Information
(877) 461-1899
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SOURCE Neuberger Berman | https://www.13abc.com/prnewswire/2022/06/30/neuberger-berman-real-estate-securities-income-fund-announces-monthly-distribution/ | 2022-06-30T21:27:10Z | https://www.13abc.com/prnewswire/2022/06/30/neuberger-berman-real-estate-securities-income-fund-announces-monthly-distribution/ | true | 101 |
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Summer is about to get even hotter.
That's because Sarah Hyland is set to host Peacock's new "Love Island USA," E! News can exclusively announce. Based on the hugely popular U.K. reality dating show of the same name, the NBCU streamer's new iteration promises "naughtier games and sexier challenges" when it premieres July 19.
Or as E!'s exclusive preview teases, "Fasten your seatbelts, it's going to be a wild ride."
For one, the "Modern Family" star says she's "so, so excited" to join.
"Love Island is such an iconic show and I love the dating reality space," she exclusively told E! News. "I'm just so thrilled and honored to be a part of this...They always have the hottest people on their show."
Not that she's just here to witness the drama and hookups.
"I really love that the girls, for the most part, stick together and really bond and stand up for one another," she shared. "As a woman, I love it when I get to see that on television. But I definitely know that we're going to have a lot of unexpected surprises and unpredictable twists that we've never seen. We're pushing the boundaries this time around."
Entertainment News
And while she preps, she's leaning on fiancé Wells Adams, the resident bartender on "Bachelor in Paradise."
"He always shares a lot with me during the process of BiP," Hyland said. "It's a lot of unpredictability, you just have to roll with the punches and just be patient and observant and have kindness for everyone."
She added, "He's so, so supportive of this whole new adventure that I'm about to embark upon, and he's really been just an amazing human being."
Check out the first look above for a tease at what's to come.
Peacock's "Love Island USA" premieres Tuesday, July 19 with episodes dropping six days a week after.
(E!, Peacock and this station are all part of the NBCUniversal family) | https://www.nbcsandiego.com/entertainment/entertainment-news/sarah-hyland-named-the-love-island-usa-host-watch-the-wild-first-trailer/2984565/ | 2022-06-30T21:30:17Z | https://www.nbcsandiego.com/entertainment/entertainment-news/sarah-hyland-named-the-love-island-usa-host-watch-the-wild-first-trailer/2984565/ | false | 14 |
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Inspired Senior Living of Chesterfield DST Notice Of Exempt Offering (FormD)
Accepted:
Form Type:
D
Accession Number:
0001935792-22-000001 | https://www.benzinga.com/secfilings/22/06/27896824/inspired-senior-living-of-chesterfield-dst-notice-of-exempt-offering-formd | 2022-06-30T21:30:44Z | https://www.benzinga.com/secfilings/22/06/27896824/inspired-senior-living-of-chesterfield-dst-notice-of-exempt-offering-formd | true | 254241 |
Kevin Durant has reportedly asked to be traded from the Brooklyn Nets.
According to ESPN, the NBA All-star requested the trade directly to team owner Joe Tsai.
Kevin Durant made the trade request directly to Nets owner Joe Tsai today, sources tell ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 30, 2022
Many teams will scramble to put lucrative deals together to entice the two-time NBA champion to join their team.
Yahoo! Sports reported that a spot the 12-time All-Star has his eyes on is the Phoenix Suns.
Kevin Durant has the Phoenix Suns listed as a preferred trade destination, league sources tell @YahooSports.
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) June 30, 2022
Another destination the four-time scoring champion is also preferring is Miami, ESPN reported.
According to CBS Sports, since Durant doesn't have a no-trade clause in his contract, the Nets are able to trade him to whomever.
But if teams want to acquire Durant, they are going to have to step up big.
According to the AP, Durant has four years and nearly $200 million remaining on his contract.
Durant spent three years with Brooklyn but only played for two due to him recovering from an Achilles injury during his first season with the team.
News of Durant requesting a trade comes days after Nets star Kyrie Irving exercised his $36.9 million option for the coming season to remain with the team. | https://www.fox13now.com/sports/kevin-durant-reportedly-asks-for-trade-from-brooklyn-nets | 2022-06-30T21:34:03Z | https://www.fox13now.com/sports/kevin-durant-reportedly-asks-for-trade-from-brooklyn-nets | false | 11 |
Home loan rates in Singapore have gone past 3 per cent to a new high with the latest move by UOB.
The previous high in recent times was 2.88 per cent in mid-2019.
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FAIRFAX, Va., June 30, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- ICF (NASDAQ:ICFI), a global consulting and digital services provider, will release its second quarter 2022 results on Wednesday, August 3, 2022, after the market close. The results will be available at: http://investor.icf.com.
To listen to the conference call, please register at https://edge.media-server.com/mmc/p/fq32mhv2 at least 15 minutes prior to the call and download and install any necessary software.
Individuals interested in participating in the call should register at https://register.vevent.com/register/BI51376d6390db4646b39cb7cdedab405f to receive their unique PIN number.
The replay will be available for one year following the live event at https://investor.icf.com/news-events.
For More Information
Investor information contact:
Lynn Morgen, AdvisIRy Partners, lynn.morgen@advisiry.com, +1.212.750.5800
or
David Gold, AdvisIRy Partners, david.gold@advisiry.com, +1.212.750.5800
Company information contact:
Lauren Dyke, ICF, lauren.dyke@icf.com, +1.571.373.5577
About ICF
ICF (NASDAQ:ICFI) is a global consulting services company with approximately 8,000 full- and part-time employees, but we are not your typical consultants. At ICF, business analysts and policy specialists work together with digital strategists, data scientists and creatives. We combine unmatched industry expertise with cutting-edge engagement capabilities to help organizations solve their most complex challenges. Since 1969, public and private sector clients have worked with ICF to navigate change and shape the future. Learn more at icf.com.
Caution Concerning Forward-looking Statements
Statements that are not historical facts and involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties are "forward-looking statements" as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements may concern our current expectations about our future results, plans, operations and prospects and involve certain risks, including those related to the government contracting industry generally; our particular business, including our dependence on contracts with U.S. federal government agencies; our ability to acquire and successfully integrate businesses; and the effects of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and related federal, state and local government actions and reactions on the health of our staff and that of our clients, the continuity of our and our clients' operations, our results of operations and our outlook. These and other factors that could cause our actual results to differ from those indicated in forward-looking statements that are included in the "Risk Factors" section of our securities filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The forward-looking statements included herein are only made as of the date hereof, and we specifically disclaim any obligation to update these statements in the future.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE ICF | https://www.nbc11news.com/prnewswire/2022/06/30/icf-announces-timing-second-quarter-2022-earnings-release-conference-call/ | 2022-06-30T21:39:49Z | https://www.nbc11news.com/prnewswire/2022/06/30/icf-announces-timing-second-quarter-2022-earnings-release-conference-call/ | false | 36 |
International football star Stephanie Roche finally married her best friend and partner of 15 years Dean Zambra in a stunning wedding today.
Famed wedding photographer Jenny McCarthy was on-hand to capture the special day.
Jenny shared some snaps from outside the church ahead of the wedding ceremony, and later posted a selfie with the newlyweds at their reception at Tulfarris Golf Resort in Wicklow.
Zambra, who played League of Ireland football, popped the question during a romantic night away for Stephanie's birthday in June, 2021.
The night before her big day, Stephanie shared a reel on social media showing herself and Dean over the course of their relationship, and reflected on their time together in a long heartfelt caption.
The RTE pundit said she was “excited beyond words” to marry Dean after they put football first for so many years.
“After 15 years, tomorrow is the day I marry my best friend! Excited beyond words. And after all the years where football took priority for us, it was fitting that I ended up getting a last minute recall to the Irish team, going away for two weeks and arriving home just 2 days before the wedding
“We’ve had so many great years, long distance for some time but always making it work, Dean has always been there through everything and I am so happy to finally marry him
“Nothing could take away from how happy and excited I am to be spending tomorrow with our family and friends, see you all soon
“Soon to be Mrs Zambra”.
Stephanie is one of Ireland's best known football stars thanks to her glittering club career with Peamount United, Sunderland Ladies and C.F. Florentia. Not to mention she was the runner-up for the 2014 FIFA Puskás Award for the best goal of the year.
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Rachel Allen celebrates son Lucca’s milestone birthday with rare family snaps | https://www.rsvplive.ie/news/celebs/sports-star-stephanie-roche-marries-27370446 | 2022-06-30T21:40:46Z | https://www.rsvplive.ie/news/celebs/sports-star-stephanie-roche-marries-27370446 | true | 1 |
NEW YORK, June 30, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- SiriusXM (NASDAQ: SIRI) will release its second quarter 2022 financial and operating results on Thursday, July 28, and will hold an investor call the same day at 8:00 a.m. EDT. The call will be hosted by SiriusXM's Chief Executive Officer, Jennifer Witz, and Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, Sean Sullivan.
A webcast of the presentation will be available on the Investor Relations section of the SiriusXM website at siriusxm.com/investorrelations.
To participate by telephone, please dial 800.819.9193 (U.S. / Canada Tollfree) or +1 786.460.7199 (Local) 10 minutes prior to the start of the call and ask to be connected to the SiriusXM conference call. The conference ID number is 9665159.
About SiriusXM
Sirius XM Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: SIRI) is the leading audio entertainment company in North America, and the premier programmer and platform for subscription and digital advertising-supported audio products. SiriusXM's platforms collectively reach approximately 150 million listeners, the largest digital audio audience across paid and free tiers in North America, and deliver music, sports, talk, news, comedy, entertainment and podcasts. Pandora, a subsidiary of SiriusXM, is the largest ad-supported audio entertainment streaming service in the U.S. SiriusXM's subsidiaries Stitcher, Simplecast and AdsWizz make it a leader in podcast hosting, production, distribution, analytics and monetization. The Company's advertising sales arm, SXM Media, leverages its scale, cross-platform sales organization, and ad tech capabilities to deliver results for audio creators and advertisers. SiriusXM, through Sirius XM Canada Holdings, Inc., also offers satellite radio and audio entertainment in Canada. In addition to its audio entertainment businesses, SiriusXM offers connected vehicle services to automakers. For more about SiriusXM, please go to: www.siriusxm.com.
This communication contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements include, but are not limited to, statements about future financial and operating results, our plans, objectives, expectations and intentions with respect to future operations, products and services; and other statements identified by words such as "will likely result," "are expected to," "will continue," "is anticipated," "estimated," "believe," "intend," "plan," "projection," "outlook" or words of similar meaning. Such forward-looking statements are based upon the current beliefs and expectations of our management and are inherently subject to significant business, economic and competitive uncertainties and contingencies, many of which are difficult to predict and generally beyond our control. Actual results and the timing of events may differ materially from the results anticipated in these forward-looking statements.
The following factors, among others, could cause actual results and the timing of events to differ materially from the anticipated results or other expectations expressed in the forward-looking statements: we have been, and may continue to be, adversely affected by supply chain issues as a result of the global semiconductor supply shortage; we face substantial competition and that competition is likely to increase over time; if our efforts to attract and retain subscribers and listeners, or convert listeners into subscribers, are not successful, our business will be adversely affected; we engage in extensive marketing efforts and the continued effectiveness of those efforts is an important part of our business; we rely on third parties for the operation of our business, and the failure of third parties to perform could adversely affect our business; we may not realize the benefits of acquisitions and other strategic investments and initiatives; the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has introduced significant uncertainty to our business; a substantial number of our Sirius XM service subscribers periodically cancel their subscriptions and we cannot predict how successful we will be at retaining customers; our ability to profitably attract and retain subscribers to our Sirius XM service as our marketing efforts reach more price-sensitive consumers is uncertain; our business depends in part on the auto industry; failure of our satellites would significantly damage our business; our Sirius XM service may experience harmful interference from wireless operations; our Pandora ad-supported business has suffered a substantial and consistent loss of monthly active users, which may adversely affect our Pandora business; our failure to convince advertisers of the benefits of our Pandora ad-supported service could harm our business; if we are unable to maintain revenue growth from our advertising products our results of operations will be adversely affected; changes in mobile operating systems and browsers may hinder our ability to sell advertising and market our services; if we fail to accurately predict and play music, comedy or other content that our Pandora listeners enjoy, we may fail to retain existing and attract new listeners; privacy and data security laws and regulations may hinder our ability to market our services, sell advertising and impose legal liabilities; consumer protection laws and our failure to comply with them could damage our business; failure to comply with FCC requirements could damage our business; if we fail to protect the security of personal information about our customers, we could be subject to costly government enforcement actions and private litigation and our reputation could suffer; interruption or failure of our information technology and communications systems could impair the delivery of our service and harm our business; the market for music rights is changing and is subject to significant uncertainties; our Pandora services depend upon maintaining complex licenses with copyright owners, and these licenses contain onerous terms; the rates we must pay for "mechanical rights" to use musical works on our Pandora service have increased substantially and these new rates may adversely affect our business; failure to protect our intellectual property or actions by third parties to enforce their intellectual property rights could substantially harm our business and operating results; some of our services and technologies may use "open source" software, which may restrict how we use or distribute our services or require that we release the source code subject to those licenses; rapid technological and industry changes and new entrants could adversely impact our services; we have a significant amount of indebtedness, and our debt contains certain covenants that restrict our operations; we are a "controlled company" within the meaning of the NASDAQ listing rules and, as a result, qualify for, and rely on, exemptions from certain corporate governance requirements; while we currently pay a quarterly cash dividend to holders of our common stock, we may change our dividend policy at any time; our principal stockholder has significant influence, including over actions requiring stockholder approval, and its interests may differ from the interests of other holders of our common stock; if we are unable to attract and retain qualified personnel, our business could be harmed; our facilities could be damaged by natural catastrophes or terrorist activities; the unfavorable outcome of pending or future litigation could have an adverse impact on our operations and financial condition; we may be exposed to liabilities that other entertainment service providers would not customarily be subject to; and our business and prospects depend on the strength of our brands. Additional factors that could cause our results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements can be found in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021, and our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarterly period ended March 31, 2022, which are filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") and available at the SEC's Internet site (http://www.sec.gov). The information set forth herein speaks only as of the date hereof, and we disclaim any intention or obligation to update any forward-looking statements as a result of developments occurring after the date of this communication.
Source: SiriusXM
Investor contacts:
Hooper Stevens
212-901-6718
hooper.stevens@siriusxm.com
Natalie Candela
212-901-6672
natalie.candela@siriusxm.com
View original content:
SOURCE Sirius XM Holdings Inc. | https://www.fox19.com/prnewswire/2022/06/30/siriusxm-report-second-quarter-2022-financial-operating-results/ | 2022-06-30T21:44:07Z | https://www.fox19.com/prnewswire/2022/06/30/siriusxm-report-second-quarter-2022-financial-operating-results/ | true | 115 |
Story of the song: Army Dreamers by Kate Bush
From The Independent archive: Robert Webb on the pop star’s sombre take on military death
A little like “Sons Of”, Jacques Brel’s morbid tale of boys going to war and not returning, the equally sombre “Army Dreamers” is about the senseless death of a soldier on manoeuvres. Kate Bush assumes the role of a grieving mother who, through the waste of her son’s life, questions her very motherhood: could she have prevented his death by buying him a guitar or giving him a “proper education”?
“I find it fascinating about mothers that there’s a kind of maternal passion which is there all the time, even when they’re talking about cheese sandwiches,” said Bush of the song.
It has a chilling second verse: “Mourning in the aerodrome / The weather warmer, he is colder / Four men in uniform / To carry home my little soldier.”
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Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today. | https://www.independent.co.uk/independentpremium/story-song-army-dreamers-kate-bush-b2112926.html | 2022-06-30T21:47:58Z | https://www.independent.co.uk/independentpremium/story-song-army-dreamers-kate-bush-b2112926.html | true | 1 |
Japan is sweltering amid a blistering heatwave not seen in decades. As the country deals with an energy crunch, Japanese businesses are trying to save energy by turning lights down and thermostats up.
Copyright 2022 NPR
Japan is sweltering amid a blistering heatwave not seen in decades. As the country deals with an energy crunch, Japanese businesses are trying to save energy by turning lights down and thermostats up.
Copyright 2022 NPR | https://www.ksmu.org/2022-06-30/thousands-have-been-sent-to-the-hospital-due-to-japans-blistering-heatwave | 2022-06-30T21:48:06Z | https://www.ksmu.org/2022-06-30/thousands-have-been-sent-to-the-hospital-due-to-japans-blistering-heatwave | false | null |
High Court reporters
An apology has been read out in the High Court to the family of a woman who was knocked down by a refuse truck on a street in the city.
Ann Marie Beahan was walking home from her local shops when the accident happened in Inchicore, Dublin four years ago. She died in hospital the next day on what should have been her 65th birthday.
Green Circular Economy Unlimited Company, formerly Greyhound Recycling and Recovery Unlimited, unreservedly apologised to the Beahan family.
In the apology, which was signed by company chief executive Neill Ryan, the firm also expressed its "profound regret for the circumstances which led to the sad death of their beloved wife, mother and grandmother".
The apology was read to the court as Mrs Beahan’s husband, Derek settled a High Court action over her death. Liability was admitted in the case, but the terms of the settlement are confidential.
The Beahan family's counsel, Jeremy Maher SC with Michael Binchy BL, said the apology has been the most important aspect of the case for the family.
He said Mrs Beahan, a mother and grandmother, was walking back from the shops along Bulfin Road, Inchicore, which was a normal thing for her to be doing, when the accident happened on October 2nd, 2018.
The family are united in grief.
"The apology for the Beahan family counts for more than anything else in the case. The family are united in grief. They came to court to secure an admission of liability and an apology," Counsel said.
Derek Beahan, of Bulfin Road, Inchicore, Dublin, had sued the lorry owners, which at the time was Greyhound Recycling and Recovery Unlimited with offices at Blackhall Place, Dublin, as a result of the accident.
It was claimed that Mrs Beahan was walking on Bulfin Road, Inchicore when a refuse collection vehicle truck struck her, causing significant injury and she died later in hospital.
It was claimed there was a failure to keep any or any adequate lookout for pedestrians and a failure to see Mrs Beahan walking along the road prior to the collision.
It was also claimed there was a failure to pay adequate attention to Mrs Beahan in the near side and there was also failure to take any such action as was necessary to avoid striking Mrs Beahan.
Noting the settlement and the division of the statutory mental distress payment of €35,000, Mr Justice Paul Coffey extended his deep sympathy to Mrs Beahan’s husband and family on what he described as a very sad and tragic case.
The judge said the case was even more poignant as Mrs Beahan had died on what should have been her birthday. | https://www.echolive.ie/nationalnews/arid-40906652.html | 2022-06-30T21:49:41Z | https://www.echolive.ie/nationalnews/arid-40906652.html | true | 3 |
Mental health center employee pleads guilty to sexually abusing second patient
MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Md. - g a patient at the mental health center he worked at pled guilty to additional sexual abuse charges Thursday in a Montgomery County circuit court.
According to the Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s Office, on at least two separate occasions, Macdoff Oghenejabo Okah sexually abused two victims at Adventist Healthcare Behavioral Health in Rockville.
Court documents show the 46-year-old defendant was employed as a psychiatric technician at the mental health center since 2016 and was terminated on June 7, 2019.
The first incident — to which Okah plead guilty today — occurred in February 2018.
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The victim was involuntarily committed for psychiatric care when Okah forced the patient into vaginal intercourse in her room.
The second incident, which was tried before a jury this week, happened in June 2018. In that case, Okah entered another patient's room and sexually abused her. Evidence of Okah's DNA was later found around the woman's mouth and breasts.
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"This defendant abused his position of trust and authority over the victims, preying on them while they were in a vulnerable state. It took courage for the victims to come forward and that bravery will help to prevent further abuse," said State’s Attorney John McCarthy. "We look forward to a lengthy prison sentence in this matter."
Okah is facing a maximum of 60 years in prison for a combined six counts of sexual abuse charges.
His sentencing hearing is scheduled for October. | https://www.fox5dc.com/news/mental-health-center-employee-pleads-guilty-to-sexually-abusing-second-patient | 2022-06-30T21:50:01Z | https://www.fox5dc.com/news/mental-health-center-employee-pleads-guilty-to-sexually-abusing-second-patient | false | 1 |
Udaipur tailor murder intended to 'strike terror among masses across the country': Report
Udaipur killing news: Ghouse Mohammad, one of the two prime accused in the killing of Udaipur tailor Kanhaiya Lal Teli's murder, had reportedly travelled to Pakistan in 2014 by train at the invitation of Sunni Islamist organisation Dawat-e-Islami. He attended indoctrination camps in Pakistan during his 45-day stay.
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KEY HIGHLIGHTS
- Notably, the NIA has decided to question the prime accused in the gruesome beheading of Kanhaiya Lal Teli in Udaipur only
- As per sources within the agency, the NIA has received information that the accused might be attacked by various organisations, thus it has decided to grill them in Rajasthan to prevent any untoward incident
- An earlier report had indicated that the two prime accused would be brought to Delhi by the NIA for questioning
New Delhi: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) is investigating the role of "local self-radicalised" groups and other connections of the two prime accused in the brutal murder of Udaipur tailor Kanhaiya Lal Teli, officials said on Thursday.
In the meantime, the NIA is working on getting custody of Riaz Akhtari and Ghouse Mohammad in order to begin questioning them as part of the case registered against them under various sections of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) and the Indian Penal Code. Officials said that the accused will be taken to Jaipur on Friday, where they will be brought before a special court. The agency will then seek their custody in order to find out who else was involved in Kanhaiya Lal's murder.
Sources have told Times Now that as per a preliminary investigation, more people could be involved in the plot to kill Teli. The duo are believed to be part of a group that included Pakistani members with ties to terror outfits. It is believed that at least 15 people are part of this module, and investigators are working to determine who they are.
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Meanwhile, news agency IANS mentioned a source as saying: "There are many more involved in the incident. It was a larger conspiracy which was executed in a well-planned manner. Not all those involved in hatching the conspiracy to execute the killing have been arrested yet."
According to sources, the two intended to "strike terror among the masses across the country" by carrying out this gruesome act. A man, named Nitin Jain, was the other person on their target list besides Kanhaiya Lal Teli. Jain, a 35-year-old businessman, is also reported to have posted on social media in support of Nupur Sharma, the former BJP spokesperson.
The duo in custody are reported to have told police that their intent was to terrorise the public by killing Kanhaiya Lal and recording the act. Reports suggest that they not only wanted to spread terror in a community, but also sought heroic status within their religion. In their social media group, the accused often discussed religious tensions with other members of the module. They had been hatching a conspiracy for quite a while.
These people idolised ISIS in order to convert India into an Islamic state, reported Times Now. They watched videos of ISIS and Taiban frequently. Nupur Sharma's comment on Prophet Muhammad and the tension that ensued gave these two individuals a chance to exploit the situation.
The channel mentioned sources as saying that both the men demonstrated no remorse while being interrogated in jail. The men reportedly told officials that even if they die for their religion, other members of their group would continue to work to turn India into an Islamic state. In addition, they said those who have insulted Prophet Muhammad would face serious consequences in the coming days.
Times Now reported that the two men had been living in Rajasthan as a sleeper cell. They communicated with their handlers in Pakistan with the help of a variety of apps. Their phones have been sent for forensic analysis.
They planned to go to Ajmer after murdering Kanhaiya Lal and record another video.
Sources said that the accused fled to a metal factory in the Sapetia village on a motorcycle after killng Kanhaiya Lal. Notably, Riaz Akhtari used to work at the SK Engineering Factory and the weapon used in the murder was reportedly manufactured there. There they made another video in the office of the factory's owner, claiming responsibility for the killing, and posted the clip on social media. Afterwards, the duo left for Deogarh in Rajsamand. However, they were arrested in Bhim.
The Special Task Force (STF) will conduct the test identification parade of the accused in front of the two survivors, who were attacked by the accused as they fled the scene after killing Kanhaiya Lal.
An inspector general-rank officer is leading a team of around 10 NIA officers camping at Udaipur to take the investigation forward.
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End of Article | https://www.timesnownews.com/india/udaipur-tailor-murder-intended-to-strike-terror-among-masses-across-the-country-report-article-92582331 | 2022-06-30T21:51:36Z | https://www.timesnownews.com/india/udaipur-tailor-murder-intended-to-strike-terror-among-masses-across-the-country-report-article-92582331 | false | 1 |
WIMBLEDON, England (AP) — Two days after the death of her grandmother, Katie Boulter was back on the grass at Wimbledon. She wasn’t going to miss a chance to play at her grandma’s favorite tennis tournament.
Her grandfather was right there on Centre Court watching every twist and every turn, and, ultimately, the emotional celebration that came with an upset victory.
Playing through the stress of her family's loss, and the pressure of being in the biggest stadium at the All England Club against last year’s Wimbledon runner-up, Boulter staged a surprising comeback to beat sixth-seeded Karolina Pliskova 3-6, 7-6 (4), 6-4.
“It’s been a tough few days for sure,” said Boulter, who is from Leicester, England. “I’ve tried to kind of get my emotions out and deal with the situation, try and keep my head on the tennis.
“I was lucky because my grandpa managed to come down from Leicester, and so we could keep him company and keep supporting him at the same time.”
The victory put the 25-year-old Boulter into the third round at a Grand Slam tournament for the first time. That’s a pretty good run for someone ranked 118th in the world who only was invited to play at Wimbledon with a wild card, even though she also beat Pliskova last week at a warm-up event in Eastbourne, England.
That was her first victory over a top-10 player.
“I managed to control my emotions very well and played a really good match,” Boulter said. “Ultimately it came down to the wire, and I think I stayed really strong in the tough moments. I think that’s why I got the win today.”
Boulter will face Harmony Tan of France in the next round. Tan eliminated seven-time Wimbledon champion Serena Williams in the first round and then beat 32nd-seeded Sara Sorribes Tormo 6-3, 6-4 on Thursday.
"There will be maybe some public (support) for her, but I’m prepared for that,” Tan said of her next match, “because when I play Serena, there is a lot of public (support) for her also.”
The crowd, probably on Centre Court on Saturday, will certainly get behind Boulter once again.
Just like her grandmother used to do.
“Her favorite tournament was Wimbledon,” Boulter said. “That’s why it’s a special one for me.”
___
More AP Wimbledon coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/wimbledon and https://apnews.com/hub/tennis and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | https://www.myplainview.com/sports/article/Boulter-overcomes-loss-of-grandmother-to-win-at-17277608.php | 2022-06-30T21:52:10Z | https://www.myplainview.com/sports/article/Boulter-overcomes-loss-of-grandmother-to-win-at-17277608.php | false | 31 |
Vivienne Clarke
The chief executive of the Mental Health Commission, John Farrelly, has called for greater investment in beds in mental health services, but also in community services.
“Instead of doing a bit of work and stopping, we need to focus on drilling down and building more units”, he told RTÉ radio’s Morning Ireland.
Mr Farrelly was discussing the latest annual report from the Commission which found that independent privately-run mental health centres offered a better level of care than HSE-run facilities allowing people with health insurance or financial means, being able to access the country's high-performing centres.
The report recommends investment into HSE-run inpatient mental health services was required to ensure that people, regardless of their financial means, have access to a similar standard of mental health care.
Mr Farrelly said that the situation around the country was that the private and independent centres, (with 600 to 700 beds) were highly compliant of the regulations particularly with regard to premises and individualised patient care, however, that was not the case with HSE-run premises.
The Commission has been trying for a number of years to improve services in Cork where five of the HSE premises were “really unsuitable”, he added.
“People who don't have private health insurance will be going into those premises in Cork which are also low in terms of individualised patient care, meanwhile someone who lives in the Dublin area, where the majority of private and independent centres are, who has private health insurance, they have much better choice and access and that's not equitable, and it's not fair.”
Mr Farrell pointed out that some counties have done very well – for example in the CHO5 area (which includes Tipperary, Carlow, Kilkenny, Wexford and Waterford).
“Some years ago that area was in trouble, but they invested in new buildings, they invested in their governance and management structure, the chief officer there pulled special teams together to bring the whole place up and it worked, so you would have to beg the question then if it can happen in one CHO area why can't it happen in the other.”
The Commission implemented 42 enforcement actions last year, of which seven were critical risks around premises, said Mr Farrelly. “What we do is we put an action plan in place, if that doesn't work we then escalate it up to the regional, but in Cork it's at the national level.
“Even in dealing with the HSE at national level we're not assured that Cork will come into line. Quite simply it needs a targeted, funded, strategic capital investment and not in the way it's being done at the moment where the people of Cork will be told in 10 years' time you have something or we have to close your centre because it's not good enough.”
The HSE’s process for putting buildings in place and maintaining them needs to change, said Mr Farrelly.
“Over the last number of years we've increased the compliance rate up to 80 percent across the country, there's nothing lower than 68 percent, but we're trying to extract the data, so now what we're saying is it's about individualised care planning, it's not just having a building and putting someone in and giving them medicine
"it's about an individualised care programme for them in proper buildings and premises that are well staffed. We now have it down to three or four sentinel issues so people are listening, but at the same time we have to make sure that the local system responds appropriately.
“If the HSE is capable of doing it in one area they can do it in another area. People talk about Slaintecare, but it's not going to make a difference in Cork if the buildings are not up to scratch”. | https://www.echolive.ie/nationalnews/arid-40907357.html | 2022-06-30T21:53:51Z | https://www.echolive.ie/nationalnews/arid-40907357.html | false | 1 |
ALEX BRUMMER: Government should borrow from the Pentagon playbook and create a third force for UK defence
The time and energy the Government is spending on unlocking doors to the overseas takeovers of Ultra Electronics, Meggitt and Inmarsat is extraordinary.
Once the deals are done, there can be no confidence that the undertakings made on R&D, headquarters and the like can be properly enforced.
The suspicion is that highly paid American and City law firms will have no trouble outwitting worthy civil servants and their legal advisers once the deals are signed off by government and investors.
Government support: BAE Systems, which makes the Eurofighter Typhoon (pictured), was created through a series of mergers
At best, it is only highly sensitive, national security undertakings which will prove robust. There is an alternate route. It is easily forgotten that Britain’s aerospace and defence champion BAE Systems did not happen by accident.
It was created through a series of mergers, often with government encouragement and assistance, involving such great names in UK engineering as Hawker Siddeley Aviation, British Aircraft Corporation, Vickers Shipbuilding and the rump of Arnold Weinstock’s GEC defence offshoot, Marconi.
None of this could have happened without interventions by the Ministry of Defence and other parts of government.
The same process has taken place in the US where defence heavyweights such as Lockheed Martin and Raytheon are essentially products of Pentagon approved deals.
With similar energy and bosses that were more visionary, rather than intent on selling out, it might have been – or still be – possible to create a third force for UK defence to sit alongside BAE and Rolls-Royce fit for the new Nato age.
Among the potential constituent companies could be Ultra, Meggitt, GKN Aerospace (currently being carefully manicured by Melrose), Simon Engineering and maybe Babcock. All may be regarded as sub-scale to be global champions sitting alone.
But such an agglomeration would ensure R&D, intellectual property and Britain’s role as a leading-edge aerospace and defence innovator was preserved. That would avoid the industry being gradually dismantled by financially driven players.
The micro-management of the overseas and private equity deals for UK engineers and defence groups already amount to a departure from capitalist dogma.
Boris Johnson should borrow from the Pentagon and Thatcher-Major playbook and put some heft behind creating a third force in UK national security.
Foreign Affairs Committee chairman Tom Tugendhat and Defence Secretary Ben Wallace have a smart understanding of our defence needs. They should get on the case.
High pay
BT is not the easiest of companies to run. It is besieged with problems, including an oversized pension fund and the attentions of a powerful outside shareholder, Patrick Drahi, with a 20 per cent stake.
It is also under pressure from regulators and government to get on with the enormous task of rolling out fibre-to-the-door broadband.
The last thing it needs is a union dispute. Having made what appears to be a reasonable offer of a 5 per cent-to-8 per cent pay increase to colleagues, it finds itself under siege from the Communications Workers Union (CWU).
The RMT union boss Mick Lynch has won friends for his plain speaking. He is regarded as such good value that the Sunday morning BBC Broadcasting House programme has made him a regular guest.
The reality is that he let the cat out of the bag when he seemed to call for a general strike.
Maybe the actions across the transport, telecommunications and other sectors – including the industrial action at the Financial Conduct Authority – are not strictly co-ordinated. But the ferocity of the pay revolt doesn’t look entirely accidental.
Executives at several of the companies targeted have made a rod for their own backs. In the rush to restore they own pay packets post-pandemic, they have created a fat-cat narrative for union critics.
The CWU notes that BT’s chief executive received a 32 per cent uplift in his total remuneration this year to £3.2million and claims he earns 86 times average pay levels.
More pay restraint and modesty in lifestyles at the top might make for calmer industrial relations.
Moneyed Kingdom
Saudi Arabia’s love bombing of the UK continues with the proposal to take a stake in Britain’s flagship luxury car company Aston Martin.
The James Bond motor firm is weighed down with close to £1billion of debt and an interest rate bill of £130million this year.
The latest proposal follows last year’s investment in Newcastle United. The real Saudi prize would be an order for next generation fighter jets from BAE.
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World Omni Automobile Lease Securitization Trust 2020-B (Form10-D)
Accepted:
Form Type:
10-D
Accession Number:
0001104659-22-075538 | https://www.benzinga.com/secfilings/22/06/27900028/world-omni-automobile-lease-securitization-trust-2020-b-form10-d | 2022-06-30T22:01:59Z | https://www.benzinga.com/secfilings/22/06/27900028/world-omni-automobile-lease-securitization-trust-2020-b-form10-d | true | 254241 |
Arweave (AR) traded 0.3% higher against the US dollar during the twenty-four hour period ending at 17:00 PM ET on June 30th. Arweave has a market cap of $306.54 million and $31.68 million worth of Arweave was traded on exchanges in the last day. One Arweave coin can currently be purchased for approximately $9.18 or 0.00048654 BTC on exchanges. During the last week, Arweave has traded down 4.5% against the US dollar.
Here is how related cryptocurrencies have performed during the last day:
- Pax Dollar (USDP) traded flat against the dollar and now trades at $1.00 or 0.00001644 BTC.
- Pax Dollar (USDP) traded 0.1% lower against the dollar and now trades at $1.00 or 0.00005297 BTC.
- The Transfer Token (TTT) traded down 9.3% against the dollar and now trades at $2.17 or 0.00011487 BTC.
- Carry (CRE) traded 9.1% lower against the dollar and now trades at $0.0040 or 0.00000021 BTC.
- SOLVE (SOLVE) traded down 6.9% against the dollar and now trades at $0.0300 or 0.00000159 BTC.
- Gamestarter (GAME) traded 1% lower against the dollar and now trades at $0.17 or 0.00000884 BTC.
- HoryouToken (HYT) traded flat against the dollar and now trades at $0.0052 or 0.00000013 BTC.
- Witnet (WIT) traded 11.6% lower against the dollar and now trades at $0.0052 or 0.00000027 BTC.
- HalalChain (HLC) traded flat against the dollar and now trades at $0.0074 or 0.00000018 BTC.
- Project Pai (PAI) traded 1.8% lower against the dollar and now trades at $0.0011 or 0.00000006 BTC.
Arweave Coin Profile
According to CryptoCompare, “Arweave is a new type of storage that backs data with sustainable and perpetual endowments, allowing users and developers to truly store data forever – for the very first time. As a collectively owned hard drive that never forgets, Arweave allows users to remember and preserve valuable information, apps, and history indefinitely. By preserving history, it prevents others from rewriting it. “
Buying and Selling Arweave
It is usually not currently possible to buy alternative cryptocurrencies such as Arweave directly using U.S. dollars. Investors seeking to trade Arweave should first buy Ethereum or Bitcoin using an exchange that deals in U.S. dollars such as Coinbase, Gemini or GDAX. Investors can then use their newly-acquired Ethereum or Bitcoin to buy Arweave using one of the exchanges listed above.
Receive News & Updates for Arweave Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and updates for Arweave and related cryptocurrencies with MarketBeat.com's FREE CryptoBeat newsletter. | https://www.wkrb13.com/2022/06/30/arweave-hits-one-day-volume-of-31-68-million-ar.html | 2022-06-30T22:05:21Z | https://www.wkrb13.com/2022/06/30/arweave-hits-one-day-volume-of-31-68-million-ar.html | true | 4 |
Dodgers vs. Rockies: How to watch, streaming options and start times
What you need to know: The Dodgers wrap up a nine-game road tour with a three-game series against the Colorado Rockies starting Monday at Coors Field in Denver. The Dodgers rebounded from a Saturday night loss...
www.aol.com | https://www.newsbreak.com/news/2650493108197/dodgers-vs-rockies-how-to-watch-streaming-options-and-start-times | 2022-06-30T22:07:02Z | https://www.newsbreak.com/news/2650493108197/dodgers-vs-rockies-how-to-watch-streaming-options-and-start-times | false | null |
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The Better Prepared You Are For The Colorado Avalanche Parade, The Better The Experience
Coloradans should plan ahead of heading to the Colorado Avalanche parade.
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Turn On | https://www.cbsnews.com/colorado/video/the-better-prepared-you-are-for-the-colorado-avalanche-parade-the-better-the-experience/ | 2022-06-30T22:07:22Z | https://www.cbsnews.com/colorado/video/the-better-prepared-you-are-for-the-colorado-avalanche-parade-the-better-the-experience/ | true | null |
i-nexus Global plc (LON:INX – Get Rating) fell 2.7% during mid-day trading on Tuesday . The stock traded as low as GBX 4.04 ($0.05) and last traded at GBX 4.04 ($0.05). 136,819 shares were traded during mid-day trading, a decline of 57% from the average session volume of 317,183 shares. The stock had previously closed at GBX 4.15 ($0.05).
The firm has a market capitalization of £1.21 million and a PE ratio of -1.56. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 30.04, a current ratio of 0.79 and a quick ratio of 0.79. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is GBX 4.91 and its 200-day simple moving average is GBX 5.12.
i-nexus Global Company Profile (LON:INX)
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Receive News & Ratings for i-nexus Global Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for i-nexus Global and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. | https://www.wkrb13.com/2022/06/30/i-nexus-global-loninx-trading-down-2-7.html | 2022-06-30T22:09:28Z | https://www.wkrb13.com/2022/06/30/i-nexus-global-loninx-trading-down-2-7.html | false | 1 |
Bitcoin falls 6.1% to $18,867
June 30 (Reuters) - Bitcoin BTC=BTSP dropped 6.1% to $18,866.77 at 20:04 GMT on Thursday, losing $1,226.41 from its previous close.
Bitcoin, the world's biggest and best-known cryptocurrency, is down 60.9% from the year's high of $48,234 on March 28.
Ether ETH=BTSP, the coin linked to the ethereum blockchain network, dropped 7.5% to $1,016.08 on Thursday, losing $82.38 from its previous close.
(Reporting by Mrinmay Dey in Bengaluru)
((Mrinmay.Dey@thomsonreuters.com))
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc. | https://www.nasdaq.com/articles/bitcoin-falls-6.1-to-%2418867 | 2022-06-30T22:12:48Z | https://www.nasdaq.com/articles/bitcoin-falls-6.1-to-%2418867 | false | null |
FACT CHECK: No, The Military Did Not Execute Jen O’Malley
A post shared on Facebook claims White House Deputy Chief of Staff Jen O’Malley Dillon was executed by the U.S. military.
Verdict: False
The rumors stem from a satirical website. O’Malley Dillon has not been convicted of any crimes by the U.S, military.
Fact Check:
The Facebook post claims the U.S. Navy Judge Advocate General (JAG) Crops convicted O’Malley Dillon, who served as President Joe Biden’s campaign manager before being promoted to deputy chief of staff, of “treason and seditious conspiracy.” It also claims Hillary Clinton campaign lawyer Michael Sussmann was convicted of the same crime and alleges both were sentenced to death.
The claims are false. None of the Navy JAG Corps’ social media posts or press releases mention O’Malley Dillon or Sussmann facing treason or seditious conspiracy charges. Check Your Fact found no credible news reports suggesting O’Malley Dillon has been charged with any federal crime. There is likewise no evidence that Sussmann, who was recently acquitted on charges of making a false statement to the FBI, has been charged with any such crimes.
O’Malley Dillon appeared with Biden during his June 24 speech about the Supreme Court overturning the Roe v. Wade decision, according to Politico. (RELATED: Did Georgia Send Out 7 Million Absentee Ballots While Only Having 5.6 Million Registered Voters In The 2020 Presidential Election? )
Most of the Facebook post’s text came from a June 29 article on the website Real Raw News. The site’s “about us” page states, “This website contains humor, parody, and satire.” The outlet published prior satirical stories about Sussman and O’Malley Dillon being arrested by the military. | https://checkyourfact.com/2022/06/30/fact-check-jen-omalley-execution/ | 2022-06-30T22:17:37Z | https://checkyourfact.com/2022/06/30/fact-check-jen-omalley-execution/ | false | 1 |
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Looking to avoid power blackouts, California may turn to the one energy source it's otherwise desperate to get rid of: fossil fuels.
A sweeping energy proposal from Gov. Gavin Newsom's office would put the state in the business of buying power to ensure there's enough to go around during heat waves that strain the grid. But some critics say the method of getting there is at odds with the state's broader climate goals, because it paves the way for the state to tap aging gas-fired power plants and add backup generators fueled by diesel.
The debate highlights the challenge some states are facing as they scramble to address heat waves fueled by climate change without compromising on their pledges to transition to non-fossil fuel energy sources like solar and wind.
California gets most of its energy from renewable sources during the day, but doesn't yet have the storage to dispatch enough solar power after the sun goes down. The bill aims to speed up the building of more renewable energy and storage facilities by removing local governments from permitting decisions. Supply chain issues are also slowing down building.
Newsom is expected to sign the bill Thursday after lawmakers passed it the night before.
“Climate change is causing our energy demands to peak, and so we have to provide increased supply to meet that demand or we’re gonna be facing untenable crisis in our communities. At the same time, we are facing the problems because we are relying too much on fossil fuels. That’s the obvious conundrum that we’re in," said Democratic state Sen. Dave Min, who represents Huntington Beach, a coastal community home to a gas-fired power plant.
The problem isn’t unique to California. In New Mexico, a coal-fired power plant was slated to close its last two units Thursday. But a major utility asked the state to keep one unit open through September to meet demands during hot summer months since solar and battery storage projects that were meant to replace the lost capacity have been delayed.
State energy officials warned earlier this year that the state risks an energy shortfall equivalent to what it takes to power 1.3 million homes on the summer's hottest days. Newsom and lawmakers are desperate to avoid a scenario like August 2020, when hundreds of thousands of people temporarily lost power because there wasn't enough supply to go around.
Newsom's solution centers on creating a “strategic reliability reserve" run by the Department of Water Resources. The water agency has been given that role because it is a major producer and user of power through its dams and operation of the state’s water pumping system. This summer, the department could reimburse utilities if they have to buy extra power and add temporary power generators, including those powered by fossil fuels. Any diesel-powered generators couldn't be used past 2023.
Beyond that, the water department would be able to build new energy storage and zero-emission generating stations. It could also spend state money buying power from coastal gas-fired plants that are set to close in 2023. The plants were first set to close in 2020. Likewise the department could keep buying power from the state's last remaining nuclear plant if it stays open beyond its 2025 closure.
Several Democratic lawmakers said they had been given assurance by Newsom's administration that any fossil fuel resources would be used as a last resort and that the bill does not give the water department the sole authority to extend the life of the gas plants or nuclear facility.
“Those are tough decisions that we're all going to have to wrestle with," said Sen. Henry Stern, a Democrat from Los Angeles County. “What this bill is doing is buying time."
Republican state Sen. Shannon Grove, who represents fossil fuel-rich Bakersfield, said the legislation proves California needs oil and gas.
“If we don’t have these gas-powered plants to fire up when we need them you will not be able to flip the switch and get electricity,” she said.
Environmental groups, meanwhile, said the state wouldn't need to rely on fossil fuels as a backup if it had moved faster to build up renewable resources and expressed concern that the bill doesn't put enough guardrails on the water department's power. The department would not have to comply with California's landmark environmental law to move forward with new projects.
“The state is saying we need to rely on fossil power and they're not fully admitting that it's because of this lack of ambition," said Alexis Sutterman, energy equity manager for the California Environmental Justice Alliance.
Andrew Campbell, executive director of the Energy Institute at the University of California, Berkeley’s Haas School of Business, said the water department’s new authority to buy power is “very expansive and open ended” and something that “really deserves scrutiny.”
California, he said, is likely on the forefront of a challenge that will probably hit other U.S. states as they move away from fossil fuels and boost how much energy is needed from the grid.
“Developing an electrical system that is very clean and doing that reliably is a challenge that hasn’t been solved anywhere,” he said. “And California, because it’s so far along with renewable energy development, is hitting that challenge sooner than some other places.” | https://www.lmtonline.com/news/article/To-avoid-blackouts-California-may-tap-fossil-17277633.php | 2022-06-30T22:18:30Z | https://www.lmtonline.com/news/article/To-avoid-blackouts-California-may-tap-fossil-17277633.php | false | 23 |
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