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Brands and media agencies consider advertising identifiers as a source of reputational risk. But survey data shows they are mostly unaware of the alternatives at hand and how to reach their intended audience without cookies.
NEW YORK, May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Ogury, the global leader in personified advertising, recently commissioned leading IT market research firm IDC to conduct a global survey on 1,000 major brand and media agency executives, to get their perspective and understanding of the future of digital advertising in a cookieless world. Most of the polled executives (60%) agree that user tracking will soon become obsolete. However, more than 40% of respondents are not familiar with targeting technologies that are independent of advertising identifiers.
Identifiers are disappearing, for the best
The survey also found that more than half of advertisers (60%) believe user tracking to be a source of reputational risk for brands. 56% of them think cookies and IDs represent a threat to user privacy, while 60% believe it is only a matter of time before they come to an end.
While some marketing decision-makers might wait for Google to officially phase out third-party cookies on Chrome by the end of 2024, the statistics above are surprisingly low as cookies are already unavailable on Apple's Safari and Firefox, and overall opt-in rates for user tracking are getting increasingly lower as users reject tracking en masse.
Advertisers have limited awareness of alternative options
When asked about the forthcoming deprecation of third-party cookies and what changes need to be made, 32% of respondents said they will change the type of AdTech suppliers they are working with. Among them, 64% stated they will increase budgets toward suppliers that do not rely on third-party cookies or any personal data collection. Yet, 41% of all respondents are only moderately, or not at all, familiar with targeting methods other than the ones leveraging identifiers such as cookies.
This represents a huge opportunity for companies providing targeting solutions that don't rely on advertising identifiers. However, these same companies have to evangelize their technologies, which might be complicated to understand since such solutions aren't yet the norm in the industry.
One key concern: scalability
The survey reveals that advertisers are somewhat confident they can reach the right target at scale without identifiers. Indeed, 1 agency executive out of 2 (51%) and 61% of brands believe that organizations will still be able to reach their audience at scale following the deprecation of third-party cookies.
So, besides not being familiar with the cookieless options available, advertisers already have concerns about how these solutions can help them reach a large share of their target audience, ultimately replacing cookies.
Time for decision-makers to wake up
"Brands and media agencies will require guidance to navigate the new waters of alternative techniques to cookies, looking for innovative new partners to fill the void," said Van Valdez, Associate Research Director, European Customer Experience at IDC. "However, for many, this highly technical area can be incredibly opaque."
"Clearly, advertisers are not fully seeing yet how huge and impactful the privacy wave will be," continued Geoffroy Martin, CEO at Ogury. "As one of the main players in AdTech, we need to educate marketing decision-makers on which other options are available to them. At Ogury, we've developed an IDless technology that allows advertisers to reach their intended audience at scale, while not collecting, or using, any personal data. With this unique approach, brands and their media agencies will be equipped to thrive in this challenging new era of advertising."
About the Survey
Ogury commissioned IDC to conduct this survey from November 2022 to January 2023 in the Americas, Europe and APAC, polling 1,000 executives and combining quantitative and qualitative in-depth interviews.
The demographics of the survey are as follows:
- 70% brands, 30% media agencies
- A representative sample across the Americas (US, Canada, Mexico), Europe (UK, France, Germany, Italy) and APAC (Japan, Australia, Singapore)
IDC Infobrief, sponsored by Ogury, The New Era of Advertising - Beyond Cookies and Identifiers, doc#EUR150572523, April 2023.
About Ogury
Ogury, the global leader in personified advertising, has created a breakthrough advertising engine that delivers targeting based on personas rather than users' identities, and on the destinations where these personas consume content — instead of the individual users themselves. Advertisers working with Ogury benefit from fully visible impactful ads, future-proof targeting and unwavering protection. Publishers enjoy the rewards of a respectful user experience, incremental revenues and premium demand. Founded in 2014, Ogury is a global organization with 500+ people, including 100 engineers across 17 countries.
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SOURCE Ogury LTD | https://www.kfyrtv.com/prnewswire/2023/05/11/despite-knowing-that-advertising-identifiers-are-being-phased-out-advertisers-awareness-cookieless-technologies-remains-low-according-global-survey/ | 2023-05-11 08:07:03 | 1 | https://www.kfyrtv.com/prnewswire/2023/05/11/despite-knowing-that-advertising-identifiers-are-being-phased-out-advertisers-awareness-cookieless-technologies-remains-low-according-global-survey/ |
LAUREL — Now that Christmas is over, many are wondering what to do with their live Christmas trees. But they don't have to look far.
Lynn and Randy Baird live in Laurel and have quite a few farm animals as pets. They said Lynn's two goats, Indie and Harley, love to snack and scratch on Christmas trees.
Indie and Harley really enjoy these trees, so Randy took to social media on Monday requesting Christmas tree donations.
According to Backyard Goats, goats can eat Christmas trees, but owners should be mindful of chemicals like flame retardants and color enhancers. Luckily for Indie and Harley, many live Christmas trees in Montana are cut down from the Custer-Gallatin National Forest, free of chemicals.
“They’re full of antioxidants. They have Vitamin A, Vitamin C, the bark’s actually a natural de-wormer," Randy said on Tuesday. "It’s tons of minerals and a lot of good stuff, it’s like candy for them."
His wife, Lynn, said she gave her goats a tree last year and they loved it, so she wanted to do it again this year.
"They just loved it. They ate it down so fast. They’re looking for more,” Lynn said on Tuesday. “We only got the one tree (last year), so that’s why (Randy's) like, let’s see if we can get a few more."
Randy said he has had a few Laurel residents reach out following his post to a private Facebook group, and was also told Ace Hardware has about 20 left for his wife's goats.
"It relieves their boredom because they like to scratch on them. And they’re foragers. They like to eat above ground, not off the ground so that’s why they like our trees," Lynn said. "It's fun for them."
ZooMontana also likes to give its animals this special Christmas treat. The zoo asks for Christmas tree donations annually and there is a donation bin set up in its parking lot.
These trees are a common treat this time of the year and provide positive enrichment and nutrients to the animals.
When asked why he decided to post to Facebook requesting trees, Randy laughed.
“It’s because my wife spoils her animals,” Randy said. “Her animals are so well taken care of, it’s not even funny."
If you would like to contact the Baird's to donate your tree, please email Randy at nomadales@gmail.com
“They go straight for them,” Randy said.
“They really do! It relieves their boredom and whatnot,” Lynn added. | https://www.kbzk.com/news/local-news/its-like-candy-for-them-laurel-couple-looking-for-christmas-trees-for-their-goats | 2022-12-28 16:21:38 | 0 | https://www.kbzk.com/news/local-news/its-like-candy-for-them-laurel-couple-looking-for-christmas-trees-for-their-goats |
NORTH LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP)Myron Gardner scored 23 points as Little Rock beat UT Martin 88-74 in an Ohio Valley Conference opener on Thursday.
Gardner also contributed 10 rebounds and five assists for the Trojans (5-9). Jordan Jefferson scored 19 points while going 8 of 13 and 2 of 4 from the free throw line. Deantoni Gordon recorded 16 points and was 5 of 11 shooting and 6 of 7 from the free throw line.
The Skyhawks (8-6) were led by K.J. Simon, who posted 24 points, seven rebounds and two blocks. Parker Stewart added 13 points, seven rebounds and four assists for UT Martin. In addition, Desmond Williams had 13 points.
NEXT UP
Both teams next play Saturday. Little Rock visits Tennessee State while UT Martin hosts Morehead State.
—
The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar. | https://www.kxnet.com/scoreboard/gardner-has-23-in-little-rocks-88-74-victory-over-ut-martin/ | 2022-12-30 19:16:01 | 0 | https://www.kxnet.com/scoreboard/gardner-has-23-in-little-rocks-88-74-victory-over-ut-martin/ |
Trump property appraiser held in contempt in NY civil probe
New York – A company that has performed appraisals on some of Donald Trump’s most prized properties has been held in contempt of court for missing a deadline to turn over documents in the New York attorney general’s civil investigation into the former president’s business practices.
Manhattan Judge Arthur Engoron said late Tuesday that real estate services firm Cushman & Wakefield had shown a “willful failure” to comply with Attorney General Letitia James’ subpoenas, which sought records on Trump properties including a suburban Seven Springs Estate, Wall Street office building, Chicago skyscraper and Los Angeles golf course.
Engoron ordered Cushman & Wakefield to pay a fine of $10,000 per day, beginning Thursday, for each day that it fails to fully comply with James’ subpoenas. The same judge recently lifted a contempt order for Trump after a two-month legal fight over his slow response to a subpoena for documents in James’ probe.
Engoron, in a written order posted to the court docket Wednesday morning, appeared incensed that Cushman & Wakefield had asked for him for more time after missing a June 27 deadline that he’d set for the company to turn over subpoenaed documents. The company said last year it would no longer do business with Trump’s company, Trump Organization.
“Cushman & Wakefield has only itself to blame if it chose to treat the looming deadlines cavalierly,” Engoron wrote, noting that each delay only prejudices James’ investigation and, “indirectly, the people of New York State.”
Cushman & Wakefield said it will appeal Engoron’s ruling, which came after months of legal jousting between the company’s lawyers and James’ office.
In a written statement, Cushman & Wakefield said Engoron’s contempt finding “demonstrates a failure to understand the extreme lengths Cushman has gone to comply with the Court’s order.”
“We have gone to great expense and effort to quickly identify, collect, review and produce the massive set of documents requested by (James’ office), and we have now produced over hundreds of thousands of pages of documents and over 650 appraisals since the last subpoena was issued in February 2022,” the company said.
James’ subpoenas not only sought records pertaining to Cushman & Wakefield’s work for Trump, but also appraisals the company performed on other properties not owned by Trump. As of February, the company said it had spent more than $500,000 on storing documents sought in James’ investigation.
James, a Democrat, has said her three-year investigation uncovered evidence that Trump’s company, the Trump Organization, misstated the value of assets like skyscrapers and golf courses on financial statements for over a decade.
Trump, a Republican, has denied the allegations. He has said James’ investigation is part of a politically motivated “witch hunt.”
A message seeking comment was left with Trump’s spokesperson.
James’ office pushed for sanctions against Cushman & Wakefield and welcomed the contempt finding.
“Cushman & Wakefield’s work for Donald Trump and the Trump Organization is clearly relevant to our investigation, and we’re pleased that the court has recognized that and taken action to force Cushman to comply with our subpoenas,” James said in a statement. “No person or company, no matter how powerful, is above the law.”
In addition to appraisals, Cushman & Wakefield provided brokerage services for years for Trump and his company, the Trump Organization. James’ office has served multiple subpoenas on the company, including last September and in February.
In addition to information about Trump’s properties, James’ office is also seeking documents pertaining to Cushman & Wakefield’s larger business relationship with the Trump Organization, the attorney general’s office said.
In a separate subpoena battle, Engoron declared Trump in contempt of court on April 25 for being slow to respond to a subpoena issued by James’ office, only lifting the order late last month. Trump paid $110,000 in fines he racked up as a result of the contempt finding.
Trump and his two oldest children, Ivanka and Donald Trump Jr., are scheduled to testify under oath in James’ investigation starting July 15 after the state’s highest court rejected his last-ditch attempt to avoid a subpoena. | https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/politics/2022/07/06/trump-property-appraiser-held-contempt-ny-civil-probe/7823842001/ | 2022-07-06 19:51:03 | 1 | https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/politics/2022/07/06/trump-property-appraiser-held-contempt-ny-civil-probe/7823842001/ |
BATON ROUGE (AP) — As the political tug-of-war over enforcing Louisiana’s near-total abortion ban continues between Republicans at the Capitol and Democratic leaders in the state’s most populous city, the state Bond Commission is likely to vote Thursday on whether or not to continue withholding financing approval for a vital New Orleans area power plant project.
For a commission generally known for its historically actuarial role, the abortion debate would typically be beyond its purview. Still, it has seeped into recent meetings — with Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry urging fellow members to “use the tools at our disposal to bring” leaders in New Orleans opposing enforcement of the abortion ban “to heel.” Caught in the crossfire is a $39 million future line of credit for a power plant, critical to power drainage pumps that remove rainwater in a city that faces chronic flood problems.
While some described the decision by the commission in July and August to withhold approval as overreach, Landry argued that a message needed to be sent to New Orleans officials he believes may be malfeasant in upholding the law.
The battle between Democratic city leaders and Republicans in reliably red states has been happening across the country since the U.S. Supreme Court decided to end constitutional protections for abortion in June. Dozens of prosecutors nationwide — including in Florida — have promised not to pursue charges against those seeking or providing abortions. In St. Louis, hours after the mayor signed a measure providing $1 million for travel to abortion clinics in other states the Missouri Attorney General sued to block it. City councils in places such as Austin, Texas, and Nashville have passed measures urging law enforcement not to prioritize abortion ban enforcement.
“This is about the fact that there are elected officials, not only in the state but around this country, that seem to thumb their nose at the laws that are coming — and think they can pick and choose which laws they want to follow and those that they don’t,” Landry said.
In Louisiana, legislation bans all abortions except if there is substantial risk of death or impairment to the patient if they continue with the pregnancy and in the case of “medically futile” pregnancies — when the fetus has a fatal abnormality. There are no exceptions for rape or incest.
Following the downfall of Roe v. Wade, the mayor, district attorney and sheriff in New Orleans vowed to oppose the strict ban. In addition, city council passed a resolution directing police and prosecutors not to use city funds to enforce the ban.
Landry, a Republican who is considered a likely 2023 Louisiana gubernatorial candidate, described city leaders’ opposition as a “dereliction of duty.” He turned to the Bond Commission, who voted to deny a preliminary authorization of the line of credit for a power plant project of the New Orleans Sewerage and Water Board.
State Sen. Jimmy Harris, a Democrat who represents New Orleans, urged commission members to approve the future credit line — noting that the plant would help protect 384,000 people, allowing them clean water to drink and bathe in, instead of undergoing frequent water boil advisories. Currently the pumps are powered by outdated turbines, which also power the city’s water and sewage system.
“Find something nonessential to go after,” Paul Rainwater, a lobbyist for New Orleans, told the commission in August. “Not the Sewerage and Water Board, not the power station, not the pumps.
In a state that has been devastated by natural disasters, flooding is at the forefront of mind — especially as Louisiana is in the midst of hurricane season. Forecasters have predicted there will be 14 to 20 named storms this year, including six to 10 hurricanes.
While approval of a future line of credit would not immediately release project funds, the approval would send a “critical signal” to contractors that funds would be available to finish the project. The city and Entergy New Orleans are paying for the majority of the project’s cost, but Rainwater said state funding will be necessary to keep the project on track to be completed in 2024.
Whether or not the line of credit will be approved or withheld for a third consecutive month will be determined during the Bond Commission meeting Thursday, scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. | https://www.texomashomepage.com/news/health/ap-likely-vote-over-louisiana-project-caught-in-abortion-debate/ | 2022-09-15 13:12:23 | 1 | https://www.texomashomepage.com/news/health/ap-likely-vote-over-louisiana-project-caught-in-abortion-debate/ |
PHOTO: Fisherman sets new state record by catching 67-pound catfish
Published: May. 20, 2022 at 5:27 PM CDT|Updated: 6 minutes ago
UNION COUNTY, S.D. (Dakota News Now/Gray News) - A fisherman in South Dakota has set a new state record with his latest catch.
According to the South Dakota Department of Game, Fish and Parks, Ethan Evink caught a massive flathead catfish in the Missouri River in Union City. The fish was so giant it set a new record in South Dakota.
The state agency said Evink’s record-setting catfish was 51.5 inches long and weighed 67 pounds, 8 ounces, as reported by Dakota News Now.
Evink said he made the catch early in the morning using cut bait, a popular catfish bait.
Copyright 2022 Dakota News Now via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.kalb.com/2022/05/20/photo-fisherman-sets-new-state-record-by-catching-67-pound-catfish/ | 2022-05-20 22:34:26 | 0 | https://www.kalb.com/2022/05/20/photo-fisherman-sets-new-state-record-by-catching-67-pound-catfish/ |
States’ plans to make school safer reflect political divides
By ANDREW DeMILLO
Associated Press
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — In the aftermath of the school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, governors around the country vowed to take steps to ensure their students would be kept safe.
Months later, as students return to classrooms, money has begun to flow for school security upgrades, training and other new efforts to make classrooms safer.
But the responses have often reflected political divisions: Many Republicans have emphasized school security spending, while Democrats have called for tighter gun control.
At every step, the actions have stirred debate over whether states are doing the right things to address the scourge of school shootings.
In a special legislative session in Arkansas last month, lawmakers set aside $50 million for a school safety fund proposed by Republican Gov. Asa Hutchinson. The rules for distributing the money haven’t been finalized, but Hutchinson has said he wants it to help implement recommendations from a school safety commission he reinstated following the May shooting in Texas, where 19 students and two teachers were killed.
The shooting “served as a reminder that the threat of violence in our schools has not abated,” Hutchinson said. “It continues to be real, and we have to act with a renewed sense of urgency to protect our children.”
Texas was among several other states that set aside money for school security. Gov. Greg Abbott and other top Republican leaders announced $105.5 million for school safety initiatives. Nearly half of that was slated for bullet-resistant shields for school police and $17.1 million was for districts to purchase panic-alert technology.
Other Republican governors who made money available for security upgrades include Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, who announced $100 million for school security three days after the Uvalde shooting, and Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, whose state is giving $2.6 million to increase training capacity and classes for school resource officers.
“While these are the latest measures we’re taking to ensure our children’s safety, I can assure you they will not be the last. I will work with anyone, even in the midst of a heated election cycle, to protect our students,” Kemp, who is running for reelection, said in June.
Some of the Republican governors who have moved aggressively to bolster school security have ruled out any kind of gun control measures.
Hutchinson had said there should be a conversation about raising the age to purchase an AR-15-style rifle — the type of weapon used in Uvalde — but didn’t pursue such a measure during the session. Abbott also has pushed back on calls for more gun control by families of the Uvalde shooting victims. Oklahoma Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt vowed to fight any firearms restrictions when he signed an executive order on training for law enforcement and risk assessment at schools.
In California, which already had some of the nation’s toughest gun laws, Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed a dozen more this legislative session and even took out ads in Texas newspapers criticizing the state’s stances on guns.
“We’re sick and tired of being on the defense in this movement,” Newsom said in July.
In New Jersey, Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy signed legislation last month requiring the state’s nearly 600 school districts to set up assessment teams aimed at stemming violence in schools. One of the bill’s sponsors recounted hearing of an Uvalde victim who pretended to have been killed in the attack to escape the shooter.
“Does anybody want to teach this — how to play dead?” Assemblywoman Pamela Lampitt, a Democrat, said during a hearing in June.
Despite the partisan divisions on gun violence, a group of governors says it will attempt to find common ground. A task force created by the National Governor Association following the Uvalde shooting will develop recommendations to stop mass shootings, with an emphasis on school safety. Hutchinson, a former chairman of the association, has said the task force will focus in part on how states might use money coming to them through the bipartisan gun control bill President Joe Biden signed in June.
Teachers, political opponents and others have raised questions about the scope and effectiveness of state leaders’ plans.
In Arkansas, Democratic lawmakers questioned whether districts taking the new grant program’s money would be required to have an armed presence on campus, one of the initial recommendations from the state’s school safety commission.
“It’s one thing to say ‘school safety,’ but that runs the gamut of so much,” said Democratic Sen. Linda Chesterfield, a retired educator and the only legislator to vote against the grant program. “What specifically do you have in mind, and what price is it going to cost? I guess I’m just tired of having to fly by the seat of my pants and not know a thing about what’s going to go into that (commission’s) report.”
In Ohio, teachers unions say one-time funding that’s for equipment like door locks and radio systems — but not ongoing needs like personnel — is helpful but not enough.
Schools need money for staffing, too, including for safety and mental health personnel, said Scott DiMauro, president of the Ohio Education Association.
“Ideally, you’re gonna use funding to ensure that every school that wants to hire well-trained school resource officers, as part of their school safety plan, can do that,” DiMauro said. “And from that perspective, you know, the $100 million isn’t going to solve the problem in the long run.”
___
Associated Press writers Samantha Hendrickson in Columbus, Ohio; Jeff Amy in Atlanta; Paul Weber in Austin, Texas; Don Thompson in Sacramento, California; Sean Murphy in Oklahoma City; and Mike Catalini in Trenton, New Jersey, contributed to this report.
___
For more back-to-school coverage, visit: https://apnews.com/hub/back-to-school | https://kion546.com/news/ap-california/2022/09/06/states-plans-to-make-school-safer-reflect-political-divides/ | 2022-09-06 13:47:45 | 0 | https://kion546.com/news/ap-california/2022/09/06/states-plans-to-make-school-safer-reflect-political-divides/ |
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) _ The winning numbers in Wednesday afternoon's drawing of the "Pick Four-Midday" game were:
3-9-7-7, Fireball: 7
(three, nine, seven, seven; Fireball: seven)
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) _ The winning numbers in Wednesday afternoon's drawing of the "Pick Four-Midday" game were:
3-9-7-7, Fireball: 7
(three, nine, seven, seven; Fireball: seven) | https://www.beaumontenterprise.com/lottery/article/Winning-numbers-drawn-in-Pick-Four-Midday-game-17287967.php | 2022-07-06 19:12:46 | 1 | https://www.beaumontenterprise.com/lottery/article/Winning-numbers-drawn-in-Pick-Four-Midday-game-17287967.php |
Brodhead wins Division 3 Softball State Title Andrew Bandstra Andrew Bandstra Reporter Author facebook Author twitter Author email Jun 10, 2023 1 hr ago Facebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Cardinals top off magical season Facebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Print Copy article link Save (2) Brodhead 1 - Mayville 0 (10 innings)Jerrica Schwartz walks it off for Brodhead's first state title since 2004.COPYRIGHT 2023 BY CHANNEL 3000. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. THIS MATERIAL MAY NOT BE PUBLISHED, BROADCAST, REWRITTEN OR REDISTRIBUTED. Facebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Print Copy article link Save Andrew Bandstra Reporter Andrew Bandstra is a general assignment reporter for WISC-TV News 3 Now and Channel3000.com. He can be contacted at abandstra@wisctv.com. Author facebook Author twitter Author email Follow Andrew Bandstra Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today Most Popular Records: Detective fired months after losing race for Dane County Sheriff Wisconsin farmers forced to dump milk due to processing plant issues It's the sweet smell of success for one Wisconsin cheese factory Wall-leaping dog and her next-door puppy pal adopted together after video goes viral Fire at Fitchburg apartment displaces 24 units Latest News Biden marks LGBTQ+ Pride Month with celebration on White House South Lawn Newer heart transplant method could allow more patients a chance at lifesaving surgery Trump's GOP defenders in Congress leap into action on charges after months of preparation Right lane of US 12/18 West back open south of Cottage Grove after pavement buckle Fitchburg police investigate reports of shots fired near Verona Road More News
Andrew Bandstra Reporter Andrew Bandstra is a general assignment reporter for WISC-TV News 3 Now and Channel3000.com. He can be contacted at abandstra@wisctv.com. Author facebook Author twitter Author email Follow Andrew Bandstra Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today | https://www.channel3000.com/news/top-stories/brodhead-wins-division-3-softball-state-title/article_12945bcc-07fd-11ee-88a5-27224d201994.html | 2023-06-11 03:29:58 | 1 | https://www.channel3000.com/news/top-stories/brodhead-wins-division-3-softball-state-title/article_12945bcc-07fd-11ee-88a5-27224d201994.html |
SINGAPORE, Nov. 9, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- BingX, the world's leading social trading crypto exchange, is excited to introduce its Elite Copy Traders Program. With this new tiering system, BingX wishes to provide global traders with more opportunities and offer our users better services.
Elite Copy Traders Program is a trader incentive copy trading program launched by BingX, which all traders are welcome to apply for. Currently, BingX Elite Copy Traders Program Tiers are Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Diamond. Bronze is entry-level. If traders wish to upgrade to the next levels, they need to meet the criteria which include minimum requirements on total assets, number of copiers (or total value of copy trading), and risk score. The Tier of trader accounts will be updated every Monday 00:00 (UTC+8), and traders can enjoy the benefits and privileges of the latest tier after that.
BingX aims to fuel elite traders with steady cashflows to help them in polishing their trading strategies. First of all, higher tier traders are able to enjoy higher profit share rate from copy trading. Secondly, Gold traders and above will receive a monthly salary up to USD 1,000 from BingX. Besides, the most thrilling incentive is Fund Management Remuneration, which is similar to rewards for traditional financial fund managers. BingX is the first crypto exchange that distributes cash bonus equivalent to a specific percentage of the total value of copy trading to traders on a daily basis. And this percentage scales up with traders' tier. A Diamond Trader who leads copy trading over USD 100 million would receive fund management remuneration of USD 2 million.
On one hand, the Elite Copy Traders Program enables professional and experienced traders to potentially generate a significant level of income by being copied by other users. It allows traders to turn trading skills into bankable income. By doing so, successful traders can build up businesses by sharing talents, expertise, and strategies in BingX community, thus, expanding influence and number of copiers.
On the other hand, as the name suggests this program recommends the best traders that BingX users can copy from. It helps copiers to identify traders that suit them the best. This program makes it easier for new users to start copy trading top trading pairs like BTC USDT, ETH USDT , XRP USDT & SHIB USDT. Through categorizing traders and minimizing potential loss from high-risk copy trading, new traders can learn with lesser risks involved.
"The program aims to provide more protection to users and attractive rewards to elite copy traders on BingX, and create a robust social trading environment where healthy competition is encouraged", said Elvisco Carrington, PR and Communications Director at BingX. "As the pioneer in copy trading, BingX has been digging into technology innovation and building up a talent pool. We are committed to helping both our traders and users maximize their profits in a sustainable way by keeping exploring novel solutions for a better trading experience. BingX is ready to embrace more talented traders in the future."
About BingX
Founded in 2018, BingX is a leading crypto exchange that offers spot, derivatives and copy trading services to more than 100 countries and regions worldwide with over 5 million users. BingX connects users with expert traders and the platform in a safe, leading, and innovative way.
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SOURCE BingX | https://www.kwch.com/prnewswire/2022/11/09/bingx-first-initiate-elite-copy-traders-program-crypto-copy-trading/ | 2022-11-09 15:22:45 | 0 | https://www.kwch.com/prnewswire/2022/11/09/bingx-first-initiate-elite-copy-traders-program-crypto-copy-trading/ |
- Ascent receives a bolder look with redesigned front and rear elements
- EyeSight® Driver Assist Technology with Wide-Angle Mono Camera
- Wireless Apple CarPlay® and wireless Android Auto™ are standard
- New Surround View Camera featuring a 360-degree overhead view available
- Standard SUBARU STARLINK® 11.6-inch Multimedia Plus system
- Debut of new Onyx Edition Limited trim level
- Starting price of $33,895
CAMDEN, N.J., Aug. 11, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Subaru of America Inc. today announced pricing on the 2023 Ascent 3-row SUV with updated exterior styling as well as new safety and in-vehicle technologies. Also new for 2023, the Onyx Edition Limited debuts with a comprehensive list of features.
Available in six trim levels – Base, Premium, Onyx Edition, Onyx Edition Limited, Limited, and Touring – the 2023 Ascent arrives in Subaru retailers this winter.
With a starting price of $33,895, the 2023 Ascent receives a bolder look from a new front fascia incorporating a more prominent grille; redesigned LED headlights; and a more aggressive front bumper cover. The new front bumper cover features new lower-edge air ducts to improve aerodynamic flow under the vehicle. At the back of the vehicle, updated Konoji (C-shaped) taillights further exemplify the SUV's fresh look for 2023.
The 2023 Ascent comes standard with the latest version of EyeSight Driver Assist Technology. The enhanced system operates more smoothly and under a greater range of conditions. These improvements are thanks to a wider field of view, updated control software, and the addition of an electric brake booster. Also standard across the model line is a new Wide-Angle Mono Camera that works together with the EyeSight System's stereo cameras.
Models equipped with Blind-Spot Detection with Lane Change Assist and Rear Cross-Traffic Alert now include Automatic Emergency Steering, a new safety feature that works in conjunction with the EyeSight Pre-Collision Braking to help steer the vehicle to avoid a collision when travelling at speeds under 50 mph.
New Cabin Connect amplifies the driver's voice to the third-row occupants, improving communication inside the vehicle. The new convenience feature is available on trim levels equipped with Harman Kardon® QuantumLogic™ surround sound speaker system.
For enhanced all-around situational awareness while parking, an available Surround View Monitor offers a 360-degree overhead view of the vehicle. The new system uses images from four vehicle cameras and combines them to create a single image for a bird's-eye view of the area around the entire vehicle.
The Onyx Edition(s), Limited, and Touring come standard dual-function X-MODE® with Hill Descent Control. X-MODE functions include SNOW/DIRT and DEEP SNOW/MUD settings to optimize all-wheel drive performance for difficult weather or road conditions.
The 2023 Ascent 3-row SUV includes an extensive roster of standard amenities including Steering Responsive LED headlights with High Beam Assist; Seat Belt Reminder for every seat; front tri-zone and rear automatic climate control; automatic power door locks; power windows and side mirrors; security system with engine immobilizer; rear vision camera; USB-A and USB-C input/charge ports in front center console; USB-A and USB-C charge ports in rear center console; dual USB-A input/charge ports in third row; 19 cupholders; raised roof rails; and 18-inch aluminum-alloy wheels.
New for 2023, the SUBARU STARLINK 11.6-inch Multimedia Plus system is standard across the model line. The 11.6-inch center information display offers a high-definition touchscreen for multimedia, climate control, X-MODE, and vehicle configuration settings. The multimedia system includes wireless Apple CarPlay; wireless Android Auto; AM/FM/HD Radio; Bluetooth hands-free phone, text, and audio streaming connectivity; rear vision camera; and SiriusXM® and SiriusXM Travel Link® (4-month free Platinum subscription).
Equipped with a standard 2.4-liter turbocharged BOXER engine, the Ascent produces 260 horsepower and 277 lb.-ft. of torque. The BOXER engine is paired with a high-torque Lineartronic® CVT (continuously variable transmission) featuring an 8-speed manual mode function and steering wheel paddle shifters to give the driver added control. This powertrain allows up to 5,000-lb.towing capacity with standard Trailer Stability Assist.
All trim levels come standard with legendary Subaru Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive and X-MODE® with Hill Descent Control for exceptional all-weather and trail-driving capability. The Ascent is an efficient SUV, with 20 city/26 highway MPG EPA-rated fuel economy for models with 18-inch wheels, delivering a range of over 500 miles on a single tank. Ascent models equipped with 20-inch wheels achieve 19 city/25 highway MPG EPA-rated fuel economy.
Priced from $36,495, the Premium trim includes all standard equipment from the Base and adds Blind-Spot Detection with Lane Change Assist and Rear Cross-Traffic Alert; body-color side mirrors; rear window privacy glass; 8-way power driver seat; leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift lever handle; and second-row independent Automatic Climate Control; and the All-Weather Package.
The Ascent Premium is offered in either 7- or 8-passenger configurations. The SUBARU STARLINK Connected Services and Wi-Fi hotspot are available with subscription on Premium and higher trim levels.
A $1,460 convenience package for Premium with 8-passenger seating includes Keyless Access with Push-Button Start; Power Rear Gate; Reverse Automatic Braking; and Auto-Dimming Mirror with HomeLink®. These features are standard on Premium with 7-passenger seating.
The Onyx Edition is priced at $41,295 and equipped with exclusive black-finish exterior elements, badging, and 20-inch alloy wheels. On the inside, the seats are wrapped in Subaru StarTex® water-repellant material for durability and easy clean up.
The Onyx Edition builds upon the 7-passenger Premium trim and adds standard convenience features including Dual-function X-MODE; Heated Steering Wheel (360-degree); LED fog lights; panoramic moonroof; and cargo cover.
Priced at $46,295, The Onyx Edition Limited comes equipped with new Surround View Monitor System for better situational awareness when parking. Additional features that build on the Onyx Edition include the 11.6-inch SUBARU STARLINK Multimedia Navigation system; DriverFocus® Distraction Mitigation System; 12-way power driver's seat with 4-way power lumbar and two-position memory; adjustable driver's seat cushion extension; 4-way power front passenger seat; second row outboard heated seat positions; second row sunshades; and exterior power mirrors with 2-position memory synchronized with driver's seat position memory. Standard dual USB-A input/charge ports are included in the third row, bringing the total number of ports to six.
Starting at $41,595, the well-equipped Limited includes all Premium features and adds Reverse Automatic Braking; Keyless Access with Push-Button Start; DriverFocus; LED fog lights; Dual-Function X-Mode; and Power Rear Gate.
Additional standard features include a 12-way power driver's seat with 4-way power lumbar and two-position memory; adjustable driver's seat cushion extension; 4-way power front passenger seat; second row outboard heated seat positions; second row sunshades; and exterior power mirrors with 2-position memory synchronized with driver's seat position memory. For added convenience, the third row comes equipped with dual USB-A input/charge ports.
Externally, the Limited is distinguished by LED fog lights; lower door cladding with chrome accents; body-color side mirrors with integrated turn signals; and 20-inch aluminum-alloy wheels in dark gray with machine finish. The Limited is available in either 7- or 8-passenger configurations.
An option package that includes Cabin Connect; Surround View Monitor; STARLINK 11.6-inch Multimedia Navigation system; Harman Kardon® QuantumLogic™ surround sound system with 14 speakers; panoramic moonroof; and retractable cargo cover is available for $3,550.
Priced at $48,195, the top-of-the-line Ascent Touring is equipped with all the features of the Limited and adds an exclusive high gloss black grille; chrome door handles; and satin chrome power-folding exterior mirrors with integrated turn signals. The unique interior includes woodgrain-pattern matte finish accent trim and Java Brown perforated leather-trimmed upholstery with tan stitching. Also available on select exterior colors, is Slate Black perforated leather-trimmed upholstery with silver stitching. Three-mode ventilated driver and front passenger seats are also standard on Touring.
The Touring adds new Cabin Connect and Surround View Monitor along with 11.6-inch Multimedia Navigation system; Harman Kardon QuantumLogic surround sound system with 14 speakers; Panoramic Moonroof; Rain-Sensing Wipers; 180-degree front-view camera; and retractable cargo cover.
The Ascent is built at Subaru of Indiana Automotive (SIA), a Zero-Landfill Facility in Lafayette, Indiana, along with the Impreza, Legacy, and Outback.
About Subaru of America, Inc.
Subaru of America, Inc. (SOA) is a wholly owned subsidiary of Subaru Corporation of Japan. Headquartered at a zero-landfill office in Camden, N.J., the company markets and distributes Subaru vehicles, parts and accessories through a network of more than 630 retailers across the United States. All Subaru products are manufactured in zero-landfill plants and Subaru of Indiana Automotive, Inc. is the only U.S. automobile manufacturing plant to be designated a backyard wildlife habitat by the National Wildlife Federation. SOA is guided by the Subaru Love Promise, which is the company's vision to show love and respect to everyone, and to support its communities and customers nationwide. Over the past 20 years, SOA and the SOA Foundation have donated more than $270 million to causes the Subaru family cares about, and its employees have logged nearly 78,000 volunteer hours. As a company, Subaru believes it is important to do its part in making a positive impact in the world because it is the right thing to do.
Todd Hill
Manager, Product Public Relations
856.488.3234
thill@subaru.com
Jessica Tullman
Product Communications
310.352.4400
jtullman@subaru.com
Charles Ballard
Product & Technology Communications
856.488.8759
cballard@subaru.com
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SOURCE Subaru of America, Inc. | https://www.wistv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/11/subaru-announces-pricing-2023-ascent-with-new-styling-enhanced-safety-features-updated-multimedia-new-onyx-edition-limited/ | 2022-08-11 17:32:59 | 0 | https://www.wistv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/11/subaru-announces-pricing-2023-ascent-with-new-styling-enhanced-safety-features-updated-multimedia-new-onyx-edition-limited/ |
NEW YORK (AP) — The Latest on the U.S. Open tennis tournament (all times local):
10:20 p.m.
Nick Kyrgios eliminated defending U.S. Open champion and No. 1-ranked Daniil Medvedev in the fourth round.
Kyrgios beat Medvedev 7-6 (11), 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 on Sunday night in Arthur Ashe Stadium.
This is the first time Kyrgios has reached the quarterfinals at Flushing Meadows.
It also extends the recent run of high-level play for the 23rd-seeded Kyrgios, a 27-year-old Australian who reached his first Grand Slam final at Wimbledon in July.
Kyrgios was up to some of his usual anctics but he also outplayed Medvedev with the help of 21 aces.
Next for Kyrgios is a matchup on Tuesday against Karen Khachanov.
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6:10 p.m.
No. 12 seed Coco Gauff wagged her finger and showed the prowess that made her a U.S. Open championship contender in a 7-5, 7-5 win over Zhang Shuai.
The 18-year-old Gauff is in the U.S. Open quarterfinals for the first time in her career and will play France’s Caroline Garcia. Gauff is the youngest American woman to reach the U.S. Open quarterfinals since 2009.
Gauff had the New York crowd firmly on her side and fans erupted in the third set when she wagged her finger like Dikembe Mutombo’s signature move after she went up 6-5 in the second set. Zhang had smacked a ball into the net and covered her ears because of the noise.
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3:40 p.m.
Casper Ruud continued his run at the U.S. Open and his bid to become the first No. 1-ranked player out of Norway with a 6-1, 6-2, 6-7 (4), 6-2 win over Corentin Moutet.
He reached the U.S. Open quarterfinals for the first time in his career.
The fifth-seeded Ruud, already the first Norwegian man to appear in the third and fourth rounds at the U.S. Open, must reach the final for at least the opportunity to become the top-ranked player in men’s tennis.
Moutet dropped to 0-8 lifetime against top-10 opponents but the Frenchman’s week at Flushing Meadows was already a success. He became the first lucky loser (a player who fails to make it out of qualifying but gets into the main draw when someone withdraws) to reach the fourth round at the U.S. Open.
The 23-year-old Ruud, Rafael Nadal, Carlos Alcaraz and current No. 1 Daniil Medvedev are the only players who can end the tournament as the world’s top-ranked player. Rudd is ranked No. 7 in the world.
Ruud, who played for the first time in Arthur Ashe Stadium, faces Matteo Berrettini in the quarterfinals.
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3:05 p.m.
Matteo Berrettini of Italy advanced to the U.S. Open quarterfinals with a 3-6, 7-6 (2), 6-3, 4-6, 6-2 win over Alejandro Davidovich Fokina of Spain.
Davidovich Fokina had little left in the fifth set when he appeared to suffer an injury with the match tied 2-2. He went down in a heap after a hard split returning a ball along the baseline. He was on his knees and pounded the ground, grimacing as he eventually made his way to the bench. A trainer rubbed ice on Davidovich Fokina’s left knee and leg during every break the rest of the way.
Berrettini, the 2021 Wimbledon runner-up, reached the quarterfinals of a Grand Slam tournament for the fifth straight time. He dropped out of Wimbledon in June because he tested positive for COVID-19.
Berrettini labored through most of the match but used 18 aces and six winning break points to advance.
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noon
It’s time for the biggest match yet in the men’s U.S. Open draw.
Defending champion and No. 1 seed Daniil Medvedev plays 23rd-seeded Nick Kyrgios in an Arthur Ashe Stadium showdown where the winner should be the heavy favorite to reach the final.
The 27-year-old Kyrgios is 3-1 overall against Medvedev. Though he has a career-high ranking of No. 13, Kyrgios is 14-11 against players currently ranked in the top 5.
Medvedev, who has made at least the semifinals in each of the last three U.S. Opens, is trying to became the first repeat champion since Roger Federer won five straight from 2004 to 2008. Kyrgios won the most recent match between the two, which came in Montreal.
Medvedev is the only player in the top half of the draw who has not lost a set. No man has won a U.S. Open title without losing a set in the Open era, which began in 1968.
The big match on the women’s side comes during the afternoon at Ashe when No. 12 seed Coco Gauff plays Shuai Zhang. Gauff, a French Open finalist this year, is trying to reach the quarterfinals at the U.S. Open for the first time in her career.
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More AP coverage of U.S. Open tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/us-open-tennis-championships and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | https://www.wdtn.com/sports/ap-sports/ap-defending-champ-medvedev-takes-on-kyrgios-us-open-updates/ | 2022-09-05 12:59:21 | 1 | https://www.wdtn.com/sports/ap-sports/ap-defending-champ-medvedev-takes-on-kyrgios-us-open-updates/ |
NEW YORK, Dec. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- American Skin Association (ASA) announced today that Adriana Guana, MD, will join its Education Council. Dr. Guana is Vice President of US Medical Affairs at Leo Pharma Inc.
"We are thrilled to announce the addition of Dr. Adriana Guana to ASA's Education Council. Dr. Guana's experience in both, skin diseases and the pharmaceutical industry, will add tremendous value to our team," said Howard P. Milstein, Chairman of ASA.
"We welcome Dr. Guana to our Education Council! Her leadership will be a wonderful addition as we continue to work towards our vital mission and provide hope to those suffering from skin diseases," said Dr. David Norris, President of ASA.
"ASA's Education Council advises the Board on crucial investments in the well-being of future generations, putting great effort and resources into educating young people about skin health and sun safety. We are excited to have Dr. Guana join our team and look forward to her leadership," said Humberto Antunes, Co-Chair of ASA's Education Council.
Dr. Guana is a Dermatologist with over 20 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry. Her dedication to healthcare and medical dermatology and support of advancing women's careers, led her to receive the Luminary Award by the Healthcare Businesswomen's Association (HBA) in 2020.
ASA is a unique collaboration of patients, families, advocates, physicians and scientists, and has evolved over thirty-four years into a leading force in efforts to defeat melanoma, skin cancer and important inflammatory and genetic skin diseases. Established to serve the now more than 100 million Americans – one third of the U.S. population – afflicted with skin disorders, the organization's mission remains to: advance research, champion skin health – particularly among children, and drive public awareness about skin disease. For more information, visit americanskin.org.
American Skin Association has earned Candid's Seal of Platinum Transparency.
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SOURCE American Skin Association | https://www.wlbt.com/prnewswire/2022/12/05/american-skin-association-announces-new-education-council-member-adriana-guana-md/ | 2022-12-05 22:40:42 | 0 | https://www.wlbt.com/prnewswire/2022/12/05/american-skin-association-announces-new-education-council-member-adriana-guana-md/ |
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — A $13.6 billion state budget passed the Rhode Island House late Thursday, sending it to the Senate for a vote.
The House version of the budget for the 2023 fiscal year accelerates phasing out the car tax, eliminating what would have been the final year of the tax next year at a cost of $64 million. That means nearly all residents would not receive another automobile excise bill. East Providence operates on a different fiscal year than most municipalities.
It has a one-time child tax credit of $250 per child for up to three children per family.
House leaders said they wanted to provide targeted taxpayer relief and direct how to spend the rest of the American Rescue Act Plan federal funding on one-time investments to address longstanding problems, rather than recurring costs. The state received $1.1 billion in federal pandemic relief funding.
“Rhode Island has been making a very strong economic comeback since the worst days of the pandemic, and with a boost from the federal resources we’ve received over the last couple of years, we’re going to be able to help Rhode Islanders from all walks of life through this budget,” Democratic House Speaker Joe Shekarchi said in a statement. “A budget is really much more than hundreds of pages of revenue and expenditures. It’s how we act on our priorities and values.”
Shekarchi said it's a “responsible budget” that prioritizes adding affordable housing, helping residents who are “feeling the pinch of inflation,” boosting funding for health care, mental health and social services and strengthening schools.
The budget eliminates an $8 fee that was going to be charged for registration renewals and added $4 million to increase a tax credit program for seniors and people with disabilities. It eliminates the income tax on military pensions to help veterans and raises the amount of annual pension income that is exempt from state taxation from $15,000 to $20,000 for other retirees.
It dedicates $100 million to the unemployment trust fund to reduce businesses’ unemployment tax rates for 2023, and it allocates about $62 million to the state pension system to pay off the liability remaining from when the state’s contributions to the fund were deferred in the 1990s.
The budget plan commits to nearly doubling the number of voluntary, free pre-kindergarten seats to 5,000 statewide over five years. It includes nearly $170 million to upgrade the state psychiatric hospital.
The largest share of the federal pandemic relief funding, $250 million, was allocated for housing initiatives, including building new units of affordable housing, and $190 million was set aside for paying for future costs to respond to the pandemic.
The budget plan includes three bond questions for the November ballot, including a school construction bond. | https://www.ourmidland.com/news/article/Rhode-Island-House-approves-13-6B-state-budget-17248359.php | 2022-06-17 13:35:34 | 0 | https://www.ourmidland.com/news/article/Rhode-Island-House-approves-13-6B-state-budget-17248359.php |
Bad news S.W.A.T. fans: Officer Chris Alonso has left the team once and for all.
In a statement on May 22, Lina Esco shared that she will not be returning to the CBS series for its sixth season, noting that "this is one of the most difficult decisions I've had to make."
"Bringing to life a strong, smart, bisexual character like Chris Alonso has been both a pleasure and a powerful opportunity to increase visibility for diverse women everywhere," Lina said in the statement. "Five years later, I am leaving S.W.A.T. to pursue new creative endeavors. Chris never backs down from the unknown and as an actor and director, I'm excited to step out of my comfort zone and embark on a new chapter, too."
Though this is the end of her time on the crime series, she will miss the team. "I'm forever grateful to my S.W.A.T. family—my fellow cast, writers, and producers—for an incredible journey," she continued. "To the amazing S.W.A.T. fans, you are the heart of the show. I can't thank you enough for your support and for walking beside me through all of Chris' journey!"
Okay, we're officially S.A.D.
The S.W.A.T showrunners, Aaron Rahsaan Thomas and Shawn Ryan, added that Lina came to them a year ago "to express her desire to eventually pursue other endeavors," in an additional statement.
"We all worked hard to give Chris a proper, season-long sendoff, knowing what an important, iconic character she's been to our audience," they said. "Lina rewarded us this season with thrilling performances as well as a terrific job directing an episode."
Previously this season, Lina's character Chris announced that she would exit the team to take over Mama Pina's position at the local safe house for immigrant women. During the season finale, Chris worked her last day on S.W.A.T. and said farewell to Deacon (Jay Harrington) and the rest of the group.
While we come to terms with the fact Chris is turning in her badge, keep reading to find out which other stars have exited your favorite shows this year. | https://www.eonline.com/news/1332000/this-s-w-a-t-original-cast-member-will-not-return-for-season-6 | 2022-05-23 18:37:04 | 1 | https://www.eonline.com/news/1332000/this-s-w-a-t-original-cast-member-will-not-return-for-season-6 |
Sierra Leone’s president takes early lead in tense election race
By Nimi Princewill and Stephanie Busari, CNN
(CNN) — Sierra Leone’s President Maada Bio has taken an early lead in the country’s presidential election, provisional results showed.
The Electoral Commission for Sierra Leone (ECSL) said it had so far tallied around 60% of the total vote and expects to declare a winner in the next two days.
The election is considered a two-horse race between President Bio, 59, of the Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) and 72-year-old former cabinet minister Samura Kamara, who leads the opposition All People’s Congress (APC) party.
Bio has so far polled more than a million votes and currently leads Kamara with over 200,000 votes, according to ECSL.
Earlier, Bio’s SLPP party said it was “greatly anticipating a landslide victory” following an internal review of its performance in the elections.
To be declared winner, a presidential candidate must secure 55% of the total votes. If this is not achieved in the first round of voting, a run-off election will be held between the two candidates with the highest votes.
Pockets of violence
The electoral commission described the weekend poll as relatively peaceful but acknowledged pockets of violence and delays in polling in some areas.
On Sunday, Kamara’s APC party accused the country’s security forces of laying siege to its head office in the capital Freetown, and firing live rounds into the property while it held a press conference after the polls.
In a series of tweets, Kamara said his party’s headquarters had been surrounded by government forces and live bullets had been fired at the door of his private office.
“This is an assassination attempt,” he added.
Another opposition leader, Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr, who is seeking reelection as the mayor of Freetown, posted photos from inside the surrounded building and wrote: “I am in the APC Party office and we are under fire. It is tear gas and what sounds like live rounds. There are about 20 of us on the ground in one office. The shots are still being fired. We need help please!”
The police accused the APC party of carrying out a procession and claiming victory in the polls ahead of an official declaration by the electoral commission, in a statement made available to CNN.
It added that officers were forced to fire teargas canisters when the “situation became unbearable,” but did not include details about whether shots were fired at the APC’s head office.
The statement accused APC party members of “harassing passers-by”, including those thought to be members of the ruling SLPP party and “announcing to the public that they had won the just concluded elections.”
Voting was carried out Saturday under heavy security presence and armored tanks.
Ahead of the polls, police fired rubber bullets and teargas at supporters of the APC, during a demonstration that called for the resignation of Chief electoral Commissioner, Mohamed Konneh, following allegations of electoral fraud.
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2023 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved. | https://localnews8.com/news/national-world/cnn-world/2023/06/26/sierra-leones-president-takes-early-lead-in-tense-election-race/ | 2023-06-26 21:00:32 | 1 | https://localnews8.com/news/national-world/cnn-world/2023/06/26/sierra-leones-president-takes-early-lead-in-tense-election-race/ |
Democratic debate hosted by Clean Elections Commission:
Participants: Morgan Abraham and Priya Sundareshan for the state Senate seat. Nathan Davis, Nancy Gutierrez, Chris Mathis, Kat Stratford, and Charles Verdin for the two state House seats.
Stan Caine is running unopposed in the Republican primary for the state Senate seat. Linda Evans is running unopposed in the Republican primary for one of the two state House seats. Caine and Evans will advance to the general election. | https://tucson.com/legislative-district-18/article_425c01c6-0cf8-11ed-a32f-f3778c1379cf.html | 2022-07-27 00:39:14 | 1 | https://tucson.com/legislative-district-18/article_425c01c6-0cf8-11ed-a32f-f3778c1379cf.html |
DALLAS (AP) — The Vegas Golden Knights kept their composure and got the best payback after an ugly hit early against their captain.
They have a 3-0 series lead in the Western Conference Final and are now just one more win away from making it to another Stanley Cup Final.
Ivan Barbashev scored a power-play goal after Dallas Stars captain Jamie Benn was ejected because of his hit on Mark Stone less than two minutes into the game. That was the second of three goals the Golden Knights had in the first 7 1/2 minutes, leading to an early exit for goalie Jake Oettinger as they won 4-0 in Game 3 on Tuesday night.
“You keep your composure,” said Alex Pietrangelo, who added a goal midway through the second period.
After the two captains collided near the blue line and Stone fell to the ice, Benn lunged forward with both hands on his stick and made contact near Stone’s neck as he was sliding over the center line.
“We’re upset when we see that, he’s our captain,” coach Bruce Cassidy said. “But at the end of the day, they make a call that gives us a chance to make them pay for the penalty. And we did with one goal anyway, so we’ve doubled our lead. … Do it the right way. That’s been our mindset all along.”
While Oettinger had the shortest start of his career, Vegas goalie Adin Hill stopped 34 shots in his first career postseason shutout. Hill also became the second Knights goaltender with a five-game winning streak this postseason — Laurent Brossoit won five in a row before an injury.
After four consecutive comeback victories in these playoffs, including two overtime wins at home to start the best-of-seven series, the Golden Knights were in control all of the way in this one.
Game 4 is Thursday night, when Vegas will have the opportunity to advance to its second Stanley Cup Final in the franchise’s six seasons.
The Golden Knights were Western Conference champions during their inaugural 2017-18 season, then lost the Cup Final in five games after winning the opener against the Washington Capitals. Vegas missed the playoffs for the only time last season, before coach Pete DeBoer was fired and became the Stars coach.
Johnathan Marchessault scored only 71 seconds into the game, which was only 42 seconds before Benn was assessed a game misconduct after a five-minute major for cross-checking.
“Let’s put it this way, he made a mistake. He feels really badly about it. I don’t think anyone in the building feels worse than he does about it,” DeBoer said. “I’m not going to pile on, he’s been a leader here for his entire career, and leads every day on and off the ice. … Fortunately Mark Stone’s OK, and we’ve got to live with the consequences.”
The Stars played the rest of the game without Benn, who could also face an NHL suspension after the league reviews the play.
Just before Benn’s early exit, he had a wrister that was stopped by Hill but was initially still loose under the goalie as Benn tried to get his stick back on it.
The goal by Barbashev, who later had two assists, was one of only three shots the Knights got on net during the five-minute penalty. His 30-foot wrister for a 2-0 lead came after a Ty Dellandrea’s short-handed break was blocked and Nicolas Roy took the rebound the other way before passing to Barbashev.
“What goes unnoticed in there is the save by Adin Hill on the shorthand 2-on-1 … and we come down and score,” Cassidy said. “That 15 seconds of hockey is a huge impact of the game.”
Oettinger was pulled and replaced by Scott Wedgewood after William Carrier’s backhander made it 3-0 with 12:50 left in the first period.
The 24-year-old Oettinger has now lost three starts in a row. He has lost four of five overall, the win being when he had 22 saves for the Stars in their 2-1 win in Game 7 of Western semifinal against Seattle.
Wedgewood stopped 10 of 11 shots, with Pietrangelo’s goal coming just a second after the end of a power play as Miro Heiskanen was coming out of the penalty box.
Stars center Max Domi got a game misconduct with 21 seconds left in the second period. After his cross-check against Nicolas Hague, Domi started throwing punches.
“I think you guys know exactly what was being discussed,” Hague said when asked about what led to that incident. “There’s no reason for me to get involved in anything. It is what it is, and we got a big win.”
Fans in the arena reacted to the ensuing penalty by throwing water bottles, food and other items on the ice. With extended time needed to clean up the playing surface, officials sent both teams to their locker rooms early for the second intermission with the Knights up 4-0.
Those final 21 seconds were played after the intermission before the clock was reset to 20 minutes for the third period.
“It was a little weird,” Hill said. “I’ve never seen so much stuff on the ice, that’s for sure.”
NOTES: Stars forward Evegenii Dadonov left with a lower body injury in the first period and never returned. … It was the first Western Conference Final game in Dallas since May 19, 2008, when the Stars lost to Detroit in a decisive sixth game.
___
AP NHL Playoffs: https://apnews.com/hub/stanley-cup and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | https://www.pahomepage.com/sports/ap-sports/ap-vegas-1-win-from-another-stanley-cup-final-after-4-0-win-over-stars-in-game-3/ | 2023-05-24 23:16:22 | 1 | https://www.pahomepage.com/sports/ap-sports/ap-vegas-1-win-from-another-stanley-cup-final-after-4-0-win-over-stars-in-game-3/ |
Hong Kong newspaper Ming Pao to stop publishing political cartoon Zunzi after government complaints
HONG KONG (AP) — A Hong Kong newspaper will stop publishing works by the city’s most prominent political cartoonist after his drawings drew government complaints, in another example of hushed speech and media voices after a Beijing-led crackdown.
Chinese-language newspaper Ming Pao did not elaborate on why it would stop publishing Wong Kei-kwan’s works. “Ming Pao would like to express gratitude to Zunzi for witnessing how times have changed with us over the last four decades,” its editorial department said, referring to Wong by his pen name.
His comic drawings caricatured Hong Kong society’s frustrations since before the then-British colony was returned to Chinese rule in 1997.
Wong did not respond to The Associated Press’ request for comment Thursday, and the newspaper did not elaborate on its announcement that it would stop publishing the cartoons on Sunday. It was unclear whether the government played a role in the decision, and the government departments that complained about Wong’s drawings have not responded to requests for comment.
After Beijing imposed a national security law following massive pro-democracy protests in 2019, the city’s art and media communities have learned to be wary of crossing vaguely defined red lines in producing art and other content that might be perceived as challenging Communist Party control. Authorities have also increasingly a colonial-era sedition law to target critical voices.
Multiple cartoons drawn by Wong have been criticized in recent months by different government units, including the security bureau. Most recently, the Home and Youth Affairs Bureau slammed his work for “smearing” the government’s role of appointing local committee members who will choose candidates in district council elections later this year.
In his drawing, a man tells a woman that even if some people failed exams and have health problems, they can also be appointed to the committees as long as the “senior officers” deemed they are suitable.
According to the government plan to overhaul district councils, local committees staffed by many government supporters will choose about 40% of the 470 seats. The councils were the last major political representative bodies chosen by the public in Hong Kong and will be reduced from some 90% directly elected seats to about 20%, even lower than the level set up under British colonial rule.
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. | https://www.kob.com/news/business-money/hong-kong-newspaper-ming-pao-to-stop-publishing-political-cartoon-zunzi-after-government-complaints/ | 2023-05-11 04:23:21 | 0 | https://www.kob.com/news/business-money/hong-kong-newspaper-ming-pao-to-stop-publishing-political-cartoon-zunzi-after-government-complaints/ |
JERUSALEM — The Israeli military said its forces attacked targets in Syria early Sunday after six rockets were launched from Syrian territory in two batches toward Israel in a rare attack from Israel's northeastern neighbor.
After the second barrage of three rockets, Israel initially said it responded with artillery fire into the area in Syria from where the rockets were fired. Later, the military said Israeli fighter jets attacked Syrian army sites, including a compound of Syria's 4th Division and radar and artillery posts.
The rocket firings came after days of escalating violence on multiple fronts over tension in Jerusalem and an Israeli police raid on the city's most sensitive holy site.
In the second barrage, which was launched early Sunday, two of the rockets crossed the border into Israel, with one being intercepted and the second landing in an open area, the Israeli military said. In the first attack, on Saturday, one rocket landed in a field in the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights. Fragments of another destroyed missile fell into Jordanian territory near the Syrian border, Jordan's military reported.
There were no reports of casualties.
A Damascus-based Palestinian group loyal to the Syrian regime claimed responsibility for launching the three missiles Saturday, reported Beirut-based Al-Mayadeen TV.
The report quoted Al-Quds Brigade, a militia different than the larger Palestinian Islamic Jihad's armed wing with a similar name, as saying it fired the rockets to retaliate for the police raid on Al-Aqsa Mosque.
In Syria, an adviser to President Bashar Assad described the rocket strikes as "part of the previous, present and continuing response to the brutal enemy."
Israel, which has vowed to stop Iranian entrenchment in Syria, has carried out hundreds of strikes in government-controlled parts of that country in recent years, though it rarely acknowledges them. Before the latest strikes, Syrian officials had attributed 10 attacks to Israel this year, some of which put the Damascus and Aleppo airports temporarily out of service and killed civilians as well as Syrian soldiers and Iranian military advisers.
In the occupied West Bank, Israeli security forces fatally shot a 20-year-old Palestinian in the town of Azzun, Palestinian health officials said, stirring protests in the area. The Israeli military said troops fired at Palestinians hurling stones and explosive devices. The Palestinian Health Ministry identified the Palestinian killed as Ayed Salim.
His death came at a time of unusually heightened violence in the West Bank. Over 90 Palestinians and have been killed by Israeli fire so far this year, at least half of them affiliated with militant groups, according to a tally by The Associated Press.
Palestinian attacks on Israelis have killed 19 people in that time — including on Friday two British-Israelis shot to death near a settlement in the Jordan Valley and an Italian tourist killed by a suspected car-ramming in Tel Aviv. All but one were civilians.
The rocket fire from Syria comes against the backdrop of soaring Israeli-Palestinian tensions touched off by an Israeli police raid on Jerusalem's most sensitive site, the sacred compound home to the Al-Aqsa mosque. That outraged Palestinians marking the holy fasting month of Ramadan and prompted militants in Lebanon — as well as Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip — to fire a heavy barrage of rockets into Israel.
In retaliation, Israeli warplanes struck sites allegedly linked to the Palestinian militant group Hamas in Gaza and southern Lebanon.
Late Saturday, tensions ran high in Jerusalem as a few hundred Palestinian worshipers barricaded themselves in the mosque, which sits on a hilltop in the heart of Jerusalem's Old City sacred to both Muslims and Jews. Israeli police efforts to evict the worshipers locked in the mosque overnight with stockpiled firecrackers and stones spiraled into unrest in the holy site earlier this week.
The latest escalations prompted Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant to extend a closure barring entrance to Israel for Palestinians from the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip for the duration of the Jewish holiday of Passover, while police beefed up forces in Jerusalem on the eve of sensitive religious celebrations.
In a separate incident in the northern West Bank city of Nablus late Saturday, a leader of a local independent armed group known as the Lion's Den claimed the group executed an alleged Israeli collaborator who had tipped off the Israeli military to the locations and movements of the group's members. Israeli security forces have targeted and killed several of the group's key members in recent months.
The accused man's killing could not be immediately confirmed, but videos in Palestinian media showed medics and residents gathered around his bloodied body in the Old City, where the Lion's Den holds sway. "Traitors have neither a country nor a people," Lion's Den commander Oday Azizi said in a statement.
The moves come at a time of heightened religious fervor – with Ramadan coinciding with Passover and Easter celebrations. Jerusalem's Old City, home to key Jewish, Muslim and Christian holy sites, has been teeming with visitors and religious pilgrims from around the world.
Gallant said that a closure imposed last Wednesday, on the eve of Passover, would remain in effect until the holiday ends on Wednesday night. The order prevents Palestinians from entering Israel for work or to pray in Jerusalem this week, though mass prayers were permitted at the Al-Aqsa Mosque on Friday. Gallant also ordered the Israeli military to be prepared to assist Israeli police. The army later announced that it was deploying additional troops around Jerusalem and in the West Bank.
Over 2,000 police were expected to be deployed in Jerusalem on Sunday – when tens of thousands of Jews are expected to gather at the Western Wall for the special Passover priestly blessing. The Western Wall is the holiest site where Jews can pray and sits next to the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, where large crowds gather each day for prayers during Ramadan.
Jerusalem police chief Doron Turgeman met with his commanders on Saturday for a security assessment. He accused the Hamas militant group, which rules the Gaza Strip, of trying to incite violence ahead of Sunday's priestly blessing with false claims that Jews planned to storm the mosque.
"We will allow the freedom of worship and we will allow the arrival of Muslims to pray," he said, adding that police "will act with determination and sensitivity" to ensure that all faiths can celebrate safely.
The current round of violence erupted earlier in the week after Israeli police raided the mosque, firing tear gas and stun grenades to disperse hundreds of Palestinians who had barricaded themselves inside. Violent scenes from the raid sparked unrest in the contested capital and outrage across the Arab world.
Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.wdiy.org/npr-news/2023-04-09/israeli-military-retaliates-after-rockets-fired-from-syria | 2023-04-09 07:03:36 | 0 | https://www.wdiy.org/npr-news/2023-04-09/israeli-military-retaliates-after-rockets-fired-from-syria |
The draft continues tonight, if you haven’t heard. You’ll be locked in for the next two, as will we.
Before your focus returns to the draft, allow me to focus one last time (until after the draft) on my new book, Father of Mine.
You’ll need something to do after Saturday, beyond following PFT for all updates about offseason workouts, rookie tryouts, minicamps, and the like. For only $4.99 , you can get the Father of Mine ebook. It’s literally available everywhere ebooks can be purchased. From the one we all know about (Amazon) to the ones that I’d never heard of.
For a mere $14.65 , you get the six-by-nine-inch paperback book. I got one Wednesday, and it turned out better than I expected. Good enough to make up for the contents.
I’m kidding. The book is good. I’ve asked for input from readers . Folks are reading it in one day. Unless they just want to get it over with, it means they like it.
You will, too. It’s priced to sell. It’s priced to get folks to read it, and perhaps to say, “Hey, you got any more of those books?”
Coincidentally, I do. Possibly a sequel. And plenty of other stuff. | https://www.nbcsports.com/nfl/profootballtalk/rumor-mill/news/set-up-your-post-draft-reading-today | 2023-07-01 05:16:55 | 1 | https://www.nbcsports.com/nfl/profootballtalk/rumor-mill/news/set-up-your-post-draft-reading-today |
With traffic fatalities at a 16-year high, safety advocates released an annual report detailing 16 safety measures they say could reduce crashes. They also push for better safety laws.
Copyright 2022 NPR
With traffic fatalities at a 16-year high, safety advocates released an annual report detailing 16 safety measures they say could reduce crashes. They also push for better safety laws.
Copyright 2022 NPR | https://www.nepm.org/2022-12-07/safety-advocates-detail-safety-measures-as-traffic-fatalities-reach-a-16-year-high | 2022-12-07 22:09:39 | 0 | https://www.nepm.org/2022-12-07/safety-advocates-detail-safety-measures-as-traffic-fatalities-reach-a-16-year-high |
Credible Insurance Offers New American Funding Customers Fast, Easy Access to Home Insurance
TUSTIN, Calif., Oct. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Achieving the American dream of homeownership is the first part. Protecting the home is a close second.
Hopeful homeowners are well on their way to do both, thanks to Credible Insurance now offering fast and easy access to home insurance to New American Funding customers.
As one of the nation's largest, independent and Latina-owned mortgage companies, New American Funding has built its business and reputation on service, satisfaction and helping people of all backgrounds achieve the dream of homeownership.
"Owning a home is one of the best ways to achieve generational wealth," said New American Funding Co-Founder and CEO Rick Arvielo. "It's important you have the right protection to get there. Offering access to Credible Insurance through our platform provides a stress-free, seamless customer experience, allowing our customers to easily shop for homeowners insurance online as they're finding the right loan for them."
New American Funding services over 95% of its customers in-house, allowing the company to maintain a high level of satisfaction at all stages of the homebuying journey – from pre-approval to funding and beyond. In fact, the company has been recognized as #1 in Customer Satisfaction among Mortgage Services by J.D. Power in 2022.
The Credible Insurance iframe provides New American Funding customers an easy way to access competitive home insurance quotes at the time of loan origination. In fact, the Credible Insurance API Calculator uses data from more than 42,000 ZIP codes to tailor insurance premium estimates by a borrower's specific geographic location. By completing the Credible Insurance application, borrowers can receive up to three competitive and bindable insurance quotes that are managed and serviced by Credible.
"Credible Insurance API solutions offer customers a convenient and integrated home insurance marketplace platform that provides an easy-to-navigate application process, multiple quotes from up to 40 highly rated carriers, access to licensed insurance agents, and seamless policy renewals," said Jack Osborn, Credible Vice President, Partnerships. "Through Credible Insurance, offering access to home insurance to homeowners has never been easier for lenders and banks."
Credible Insurance offers a number of integration solutions that allow lenders to offer their customers access to home insurance within their digital environments with a few simple steps.
"Our proprietary quote engine allows New American Funding – and other lenders – to narrow coverage gaps and provide customers with access to more accurate quotes," said David Stasie, Credible General Manager, Insurance.
Credible is a San Francisco-based U.S. company operating a consumer finance marketplace that helps consumers save money and make better financial decisions. Credible has developed a proprietary technology platform that is integrated with credit bureaus and financial institutions. Credible has developed a differentiated and personalized user experience that enables consumers to compare instant, accurate prequalified rates from multiple financial institutions for insurance, student loans, personal loans and mortgage refinance loans. To learn more, visit www.credible.com/insurance.
New American Funding is an independent mortgage lender with a servicing portfolio of 237,000+ loans for approximately $62.8 billion and 163 nationwide locations. In 2022, New American Funding was ranked #1 by J.D. Power in Customer Satisfaction among Mortgage Servicers. The company was also named #18 on the Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For® in 2022 and has made Inc. 5000's list of Fastest-Growing Companies in America eight times. The company offers state-of-the-art career training and provides its branch Loan Officers with innovative technologies to streamline the mortgage process.
For J.D. Power 2022 award information, visit jdpower.com/awards.
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SOURCE New American Funding | https://www.wkyt.com/prnewswire/2022/10/20/achieving-dream-homeownership-easily-protecting-that-investment/ | 2022-10-20 19:13:04 | 0 | https://www.wkyt.com/prnewswire/2022/10/20/achieving-dream-homeownership-easily-protecting-that-investment/ |
The U.S. Education Department has concluded after a nearly two-year investigation that Fairfax County Public Schools badly failed students with disabilities during the coronavirus pandemic and is requiring the district to take several steps to repair the damage suffered by these students.
And the letter says that, once pandemic closures eased, the Fairfax school system failed to provide “compensatory education” to students with disabilities whom the district failed to educate during the shutdowns. Fairfax officials also inaccurately told staffers that the district was not required to offer these compensatory services, according to the letter. Federal law requires that all public school districts offer students with disabilities a “free appropriate public education,” known as FAPE.
“During remote learning, the Division failed or was unable to provide a FAPE to thousands of qualified students with disabilities,” the letter states.
To remedy the situation, the Education Department is requiring that Fairfax convene teams of employees to review whether it failed each student with disabilities in its system during the pandemic. Fairfax must then offer “compensatory education” to all these students to catch them up to where they should be, per the department.
The Fairfax school district has signed a 10-page resolution with the Education Department agreeing to meet these demands. A Fairfax spokeswoman did not immediately respond to a request for comment Wednesday.
Catherine E. Lhamon, the Education Department’s assistant secretary for civil rights, said in a statement Wednesday that she is “relieved that the more than 25,000 students with disabilities in Fairfax County will now receive services federal law promises to them, even during a pandemic, to ensure their equal access to education.”
The department opened its investigation of the Fairfax system, which serves nearly 180,000 students in Northern Virginia, in January 2021 after receiving what federal officials called “disturbing reports involving the district’s provision of educational services to children with disabilities during the COVID-19 pandemic.”
Fairfax was not alone. When the pandemic forced schools to switch to online learning overnight in March 2020, many districts across the country found themselves unable to meet the needs of students with disabilities — who can often require hands-on interventions such as speech therapy and physical therapy — in an online environment, The Washington Post has reported.
As national assessments of students’ academic progress during the pandemic years have emerged, results indicate that students with disabilities have fallen especially far behind. This trend has held true for Fairfax, too: As the Education Department’s letter notes, the percentage of Fairfax students with disabilities in middle and high school who earned F’s in two or more classes more than doubled between fall 2020 and fall 2021.
The Education Department’s investigation of Fairfax involved reviews of school documents and data provided by the district, internal communications among top Fairfax officials and interviews with high-ranking school administrators.
The department found that Fairfax provided mostly online-only education to most students with disabilities between March 2020, when schools shut down, and the close of the 2020-2021 school year. This virtual learning was generally inadequate, the department concluded, with classes lasting for less time than in-person sessions would have. Many students with disabilities didn’t log in or engage with these lessons, the department found.
Federal investigators further found that Fairfax cut some students’ services to “as little as 30 or even 5 minutes per month” during online learning, the department’s Wednesday letter notes. In just the first two months after school buildings shuttered in March 2020, students with disabilities missed more than 60,000 sessions of occupational, speech or physical therapy, the letter notes. The requirements for online classes were also watered down, the department found — for example, students were expected to answer only “who” or “where” questions in response to a text read aloud, leaving out the typical “what” and “when” questions. All these challenges were compounded by staff shortages and administrative stumbles, the letter says.
The letter additionally finds that Fairfax did not fully track the services it was providing — or not providing — to students with disabilities and that the district “failed to adequately remedy denials of FAPE during remote learning.”
The letter notes that top Fairfax officials understood as early as April 2020 that students with disabilities would need extra care, time and attention to help them recover from pandemic-era learning loss. At one point, officials estimated that students with disabilities were owed $3 million in missed services, the letter states.
But soon after giving that estimate, district officials began advising staffers that they were not responsible for the pandemic-induced struggles of students with disabilities and thus not obligated to offer special “compensatory services” to repair the damage, the letter notes.
Instead, Fairfax opted to offer limited “recovery” services to students with disabilities — but only to students who were below the established baseline of academic performance before March 2020 school closures, the letter states. And, the letter says, “evidence strongly suggests that appropriate remedial services still remain unavailable, as a practical matter,” to thousands of children who need them.
Fairfax has “explained, both to its staff and [the department’s Office or Civil Rights], that because it does not regard itself at fault for disruptions caused by the pandemic, it does not believe it denied any students FAPE as a result of them, nor consequently owes those students compensatory services,” the letter states. But the department deemed that assessment incorrect: “FAPE did not change during the pandemic, nor did districts’ obligation to adequately remedy shortfalls in the services that students with disabilities require.”
Per Fairfax’s resolution agreement with the department, the district will designate an administrator to oversee the creation and implementation of a plan to provide compensatory education to students with disabilities. The district will also track its progress fulfilling that plan and report its efforts to the Education Department’s Office of Civil Rights.
Fairfax will additionally provide guidance and training to staffers about its plan for compensatory services, and it will publicize the plan to parents, guardians, students and other community members with an interest in the proceedings, per the department.
The Education Department’s actions Wednesday come shortly after a report from the nonprofit American Institutes for Research found that students with disabilities in the Fairfax system are more likely than their peers to be suspended and to fail state tests. School board members in Fairfax said in October that they are reviewing the results of that report and hope to finalize an overarching plan to improve matters by early next year. | https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2022/11/30/fairfax-schools-disability-students-pandemic/ | 2022-11-30 23:38:31 | 1 | https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2022/11/30/fairfax-schools-disability-students-pandemic/ |
Northern Arizona University’s Director of Cross Country and Track & Field, Mike Smith, has been awarded Bill Dellinger Award as he was named the USTFCCCA National Men’s Coach of the Year.
This is the fifth time that Smith has been named National Men’s Coach of the Year, and the third consecutive year. Smith is only the second person to win this award three years in a row, this was previously achieved by John McDonnell of Arkansas in 1998, 1999, and 2000. He was also named the Mountain Region Men’s Coach of the Year.
Smith led NAU to their sixth national title in the past seven years, five of which he was the head coach. The men tied with Oklahoma State, both teams scoring 83 points, before winning the tiebreaker.
Although they began the season ranked first in the nation and saw an easy victory at the George Kyte Classic, the men struggled throughout the regular season. After not seeing the dominant performances, they had in the past, the Jacks fell to third on the national poll, their lowest ranking since 2016.
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The Lumberjacks ultimately claimed victory as they won in a tiebreaker against hosts Oklahoma State. All five scorers earned All-American honors, with the Lumberjacks being one of only two teams to achieve this. Young and Bosley placed second and third, respectively, racing as part of the lead pack for the entirety of the race. Santiago Gomez-Prosser earned his first All-American honor as he finished 19th in his best effort of the season. Brodey Hasty and George Kusche both became two-time All-Americans as they finished 25th and 39th respectively, helping push the Jacks past Oklahoma State.
MEN'S BASKETBALL
Back at home for the first time in over a week, the Northern Arizona University men's basketball team played host to Abilene Christian in the team's first-ever meeting. The Lumberjacks held a one-point lead at the half, but wound up falling 92-82.
Jalen Cone had himself a day, scoring a career-high 38 points after making 7-of-13 from three-point range, tying a career-high. He went 11-of-22 from the field overall and was -9-for-10 from the free throw line, adding four rebounds and three assists. Thirty-eight points is sixth all-time on NAU's single-game scoring list.
With the loss, the Lumberjacks moved to 2-6 overall while the Wildcats improved to 3-4.
Carson Towt (19 points) and Xavier Fuller (10) were the other Lumberjacks in double figures. Towt earned his second double-double of the season, adding 11 rebounds, four assists and two blocks. Both teams had 10 three-pointers each, with ACU shooting 56.7% compared to 48.3% for NAU. Abilene Christian shot 61.3% from the field in the second half and held the Lumberjacks to 48%.
"This was a very disappointing afternoon. I thought we've had a great week of prep for this game. At the end of the day when you give up 92 points, even though some were from fouls at the end, we had opportunities in the first and second half when were up five or seven points, but we couldn't get stops," said head coach Shane Burcar. "I'm taking full responsibility for that. I have to dig deep and look at myself in the mirror and figure out how to get these problems solved."
The Wildcats held the Lumberjacks to no field goals for nearly four minutes in the second half, sealing a 92-82 victory.
NAU lost the rebounding battle, 35-to-32, and were outscored 46-to-30 in the paint. Both teams were equal with 10 turnovers each, but ACU scored 17 points off of NAU's compared to eight points for the Lumberjacks.
The Lumberjacks are back in the Rolle Activity Center on Tuesday at 6 p.m. Mountain Standard time against Ottawa.
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
Wrapping up their stay at the Paradise Jam at St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands, the Northern Arizona Lumberjacks faced off with their third Power Five opponent in as many days and fifth of the season.
Falling behind by as much as 14 in the opening quarter, the Lumberjacks (3-5, 0-0 Big Sky) battled back to trail Clemson (4-3, 0-0 ACC) by just two late in the second quarter. However, the Tigers built their lead back up to double digits less than five minutes after the break en route to an 80-62 victory Saturday night.
Glancey paced the Lumberjacks with 17 points on 6-of-7 shooting from the field, including 14 on a perfect 5-of-5 in the second half. Montana Oltrogge was the only other Lumberjack to reach double-digits at 10 points while matching Glancey with a team-high five rebounds.
After hitting 10 three-pointers in each of the first two games of the tournament, Northern Arizona connected on 3-of-22 against Clemson. Coupled with 23 turnovers leading to 25 points for the Tigers, the Lumberjacks struggled to keep up against the pressure they faced. Forcing seven turnovers in the first quarter, Clemson set the tone against Northern Arizona and finished the first 10 minutes with a 10-2 scoring advantage off turnovers and an 18-2 advantage in the paint.
Wrapping up the Reef Tournament of the Paradise Jam, Northern Arizona will return to Flagstaff to rest ahead of next weekend’s matchup with former Big Sky Conference opponent Southern Utah. The teams will tip off at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 3 in Rolle Activity Center. | https://azdailysun.com/sports/nau-lumberjacks/nau-roundup-smith-named-national-mens-coach-of-the-year/article_a2564bbc-6f73-11ed-a357-9fd322715728.html | 2022-11-29 03:35:54 | 1 | https://azdailysun.com/sports/nau-lumberjacks/nau-roundup-smith-named-national-mens-coach-of-the-year/article_a2564bbc-6f73-11ed-a357-9fd322715728.html |
BEIJING, Aug. 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- 36Kr Holdings Inc. ("36Kr" or the "Company") (NASDAQ: KRKR), a prominent brand and a pioneering platform dedicated to serving New Economy participants in China, today announced that it will report its second quarter 2022 unaudited financial results, on Wednesday, August 24, 2022, before the open of U.S. markets.
The Company's management will host an earnings conference call at 8:00 AM U.S. Eastern Time on August 24, 2022 (8:00 PM Beijing/Hong Kong Time on August 24, 2022).
For participants who wish to join the call by phone, please access the link provided below to complete the pre-registration and dial in 5 minutes prior to the scheduled call start time. Upon registration, each participant will receive dial-in details to join the conference call.
Additionally, a live and archived webcast of the conference call will be available on the Company's investor relations website at http://ir.36kr.com.
A replay of the conference call will be available for one week from the date of the conference, by dialing the following telephone numbers:
About 36Kr Holdings Inc.
36Kr Holdings Inc. is a prominent brand and a pioneering platform dedicated to serving New Economy participants in China with the mission of empowering New Economy participants to achieve more. The Company started its business with high-quality New Economy-focused content offerings, covering a variety of industries in China's New Economy with diverse distribution channels. Leveraging traffic brought by high-quality content, the Company has expanded its offerings to business services, including online advertising services, enterprise value-added services and subscription services to address the evolving needs of New Economy companies and upgrading needs of traditional companies. The Company is supported by comprehensive database and strong data analytics capabilities. Through diverse service offerings and the significant brand influence, the Company is well-positioned to continuously capture the high growth potentials of China's New Economy.
For more information, please visit: http://ir.36kr.com.
For investor and media inquiries, please contact:
In China:
36Kr Holdings Inc.
Investor Relations
Tel: +86 (10) 5825-4188
E-mail: ir@36kr.com
The Piacente Group, Inc.
Jenny Cai
Tel: +86 (10) 6508-0677
E-mail: 36Kr@tpg-ir.com
In the United States:
The Piacente Group, Inc.
Brandi Piacente
Tel: +1-212-481-2050
E-mail: 36Kr@tpg-ir.com
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SOURCE 36Kr Holdings Inc. | https://www.kbtx.com/prnewswire/2022/08/15/36kr-holdings-inc-report-second-quarter-2022-financial-results-wednesday-august-24-2022/ | 2022-08-15 11:03:04 | 0 | https://www.kbtx.com/prnewswire/2022/08/15/36kr-holdings-inc-report-second-quarter-2022-financial-results-wednesday-august-24-2022/ |
CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Nov. 2, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Akebia Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: AKBA), a biopharmaceutical company with the purpose to better the lives of people impacted by kidney disease, granted five newly-hired employees options to purchase an aggregate of 30,000 shares of Akebia's common stock on October 31, 2022, as inducements material to each such employee entering into employment with Akebia. The options were granted in accordance with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5635(c)(4).
The options have an exercise price of $0.25 per share, which is equal to the closing price of Akebia's common stock on the grant date. Each stock option vests over four years, with 25% of the shares vesting on the first anniversary of the grant date and the remaining 75% of shares vesting quarterly thereafter, in each case, subject to the new employee's continued service with Akebia. Each stock option has a 10-year term and is subject to the terms and conditions of Akebia's inducement award program and a stock option agreement covering the grant.
About Akebia Therapeutics
Akebia Therapeutics, Inc. is a fully integrated biopharmaceutical company with the purpose to better the lives of people impacted by kidney disease. Akebia was founded in 2007 and is headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts. For more information, please visit our website at www.akebia.com, which does not form a part of this release.
Akebia Therapeutics Contact
Mercedes Carrasco
mcarrasco@akebia.com
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SOURCE Akebia Therapeutics | https://www.kold.com/prnewswire/2022/11/02/akebia-therapeutics-reports-inducement-grants-under-nasdaq-listing-rule-5635c4/ | 2022-11-02 20:54:26 | 1 | https://www.kold.com/prnewswire/2022/11/02/akebia-therapeutics-reports-inducement-grants-under-nasdaq-listing-rule-5635c4/ |
The platform offers an in-app studio for anyone to create a meme and shares 50% in revenue with users on every level.
NEW YORK, July 27, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Yepp is a next-generation meme editor based on ML technologies that has just launched its beta version with more than 10,000 users to date. As part of its mission, the app wants to enable millions of people to monetize their sense of humor and provide tools to make content creation easy.
Now users can upload their own memes or choose from the app's trending memes database, edit text or images, and publish. Funny memes go viral and collect hundreds of thousands of views in the feed.
Yepp is shaped around several creative features:
- Easy to become an author: with Yepp in-app studio anyone can create a meme without any skills, but just a good sense of humor. ML recognition technology allows editing any text and font, and a Face Swap algorithm replaces a face on a meme with your friend's. Besides that, auto content suggestions help to create funny texts considering your own sense of humor.
- Get more subscribers: the app gives meme authors ways to easily get more subscribers and viewers. Smart algorithms based on user behavior create personalized memes feed for every individual user using different data: action rate, text and image recognition, the behavior of the user, and content. Neural networks also detect clickbait memes, duplicates, and stolen content and don't give them any views.
- Earn money on memes: the app invented a unique revenue sharing model. Yepp earns money from advertising, and honestly divides the revenue between the platform and users: 50% of weekly revenue, with at least $1750 weekly. Where 30% goes for the friends that users invite to the app, 17% to the creators, and 3% to the users who are just watching memes. All of the revenue sharing and other analytics are fully transparent and can be seen in the app.
Denis Litvinov, CEO at Yepp says: "We have built Yepp to be the next-generation social network for high quality entertainment that treats creators as partners instead of a commodity, protecting their content and fairly distributing revenue on every level. The platform takes only a portion of the profits to cover operating and development costs. And the rest is divided between content creators on a daily basis in accordance with the value they bring to the platform and the viewers."
Yepp is a next-generation meme editor based on ML technologies, that offers an endless feed of the funniest memes and ways to make money from content creation. The company was established in December 2021 with nearly 10,000 users in the beta version of the app and a constantly growing audience.
Jennifer Abreu
Media Relations pr@yepp.pe
View original content:
SOURCE Yepp | https://www.kmvt.com/prnewswire/2022/07/27/yepp-is-changing-way-creators-make-money-with-memes/ | 2022-07-27 15:30:30 | 1 | https://www.kmvt.com/prnewswire/2022/07/27/yepp-is-changing-way-creators-make-money-with-memes/ |
HAVE A QUESTION YOU WANT TO ASK DEAR LIFE KIT ANONYMOUSLY? SHARE IT HERE.
When you feel frustrated with a friend, it's easy to keep it inside — mull it over, play it back, rage internally — until, eventually, those feelings affect your relationship. What if you could muster the courage to bring up the issue before your friendship sours?
Celeste Headlee is a journalist and the author of several books, including We Need to Talk: How to Have Conversations That Matter. She answers your anonymous questions about having difficult conversations with people you love:
There are some people in my circles that talk way too much — mostly about themselves. I'd like to tell them the truth. What can I say? — Tuning out
It's going to be very difficult to give that feedback to them in a way that's going to change their behavior. It's much easier to get them to motivate themselves to change.
One of the ways to do that is by gently redirecting the conversation. When they begin to talk about themselves, you can say: "You know, I'm super interested. I know that you really like to talk about [insert topic here]. Can I tell you about [this other thing]?" Or "Can I tell you about what's happening to me?" Or "Is it OK for me to talk to you about my own family?"
After you've done this a few times, they will begin to realize that they're doing it, if they are at all aware, and they might motivate their own change. That's going to be way more effective than you telling them, "Hey, you talk way too much," which will probably make them defensive — and that rarely motivates change.
How do I stay friends with someone whose choices about COVID safety are very different than mine? My friend wants to visit and doesn't understand why I'm saying no. Can two people with such different views remain friends? — Opposite react
Yes. People with very very different views can remain friends. But only if those friends both respect each other's boundaries.
Now, if you're criticizing their personal decisions, like if you say, "How could you be comfortable with this? That's not what the evidence says," that's telling them that their decisions on COVID are just wrong. Period.
Instead, if you use language about your own choices, such as, 'I totally get that we have different levels of comfort, but this is what I'm comfortable with," they should respect those boundaries. If they don't respect your own personal boundaries and your own personal choices, that's what gets in the way of the friendship — not the difference in views.
My friend sent me a "We need to talk" text. Of course, it freaked me out. But when I tried to set up a time to talk, she left me waiting. Her approach caused me a ton of anxiety. Am I wrong to want an apology? — We DO need to talk
You are not wrong to want an apology. She owes you an apology. But you wanna couch your complaint in your own personal terms. Don't say something like, "Only a jerk would do this to somebody else." Instead, talk about how it made you feel: "This really upset me. In order for me to move forward, I need you to tell me that you're sorry so that I know that you recognize what you did wrong."
What gets in the way of the friendship is not necessarily a mistake. Of course you're gonna make mistakes. It's whether the person recognizes they've made a mistake, because that's what assures you — emotionally and cognitively — that they're at least going to try not to do it again.
When you make yourself vulnerable to someone through any kind of relationship, friendship or otherwise, you can get hurt. So these little checks and balances that we have are how we protect ourselves moving forward. And any friend should understand that.
So, just tell them directly, "This hurt me. Can you apologize?" And then see what happens.
Have a question you want to ask Dear Life Kit? Whether it's about family, friendship, work conflict or something else, share it here.
Listen to Life Kit on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, or sign up for our newsletter.
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.kcbx.org/npr-top-news/2022-06-05/dear-life-kit-should-i-tell-my-friend-they-talk-too-much | 2022-08-26 21:07:46 | 1 | https://www.kcbx.org/npr-top-news/2022-06-05/dear-life-kit-should-i-tell-my-friend-they-talk-too-much |
For some people, life is fueled by a connection to a higher power.
For others, coffee is that higher power.
For Vanessa Ortiz, in a way, it’s both.
Ortiz fell in love at a Dunkin’ Donuts in her native San Juan, Puerto Rico. Not with the product precisely, but with the man who would become her husband of more than 25 years, Eliezer.
“He was the manager of the store and we got together very young,” says Ortiz of their caffeinated love story, “and we always said that one day, we’d open a Dunkin’ Donuts franchise together.”
They ended up with an eponymous indie: Vanessa’s Coffee Shop, with two locations in Central Florida.
Vanessa’s coffee isn’t Dunkin’, but based on the crowds during my visits to its Lake Nona outpost, a very respectable number of locals run on it.
They keep things lively in this rustic, modern and clearly made-for-social enclave. The Lake Nona shop opened back in January — the first location is in St. Cloud — but the menus are similar, serving dishes that span the brunchiverse with both Latin and American sensibility, in a space that’s subtly infused with her family’s devotion to God.
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Ortiz and her husband were called to serve the church early on, going on missions to Latin America for 12 years, becoming pastors — the latter of which they still do today — but there’s nothing incredibly overt about their spirituality at the shop.
“We just wanted to create a space where people would feel comfortable and be able to enjoy that cup of coffee feeling at home,” says Ortiz.
She attributes much of the look and vibe to her family’s love of Amish country and their desire to create a homey Puerto Rican atmosphere to their hope that those who visit will feel God’s universal love.
They’ll surely feel love in the pancakes, I tell you what. Fluffy and — if you so choose — layered with fresh fruit and compote and whipped cream, the portions here are not to be toyed with, and that’s by design.
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“We have three children,” Ortiz explains. “And whenever we would go to restaurants, we’d always order to share between.” The pancakes, and similarly the towering French toast stacks have “stories” the way Ortiz describes them. That’s as in floors, not fables.
“We want people to share when they come to Vanessa’s.”
It’s hard not to, because you might want to over-order. Sandwiches, the sugar-dusted Mallorca with its tender eggy bread and tasty eggy innards, or the medianoche, are ample. The nicely spiraled bread of the former, a sweet, soft staple in Puerto Rico — in particular at breakfast — is available for purchase at the counter, as well.
Healthier options — like the salmon brunch (available anytime) — are as explicit in color and freshness as any naughtier item on the menu, of which there are many. Specialty coffees, mugs smeared in chocolate or nutella and studded with add-ons like nuts, sprinkles, cookies, then laden with frothy whipped cream, are as foodie-sinful as they come.
Dressed far less provocatively, the budin, a Puerto Rican bread pudding, was my favorite, and among the desserts that are made in house. It’s chaste only in appearance, I assure you, and paired with a searing-hot shot or two of espresso, it speaks to the heart of Ortiz’s ideology without a sound, transcending into something that’s simple, beautiful — and also divine.
If you go
Vanessa’s Coffee Shop: 9474 Narcoossee Road in Orlando and 3350 Canoe Creek Road in St. Cloud; vanessascoffeeshop.com
Want to reach out? Find me on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram @amydroo or on the OSFoodie Instagram account @orlando.foodie. Email: amthompson@orlandosentinel.com. For more fun, join the Let’s Eat, Orlando Facebook group or follow @fun.things.orlando on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. | https://www.orlandosentinel.com/food-restaurants/os-et-food-restaurant-review-orlando-amy-drew-thompson-vanessas-coffee-lake-nona-20220825-usskx5tfc5cwjk2bv3y4rtgsuq-story.html | 2022-08-25 12:08:38 | 1 | https://www.orlandosentinel.com/food-restaurants/os-et-food-restaurant-review-orlando-amy-drew-thompson-vanessas-coffee-lake-nona-20220825-usskx5tfc5cwjk2bv3y4rtgsuq-story.html |
FROM NORTH AMERICA SYNDICATE, 300 W 57th STREET, 15th FLOOR, NEW YORK, NY 10019
CUSTOMER SERVICE: (800) 708-7311 EXT. 236
TO YOUR GOOD HEALTH #12345_20230412
FOR RELEASE WEEK OF APRIL 10, 2023 (COL. 3)
BYLINE: By Keith Roach, M.D.
TITLE: Proton therapy serves as another option for prostate cancer
---
DEAR DR. ROACH: My husband had surgery the first time he was diagnosed with prostate cancer. Five years later, he had a recurrence. We investigated his options and decided to go with the proton therapy. I am surprised you did not suggest this treatment in your recent column about prostate cancer. He had no further recurrences and recommended it to others who had good experiences and outcomes. -- J.G.
ANSWER: In that column, the man with prostate cancer could not get any more radiation. Because he had already had two courses of treatment and his physician was concerned that he would get permanent damage to the colon, a different type of treatment was needed.
Proton beam therapy is a type of radiation treatment different from the current standard of care for radiation (called intensity-modulated radiation therapy), which is localized precisely every day prior to giving the radiation treatment. In theory, proton beam treatment has less toxicity, and although one study showed less toxicity to the genitourinary system from proton treatment, the only study I know that looked directly at toxicity to the colon found that IMRT had less toxicity than proton beam.
To date, there is no evidence that proton beam leads to better outcomes than IMRT, so I do not recommend it. I defer picking the exact type of radiation to the radiation oncologist.
DEAR DR. ROACH: Is there a way to get rid of calluses on the feet once they have developed? Can seeing a podiatrist provide benefit? -- R.
ANSWER: A callus is a localized thickening of the skin, and it is caused by repeated pressure. In the foot, these commonly occur as a result of weakness in the ligaments supporting the arch, causing the metatarsal bone to cause excess friction and then a callus -- most commonly on the second metatarsal bone in the foot.
Fixing the underlying problem isn't really an option in most, although the podiatrist may use an orthotic to help support the arch. They can certainly treat the callus, usually with cutting the superficial layer of callus and using a medicine to soften the underlying skin, which can then be removed with a pumice or file. Of course, getting properly fitted shoes is essential.
DEAR DR. ROACH: Why is the adult dosage of the COVID vaccine the same for all adults regardless of their weight? I am 73 and weigh 101 pounds. I was sick after my third booster -- chills, a fever, muscle aches, exhaustion, a sore arm and a headache. My 200-pound, 70-year-old brother who got the same bivalent booster had no side effects. Could the difference in side effects have anything to do with weight? -- D.Z.
ANSWER: Many medicines are based on weight, because the medicine needs a certain concentration in the blood (and sometimes in other organs) to be effective. Too much concentration can be toxic, while too little won't be effective.
That's not the case for vaccines. The goal is to "teach" enough immune cells what the potential invader looks like (like the virus that causes COVID-19) so that the body can fight it off and keep the person from getting sick at all, getting very sick (more often in the case of COVID-19) or dying. The number of immune cells in adults is largely independent of a person's weight.
A recent study in Spain confirmed that side effects are not more likely in smaller people. However, needle size needs to be considered, since the vaccine should go directly into the muscle, and different people do need different sizes.
* * *
Dr. Roach regrets that he is unable to answer individual letters, but will incorporate them in the column whenever possible. Readers may email questions to ToYourGoodHealth@med.cornell.edu or send mail to 628 Virginia Dr., Orlando, FL 32803.
(c) 2023 North America Syndicate Inc.
All Rights Reserved
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Error! There was an error processing your request. | https://www.djournal.com/proton-therapy-serves-as-another-option-for-prostate-cancer/article_0add367e-1d07-51e2-89da-203ff4b8fd2e.html | 2023-04-11 20:17:39 | 1 | https://www.djournal.com/proton-therapy-serves-as-another-option-for-prostate-cancer/article_0add367e-1d07-51e2-89da-203ff4b8fd2e.html |
Weather Alert - dangerous heat unfolding for the Plains
Highs will be near or above 100 to wrap up the week - take it easy out there
WICHITA, Kan. (KWCH) - Hotter weather is about to set in for Kansas and it will be very dangerous for much of the state by Friday.
Much of western Kansas should expect highs above 100 for Thursday afternoon with sunny skies and breezy south winds around 25 to 30 mph. Farther east, it will be a day of sunshine with highs in the upper 90s.
We have issued a Weather Alert Day for Friday due to the extreme heat. Most, if not all of Kansas will see highs above 100 degrees.
A weak front may move in over the weekend (Saturday night) with scattered storm chances returning and temperatures will drop a few degrees by Sunday. Don’t expect a big cool down, but most of the state will be back below 100 to wrap up the weekend.
More dangerous heat is on the way for next week.
Wichita Area Forecast:
Tonight: Clear. Wind: SE 5-15. Low: 69.
Tomorrow: Sunny and hotter. Wind: S/SE 10-20. High: 98.
Tomorrow Night: Clear to mostly clear. Wind: SE 5-15. Low: 74.
Fri: High: 100 Mostly sunny; breezy.
Sat: High: 101 Low: 76 Becoming partly cloudy; scattered overnight storms.
Sun: High: 95 Low: 74 Becoming mostly sunny.
Mon: High: 98 Low: 73 Sunny.
Tue: High: 102 Low: 75 Sunny to mostly sunny.
Wed: High: 98 Low: 76 Decreasing clouds.
Copyright 2022 KWCH. All rights reserved. | https://www.kwch.com/2022/07/13/weather-alert-dangerous-heat-unfolding-plains/ | 2022-07-13 22:38:18 | 0 | https://www.kwch.com/2022/07/13/weather-alert-dangerous-heat-unfolding-plains/ |
FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) — The Indiana Department of Health (IDOH) and The Milk Bank announced plans Thursday to host six milk drives across Indiana in the coming months, including one at Dupont Hospital in September, to provide human milk to Hoosier babies.
Indiana has been particularly affected by the national formula shortage not only because of the shortage, but also due to safety recalls from Abbott Nutrition and breastfeeding rates being below the national average.
Milk drives allow interested donors to complete their blood draw and make their first donation all in one event.
“In the absence of a mother’s own milk, pasteurized donor human milk offers optimal nutrition, easy digestibility and immunologic protection against diseases,” said Indiana DOH Commissioner Kristina Box. “Since every ounce counts, we have launched six milk drives around the state to ensure that there is enough donor milk for every infant in need.”
The Milk Bank is an Indianapolis-based non-profit aimed at saving infant lives and improving health outcomes by providing access to safe human milk.
“More than 1,000 milk donors step forward every year to make sure all babies have their best chance to survive and thrive,” said Freedom Kolb, executive director at The Milk Bank.
The milk drives are part of the Every Ounce Counts initiative, which launched July 26 and hopes to increase milk donations and provide convenient opportunities for milk donors to help improve infant health and save lives.
“Over the last month, we’ve seen an 89% surge in demand and more than 200% increase in medical relief requests,” Kolb said. “We are grateful to the IDOH and our philanthropic partners for helping us ensure that no baby goes hungry and the ability to pay does not dictate health outcomes.”
- Aug. 13 in Monroe County at IU Health Bloomington Hospital
- Aug. 23 in Lake County at the Food Bank of Northwest Indiana
- Sept. 8 in Clark County at Clark Memorial Health
- September (date TBD) in Allen County at Dupont Hospital
- Oct. 7 in Marion County at Gleaners Food Bank of Indiana | https://www.wane.com/news/indiana/ind-department-of-health-milk-bank-to-host-milk-drives-for-hoosier-babies/ | 2022-08-11 18:22:22 | 1 | https://www.wane.com/news/indiana/ind-department-of-health-milk-bank-to-host-milk-drives-for-hoosier-babies/ |
LA TESTE-DE-BUCH, France (AP) — Investigators probing the suspected deliberate lighting of what has become a raging wildfire in southwest France detained a man for questioning, as firefighters and water-bombing planes on Tuesday fought ferocious flames there and in other parts of Europe that have baked in extreme heat.
Smoke from a large forest fire fanned by high winds blackened the skyline in Greece’s capital Tuesday. Firefighting aircraft buzzed over the flames and dropped water on the slopes of Mount Penteli, 25 kilometers (16 miles) northeast of the city. Officials ordered hundreds of people to evacuate their homes.
Wildfires also kept emergency crews busy in England, Germany, Portugal and Spain.
In the Gironde region of southwest France, two massive fires feeding on tinder-dry pine forests also have forced tens of thousands of people to flee homes and summer vacation spots since they broke out July 12.
One of the blazes, tearing through woodlands south of Bordeaux, is suspected to have been started deliberately. A motorist told investigators that before pulling over and trying unsuccessfully to extinguish the flames, he saw a vehicle speeding away from the spot where the fire started, the Bordeaux prosecutor’s office said.
Criminal investigators found evidence pointing to possible arson, the prosecutor’s office said.
The 39-year-old man being questioned Tuesday lives in Gironde and was detained Monday afternoon, the office said. He also was questioned in 2012 on suspicion of starting a forest fire but that investigation was shelved in 2014 for lack of evidence, the prosecutor’s office added.
Ten water-bombing planes and more than 2,000 firefighters worked day and night to contain that fire and another fierce blaze southwest of Bordeaux that police investigators were treating as accidental. The blazes have burned through more than 190 square kilometers (more than 70 square miles) of forest and vegetation, Gironde authorities said.
Thick clouds of smoke and the risk of flames spreading to buildings have forced the evacuations of more than 39,000 people, including 16,000 on Monday, authorities said. A smaller third fire broke out late Monday in the Medoc wine region north of Bordeaux, further taxing regional firefighting resources.
Swirling winds and extreme heat have complicated firefighting. Record-smashing temperatures eased along France’s Atlantic seaboard Tuesday while other parts of the country and the continent continued to broil.
In Paris, the thermometer in the French capital’s oldest weather station – opened in 1873 – topped 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit ) for just the third time. The 40.5 C (104.9 F) measured there Tuesday by weather service Meteo-France was the monitoring station’s second-highest reading ever, topped only by a blistering 42.6 C (108.7 F) in July 2019.
The first time the station topped 40 C – hitting 40.4 C (104.7 F) — was in July 1947, Meteo France said. After a 72-year gap, the station has now twice surpassed 40 C in the space of just three years.
The people evacuated Monday included 74 residents of a retirement home, authorities said. Another 80 care-home residents were among 2,000 people getting moved out Tuesday from the latest of more than a half-dozen towns and villages that were ordered to evacuate, authorities said.
Approaching flames also forced the emergency evacuation Monday of 363 animals from a zoo in the Arcachon maritime basin, southwest of Bordeaux, the government’s ecological transition ministry said Tuesday. About 10 animals died of heat and stress, the ministry said.
Five camping sites also went up in flames in that area, which is famous for its oysters and beach resorts, Gironde authorities said.
The double blow of heat waves and droughts exacerbated by climate change are making wildfires more frequent, destructive and harder to fight. In Spain, the prime minister has linked wildfires that have killed two people to global warming, saying Monday that “climate change kills.”
The head of Spain’s Civil Protection and Emergencies agency, Leonardo Marcos González, noted Tuesday that extreme heat and wildfires have hit the country three weeks earlier than usual this year and that many fires broke out at the same time.
“We are in the midst of the most significant civil protection emergency on record,” he told radio station SER.
In charred countryside near Barcelona, Ricardo Serra and Julia Garrido returned Tuesday to the wreckage of their home. They’d been renovating it for the upcoming wedding of Garrido’s son.
“Everything’s been burnt,” she said. “All of our wedding clothes.”
In Portugal, cooling temperatures have eased pressure on emergency crews, with just two major wildfires being tackled by around 800 firefighters Tuesday. But more torrid weather is forecast for Wednesday.
Authorities suspect a wildfire was to blame for the death of a couple in their 80s whose car went off the road and flipped over in a northern Portuguese village late Monday. Their charred vehicle with two bodies inside was found after a blaze engulfed the area. Officials suspect the couple died while trying to flee the flames.
The pilot of a water-dumping plane also died in Portugal last week when his aircraft crashed while fighting a wildfire.
___
Leicester reported from Le Pecq, France. Associated Press journalists Derek Gatopoulos in Athens, Barry Hatton in Lisbon, Emilio Morenatti in Barcelona and Raquel Redondo in Madrid contributed. Jade Le Deley also contributed from Paris.
___
Follow AP’s climate coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/climate-and-environment | https://www.wfla.com/news/international/ap-international/man-detained-in-police-probe-of-raging-wildfires-in-france/ | 2022-07-19 19:47:32 | 0 | https://www.wfla.com/news/international/ap-international/man-detained-in-police-probe-of-raging-wildfires-in-france/ |
(KXNET) — North Dakota lawmakers are considering around 10 new gun and weapons-related bills at the capitol.
House Bill 1339 deals with when and where a person can carry a concealed weapon.
If passed, it would remove the 30-day waiting period for people with a class 2 license.
It would also allow all citizens to carry a weapon in North Dakota if they have a government-issued ID.
Some lawmakers argue that extending the law could open North Dakota to federal lawsuits.
“You are willing to take that gamble and spend the amount of money the state of North Dakota may have to spend to take the stance you’re taking today,” Rep. Pat Heinert asked.
“I would much rather defend something that meets the criteria of sensitive places and historical precedent and put ourselves in a higher likelihood of winning on this, than losing on this,” Rep. Ben Koppelman said.
Last summer, the supreme court ruled that New York’s carry law was unconstitutional.
Right now, there are 25 states which allow permit-less carry.
North Dakota’s law allows permitless carry for residents 18 and older and concealed carry only.
House Bill 1194 is asking lawmakers to grant former armed service members the right to carry at public gatherings, such as churches or schools.
Representative Bill Tveit from Hazen drafted the law to help encourage more public safety in small towns that lack police officers and sheriff’s deputies.
House Bill 1483 would bar people from bringing a gun into a government building, including courthouses.
“I myself, am diagnosed with PTSD hyper vigilance. What does that mean? That doesn’t prohibit me from having a class 1 permit,” Andrew Kordonowy said. “That means I’m always aware of my surroundings. I’m constantly on the lookout for different things that are going to happen.”
“My experience in the North Dakota National Guard as a combat engineer does not give me the knowledge and training to be able to concealed carry a pistol with a class 1 firearms license in a public place, especially in a school,” Underwood school superintendent John Gruenberg said.
House Bill 1340, meanwhile, seeks to limit cities and counties from passing tougher local gun laws than the state, which more recently happened in Fargo. | https://www.kxnet.com/news/state-news/north-dakota-legislators-consider-around-10-new-weapons-laws/ | 2023-01-27 02:39:50 | 1 | https://www.kxnet.com/news/state-news/north-dakota-legislators-consider-around-10-new-weapons-laws/ |
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Ohio school districts could begin arming employees as soon as this fall under a bill signed into law Monday by GOP Gov. Mike DeWine.
The law, as enacted, requires up to 24 hours of training before an employee can go armed, and up to eight hours of annual training. The training programs must be approved by the Ohio School Safety Center, and DeWine announced he’s ordering the center to require the maximum 24 hours and the maximum eight hours.
Schools can provide additional training if they wish, DeWine said.
Before announcing the bill signing, the governor outlined several other school safety measures he and lawmakers have promoted, including $100 million for school security upgrades in schools and $5 million for upgrades at colleges.
The state is also adding 28 employees to the school safety center to work with districts on safety issues and to provide training under the new law. Ohio has also provided $1.2 billion in wellness funding for schools to address mental health and other issues, the governor said.
The new law “is giving schools an option, based on their particular circumstances, to make the best decision they can make with the best information they have,” DeWine said.
The governor said his preference remains that school districts hire armed school resource officers, but said the law is another tool for districts that want to protect children. He emphasized that it’s optional, not a requirement.
Several big-city Ohio mayors — all Democrats — joined together Monday afternoon to criticize the measure and failure of Republican lawmakers to consider any gun control proposals. The mayors are seeking universal background checks, red flag laws to take firearms away from anyone who is perceived a threat, raising the legal age for gun purchases to 21, and a ban on assault rifles like the kind used in the Uvalde, Texas, school shooting that killed 19 elementary students and two teachers.
“All of these things are common sense,” said Toledo Mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz. “We’re in a situation where we can’t pass legislation that 95% of our citizens support.”
Also Monday, former Dayton Mayor Nan Whaley, DeWine’s Democratic opponent for governor, criticized DeWine for signing the armed school employees bill, saying he had failed to make good on his promise to address gun violence after a mass shooting in Dayton killed nine people and wounded more than two dozen in August 2019.
Whaley also criticized DeWine for previously signing bills that eliminated Ohioans’ duty to retreat before using force — the so-called “stand your ground” bill — and made a concealed weapons permit optional for those legally allowed to carry a weapon. The concealed weapons change took effect Monday.
“The politics got hard and Mike DeWine folded,” Whaley said. “Nine people in Dayton was worth the political risk.”
In the wake of the Dayton massacre, DeWine announced his “STRONG Ohio” plan to address gun violence. His proposals include higher penalties for violent felons caught with guns and ensure that mentally ill people don’t have guns if a court deems them dangerous to themselves and others.
Cracking down on violent felons is also a way to protect children, the governor said. “We’re seeing a lot of children who are killed not in school, but in their own homes, on their own streets,” DeWine said. “And they’re killed by violent offenders, and they’re usually repeat violent offenders, who are shooting randomly, or shooting at somebody and the kid gets in the way.”
Last year, 120 children died of gunfire, compared to 96 in 2020 and 71 in 2019, according to state Health Department data.
DeWine on Monday once again called on fellow Republican lawmakers to approve those measures, though they’ve shown no interest in the bills so far.
Democrats have said the law sends the wrong message coming so soon after the Uvalde massacre. Republicans say the measure could prevent such shootings. Lawmakers fast-tracked the legislation to counter the impact of a court ruling that said, under current law, armed school workers would need hundreds of hours of training.
The measure is opposed by major law enforcement groups, gun control advocates, and the state’s teachers unions. It’s supported by a handful of police departments and school districts.
___
Gillispie reported from Cleveland. | https://www.texomashomepage.com/news/ohio-governor-signs-bill-allowing-armed-school-employees/ | 2022-06-14 13:19:43 | 1 | https://www.texomashomepage.com/news/ohio-governor-signs-bill-allowing-armed-school-employees/ |
BEIRUT (AP) — Lebanon's embattled Central Bank chief appeared Thursday for questioning for the first time before a European legal team visiting Beirut in a money-laundering probe linked to the governor.
Several European countries are investigating Riad Salameh, who in recent years has been charged with a handful of corruption-related crimes. Salameh has been Lebanon's central bank governor since 1993.
The questioning was originally scheduled for Wednesday. Salameh did not show up.
Judicial officials told The Associated Press that Judge Helena Iskandar, who is representing the Lebanese state at the questioning in the European probe, charged Salameh, his brother Raja and associate Marianne Hoayek with corruption and ordered detained after the Central Bank chief did not show up. Their assets were also frozen. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity as they were not authorized to speak to the press.
In addition to the European probe, there are other legal proceedings against Salameh underway in Lebanon. In late February, Beirut’s public prosecutor, Raja Hamoush, charged the three with corruption, including embezzling public funds, forgery, illicit enrichment, money-laundering and violation of tax laws.
The European delegation is investigating the laundering of some $330 million. The questioning was expected to last until Friday, the judicial officials said.
Lebanon is grappling with the worst economic and financial crisis in its modern history. The economic meltdown, which began in October 2019 and is rooted in decades of corruption and mismanagement by the country’s political class, has plunged more than 75% of the tiny nation’s population of 6 million into poverty. | https://www.mrt.com/news/world/article/lebanon-s-central-bank-chief-attends-corruption-17842574.php | 2023-03-16 10:12:16 | 1 | https://www.mrt.com/news/world/article/lebanon-s-central-bank-chief-attends-corruption-17842574.php |
3 arrested after deadly shooting in Casa Grande
CASA GRANDE, AZ (3TV/CBS 5) - Three 18-year-olds have been arrested in the shooting death of a Casa Grande man who died earlier this month.
Police say Jeramiah Anthony Rivera, 18, was arrested in Globe on Thursday. Two other suspects were arrested on Friday--Miguel Angel Castillo-Tapia, found in Toltec, and Alfred Reyes, found in Casa Grande.
The three men are allegedly responsible for the deadly shooting near French and Ocotillo street which happened just after 5 a.m. on July 21. Officers had been looking for a gold, late 90s to early 2000s SUV that went westbound from the crime scene.
“Once again, the Casa Grande community has shown its commitment to helping us safeguard this community. I cannot begin to thank you all for the support you have given our Officers and Detectives investigating this crime,” said Chief of Police Mark McCrory.
Detectives say police will pursue charges of murder and robbery. It’s now up to the Pinal County Attorney’s Office to formally charge them. Details surrounding what led up to the shooting haven’t been released.
Copyright 2022 KTVK/KPHO. All rights reserved. | https://www.azfamily.com/2022/07/30/3-arrested-after-deadly-shooting-casa-grande/ | 2022-07-30 19:29:54 | 1 | https://www.azfamily.com/2022/07/30/3-arrested-after-deadly-shooting-casa-grande/ |
One of the fastest-growing freight brokerages in the nation announced as recipient of Top Workplaces USA and Great Place to Work Certification
AUSTIN, Texas, Feb. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Arrive Logistics, a leading multimodal transportation and technology company headquartered in Austin, Texas, recently received two distinguished awards recognizing its company culture. The honors include Top Workplaces USA and a Great Place to Work® certification.
"We are honored to receive these awards which reflect Arrive's energetic and collaborative culture apparent in each of our five office locations," said Chief People Officer Jonathan Schoonmaker. "As a people-first organization, we are proud of our employees' unwavering dedication to our mission, 'we deliver, so you can.' We remain committed to ensuring that Arrive is the top employer of choice for talented individuals who share our values."
As one of the fastest-growing freight brokerages in the nation, Arrive attributes its success to the hard work and dedication of its employees. Through strategic hiring, Arrive has been able to attract world-class talent and foster growth among all levels of the company to serve the needs of its transportation partners.
In a year that also included record revenue and volume achievements, 2022 saw the company promote twenty percent of its workforce to new positions, and hire 950 new team members. Arrive is positioned to hire 3,000 employees through 2025 and open three additional U.S. offices by 2024.
Arrive is proud to offer numerous resources and programs focusing on diversity, equity and inclusion, including its six employee resource groups (ERGs). Arrive's ERGs include: Emerging Professionals, Women in Logistics, Salute, Prisms, Unidos and Black Logistics Group. These ERGs are made up of those who would like to enhance their workplace experience while establishing connections and networking with other employees who identify as part of these communities or as allies.
As an additional investment into employee wellness and to further support employees' mental and physical well-being, Arrive has partnered with the Calm App™, ClassPass™, Rally™ and Sanvello™ to provide free or discounted services. Arrive offers competitive benefits, including paid-time off, paid parental leave, short-term disability coverage at no cost, health and dependent care FSAs, affordable health insurance, including telehealth visits and a dedicated nurseline, and onsite amenities. Arrive's Employee Assistance Program provides access to local childcare, family resources, confidential counseling services, legal support, financial resources, and more.
"We will continue to push the limits of what's possible in both the technology and transportation industries and look forward to celebrating these wins with our team," continued Schoonmaker.
To learn more about Arrive and its available job openings, visit the careers page at arrivelogistics.com/careers.
About Arrive Logistics
Arrive Logistics is a leading multimodal transportation and technology company delivering unparalleled service and custom strategic solutions. With over 1,700 employees, 6,000 customers, and 70,000 carriers in its network, Arrive is one of the largest firms in the freight brokerage industry, with $2.35 billion in 2022 revenue. The company has been recognized as a top workplace by Inc., Great Places to Work, The Austin American-Statesman and The Chicago Tribune. Learn more at www.arrivelogistics.com and explore career opportunities at www.arrivelogistics.com/careers. At Arrive, "We Deliver, So You Can."
About Great Place to Work®
Great Place to Work® is the global authority on workplace culture. Since 1992, they have surveyed more than 100 million employees worldwide and used those deep insights to define what makes a great workplace: trust. Their employee survey platform empowers leaders with the feedback, real-time reporting and insights they need to make data-driven people decisions. Everything they do is driven by the mission to build a better world by helping every organization become a great place to work For All™.
Learn more at greatplacetowork.com and on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
ABOUT ENERGAGE
Making the world a better place to work together.™
Energage is a purpose-driven company that helps organizations turn employee feedback into useful business intelligence and credible employer recognition through Top Workplaces. Built on 14 years of culture research and the results from 23 million employees surveyed across more than 70, 000 organizations, Energage delivers the most accurate competitive benchmark available. With access to a unique combination of patented analytic tools and expert guidance, Energage customers lead the competition with an engaged workforce and an opportunity to gain recognition for their people-first approach to culture. For more information or to nominate your organization, visit Energage or Workplaces.
Press Contact
Nicole Paleologus
Next PR
arrive@nextpr.com
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WASHINGTON (AP) — Democrat Jim Himes wins reelection to U.S. House in Connecticut's 4th Congressional District.
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Social media helps invent, then circulate info on DIY air purifiers amid wildfire smoke
By BEATRICE DUPUY
Associated Press
NEW YORK (AP) — Social media users are sharing a surprisingly effective way to protect yourself indoors from the toxic wildfire smoke blanketing much of the East Coast: a box fan, four air filters and a whole lot of duct tape.
As searches for “air purifiers” spike on Google, people are posting on TikTok and Facebook about how to build the DIY air purifier. The technique, known as the Corsi-Rosenthal method, has gained attention in recent years amid the pandemic and raging western U.S. wildfires.
Some East Coast residents are learning about the box fan method for the first time, unlike their West Coast counterparts who are accustomed to wildfire smoke.
Seattle resident Angel Robertson, 34, posted a video on a New Yorker’s TikTok demonstrating how to put it together. In her video, which has amassed more than 600,000 views, Robertson duct tapes four 20-by-20 air filters into a box shape and attaches the fan on top. The whole apparatus costs under $100.
“It works extremely well and will save your life with really smoky days,” she says in the video. “It does a lot better than the normal air filters.”
Public health experts say Corsi-Rosenthal purifiers are highly effective at removing particles from the air. Petri Kalliomäki, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Maryland’s School of Public Health, said their clean air delivery rate is relatively high and can be used to purify air against not only smoke, but pollen and viruses.
At the University of Connecticut Thursday, Misti Levy Zamora, an assistant professor in public health sciences, and her colleagues were handing out Corsi-Rosenthal purifiers for free to anyone stopping by. Zamora said she has done several tests at the university, public schools and her own home on the purifier.
“I can confidently say this thing is working really well today,” she said. “I was able to filter out all the particles in the air basically back down to what I saw last week within a matter of minutes.”
The power of social media led to the invention of the box, co-inventor Richard Corsi, dean of the College of Engineering at the University of California at Davis, told The Associated Press. He said in 2020, he was sketching one night and put the design up on Twitter. Jim Rosenthal, CEO of Tex-Air Filters, took the design and built it. Corsi said he wanted to create an inexpensive purifier that the average American could afford. He’s now hearing from friends in the Northeast who are using his idea.
“When you have to seal up a building and reduce the amount of air flow coming in and when you have to spend a lot of time indoors, this is where portable air cleaners can really make a difference in your life,” he said.
Grace Turner, 31, built her box fan purifier for her home in Rochester, New York, after picking up the trick from living in Salt Lake City. She shared her DIY box on TikTok where she said the air purifier has made a difference in her home.
“There are a bunch of different designs people can choose from, and it’s really accessible to find the info,” she said of the DIY instructions online.
Liz Hradil, 27, who lives in Syracuse, New York, said the smoke burned her eyes, and she could feel the smoke in her nose and throat as the smoke descended onto New York this week. She went digging around online to buy an air purifier when she came across the Corsi-Rosenthal box and went to Lowe’s to pick up the filters and fan. She then immediately noticed that the smoke smell was gone after about 30 minutes of starting her purifier.
“It was my first time, and my New York friends were like this is so genius,” she said after sharing the photo of the box online. “No one had heard of it.” | https://kion546.com/news/ap-california/2023/06/08/social-media-helps-invent-then-circulate-info-on-diy-air-purifiers-amid-wildfire-smoke/ | 2023-06-09 01:45:01 | 0 | https://kion546.com/news/ap-california/2023/06/08/social-media-helps-invent-then-circulate-info-on-diy-air-purifiers-amid-wildfire-smoke/ |
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The Day is a news show that helps you understand emerging stories from Europe, the US and across the globe. Join Brent Goff and Nicole Frölich from Monday through Friday as they put the day’s events into context with the help of experts, political players and DW’s reporters on the ground. | https://www.dw.com/en/the-day-with-clare-richardson-july-28-2023/video-19049331 | 2023-07-28 22:33:20 | 1 | https://www.dw.com/en/the-day-with-clare-richardson-july-28-2023/video-19049331 |
Tenured SaaS sales executive to deliver next phase of growth; joins WalkMe executive leadership team
SAN FRANCISCO, July 25, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- WalkMe Ltd. (NASDAQ: WKME), a leading provider of digital adoption solutions, today announced the appointment of Scott Little as Chief Revenue Officer (CRO), reporting to CEO and Co-founder, Dan Adika. Little will lead WalkMe's overall go-to-market optimization and expansion efforts to capitalize on digital adoption's $34B total addressable market as demand for WalkMe's enterprise-class digital adoption platform (DAP) grows.
Little joins WalkMe from Software AG, where he spent nearly three years serving in executive sales roles, most recently as Chief Revenue Officer. Under his leadership, Software AG transformed its digital business into a modern SaaS and subscription dominated portfolio delivering double digit bookings growth and consistent profitability. Before Software AG, Little held a number of senior roles with global B2B SaaS technology companies Commvault and Aveva, as well as with industry stalwarts Oracle and IBM, spending nearly two decades with Oracle.
"Scott's experience in scaling sales organizations at high-growth companies and delivering operational excellence at leading enterprise technology companies will strengthen the infrastructure that will take WalkMe to the next level of growth," said Dan Adika, CEO and Co-Founder of WalkMe. "He is a strong leader who understands the huge market opportunity for WalkMe and the role digital adoption platforms play in achieving successful digital transformation outcomes. We are excited to welcome Scott to our management team to continue to drive WalkMe's success."
"What excites me the most about WalkMe is the opportunity to change the way humans interact with software to maximize companies' investment in technology," said Little. "With an entire career focused on enterprise B2B software sales, I've seen first-hand how lack of technology adoption has been a key impediment to successful transformation projects. DAP is the missing link that closes the gap, and I look forward to expanding WalkMe's reach to bring further value to the customers and industries we serve."
WalkMe's cloud-based Digital Adoption Platform enables organizations to measure, drive and act to ultimately accelerate their digital transformations and better realize the value of their software investments. Our code-free platform leverages our proprietary technology to provide visibility to an organization's Chief Information Officer and business leaders, while improving user experience, productivity and efficiency for employees and customers. Alongside walkthroughs and third-party integration capabilities, our platform can be customized to fit an organization's needs.
Certain statements in this press release may constitute "forward-looking" statements and information, within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and the safe harbor provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 that relate to our current expectations and views of future events. In some cases, these forward-looking statements can be identified by words or phrases such as "may," "might," "will," "could," "would," "should," "expect," "plan," "anticipate," "intend," "seek," "believe," "estimate," "predict," "potential," "continue," "contemplate," "possible" or similar words. These forward-looking statements are subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions, some of which are beyond our control. In addition, these forward-looking statements reflect our current views with respect to future events and are not a guarantee of future performance. Actual outcomes may differ materially from the information contained in the forward-looking statements as a result of a number of factors, including, without limitation, the following: our ability to manage our growth effectively, sustain our historical growth rate in the future or achieve or maintain profitability; the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic or adverse macro-economic changes on our business, financial condition and results of operations; the growth and expansion of the markets for our offerings and our ability to adapt and respond effectively to evolving market conditions; our estimates of, and future expectations regarding, our market opportunity; our ability to keep pace with technological and competitive developments and develop or otherwise introduce new products and solutions and enhancements to our existing offerings; our ability to maintain the interoperability of our offerings across devices, operating systems and third-party applications and to maintain and expand our relationships with third-party technology partners; the effects of increased competition in our target markets and our ability to compete effectively; our ability to attract and retain new customers and to expand within our existing customer base; the success of our sales and marketing operations, including our ability to realize efficiencies and reduce customer acquisition costs; the percentage of our remaining performance obligations that we expect to recognize as revenue; our ability to meet the service-level commitments under our customer agreements and the effects on our business if we are unable to do so; our relationships with, and dependence on, various third-party service providers; our dependence on our management team and other key employees; our ability to maintain and enhance awareness of our brand; our ability to offer high quality customer support; our ability to effectively develop and expand our marketing and sales capabilities; our ability to maintain the sales prices of our offerings and the effects of pricing fluctuations; the sustainability of, and fluctuations in, our gross margin; risks related to our international operations and our ability to expand our international business operations; the effects of currency exchange rate fluctuations on our results of operations; challenges and risks related to our sales to government entities; our ability to consummate acquisitions at our historical rate and at acceptable prices, to enter into other strategic transactions and relationships, and to manage the risks related to these transactions and arrangements; our ability to protect our proprietary technology, or to obtain, maintain, protect and enforce sufficiently broad intellectual property rights therein; our ability to maintain the security and availability of our platform, products and solutions; our ability to comply with current and future legislation and governmental regulations to which we are subject or may become subject in the future; changes in applicable tax law, the stability of effective tax rates and adverse outcomes resulting from examination of our income or other tax returns; risks related to political, economic and security conditions in Israel; the effects of unfavorable conditions in our industry or the global economy or reductions in information technology spending; factors that may affect the future trading prices of our ordinary shares; and other risk factors set forth in the section titled "Risk Factors" in our Annual Report on form 20-F filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 24, 2022, and other documents filed with or furnished to the SEC. These statements reflect management's current expectations regarding future events and operating performance and speak only as of the date of this press release. You should not put undue reliance on any forward-looking statements. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, we cannot guarantee that future results, levels of activity, performance and events and circumstances reflected in the forward-looking statements will be achieved or will occur. Except as required by applicable law, we undertake no obligation to update or revise publicly any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, after the date on which the statements are made or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.
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WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) – Democrats say they have secured the votes to pass major legislation called the Inflation Reduction Act after they struck a deal with Senator Kyrsten Sinema.
Senator Sinema demanded changes to the bill in exchange for her vote, forcing Democrats to cut a provision that closed a tax loophole allowing hedge fund and investment managers to pay lower taxes.
“Senator Sinema said she would not vote for the bill, not even move to proceed unless we took it out,” Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said.
But Senate Majority Leader Schumer says Democrats added a new tax on corporate stock buybacks, and a provision for a minimum corporate tax rate of 15% also remains in the package, all designed to reduce the federal deficit.
“We’re now one step closer to enacting this historic legislation into law,” Schumer said.
President Biden says the bill will fight inflation and “Will lower prescription drug costs by giving Medicare the power to negotiate for lower drug prices.”
The package will also extend Affordable Care Act tax credits to avert a 25% hike in premiums.
But the bill is also about slowing climate change by spending $369 billion on renewable energy and tax credits for electric cars and other energy-saving measures.
While Democrats call the bill the Inflation Reduction Act, Republican Roger Wicker (R-MS) says that would not pass truth in labeling laws.
“This is not going to reduce inflation, what it’s going to do is tax job creators,” Wicker said.
Republicans promise to fight back in a special session of the senate this weekend.
“We’re going to do everything we can, as I have said before, to defeat this bill and we’ll be offering a lot of amendments,” Senator John Thune (R-SD) said.
While Republicans cannot stop the legislation if all Democratic senators, including Sinema, vote yes, Senator Lindsey Graham says they intend to drag out the process. | https://www.koin.com/news/washington-dc/republicans-vow-to-fight-inflation-reduction-act-after-democrats-secure-votes/ | 2022-08-05 23:49:49 | 0 | https://www.koin.com/news/washington-dc/republicans-vow-to-fight-inflation-reduction-act-after-democrats-secure-votes/ |
NEW YORK (AP) — Jacob deGrom struck out 12 and carried a perfect game into the sixth inning of his second start all season, pitching the New York Mets past the Atlanta Braves 5-2 on Sunday for their 12th victory in 14 games.
Pete Alonso drove in two runs and the first-place Mets finished with 19 strikeouts — including three straight from closer Edwin Díaz to end a combined two-hitter. They took four of five from Atlanta in their NL East showdown, extending their division lead to 6 1/2 games over the defending World Series champions.
“It was kind of emotional walking out there. I haven’t taken this mound in over a year,” deGrom said. “I had to take a second and kind of get myself together.”
Pitching at home for the first time in 13 months, a dominant deGrom (1-0) retired his first 17 batters — 12 on strikeouts — before walking No. 9 hitter Ehire Adrianza with two outs in the sixth. That ended the longest perfect-game bid of deGrom’s career.
Dansby Swanson followed with a two-run homer on the 76th and final pitch from deGrom, making it 5-2.
“He was really good,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said. “I’m like, good God, there’s nothing wrong with him.”
The two-time Cy Young Award winner missed the final three months last season with right forearm tightness and a sprained elbow, then was shut down late in spring training because of a stress reaction in his right scapula. He finally returned Tuesday at Washington, throwing five innings of one-run ball in a rare Mets loss lately.
“It’s a really cool thing that we have going,” deGrom said. “The goal is to keep it going.”
New York fans had to wait a little longer than they planned to see deGrom go to work as the start of the game was delayed 20 minutes by rain. Once play began, however, deGrom didn’t disappoint the Citi Field crowd of 37,717.
A standing ovation greeted the 34-year-old ace before he stepped onto the mound and his first pitch was a 99 mph fastball that Swanson lofted into right field for an out. The right-hander then struck out Matt Olson on four pitches, each of which was 100 mph or faster.
“That was fun,” Mets manager Buck Showalter said. “(DeGrom) was at the top of his game.”
Making his 200th major league start, deGrom finished with the most strikeouts by a Mets pitcher this season. With shadows creeping over the infield during a late-afternoon start, the Braves swung and missed at each of his first 18 sliders.
After getting swept in Saturday’s split doubleheader, Atlanta has lost three straight for the first time all year. The previous team to go that long into a season without a three-game skid was the 2001 Seattle Mariners, who set the major league mark by not losing three in a row until a four-game slide from games Nos. 147-150, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
While deGrom was silencing the Atlanta bats, the Mets scored four times against rookie Spencer Strider (6-4) in the third.
Brandon Nimmo led off with an infield single and moved to third on Francisco Lindor’s single to center. Alonso delivered a two-run double off the third-base bag. Daniel Vogelbach walked and both burly sluggers chugged home on Mark Canha’s double to left-center.
“It’s easy to have fun when we’re playing because it’s an incredible environment,” Alonso said.
Strider needed 79 pitches to complete 2 2/3 innings in the shortest start of his career.
“A lot of weird hits,” Strider said. “They seem to be having a lot of luck right now offensively. That’s great. It’s August. (We’ll) see what things are like in October.”
New York added another run in the fifth when Jeff McNeil scampered home on a wild pitch.
Joely Rodríguez struck out a career-high four over a season-high 2 1/3 innings in relief of deGrom. Díaz fanned all three batters in the ninth for his 26th save, finishing the two-hitter.
For the second straight game, Mets fans taunted the Braves in the ninth inning by performing the tomahawk chop.
RECORD BOOK
New York matched a franchise mark for strikeouts in a nine-inning game. David Cone (1991) and Hall of Famer Tom Seaver (1970) each fanned 19 in a complete game for the Mets. … With his 1,523 career strikeouts, deGrom passed Yu Darvish (1,517) for the most by a major league pitcher through his first 200 games.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Braves: OF Ronald Acuña Jr. was a late scratch from the lineup with lower-body soreness. He flied out as a pinch-hitter in the seventh and remained in the game for the final two innings. … C Travis d’Arnaud (right lower leg) was in a walking boot after Alonso slid into him hard on a play at the plate. X-rays were negative and d’Arnaud is expected to return to the lineup later this week.
Mets: LHP Joey Lucchesi (Tommy John surgery) continues to progress. While there is still no timetable for his return, manager Buck Showalter indicated Lucchesi could be a bullpen option upon his return.
UP NEXT
Braves: After an off day, RHP Charlie Morton (5-5, 4.09 ERA) takes the mound Tuesday as Atlanta opens a two-game series in Boston. He’ll be opposed by LHP Rich Hill (4-5, 4.52).
Mets: RHP Chris Bassitt (8-7, 3.61 ERA) starts at home Monday night when New York begins a three-game series against Cincinnati. RHP Justin Dunn makes his season debut for the Reds after being sidelined since June 2021 with a shoulder injury. Dunn grew up on Long Island not far from Citi Field and was a first-round draft pick by the Mets out of Boston College.
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More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | https://www.koin.com/sports/ap-sports/dominant-degrom-pitches-surging-mets-to-5-2-win-over-braves/ | 2022-08-08 22:42:19 | 1 | https://www.koin.com/sports/ap-sports/dominant-degrom-pitches-surging-mets-to-5-2-win-over-braves/ |
Authorities release BAC of alleged drunk driver in crash that killed newlywed bride
FOLLY BEACH, S.C. (WCSC/Gray News) - Authorities in South Carolina have released details on the blood-alcohol content of a woman who is accused of causing a DUI crash that killed a newlywed bride and hurt three others.
The report from the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division states that Jamie Komoroski had a blood alcohol level of 0.261% when she was tested after the April 28 crash with a golf cart on Folly Beach. That number is three times over the legal limit in South Carolina.
Along with the toxicology report, the Folly Beach Police Department also sent a new report of the incident.
Immediately after the crash, officers asked Komoroski what happened to which she replied, “I was driving, and then all the sudden something hit me,” the report reads.
Also, in the report, multiple witnesses recall seeing Komoroski “dazed and confused.” At the scene, she kept asking for her boyfriend and telling the witnesses she was on her way home, the report states.
Once she saw the victims on the ground, Komoroski started screaming and asking what happened, witnesses said.
In Komoroski’s arrest affidavit, officers claim they could smell alcohol on her breath and person. She told officers she had a beer and a drink with tequila about an hour before the crash, the affidavit states.
When asked how she felt on a scale of one to ten, with one being completely sober and ten being the most impaired, she responded that she was at an eight, the affidavit states.
Komoroski was then asked to complete a field sobriety test but she refused, the affidavit states. However, her blood was sampled for the toxicology report.
Komoroski is charged with DUI causing serious bodily injury/death and reckless homicide. Police say she rear-ended a golf cart with her car in the 1200 block of East Ashley Avenue.
The crash killed the newlywed bride, identified as Samantha Miller, and seriously injured her husband and two others.
After the crash, Miller’s family warned about the dangers of drinking while driving.
Copyright 2023 WCSC via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.weau.com/2023/05/11/authorities-release-bac-alleged-drunk-driver-crash-that-killed-newlywed-bride/ | 2023-05-11 21:59:29 | 0 | https://www.weau.com/2023/05/11/authorities-release-bac-alleged-drunk-driver-crash-that-killed-newlywed-bride/ |
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina's Republican-controlled legislature on Thursday advanced its proposed state budget adjustments closer to Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper's desk, voting for a plan that would spend or salt away billions more without added tax cuts.
The measure, which was agreed to in private negotiations between House and Senate GOP leaders and released earlier in the week, received significant House Democratic support in the first of two required affirmative floor votes in that chamber. The Senate was expected to vote later Thursday.
The 84-28 House margin signals that Cooper would have a difficult time upholding a veto of the legislation should he choose to use his stamp.
Republicans have portrayed the plan as a fiscal fortification against inflation and recession that threatens to pick apart its stable budgetary policies over the past decade. The plan parks an additional $1.5 billion in state coffers for use should tax revenues decline and prices keep going up.
“We’ve increased our cash reserve despite some insisting repeatedly that we spend that money. We have put our house in order,” said Rep. Dean Arp, a Union County Republican and one of the chamber's top budget writers. “This is a responsible budget that responds to our current needs and plans for an uncertain economic future.”
But Democrats argue these adjustments to the second year of the already enacted two-year state government budget fails to take advantage enough of an anticipated $6.2 billion revenue surplus through mid-2023 to address education needs and help state workers who are hurting.
“We had a real opportunity to invest in people,” said House Minority Leader Robert Reives, a Chatham County Democrat. “We've could have done more than what we've done.”
Final votes on the plan were anticipated Friday, when the General Assembly hopes to wrap up this year's primary work session that began in mid-May. Cooper hasn't yet said whether he would sign the bill, veto it or let it become law without his signature.
He signed the two-year budget into law last November — marking the first time he signed a convention budget bill since taking office in 2017. A Cooper veto could bring legislators back to Raleigh later this summer to try to override it. Republicans lack veto-proof majorities without Democratic support.
The measure would spend $27.9 billion for the next fiscal year that begins Friday, but also would set aside another $7.7 billion in reserves and for items like a wave of state government construction projects, local water and wastewater projects and incentives to bring more companies to North Carolina.
The adjustments would increase next year’s 2.5% raise for rank-and-file state employees already in place to 3.5%, while average pay raises for teachers for the upcoming school year would grow from roughly 2.5% to 4.2%, with first-year teachers seeing base salaries of $37,000.
Those pay increases don't match those sought by Cooper in his $29.3 billion budget proposal that he released in May.
The proposal spends another $56 million more annually on taxpayer-funded scholarship for children to attend private schools — a program Cooper strongly opposes. Democrats contrasted this action while they said the budget bill failed to fund fully a judge's directive for K-12 public schools that would meet the constitutional mandate of giving all children the opportunity to receive a “sound basic education.”
Like Cooper's proposal, Republicans don't reduce individual income tax rates beyond what the two-year budget law already directs will happen in 2023.
The measure doesn't contain language directing the state to accept federal money so that hundreds of thousands of additional low-income adults can be covered by Medicaid under the 2010 Affordable Care Act.
The House and Senate have approved competing Medicaid expansion bills — a significant advance for the issue in a state where Republicans have been adamantly opposed to the idea. But prospects for a compromise waned this week as House Speaker Tim Moore and Senate leader Phil Berger dug in for their respective proposals. Cooper has been pushing for Medicaid expansion for years.
Other provisions in the budget adjustment would:
— provide an additional $71 million to local school districts for school safety and resource officer grants and funds.
— earmark $193 million in sales tax collections to help pay for transportation projects as gasoline taxes used for such construction declines. The portion of sales tax going to two highway funds would triple by mid-2024.
— promise to give $15 million to a “collegiate sports employer” if it decides to build a new headquarters in North Carolina. The language is designed to keep the Atlantic Coast Conference, based in Greensboro, in the state. | https://www.sfchronicle.com/news/article/NC-legislature-advances-budget-agreement-closer-17277654.php | 2022-06-30 21:30:33 | 1 | https://www.sfchronicle.com/news/article/NC-legislature-advances-budget-agreement-closer-17277654.php |
Will Use $1.4M in Convertible Notes to Continue Building First Product Focused on Used Vehicle Value Derivatives
WASHINGTON, Oct. 13, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Exponential Exchange, a fintech startup focused on developing a broad spectrum of new market-based risk-management solutions, today announced it has secured pre-seed funding of $1.4 million, raised in a series of convertible notes.
Exponential Exchange is developing a series of novel tradable financial instruments and derivatives to manage the new risks and opportunities posed by the transportation revolution. It uses modern data sets and data science techniques to power an innovative set of smart products, including derivatives contracts, that offer a more efficient approach to managing traditional and new sources of risk.
Exponential Exchange's launch product is an exchange-traded derivative designed to manage the risks of fluctuating used vehicle prices – a significant problem for at-scale vehicle owners like rental car agencies and auto lease finance companies. In addition, Exponential's automotive futures contracts will, subject to regulatory approval and listing on a designated contract market, allow financial markets to trade in a new asset class and better manage auto-related exposures in their portfolios.
"This is a totally new and much-needed approach to asset risk mitigation, for which the current solutions are few, inefficient, and extremely expensive," said Ryan Naughton, CEO of Exponential Exchange. "Giving asset holders the ability to transfer their residual value exposure to a willing third party through an established derivatives market represents a critical ability for portfolio-heavy entities. It also closes the gap between auto and other industries like agriculture, energy and manufacturing that have benefitted for decades from the ability to hedge financial exposure through derivatives."
This ability is particularly important for owners of large vehicle fleets, where price volatility in the used vehicle market can result in billions of dollars of financial risk. With over $500 billion in unhedged exposure in existing portfolios, often the only option for automakers and rental car companies is to hope that de-fleeted vehicles are liquidated at expected residual values – a highly uncertain proposition in the future given today's historically high car prices and volatility.
"If you're exposed to wholesale price volatility for a large fleet of vehicles, currently there's really no palatable option for minimizing your exposure to future market shocks," said Paul Fortin, Exponential's Head of Index Products. "Exponential offers a transformative de-risking opportunity for fleet owners – especially as we move into the EV era, where rapid advancements in battery tech and related legislation around mandatory EV adoption will impact the value of legacy vehicles at unprecedented and hard-to-predict rates."
Founded by a team with decades of expertise across fintech, derivatives design, data science, risk management, and automotive finance, Exponential Exchange is creating a series of next-generation financial tools designed to offer new levels of exposure protection for participants in a variety of asset classes. These tools will allow third parties to assume a portion of their users' exposure via derivatives that settle against Exponential-powered indices. Targeting asset classes that lack effective risk-management tools, Exponential relies on robust sets of newly available data to create their tradable financial instruments. The result is a powerful and innovative alternative to more expensive, less efficient versions of risk mitigation, offering new levels of financial assurance for asset holders, while unlocking new tradable asset classes for speculators. Exponential's launch product is designed for vehicle fleet owners looking to hedge against used vehicle market price volatility. For more information, please visit www.exponentialexchange.com and follow them at @exponentialexch on Twitter.
Contact: press@exponentialexchange.com
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SOURCE Exponential Exchange | https://www.dakotanewsnow.com/prnewswire/2022/10/13/exponential-exchange-raises-pre-seed-funding-develop-asset-risk-mitigation-tools/ | 2022-10-13 13:36:05 | 1 | https://www.dakotanewsnow.com/prnewswire/2022/10/13/exponential-exchange-raises-pre-seed-funding-develop-asset-risk-mitigation-tools/ |
James Caan, the veteran screen actor known for his work in such films as "The Godfather," "Misery" and "Elf," has died, his family said in a statement on his verified Twitter account. He was 82.
"It is with great sadness that we inform you of the passing of Jimmy on the evening of July 6," the statement read. "The family appreciates the outpouring of love and heartfelt condolences and asks that you continue to respect their privacy during this difficult time."
This is a developing story and will be updated.
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved. | https://www.wxow.com/news/top-stories/james-caan-oscar-nominated-actor-of-the-godfather-misery-and-elf-dies-at-82/article_5904a892-6555-5dfd-b0dc-0152f04d01a1.html | 2022-07-07 18:37:08 | 0 | https://www.wxow.com/news/top-stories/james-caan-oscar-nominated-actor-of-the-godfather-misery-and-elf-dies-at-82/article_5904a892-6555-5dfd-b0dc-0152f04d01a1.html |
COVID-19 Emergency Funding Helped Control the Pandemic, but Did Not Address Structural Weaknesses in the Nation's Public Health System
WASHINGTON, June 14, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Decades of underfunding have left the nation's public health system ill-equipped to protect the health of Americans, according to a new report, The Impact of Chronic Underfunding on America's Public Health System: Trends, Risks, and Recommendations, 2023, being released today by Trust for America's Health.
Insufficient funding for public health programs has been a long-standing problem. The COVID-19 crisis illuminated weaknesses in the nation's public health infrastructure, including antiquated data systems, insufficient public health laboratory capacity, an under-resourced public health workforce, and the need for improved public health communications. These foundational public health capacities require increased, flexible, and sustained funding.
While pandemic response emergency funding was critical for addressing the crisis, it represented one-time funding and was often limited to COVID-19-specific spending, i.e., it could not be spent on underlying infrastructure needs. Furthermore, in most instances, this funding has now ended or was rescinded in the recent debt limit agreement. The nation is therefore at risk of returning to a boom-and-bust pattern of sporadic funding increases for public health during emergencies followed by insufficient funding in non-emergency periods.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the primary source of public health funding for state, local, tribal, and territorial health departments, is itself reliant on the annual federal appropriations process. Over the past decade (FY 2014 – 2023), the CDC's budget has increased by just 6 percent after adjusting for inflation, leading to insufficient funding in key program areas such as emergency preparedness and chronic disease prevention.
Two CDC programs focused on public health preparedness and response, the Public Health Emergency Preparedness Program (PHEP) and the Healthcare Readiness and Recovery Program, have both experienced major budget cuts over the past two decades. After adjusting for inflation, PHEP funding has been reduced by about half since 2003, and the budget for the Healthcare Readiness and Recovery Program has decreased by nearly two-thirds during the same period.
In addition to the risks associated with health emergencies, the country faces a growing number of people living with chronic diseases and the associated healthcare costs. Today, roughly 60 percent of the U.S. adult population has at least one chronic disease, such as obesity, diabetes, or heart disease. Treating these chronic diseases, along with mental health conditions, accounts for the vast majority of U.S. healthcare spending. While evidence-based public health programs that help prevent chronic disease are doing important work, insufficient funding has limited their accessibility and impact in many communities.
"We must address the serious mismatch between the nation's public health needs and its public health investment," said J. Nadine Gracia, M.D. MSCE, President and CEO of Trust for America's Health. "Public health and prevention represent only a small fraction of the more than $4 trillion in annual health spending in our nation. Increased and sustained investment in public health would not only better prepare us for future public health emergencies, it would also help address the root causes of poor health and health disparities."
TFAH is calling for annual funding for CDC of at least $11.581 billion in FY 2024, the level requested in the President's FY 24 budget (FY 2023 CDC funding is $9.2 billion).
Other policy recommendations within the report include:
- Increase and sustain disease-agnostic funding to strengthen public health infrastructure. Public health experts estimate an annual shortfall of $4.5 billion in necessary funding for state and local health departments to provide comprehensive public health services in their communities.
- Strengthen public health emergency preparedness, including within the healthcare system. Investments should include the restoration of funding to the Public Health Emergency Preparedness Cooperative Agreement, the Healthcare Readiness and Recovery Program, and programs designed to support vaccine infrastructure as well as prevent, detect, and contain antimicrobial-resistant infections.
- Modernize the public health data system to ensure comprehensive and real-time data sharing during public health emergencies. Public health experts estimate that at least $7.84 billion is needed over the next five years for CDC's Data Modernization Initiative to strengthen public health data collection and reporting at the state and local levels. Congress should also provide sustained funding for CDC's new Center for Forecasting and Outbreak Analytics.
- Bolster the recruitment and retention of the public health workforce. In 2021, it was estimated that state and local public health departments needed to hire an additional 80,000 employees to be able to deliver a minimum set of public health services. The one-time nature of short-term emergency funding means that health departments will continue to experience understaffing.
- Address health disparities and the root causes of disease by addressing the social determinants of health and investing in chronic disease prevention.
- Invest in programs to prepare for and mitigate the impacts of climate change.
Read the report at: https://www.tfah.org/report-details/funding-2023/
Trust for America's Health is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that promotes optimal health for every person and community and works to make the prevention of illness and injury a national priority. www.tfah.org
Contact: Rhea Farberman 202 494-0860 RFarberman@tfah.org
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SOURCE Trust for America's Health | https://www.kwch.com/prnewswire/2023/06/14/new-report-under-investment-public-health-leaves-nation-less-prepared-current-future-health-risks/ | 2023-06-14 10:17:21 | 0 | https://www.kwch.com/prnewswire/2023/06/14/new-report-under-investment-public-health-leaves-nation-less-prepared-current-future-health-risks/ |
Editor:
One of the first things I learned as a new hunter was to avoid any visibly ill animals. It’s a simple rule, but it’s getting harder and harder to follow in Wyoming.
That’s because chronic wasting disease (CWD) is spreading every year. This deadly illness can infect deer, elk, and moose, and is 100% fatal – always. Animals do not recover once they’ve been infected – they die slow and painful deaths, and any animal that is anywhere near an infected animal is at high risk of contracting the disease. Each year, CWD is found in more herds in new places, and so far, the state is doing little to slow its spread. In fact, some of the state’s policies are working to spread CWD even further.
Alone among its neighbors, Wyoming still routinely operates feedgrounds for elk herds in northwestern Wyoming. The feedlots attract elk into close quarters, enabling the rapid spread of CWD among the animals that congregate to feed. The feedlots also keep elk populations unnaturally high, which the state says is what hunters want. But no hunter wants to take a diseased animal dying from CWD.
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Wyoming needs to catch up with the times and end this outdated practice of running winter feedlots for elk. Phasing out winter feeding would benefit hunters, wildlife, and everyone who appreciates healthy, free-ranging wildlife. Hunting has always been a core part of Wyoming’s character. Spreading disease among wildlife shouldn’t be. | https://trib.com/opinion/letters/ott-wyoming-needs-to-phase-out-elk-feedgrounds/article_74065630-78c4-11ed-8457-6b8e03cb834a.html | 2022-12-11 10:03:01 | 1 | https://trib.com/opinion/letters/ott-wyoming-needs-to-phase-out-elk-feedgrounds/article_74065630-78c4-11ed-8457-6b8e03cb834a.html |
NEW YORK, Dec. 13, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Pomerantz LLP announces that a class action lawsuit has been filed against Enviva Inc. (NYSE: EVA), and certain officers. The class action, filed in the United States District Court for the District of Maryland, and docketed under 22-cv-02844, is on behalf of a class consisting of all persons and entities other than Defendants that purchased or otherwise acquired Enviva securities between February 21, 2019 and October 11, 2022, both dates inclusive (the "Class Period"), seeking to recover damages caused by Defendants' violations of the federal securities laws and to pursue remedies under Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the "Exchange Act") and Rule 10b-5 promulgated thereunder, against the Company and certain of its top officials.
If you are a shareholder who purchase or otherwise acquired Enviva securities, you have until January 2, 2023 to ask the Court to appoint you as Lead Plaintiff for the class. A copy of the Complaint can be obtained at www.pomerantzlaw.com. To discuss this action, contact Robert S. Willoughby at newaction@pomlaw.com or 888.476.6529 (or 888.4-POMLAW), toll-free, Ext. 7980. Those who inquire by e-mail are encouraged to include their mailing address, telephone number, and the number of shares purchased.
Enviva, formerly known as Enviva Partners, LP, develops, constructs, acquires, and owns and operates, fully contracted wood pellet production plants. The Company's products are used as a substitute for coal in power generation, and combined heat and power plants. Significantly, Enviva touts itself as a "growth-oriented" environmental, social, and governance ("ESG") company with a "platform to generate stable and growing cash flows."
The complaint alleges that, throughout the Class Period, Defendants made materially false and misleading statements regarding the Company's business, operations, and compliance policies. Specifically, Defendants made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (i) Enviva had misrepresented the environmental sustainability of its wood pellet production and procurement; (ii) Enviva had similarly overstated the true measure of cash flow generated by the Company's platform; (iii) accordingly, Enviva had misrepresented its business model and the Company's ability to achieve the level of growth that Defendants had represented to investors; and (iv) as a result, the Company's public statements were materially false and misleading at all relevant times.
On October 12, 2022, during pre-market hours, Blue Orca Capital ("Blue Orca") published a report on Enviva (the "Blue Orca Report"). Among other allegations, the Blue Orca Report stated that "new discovered data suggests . . . the company is flagrantly greenwashing its wood procurement" and characterized Enviva's claim to be a "pure play ESG Company with a healthy, self-funded dividend and cash flows to provide a platform for future growth" as "nonsense on all counts." Moreover, the Blue Orca Report alleged that "Enviva is a dangerously levered serial capital raiser whose deteriorating cash conversion and unprofitability will drain it of cash next year" and is "a product of deranged European climate subsidies which incentivize the destruction of American forests so that European power companies can check a bureaucratic box."
On this news, Enviva's stock price fell $7.74 per share, or 13.13%, to close at $51.23 per share on October 12, 2022.
Pomerantz LLP, with offices in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, London, Paris, and Tel Aviv, is acknowledged as one of the premier firms in the areas of corporate, securities, and antitrust class litigation. Founded by the late Abraham L. Pomerantz, known as the dean of the class action bar, Pomerantz pioneered the field of securities class actions. Today, more than 85 years later, Pomerantz continues in the tradition he established, fighting for the rights of the victims of securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duty, and corporate misconduct. The Firm has recovered numerous multimillion-dollar damages awards on behalf of class members. See www.pomlaw.com
CONTACT:
Robert S. Willoughby
Pomerantz LLP
rswilloughby@pomlaw.com
888-476-6529 ext. 7980
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SOURCE Pomerantz LLP | https://www.wbtv.com/prnewswire/2022/12/13/shareholder-alert-pomerantz-law-firm-reminds-shareholders-with-losses-their-investment-enviva-inc-class-actions-lawsuit-upcoming-deadline-eva/ | 2022-12-13 07:16:54 | 0 | https://www.wbtv.com/prnewswire/2022/12/13/shareholder-alert-pomerantz-law-firm-reminds-shareholders-with-losses-their-investment-enviva-inc-class-actions-lawsuit-upcoming-deadline-eva/ |
Truck carrying 50,000 pounds of potatoes catches fire on Ohio Turnpike (photos)
Published: Sep. 28, 2022 at 12:45 PM EDT|Updated: 32 minutes ago
CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) - First responders from around the Hudson area helped extinguish a fire that engulfed a tractor-trailer carrying tons of potatoes.
The Hudson Fire Department said Tuesday’s incident occurred on the Ohio Turnpike.
The truck was hauling approximately 50,000 pounds of potatoes, according to the Hudson Fire Department.
No serious injuries were reported.
Copyright 2022 WOIO. All rights reserved. | https://www.cleveland19.com/2022/09/28/truck-carrying-50000-pounds-potatoes-catches-fire-ohio-turnpike-photos/ | 2022-09-28 17:20:22 | 0 | https://www.cleveland19.com/2022/09/28/truck-carrying-50000-pounds-potatoes-catches-fire-ohio-turnpike-photos/ |
Authorities: Multiple people shot at California church
Published: May. 15, 2022 at 5:22 PM EDT|Updated: 9 minutes ago
LAGUNA WOODS, Calif. (AP) — Multiple people were shot Sunday at a church in Southern California, authorities said.
The shooting happened at an unnamed church on the 24000 block of El Toro Road in the city of Laguna Woods, the Orange County Sheriff’s Department said on Twitter.
“We have detained one person and have recovered a weapon that may be involved,” the department said.
No further details were immediately available.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.wistv.com/2022/05/15/authorities-multiple-people-shot-california-church/ | 2022-05-15 21:31:23 | 1 | https://www.wistv.com/2022/05/15/authorities-multiple-people-shot-california-church/ |
NPR's Ailsa Chang talks with Dr. Ashish Jha, the White House COVID-19 response coordinator, about the latest guidance on children under 5 getting the vaccine to protect against COVID-19.
Copyright 2022 NPR
NPR's Ailsa Chang talks with Dr. Ashish Jha, the White House COVID-19 response coordinator, about the latest guidance on children under 5 getting the vaccine to protect against COVID-19.
Copyright 2022 NPR | https://www.nepm.org/national-world-news/national-world-news/2022-06-03/vaccinating-young-kids-might-finally-be-possible-this-month-but-will-it-be-easy | 2022-06-03 22:14:52 | 0 | https://www.nepm.org/national-world-news/national-world-news/2022-06-03/vaccinating-young-kids-might-finally-be-possible-this-month-but-will-it-be-easy |
Company Announces Expanded Portfolio of Data Center and Infrastructure Solutions for International Client Base Following Strategic Acquisitions
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., June 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Service Express, a global data center solutions provider, today announces the full integration of its 2021 U.K. acquisitions of Blue Chip and The ICC Group. Merging the three companies combines decades of expertise and over 1,000 talented individuals to build upon its foundation of providing exceptional maintenance, managed and infrastructure solutions to companies internationally.
Service Express will continue strengthening its position in the marketplace as a major provider across financial services, manufacturing, retail and public sectors, helping its customers maintain and evolve their IT infrastructure.
"This significant milestone marks an exciting time for our company, people and customers," said Ron Alvesteffer, Service Express President and CEO. "Unifying three organizations with shared values and a passion for service will continue to distinguish Service Express as the leader in data center solutions."
"We look forward to strengthening our solutions and providing customers with one source for their data center and infrastructure needs, so they can focus on more critical priorities."
Service Express will continue to deliver its world-class Data Center Maintenance solutions globally with an expanded portfolio of Managed and Infrastructure services, including Hybrid Cloud, OS Managed Services, Disaster Recovery and Managed Service Delivery, specifically focusing on:
- Strengthening its role in providing sustainable and eco-friendly solutions to protect critical resources, lower carbon emissions and reduce unnecessary waste.
- Developing its Hybrid Cloud proposition and augmenting its strategic relationship in the U.K. with IBM as a Gold Business Partner.
- Helping customers transform their digital journey by achieving improved end-to-end user experience and application performance.
- Roll out ExpressConnect® technology internationally to bring an all-in-one solution to simplify data center support and optimize customer performance.
- Providing exceptional customer experiences with an industry-leading Net Promoter Score (NPS) of 91.
- Driving growth and revenue through its people-powered culture, customer-first commitment and dedication to innovation.
"By bringing together over 1,000 passionate and talented individuals, we're well-positioned to provide our customers with the very best data center and infrastructure solutions," said Mike Hallam, Service Express U.K. Managing Director. "We look forward to upholding our commitment to serving people with secure and sustainable solutions as they transform their organizations for a digital future."
For more information on Service Express and its solutions, visit serviceexpress.com.
About Service Express
Service Express is an industry-leading data center solutions provider specializing in global multivendor maintenance, hybrid cloud, managed infrastructure services, hardware solutions and more. Companies around the globe trust Service Express to deliver reliable end-to-end support. Service Express' flagship technology, ExpressConnect®, helps IT teams automate support with monitoring, ticketing, integrations and account management. For more information, visit serviceexpress.com.
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SOURCE Service Express | https://www.kwch.com/prnewswire/2022/06/28/service-express-completes-integration-blue-chip-icc-group/ | 2022-06-28 11:59:32 | 1 | https://www.kwch.com/prnewswire/2022/06/28/service-express-completes-integration-blue-chip-icc-group/ |
Dementia affects an estimated 6.7 million people in the U.S., according to a 2023 report published by the Alzheimer’s Association. Doctors and scientists have spent years researching the disease’s origins and ways to slow its progress.
Back in 2019, Johns Hopkins launched a study to examine the link between dementia and hearing loss, a connection doctors have noticed in many of their patients who suffer from both conditions, and whether hearing aids could help these patients slow the cognitive decline. This randomized study involved more than 3,000 people, who were either assigned to a control group that received counseling in chronic disease prevention, or a group that received hearing aids and treatment from an audiologist. They studied the groups every six months, then gave them a neuro-cognitive test at the end of three years.
The results of this study, published this week in The Lancet medical journal, show a possible link between using hearing aids and reducing cognitive decline for patients with the highest risk for it. Overall, the researchers didn’t find a difference for the group that received the hearing intervention as a whole. However, in the oldest subgroup, which had lower baseline cognitive scores and was at the highest risk, hearing aids slowed the rate of cognitive deterioration by 48%.
MORE: Amazon Prime Video’s new feature makes it easier to hear dialogue
But how are dementia and hearing loss connected?
During an interview with CNN, Dr. Frank Lin, the study’s primary author and a professor at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and the Bloomberg School of Public Health, discussed hearing loss’s possible physical and mental impacts on the brain.
First, he said that when someone has difficulty hearing, the brain must work harder and may have to to redistribute its “power” to understand what is being said. This overcompensation may lead to a diminished overall ability to function well. Lin said more study needs to be done on the possible physical impact of hearing loss on the brain, including possible decay and shrinking.
However, Lin also believes hearing loss often leads to isolation as patients avoid socializing, which causes complications for people at risk of dementia.
“For many, many years now, we’ve understood that social isolation and loneliness likely directly affects our risk of cognitive decline dementia, mainly through loss of cognitively stimulating activities but also just a loss of engagement with the world around us as we become … more pigeonholed at home sometimes,” Lin told NPR in an August 2022 interview.
Withover-the-counter hearing aids available in the U.S. since October 2022 and hopefully more studies on the way, Lin and other scientific peers hope easier access to devices and more studies will open a clear path to helping people at high risk for dementia to slow the progression of the disease.
This story originally appeared on Simplemost. Check out Simplemost for additional stories. | https://www.wmar2news.com/hearing-aids-may-lessen-dementia-risk-new-study-finds | 2023-07-19 14:32:52 | 0 | https://www.wmar2news.com/hearing-aids-may-lessen-dementia-risk-new-study-finds |
Stale, soggy food isn’t appetizing, says Chris Baggott, CEO of ClusterTruck. That’s why the Indianapolis company pioneered the “ghost kitchen” concept of preparing food exclusively for timely delivery.
By using technology to determine when drivers will pick up orders and serving limited geographic areas, the company assures that no delivered ClusterTruck meal is more than 10 minutes old.
Conventional restaurants have worked to modify parts of their business to meet similar goals for pickup orders since ClusterTruck launched in 2015. The pandemic only accelerated the adoption of mobile apps and touch-screen kiosks, but that doesn’t mean everyone is happy with the new ways of doing business.
In a 2022 survey of more than 1,500 adults titled “The State of What Feeds Us,” location technology firm Bluedot pinpointed three frustration trends associated with mobile order fulfillment: “order is cold,” “order is inaccurate,” and “staff is preoccupied.”
More than 45% of respondents cited cold food in February 2022. More than 40% didn’t receive the food they expected, and more than 20% said they encountered inattentive restaurant employees.
Judy Chan, Bluedot’s vice president of marketing, said restaurants are refining approaches to improve the consumer experience. By September 2022, “order is cold” complaints dipped below 35%.
“Many restaurant brands have integrated or are in the process of integrating location technology into their mobile apps, which is key to ensuring orders are prepared at the right time and ready when customers arrive—whether that’s at a mobile pickup spot or at the drive-thru window,” Chan said.
Fast food and fast casual restaurant chains are experimenting with concepts that exclusively serve food to go. McDonald’s opened a digital-only drive-thru restaurant in Texas in December. Chipotle operates “Chipotlane Digital Kitchens” that serve customers at drive-thru and walk-up windows in Ohio and Maryland.
Among 20 Chipotle locations in central Indiana, six feature “Chipotlanes” for app and online orders. Customers don’t speak into an intercom system or wait in a line of vehicles when placing orders. A Chipotle planned at 905 N. Green St. in Brownsburg will include a Chipotlane in addition to the restaurant’s conventional dining room.
A Chipotle spokesperson told IBJ that in-restaurant dining accounted for approximately 60% of the company’s business in 2022, while off-premises dining accounted for about 40%.
“We have seen strong growth in off-premises dining and have innovated our digital offerings to support this channel’s growth,” the spokesperson wrote in an email. “However, our in-restaurant experience is just as important.”
McDonald’s is the restaurant industry’s undisputed leader in mobile apps, racking up 40 million downloads in 2022, according to data company Apptopia. The next three companies on the year’s top 10 chart—Starbucks, Domino’s and Taco Bell—combined for 34.6 million downloads.
James Poore and his wife, Pam, own six McDonald’s locations in Indianapolis. He said the app’s popularity is guiding the business.
“Over the last three or four years, our customers have shown us that this is what they want,” Poore said. “This is how they want to handle transactions. And as long as it suits the customers, we’re going to follow the customer.”
Built for delivery
Last summer, ClusterTruck spun off its software platform into a stand-alone business called Empower Delivery. Baggott said Empower intends to work with independently owned restaurant groups that are ready to launch “ghost kitchen” operations and not have relationships with third-party delivery providers.
“No one is ordering from DoorDash for any kind of culinary experience,” Baggott said. “It’s for convenience. As soon as something better comes along, people switch to it. That’s what we’ve proven with ClusterTruck in three states.”
In addition to ClusterTruck kitchens in downtown Indianapolis, Broad Ripple and Castleton, the company has locations in Columbus, Ohio, and Kansas City, Missouri.
Meredith Sandland, CEO of Empower Delivery, is a former Yum! Brands executive who has co-written two books based on the transformation of the restaurant industry: 2021’s “Delivering the Digital Restaurant: Your Roadmap to the Future of Food” and the newly published “Delivering the Digital Restaurant: The Path to Digital Maturity.”
Sandland and co-author Carl Osbourn wrote in the second book that “digitally native” restaurants are emerging as a business model different from fast food, casual dining or fast casual styles.
For starters, digitally native restaurants pay less for labor and real estate by focusing on delivery. From the consumer’s perspective, engagement with the restaurant happens solely in a digital space.
Baggott said ClusterTruck is “ground zero of ghost kitchens,” although he’s not a fan of the term “ghost kitchen.” Tangible things happen at ClusterTruck, which he describes as a purpose-built, delivery-only kitchen.
“We get people here weekly, coming from all over the world to study what we’re doing,” he said.
App of the arches
If you’ve visited a McDonald’s recently, you likely have seen or heard a reference to the company’s mobile app.
Mya Smith, owner of six McDonald’s locations in Indiana, said customers use the app to make 27.4% of orders at the company’s restaurants in the Indianapolis metropolitan area. By 2024, the goal is to increase the app’s usage to 40%.
“Everybody is walking around with a phone and with apps,” Smith said. “We want to be there. We want to be in your hands at all times. Just a part of your life, period.”
Smith and fellow McDonald’s franchisee Poore credited meal collaborations with celebrities such as Travis Scott and Mariah Carey for driving downloads of the app. This year, rappers Cardi B and Offset devised a customized meal that customers could order in conjunction with Valentine’s Day.
App usage, Smith said, provides data McDonald’s can use to tailor incentives and deals for customers.
Poore said app users might find they can place an order, walk into a McDonald’s, pick up their food and be on their way while other customers wait in a drive-thru line.
“We’re going to have your food when you get here in the lobby,” Poore said. “You won’t have to wait behind those cars in the drive-thru that have not ordered yet. It’s a little different thinking, but we have our customers understanding that, if timeliness and speed are your main thing, you’ll want to do it on the app.”
Regarding self-ordering kiosks that arrived in McDonald’s lobbies in 2018, Poore said the touch-screen devices were crucial during the pandemic.
“We would not have been as successful through the pandemic without those kiosks,” Poore said. “Even today, we don’t have enough employees to always open a front-counter register. Having the kiosk there and customers having the option to come and enter their own order has been a brand saver for us.”
Smith said the kiosks reduce customer frustration and add to the company’s bottom line.
“It really helps with accuracy because [customers] get a chance to select exactly what items they want and what items they don’t want,” she said. “Then when you see the pictures, it allows you to say, ‘You know what? I would like to get some dessert.’ I have noticed that the average check on the kiosk is much higher than when an order is placed through the drive-thru or at the front counter.”
Faster, fresher
ClusterTruck bills itself as “America’s first delivery-only kitchen.” Baggott credits Domino’s Pizza, however, as a trailblazer.
Since 1960, the Michigan-based pizza chain has focused on delivery and carryout, or “delco” in restaurant-industry jargon.
In 1973, Domino’s launched its “30 minutes or it’s free” promotion, which was discontinued in the United States after traffic accidents involved delivery vehicles.
In the 21st century, GrubHub emerged as a food delivery service that partners with contract drivers and more than 300,000 restaurants. Competitors in this field include DoorDash, Uber Eats and Postmates.
Tech companies that have developed digital ordering systems for restaurants include Olo, Toast and Lunchbox.
When Baggott co-founded ClusterTruck with Dan McFadden, they wanted to beat the clock.
“The problem we set out to solve is the time problem,” Baggott said. “Old food isn’t going to taste good. When you order with DoorDash, and it takes 45 minutes to get your order, that food was done five minutes into that order.”
ClusterTruck uses technology to know the location of delivery drivers (who are employees of the company as opposed to being independent contractors).
“The system doesn’t allow the food to be cooked until we know exactly where the driver is,” Baggott said. “If I’m making pad thai, which takes six minutes to make, and I know my driver is 20 minutes from the kitchen, we don’t start cooking it until the driver is six minutes from the kitchen.”
Conventional restaurants use location technology to know the proximity of customers who are on the way, said Chan, the Bluedot executive.
“Mobile technology in particular is already helping restaurants deliver food at the right time,” Chan said. “When a store can see when the customer is nearby, staff knows when to begin preparing the order and have it ready and say ‘Hello’ to the customer the moment they walk through the door or arrive at the drive-thru window.”
Riding with ClusterTruck
Baggott said about 35% of ClusterTruck orders are placed through the company’s mobile app, which isn’t necessarily more important than clustertruck.com as a doorway to the business.
He said the website is just as efficient for customer-company interaction.
As a co-founder of ExactTarget and years as a tech innovator, Baggott has decades of experience in analyzing data.
“When you have online orders, you’re able to capture much more data,” he said. “When I go into McDonald’s, they don’t know anything about me. But when I order online, whether it’s through an app or just online, now you know my phone number and you know my address. Now you know what I ordered so you can track me and make content more relevant to me, which is a good thing.”
With more than 3 million meals delivered to customers, ClusterTruck’s next step is likely to franchise locations in other cities, Baggott said, and possibly in parts of central Indiana not served by the existing kitchens.
Baggott said it would be important for franchisees to maintain ClusterTruck’s ability to prepare 90 different menu items at a high level of quality.
Customer service is one more component that hinges on data harvested at the website and app.
“If I have a customer that’s ordered 300 times and they have a problem, that’s going to get a lot more urgency in our system than someone who orders once a year and complains every time they order,” Baggott said. “That kind of data is critical.”•
Please enable JavaScript to view this content. | https://www.ibj.com/articles/restaurants-strive-to-perfect-readying-of-food-for-mobile-orders | 2023-04-07 21:16:24 | 0 | https://www.ibj.com/articles/restaurants-strive-to-perfect-readying-of-food-for-mobile-orders |
WFO LAS VEGAS Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Friday, December 2, 2022
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WINTER STORM WATCH
URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
National Weather Service Las Vegas NV
1140 AM PST Mon Nov 28 2022
...WINTER STORM WATCH IN EFFECT FROM EARLY THURSDAY MORNING
THROUGH FRIDAY AFTERNOON...
* WHAT...Heavy wet snow possible. Total snow accumulations of 6 to
10 inches above 6000 feet...and over a foot above 8000 feet.
Winds could gust as high as 35 mph.
* WHERE...Eastern Sierra Slopes. This includes Whitney Portal and
Aspendell.
* WHEN...From early Thursday morning through Friday afternoon.
* IMPACTS...Travel could be very difficult or impossible in high
terrain mountain roads.
* ADDITIONAL DETAILS...Additional winter systems may bring more
snowfall opportunities over the weekend. Continue to monitor
the forecast and plan accordingly.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
A Winter Storm Watch means there is potential for significant
snow accumulations that may impact travel. Continue to monitor
the latest forecasts.
...WIND ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 AM PST TUESDAY...
* WHAT...West winds 20 to 30 mph with gusts up to 50 mph
expected.
* WHERE...Southwest corner of Imperial County and Western
Imperial County.
* WHEN...Until 7 AM PST Tuesday.
* IMPACTS...Difficult driving conditions, especially for larger
vehicles traveling along roads with crosswinds. Light, unsecured
objects may become airborne. Minor tree damage possible.
Localized areas of blowing dust possible as well.
A Wind Advisory means that sustained wind speeds of between
30 and 40 mph are expected, or wind gusts of between 40 and
58 mph. Winds this strong can make driving difficult, especially
for high profile vehicles. In addition, strong winds over desert
areas could result in briefly lowered visibilities to well under
a mile at times in blowing dust or blowing sand. Use extra
caution.
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Copyright 2022 AccuWeather | https://www.ourmidland.com/weather/article/CA-WFO-LAS-VEGAS-Warnings-Watches-and-Advisories-17616208.php | 2022-11-28 19:59:38 | 1 | https://www.ourmidland.com/weather/article/CA-WFO-LAS-VEGAS-Warnings-Watches-and-Advisories-17616208.php |
The dogs that killed an elderly man in San Antonio, Texas "snapped" at family members after a stint with pet services before last week's fatal attack, the family said.
Ramon Najera, an 81-year-old grandfather and Air Force veteran, was mauled to death and three other people, including his 74-year-old wife, were injured in an attack by at least two dogs, San Antonio Police said.
Three dogs, described by police as American Staffordshire Terriers, were euthanized afterward, and their 31-year-old owner, Christian Moreno, was arrested and faces felony charges.
"It's like they snapped," Abilene Moreno, Christian's wife, told Fox 29. "They snapped on all of us."
OWNER ARRESTED, 3 DOGS TO BE EUTHANIZED FOLLOWING DOG ATTACK THAT LEFT 1 DEAD, 3 INJURED IN SAN ANTONIO
Abilene was talking about the dogs' "noticeable" behavior changes after bringing them back from Animal Care Services, where they were quarantined following a January attack.
She said her husband talked to their family about giving the dogs up for adoption because they were "too much for us" days before Friday's fatal incident.
LISTEN: THE FOX TRUE CRIME PODCAST WITH EMILY COMPAGNO
San Antonio Fire Captain Charles Hood said firefighters had to "fight off" at least two Staffordshire Terriers with pickaxes and pipe poles to get to the victims in what he called a "horrific scene."
Firefighters saw a "gentleman being dragged by a dog. They could see him completely bloodied before they got off of the truck," Hood said.
Abilene appeared upset during her video interview with Fox 29 as she apologized to Najera's family.
"It took somebody's father, somebody's husband," she said. "We're sorry. From me, my husband, my kids. We're sorry."
HUNTER IN GEORGIA RECOVERING AFTER THREE DOGS ATTACKED HIM ‘IN A COMPLETE FRENZY’
Two of the dogs were involved in previous bite incidents in September 2021 and January 2023, according to San Antonio Police and Animal Care Services, which quarantined the dogs before giving them back to the Morenos.
Animal Care Services Director Shannon Sims said that neighbors have repeatedly complained about neglect on the owners’ part.
"Those bites were mild," Sims said. "So those animals finished their state-required quarantine, and the owner paid reclaim fees, and by state law, we were required to return those animals."
Abilene addressed the accusations with Fox 29.
"We never neglected them. We always made sure the gates were closed. We always made sure their harnesses were on them after we got them from ACS," she said.
Najera's family said in a statement on GoFundMe that the grandfather was "an adventurous, outgoing and loving family man."
"He was recently put on dialysis but was determined to enjoy life to the fullest despite his health condition," according to the family statement. | https://www.foxbangor.com/news/national/dogs-that-killed-elderly-san-antonio-man-snapped-after-pet-services-visit-owner-says/article_22a97626-1501-5396-ae08-7325ad436a4e.html | 2023-02-28 20:06:25 | 1 | https://www.foxbangor.com/news/national/dogs-that-killed-elderly-san-antonio-man-snapped-after-pet-services-visit-owner-says/article_22a97626-1501-5396-ae08-7325ad436a4e.html |
Hope Beyond Borders has been awarded a $20,000 grant from NBC10, Telemundo62, and Comcast NBCUniversal Foundation as a part of the Project Innovation Grant Challenge. The funding will support Soap for Hope, a youth entrepreneurial training initiative that equips middle- and high school students in Coatesville, Pa., with the entrepreneurial mindset and skillsets to help them flourish in today's marketplace. The social enterprise is a youth-operated online store, direct sales and fundraising, with 100 percent of the proceeds benefitting children and youth in their program.
The Soap for Hope Youth Social Enterprise program started as a fundraiser in 2013. Since then, it has grown into a youth entrepreneur course with an online shop. Students raise money, are taught important entrepreneurial skills and learn the process of soap making. Schools, clubs, teams, and organizations can fundraise with Soap for Hope Fundraising. 100% of all the profits go to helping children and youth flourish.
Soap for Hope Fundraising
Local schools, clubs, teams, and youth organizations can fundraise with Soap for Hope Fundraising, with 100% of our profits going to help children and youth flourish!
For more information, visit www.hopebeyondborders.org/sfh-fundraising
To view the online shop, visit www.hopebeyondborders.org/soap-for-hope-store
For over 20 years, Hope Beyond Borders has been making a difference for students in developing communities. This organization provides an international network of educational programs and thought leaders committed to helping the youth in these communities thrive. Their overall goal is to empower students academically, spiritually, and socially. Programs are operating out of Coatesville, as well as Zambia and Liberia. They offer a local education program (CKC) and a youth entrepreneur program (Soap for Hope). Hope Beyond Borders is currently serving over 500 students and growing. | https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/community/project-innovation-grant-recipient-hope-beyond-borders/3305322/ | 2022-08-03 22:56:58 | 0 | https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/community/project-innovation-grant-recipient-hope-beyond-borders/3305322/ |
ROME (AP) — Leonardo Del Vecchio, who founded eyewear empire Luxottica in a trailer and turned an everyday object into a global fashion item, becoming one of Italy’s richest men in the process, died on Monday, the eyeglass company said. He was 87.
“EssilorLuxottica announces with deep sorrow the passing of Chairman Leonardo Del Vecchio,″ said a statement from the company, its name reflecting a deal forged several years ago between Luxottica and French-based lensmaker Essilor.
The statement said EssilorLuxottica’s board would meet to “determine the next steps.”
Luca Zaia, the governor of Veneto, the northeast region where Del Vecchio started his business in 1961 in an Alpine valley town, hailed Del Vecchio as one of the “entrepreneurs of greatest success in all the world.”
Italian media said Del Vecchio died in a Milan hospital, where he was admitted several weeks ago. No cause of death was cited.
From a start in a Milan orphanage, Del Vecchio went on to become one of Italy’s richest industrialists. Globalizing fashion eyeglasses, Luxottica now makes frames for dozens of stellar fashion names, including Armani, Burberry and Chanel.
On Forbes’ list of richest persons, Del Vecchio and his family was ranked last year at No. 60, with assets of $24.5 billion.
Del Vecchio’s father sold vegetables on the streets of Milan but died before he was born. The youngest of four children, when he was in his 20s, he worked as an apprentice making parts for eyeglass frames, then went into business for himself. He moved from Milan to the Dolomite Mountains village of Agordo in 1961, taking advantage of an offer of free land to provide jobs and discourage young people from flocking to cities for work.
What started as a company housed in a trailer steadily grew into a sprawling complex, a 90-minute drive from Venice, employing thousands of people and producing tens of thousands of frames every day.
Del Vecchio found gold by turning the rather mundane necessity of life into “designer frames” for prescription glasses and sunglasses. The Luxottica’s corporate website lists 33 top brands, including Valentino, Prada, Michael Kors, Coach and Brooks Brothers.
Two moves as he expanded his business were widely considered key. One strategy saw him invest in the retail sector, opening Luxottica stores. The other strategy led him to acquisitions, notably that of the U.S. company Ray-Ban, in 1999, a brand which under the company’s marketing approach gained cachet.
Del Vecchio’s empire expanded with a deal, announced in 2018, with France’s Essilor. That accord created a massive entity with more than 140,000 employees in 150 countries.
But Del Vecchio took care to keep his family financial vehicle, the holding company Delfin. In its latest configuration, Del Vecchio held 25% of its capital. Under Delfin’s umbrella are considerable stakes in banking and insurance companies as well.
Unlike some of Italy’s flashier industrialists, like TV magnate Silvio Berlusconi and Fiat’s Gianni Agnelli, Del Vecchio kept a low-profile, to the point that Italian media dubbed him “Mr. Nobody.”
Corriere della Sera daily quoted him as saying of his early mentors in the trade: “They left me with several important lessons — discipline, method and competence.”
Del Vecchio preached simplicity. “For years my lunch was based on boiled cabbage. Its smell reminds me of the great effort, the dream that I had to do something that was mine, even if small, but where I could put to use my ideas and my abilities,″ the Milan daily quoted him as saying.
He remained untouched by the corruption scandals that rocked Italian business and political power spheres in the early 1990s.
“I don’t like paying taxes, but I like sleeping at night,” Del Vecchio told The Associated Press in an interview at company headquarters in 1995.
Premier Mario Draghi, an economist who had headed the European Central Bank, issued a tribute from Germany, where he was participating in the G-7 summit.
“For more than 60 years a protagonist of Italian entrepreneurship, Del Vecchio created one of the biggest companies of the country, starting out from humble origins,” Draghi said in a written statement. The industrialist “brought the community of Agordo and the entire country to the center of the world of innovation,” the Italian premier said.
Del Vecchio married three times, including two times with his second wife, Nicoletta Zampillo. He had six children: son Claudio and two daughters from his first marriage to Luciana Nervo; a son, Leonardo Maria from his marriage to Zampillo; and two sons, Luca and Clemente, with Sabina Grossi, a former investor in the group, La Repubblica newspaper said. | https://www.wane.com/news/business/ap-business/leonardo-del-vecchio-founded-luxottica-eyewear-empire-dies/ | 2022-06-28 11:30:10 | 1 | https://www.wane.com/news/business/ap-business/leonardo-del-vecchio-founded-luxottica-eyewear-empire-dies/ |
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California water agencies that rely on the parched Colorado River said Wednesday they can reduce their use by one-tenth starting in 2023 in response to calls for cuts from the federal government.
The agencies, which supply water to farmers and millions of people in Southern California, laid out their proposal in a letter to the U.S. Department of the Interior. It comes as drought exacerbated by climate change continues to diminish the river, and months after the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation first called on users to voluntarily limit their reliance on it.
California shares the river’s water with six other states, tribes and Mexico. It has rights to the single largest share and is the last to lose water in times of shortage.
The proposal to cut 400,000 acre feet annually marks the first time California water agencies are publicly and formally indicating what they’re willing to give up since federal officials demanded major cuts this summer. California has been under pressure from other states to figure out how to use less as river reservoirs drop so low they risk losing the ability to generate hydropower and deliver water.
“While a broad multi-state agreement to conserve water across the Basin has not been reached, the California agencies propose to take voluntary action now to conserve water in coming months,” the California agencies wrote.
An acre-foot of water is enough to supply about two households for a year. California is entitled to 4.4 million acre feet of Colorado River water each year.
Four California agencies use the river’s water: The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, the Imperial Irrigation District, the Palo Verde Irrigation District and the Coachella Valley Water District.
The proposed cuts are contingent on the water agencies getting money from the $4 billion in drought relief included in the Inflation Reduction Act, as well as a commitment by the federal government to help clean up the Salton Sea, a drying lake fed by diminishing runoff from Imperial Valley farms.
The letter was scant on details. The agencies said they have “a collection of proposed water conservation and water use reduction opportunities” that would help keep more water in Lake Mead, one of the river’s key reservoirs.
It did not list any specific projects, or specify the rate of payment the agencies are expecting. But the federal government has previously said the $4 billion could be used for short-term conservation measures, like paying farmers to leave their fields unplanted, and long-term efficiency projects such as lining canals to prevent water loss.
The Imperial Irrigation District receives a larger share of the river than any other entity. It’s the only source of water for crops in California’s southeastern desert, where many of the nation’s winter vegetables, like broccoli, as well as feed crops like alfalfa are grown.
The district is willing to contribute up to 250,000 of the acre-feet committed by California, General Manager Henry Martinez said in a statement.
Farmers in the valley are already planning out their crops for next year. The longer it takes to reach a final deal, the more money farmers could expect as compensation for leaving their fields unplanted, said JB Hamby, a member of the district’s board.
“If you want more participation, the prices will need to be higher,” he said.
The Metropolitan Water District relies on the Colorado River to provide a third of Southern California’s urban water supply. In a statement, General Manager Adel Hagekhalil didn’t commit to a specific conservation number but said the district will work with its users and board to figure out a reasonable amount.
The Interior Department did not have a comment on the letter, spokesman Tyler Cherry said.
All eyes have been on California to offer cuts. Both Arizona and Nevada were told in August they’d get less water under earlier drought agreements.
Tom Buschatzke, director of the Arizona Department of Water Resources, declined to comment specifically on California’s letter. But he said earlier Wednesday that Arizona cannot be expected to contribute more than California, considering it stands to lose more under mandatory cuts because of the existing priority structure.
“We want more equitable guidelines, it’s not gallon per gallon,” he said.
The Salton Sea formed in 1905, when the Colorado River overflowed, and was once considered a destination. But the lake has been drying up in recent decades, exposing residents to harmful dust and hurting ecosystems.
In 2019, when the Lower Basin states negotiated a drought plan, the irrigation district refused to sign on because it didn’t come with money for the sea.
California’s letter said any conservation efforts would require a commitment by the federal government to help stabilize the sea.
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Associated Press writer Felicia Fonseca contributed from Flagstaff, Arizona. | https://www.koin.com/news/business/ap-business/ap-california-water-agencies-offer-colorado-river-savings/ | 2022-10-06 02:00:19 | 0 | https://www.koin.com/news/business/ap-business/ap-california-water-agencies-offer-colorado-river-savings/ |
NEW YORK, Jan. 17, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Paramount Global (NASDAQ: PARA, PARAA) announced today that it will report fourth quarter and full year 2022 financial results on Thursday, February 16, 2023. The company will conduct a conference call at 8:30 a.m. (ET) following the release of its earnings materials.
A live audio webcast will be available on Paramount's Investors homepage at ir.paramount.com beginning at 8:30 a.m. (ET) on February 16.
The conference call can also be accessed by dialing 844-200-6205 (domestic) or 929-526-1599 (international) using access code 416904. Please call five minutes in advance to ensure that you are connected prior to the call.
An audio replay of the call will be available beginning at 11:30 a.m. (ET) on February 16 in the Events, Webcasts & Annual Meetings section of Paramount's Investors homepage, and at 866-813-9403 using access code 478381.
The earnings release and any other information related to the call will be accessible on the Investors homepage of Paramount's website.
Paramount Global (NASDAQ: PARA, PARAA) is a leading global media and entertainment company that creates premium content and experiences for audiences worldwide. Driven by iconic studios, networks and streaming services, Paramount's portfolio of consumer brands includes CBS, Showtime Networks, Paramount Pictures, Nickelodeon, MTV, Comedy Central, BET, Paramount+, Pluto TV and Simon & Schuster, among others. Paramount delivers the largest share of the U.S. television audience and boasts one of the industry's most important and extensive libraries of TV and film titles. In addition to offering innovative streaming services and digital video products, the company provides powerful capabilities in production, distribution and advertising solutions.
For more information about Paramount, please visit www.paramount.com and follow @ParamountCo on social platforms.
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SOURCE Paramount Global | https://www.wagmtv.com/prnewswire/2023/01/17/paramount-global-report-fourth-quarter-full-year-2022-financial-results-february-16-2023/ | 2023-01-17 22:49:42 | 1 | https://www.wagmtv.com/prnewswire/2023/01/17/paramount-global-report-fourth-quarter-full-year-2022-financial-results-february-16-2023/ |
NEW YORK, Jan. 18, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Juan Monteverde, founder and managing partner of the class action firm Monteverde & Associates PC (the "M&A Class Action Firm"), a national securities firm rated Top 50 in the 2018-2021 ISS Securities Class Action Services Report and headquartered at the Empire State Building in New York City, is investigating Golden Matrix Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: GMGI), relating to its proposed merger with MeridianBet Group. Click here for more information: https://www.monteverdelaw.com/case/golden-matrix-group-inc. It is free and there is no cost or obligation to you.
We are a national class action securities litigation law firm that has recovered millions of dollars and is committed to protecting shareholders from corporate wrongdoing. We were listed in the Top 50 in the 2018-2021 ISS Securities Class Action Services Report. Our lawyers have significant experience litigating Mergers & Acquisitions and Securities Class Actions. Mr. Monteverde is recognized by Super Lawyers in 2013 and 2017-2019 as a Rising Star and in 2022 as a Super Lawyer in Securities Litigation. He has also been selected by Martindale-Hubbell as a 2017-2021 Top Rated Lawyer. Our firm's recent successes include changing the law in a significant victory that lowered the standard of liability under Section 14(e) of the Exchange Act in the Ninth Circuit. Thereafter, our firm successfully preserved this victory by obtaining dismissal of a writ of certiorari as improvidently granted at the United States Supreme Court. Emulex Corp. v. Varjabedian, 139 S. Ct. 1407 (2019). Also, we have recovered or secured over a dozen cash common funds for shareholders in mergers & acquisitions class action cases.
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SOURCE Monteverde & Associates PC | https://www.wagmtv.com/prnewswire/2023/01/18/shareholder-alert-mampa-class-action-firm-announces-investigation-golden-matrix-group-inc-gmgi/ | 2023-01-18 23:12:49 | 1 | https://www.wagmtv.com/prnewswire/2023/01/18/shareholder-alert-mampa-class-action-firm-announces-investigation-golden-matrix-group-inc-gmgi/ |
The Supreme Court is a disgrace! Since Chief Justice Roberts is incapable of cleaning up his court, Congress must do so and require ethical standards for SCOTUS in line with all other Justices in the country. It’s not OK for Justices to pal around with big money donors and it’s not OK for Justice Thomas to conceal 20 years of his financials and lavish gifts. I always believed Anita Hill when she spoke about Thomas’s character.
Additionally, SCOTUS continues to impede democratic representation. The Court took a wrecking ball to the 1965 Voting Rights Act. Because of SCOTUS, gerrymandering has eliminated majority rule in many states – majorities that no longer have representation. Gerrymandered districts have disenfranchised millions of voters.
The rot in the Supreme Court needs to be cleaned up. The legitimacy, transparency, impartiality, and the credibility of the Court needs to be restored as does the Voting Rights Act.
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Kathy Krucker
Midtown
Disclaimer: As submitted to the Arizona Daily Star. | https://tucson.com/opinion/letters/letter-supreme-court-ethics-voting-rights/article_42c2bc12-e462-11ed-9416-2f1ec4c342be.html | 2023-04-29 19:24:10 | 0 | https://tucson.com/opinion/letters/letter-supreme-court-ethics-voting-rights/article_42c2bc12-e462-11ed-9416-2f1ec4c342be.html |
Nebraska GOP posted explicit images of youth sex acts from graphic novel
OMAHA, Neb. (Nebraska Examiner) -The new-look Nebraska Republican Party took 10 hours of online fire Friday from Democrats and Republicans for sharing explicit, comic-book-style images from its official Twitter account that depicted young people performing oral sex and another sex act.
By the time the party deleted two explicit tweets, it was after 8 p.m., and the images had been captured and shared online repeatedly, a search of Twitter responses showed. Two lawyers privately questioned whether the posts might have violated state law. Two others said it didn’t.
Nebraska law prohibits publishing, creating or providing images showing minors having sex, but that typically targets recordings or pictures, not drawings. Several Republicans said the shared images came from “Gender Queer,” a graphic novel that some Iowa and Texas parents have objected to after finding it in high school libraries.
State GOP Chairman Eric Underwood, who helped lead an organized takeover of the party in July, told the Nebraska Examiner at 8:19 p.m. Friday that neither he nor party leadership had authorized either post on the state party’s Twitter account. He said he learned of the tweet Friday afternoon. He declined to answer follow-up questions.
He said, “The person responsible for the tweet, the outgoing communication director, has been removed from the account and is no longer responsible for any NEGOP communication.”
KLIN radio host Jack Riggins had been filling that role since July. Riggins declined to comment on the statement or tweets when reached late Friday evening. He said he was out of state.
But questions about who knew what and when lingered after Omaha CBS affiliate KMTV reported that Underwood had defended one of the tweets via text message to a reporter about 3 p.m. Friday before he later disavowed the tweets.
Responding to Kleeb
The first tweet sharing the images from the GOP account responded to a Thursday post by Nebraska Democratic Party chair Jane Kleeb. She had poked fun at the state GOP platform saying “gambling devastates the family.” Nebraska voters approved adding casinos, she wrote.
At 10:34 a.m. Friday, the GOP account shared the explicit images and said, “Like fun haters against fellatio being taught to school age children? @janekleeb Well u are right !! We have principles and values, not “everything goes” policies. Sorry to be sane.”
The response was swift. Former state Democratic Party leader Vince Powers, a lawyer, tweeted that the “@negop has posted child pornography on Twitter. I won’t retweet it. It’s disgusting.”
The chairman of the York County GOP, Stephen Postier, tweeted that the state party’s new leaders should “do the honorable thing and resign immediately” if any of them thought the tweets and images shared were appropriate.
Kleeb, asked about the tweets and responses, said Nebraskans are tired of Republican conspiracy theories and “weird antics.” The party has “gone off the rails,” she said.
“They think lying about our public school teachers is a strategy to win elections,” she said.
One woman, a Republican and a mother who publicly objected to the Nebraska State Board of Education’s recent push for updated sex education standards, criticized the author of the graphic novel, schools that put “inappropriate material” in front of kids and the state GOP for sharing the images.
“Nobody has clean hands on this,” she said, speaking on the condition that she not be named.
Second tweet reuses images
A second tweet from the state GOP account at 3:48 p.m. Friday again included the images. It apologized “for the graphic nature of this tweet.” It said the party supports GOP values and candidates that protect children, their education and parental rights.
“The tweet showcases the hard facts of what materials and books are in Nebraska Schools, due to Democratic policies and agendas,” the post said, echoing Underwood’s text to KMTV.
Several state GOP sources said that they knew of at least one public school library in Nebraska where the party had been told the graphic novel was found and that the book was removed after a parent complained. They wouldn’t identify the school. The book is available at public libraries in Omaha and Lincoln, according to their online catalogs.
In other states, parents who objected to the graphic novel have done so based on its depictions of the author’s own exploration of being nonbinary. People who identify as nonbinary do not see themselves as exclusively male or female.
GOP leaders from around the state are gathering this weekend in Hastings to fill state party posts that were vacated in July, when many of the party’s top leaders who are aligned with Gov. Pete Ricketts resigned following the toppling of the party’s former leadership.
Democrat Deb Neary, a State Board of Education member targeted by the GOP for her role in pushing to update sex ed standards, wrote in a message that she was saddened that “people are intentionally spreading disinformation and fear- in order to win elections.”
State Board of Ed candidates
Neary said the uproar involving Friday’s tweets risks “hurting some of our more vulnerable student populations.” In Nebraska, local school boards, administrators and educators handle decisions about library books, she said.
“I am quite certain that there is no school administrator, no policy maker, no librarian, no educator, no Democrat, or no parent in NE, that is intentionally promoting the use of inappropriate materials in our schools,” Neary wrote.
“I do not know anything about that particular book that is being discussed by the NE GOP. I do know that Nebraska is one of only 2 states in the country that does not have an age appropriate and standardized health education.”
Four Republican candidates for the state Board of Ed — Kirk Penner, Elizabeth Tegtmeier, Sherry Jones and Marni Hodgen — issued a joint statement late Friday aiming at school libraries and curricula that they said have worried conservative parents for years.
“We stand with parents and will unite to protect the innocence of Nebraska’s students,” the statement said. “One of the reasons the four of us are running is because we believe that pornography and radical gender theory have no place in Nebraska schools.”
Copyright 2022 KOLN. All rights reserved. | https://www.1011now.com/2022/08/20/nebraska-gop-posted-explicit-images-youth-sex-acts-graphic-novel/ | 2022-08-20 18:01:03 | 0 | https://www.1011now.com/2022/08/20/nebraska-gop-posted-explicit-images-youth-sex-acts-graphic-novel/ |
Rosevelt Rawls has been singing since she was ten years old. Making a name for herself with performances alongside the likes of Dick Van Dyke.
Now fifteen, she’s using her incredible voice to send a powerful message to children everywhere.
“I learned the statistics that five kids every day die of child abuse and neglect, and like everyone you just kind of say wow that’s a lot and I really wanted to use my voice for good,” said Rosevelt.
Teaming up with Childhelp, a longtime Valley organization hoping to put an end to that heartbreaking statistic.
Last year she traveled to schools across the Valley, hosting 45 assembly concerts for more than 10,000 students.
Called the Music and Message tour, she warmed up the crowds with her vocals but followed it up with something much more important.
“We give them five safety rules that Child Help provides through their speak up and be safe curriculum,” said Rosevelt. “We also make sure to give them our hotline number 1-800-4-A-CHILD and have them repeat it back to me.”
Phrases like “it’s my body”, “tell someone” and “it’s never my fault”, help empower children to speak up if they’re experiencing abuse of any kind.
“It was amazing to see the ease in which she’s able to connect with these students, you can just tell that they all related to her in some way, that they understood her message and that they’re going to remember it for a very long time,” said Rita Ann Reznick with Florence Unified School District.
“It’s a serious problem and Child Help is doing their part to help but it takes all of us and it takes somebody like this young 15-year-old to spend her life helping others the way she is,” said ChildHelp Founder Sara O’Meara. “It’s magnificent and she relates to the children, and they relate to her.”
Recently Rosevelt learned she was getting the opportunity of a lifetime.
“When I got the call from Chapel Heart saying that you’re coming on tour with us it was, it felt like a dream and still does,” said Rosevelt.
She’ll now take her act on the road and was invited to open for America’s Got Talent Finalists Chapel Heart at sixty stops across the country.
“Every city that we’re at, we’ll be hitting at least one school tour and our goal is to do about one hundred school assemblies,” said Rosevelt.
Visits that allow her to spread her critical words of love and support. Delivering a simple yet impactful message.
“There is help and that all they need to do is speak up and it will keep them safe,” said Rosevelt.
Going on tour does have expenses for Rosevelt, if you’d like to support her mission. | https://www.abc15.com/news/uplifting-arizona/valley-teen-to-tour-with-chapel-hart-in-mission-to-stop-child-abuse | 2023-01-05 02:01:14 | 1 | https://www.abc15.com/news/uplifting-arizona/valley-teen-to-tour-with-chapel-hart-in-mission-to-stop-child-abuse |
WASHINGTON (AP) — With Ecuadorian President Guillermo Lasso by his side, President Joe Biden said Monday the U.S. is looking to expand and strengthen the U.S. relationship with one of its staunchest allies in South America and a country that’s getting plenty of attention from China.
Lasso’s visit to Washington comes as his tiny nation is on the verge of completing a trade agreement with China, the United States’ strongest economic competitor. China this year surpassed the United States as Ecuador’s top trading partner on non-petroleum goods.
The already fragile economy in oil-exporting Ecuador was battered by the coronavirus outbreak. One of Lasso’s top priorities when he took office last year was to sign a free trade agreement with the United States, joining Colombia and Chile as the only other countries in South America to enjoy such privileged status.
But Biden, in the first two years of his presidency, has shied away from entering new trade pacts as he’s focused on first settling a U.S. economy that’s been battered by the pandemic, historic inflation and supply chain issues exacerbated by Russia’s war in Ukraine.
“Today we’re going to keep building on the progress we’ve made,” Biden said at the start of an Oval Office meeting with Lasso. “Together, we’ve made historic strides.”
Lasso met with USAID administrator Samantha Power later Monday and was scheduled to hold talks with CIA Director William Burns, members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and others before returning to Quito on Wednesday.
Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., in a letter to the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation CEO Scott Nathan, urged the Biden administration to surge investment into Ecuador to counter China’s growing influence in the region.
“While the Biden administration continues to assert that the U.S. is the ‘partner of choice’ for Ecuador and other Latin American countries, governments and civil society in the region bemoan the lack of American-led, and other Western alternatives, to the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) current and future investments,” Rubio wrote.
The White House, in a statement following the meeting, said the finance corporation was releasing a $13.5 million disbursement to support microfinance loans in Ecuador and said USAID intended to provide $5 million to aid Lasso’s initiative to address child malnutrition in his nation.
The alliance has become more important to the U.S. as much of South America has veered to the left, limiting the political space for cooperation with Washington, whose military and political interventions during the Cold War is recalled with bitterness across the region.
The U.S. Senate last week passed a bipartisan bill, the United State-Ecuador Partnership Act, which seeks to expand bilateral cooperation on the economy, security and environmental conservation. The effort is part of the annual defense bill that awaits Biden’s signature.
Among its provisions are a promise to transfer two excess U.S. Coast Guard cutters to help Ecuador patrol the protected waters around the Galapagos Islands, where China’s distant water fishing fleet has become an unwelcome presence.
“Without a doubt, yes, we have been allies for decades now,” Lasso said. “And I am here to reaffirm that theory that we share among us as allies in our fight for democracy, peace and justice — not only in the region but also to support your vision throughout the world.”
While the Biden administration says it is invested in Ecuador’s success, Lasso confronts a long list of major challenges. Chief among them is the growing influence of criminal gangs — which have been behind a number of recent prison riots — and an economy pegged to the U.S. dollar that has struggled to compete with cheaper production costs in neighboring countries.
Eric Farnsworth, a vice president of the Council of Americas in Washington, said the U.S. would be wise to provide meaningful assistance to Ecuador, which he described as a “strong democracy in a troubled neighborhood,” whether it’s from criminal gangs in Colombia or ongoing unrest in Peru.
“He needs help and the U.S. is in a position to provide some,” said Farnsworth, who nonetheless thinks it is too early for the U.S. to commit to a free trade agreement. “Hopefully he will return to Quito with more than just praise.”
Lasso told reporters after meeting with Biden that they spent much of their roughly hour-long conversation talking about migration.
A U.S. court has ordered that immigration authorities can no longer quickly expel prospective asylum seekers. Title 42, as it’s called, has been used more than 2.5 million times to expel migrants since March 2020. The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday issued an order temporarily blocking the lower court order to lift pandemic-era restrictions on asylum seekers.
Ecuadorians represent only a fraction of the more than 2.7 million migrants encountered on the southwest border in the last fiscal year, but their numbers have been steadily rising since the coronavirus pandemic.
___
Goodman reported from Miami. AP writer Gabriela Molina in Quito, Ecuador, contributed to this report. | https://www.krqe.com/news/politics/ap-biden-us-looking-to-strengthen-relationship-with-ecuador/ | 2022-12-20 14:18:12 | 0 | https://www.krqe.com/news/politics/ap-biden-us-looking-to-strengthen-relationship-with-ecuador/ |
NPR's Ari Shapiro talks with singer Burna Boy about his connection to his fans and the ways he makes sense of who he is as a person, and who he is as a performer.
Copyright 2022 NPR
NPR's Ari Shapiro talks with singer Burna Boy about his connection to his fans and the ways he makes sense of who he is as a person, and who he is as a performer.
Copyright 2022 NPR | https://www.wbaa.org/2022-12-23/a-sense-of-self-burna-boy-brings-nigerian-sounds-to-a-global-audience | 2022-12-23 22:44:09 | 0 | https://www.wbaa.org/2022-12-23/a-sense-of-self-burna-boy-brings-nigerian-sounds-to-a-global-audience |
Dr. Gunderson honored for lifetime of research that informs critical link between breastfeeding, gestational diabetes, and hypertension on future maternal cardiometabolic health and childhood obesity
ARLINGTON, Va., April 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Dr. Erica P. Gunderson, a prolific research scientist at Kaiser Permanente Northern California, has been named the recipient of the 2022-2023 March of Dimes Agnes Higgins Award in Maternal-Fetal Nutrition. Dr. Gunderson, a longtime senior research scientist in life-course cardiovascular and metabolic research at the Kaiser Permanente Northern California Division of Research, and Professor in the department of Health Systems Science at the Kaiser Permanente Bernard J. Tyson School of Medicine, is the scientist behind decades-long studies that have produced some of the field's most important and astounding findings on pregnancy and breastfeeding's links to diabetes and cardiovascular disease in young women.
The award will be presented to Dr. Gunderson at the annual meeting of the Pediatric Academic Society (PAS) in Washington, D.C. on April 30.
This recognition comes on the heels of Dr. Gunderson receiving, last year, the American Heart Association's annual award for the best research article focused on cardiovascular disease and stroke in women. She was recognized for her study that showed that blood pressure patterns seen during the first 20 weeks of pregnancy may offer critical clues to identify the patients most likely to develop high blood pressure complications later in their pregnancies, such as preeclampsia, which claims the lives of more than 70,000 women annually worldwide.
"Dr. Gunderson's pioneering, rigorous research on breastfeeding, diabetes and heart health is nothing short of extraordinary," said March of Dimes Chief Scientific Officer Dr. Emre Seli. "Her work has added multiple indispensable scientific puzzle pieces to the voluminous pile of data on the benefits of maternal breastfeeding and presented mothers one of the most powerful, non-medical tools for the prevention of diabetes and heart disease."
As a co-investigator on the groundbreaking, longitudinal Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) study, Dr. Gunderson's research shined a light on pregnancy outcomes and the benefits of breastfeeding for heart health. One major finding from the CARDIA study showed that gestational diabetes increased the relative risk of heart attack later in life - even when blood sugar levels returned to normal during the years following pregnancy. This finding is foundational to developing effective interventions for women.
"As a young public health worker who was greatly inspired by Agnes Higgins, I'm truly humbled to be receiving this award," said Dr. Gunderson. "From the time I was an undergraduate standing outside the NICU looking at premature babies, I wanted to make a difference in this field. I'm incredibly proud to receive this award for my contributions to unraveling the science of lactation, gestational diabetes and heart disease so we can change outcomes for the most at-risk mothers and babies."
Another pivotal piece of research Dr. Gunderson launched is the Study of Women, Infant Feeding and Type 2 Diabetes after Gestational Diabetes (SWIFT), one of the largest and most diverse prospective follow up studies of 1,033 women with gestational diabetes, to identify ways to improve the health of women and children. She found that longer breastfeeding was associated with a 50% lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes in women with and without gestational diabetes. Dr. Gunderson's findings effectively added diabetes to the list of diseases that breastfeeding may protect against – including the already well publicized protection against breast and ovarian cancers.
"Including her work on the predictive power of blood pressure patterns to identify preeclampsia risk, her years of grassroots public health efforts working with low-income mothers on gestational diabetes diet management and her mentorship of researchers in the space, Dr. Gunderson is the epitome what the Agnes Higgins award stands for, and the type of scientist March of Dimes is thrilled to celebrate," said Dr. Seli.
Dr. Gunderson's future research will focus on identifying the pathways responsible for lactation's effect on blood sugar and triglycerides; prevention of pregnancy hypertension; the early life behaviors that may improve the metabolic profiles of children born to mothers with gestational diabetes; exactly how long breastfeeding protects mothers from cardiometabolic disease; and preconception strategies to prevent gestational diabetes.
About March of Dimes
March of Dimes leads the fight for the health of all moms and babies. We support research, lead programs and provide education and advocacy so that every family can have the best possible start. Building on a successful 85-year legacy, we support every pregnant person and every family. To learn more about March of Dimes, please visit marchofdimes.org.
About the Agnes Higgins Award
The Agnes Higgins Award offers one annual recipient a cash award not tied to any research aims. Established in 1980, the Agnes Higgins Award honors the late Agnes Higgins of the Montreal Diet Dispensary for her innovation and years of service to the cause of improved maternal nutrition. A pioneer in devising methods of nutritional assessment and counseling, Mrs. Higgins greatly advanced the understanding of healthy eating and nutrition as a crucial factor in healthy pregnancy and prevention of low birthweight. While science, technology and discovery in the maternal health field has progressed and researchers have begun asking ever more nuanced questions, nutrition remains at the forefront of a healthy pregnancy, with an increasing body of data pointing to its interconnectedness to maternal morbidity and mortality, as well as fetal and neonatal health.
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SOURCE March of Dimes Inc. | https://www.wcjb.com/prnewswire/2023/04/28/dr-erica-p-gunderson-named-2022-2023-march-dimes-agnes-higgins-award-winner/ | 2023-04-28 14:19:34 | 0 | https://www.wcjb.com/prnewswire/2023/04/28/dr-erica-p-gunderson-named-2022-2023-march-dimes-agnes-higgins-award-winner/ |
Google was beloved as an employer for years. Then, it laid off thousands by email
Video above: Why has the tech industry had massive layoffs?
On the morning of Jan. 20, one Google employee had to call tech support after getting hit with an unusual error message when they tried to log in to their work system.
Another employee's manager was on vacation, so they had no one to reach out to when rumors of layoffs started to swirl.
A third was waking up to demands from their toddler when their phone started to buzz with text messages asking, "Are you safe?"
The three employees, who spoke to CNN on condition of anonymity, were all among the 12,000 workers laid off by Google that day. While the extent of the layoffs was staggering, and by far the largest cuts in its history, it was the way the cuts were handled that stunned many inside and outside the company.
Google, which for years ranked as the top company to work for in the United States, laid off thousands of workers by email. And not just any employees: Decades-long veterans of the company, at least one employee on health leave, and even an employee in labor with her second child were all cut, with little explanation. Employees were left scrambling to determine who had been let go and those affected had no opportunity to say goodbye to colleagues or pack up their desks, former workers told CNN.
To many, Google's approach to layoffs, while not unique, seemed out of step with its renowned employee-centric culture. Google has for years been the prototype of a company that put its employees' well-being top of mind, a fact almost as central to its public image as its core search engine. It lavished employees with large compensation packages and perks, from in-office climbing walls and free gourmet meals to at-work massages and childcare. The company engaged its staff in a common mission and encouraged them to freely share even critical thoughts at work. Known for its longtime mantra of "don't be evil," Google effectively operated with another, possibly synonymous ethos: "don't be corporate."
But for some former employees affected by the layoffs, the cuts were just the latest example of a culture shift they say has been underway at Google for years. A culture that prized openness and feted employees has increasingly been tested and eroded by internal scandals, walkouts, mounting public scrutiny, business demands and the reality that despite the best efforts of prior leaders, or more likely because of those efforts, Google has in fact become one very large corporation.
In interviews with CNN, more than half a dozen current and former Google employees, including several affected by the recent layoffs, described a company whose culture has been changing in big and subtle ways for years, including scaled back perks, reduced access to senior leadership and a focus on short-term business wins rather than long-term vision.
"At the end of the day, and probably at the beginning of the day, there is an abiding devotion to revenue and seemingly endless growth," another employee affected by the January mass layoff told CNN. "And that comes without any thought to employees' welfare in the end."
Margaret O'Mara, a tech historian and professor at the University of Washington who has written about the evolution of Silicon Valley, said Google's layoffs by email "reflect this problem that ... Google has become such a big and, some would say, bureaucratic company." That growth makes it "particularly" hard for Google "to maintain [its image] that 'we're a kinder, gentler capitalism, we're Google-y, we're people-centric.'"
Asked for comment on this story, Google pointed CNN to its blog post on the January layoffs. The company described the layoffs as a "difficult decision to set us up for the future" amid a difficult economic environment, and apologized that it would be "saying goodbye to some incredibly talented people we worked hard to hire and have loved working with."
The changes at Google are emblematic of a larger evolution in tech as Silicon Valley matures and the founders who desired to do things differently have either been pressured to appease Wall Street or are replaced by executives from more corporate backgrounds. Several other, major tech companies have laid off thousands of workers in recent months, many from their more experimental, innovative divisions, as the industry confronts the reality that it may not be able to continue growing at breakneck speed forever. Tech companies may also be seeking to regain some leverage over employees after years in which — through worker activism, a tight labor market and a negative shift in the public perception of tech giants — workers maintained significant power.
"I think tech is maybe no longer immune," one former employee said, adding that the layoffs marked "sort of the first move, or maybe the final move, of Google and a lot of the other tech companies becoming a little more normal."
"A lot of us workers at the bottom are just confused about where tech is headed," the former employee said.
'Not a conventional company'
When Claire Stapleton joined Google in 2007, it was a relatively new public company and had just landed for the first time at the top of Fortune's list of the top 100 companies to work for. During her early years there, she worked in marketing and became known as the "The Bard of Google" for the internal emails she sent celebrating the company's culture.
"For me, it wasn't the tube slides and climbing walls and the fact that they reimbursed your Wi-Fi, it really was for me, about the people and I cared about the mission and the sense that it was very creative and freewheeling," Stapleton told CNN in an interview.
Google founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin wrote in their first shareholder letter in 2004 that "Google is not a conventional company. We do not intend to become one." Among the company's core tenets laid out in that letter was that "our employees, who have named themselves Googlers, are everything," and told shareholders to "expect us to add [employee] benefits rather than pare them down over time."
The company emphasized the message that its employees were part of a larger mission to make the world a better, smarter place. Google has been known for allowing workers to spend 20% of their time on side projects that occasionally became real products. Longtime former employees recall when Page and Brin still hosted weekly all-hands meetings, known internally as "TGIFs." Other former employees discussed a practice still in place to screen potential new employees for "Google-yness," a personality fit with the company's culture of collaboration and openness, during job interviews.
Google's example set the stage for a wave of new-age companies that sought to emulate its example with open floor plans, in-office ping pong tables and luxe offsite events. But many point to 2015 as a turning point.
In March of that year, Ruth Porat, previously the chief financial officer of Morgan Stanley and one of the most powerful women on Wall Street, became Google's CFO. Months later, Page and Brin announced that Sundar Pichai would take over as Google's CEO, and that the company would be restructured to separate Google and the company's other ambitious projects into subsidiaries of Alphabet. It was also around this time that Google removed "don't be evil" from its code of conduct, replacing it with "do the right thing."
"You hire bankers and CFO positions from Wall Street and then they tend to want to please Wall Street, and you move away a little bit from what maybe the founders had intended," one former employee affected by the layoffs said. But, he added, the founders remained heavily invested in the company "so they sign off on this."
The transition from Google to Alphabet set the stage for huge growth in the company's share price, but it also changed the nature of what it meant to work for the tech giant, said Cameron Rout, a product manager who was among those laid off in January. Suddenly, many of the most ambitious projects were spun off into other business units.
"The problem was, suddenly, you didn't work for a company that was sending stuff to space or building autonomous cars," Rout said. Google was always, at its core, an advertising business, but he said, "there was an identity associated with Google where people know that you could be on the team making self-driving cars."
Google's culture and reputation were further challenged with a series of events in 2017 and 2018 when employees staged mass walkouts to protest what they said was a workplace culture that had turned a blind eye to sexual harassment and discrimination. Employees at the time also raised concerns about Google's business dealings with the military, work in China and accusations that the company retaliated against workers who criticized it.
In the wake of the walkouts, Google made some positive changes, including ending forced arbitration for sexual harassment and abuse claims from employees. But it also further clamped down on the internal transparency and openness that had been its hallmark, according to Stapleton, who helped organize the walkouts and left Google in 2019 after the company allegedly retaliated against her. (Google said at the time that an internal investigation found no evidence of retaliation.)
Stapleton, who now writes the Tech Support newsletter aimed at workers in the industry, said that "one of the major turning points" was when Google rolled back broad access to documents in its Google intranet and to other workers' public calendar events, making many of them need-to-know only following the protests.
"That's a great example of the tension in the culture ... everybody had open calendars forever," she said, "that you could see anybody's calendar was almost a flex of the culture, like, we're so trusting and open. And then, all of a sudden, they wanted to just dramatically roll that back to protect the power."
More recently, former employees say, Google has pulled back on material perks like in-office massages and travel and offsite meeting budgets. "I think a lot of us were hoping that it would be enough to keep our jobs because they were cutting all these expenses," one laid off worker said.
But the bigger effect has been from shifts to a culture that once welcomed employee feedback and criticism.
One former employee, whose job was to work across various teams advocating for user well-being and balance in users' relationship with technology, grew frustrated after repeatedly getting shut down and "cut out of conversations" and projects while trying to also push for employee wellness practices. The former employee eventually took a mental health leave for burnout.
"One of the things that I was really addressing in my leave, in terms of burnout, was this sense of trying to reconcile the difference between the talk about belonging," the former employee told CNN, "and realizing that even with all the talk of inclusivity, I couldn't actually show up as my whole, authentic self to work."
The employee was still on mental health leave when they were notified they'd been laid off in January.
Anxiety and anger after layoffs
Google, like fellow tech companies that recently announced layoffs, positioned the cuts as an economic necessity.
Alphabet grew its workforce by more than 50,000 employees over the past two years as booming demand for its services during the pandemic boosted profits. But in more recent quarters, the company's core digital ad business had slowed as recession fears caused advertisers to pull back their spending.
"The company is dealing with some real challenges, whether you have the legal and regulatory backdrop ... and we have a macroeconomic backdrop that is at best uncertain," said Scott Kessler, global tech sector lead at research firm Third Bridge. Alphabet in February posted a sharp decline in profits for the final three months of 2022, and earnings are expected to again fall year-over-year in the current quarter.
Despite some frustrations with how the layoffs were carried out, Google didn't entirely abandon its commitment to employees in the process, Rout noted. Affected US employees received at least 16 weeks salary in severance, in addition to other benefits, among the most generous packages provided to recently laid off employees by tech giants.
Still, the layoffs have created insecurities and frustration among employees that remain at the company, according to current and former employees.
Hundreds of Google employees in Switzerland staged a walkout last week to protest layoffs, partly out of frustration with the lack of transparency. Meanwhile, in the United States, hundreds of additional workers have joined the grassroots Alphabet Workers Union since the layoffs were announced, according to Hayden Lawrence, a current Google engineer and member of AWU. Workers remaining at the company are "angry," Lawrence said, and "scared" that more cuts could be on the way, with little guarantee that strong performance or a long tenure will protect them.
"There's kind of a myth in tech that a lot of folks believe, that with a good work ethic and your own strong performance, you'll be able to remain employed," Lawrence told CNN. "But I think we've seen that you can't just rely on individually doing your best, we need to collectively work together and organize."
Google workers around the world over the weekend circulated a petition calling for better handling of the company's layoffs, including requests to prioritize filling new positions with recently laid off employees and respecting scheduled parental and other family leave. "Nowhere have workers' voices been adequately considered, and we know that as workers we are stronger together than alone," reads the open letter to Pichai, which by Monday had been signed by more than 1,400 employees.
The heightened feeling of insecurity doesn't just affect individual employees; it also risks chipping away whatever remains of Google's original internal culture. "The damage to the intangibles is so significant," Rout said. "It's painfully obvious from the inside that there's no way that whatever stock gain you're going to gain [is worth] the damage to the culture when Google's culture is its most important resource and everyone knows that."
Former employees noted that the concept of "psychological safety" — which former Google HR head Laszlo Block has said was key to the company's culture by promoting collaboration and open sharing of information — is compromised when employees start to worry if they're next.
"Google's sort of saying that they don't care about that anymore in the same way by the way that they've executed the layoffs and the way that they're talking about cutting perks and that sort of thing," Stapleton said. Even reports that Google has asked some employees to share desks amid office downsizing seems to reflect that shift, she said. "It's like you're not even like a full person at the company anymore. It was just so different before."
Stapleton added that while Google will almost certainly remain a desirable place to work, as one of the world's preeminent tech companies, the draw for employees may now be more about material perks like salary than the creativity and camaraderie that once defined the company's culture. In other words, it will be perceived like a more conventional company.
About a month before the January layoffs, one former employee said Google painted "You Belong" on one of the walls in their working area. It was part of a larger internal campaign to build morale among employees.
"I remember the first time I saw that there, I was like, 'that's really cute,' I loved the sticker so much I put it on my own laptop," the employee said. But after the layoffs, the message felt like "a dark joke."
"It's like, you belong here, but also 12,000 of you are now not allowed to even be on the campus [anymore]," the employee said. "There was some disconnection there, some communication loss about the company and the direction we were going." | https://www.wvtm13.com/article/google-laid-off-thousands-by-email/43363940 | 2023-03-21 04:24:53 | 0 | https://www.wvtm13.com/article/google-laid-off-thousands-by-email/43363940 |
NEW YORK, June 15, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Anchin, a premier accounting, tax, and advisory firm, has announced that Brian Glavotsky, CPA, MST, has joined the firm as a Partner in its Private Client Group. Brian specializes in providing tax advisory to high-net-worth individuals and families. He performs detailed research and analysis on complex tax issues, advising high-net-worth individuals as well as partnerships on the impacts of new tax law changes. Brian also specializes in fiduciary and gift tax returns and has extensive experience in international tax matters.
"Brian is a valued tax advisor and leader in the private client space," says Jared Feldman, Partner and Leader of the Firm's Private Client Group. "As we continue to see meaningful growth in our business, we are pleased that someone with his depth of experience is joining our team and I am excited to see the impact he will make both within the firm, and in being part of our mission to provide the highest-quality advice and strategies to our high-net-worth clients."
Anchin's Private Client Group offers a complete range of private client advisory services including family office and high-net-worth tax services that assist families in making decisions with full confidence that align with their big-picture objectives. Our team supports and collaborates with other key advisors to craft optimal strategies for tax planning and compliance, including how best to manage unique assets such as art, collectibles, and cryptocurrency, as well as family office structuring, creative planning for succession and wealth transfer, guidance on privately-owned businesses, matrimonial and litigation & valuation support needs.
About Anchin
Anchin is a leading accounting, tax and advisory firm, specializing in the needs of privately held companies, investment funds and high-net-worth individuals and families. Its highly focused industry specialization helps clients overcome challenges and achieve their financial objectives with exceptional confidence. Consistently recognized in respected "best of" lists for service, firm management and employee satisfaction, Anchin prioritizes partner-level engagement, and commitment to employee happiness. The full-service firm, with a team of 500, including more than 65 partners, provides a wide range of assurance, financial reporting, tax and advisory services, including tax strategies and compliance; tax credits and incentives; state and local and international tax strategies, family office strategies management and succession advisory; growth, transition and exit strategies; transaction advisory; client accounting advisory services; cybersecurity and digital risk solutions; and litigation support, forensic accounting and valuation services. Anchin has offices in New York City, Uniondale, New York, and in Boca Raton, Florida, and is an independent member of BKR International, a network of more than 160 firms with over 500 offices in over 80 countries around the world. Discover what's possible by visiting us online at www.anchin.com.
For further information:
Lisa Tomlinson
212.840.3456
lisa.tomlinson@anchin.com
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by: Chris McIntosh Posted: Dec 15, 2022 / 10:53 AM EST Updated: Dec 15, 2022 / 10:53 AM EST SHARE Robin Cleary with the Downtown Kingsport Association, previews all of the Christmas events coming up in downtown Kingsport! For more information go to christmasinkingsport.com | https://www.wjhl.com/daytime-tri-cities/christmas-in-downtown-kingsport/ | 2022-12-15 16:10:23 | 0 | https://www.wjhl.com/daytime-tri-cities/christmas-in-downtown-kingsport/ |
The Bossier Sheriff’s Office will conduct a sobriety checkpoint this Saturday evening, December 10,
starting at 8:00 p.m., that will continue to run into early Sunday morning at an undisclosed location in Bossier
Parish.
The goal of the checkpoint is to identify and remove impaired drivers from the road before they cause serious injury or death to themselves or others, and to increase public awareness of the seriousness of driving while impaired.
The sobriety checkpoint is being conducted as part of the recently increased Louisiana Highway Safety Commission Impaired Driving Enforcement grant of $20,000. The grant was awarded for the enforcement of impaired driving and other traffic violations, such as seat belt usage and speed laws, aimed at keeping motorists safe.
“This grant money will be used in setting up checkpoints throughout Bossier Parish that will help us
identify and remove impaired drivers off our roadways,” said Deputy Ryan Rhodes. “We often worked alongside the Louisiana State Police and other law enforcement agencies in the parish to help us in these efforts.”
“Our patrol deputies already do an outstanding job in identifying and arresting impaired drivers, but this grant will even further our efforts to remove motorists driving under the influence,” said Sheriff Whittington. Motorists are encouraged to report impaired drivers to law enforcement at any time in support of “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over.” The Bossier Sheriff’s Office can be reached 24 hours a day at 318-965-2203. | https://bossierpress.com/bossier-sheriffs-office-will-conduct-a-sobriety-checkpoint-this-saturday/ | 2022-12-10 05:55:42 | 1 | https://bossierpress.com/bossier-sheriffs-office-will-conduct-a-sobriety-checkpoint-this-saturday/ |
Vaughn Grissom Player Prop Bets: Braves vs. Padres - April 18
Published: Apr. 18, 2023 at 4:25 PM EDT|Updated: 1 hour ago
On Tuesday, Vaughn Grissom (coming off going 1-for-3) and the Atlanta Braves play the San Diego Padres, whose starting pitcher will be Blake Snell. First pitch is at 9:40 PM ET.
He had a one-hit performance in his most recent game (1-for-3) against the Padres.
Vaughn Grissom Game Info & Props vs. the Padres
- Game Day: Tuesday, April 18, 2023
- Game Time: 9:40 PM ET
- Stadium: PETCO Park
- Live Stream: Watch this game on Fubo!
- Padres Starter: Blake Snell
- TV Channel: BSSD
- Hits Prop: Over/under 0.5 hits (Over odds: -154)
- Home Runs Prop: Over/under 0.5 home runs (Over odds: +850)
- RBI Prop: Over/under 0.5 RBI (Over odds: +240)
- Runs Prop: Over/under 0.5 runs (Over odds: +185)
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Vaughn Grissom At The Plate (2022)
- Grissom hit .291 with six doubles, five home runs and 12 walks.
- Grissom had a hit in 26 of 43 games a year ago, with multiple hits in 12 of those games.
- He hit a long ball in 11.6% of his games last year (five of 43), and 3.2% of his trips to the plate.
- Grissom drove in a run in 11 of 43 games last season, with multiple RBIs in six of them. He drove in three or more runs in one game.
- In 46.5% of his games last season (20 of 43), he scored at least one run, and in four (9.3%) he scored two or more runs.
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Vaughn Grissom Home/Away Batting Splits (2022)
Padres Pitching Rankings (2022)
- The Padres pitching staff ranked fifth in MLB last season with a collective 9.1 strikeouts per nine innings.
- The Padres' 3.82 team ERA ranked 11th across all league pitching staffs.
- Padres pitchers combined to allow 173 total home runs at a clip of 1.1 per game (17th in baseball).
- Snell (0-2 with a 7.62 ERA and 16 strikeouts in 13 2/3 innings pitched) gets the start for the Padres, his fourth of the season.
- The lefty's most recent time out came on Wednesday against the New York Mets, when he went five innings, surrendering four earned runs while allowing six hits.
- In three games this season, the 30-year-old has a 7.62 ERA and 11.1 strikeouts per nine innings, while allowing a batting average of .327 to his opponents.
© 2023 Data Skrive. All rights reserved. | https://www.wistv.com/sports/betting/2023/04/18/vaughn-grissom-mlb-player-prop-bets/ | 2023-04-18 21:51:25 | 0 | https://www.wistv.com/sports/betting/2023/04/18/vaughn-grissom-mlb-player-prop-bets/ |
The Waterloo area can expect a sizzling hot day. Temperatures are projected to be a quite blistering high of 93. Today has the makings of a perfect day to hit the pool or find a nice air-conditioned room. 69 degrees is today's low. Today's conditions are expected to be clear, so there shouldn't been too many clouds in the sky. Today's UV index is high. Be careful outside, especially during late morning through mid-afternoon. If your shadow is shorter than you, seek shade and wear protective clothing and generously apply sunscreen on exposed skin. The area will see gentle winds today, with forecast models showing only 11 mph wind conditions coming up from the South. This report is created automatically with weather data provided by TownNews.com. Stay in the know. Visit wcfcourier.com for local news and weather.
Here is today's weather outlook for Jul. 4, 2023 in Waterloo, IA
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The Waterloo area can expect a very hot day. It should reach a balmy 82 degrees. A 62-degree low is forecasted. How likely is it that it'll ra… | https://wcfcourier.com/weather/here-is-todays-weather-outlook-for-jul-4-2023-in-waterloo-ia/article_42c73f8f-e3bd-5152-b9e2-09eb2b9ba6da.html | 2023-07-04 11:25:05 | 0 | https://wcfcourier.com/weather/here-is-todays-weather-outlook-for-jul-4-2023-in-waterloo-ia/article_42c73f8f-e3bd-5152-b9e2-09eb2b9ba6da.html |
SALERNO, Italy (AP) — Giro d’Italia favorite Remco Evenepoel was involved in a crash caused by a stray dog early in Wednesday’s rainy fifth stage, which was won by Kaden Groves.
On a wet and miserable day, Evenepoel also came off his bicycle a second time but that incident arrived in the final three kilometers so, as per the rules, the times will be neutralized.
He appeared furious after that crash, however, and it remains to be seen whether the world champion will suffer any after-effects.
Evenepoel crashed on the right side of the road early on, along with a number of other riders, after Soudal Quick-Step teammate Davide Ballerini was sent sliding on the wet surface as he tried to avoid a dog that had run out.
Evenepoel was quickly attended to by the race doctor and his team as he sat on the side of the road but eventually got up. He gave a thumbs-up to a television camera as he made the chase back to the peloton.
The Belgian rider led overall until Tuesday’s fourth stage, when the pink jersey was taken off him by Andreas Leknessund.
The 23-year-old Leknessund maintained his 28-second lead over Evenepoel on Wednesday, with Aurélien Paret-Peintre two seconds further back in third overall.
Groves edged out Jonathan Milan and Mads Pedersen in a bunch sprint at the end of the 171-kilometer (106-mile) route from Atripalda. There were two categorized climbs early on before a flat finale to Salerno.
The day was littered with crashes, including one on the final corner with about eight kilometers remaining, and one in the bunch sprint that sent Mark Cavendish sliding across the line.
Thursday’s sixth stage also has two categorized climbs on the 162-kilometer (101-mile) route that starts and finishes in Naples after going through Sorrento and along the Amalfi coast.
The Giro ends in Rome on May 28.
___
More AP sports: https://apnews.com/apf-sports and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | https://www.sfgate.com/sports/article/evenepoel-crashes-twice-groves-wins-wet-5th-18091066.php | 2023-05-10 16:32:56 | 1 | https://www.sfgate.com/sports/article/evenepoel-crashes-twice-groves-wins-wet-5th-18091066.php |
WHITEFISH — Just over 24 hours after the close of polls on Election Night, the campaign for Republican candidate Ryan Zinke declared victory in the race for Montana’s western congressional district. Zinke is running against Democrat Monica Tranel.
The campaign released a statement Wednesday evening just after 9:00 p.m. after Decision Desk HQ, a national election forecaster, projected Zinke would defeat Tranel. The Associated Press had not yet made its official call in the race.
After the election forecaster @DecisionDeskHQ projected @RyanZinke the winner in #MT01, Zinke's campaign has declared victory in a press release. "Truth matters, and now it's time to fight for freedom and protect our way of life in Montana,” Zinke is quoted. #MTNews #MTPol
— Jonathon Ambarian (@JSAmbarian) November 10, 2022
From the time polls closed on Tuesday evening results were coming in slowly from many of the large counties in the western district. By Wednesday morning, Zinke had a lead over Tranel.
Large updates from Flathead, Missoula and Gallatin counties began to come in around 5 p.m. and Zinke maintained his advantage.
Tranel’s campaign said she would make a statement on the election results at a news conference in Missoula Thursday morning.
During the campaign, Zinke focused on setting himself up as a check on the Biden administration's agenda. He called for dialing back federal spending, expanding energy production and tightening border security. | https://www.kxlf.com/news/zinke-camp-declares-victory-ap-yet-to-call-race | 2022-11-10 05:19:37 | 1 | https://www.kxlf.com/news/zinke-camp-declares-victory-ap-yet-to-call-race |
- TONOMUS Venture Studio is building a pipeline of ventures to foster entrepreneurship and develop cognitive tech
- Metaverse New Venture Competition is first in a series of competitions to feed into the Studio's portfolio of global ventures
LAS VEGAS, Jan. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The TONOMUS Venture Studio launched its activities today with the announcement of a new venture competition focused on the metaverse. The Studio is the venture building and venture investing engine of TONOMUS, the first subsidiary of NEOM and a multinational cognitive conglomerate powering the world's first ecosystem of cognitive technologies. The TONOMUS Venture Studio is tasked with building out a portfolio of ventures using Silicon Valley–influenced methodology and guidance. It will also build global talent capability and launch a new generation of entrepreneurs.
The Metaverse New Venture Competition is the first in a series of competitions. New venture competitions are a crucial element in the Studio's strategy to foster global entrepreneurship and develop ventures and investments that will nurture the environment; create new ways of living in community; and develop cognitive technologies across a broad array of sectors to empower humankind.
Beverly Rider, CEO of the TONOMUS Venture Studio, said, "We're at the tip of the iceberg of how we can leverage the metaverse to solve current and future problems. We'll need tremendous collaboration and ingenuity; ideas and perspectives from everyone, everywhere; a new generation of entrepreneurs; and truly pioneering technologies—some of which haven't even been contemplated yet. Entirely new industries are just waiting to be invented—when they are, we'll be able to unlock the promise of the metaverse."
The TONOMUS Venture Studio's series of new venture competitions will feed into the Studio's pipeline focused on the cognitive ecosystem, including Web3, hyperconnectivity, hyperscale data centers, computing capability, data privacy, intelligent analytics, AI, robotics, networking equipment and cloud infrastructure, digital twin technology, gaming, and more.
The TONOMUS New Venture Competition seeks ideas that leverage the metaverse, seamlessly integrating the physical and virtual across a broad range of industries: tourism, enterprise training, e-commerce, real estate, construction, arts and culture, entertainment, and more. Up to 20 semi-finalist teams will receive individualized coaching by experts from the TONOMUS Venture Studio and up to four winning teams will be invited to a 12-week program to incubate their ideas with the TONOMUS Venture Studio. The competition will open its call for submissions for six weeks starting on January 5.
About TONOMUS
TONOMUS is a world-leading technology enterprise powering the world's first ecosystem of cognitive technologies at NEOM, a region in Saudi Arabia charting the course for a new future fueled by pioneering technologies. TONOMUS' digital infrastructure will be the operating system of NEOM, enabling the bold ambitions of its communities and industries. In partnership with global tech-industry leaders, it will co-invent the future of living sustainably with groundbreaking cognitive technologies it will share with the world.
For more information, visit TONOMUS.NEOM.com
About the TONOMUS Venture Studio
The TONOMUS Venture Studio builds ventures that focus on the cognitive ecosystem, including connectivity, computing capability, AI, and robotics, as well as the fundamental infrastructure that will support it all. Home to the TONOMUS New Venture Competition series, the TONOMUS Venture Studio is building a portfolio of ventures using Silicon Valley–influenced methodology and guidance. It will also build global talent capability and launch a new generation of entrepreneurs.
For more information, visit TONOMUScompetitions.com
For further inquiries, please contact: media@neom.com
This material is distributed by Edelman on behalf of NEOM. Additional information is available at the Department of Justice, Washington, DC.
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There are only 100 days left until the World Cup in Qatar starts.
The first game of the tournament will be played between Qatar and Ecuador.
100 days left for the start of the World Cup in Qatar
FIFA World Cup
There are only 100 days left until the World Cup in Qatar starts.
The first game of the tournament will be played between Qatar and Ecuador.
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On a chilly February afternoon in Atlanta, Georgia, last year, hundreds of background actors filming a boxing-match scene for “Creed III” were asked to move from the arena they’d been cheering in to a large tent nearby. Once inside, they took turns sitting and cheering again, except now they were sitting by themselves in front of a circle of small cameras that filmed their movements in great detail. A production assistant behind the cameras held up cue cards. “Stand up!” said one. “Cheer!” said another. The scans would be used to fill out crowd scenes, they were told, making 200 human actors look like thousands.
Stephen Shutters was one of those actors, and he didn’t think much of it at the time. “No one did,” he says.
Now he is thinking about it. He wonders what MGM Studios, the production company behind “Creed III,” did with his scans. Were they deleted? Were they used for another film? Did they help train an AI model that could conjure fake background actors? At the time, the studio didn’t say or offer any sort of paperwork for the scanning.
MGM did not respond to a request for comment. Shutters’ hindsight comes thanks to growing corporate interest in using generative AI to replace background actors in films, an idea that would take crowd-filling effects to the next level. It’s one thing to conjure a few buildings out of CGI and maybe populate an arena, but individual human actors?
The idea isn’t outlandish; I made my own AI clone without too much trouble earlier this year. And the prospect has fueled the first strike by both Hollywood actors and writers since 1960, with unions calling for better pay and more transparency over what happens to a performer’s digital likeness.
They are well within their rights to do so, and if studios continue to resist those demands (which they appear to be doing so far), they’ll be acting like hypocrites. Studios themselves are under threat from having their content scraped too — by AI companies — and without proper permission or proper financial compensation. Broadly speaking, everybody needs to start disclosing how digital content is being used, and paying people fairly for it.
Encouragingly, things seem to be moving in that direction. OpenAI this month signed a deal with the Associated Press to license its news archive, and the AI firm also expanded its licensing deal with Shutterstock, the stock-photo provider, to help it produce more realistic AI photos. Such deals are critical to making AI tools like ChatGPT smarter and also fairly compensating content creators.
In movies, though, OpenAI isn’t a big player. That role goes to other AI companies such as Runway, a New York-based startup whose system can generate brief video clips based on text prompts. The tool was used to conjure the moving background for the whimsical “rock scene” in the Oscar-winning film “Everything Everywhere All at Once.” The scene looks realistic enough you may not even be able to tell it was AI-generated.
Runway’s technology was also used to make a short film called “Thank You For Not Answering,” which has more of the warped, weird quality of AI content, with AI-generated human faces that wobble and contort (see below). But such systems are improving, especially when trained on more footage. Runway has trained its AI tools on a variety of datasets, including one comprising 240 million images and another with 6.4 million video clips. A spokesman for the startup did not elaborate on their sources.
Background actors (formerly known as extras), as well as small-time actors who have walk-on parts on TV and movies, are probably the most vulnerable to these kinds of tech advancements. A studio could, for instance, get an actor to come in for two days’ worth of filming instead of 10 and use the footage to train an AI system to generate their “acting” for the rest of the film.
Studios have told the US actors union SAG-AFTRA that they can protect a performer’s digital likeness. That’s a good start, but if they are going to take away several days’ worth of wages from performers, that also limits their potential to build a career, or hold on to work for long enough to get their big break. At the very least, they should ensure that those actors’ likenesses aren’t just “protected” but properly compensated, with future uses disclosed.
Streaming companies like Netflix Inc. have become notorious in Hollywood for hiding their viewership numbers, claiming there’s no way for them to know how profitable a show is. That’s hogwash, and is almost certainly aimed making it harder for production staff to negotiate for better rates. How can they, after all, if they don’t know how successful a show or movie has been on a streaming platform?
The latest strikes demonstrate that Hollywood and the streaming platforms need to end their culture of secrecy around content — from viewer numbers, to their practice of scanning background actors with no agreements over use. Contracts for background actors aren’t so common, particularly in Atlanta, where many films are made thanks in part to the almost nonexistent union presence. Shutters, who worked on “Creed III” in Atlanta, says he’s never signed a contract with a film studio over its use of his work. He’s only ever had to deal with tax paperwork or nondisclosure agreements for doing movies for the Walt Disney Company. Perhaps that should change.
Dariush Seif-Amirhosseini is another background actor who remembers being asked to visit a trailer, while filming “Cruella” in 2019, and being scanned for 10 minutes in front of a plastic rig of cameras. He was told it was crowd filling, but has no idea what happened to the footage afterward. The experience now haunts him.
“Once I started seeing digital replicas of major actors in Hollywood films I started to think about my experience,” he says. “I think it will put a lot of people out of jobs. It’s very lacking in soul. It doesn’t feel morally or ethically correct.”
Hollywood is almost certainly building its own set of demands for AI companies. But it should heed those same demands from performers too, or the business of making movies will become more soulless all around.
More From Bloomberg Opinion:
• Your Future AI Will Have Multiple Personalities: Parmy Olson
• Does Mark Zuckerberg Even Want Threads to Replace Twitter?: Dave Lee
• Twitter’s Dying. Time to Drop the News Paywalls: David Love
This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.
Parmy Olson is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering technology. A former reporter for the Wall Street Journal and Forbes, she is author of “We Are Anonymous.”
More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com/opinion
©2023 Bloomberg L.P. | https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2023/07/20/hollywood-actors-and-writers-strike-ai-shines-a-spotlight-on-industry-hypocrisy/7561dd6a-26ca-11ee-9201-826e5bb78fa1_story.html | 2023-07-20 08:05:20 | 0 | https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2023/07/20/hollywood-actors-and-writers-strike-ai-shines-a-spotlight-on-industry-hypocrisy/7561dd6a-26ca-11ee-9201-826e5bb78fa1_story.html |
NEW YORK (AP) — Bill Gates and Melinda French Gates combined characteristic optimism with sobering questions about persistent gender inequality and hunger at an event focused on reaching global development goals that the Gateses’ foundation convened on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly.
Bill Gates again made the case for investments in agricultural technologies — like modified seeds that are drought resistant — to address food insecurity. But the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation also announced Wednesday a $100 million donation meant to respond to hunger and malnutrition more quickly. The donation will fund projects like a private sector partnership to subsidize fertilizer for African farmers, as well as other initiatives.
French Gates lamented the slow movement toward gender equality in a speech, asking, “How can we go about changing the face of power in our institutions, in our communities, and, yes, in our families?”
The annual Goalkeepers events at Jazz at Lincoln Center in New York took place for the first time in person since before the start of the coronavirus pandemic. They are meant to draw attention to the 17 Sustainable Development Goals related to poverty, hunger, equity, health, education and climate change mitigation.
Progress toward meeting many of the goals by 2030 has stalled and in fact, slid backwards, according to assessments by the Gates Foundation as well as U.N. agencies.
However, the foundation did mark some successes, honoring the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, for her leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic. It hailed the European Union’s export of more than a billion vaccine doses and promised new investments in health care manufacturing in African countries.
In a speech accepting the Global Goalkeeper Award on Tuesday evening, von der Leyen said she shared it with “millions of ordinary Europeans who have helped us all make it through the pandemic.”
That is despite the world’s dismal record on health equity as measured through access to tests, treatments and vaccines. Numerous barriers hampered broader vaccine production — from lack of manufacturing capacity and raw materials to opposition, from Gates and others, to loosening intellectual property rules.
“The bottom line is that should never, ever happen again,” said Mark Suzman, the foundation’s CEO, when asked if the foundation should do anything differently to ensure equitable vaccine access. He also emphasized the foundation’s commitment to building better pandemic response plans.
Vanessa Nakate also received an award for her work to reduce suffering. The Ugandan activist started protests to demand action on climate change in her country and now has founded initiatives to install solar panels and efficient stoves in schools there.
In an interview with The Associated Press earlier this month, Nakate said the human costs of the climate crisis are still missing from global summits like this one. “It’s really the human face that tells the story, that tells the experiences of what communities are going through,” she said.
The foundation also recognized Afghan journalist Zahra Joya, founder of the news organization, Rukhshana Media that covers issues affecting women, and the doctor, Radhika Batra, who cofounded an Indian nonprofit, Every Infant Matters.
Abby Maxman, Oxfam America president, pointed to the blockbuster profits earned by fossil fuel companies as an example of the gulf between what the world knows it needs to do in order to achieve a livable future and the actions we are actually taking.
“It really is extraordinary that as humanity faces these truly existential crises, there is still more incentive to destroy our planet than to save lives and save the planet,” she said.
At this year’s general assembly, Antonio Guterres, the U.N. Secretary-General, told world leaders in his opening remarks that they need to tax the profits of fossil fuel companies.
Leaders are not bound by the suggestion, and the U.N. generally lacks enforcement mechanisms to hold countries accountable for their commitments and pledges, like those made to meet the global development goals.
Helping to hold leaders accountable and convening discussions are roles philanthropies can play, said Patricia McIlreavy, president and CEO of the Center for Disaster Philanthropy. Even the name, “Sustainable Development Goals,” can make what they represent hard to understand, she said.
“I don’t think we put things in layman’s terms often enough to kind of connect people to it. I mean, it’s Jackson, Mississippi. It’s having access to clean water. It’s having an expectation of being able to survive and thrive,” she said.
Goalkeepers is only one of several events in New York on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly. The Clinton Global Initiative reconvened this year for the first time since 2016. President Joe Biden hosted the fundraising drive for The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria that is seeking to raise $18 billion. The Gates Foundation announced Wednesday a commitment of $912 million over the next three years to the Global Fund.
___
Associated Press coverage of philanthropy and nonprofits receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content. For all of AP’s philanthropy coverage, visit https://apnews.com/hub/philanthropy. | https://www.conchovalleyhomepage.com/news/business/ap-gates-foundation-prods-un-honors-inspiration-as-goalkeepers/ | 2022-09-22 16:27:02 | 1 | https://www.conchovalleyhomepage.com/news/business/ap-gates-foundation-prods-un-honors-inspiration-as-goalkeepers/ |
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – Hundreds of customers with Summit Utilities have been seeing their gas bill skyrocket leaving some Arkansans frustrated and demanding answers. Arkansas leaders like Attorney General Tim Griffin responded to the concern after his office received hundreds of complaints.
Griffin said his office has received 650 calls and emails since last week about Summit Utilities’ high energy bills. Griffin said on Facebook, he learned from some customers that they were overcharged due to an error in Summit’s billing system.
“One was they [Summit] took over from the CenterPoint so they are making a transition on their computer system, they were sending out some estimated bills and maybe that was the source of the different level of billing,” Griffin said.
Brian Bowen, the Senior Director of External Affairs for Summit Utilities said the data processing issue is no longer a problem.
“The data processing issue that some of our customers may have seen is a result of a transition from the acquisition of Summit and CenterPoint Energy, in November we began transitioning our billing from CenterPoint to Summit and on January the 11th, as part of our faze in, we went live with an estimated function,” Bowen said. “When we turned on that function, we had meter pools bucketed that were not transferred over into the new system. We caught that problem and have fixed that problem.”
Bowen added anyone that has received an estimated bill will receive within the next day or more a corrected bill. However, Bowen said most of their customers should see a “slight reduction in their bill” as he said there will be “about a 4% deviation.”
Bowen said the real issue that is impacting their customers’ bills is the cost of gas.
“The single contributing factor to the increase in customer bills is the cost of gas, the commodity pricing of the cost of gas has quadrupled recently across the nation,” Bowen said.
Bowen said Summit purchases gas and passes it on to the customer and there is no profit to be made from that to the company.
Bowen also said the reason why the price of gas has increased is because of outside entities.
“We have seen significant winter storms, so demand has gone up and the war in Ukraine has also had a significant impact on the price of gas,” Bowen said.
Griffin said that is something he has spoken to Summit Utilities CEO Kurt Adams about.
“Summit Utilities has talked about the recent increase in gas prices which I understand prices go up, prices go down. But the question is does that fully explain all of these increases and that is what I’m looking into,” Griffin said.
Griffin added that he talked with Summit about what they can do to further find reasons to why the increase was caused.
“I’m going to take 10 sample bills and look at the increase and get my staff on the phone with their staff at Summit and we are going to really dig down into the details and figure out bill by bill what explains the increase,” Griffin said.
Griffin said he is also digging into more questions regarding the increase in bills.
“At the end of the day, my focus is on why the elevation in bill amounts for some people and not for others because you would think if it’s merely a function of prices going up then everyone would have higher bills as a general matter and that’s not the case,” Griffin said.
Ricky Lindley said his bill for January is slightly above $200 dollars which he adds is more than his usual amount. He hopes the state further looks at the cause of the increase because it is affecting his wallet.
“I’m on social security disability and on a fixed income, I’m 58 years old and I would have never dreamed of seeing a gas bill more than my electric bill; it’s always been less,” Lindley said.
Bowen said other than customers turning down their meters to conserve energy, there are assistance programs customers can use to receive help in paying their bills.
Griffin said he will be having further conversations with Summit about the increase in people’s bills and they will be providing updates. | https://www.fox16.com/news/investigates/attorney-general-tim-griffin-responds-to-concern-after-hundreds-of-summit-utilities-bill-complaints/ | 2023-02-02 04:10:12 | 1 | https://www.fox16.com/news/investigates/attorney-general-tim-griffin-responds-to-concern-after-hundreds-of-summit-utilities-bill-complaints/ |
Conference call to discuss financial and operational results scheduled for Tuesday, November 15, at 8:30 a.m. U.S. Eastern Time
HENDERSON, Nev., Nov. 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- VolitionRx Limited (NYSE AMERICAN: VNRX) ("Volition") today announced financial results and a business update for the third quarter ended September 30, 2022. Volition management will host a conference call tomorrow, November 15 at 8:30 a.m. U.S. Eastern Time to discuss these results. Conference call details can be found below.
"I am delighted with the progress we have made across many of our Nu.Q® pillars as we move forward from purely a research and development company to a commercial company with a wide range of innovative products. This quarter, and subsequent to quarter end, I am proud we have executed yet another global supply agreement with a market leader in pet healthcare," commented Cameron Reynolds, President and Group Chief Executive Officer of Volition.
"Our Nu.Q® Vet Cancer Test is now available in the U.S., and soon to be available in Europe, through Heska Corporation's veterinary diagnostic laboratories. This is a significant step forward in achieving our goal of making affordable canine cancer screening accessible worldwide, and we expect to see more companies launching our product soon. We also continued to make strong progress with Nu.Q® NETs in terms of data publication, commencement of clinical studies, extending our KOL network and commencing commercial discussions with potential licensing targets. We believe that there is enormous potential for Nu.Q® NETs to support clinical decision-making, enabling physicians to act quickly, and improve patient outcomes."
Company Highlights
Financial
- Cash and cash equivalents as of September 30, 2022, totaled approximately $16.4 million compared with $16.7 million at the quarter ended June 30, 2022.
- Received approximately $6.4 million net of underwriter's fees and expenses in cash through an underwritten public offering of its common stock.
- Secured a further $1.5 million in non-dilutive funding from Namur Invest Capital Risk in Belgium to fund an early access program for Volition's Nu.Q® product portfolio at key sites across the EU, UK, and U.S.
- Continued to manage expenditures carefully with net cash used in operating activities averaging approximately $2.3 million per month in the quarter.
Nu.Q® Vet
- Subsequent to quarter end, announced the signing of a global supply agreement with a market leader in pet healthcare. Through this supply agreement Volition will provide the Nu.Q® Vet Cancer Test through the counterparty's extensive global reference laboratory network for cancer indications in animal health.
- Subsequent to the quarter end, announced the launch of our Nu.Q® Vet Cancer Test across the U.S. and the forthcoming launch in Europe by Heska Corporation, also one of the leading global providers of advanced veterinary diagnostics, through Heska's veterinary diagnostic laboratories. Launching via Heska's reference laboratory network is an important achievement in the parties' transformative work together as Volition moves towards the launch of Heska's flagship point of care solution anticipated in early 2023.
- Subsequent to quarter end, announced a clinical research study with Oncovet, a renowned veterinary referral clinic, specializing in medical and radiation oncology led by Dr. Jérôme Benoit.
- Volition anticipates launching with at least one other company before the end of 2022, which would bring the total to five global and in-country company licensees running Volition's test.
Nu.Q® NETs
- Appointed DXOCRO to undertake development and clinical validation studies for Volition's Nu.Q® product portfolio in the United States.
- Announced a sponsored research agreement with The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center to evaluate the role of NETs in human cancer patients with sepsis.
- In collaboration with researchers at the University of Namur and QUALIblood in Belgium, published:
- Subsequent to the quarter end, presented data at the International Symposium on Infections in the Critically Ill Patient and International Sepsis Forum.
- Sponsored a GenomeWeb webinar titled 'The Promise of Neutrophil Extracellular Traps (NETs) as Biomarkers in Inflammatory Disease'. To watch on demand, visit the GenomeWeb website.
- Commenced a Market Access Program with European Key Opinion Leaders and early adopters.
Nu.Q® Cancer
- Announced Volition's participation in a government-backed prospective study to evaluate the performance of blood biomarkers in the early detection of lung cancer with Hospices Civils de Lyon (HCL), France's second largest university hospital.
Upcoming Priorities
- Drive near term revenue in the following key areas:
- sales of key components of point of care test with Heska.
- sales of kits from non-exclusive agreements for the use of Nu.Q® Vet via central reference labs.
- Continue to progress the research program for the use of Nu.Q® NETs in monitoring disease progression of sepsis and potentially other diseases and as a possible companion diagnostic for the treatment of sepsis.
- Continue to advance Volition's previously announced large-scale blood, lung, and colorectal cancer trials in Europe, Asia, and the U.S.
- Publish several abstracts and peer-reviewed scientific papers with clinical results showing the robustness and utility of Volition's Nu.Q® platform.
- Advance the development of Nu.Q® Capture.
- Continue to file patents to expand and extend Volition's intellectual property portfolio.
Event: VolitionRx Limited Third Quarter 2022 Earnings and Business Update Conference Call
Date: Tuesday, November 15, 2022
Time: 08:30 a.m. U.S. Eastern Time
U.S. & Canada Dial-in:1-877-407-9716 (toll free)
U.K. Dial-in: 0 800 756 3429 (toll free)
Toll/International: 1-201-493-6779
Conference ID: 13734304
Cameron Reynolds, President and Group Chief Executive Officer of Volition, will host the call along with Terig Hughes, Group Chief Financial Officer, Dr. Tom Butera, Chief Executive Officer of Volition Veterinary Diagnostics Development LLC, and Scott Powell, Executive Vice President, Investor Relations. The call will provide an update on important events which have taken place in the third quarter of 2022 and upcoming milestones.
A live audio webcast of the conference call will also be available on the investor relations page of Volition's corporate website at http://ir.volition.com. In addition, a telephone replay of the call will be available until November 29, 2022. The replay dial-in numbers are 1-844-512-2921 (toll-free) in the U.S. and Canada and 1-412-317-6671 (toll) internationally. Please use replay pin number 13734304.
About Volition
Volition is a multi-national epigenetics company that applies its Nucleosomics™ platform through its subsidiaries to develop simple, easy to use, cost effective blood tests to help diagnose and monitor a range of life-altering diseases including some cancers and diseases associated with NETosis such as sepsis and COVID-19. Early diagnosis and monitoring have the potential not only to prolong the life of patients but also to improve their quality of life. The tests are based on the science of Nucleosomics™, which is the practice of identifying and measuring nucleosomes in the bloodstream or other bodily fluid - an indication that disease is present.
Volition's research and development activities are centered in Belgium, with an innovation laboratory and office in the U.S. and additional offices in London and Singapore.
For more information about Volition's Nu.Q® technology go to: www.volition.com.
The contents found at Volition's and GenomeWeb's website addresses are not incorporated by reference into this document and should not be considered part of this document. Such website addresses are included in this document as inactive textual references only.
Media Enquiries:
Louise Batchelor/Debra Daglish, Volition, mediarelations@volition.com +44 (0)7557 774620
Safe Harbor Statement
Statements in this press release may be "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 concern matters that involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated or projected in the forward-looking statements. Words such as "expects," "anticipates," "intends," "plans," "aims," "targets," "believes," "seeks," "estimates," "optimizing," "potential," "goal," "suggests," "could," "would," "should," "may," "will" and similar expressions identify forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements relate to, among other topics, Volition's expectations related to the launch of product sales with Heska and other counterparties to agreements, the success of negotiations and the timing, completion and execution of term sheets and/or agreements with third parties regarding the licensing and distribution of Volition's products, the timing, completion, success and delivery of data from clinical studies, the potential uses, benefits and effectiveness of its Nucleosomics™ technology platform, including the Nu.Q® NETs test and the Nu.Q® Vet Cancer Test, and the timing and execution of Volition's strategy with the FDA. Volition's actual results may differ materially from those indicated in these forward-looking statements due to numerous risks and uncertainties, including, without limitation, results of studies testing the efficacy of its tests, a failure by the marketplace to accept Volition's Nu.Q® NETs test, Nu.Q® Vet Cancer Test or other products based on its Nucleosomics™ platform; Volition's failure to secure adequate intellectual property protection; Volition's failure to obtain necessary regulatory clearances or approvals to distribute and market future products; Volition will face fierce competition and its intended products may become obsolete due to the highly competitive nature of the diagnostics and disease monitoring markets and their rapid technological change; downturns in domestic and foreign economies; and other risks, including those identified in Volition's most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, as well as other documents that Volition files with the Securities and Exchange Commission. For instance, if Volition fails to develop and commercialize diagnostic, prognostic or disease monitoring products, it may be unable to execute its plan of operations. Forward-looking statements are based on current expectations, estimates and projections about Volition's business based, in part, on assumptions made by management. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions that are difficult to predict. Forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this release, and, except as required by law, Volition does not undertake an obligation to update its forward-looking statements to reflect future events or circumstances.
Nucleosomics™ and Nu.Q® and their respective logos are trademarks and/or service marks of VolitionRx Limited and its subsidiaries. All other trademarks, service marks and trade names referred to in this press release are the property of their respective owners. Additionally, unless otherwise specified, all references to "$" refer to the legal currency of the United States of America.
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SOURCE VolitionRx | https://www.wbrc.com/prnewswire/2022/11/14/volitionrx-limited-announces-third-quarter-2022-financial-results-business-update/ | 2022-11-14 23:30:36 | 0 | https://www.wbrc.com/prnewswire/2022/11/14/volitionrx-limited-announces-third-quarter-2022-financial-results-business-update/ |
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GREENSBORO, N.C. (AP) — Virginia Tech's Elizabeth Kitley has been named Atlantic Coast Conference player of the year for the second straight season while Notre Dame's Niele Ivey has been named coach of the year.
The league announced its award winners Tuesday, with Kitley repeating after averaging 18.8 points and a league-best 10.7 rebounds. The 6-foot-6 senior also became the program's all-time leading scorer last week in a game that ended with her hitting a jumper at the buzzer to win at No. 18 North Carolina.
Ivey led the 10th-ranked Fighting Irish to the regular-season title.
Other individual awards were: Duke guard Celeste Taylor for defensive player of the year; Florida State guard Ta'Niya Latson for rookie of the year, North Carolina State guard Saniya Rivers as sixth player of the year; and Florida State guard Makayla Timpson as most improved.
Kitley headlined the first team and was joined by teammate Georgia Amoore. Notre Dame (Olivia Miles, Sonia Citron) and UNC (Deja Kelly, Alyssa Ustby) were the only other schools with two first-team picks.
The league begins its tournament Wednesday, with the Fighting Irish as the top seed.
___ AP women’s college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/womens-college-basketball and https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-womens-college-basketball-poll and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25 | https://www.beaumontenterprise.com/sports/article/hokies-kitley-irish-s-ivey-lead-acc-season-17811925.php | 2023-03-01 01:18:30 | 1 | https://www.beaumontenterprise.com/sports/article/hokies-kitley-irish-s-ivey-lead-acc-season-17811925.php |
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — A man was killed late Thursday in a hit-and-run crash in the Sunderland neighborhood.
At around 11:40 p.m. Portland police officers responded to the report of a crash on Northeast 33rd Drive and Northeast Elrod Road and when they arrived they found a dead man.
According to authorities, the driver left the scene before police arrived and no suspects have been arrested.
Anyone with information is asked to contact police at crimetips@police.portlandoregon.gov and reference case number 23-171259.
During the investigation, authorities said that Northeast 33rd Drive is closed between Northeast Marine Drive and Northeast Columbia Boulevard. | https://www.koin.com/news/crashes/1-dead-after-northeast-portland-hit-run-crash/ | 2023-06-30 13:18:21 | 0 | https://www.koin.com/news/crashes/1-dead-after-northeast-portland-hit-run-crash/ |
Garrett Dwyer runs about 500 head of Hereford and Angus cattle on his Bartlett ranch on the east edge of the Sandhills. The land he’s on today has been in his family since 1894, when his great-great-grandfather homesteaded it. Dwyer, who grew up there, is the fifth generation in his family to ranch the land.
But Dwyer didn’t take over the family ranch until he did something far from home. For five years, he served in the U.S. Marine Corps, including two combat tours in Iraq. Now he’s taking advantage of a national nonprofit initiative, the Farmer Veteran Coalition, that aims to reenergize small agriculture by supporting military veterans who want to work the land.
Dwyer well knows that small family farming and ranching is increasingly rare. The century-long trend of families abandoning or selling off farms has slowed but not halted in recent years, according to census data.
The Farmer Veteran Coalition is attempting to bend that trend line, while helping service members move to a post-military career.
Some veterans, like Dwyer, 36, grew up on a farm and left to enlist, always intending to return.
Other farm kids-turned-veterans have been lured back by the opportunity to carry on a legacy. And still others with no farm or ranch background are grabbing the chance to learn to farm for the first time.
“It’s pretty special to have something like this that enables me to continue to work and ranch the same land as my early grandparents,” Dwyer said.
Ranching and football were all he knew as a kid, until the morning when the high school sophomore watched as planes smashed into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.
“I remember very vividly watching … and thinking, well, we’re going to go to war with somebody,” Dwyer said. “That sealed the deal for me then, so I knew that’s what I wanted to go do. I wanted to serve.”
He enlisted at age 18 as soon as he graduated from Pope John High School in Elgin.
Soon, he found himself assigned to patrol duties outside the central Iraq city of Ramadi, near a dusty, destroyed urban landscape far different from the rolling pastures back home.
He knew returning to the farm was an option when he got out of the service. He also knew he needed to learn modern farming practices to succeed.
Once back in civilian life, he enrolled at the Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture in Curtis. He completed one program, Combat Boots to Cowboy Boots, geared to veterans.
He finished another, 100 Cow Advantage, that offered business training.
His hardest struggle: morphing from battle-hardened Marine to student-civilian.
“School was filled with 18- and 19-year-olds, and then there was me. It was culture shock going from where I’d been and what I’d done,” he said. “That transition was a real tough thing.”
Meanwhile, the national Farmer Veteran Coalition learned of Dwyer, who it saw as a rugged, soft-spoken steward of the land, a poster farmer-veteran for its mission.
Soon, Dwyer was traveling the country promoting the coalition and serving on its board of directors.
Nationwide, the Farmer Veteran Coalition counts 37,000 farmer-veteran members across all five branches of the service. Many are service-disabled vets. Members are eligible to apply for grants.
Its largest monetary resource, the Farmer Veteran Fellowship Fund, has awarded more than $4 million to members, who must devise a business plan to apply.
Dwyer, who received a grant, loved that the coalition understood that, if you are lucky and work hard, farming can pay the bills.
It can also heal.
It’s “therapeutic to put veterans into working with the land,” Dwyer said. “Just that physical activity, even the mental hardships that come along with farming and ranching. … Veterans like the challenge of it. There’s always something new and always something to do. Nothing stays the same.”
There’s no one else to do the work for you, he said. No one else who gets the credit, or the blame.
“You reap what you sow. … That’s rewarding in itself.”
He’s found that the lifestyle helps ward off the demons that can come with PTSD, which he was diagnosed with upon his return stateside.
His PTSD has eased in severity, he said, in part because he feels fortunate to have “another mission” to give him purpose. Others haven’t been as fortunate — Dwyer has lost friends to suicide.
“The biggest thing to help with that is staying busy,” he said. “It’s hard to really sit back and think about the past with family and work chores. It will keep your mind off those things. That seems to be the best medicine right now.”
With farmers spread across the state, hobnobbing with fellow vets who farm isn’t always easy.
But Dwyer’s neighbor, Travis Reich, also happens to be a Marine veteran. Reich now serves in the Air Force Reserve.
They share the Marine experience. They grew up in the same place. They’re also married with kids — Dwyer has four, Reich three. Both their wives are nurse practitioners.
“We’ve got kind of the same thing going on. It’s neat,” Dwyer said. “We know each other now rather well.”
Across fence posts or in online meetups, farmer-veterans tend to have each other’s backs, they say.
Dwyer is among 307 veterans in Nebraska who have been helped in some way by the Farmer Veteran Coalition, according to the group.
Dwyer and five others have received grants, including Marine veteran Dan Hromas, who runs central Nebraska’s Prairie Pride Acres, and Brenda Dutcher, a member of the Nebraska Army National Guard, who with her husband runs Briar Rose Farms in Humboldt.
Dutcher used her grant to buy a large trailer to sell beef at farmers markets. Having a resource like the Farmer Veteran Coalition is, she said, “important to help farmers starting out avoid debt.”
Dwyer used his grant to buy a truckload of alfalfa for his herd, which he’s more than tripled in size.
He says he struggled his first few years on the ranch after taking out loans to modernize equipment. But more recently, the balance sheet — and life — have stabilized.
Still, Dwyer well knows: Farming is always a crapshoot.
“Even in the last few years I’ve seen just about everything, from flooding to drought, then COVID,” he said. “Nothing surprises me anymore.”
Now Dwyer is intent on learning new things. He wants to make the ranch better. He wants to secure a legacy for the next Dwyer generation.
Some days, he wonders what he got himself into. Most days, he has no regrets. At the end of even hard days, he thinks it’s a good way to raise a family — a good way of life.
He’s glad more support for veterans in agriculture has emerged.
One example: AgVets, a three-year training program run by Nebraska Extension and the Center for Rural Affairs. It offers workshops, field demonstrations and business planning — much of it led by military veterans who now farm.
And he’s glad to have the camaraderie of fellow warrior-farmers. Ag can be a lonely, overwhelming experience, Dwyer said. But it’s easier with friends who can talk about their new shared enemies: weather extremes, pests, grain prices, bank notes and market fluctuations.
Dwyer sees the challenges of ranching. But he can also see the rewards.
“All the work you put into your operation, at the end of the day you can look back and say, hey, I did that,” he said.
The Flatwater Free Press is Nebraska’s first independent, nonprofit newsroom focused on investigations and feature stories that matter.
The new Big Buds that Big Equipment Co. and Rome Industries will be building for farmers and contractors will have a 1.5-inch steel frame, stronger than any tractor on the market.
Many fear there won’t be a next generation to carry on family farms — even though large machinery and new technologies have reduced the manpower needed to plant and harvest.
In Nebraska, the average sale price for an acre of high-quality irrigated land has reached $12,000. That’s a $2,000 increase from a year ago.
1 of 2
Garrett Dwyer raises cattle on a ranch near Bartlett. Ranching after a military career can be an isolated and overwhelming experience, he said — but his next-door rancher is also a Marine, and Dwyer has developed a strong network of farmer-veterans who understand the challenges and rewards of the life they have chosen.
Dan Hromas, with Prairie Pride Acres, raises grass-fed beef and pasture-raised pork and sells it in part at farmers markets. Hromas, a military veteran who served in the Middle East, is one of a half-dozen Nebraska veterans to receive a grant from the Farmer Veteran Coalition to start or build a career in agriculture. | https://journalstar.com/agriculture/how-one-nebraskan-made-it-from-two-tours-in-iraq-to-ranching-in-the-sandhills/article_c23caa59-808f-5b92-8115-64fa75cb6882.html | 2023-01-29 01:36:54 | 1 | https://journalstar.com/agriculture/how-one-nebraskan-made-it-from-two-tours-in-iraq-to-ranching-in-the-sandhills/article_c23caa59-808f-5b92-8115-64fa75cb6882.html |
This upcoming certification has the power to maximize the value of header bidding for streaming TV publishers and advertisers.
NEW YORK, March 10, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Publica, a leading Connected TV (CTV) ad-server owned by Integral Ad Science, announced that they will be joining the new, global Amazon Publisher Services (APS) Ad Server Certification Program for streaming TV.
Publica's upcoming certification will allow publishers to implement a simplified APS header bidding integration, enabling publishers to conduct a unified auction across all advertiser bids. This technology has the power to improve viewer experience by limiting repetitive ads while also increasing publisher yield.
According to eMarketer, streaming TV ad spend is expected to more than double by the end of 2026. When deciding where to spend streaming TV dollars, advertisers often prefer publishers with header bidding solutions, as it creates the opportunity to compete on a level playing field for inventory to help maximize campaign reach and effectiveness. Once Publica is certified by APS, advertisers will receive incremental access to header bidding supply via the new APS and Publica integration. This can also result in more opportunities for publishers to deliver private marketplace deals from CTV advertisers.
"We are excited to bring incremental demand from APS to the growing number of publishers and TV manufacturers who are now adopting the Publica ad server to help them grow their advertising revenues. Publica empowers publishers to create intelligent ad breaks that can be optimized on a revenue per second basis, all while improving their viewer's streaming experiences with seamless ad delivery," said Publica Chief Revenue Officer Sean Galligan.
Publica shares APS' focus on the needs of publishers. Going forward, Publica and APS plan to provide global publishers with a full roadmap of new features for streaming TV ad serving, including simplified setup of private marketplace deals, the provision of forecasting tools within the Publica user interface, simplified access to interactive ad formats and seamless integration of third-party technology vendors.
About Publica
Publica, awarded "Best Video Ad Server" in the 2022 AdWeek Readers Choice Awards, is a leading CTV ad server and works with many of the world's biggest broadcasters, TV manufacturers, and streaming apps. Headquartered in New York, Publica provides solutions for publishers to maximize their revenue across their streaming TV inventory through key solutions including a Unified Auction, Ad Pod Management, Audience Management, Server-Side Ad Insertion, Contextual Management, Ad Quality Management and Measurement and Verification. Publica serves over 6 billion ads on streaming TV every month, delivering quality ad experiences for Samsung, Hearst TV, Major League Baseball, Paramount, Crunchyroll, E. W. Scripps, Fox, IGN, Philo, XUMO, and more. Publica is owned by Integral Ad Science, a global leader in digital media quality. For more information, visit: getpublica.com or contact press@getpublica.com.
About Amazon Publisher Services
Amazon Publisher Services is a suite of cloud-based solutions that help publishers build thriving digital media businesses, by concentrating on direct-to-publisher supply relationships helping to result in more profitable advertising for publishers and more relevant ads for audiences. APS provides services and advanced technologies to web, mobile app, audio, and streaming TV publishers of all sizes, to help them monetize their content, unlock unique demand, enable audience-level buying, and learn more about their own audiences with server-side header bidding solutions while also leveraging infrastructure and support. For more information visit: https://aps.amazon.com
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SOURCE Integral Ad Science, Inc. | https://www.ktre.com/prnewswire/2023/03/10/publica-becomes-one-first-join-amazon-publisher-services-streaming-tv-ad-server-certification-program/ | 2023-03-10 13:36:40 | 1 | https://www.ktre.com/prnewswire/2023/03/10/publica-becomes-one-first-join-amazon-publisher-services-streaming-tv-ad-server-certification-program/ |
One person hospitalized from shooting in Lake City
Published: Jun. 1, 2022 at 12:50 PM EDT|Updated: 17 minutes ago
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LAKE CITY, Fla. (WCJB) - One person was hospitalized after a shooting in Lake City on Tuesday night.
According to Lake City Police Department reports, it happened around 11 pm at Southeast Colburn Avenue.
The victim is expected to survive.
LCPD officers do not have a suspect at this time.
They are asking for anyone with information to contact the police department.
TRENDING STORY: The Alachua County Emergency Operations Center is holding a media day event
Copyright 2022 WCJB. All rights reserved. Click here to subscribe to our newsletter. | https://www.wcjb.com/2022/06/01/one-person-hospitalized-shooting-lake-city/ | 2022-06-01 17:09:16 | 1 | https://www.wcjb.com/2022/06/01/one-person-hospitalized-shooting-lake-city/ |
(KTLA) – After the death of Aaron Carter at his Southern California home on Saturday, the family of the pop star paid tribute to him on social media.
Carter, 34, was found dead at his house in Lancaster on Saturday. Authorities said a house sitter found him in the bathtub, and resuscitation efforts were unsuccessful.
The death of Carter, who was diagnosed with multiple mental illnesses and struggled with addiction, is under investigation by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.
Despite their rocky relationship — Aaron claimed his family was trying to put him into a conservatorship against his will — older brother and Backstreet Boy Nick Carter and twin sister Angel Conrad shared their love for Aaron.
“To my twin… I loved you beyond measure,” Conrad wrote on Instagram Saturday. “You will be missed dearly. My funny, sweet Aaron, I have so many memories of you and I, and I promise to cherish them. I know you’re at peace now. I will carry you with me until the day I die and get to see you again.”
Older brother Nick Carter expressed similar feelings on Twitter. The brothers, both pop stars, sometimes worked together, with Aaron opening for the Backstreet Boys on tour.
That relationship, however, was strained at times, with E! reporting about a year ago that Nick and his wife, Lauren Kitt, hadn’t spoken to Aaron in years.
Nick Carter acknowledged the “complicated relationship,” though he added that his “heart is broken” as “my love for him has never ever faded.”
“I have always held on to the hope that he would somehow, someday want to walk a healthy path and eventually find the help that he so desperately needed,” Nick wrote on Twitter. “Sometimes we want to blame someone or something for a loss, but the truth is that addiction and mental illness are the real villains here. I will miss my brother more than anyone will ever know. I love you baby brother.”
Aaron was preceded in death by his sister and fellow singer Leslie Carter, who died of a drug overdose in 2012. She was 25 years old. | https://www.kxnet.com/news/national-news/i-know-youre-at-peace-now-aaron-carters-siblings-mourn-his-death-at-34/ | 2022-11-06 19:09:15 | 0 | https://www.kxnet.com/news/national-news/i-know-youre-at-peace-now-aaron-carters-siblings-mourn-his-death-at-34/ |
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Puerto Rico privatized its electricity production on Wednesday, selecting Genera PR to take over the operation and maintenance of state power generation units in the U.S. territory as part of an initial $22.5 million annual contract.
The announcement comes as the island struggles to rebuild its crumbling power grid amid chronic power outages blamed in part on what Gov. Pedro Pierluisi called “archaic and unstable” generation units.
“I am sure that we are on the right track to give our people the reliable and affordable energy system that they deserve,” he said.
Genera PR is a subsidiary of New York-based New Fortress Energy, which works closely with Shell Oil and other oil and gas producers. Genera also will handle contracts related to fuel purchases for the island’s 12 power facilities as part of a 10-year contract with Puerto Rico’s government.
“Today is a historic day,” said Secretary of State Omar Marrero, who noted that recent hurricanes have revealed the deterioration and critical state of the island’s power grid.
Puerto Rico’s generation units, some of them more than 50 years old, have suffered blackouts at rates five times worse than the industry average in recent years, producing less than half of the power the government had forecast.
“Decades of mismanagement and neglect have left Puerto Rico with an expensive, inefficient and dated energy system,” said a federal control board that oversees Puerto Rico’s finances, in a statement supporting the contract awarded to Genera PR.
Many Puerto Ricans remain wary of this process, well aware that privatizing the transmission and distribution of power in June 2021 did not lead to an improvement in issues including the length of outages, which has worsened. The power situation on the island is so dire that the U.S. government recently announced it would supply temporary electric generation via barges and land-based generators.
Another concern is that high power bills could become even more expensive under the new public-private partnership, concerns that officials brushed aside as they noted that Genera PR will receive incentives to generate savings, of which 50% will be passed along to consumers.
The company will receive $22.5 million annually for the first five years of the contract, a payment that will drop as Puerto Rico permanently shutters generation units amid a push for more renewable energy sources. Genera PR also will receive up to $15 million during a transition period of 100 days, and up to $100 million a year in incentives, a payment that also will drop as units are shut down.
Wes Edens, founder and executive director of New Fortress Energy, said Genera PR would begin operating by mid-year.
He said power outages are unacceptable and noted that electric bills in Puerto Rico are “simply too high.”
“While we recognize the challenges that are before us…we believe the opportunities here…are tremendous,” Edens said.
Until Wednesday, the government had refused to release a copy of the contract or name the company chosen even as the governing board of Puerto Rico’s power company and the island’s Public-Private Partnerships Authority had approved of it after meeting behind closed doors.
The sole vote against the contract came from Tomás Torres, a member of the governing board that represents the public’s interest.
He said such contracts normally are done with broad citizen participation “given the impact it will have on all sectors that make up public interest.” He also noted that Genera PR will have monopoly power as the sole provider of electricity on the island.
Torres also warned that the contract represents additional costs for the state power company, which holds some $9 billion in debt — the largest of any Puerto Rican government agency — and remains mired in an acrimonious battle with creditors as it tries to emerge from bankruptcy. It remains to be seen how much of that debt consumers will have to pay.
Edens said a top priority will be saving on fuel purchases, noting that New Fortress Energy has a big portfolio of oil producers and is on the verge of producing its own fuel sources.
New Fortress Energy opened a natural gas facility in Puerto Rico in 2020. Puerto Rico’s Electric Power Authority later accused the company of violating its contract by supplying less natural gas than it promised, forcing the state power company to use more expensive diesel at generation units, a cost that has not been reimbursed.
Puerto Rico’s governor said that contract remains in good standing. Meanwhile, that issue remains under review by the island’s Energy Bureau. | https://phl17.com/business/ap-business/ap-puerto-rico-selects-company-to-privatize-power-generation/ | 2023-01-26 12:06:24 | 1 | https://phl17.com/business/ap-business/ap-puerto-rico-selects-company-to-privatize-power-generation/ |
PHILADELPHIA -- Philadelphia's newest burger bar is about to serve up the state's most expensive burger -- and its cheapest.
DGB is serving up two noteworthy burgers; one priced at $700 and the other at $2.95.
The first and most expensive burger is called the Gold Standard with a bun made of gold.
"We gold-plate it with edible, 24-karat gold," says co-owner Vasiliki Tsiouris-Balis. "We use Japanese A5 ribeye wagyu, Wexford aged Irish Cheddar cheese, Italian Black Truffle, Italian Caviar, and lobster meat flambed with Louis XIII Cognac. To top it all off, you get a one-ounce pour of the Louis. It's a full-on experience," she added.
It's just one of the items on the menu at the newly conceptualized Drury Beer Garden, now called DBG.
They're serving up 15 burgers, from the Happy Hour Smash Burger, which is just $2.95, to a lamb burger, to an ice cream burger. | https://abc7ny.com/most-expensive-burger-cheapest-philadelphia-dbg/13418959/ | 2023-06-27 23:41:58 | 0 | https://abc7ny.com/most-expensive-burger-cheapest-philadelphia-dbg/13418959/ |
Dramatic body camera footage showed Florida deputies rescuing a driver whose car ended up submerged in a canal after the victim's iPhone sent out an S.O.S. signal.
Martin County Sheriff's Office officials said 911 dispatchers were alerted early Wednesday after the crash prompted the driver's phone to send the alert with automated coordinates.
Using the coordinates, deputies responded and found the car upside down in the dark, murky canal waters, officials said.
Deputies could hear the injured man pleading for help and jumped into the water to help get him out of the car.
"Ok buddy, I got you, we're gonna figure a way in," one deputy can be heard telling the driver in the video. "Stay back from the window buddy, I'm gonna bust it, ok?"
The man was taken to a local hospital where he was expected to make a full recovery.
U.S. & World
Officials said the driver told him he crashed into the water in attempt to avoid an animal in the road.
The car crash detection feature that was used to save the man was launched in September 2022 on the iPhone 14 and has saved others in recent events. It's also sent out alerts when users are riding a roller coaster.
Apple says the feature is “designed to detect severe car crashes” and it will call “emergency services after a 20-second delay.”
"We would like to commend our brave deputies and incredible dispatchers for their perseverance and bravery locating and rescuing this crash victim using only coordinates automatically launched from the victim’s phone," the sheriff's office said in a statement. "Amazing technology, and amazing work." | https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/national-international/dramatic-video-shows-florida-deputies-rescuing-driver-from-submerged-car-after-phone-sos-signal/3207073/ | 2023-03-03 20:32:56 | 1 | https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/national-international/dramatic-video-shows-florida-deputies-rescuing-driver-from-submerged-car-after-phone-sos-signal/3207073/ |
The new construction, located just south of Young Circle, Downtown Hollywood, Florida,
includes 204 rental units and over 7,000 sqft of retail space.
NEW YORK, June 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The investment platform FundRebel, LLC is pleased to announce its first target asset is under contract to be acquired for $67 million. The property, Nine Hollywood, is situated in a high-demand area for the idyllic South Florida lifestyle, centrally located just minutes from the beach.
Located in Hollywood, FL and situated on a 36,000 square foot (sqft) parcel, the acquisition is a ground-up mixed-use rental development which includes 204 rental units, three levels of integrated parking, and over 7,000 sqft of ground-floor retail space. The unit mix is 93 studios, 92 one-bedroom/one-bath units, and 16 two-bedroom/two-bath units. The property boasts a suite of onsite features and amenities such as a swimming pool, a fitness center, business suites, ample parking, and 360-degree panoramic views.
"As we relentlessly pursue exceptional, off-market real estate opportunities with a focus on cash flow generation, Nine Hollywood stands as a prime example of the unparalleled access and engagement that FundRebel offers in premier, institutional-grade real estate investments for all who are eager to participate," said FundRebel CEO Mark Drachman.
The Nine Hollywood property is the first contracted asset of the FundRebel Dean flagship investment opportunity open to both accredited and non-accredited investors. The asset is currently in its last phase of construction with a Q4 2023 target completion.
Benefits of FundRebel investments include ownership of shares that will become tradable on the secondary market upon fund closure, no broker fees, capital return with quarterly dividends and end-of-fund distributions, as well as an annual Preferred Return. Further acquisition details and investment opportunity information can be found at: https://invest.fundrebel.com/projects/13636-FundRebel-Dean.
ABOUT FUNDREBEL LLC
FundRebel offers an all-access investment platform that enables individuals to actively engage in institutional-grade real estate ownership opportunities. The company specializes in Tier 2 Regulation A+ offerings and is composed of a leadership team consisting of rule breakers, go-getters, changemakers, and bar raisers who are passionately committed to challenging norms and embracing potential. While perennially rooted in real estate, FundRebel is unapologetically driven to pioneer new pathways to industries and opportunities that didn't previously exist. Visit FundRebel's website: www.fundrebel.com for more information. Follow FundRebel on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Spotify.
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SOURCE FundRebel | https://www.wistv.com/prnewswire/2023/06/21/fundrebel-acquire-nine-hollywood-new-mixed-use-development-67-million/ | 2023-06-21 14:50:53 | 1 | https://www.wistv.com/prnewswire/2023/06/21/fundrebel-acquire-nine-hollywood-new-mixed-use-development-67-million/ |
ROLLING MEADOWS, Ill., Dec. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. (NYSE: AJG) today announced an agreement to acquire the partnership interests of BCHR Holdings, L.P., dba Buck. The transaction is expected to close during the first half of 2023, subject to customary regulatory approvals.
Buck is a leading provider of retirement, HR and employee benefits consulting and administration services. The organization has a long history, dating back more than 100 years, with a diverse client base by both size and industry. With over 2,300 employees, including more than 220 credentialed actuaries, Buck primarily serves customers throughout the US, Canada and the UK.
"Providing a comprehensive suite of products and services that allows employers to attract, engage and retain talent is at the heart of Gallagher Benefit Services' mission and our global Gallagher Better Works value proposition," said J. Patrick Gallagher, Jr., Chairman, President and CEO. "Through the complementary strengths of Buck's defined benefit offerings, investment consulting, digital employee engagement platform and international footprint, the acquisition will broaden, deepen and enhance our client offerings. I look forward to welcoming the 2,300 new colleagues joining us as part of this transaction to our growing Gallagher family of professionals."
Benefits of the acquisition are expected to include:
- Expanding Gallagher's value proposition within retirement, benefits & HR consulting, administration, and technology
- Enhancing and deepening Gallagher's broad suite of professional services including: defined benefits consulting, plan administration, defined contribution and executive benefit consulting, investment consulting, benefits strategy, compliance, employee engagement consulting and total rewards optimization
- Adding "bSuite," a leading, proprietary software platform for benefits administration and employee engagement
- Potential cross-selling opportunities across current benefits and property & casualty clients
- Combining similar sales cultures, both focused on outstanding client service, employee engagement and innovation
- Deepening the employee benefits management team.
Financial Terms
Under the agreement, Gallagher will acquire the partnership interests of BCHR Holdings, L.P. and its subsidiaries, for a gross consideration of $660 million or approximately $585 million net of agreed seller funded expenses and net working capital. Gallagher expects to fund the transaction via free cash flow and short-term borrowings. The transaction is estimated to be approximately 2% accretive to adjusted diluted earnings per share over the trailing twelve month period ended September 30, 2022, assuming expense synergies discussed below.
Prior to expected expense synergies of approximately $20 million, Buck's pro forma adjusted trailing twelve month revenues and EBITDAC ending September 30, 2022 were approximately $280 million and $34 million, respectively. Including synergies, the purchase multiple is approximately 10.8x of trailing twelve month September 30, 2022 pro forma adjusted EBITDAC, or 13.1x including expected integration expense of approximately $125 million.
About Arthur J. Gallagher & Co.
Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. (NYSE:AJG), a global insurance brokerage, risk management and consulting services firm, is headquartered in Rolling Meadows, Illinois. Gallagher provides these services in approximately 130 countries around the world through its owned operations and a network of correspondent brokers and consultants.
Information Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements relate to expectations or forecasts of future events and use words such as "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "expect," "contemplate," "forecast," "project," "intend," "plan," "potential," and other similar terms, and future or conditional tense verbs like "could," "may," "might," "see," "should," "will" and "would." Examples of forward-looking statements in this press release include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the expected timing of the completion of the Buck acquisition, the benefits of the proposed acquisition with respect to our client offerings and value proposition, among other expected benefits, the expected consideration to be paid, the expected revenue, EPS and EBITDAC impacts of the acquisition, the expected expense synergies, required regulatory approvals, the expected expense of integration, and the anticipated methods of financing the acquisition. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and they involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions. Our future performance and actual results or outcomes may differ materially from those expressed in such forward-looking statements. Many of the factors that will determine these results are beyond our ability to control or predict. Accordingly, you should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which speak only as of, and are based on information available to us on, the date on which they are made.
Such risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from our published expectations include, among others, (a) risks related to the integration of Buck into our company; (b) the possibility that the proposed acquisition is not completed when expected or at all because required regulatory approvals are not received or other conditions to the closing are not satisfied on a timely basis or at all; (c) the risk that our free cash flow is insufficient, or the financing required to fund the proposed transaction is not obtained on the terms anticipated or at all; (d) potential adverse reactions or changes to business or employee relationships, including those resulting from the announcement or completion of the acquisition; (e) the possibility that the anticipated benefits of the acquisition, including expense synergies, are not realized when expected or at all, including as a result of the impact of, or issues arising from, the integration of the acquired operations into our company; (f) the possibility that the acquisition may be more expensive to integrate than anticipated, including as a result of unexpected factors or events; (g) diversion of management's attention from ongoing business operations and opportunities; (h) the inability to retain certain key employees of the acquired operations or Gallagher; (i) competitive responses to the acquisition; (j) uncertainties as to the timing of the completion of the acquisition and the ability of each party to consummate the acquisition; and (k) additional factors discussed in the section entitled "Information Concerning Forward-Looking Statements" in Gallagher's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarterly period ended September 30, 2022 and "Risk Factors" in Gallagher's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021 and any other reports we file with the SEC in the future.
Any forward-looking statements speak only as of the date that they are made, and we do not undertake any obligation to update any such statements or release publicly any revisions to these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this report or to reflect new information, future or unexpected events or otherwise, except as required by applicable law or regulation.
Non-GAAP Measures
This press release includes references to Adjusted EBITDAC, which is a measure not in accordance with, or an alternative to, the GAAP information provided herein. Gallagher believes that Adjusted EBITDAC, as defined below, provides a meaningful representation of its operating performance and improves the comparability of Gallagher's results between periods by eliminating the impact of certain items that have a high degree of variability. EBITDAC is defined as net earnings before interest, income taxes, depreciation, amortization and the change in estimated acquisition earnout payables. Adjusted EBITDAC is EBITDAC adjusted to exclude net gains on divestitures, acquisition integration costs, workforce related charges, lease termination related charges, acquisition related adjustments, transaction related costs, legal and income tax related costs and the period-over-period impact of foreign currency translation, as applicable. The most directly comparable GAAP measure is earnings from continuing operations. Please see "Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Measures" on Gallagher's website at www.ajg.com under "Investor Relations" for the purpose of this measure.
Investors:
Ray Iardella
VP - Investor Relations
(630) 285-3661/ Ray_Iardella@ajg.com
Media:
Kelli Murray
Director Global Public Relations
(630) 277-0347/ Kelli_Murray@ajg.com
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SOURCE Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. | https://www.wsaz.com/prnewswire/2022/12/20/arthur-j-gallagher-amp-co-announces-agreement-acquire-buck/ | 2022-12-20 15:49:18 | 1 | https://www.wsaz.com/prnewswire/2022/12/20/arthur-j-gallagher-amp-co-announces-agreement-acquire-buck/ |
Break out the red, white and blue because it’s time to celebrate summer’s most beloved holiday. While lake days and barbecues are welcome all summer long, the Fourth of July naturally brings family and friends together to enjoy each other’s company while remembering the important sacrifice. From an elegant soiree to a backyard barbecue, there’s no right or wrong way to commemorate this national holiday. So, whether you’re heading to the beach or watching colorful fireworks light up the sky, don’t get caught without a few crucial must-haves.
BestReviews’ Jacob Palmer joins Olivia Horton to share BestReviews’ picks for the best products you’ll want with you this Fourth of July.
Shop this segment
Up to eight players can enjoy this versatile game, making it perfect for large parties. This bocce ball set comes with a carrying case for convenient storage or travel and is effortless to set up in a variety of locations. Plus, bocce ball is simple to learn and fun for the entire family.
Sold by Amazon
Whether you’re throwing a backyard bash or want to bring some entertainment to the picnic, Kan Jam is an exciting frisbee game that will get the competitive juices flowing. The two goals assemble and tear down quickly and lay flat to store in a garage, closet or trunk.
Sold by Amazon
Alpine Muffy Baby Ear Protection
While fireworks are one of the most iconic parts of the Fourth of July, the loud noises may not be fun for everyone. If you have a baby with developing ears or a toddler with a sensory disorder, this ear protection is designed with an elastic headband to be comfortable while limiting exposure to noise.
Sold by Amazon
Igloo Latitude 16-quart Roller Cooler
Keep snacks or up to 24 cans cold in this spacious and stylish cooler that’s available in three bright colors. It’s designed with sturdy wheels for easy transport and two self-draining cup holders in the lid to keep drinks secure.
Sold by Walmart
Down Under Outdoors Quilted Fleece Blanket
Be prepared for the sandy beach, a grassy picnic or damp ground by packing this all-purpose blanket for your Fourth of July festivities. Not only is it wind resistant to keep you warm, but it’s also waterproof to protect from rain and unwanted spills. It also comes with an oversized sack for portability.
Sold by Amazon
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Copyright 2023 BestReviews, a Nexstar company. All rights reserved. | https://www.cbs42.com/reviews/br/toys-games-br/outdoor-toys-br/what-youll-want-with-you-this-fourth-of-july/ | 2023-06-27 11:14:23 | 1 | https://www.cbs42.com/reviews/br/toys-games-br/outdoor-toys-br/what-youll-want-with-you-this-fourth-of-july/ |
MINNEAPOLIS, June 13, 2023 /PRNewswire/ - BEST Crowd Management ("BEST"), a GardaWorld company and a leading provider of crowd management and event security services, will serve as security staffing partner for Super Bowl LVIII and provide crowd management services for the FORMULA 1 HEINEKEN SILVER LAS VEGAS GRAND PRIX, both in Nevada.
BEST will provide crowd management throughout the guest entries and seating areas at the race in November, staffing more than 400 crowd management personnel. The company will also provide both crowd management and security services for the Super Bowl Experience, the media center, credentialing center as well as other NFL events at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center. Over 800 team members will provide 24/7 coverage for the NFL events.
"We're pleased to bring our expertise in crowd management and security services to some of the largest events in the country. Our employees will be instrumental to the execution of the FORMULA 1 HEINEKEN SILVER LAS VEGAS GRAND PRIX and Super Bowl LVIII in Las Vegas. Both are iconic sporting events with complex crowd management and security needs. The deep bench of experience within our business and high-touch service means we place the right talent in the right place to manage any situation," said Jeff Spoerndle, Vice President of BEST.
To learn more about BEST visit: best.garda.com.
BEST Crowd Management offers decades of experience providing world-class security solutions and staffing for crowd management solutions with partners including some of North America's largest stadiums, professional sports teams, college sports teams, major concert venues, and convention centers. With headquarters in Minneapolis, MN and in Montreal, Canada, BEST Crowd Management is part of GardaWorld Security Services, one of the largest privately held integrated security services companies in the world. For more information, visit best.garda.com.
GardaWorld is a global champion in security services, integrated risk management and cash solutions, employing more than 132,000 highly skilled and dedicated professionals. Driven by a relentless entrepreneurial culture and core values of integrity, vigilance, trust and respect, we offer sophisticated and tailored security and technology solutions through high-touch partnerships and consistently superior service delivery. With a deep understanding that security is critical to conducting business and keeping communities safe, we are proud to be the long-standing security partner of choice to prominent brands, Fortune 500 corporations and governments. For more information, visit garda.com.
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SOURCE GardaWorld Security Corporation | https://www.wbtv.com/prnewswire/2023/06/13/best-crowd-management-selected-service-provider-las-vegas-super-bowl-lviii-formula-1-heineken-silver-las-vegas-grand-prix/ | 2023-06-13 15:40:00 | 1 | https://www.wbtv.com/prnewswire/2023/06/13/best-crowd-management-selected-service-provider-las-vegas-super-bowl-lviii-formula-1-heineken-silver-las-vegas-grand-prix/ |
Rose Marie Joseph “HopeRose,” 22
Published 5:18 pm Tuesday, May 31, 2022
Rose Marie Joseph ”HopeRose” age 22, of Austin, Minnesota, was born to eternal life on Sunday, May 22, 2022, with her family by her side. Rose was born December 11, 1999, in Austin, Minnesota, to her mother, Mandy. Rose became a daughter to Steven, Mandy’s husband, when she was seven years old. She was so happy and appreciative of her expanded family. Rose attended Austin schools and was extremely proud to be a part of the Catholic Schools community. She was planning on attending Riverland Community College next year. Rose worked as a caregiver for REM Woodvale in Austin for over two years. She valued working to serve others. She enjoyed music, art, concerts, hair, makeup, photography, poetry, books, camping, and traveling. The highlight of her travels was touring Europe with her Pacelli School family and her grandfather, Ralph. Rose was a creative person and we were all proud of the poetry she published while in high school. She was growing her social media presence with funny viral videos on TikTok. MTV recently reached out to feature them on one of their shows. She was excited to start this process as she always said she wanted to be a “YouTuber.” Rose was a giver and had a big heart. She easily made friends and would stop whatever she was doing to help someone in need. She thought family was the most important thing and had a special relationship with her grandma, Barb; brother, Rayvik; and sister, Morgen. Rose was a comfort to so many because of her true nature as a caretaker. She was open minded, compassionate, spiritual, and believed love was the most important thing to give. The biggest love Rose had is her son, Zaiden. She was a proud mom and her favorite thing to do was take Zaiden to the park to play. He will forever know how special she truly was and how much his mama loved him.
Survivors include her son, Zaiden of Austin, MN; parents, Steven and Mandy Mensink of Austin, MN; siblings, Rayvik (Victoria Fuentes) Mensink of Austin, MN, Morgen Mensink of Austin, MN, Desiree, Austin, Brayden, Skylee, and Dominic; niece, Helayna Mensink of Austin, MN; grandparents, Ralph and Barb Donkers of Austin, MN, Joellen Bulow of Austin, MN, Brent Mensink of Spring Valley, MN, and Joyce Leduc of Spring Valley, MN; great grandparents, Jan and Marlo Mensink of Spring Valley, Lela Born of Spring Valley; special aunt, Kim Donkers; cousin, Abigail Donkers of Rochester, MN; and many other aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends. She was preceded in death by her father, Jason; aunt, Lori Donkers; grandmas, Rosemary Donkers and Joanna Mensink; great grandmas, Angela Donkers and Lola Bulow.
Rose will be forever her mother’s moon child. Fly high moon child and stay wild. Your soul was pure and your heart was big. You will forever be my little Hopey.
The family would like to thank all of Rose’s special longtime friends for all the support the family has received and for being a big part of her life.
A private service will be held for Rose. Worlein Funeral Home of Austin is assisting the family with arrangements. | https://www.austindailyherald.com/2022/05/rose-marie-joseph-hoperose-22/ | 2022-06-01 01:01:18 | 0 | https://www.austindailyherald.com/2022/05/rose-marie-joseph-hoperose-22/ |
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