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MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — West Virginia had a golden opportunity to secure its spot in the NCAA Tournament Saturday evening in Lawrence, Kansas. Ultimately, a final possession resulted in a turnover, as the Mountaineers fell by two points against the third-ranked team in the nation.
With the loss, WVU’s postseason hopes still very much hang in the balance with just two games remaining in the regular season. The Mountaineers (16-13, 5-11 Big 12) sit tied for ninth place in the toughest basketball league in America, and are teetering on the NCAA Tournament bubble.
Despite being unable to emphatically bolster its postseason resume, West Virginia is convinced it will be playing beyond the conference tournament.
“We belong [in the NCAA Tournament]. There’s no question about it,” Stevenson said following the road loss.
Though the Mountaineers did fall short of earning the statement win they have been searching for, WVU did play like an NCAA Tournament team for much of Saturday’s contest.
West Virginia forced Kansas into 19 turnovers, the second-most giveaway by the Jayhawks in any game this season. Bill Self’s team also grabbed its second-fewest rebounds (26) in any single game this year. Two players – Erik Stevenson and Tre Mitchell – scored 20 points or more, and two other starters also finished in double-figures in a tough road environment.
The Mountaineers, which entered Saturday ranked 27th in the NCAA Net Rankings and 28th in ESPN’s Basketball Power Index, have played the seventh-toughest schedule in the country, according to ESPN.
“If that doesn’t mean something to the committee, shame on them,” head coach Bob Huggins said. “Not just that, I think you look at our scores, we deserve to be in the tournament.”
In the eyes of the Hall of Fame head coach, the way the selection committee has valued difficult schedules in recent years has led the Mountaineers to play such a taxing slate of games this year.
With no chance of finishing the regular season below .500, and with wins over ranked Auburn, Iowa State, and TCU teams, he feels they should be rewarded.
“If they continue to tell you to do that, then by God they ought to hold up their end of the bargain,” he added.
Four of the six teams ranked above the Mountaineers in strength of schedule are Big 12 Conference members. Stevenson referred to the conference as “head and shoulders above every other league.”
One of the teams with a tougher SOS is No. 3 Kansas. Moments after fending off West Virginia’s second-half rally, Self was asked if the Mountaineers are a team worthy of being called on Selection Sunday.
“You guys saw them play today. Does that look like an NCAA Tournament team to you? And the answer is an emphatic ‘Yes.’ They’re good,” said Self. “They’re really good.”
Huggins said he told his team Saturday that he feels they “don’t have anything to worry about,” in terms of making the big dance. Projections from ESPN and others had West Virginia on the bubble even before the one-possession loss to Kansas.
Never one to mince words, Huggins let those on-hand in Lawrence know exactly how he feels about his team’s postseason chances.
“I will blast [the selection committee’s] a– as far and as long as we can, if they don’t let these guys in the tournament,” said Huggins. “After, you know, years and years of ‘Play a competitive schedule, the best teams are the teams that play the best strength of schedule.’ We have played the best strength of schedule, and it’s not arguable. We played the best. So, I think we … ought to get credit for it.” | https://www.wowktv.com/goldandbluenation/we-belong-stevenson-wvu-make-their-pitch-to-ncaa-tournament-selection-committee/ | 2023-02-26 06:57:02 | 0 | https://www.wowktv.com/goldandbluenation/we-belong-stevenson-wvu-make-their-pitch-to-ncaa-tournament-selection-committee/ |
German police: 8 dead in Jehovah’s Witnesses hall shooting
HAMBURG, Germany (AP) — A shooting at a Jehovah’s Witnesses hall in the German city of Hamburg killed eight people, apparently including the perpetrator, police said Friday. An unspecified number of other people were wounded, some of them seriously.
Police gave the figure on their website. There was still no word on a possible motive for the shooting on Thursday evening that stunned Germany’s second-biggest city. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, a former Hamburg mayor, described the shooting as “a brutal act of violence.”
Police said during the night that they believe that there was only one shooter, and that that this could be a person who was found dead in the building.
Investigators worked through the night to secure evidence. On Friday morning, forensic investigators in protective white suits could still be seen outside the building as a light snow fell. Officers placed yellow cones on the ground and windowsills to mark evidence.
Hamburg officials said there would be a news conference Friday afternoon to discuss details.
David Semonian, a U.S.-based spokesman for Jehovah’s Witnesses, said in an emailed statement early Friday that members “worldwide grieve for the victims of this traumatic event.”
“The congregation elders in the local area are providing pastoral care for those affected by the event,” he wrote. “We understand that the authorities are still investigating the details of this crime. We appreciate the courageous help provided by the police and emergency services.”
The scene of the shooting was the Jehovah’s Witnesses’ Kingdom Hall, a boxy three-story building next to an auto repair shop in the Gross Borstel district, a few kilometers (miles) from downtown Hamburg.
Police spokesman Holger Vehren said police were alerted to the shooting about 9:15 p.m. and were on the scene quickly.
He said that after officers arrived and found people with apparent gunshot wounds on the ground floor, they heard a shot from an upper floor and found a fatally wounded person upstairs who may have been a shooter. He said police did not have to use their firearms.
Student Laura Bauch, who lives nearby, said there were around four periods of shooting, German news agency dpa reported. “There were always several shots in these periods, roughly at intervals of 20 seconds to a minute,” she said.
She said she looked out her window and saw a person running from the ground floor to the second floor of the Jehovah’s Witnesses hall.
Gregor Miesbach, who lives within sight of the building, was alerted by the sound of shots and filmed a figure entering the building through a window. Shots can then be heard from inside. The figure later apparently emerges from the hall, is seen in the courtyard and then fires more shots inside.
Miesbach told German television news agency NonstopNews that he heard at least 25 shots. After police arrived, one last shot followed about five minutes later, he said.
His video showed a person firing multiple shots into the building through a first floor window before the lights inside the room went out.
Jehovah’s Witnesses are part of an international church, founded in the United States in the 19th century and headquartered in Warwick, New York. It claims a worldwide membership of about 8.7 million, with about 170,000 in Germany.
Members are known for their evangelistic efforts that include knocking on doors and distributing literature in public squares. The denomination’s distinctive practices include a refusal to bear arms, receive blood transfusions, salute a national flag or participate in secular government. ___ Moulson reported from Berlin. Associated Press journalist David Rising contributed to this story from Bangkok.
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.mysuncoast.com/2023/03/10/german-police-8-dead-jehovahs-witnesses-hall-shooting/ | 2023-03-10 08:25:40 | 1 | https://www.mysuncoast.com/2023/03/10/german-police-8-dead-jehovahs-witnesses-hall-shooting/ |
Application to Loan Servicing 100% in Spanish Welcomes More People Into Home Ownership and Expands Upon Commitment to Best Serve the Latino Community
CHICAGO, Sept. 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Guaranteed Rate, a leader in mortgage lending and digital financial services, today unveils an expanded Language Access Program (LAP). This program delivers every step and communication within the mortgage experience entirely in Spanish, leveraging both language and nuanced cultural references to deliver a superior user experience for people who only speak or prefer to interact in Spanish. Accessible to consumers in all 50 states, this launch is a major milestone in the company's constantly expanding commitment to the Hispanic community and the Limited English Proficiency (LEP) community at large.
"The rapidly growing Latino population has faced language barriers in the mortgage application process for way too long," says Camilo Escalante, Executive Director of Diverse Segments at Guaranteed Rate. "We feel transparency is a right no matter what language you speak. Our solution has no geographic boundaries, as Latinos are integral parts of city, suburban, small town, and rural communities in all 50 states. Now, Spanish-speaking homebuyers and real estate agents have trusted mortgage resources wherever they are."
"When it comes to one of the most significant financial decisions most people make in their lifetimes, details can have a big impact on homebuyers," said Arlyn Kalinski, Vice President, LEP Compliance for Guaranteed Rate. "Let's take loan disclosures as a prime example. These documents reveal critical details on loan terms, projected monthly payments, and how much the consumer will pay in fees and other costs to get their mortgage (closing costs). Guaranteed Rate walks customers through the loan estimates and closing disclosures in Spanish, with a real time digital version the customer can print/save as reference."
Guaranteed Rate's LAP empowers people to transition from paying rent into real estate ownership – investing in homes they live in, and for some, properties they can rent to others. The Hispanic community at large is expected to make up 70 percent of homeownership growth in the US over the next 20 years (*1). Currently there are more than 40 million Spanish-speaking consumers in the U.S., with 40 percent (16 million) considered LEP (*2). According to a 2020 CSA Research report (*3), product information that buyers can read is pivotal in the purchase decision. Given the choice between buying similar products, 76% of respondents will choose the one with information in their preferred language. For people least proficient in English, the preference hovers around 89%. To address this need, Guaranteed Rate ensured that every single contact point – financial education, application technology, bilingual processing, customer service, automated communications, loan estimate and closing disclosures, and loan servicing – was attuned to both the language and culture.
"Misperceptions about mortgages – everything from acceptable credit scores, good and bad debt, the need for Social Security numbers, and the best size of down payments – keep many Latino consumers from even investigating the possibility of owning a home in the U.S.," said Kalinski. "Every Latino customer has a different story, whether they recently immigrated here or have U.S. roots dating generations. That's why listening comes first, followed by education. Most countries in South or Central America have unique or varying processes for buying property. Based upon where a potential borrower is from, and the questions they have, we can guide them forward into U.S. homeownership."
LAP infrastructure allows Guaranteed Rate and its Language Certified Loan Originators in all 50 states to now market, advertise, and solicit business in Spanish. "We are changing how the entire mortgage industry will communicate with the Hispanic community from here forward," Escalante said.
LAP includes many company initiatives to serve consumers who communicate in languages other than English, including a nationwide bilingual processing team and an over-the-phone interpretation service to translate more than 170 languages. Visit https://www.rate.com/resources/language-services for more information.
Guaranteed Rate Companies is a leader in mortgage lending and digital financial services. Headquartered in Chicago, the Guaranteed Rate Companies have more than 8,000 employees in over 850 branches across the U.S., serving all 50 states and Washington, D.C. Since its launch in 2000, Guaranteed Rate Companies have helped more than 1 million homeowners with home purchase loans and refinances, with a total loan volume of more than $116 billion in 2021 alone. The company has cemented itself as an industry leader by introducing innovative technology, offering low rates and delivering unparalleled customer service. Honors and awards include: Top Lender for Online Service for 2018 by U.S. News & World Report; Best Mortgage Lender for Online Loans and Best Mortgage Lender for Refinancing by NerdWallet for 2021; HousingWire's 2020 Tech100 award for the company's industry-leading FlashClose℠ technology; No. 3 ranking in Scotsman Guide's 2021 list of Top Retail Mortgage Lenders; Chicago Agent Magazine's Lender of the Year for six consecutive years; and Chicago Tribune's Top Workplaces list for seven consecutive years. Visit rate.com for more information.
*1 National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals (March 2022), 2021 State of Hispanic Homeownership report
*2 U.S. Census Bureau, 2016 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates , Table B16001: Language Spoken at Home by Ability to Speak English for the Population 5 Years and Over (2016), available at https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=B16001&tid=ACSDT5Y2016.B16001&vintage=2018
*3 Survey of 8,709 Consumers in 29 Countries Finds that 76% Prefer Purchasing Products with Information in their Own Language
Media Contact: jen.belongiabarak@rate.com
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SOURCE Guaranteed Rate | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/09/22/guaranteed-rate-launches-one-most-extensive-spanish-language-mortgage-program-us-housing-market/ | 2022-09-22 12:02:11 | 1 | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/09/22/guaranteed-rate-launches-one-most-extensive-spanish-language-mortgage-program-us-housing-market/ |
CLEVELAND, July 13, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Resilience Capital Partners ("Resilience") announced that its portfolio company, Trialon Corporation ("Trialon"), has been acquired by Element Materials Technology ("Element"), one of the world's leading providers of testing, inspection and certification services.
Headquartered in Auburn Hills, Michigan, Trialon is a leading provider of testing and technical services including environmental, EMC, materials and vibration testing serving primarily the transportation industry. Resilience acquired Trialon in March 2016 and immediately embarked on a significant capital investment strategy and exiting non-core operations to transform the business' profile to a comprehensive testing partner for its marquee transportation customers. During its ownership, Resilience more than doubled Trialon's testing capacity within its existing laboratory footprint and added a state-of-the-art testing center in Auburn Hills by converting an in-house captive facility into an independent laboratory.
"Given Trialon's growth trajectory after significantly investing in the business including a world-class management team, we felt it was time to find the right partner for Trialon's next chapter. The company still has tremendous opportunity and is well positioned in the ever-evolving transportation industry," said Bassem Mansour, co-CEO of Resilience.
William Tobin, Partner at Resilience, added, "Trialon is a great case study of investing in a family-owned business and underwriting a thoughtful capital expansion plan around solid fundamentals in a growing industry. It has been a pleasure working with management on the transformation of Trialon during our ownership to drive a strong outcome for all stakeholders."
Jacob Farmer, CEO of Trialon Corporation, said, "This acquisition is an exciting step forward for our business, employees and customers. The collaboration with Resilience and its numerous resources and strategic capabilities took Trialon to the position of strength it is in today and helped it become an attractive business for a global leader like Element."
Hennepin Partners acted as financial advisor and Jones Day as legal counsel to Resilience and Trialon. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
About Resilience Capital Partners
Headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, Resilience invests in niche-oriented manufacturing, value added distribution and business service companies with sustainable market positions. Resilience provides a flexible transaction approach to accommodate the needs of businesses and sellers.
Since its founding in 2001, Resilience has raised and advised funds with aggregate capital commitments in excess of $675 million on behalf of its global investor base, which includes pension funds, insurance companies, foundations and endowments, fund of funds, family offices, and high net worth individuals. These funds have been invested in 84 companies under 41 platforms in numerous industries. For more information, please visit www.resiliencecapital.com.
About Trialon Corporation
Trialon is a provider of test engineering and technical services to the transportation and other manufacturing industries. The company is based in Auburn Hills, Michigan, with other locations in Michigan and Indiana. Testing services include environmental, EMC, materials and vibration. For more information on Trialon, please visit www.trialon.com.
Contact:
William Tobin, Partner
Resilience Capital Partners
wtobin@resiliencecapital.com
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SOURCE Resilience Capital Partners | https://www.wafb.com/prnewswire/2022/07/13/resilience-capital-partners-announces-sale-trialon-corporation-element-materials-technology/ | 2022-07-13 15:23:07 | 0 | https://www.wafb.com/prnewswire/2022/07/13/resilience-capital-partners-announces-sale-trialon-corporation-element-materials-technology/ |
WASHINGTON (AP) — A top railroad CEO plans to tell Congress he is “deeply sorry” for last month’s fiery train derailment on the Ohio-Pennsylvania border as the Senate launches what is likely to be the first in a series of hearings about railway safety and the Biden administration’s response to the disaster.
The Norfolk Southern crash didn’t hurt anyone, but state and local officials decided to release and burn toxic vinyl chloride from five tanker cars, prompting the evacuation of half of the roughly 5,000 residents of East Palestine, Ohio.
Scenes of billowing smoke above the village, alongside outcry from residents that they were still suffering from illnesses, have turned high-level attention to railroad safety and how dangerous materials are transported.
“I am deeply sorry for the impact this derailment has had on the people of East Palestine and surrounding communities, and I am determined to make it right,” Norfolk Southern CEO Alan Shaw says in prepared remarks released Wednesday, a day before a Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works hearing.
The railroad has promised more than $20 million so far to help the Ohio community recover and announced several voluntary safety upgrades. Senators, however, have promised a pressing inquiry into the derailment, the company’s safety practices and the emergency response to the toppling of 38 railcars. And federal regulators have also said Norfolk Southern must do more to improve safety.
“I want to hear what did they do wrong, what mistakes did they make,” said Sen. Tom Carper, D-Del., the chair of the Environment and Public Works committee. “There’s been a number of criticisms of what they did, and to have him respond to those criticisms on the record.”
The East Palestine disaster as well as a spate of other recent train derailments have sparked a show of bipartisanship in the Senate. The committee on Thursday will also hear from Ohio and Pennsylvania senators — one Republican and two Democrats — who are pushing new safety regulations called the Railway Safety Act of 2023. | https://www.localsyr.com/news/your-local-election-hq/norfolk-southern-ceo-deeply-sorry-as-senators-ready-probe-2/ | 2023-03-09 21:09:29 | 1 | https://www.localsyr.com/news/your-local-election-hq/norfolk-southern-ceo-deeply-sorry-as-senators-ready-probe-2/ |
11:50 p.m. Update: The heavy rain has exited McLean County and only light showers remain. With the cold front now to our southeast, no new storms are expected. Isolated showers are possible for the rest of the night, but we'll be completely dry by 7 a.m. Sunday.
There are no reports of any flooded roads at this time, so the flash flood warning has been cancelled. A few flooded roads could still be out there in low lying and poorly drained locations though. If you'll be driving late tonight, continue to use caution. Don't attempt to drive through any flooded roads.
Sunday is looking like a nice day! Partly cloudy skies in the morning will become mostly sunny in the afternoon. High temperatures will reach around 79 with comfortable levels of humidity. It will be breezy in the afternoon with gusts reaching around 25 mph.
10:45 p.m. Update: Storms continue to slowly move to the south and east. Only light rain coming down in Bloomington-Normal now, but heavy rain continues across southeastern McLean County. Most in and around Bloomington-Normal have seen 1.5 to 2.5 inches of rain. Close to 3 inches has fallen on the west side of Normal. Fortunately, rain totals won't go up too much more now.
With isolated reports of flooded roads, particularly in Normal, continue to use caution if driving. Do not attempt to drive through any flooded roads. If you encounter one, turn around and find an alternate route.
10:10 p.m. Update: A Flash Flood Warning has been issued for Bloomington-Normal and most of McLean County until 1:00 a.m. Sunday. 1 to 2 inches of rain has fallen and heavy rain continues. An additional 1 to 2 inches may fall. Reports of flooded roads in Normal are beginning to come in.
Try to avoid travel for the next few hours. If you must venture out, use caution while driving. If you encounter a flooded road, turn around, don't drown.
County with the most severe weather in every state
County with the most severe weather in every state
Weather is often a go-to conversation filler or ice-breaker. When people don’t know what else to say, they gripe about the heat or the cold or the rain or the snow. But severe weather is far more than an inconvenience, and it can be a matter of life or death.
Take thunderstorms. There are roughly 100,000 thunderstorms every year in the United States, and 1 in 10 is considered severe. They cause flash floods, spark fires, and create hail, killing more people each year than do tornadoes, lightning, or hurricanes. Severe weather is growing more intense as well. Flash floods tear through dry waterbeds, city streets, and sewer drains at breakneck speed. But in developed urban areas, rain falls on impervious surfaces like sidewalks, parking lots, and driveways. Without land to absorb it, the water inundates roadways, culverts, and underpasses. Hail storms are expected to become more dangerous as the planet keeps overheating. Researchers predict climate change will mean fewer days of hail ahead, but an increase in the size of hailstones, making them more destructive and more lethal.
Stacker set out to find the places in the United States that have the most severe weather. Using data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration , Stacker sorted a decade of storm events large and small from 2010 to 2020, weighing all of them equally, and created a list of counties with the most severe weather in every state.
You think your weather is bad? Take a look at the worst weather in the country.
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DCA88 // Shutterstock
Alabama: Lauderdale County
- Severe weather events (2010–2020): 800 (72.7 per year)
- Most frequent events:
--- #1. Thunderstorm wind (47.4 per year)
--- #2. Flash flood (5.1 per year)
--- #3. Hail (4.7 per year)
Located in northern Alabama, Lauderdale County sits in the heart of so-called Dixie Alley that is prone to high wind and tornado-bearing thunderstorms. Its location close to the mild humid air of the Gulf of Mexico and the jet stream means atmospheric triggers like low-pressure systems produce powerful thunderstorms.
Wayne James // Shutterstock
Alaska: Juneau Borough and Northern Admiralty Island
- Severe weather events (2010–2020): 102 (9.3 per year)
- Most frequent events:
--- #1. High Wind (5.5 per year)
--- #2. Winter Storm (3.2 per year)
--- #3. Heavy snow (0.5 per year)
While Juneau Borough and Northern Admiralty Island get high winds and winter storms, its temperatures tell the most dramatic story. Daytime highs in summer typically hit the low- to mid-60s, winter temperatures average 29 degrees Fahrenheit, the thermometer falls below freezing more than 100 nights a year, and for an average of a month every year, the mercury never goes above freezing.
Anna Cramer // Shutterstock
Arizona: Maricopa County
- Severe weather events (2010–2020): 883 (80.3 per year)
- Most frequent events:
--- #1. Thunderstorm wind (40.1 per year)
--- #2. Flash flood (22.2 per year)
--- #3. Heavy rain (8.3 per year)
Flash floods in Maricopa County, home to Phoenix, are the result of storm runoff from mountains that moves quickly through dry washes and riverbeds. Local authorities say a mere 6 inches of moving water can knock a person off their feet, and moving water a foot deep can wash away a car. Arizona has what is known as the “Stupid Motorist Law,” under which drivers who become stranded in flooded roadways after driving around barricades may be charged for the expense of being rescued.
DCA88 // Shutterstock
Arkansas: Pulaski County
- Severe weather events (2010–2020): 611 (55.5 per year)
- Most frequent events:
--- #1. Thunderstorm wind (16.5 per year)
--- #2. Hail (13.0 per year)
--- #3. Flash flood (9.4 per year)
Pulaski County, home to Little Rock, frequently gets severe thunderstorms that create tornadoes. In 2014, the Mayflower/Vilonia tornado tore 41 miles through Pulaski and two other counties, killing 16 people and injuring nearly 200 others. It was the state’s deadliest tornado since 1968.
Felix Mizioznikov // Shutterstock
California: San Bernardino County
- Severe weather events (2010–2020): 544 (49.5 per year)
- Most frequent events:
--- #1. Flash flood (32.5 per year)
--- #2. Flood (4.3 per year)
--- #3. Thunderstorm wind (4.1 per year)
Southern California, where San Bernardino County is located, is susceptible to flash floods made worse by inadequate drainage systems and impermeable surfaces such as streets and parking lots that do not allow water to be absorbed. Outdated management strategies aimed to route floodwaters to the ocean, but experts say a better approach is restoring wetlands and river corridors and refilling aquifers. San Bernardino County authorities advise residents in the flood-prone areas to build retaining walls, raise furnace and electrical panels above potential flood levels, and keep a supply of sandbags on hand.
You may also like: States with the most severe summer weather
Lowe Llaguno // Shutterstock
Colorado: El Paso County
- Severe weather events (2010–2020): 905 (82.3 per year)
- Most frequent events:
--- #1. Hail (59.2 per year)
--- #2. Flash flood (10.1 per year)
--- #3. Heavy rain (5.9 per year)
El Paso County, where Colorado Springs is located, lies along the Colorado Front Range where hail storms are frequent. At the region’s higher elevation, hail falls faster and can do more damage than in lower elevations. Spring and summer are considered hail season, with the largest hailstones in April, May, and June when thunderstorm updrafts are biggest.
Virrage Images // Shutterstock
Connecticut: Litchfield County
- Severe weather events (2010–2020): 274 (24.9 per year)
- Most frequent events:
--- #1. Thunderstorm wind (15.7 per year)
--- #2. Hail (4.6 per year)
--- #3. Flash flood (1.6 per year)
Picturesque, hilly and wooded, Litchfield County is a popular getaway location nestled in northwestern Connecticut. Its worst weather comes in the form of thunderstorms which typically, due to all the area trees, knock out electrical power to residents. Experts say the area needs to modernize with smart meters, buried wiring, and microgrids that can isolate areas of power failure and supplies.
Brandt Bolding // Shutterstock
Delaware: New Castle County
- Severe weather events (2010–2020): 553 (50.3 per year)
- Most frequent events:
--- #1. Thunderstorm wind (16.4 per year)
--- #2. Winter weather (5.5 per year)
--- #3. Flash flood (5.4 per year)
New Castle County, Delaware, where Wilmington is situated, lies along the Delaware River across from New Jersey. Particularly in summer, thunderstorms are common, with heavy rain.
Paul Brady Photography // Shutterstock
Florida: Duval County
- Severe weather events (2010–2020): 658 (59.8 per year)
- Most frequent events:
--- #1. Thunderstorm wind (24.7 per year)
--- #2. Heavy rain (10.7 per year)
--- #3. Hail (8.2 per year)
Duval County encompasses Jacksonville, Florida, where in February 2020 a powerful storm front killed at least four people. Winds of up to 70 mph damaged homes and trees and knocked out power to some 172,000 customers.
Lynne Neuman // Shutterstock
Georgia: Chatham County
- Severe weather events (2010–2020): 398 (36.2 per year)
- Most frequent events:
--- #1. Thunderstorm wind (25.0 per year)
--- #2. Hail (5.6 per year)
--- #3. Flash flood (2.4 per year)
The weather in Chatham County, which consists of the city of Savannah, is called humid subtropical, and humidity is particularly high from May through September. Average daytime high temperatures in the low 90s in July and August cause plenty of thunderstorms to build.
You may also like: U.S. cities with the cleanest air
LucVi // Shutterstock
Hawaii: Hawaii County
- Severe weather events (2010–2020): 463 (42.1 per year)
- Most frequent events:
--- #1. Heavy rain (36.1 per year)
--- #2. Flash flood (4.7 per year)
--- #3. Funnel cloud (0.4 per year)
Hawaii County is known as the Big Island, where Hilo is the nation's wettest city with more than 130 inches of rain a year. Hilo is located on the windward east side of the island, where moisture blown onto land in trade winds condenses into clouds and rain. Hilo gets 10 to 40 times more rain than do the island’s driest sections.
Evan Austen // Shutterstock
Idaho: Bonneville County
- Severe weather events (2010–2020): 121 (11.0 per year)
- Most frequent events:
--- #1. Thunderstorm wind (3.5 per year)
--- #2. Hail (1.0 per year)
--- #3. Funnel cloud (0.6 per year)
Idaho’s Bonneville County gets funnel clouds, spinning columns of air that reach down from cumulus or cumulonimbus clouds overhead. Unlike tornadoes, funnel clouds do not touch the ground.
Pictureguy // Shutterstock
Illinois: Cook County
- Severe weather events (2010–2020): 861 (78.3 per year)
- Most frequent events:
--- #1. Thunderstorm wind (28.2 per year)
--- #2. Hail (17.7 per year)
--- #3. Flash flood (7.6 per year)
Proximity to Lake Michigan means Cook County, which includes Chicago, gets unsettling severe weather known as training thunderstorms. Unlike typical quick single-cell thunderstorms, training thunderstorms can repeatedly build in the same areas for hours and produce serious flooding. The name comes from the resemblance to train cars on railroad tracks.
Virrage Images // Shutterstock
Indiana: Gibson County
- Severe weather events (2010–2020): 417 (37.9 per year)
- Most frequent events:
--- #1. Flood (12.9 per year)
--- #2. Dense Fog (3.6 per year)
--- #3. Thunderstorm wind (3.5 per year)
Gibson County, Indiana, sits along the Wabash River, the scene of one of the worst floods in state history in 1913. As heavy rains fell across the state, the Wabash River brimming with floodwater grew almost seven miles wide. The flooding was followed by food shortages and typhoid. The death toll was between 100 and 200 people.
Nyttend // Wikimedia Commons
Iowa: Polk County
- Severe weather events (2010–2020): 494 (44.9 per year)
- Most frequent events:
--- #1. Heavy rain (26.8 per year)
--- #2. Thunderstorm wind (23.5 per year)
--- #3. Hail (16.7 per year)
Polk County is centrally located in Iowa which has been getting increasing amounts of rain in recent years, a change that state officials and experts link to climate change. The rains impact the state’s agricultural economy, washing away young plants, eroding soil away, and flooding cropland. They also bring mosquitoes, residents note.
You may also like: 50 common weather terms, explained
Nagel Photography // Shutterstock
Kansas: Sedgwick County
- Severe weather events (2010–2020): 611 (55.5 per year)
- Most frequent events:
--- #1. Hail (36.5 per year)
--- #2. Thunderstorm wind (27.5 per year)
--- #3. Flash flood (6.8 per year)
Hailstorms strike Sedgwick County, Kansas, where Springfield is located, an average of three times a month. Hailstones the size of half dollars and some as big as 4 inches were reported in a storm in late March 2020 that lasted about an hour in an area of 1,670 square miles with 23,000 buildings.
mojoeks // Shutterstock
Kentucky: Jefferson County
- Severe weather events (2010–2020): 504 (45.8 per year)
- Most frequent events:
--- #1. Thunderstorm wind (21.9 per year)
--- #2. Flash flood (9.0 per year)
--- #3. Hail (6.4 per year)
Flash flooding is problematic in Jefferson County , where Louisville is situated. Residents blame the local sewer authority for blocked drains and inadequate maintenance, but officials with the Metropolitan Sewer District says heavy rains can easily overwhelm the system.
Thomas Kelley // Shutterstock
Louisiana: Caddo Parish
- Severe weather events (2010–2020): 580 (52.7 per year)
- Most frequent events:
--- #1. Thunderstorm wind (21.3 per year)
--- #2. Hail (10.5 per year)
--- #3. Flash flood (8.8 per year)
Tropical storm systems hundreds of miles away in the Gulf of Mexico cause flooding in Caddo Parish, home to Shreveport in northwestern Louisiana. The rainfall overwhelms waterways like the Red River, which flows in from Arkansas and feeds into the Atchafalaya River in the southern part of the state. The storms also bring strong winds and the threat of tornadoes.
Allen J.M. Smith // Shutterstock
Maine: Aroostook County
- Severe weather events (2010–2020): 410 (37.3 per year)
- Most frequent events:
--- #1. Thunderstorm wind (24.4 per year)
--- #2. Hail (7.8 per year)
--- #3. Flash flood (2.3 per year)
Aroostook County, which borders Canada in northern Maine, is larger than the state of Connecticut and known for its potato crop. It's one of the wettest locales in the state, with some 145 rainy days a year. It’s also one of the snowiest, getting an average yearly snowfall of more than 94 inches, in a snow season that lasts seven months.
Danita Delimont // Shutterstock
Maryland: Montgomery County
- Severe weather events (2010–2020): 670 (60.9 per year)
- Most frequent events:
--- #1. Thunderstorm wind (33.0 per year)
--- #2. Flash flood (11.8 per year)
--- #3. Flood (10.9 per year)
Flooding is problematic in Montgomery County , Maryland, a commuter suburb north of Washington, D.C. Flash floods crippled the region one Monday morning rush hour in 2019, when heavy rains rapidly filled up streams, creeks, highways, and underpasses. Dozens of people had to be rescued, mostly from cars stranded in water.
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Regine Poirier // Shutterstock
Massachusetts: Middlesex County
- Severe weather events (2010–2020): 470 (42.7 per year)
- Most frequent events:
--- #1. Thunderstorm wind (23.6 per year)
--- #2. Flood (9.2 per year)
--- #3. Hail (6.4 per year)
Massachusetts’ Middlesex County, which is essentially Boston, is prone to storms called nor'easters, which move up the Atlantic coast and blow in with powerful northeast winds. The gusts often are stronger than those in hurricanes. Depending on whether they arrive over land or water, nor’easters can bring torrential rain, flooding, heavy snow, and huge waves as well as thunder and lightning.
Wangkun Jia // Shutterstock
Michigan: Marquette County
- Severe weather events (2010–2020): 442 (40.2 per year)
- Most frequent events:
--- #1. Winter weather (12.0 per year)
--- #2. Thunderstorm wind (8.8 per year)
--- #3. Hail (4.9 per year)
Located on Michigan’s Upper Peninsula on Lake Superior, Marquette County gets so-called lake effect snow, when cold air moves across warmer lake waters, gathers up moisture, and dumps heavy snow when it reaches land. Marquette County gets an average of 8 to 16 feet of snow a year.
ehrlif // Shutterstock
Minnesota: Hennepin County
- Severe weather events (2010–2020): 438 (39.8 per year)
- Most frequent events:
--- #1. Hail (17.2 per year)
--- #2. Thunderstorm wind (10.5 per year)
--- #3. Heavy rain (3.5 per year)
In Minnesota, a typical thunderstorm might last only about a half hour, but the accompanying hail and winds can do a lot of damage in that short time. Some gusts can top 100 mph and cause as much damage as a tornado. Summer is considered hail season.
Sam Wagner // Shutterstock
Mississippi: Hinds County
- Severe weather events (2010–2020): 441 (40.1 per year)
- Most frequent events:
--- #1. Thunderstorm wind (19.2 per year)
--- #2. Flash flood (8.8 per year)
--- #3. Hail (5.3 per year)
Flash flooding is a risk in Hinds County, consisting of Jackson, Mississippi, particularly when the Pearl River floods, creeks are filled, and the ground is saturated, forcing water from a rain shower or thunderstorm into local streets. Flash flooding in Mississippi typically is caused by sudden, heavy rain from slow-moving thunderstorms.
Sean Pavone // Shutterstock
Missouri: Greene County
- Severe weather events (2010–2020): 479 (43.5 per year)
- Most frequent events:
--- #1. Thunderstorm wind (29.5 per year)
--- #2. Hail (16.4 per year)
--- #3. Flash flood (10.9 per year)
Studies by the National Weather Service of extreme weather in Missouri’s Greene County, where Springfield is located, found hail storms were most common in April and May and typically occurred between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. The most damaging winds came in June, and tornadoes, which occurred on average 10 times a year, were most common in April.
You may also like: States with the most hailstorms
Pura Vida Kayla // Shutterstock
Montana: Valley County
- Severe weather events (2010–2020): 453 (41.2 per year)
- Most frequent events:
--- #1. Thunderstorm wind (18.7 per year)
--- #2. Hail (13.7 per year)
--- #3. Flood (6.3 per year)
Valley County abuts the Canadian border in northern Montana, with a population of fewer than 8,000 people. The wide open northern prairie gets wind speeds that average nearly 11 mph for seven months out of the year, and in the calmer months, the winds’ average hourly speed is still more than 9 mph.
Rui Serra Maia // Shutterstock
Nebraska: Lincoln County
- Severe weather events (2010–2020): 681 (61.9 per year)
- Most frequent events:
--- #1. Hail (30.4 per year)
--- #2. Thunderstorm wind (18.8 per year)
--- #3. Drought (2.5 per year)
Western Nebraska, where Lincoln County is located, lies in what’s called “Hail Alley.” Hail falls in paths called swaths that can range from a few acres to areas 100 miles long. Massive amounts of small hailstones can pile up and cover roadways entirely.
Nagel Photography // Shutterstock
Nevada: Clark County
- Severe weather events (2010–2020): 405 (36.8 per year)
- Most frequent events:
--- #1. Flash flood (18.0 per year)
--- #2. Thunderstorm wind (8.6 per year)
--- #3. Hail (3.5 per year)
Flash floods, which can happen with no warning, are common events in southern Nevada, the location of Clark County, which encompasses Las Vegas. During flood season from July to September, moist air from the Gulf of Mexico is forced upward by hot air currents, causing severe thunderstorms. Hitting baked-dry desert surfaces, the rainwater can run off rapidly, filling underpasses, viaducts, and low roads in developed areas.
Jeffrey J Coleman // Shutterstock
New Hampshire: Grafton County
- Severe weather events (2010–2020): 330 (30.0 per year)
- Most frequent events:
--- #1. Thunderstorm wind (16.4 per year)
--- #2. Flood (5.7 per year)
--- #3. Flash flood (4.5 per year)
Storms can take a serious toll in Grafton County , where the White Mountain National Forest is located. In the summer of 2020, heavy rain, thunder, and lightning forced a local hospital, the region's only trauma center, to cancel surgeries and other procedures when rainwater flooded its operating rooms.
Jon Bilous // Shutterstock
New Jersey: Camden County
- Severe weather events (2010–2020): 461 (41.9 per year)
- Most frequent events:
--- #1. Thunderstorm wind (17.3 per year)
--- #2. Winter weather (5.0 per year)
--- #3. Flash flood (3.5 per year)
In the summer of 2020, a string of violent thunderstorms tore through southern New Jersey, where Camden County sits, in what is known as a derecho. According to the National Weather Service, a band of storms that typically move in one direction in a swath of more than 240 miles and wind gusts exceeding 58 mph is considered a derecho. One of the most severe derechos took place in 2012 when a band of storms started in Chicago and gathered strength as it powered eastward through New Jersey.
You may also like: Average temperature change in every state over the past 100 years
Brian E Kushner // Shutterstock
New Mexico: Eddy County
- Severe weather events (2010–2020): 275 (25.0 per year)
- Most frequent events:
--- #1. Hail (14.1 per year)
--- #2. Flash flood (5.5 per year)
--- #3. Thunderstorm wind (4.0 per year)
Eddy County is situated in Southeastern New Mexico, where meteorologists say the number of reported hail storms has increased. Between 1955 and 1979, the average number of hail reports annually was 11, but from 1980 and 2009, it was 99. The increase was linked to the installation of state-of-the-art Doppler radar technology.
John Huntington // Shutterstock
New York: Chautauqua County
- Severe weather events (2010–2020): 418 (38.0 per year)
- Most frequent events:
--- #1. Thunderstorm wind (15.8 per year)
--- #2. Flash flood (3.7 per year)
--- #3. High Wind (3.6 per year)
Along the eastern shore of Lake Erie, southwest of Buffalo, Chautauqua County is buffeted by powerful storms and wind blowing off the Great Lake. From November to April, the average hourly wind speed is more than 7 mph.
Zack Frank // Shutterstock
North Carolina: Wake County
- Severe weather events (2010–2020): 565 (51.4 per year)
- Most frequent events:
--- #1. Thunderstorm wind (25.5 per year)
--- #2. Hail (11.6 per year)
--- #3. Flash flood (7.5 per year)
Hail is a common event in Wake County , where Raleigh is located. In 2012, hail was reported a whopping 27 times within 10 miles of the city center. Hail forms when drops of rain are swept up by thunderstorm drafts into cold regions of the atmosphere, where they freeze and then fall to the ground.
samray // Shutterstock
North Dakota: Grand Forks County
- Severe weather events (2010–2020): 454 (41.3 per year)
- Most frequent events:
--- #1. Thunderstorm wind (13.6 per year)
--- #2. Hail (10.4 per year)
--- #3. Blizzard (3.2 per year)
Grand Forks County gets more blizzards than nearly anywhere else in the nation, but a blizzard that struck in 1966 set nearly unbelievable records. The storm brought snowfall of up to 30 inches, but drifts reached as high as 40 feet, covering buildings and trapping livestock. Winds of 75 to 100 mph blew in some areas for four days.
Jacob Boomsma // Shutterstock
Ohio: Hamilton County
- Severe weather events (2010–2020): 514 (46.7 per year)
- Most frequent events:
--- #1. Thunderstorm wind (15.6 per year)
--- #2. Hail (9.5 per year)
--- #3. Flash flood (7.8 per year)
Hamilton County, Ohio , which consists of the Cincinnati metropolitan area in southern Ohio, gets plenty of hail. Dozens of incidents were reported in 2020 by trained spotters in the region, which also issued severe weather warnings more than six dozen times in the same time period.
You may also like: 20 safety preparations for the weather this summer
RobDun // Shutterstock
Oklahoma: Tulsa County
- Severe weather events (2010–2020): 490 (44.5 per year)
- Most frequent events:
--- #1. Thunderstorm wind (21.8 per year)
--- #2. Hail (19.1 per year)
--- #3. Flash flood (11.7 per year)
Tulsa County is often slammed by tornadoes, especially in April and May. In 2020, 10 twisters were reported in the county in the month of May alone. In the Tulsa National Weather Service forecast area, which includes 25 counties in Oklahoma and seven in Arkansas, nearly 1,400 tornadoes were documented from 1950 to 2019.
Monica Armstrong // Shutterstock
Oregon: Jackson County
- Severe weather events (2010–2020): 205 (18.6 per year)
- Most frequent events:
--- #1. Frost/Freeze (6.0 per year)
--- #2. Heavy snow (1.5 per year)
--- #3. Wildfire (1.4 per year)
Jackson County, Oregon, was the scene of two devastating wildfires in 2020 — the Almeda and South Obenchain fires. The Almeda fire killed three people and burned 3,200 acres, while the South Obenchain burned more than 32,000 acres. Conditions in both areas had been hot and dry, and gusting winds helped spread the flames.
Cory Sober // Shutterstock
Pennsylvania: Allegheny County
- Severe weather events (2010–2020): 515 (46.8 per year)
- Most frequent events:
--- #1. Thunderstorm wind (35.8 per year)
--- #2. Flash flood (24.0 per year)
--- #3. Hail (14.5 per year)
In Allegheny County , which is the Pittsburgh metropolitan area, flash floods tend to be caused most often by heavy thunderstorms, according to the National Weather Service. Factors that contribute to the extent of the torrential flooding are land use, vegetation, water in the soil, and, in developed areas, impermeable surfaces like paved streets and clogged sewer drains.
Nagel Photography // Shutterstock
Rhode Island: Providence County
- Severe weather events (2010–2020): 136 (12.4 per year)
- Most frequent events:
--- #1. Thunderstorm wind (5.6 per year)
--- #2. Flood (3.5 per year)
--- #3. Hail (1.6 per year)
Hurricanes pose the biggest threat of flooding in Providence County , but the Fox Point Hurricane Barrier is considered to have reduced the risk significantly. Completed in 1966, the barrier 1 mile south of downtown Providence is designed to protect against tidal flooding from coastal storms. The 700-foot concrete barrier extends across the Providence River, with gates designed to block the entry of floodwaters when closed.
Allan Wood Photography // Shutterstock
South Carolina: Charleston County
- Severe weather events (2010–2020): 484 (44.0 per year)
- Most frequent events:
--- #1. Thunderstorm wind (22.9 per year)
--- #2. Flash flood (11.0 per year)
--- #3. Coastal flood (10.8 per year)
In Charleston County, South Carolina, warm, moist air from the Atlantic Ocean rises over land to form localized thunderstorms with high winds, hair, and a lot of lightning. They are most common in the summer months, although the most violent storms tend to arrive with cold fronts in late winter and spring.
You may also like: Most expensive weather disasters from every state
lazyllama // Shutterstock
South Dakota: Pennington County
- Severe weather events (2010–2020): 576 (52.4 per year)
- Most frequent events:
--- #1. Hail (59.5 per year)
--- #2. Thunderstorm wind (23.6 per year)
--- #3. Flood (2.5 per year)
The Black Hills , where Pennington County is located, have some of the most frequent hail storms in the country, according to the National Weather Service. The lay of the land is prime for creating updrafts that force moist air into high altitudes, where the moisture freezes and forms hailstones that fall to Earth. Damage from a 2018 hailstorm could be seen from space, where NASA satellite sensors detected huge swaths of land stripped of vegetation by the tempest.
M. Mingda Liu // Wikimedia Commons
Tennessee: Davidson County
- Severe weather events (2010–2020): 473 (43.0 per year)
- Most frequent events:
--- #1. Thunderstorm wind (38.1 per year)
--- #2. Hail (8.6 per year)
--- #3. Flash flood (3.8 per year)
A powerful line of thunderstorms called a derecho raced through Davidson County, the home of Nashville, in May 2020. The derecho caused a stretch of damage more than 600 miles long, with winds in Nashville reaching up to 71 mph.
nmphoto // Shutterstock
Texas: Tarrant County
- Severe weather events (2010–2020): 576 (52.4 per year)
- Most frequent events:
--- #1. Hail (29.6 per year)
--- #2. Thunderstorm wind (25.6 per year)
--- #3. Flash flood (6.0 per year)
The cost of damage to cars, buildings, and crops from U.S. hailstorms averages about $15 billion a year, compared with about $1.2 billion in the 1990s. One reason for the higher price tag is the development in regions prone to hail storms like Tarrant County, Texas, where Ft. Worth is located. A hailstorm that pounded the area in 1995 caused an estimated $2 billion in damages, and another storm in 2016 cost about $2.2 billion in damages.
Officials in Tarrant County declared disaster on Feb. 16, 2021, during the severe winter storms that battered the state, after thousands in the county were left without power in freezing conditions.
Kristi Blokhin // Shutterstock
Utah: Tooele County
- Severe weather events (2010–2020): 251 (22.8 per year)
- Most frequent events:
--- #1. Thunderstorm wind (21.8 per year)
--- #2. Hail (0.5 per year)
--- #3. Debris Flow (0.3 per year)
Vegetation burned away by a mountainside wildfire in 2019 left Tooele County , part of the Salt Lake City metropolitan area, prone to debris flow to the region below. Meteorologists say a strong thunderstorm could cause a flash flood that would trigger a destructive flow of mud, rock, and water.
Photographer Dave // Shutterstock
Vermont: Bennington County
- Severe weather events (2010–2020): 245 (22.3 per year)
- Most frequent events:
--- #1. Thunderstorm wind (4.8 per year)
--- #2. Winter weather (4.2 per year)
--- #3. Winter Storm (2.5 per year)
Bennington County, in southern Vermont, gets an average of 65 inches of snow each year. That’s more than twice the U.S. average of 28 inches. The average daily low temperature in January in Bennington is 12 degrees Fahrenheit.
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Raymond B. Summers // Shutterstock
Virginia: Fairfax County
- Severe weather events (2010–2020): 567 (51.5 per year)
- Most frequent events:
--- #1. Thunderstorm wind (27.5 per year)
--- #2. Flood (15.5 per year)
--- #3. Flash flood (10.5 per year)
Fairfax County, west and south of Washington, D.C. finished building a levee in 2019 designed to protect homes against flooding from a Potomac River tributary. Voters okayed a $30 million stormwater bond in 2012 to build the 2,800-foot levee and a pumping station.
Gary Riegel // Shutterstock
Washington: Spokane County
- Severe weather events (2010–2020): 384 (34.9 per year)
- Most frequent events:
--- #1. Heavy snow (11.5 per year)
--- #2. Winter weather (4.0 per year)
--- #3. High Wind (2.0 per year)
On average, Spokane County gets more than 44 inches of snow each year. The winter of 2008–09 was its snowiest, when 97.7 inches fell. More than 61 inches of snow fell in the month of December 2008 alone.
Kirk Fisher // Shutterstock
West Virginia: Berkeley County
- Severe weather events (2010–2020): 417 (37.9 per year)
- Most frequent events:
--- #1. Thunderstorm wind (8.5 per year)
--- #2. Flood (6.5 per year)
--- #3. Dense Fog (6.0 per year)
Fog, a common problem in West Virginia, particularly in Berkeley County, forms when the air temperature and the dew point differ less than 4.5 degrees Fahrenheit—at dew point , air is saturated and cannot hold any more moisture. It leads to dangerously limited visibility on roadways. A serious accident in foggy conditions on Interstate 68 caused a chain reaction and a pileup of 90 vehicles in 2003.
Acroterion // Wikimedia Commons
Wisconsin: Dane County
- Severe weather events (2010–2020): 430 (39.1 per year)
- Most frequent events:
--- #1. Hail (10.6 per year)
--- #2. Thunderstorm wind (9.0 per year)
--- #3. Winter weather (6.9 per year)
Winters in Dane County , home to Madison, are simply cold. An average of 15 nights each year are 0 degrees Fahrenheit or lower. On most winter days, some 61 days a year, the mercury never goes above freezing.
Francey // Shutterstock
Wyoming: Laramie County
- Severe weather events (2010–2020): 542 (49.3 per year)
- Most frequent events:
--- #1. Hail (41.4 per year)
--- #2. Thunderstorm wind (6.9 per year)
--- #3. Flash flood (4.3 per year)
Laramie County in southeastern Wyoming sits at the heart of what is called Hail Alley. If surface winds are powerful, hail can fall at an angle and can be strong enough to tear siding off houses, break windows and injure, if not kill, people and animals.
You may also like: Major cities most at risk of rising sea levels
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Matt Holiner covers weather and climate across the Midwest. Matt has eight years of professional meteorology experience and has forecast every type of weather for cities across the country. He holds the National Weather Association's Seal of Approval.
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Democratic New Jersey Sen. Bob Menendez under federal investigation: Sources
Posted/updated on: October 26, 2022 at 9:31 pm(NEW YORK) -- Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., is under federal criminal investigation, sources familiar with the matter told ABC News and confirmed by an adviser to the senator.
The investigation is being conducted by federal prosecutors in Manhattan, the sources said. The exact nature of the investigation was not immediately clear.
"Senator Menendez is aware of an investigation that was reported on today, however he does not know the scope of the investigation. As always, should any official inquiries be made, the Senator is available to provide any assistance that is requested of him or his office," said the adviser, Michael Soliman, in a statement provided to ABC News.
A spokesman for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York declined to comment, as did representatives of the FBI.
The news was first reported by Semafor.
Menendez, who is chairman of the powerful Senate Foreign Relations Committee, was previously indicted on corruption charges in April 2015 due to his relationship with a Florida eye doctor, Salomon Melgen.
Prosecutors accused Menendez of accepting close to $1 million worth of campaign contributions and lavish gifts -- flights on Melgen’s private jet, a first class commercial flight and a flight on a chartered jet; numerous vacations at Melgen’s villa in the Dominican Republic and a hotel room in Paris -- from Melgen in return for the political favors. Menendez also allegedly used his office to support the visa applications of several of Melgen’s girlfriends.
He pleaded not guilty. The trial ended with a hung jury and the charges were dismissed in 2018.
Melgen was later convicted of defrauding Medicare patients but had his prison sentence commuted by former President Donald Trump in his final hours in office.
Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved. | https://ktbb.com/post/?p=1174971 | 2022-10-27 03:22:19 | 0 | https://ktbb.com/post/?p=1174971 |
WINSTON COUNTY, Ala. (WIAT) — Authorities are searching for an escaped inmate after he left his assigned job in Winston County early Wednesday morning.
According to the Alabama Department of Corrections, 36-year-old Joseph Ray Perkins left his assigned job in Haleyville around 1:50 a.m. Wednesday. Perkins is described as 5’1″ and 170 pounds with brown eyes.
Perkins was being held at the Hamilton Community Based Facility and Community Work Center after being convicted of first degree theft out of Tuscaloosa County. He was sentenced to 20 years imprisonment in 2019.
Anyone with information regarding Perkins’ location is asked to contact ADOC at 800-831-8825. | https://www.cbs42.com/news/crime/alabama-authorities-searching-for-escaped-work-release-inmate/ | 2023-07-19 15:27:18 | 0 | https://www.cbs42.com/news/crime/alabama-authorities-searching-for-escaped-work-release-inmate/ |
CLEVELAND, Jan. 18, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Austin Company announced that Sean Barr, former National Accounts Manager and Director of Project Planning, will assume the position of Vice President.
"Our clients find Sean to be a valued partner in the design-build process. He brings decades of food industry experience to every project, primarily focusing on the meat and poultry sector. We look forward to his growth potential in this core market," said President and CEO Mike Pierce.
"I am thrilled to move into the position of Vice President at The Austin Company. This is a role that I have been working towards for decades, and I am excited to take on the new responsibilities and challenges that come with it," said Barr.
As Vice President, Barr will work closely with leadership and the market teams to help drive the growth of Austin's meat and poultry, alternative meat, and related food markets to ensure that Austin continuously improves and evolves to meet the needs of its customers.
"When Sean joined Austin, we created a vision to become a preferred service provider to the meat and poultry industry and increase Austin's presence in that market. Through Sean's passion, perseverance, and his team's "Results, Not Excuses" mindset, Austin is now a design-builder of choice for many of today's leading meat and poultry producers," explained Sr. Vice President of Operations Matt Eddleman.
Barr has worked in the food industry for over 35 years and has been with The Austin Company for 13 years. He earned his Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering from Mississippi State University and obtained his master's degree in Project Management from Keller Graduate School of Management, DeVry University. He also holds Project Management Professional (PMP) certification from the Project Management Institute and Professional Project Executive (PPE) certification from Prodevia Learning. Barr is a sought-after speaker and thought leader within the food industry.
Austin is a full-service, design-build company offering site location consulting, design, engineering, and construction. Headquartered in Cleveland, Austin has offices in Atlanta, Georgia; Irvine, California; Kalamazoo, Michigan; Merritt Island, Florida; San Luis Potosi, Mexico; and London, United Kingdom. The Austin Company is a subsidiary of Kajima. To learn more about Austin – www.theaustin.com.
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SOURCE The Austin Company | https://www.wlbt.com/prnewswire/2023/01/18/sean-barr-promoted-vice-president-austin-company/ | 2023-01-18 22:17:06 | 1 | https://www.wlbt.com/prnewswire/2023/01/18/sean-barr-promoted-vice-president-austin-company/ |
We're one step closer to officially living in a new geologic interval, the Anthropocene — the age of humans. A working group of scientists recommended the planet's next chapter start in the 1950s, when people began making significant, lasting alterations to the environment. Yes, the earth is the Roman Colosseum, and humanity's the guy who carved his name into it.
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Other stuff also happened ... a NATO summit, big-name retirements, angst over a movie about dolls. How well have you been paying attention?
Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.kasu.org/arts-culture/2023-07-14/weekly-news-quiz-test-your-knowledge-of-barbies-threads-and-arethas-couch-cushions | 2023-07-14 10:33:05 | 0 | https://www.kasu.org/arts-culture/2023-07-14/weekly-news-quiz-test-your-knowledge-of-barbies-threads-and-arethas-couch-cushions |
First baby born at DHR-Health in 2023
Channel 5 News wants to send a warm welcome to the first baby born in 2023.
Ezra Solis was the first baby born at DHR-Health Women's Hospital.
Solis was born at 5:01 a.m., weighing seven pounds and seven ounces.
Channel 5 News wants to send a warm welcome to the first baby born in 2023.
Ezra Solis was the first baby born at DHR-Health Women's Hospital.
Solis was born at 5:01 a.m., weighing seven pounds and seven ounces. | https://www.krgv.com/news/first-baby-born-at-dhr-health-in-2023 | 2023-01-02 21:51:22 | 0 | https://www.krgv.com/news/first-baby-born-at-dhr-health-in-2023 |
GRAND BLANC, Mich. (AP) — Steve Stricker won The Ally Challenge on Sunday at Warwick Hills for his second PGA Tour Champions victory of the season and ninth overall.
The 55-year-old Stricker closed with a 5-under 67 — rebounding from a bogey on the 12th with four straight birdies — for a one-stroke victory over Brett Quigley.
“I didn’t play that well early on and I told (wife/caddie) Nicki, I’m like, `We’ve just got to be patient and just keep plugging along,’” Stricker said. “It was a little bit different day, it was windy, it was a little bit harder, I thought.
“Then I had that stretch of four holes where I made four in a row and that was the difference. I just kept plugging.”
Stricker won after fellow Madison, Wisconsin, player Jerry Kelly helped him with his putting.
“It’s about time he helps me,” Stricker said. “You know, I help him all the time. No, seriously, him and Nicki got me on the putting green after the first round. I didn’t putt very good the first round and they noticed a couple things. Jerry got right in there, he helped me. He knows my putting stroke as much as I know his, so we help each other and he came through for me this time. I owe him this one because all of a sudden it clicked and I was off and running.”
Stricker also won the major Regions Tradition in May in Alabama.
Quigley finished with a 68.
Jeff Maggert was third at 13 under after a 65.
Second-round leader Scott Dunlap (71) and Padraig Harrington (66) tied for fourth at 12 under. Harrington won the Dick’s Sporting Goods Open last week in upstate New York. | https://www.seattletimes.com/sports/steve-stricker-wins-the-ally-challenge-at-warwick-hills/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_all | 2022-08-28 23:24:31 | 1 | https://www.seattletimes.com/sports/steve-stricker-wins-the-ally-challenge-at-warwick-hills/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_all |
Market barriers include regulatory and policy barriers, risks associated with PPA contracts, and a complex process
BOULDER, Colo., Aug. 23, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- A new report from Guidehouse Insights analyzes annual corporate power purchase agreement (CPPA) deals in terms of power capacity (MW) and project deployment spending. The report focuses on the key market trends in five world regions—North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa—and identifies the top 5 markets across those world regions.
Falling renewable energy (RE) technology costs, increasing consumer tariffs, and stringent climate goals have led to the emergence of the power purchase agreement (PPA) market. In the energy transition, the decentralization of power systems and unbundling of power system services have enabled new revenue streams for energy asset owners, particularly for those with higher RE technologies in their portfolios. According to a new report from Guidehouse Insights, with its head start in the CPPA market, North America currently leads the global market with an estimated capacity of 18,888.9 MW, which is expected to jump to 72,567.9 MW in 2031 at a CAGR of 16.1%.
"The PPA concept developed when private and public institutions began bypassing the utility companies to purchase energy directly from independent power producers," says Rohith Unni, research analyst with Guidehouse Insights. "Private organizations have become proactive in reducing their carbon footprints without compromising their business operations. As a result, the role of RE in a company's energy strategy has been raised from a technical exercise to a strategic and commercial priority."
As private companies' primary motivations begin encompassing better economics with long-term price visibility, sustainability through emission reduction, and climate leadership, they have increased their renewable electricity procurement. Although corporations see the corporate power purchase agreement as a strong alternative for RE procurement, the complex process and non-standardized structure leave them dependent on external sources to understand the risks and rewards involved, according to the report.
The report, Market Data: State of the World's Top Five Power Purchase Agreements Markets, provides global analyses for annual CPPA deals in terms of power capacity (MW) and project deployment spending ($ millions). These outlooks are segmented by region, by technologies, and by the top five markets. All analyses cover the 10-year period from 2022-2031. An executive summary of the report is available for free download on the Guidehouse Insights website.
Guidehouse Insights, the dedicated market intelligence arm of Guidehouse, provides research, data, and benchmarking services for today's rapidly changing and highly regulated industries. Our insights are built on in-depth analysis of global clean technology markets. The team's research methodology combines supply-side industry analysis, end-user primary research, and demand assessment, paired with a deep examination of technology trends, to provide a comprehensive view of emerging resilient infrastructure systems. Additional information about Guidehouse Insights can be found at www.guidehouseinsights.com.
Guidehouse is a leading global provider of consulting services to the public sector and commercial markets, with broad capabilities in management, technology, and risk consulting. By combining our public and private sector expertise, we help clients address their most complex challenges and navigate significant regulatory pressures focusing on transformational change, business resiliency, and technology-driven innovation. Across a range of advisory, consulting, outsourcing, and digital services, we create scalable, innovative solutions that help our clients outwit complexity and position them for future growth and success. The company has more than 13,000 professionals in over 50 locations globally. Guidehouse is a Veritas Capital portfolio company, led by seasoned professionals with proven and diverse expertise in traditional and emerging technologies, markets, and agenda-setting issues driving national and global economies. For more information, please visit www.guidehouse.com.
* The information contained in this press release concerning the report, Market Data: State of the World's Top Five Power Purchase Agreements Markets, is a summary and reflects the current expectations of Guidehouse Insights based on market data and trend analysis. Market predictions and expectations are inherently uncertain and actual results may differ materially from those contained in this press release or the report. Please refer to the full report for a complete understanding of the assumptions underlying the report's conclusions and the methodologies used to create the report. Neither Guidehouse Insights nor Guidehouse undertakes any obligation to update any of the information contained in this press release or the report.
For more information, contact:
Cecile Fradkin
+1.646.941.9139
cfradkin@scprgroup.com
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SOURCE Guidehouse Insights | https://www.wlbt.com/prnewswire/2022/08/23/guidehouse-insights-estimates-north-american-power-purchase-agreement-market-will-grow-compound-annual-growth-rate-16-through-2031/ | 2022-08-23 10:48:32 | 0 | https://www.wlbt.com/prnewswire/2022/08/23/guidehouse-insights-estimates-north-american-power-purchase-agreement-market-will-grow-compound-annual-growth-rate-16-through-2031/ |
YARDLEY, Pa., July 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Crown Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: CCK) today announced its financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2022.
Highlights
- Earnings per share of $2.43 versus $0.95 in 2021
- Global beverage can volumes grew 4%
- Self-made two-piece food cans up 43%
- Global beverage can capacity expansion projects on schedule
- Kiwiplan sale completed for $180 million, after tax gain of $102 million
- Repurchased $600 million in Company shares year to date
Net sales in the second quarter were $3,510 million compared to $2,856 million in the second quarter of 2021 reflecting increased beverage can unit volumes and the pass through of higher raw material costs partially offset by unfavorable foreign currency translation of $104 million.
Income from operations was $466 million in the second quarter compared to $385 million in the second quarter of 2021. Segment income of $432 million in the second quarter improved by $37 million compared to the $395 million in the prior year second quarter primarily due to improved profitability in the North American tinplate and can-making equipment businesses, recovery of inflation incurred in prior years and increased beverage can unit volumes, partially offset by unfavorable foreign currency translation of $11 million.
Commenting on the quarter, Timothy J. Donahue, President and Chief Executive Officer, stated, "The Company performed well during the quarter despite accelerating European energy prices and currency translation headwinds. Global beverage can demand continues to be robust, with virtually every region operating at full capacity. Shipment growth during the second quarter was particularly strong in Mexico, the Middle East and Southeast Asia. In North America, demand currently exceeds our ability to supply, and we expect to remain in an over-sold position at least through the end of 2023.
"On April 1st, the inflation recovery mechanisms built into our North American beverage can contracts commenced, allowing us to begin to recoup many of the cost increases experienced over the past year. As previously noted, the Company is in the process of negotiating pending beverage can contracts in Europe to include more comprehensive raw material and other inflationary pass-through provisions. Demand remains strong across most Transit Packaging businesses with overall performance level to the prior year when accounting for currency translation and the sale of the Kiwiplan business. The Transit business has initiated an overhead cost reduction program that will begin to yield benefits during the second half of 2022 and throughout 2023. Performance across the North American Tinplate and can-making equipment businesses reflects firm demand and the installation of new two-piece food can capacity to plants in Iowa and Pennsylvania during 2021. Additional capacity is expected to be commercialized later this year as we complete the construction of a third two-piece food can line at the Owatonna, Minnesota plant."
To meet customers' global beverage can requirements, the Company will commercialize significant new beverage can capacity through the end of 2023 with several projects in construction, including new multi-line greenfield plants in Martinsville, Virginia; Mesquite, Nevada; Uberaba, Brazil; and Peterborough, United Kingdom. The first line in Uberaba began commercial production in May. Additional production lines are being installed to existing plants in Phnom Penh, Cambodia; Agoncillo, Spain; and Parma, Italy.
Interest expense was $64 million in the second quarter of 2022 compared to $68 million in 2021 as lower outstanding debt balances were partially offset by higher borrowing costs.
Net income attributable to Crown Holdings in the second quarter was $295 million compared to $128 million in the second quarter of 2021. Reported diluted earnings per share were $2.43 in the second quarter of 2022 compared to $0.95 in 2021. Adjusted diluted earnings per share was $2.10 compared to $2.14 in 2021.
In the second quarter of 2022, the Company recorded a restructuring charge of $29 million related to an overhead cost reduction program in the Transit Packaging segment. The Company expects to realize annual savings of approximately $60 million, reducing headcount by approximately 600 employees. Additionally, the Company recorded a gain of $113 million ($102 million net of tax) in the second quarter of 2022 for the sale of the Transit Packaging segment's Kiwiplan business.
Six Month Results
Net sales for the first six months of 2022 were $6,672 million compared to $5,420 million in the first six months of 2021, primarily due to increased sales unit volumes and the pass through of higher raw material costs which more than offset unfavorable foreign currency translation of $153 million.
Income from operations was $810 million in the first half of 2022 compared to $712 million in the first half of 2021. Segment income in the first half of 2022 was $815 million versus $764 million in the prior year period, primarily due to improved profitability in the North American tinplate and can-making equipment businesses and higher global beverage can sales unit volumes, offsetting unfavorable foreign currency translation of $19 million.
Interest expense was $118 million for the first six months of 2022 compared to $137 million in 2021 primarily due to lower outstanding debt balances.
Net income attributable to Crown Holdings in the first six months of 2022 was $511 million compared to $339 million in the first six months of 2021. Reported diluted earnings per share were $4.15 compared to $2.52 in 2021 and adjusted diluted earnings per share were $4.11 compared to $3.97 in 2021.
The following supplemental information is provided below: a reconciliation from net income and diluted earnings per share to adjusted net income and adjusted diluted earnings per share, the impact of foreign currency translation by segment and net income and diluted earnings per share at constant currencies.
Outlook
The Company currently expects third quarter adjusted earnings to be in the range of $1.75 to $1.85 per share, and full year adjusted earnings in the range of $7.65 to $7.85 per share. The full year guidance assumes approximately a $0.50 headwind due to the stronger U.S. dollar and higher energy cost in Europe.
Non-GAAP Measures
Segment income, adjusted free cash flow, adjusted net leverage ratio, adjusted net income, the adjusted effective tax rate, adjusted diluted earnings per share, adjusted EBITDA and amounts presented at constant currency exchange rates are not defined terms under U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (non-GAAP measures). Non-GAAP measures should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for income from operations, net income, diluted earnings per share, effective tax rates, cash flow or leverage ratio data prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP and may not be comparable to calculations of similarly titled measures by other companies.
The Company views segment income as the principal measure of the performance of its operations and adjusted free cash flow and adjusted net leverage ratio as the principal measure of its liquidity. The Company considers all of these measures in the allocation of resources. Adjusted free cash flow has certain limitations, however, including that it does not represent the residual cash flow available for discretionary expenditures since other non-discretionary expenditures, such as mandatory debt service requirements, are not deducted from the measure. The amount of mandatory versus discretionary expenditures can vary significantly between periods. Reconciliations of estimated adjusted diluted earnings per share for the third quarter and full year of 2022 to estimated diluted earnings per share on a GAAP basis are not provided in this release due to the unavailability of estimates of the following, the timing and magnitude of which the Company is unable to reliably forecast without unreasonable efforts, which are excluded from estimated adjusted diluted earnings per share and could have a significant impact on earnings per share on a GAAP basis: gains or losses on the sale of businesses or other assets, restructuring and other costs, asset impairment charges, asbestos-related charges, losses from early extinguishment of debt, pension settlement and curtailment charges, the tax and noncontrolling interest impact of the items above, and the impact of tax law changes or other tax matters. The Company believes that adjusted net income, the adjusted effective tax rate and adjusted diluted earnings per share are useful in evaluating the Company's operations as these measures are adjusted for items that affect comparability between periods. The Company believes that adjusted free cash flow and adjusted net leverage ratio provide meaningful measures of liquidity and a useful basis for assessing the Company's ability to fund its activities, including the financing of acquisitions, debt repayments, share repurchases or dividends. Segment income, adjusted free cash flow, adjusted net leverage ratio, the adjusted effective tax rate, adjusted net income, adjusted diluted earnings per share and adjusted EBITDA are derived from the Company's Consolidated Statements of Operations and Cash Flows and Consolidated Balance Sheets, as applicable, and reconciliations to segment income, adjusted free cash flow, net leverage ratio, the adjusted effective tax rate, adjusted net income, adjusted diluted earnings per share and adjusted EBITDA can be found within this release.
Conference Call
The Company will hold a conference call tomorrow, July 21, 2022 at 9:00 a.m. (EDT) to discuss this news release. Forward-looking and other material information may be discussed on the conference call. The dial-in numbers for the conference call are 630-395-0194 or toll-free 888-324-8108 and the access password is "packaging." A live webcast of the call will be made available to the public on the internet at the Company's website, www.crowncork.com. A replay of the conference call will be available for a one-week period ending at midnight on July 28. The telephone numbers for the replay are 203-369-1213 or toll free 866-452-2107.
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
Except for historical information, all other information in this press release consists of forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements involve a number of risks, uncertainties and other factors, including the future impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the Company's operations, including the Company's ability to continue to operate its plants, distribute its products, and maintain its supply chain; the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on demand for the Company's products; the future impact of currency translation; the continuation of performance and market trends in 2022, including consumer preference for beverage cans and increasing global beverage can demand; future demand for food cans; and the Company's ability to successfully complete its previously announced capacity expansion projects and begin production within expected timelines, including any delays related to the pandemic, that may cause actual results to be materially different from those expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause the statements made in this press release or the actual results of operations or financial condition of the Company to differ are discussed under the caption "Forward Looking Statements" in the Company's Form 10-K Annual Report for the year ended December 31, 2021 and in subsequent filings made prior to or after the date hereof. The Company does not intend to review or revise any particular forward-looking statement in light of future events.
Crown Holdings, Inc., through its subsidiaries, is a leading global supplier of rigid packaging products to consumer marketing companies, as well as transit and protective packaging products, equipment and services to a broad range of end markets. World headquarters are located in Yardley, Pennsylvania.
For more information, contact:
Kevin C. Clothier, Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, (215) 698-5281
Thomas T. Fischer, Vice President, Investor Relations and Corporate Affairs, (215) 552-3720
Unaudited Consolidated Statements of Operations, Balance Sheets, Statements of Cash Flows, Segment Information and Supplemental Data follow.
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SOURCE Crown Holdings, Inc. | https://www.wflx.com/prnewswire/2022/07/20/crown-holdings-inc-reports-second-quarter-2022-results/ | 2022-07-20 21:59:52 | 1 | https://www.wflx.com/prnewswire/2022/07/20/crown-holdings-inc-reports-second-quarter-2022-results/ |
The Federal Reserve concluded two days of meetings on Wednesday by deciding to increase interest rates .25%.
While another interest rate hike was considered likely, recent rank runs have brought into question whether the Federal Reserve would continue raising interest rates. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell has stated that the board’s goal is to get the annual rate of inflation down to 2%.
The Federal Reserve addressed its decision in light of the recent bank runs.
"The U.S. banking system is sound and resilient. Recent developments are likely to result in tighter credit conditions for households and businesses and to weigh on economic activity, hiring, and inflation. The extent of these effects is uncertain. The Committee remains highly attentive to inflation risks," the Federal Reserve said in a statement.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the rate of inflation was at 6% as of February, which is down from a peak of 9.1% last summer.
Since last year, the Fed has increased the Federal Funds rate from 0.75%–1% to 1.5%–1.75%. After a series of interest rate increases, the rate now stands at 4.75%–5%, its highest mark in 15 years.
SEE MORE: Treasury Secretary Yellen expresses confidence in banking industry
"Over the past year, we have taken forceful actions to tighten the stance of monetary policy," Powell said days before Silicon Valley Bank collapsed. "We have covered a lot of ground, and the full effects of our tightening so far are yet to be felt. Even so, we have more work to do."
There were mixed opinions among economists on whether a rate hike is appropriate. Larry Summers, the treasury secretary under President Bill Clinton, said he believes a .25% increase would be appropriate.
Meanwhile, former Labor Secretary Robert Reich saidin an op-ed for The Guardian that rate hikes should be paused to prevent additional bank runs.
The high federal interest rates have a profound impact on borrowers trying to buy a home. According to federal data, the 30-year fixed mortgage rate has more than doubled in the last year to 6.6%.
Trending stories at Scrippsnews.com | https://www.abc15.com/news/national/fed-to-decide-whether-to-increase-interest-rates | 2023-03-22 20:04:12 | 1 | https://www.abc15.com/news/national/fed-to-decide-whether-to-increase-interest-rates |
Lawmaker works with PA Breast Cancer Coalition to make videos urging women to get mammograms
Pennsylvania Senate Majority Leader Kim Ward, who had breast cancer, is working with the PA Breast Cancer Coalition to raise awareness for early detection.
Their videos encourage people to get mammograms.
"People listen to people that they know, and you could be the agent that got another woman to get her mammogram and perhaps saved her life," coalition president Pat Halpin-Murphy said.
The videos provide information about breast cancer, from high-risk factors to why you shouldn't miss a mammogram.
"One in eight women develop breast cancer. That's a lot of aunts, grandmas, moms, sisters, spouses, friends. It's a lot," Ward said.
Halpin-Murphy said that during the COVID-19 pandemic, 60% of people who regularly get mammograms didn't. Now it's catch-up time.
By sharing these videos, Halpin-Murphy and Ward hope more people will get screened.
"If you're diagnosed early, this disease is very, very treatable. In fact, in the early stages, about 95% are still cancer-free at the five-year mark," Halpin-Murphy said.
Both women suggest asking your doctor about 3D mammograms when you call to schedule.
"Do not be afraid. Go and get that checked," Ward said.
"Early detection saves lives," Ward and Halpin-Murphy said.
Each video in the animation series will be released on the eighth of the month leading up to Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October.
You can find the videos using the #getscreenedpa on social media platforms. | https://www.wgal.com/article/lawmaker-partners-with-pa-breast-cancer-coalition-to-make-videos-urging-women-to-get-mammograms/40691563 | 2022-07-23 21:40:38 | 1 | https://www.wgal.com/article/lawmaker-partners-with-pa-breast-cancer-coalition-to-make-videos-urging-women-to-get-mammograms/40691563 |
OceanGate co-founder responds to James Cameron’s criticism of the Titan submersible
OceanGate co-founder Guillermo Söhnlein is defending his former company against criticism from “Titanic” director James Cameron about the tourist submersible Titan‘s design after it imploded this week, killing all five of its passengers.
The submersible had been on a dive to the Titanic wreck site when it was reported missing Sunday after losing contact with a research vessel on the surface.
After news of the tragedy broke, Cameron, a longtime member of the diving community who famously dove to the deepest known point on Earth and who has visited the Titanic wreck more than 30 times, told ABC News on Thursday evening that the carbon-fiber design of OceanGate’s submersible was “too experimental to carry passengers and that it needed to be certified.” He has since appeared on various news outlets repeating his concern about the sub’s lack of certification and has called for greater regulation of similar sea vehicles.
Söhnlein, who co-founded the deep-sea tourism company in 2009, responded directly to Cameron’s comments on the U.K.’s Times Radio on Friday, explaining that in the diving community, “there are completely different opinions and views about how to do things, how to design submersibles, how to engineer them, build them, how to operate in the dives.”
‘Titanic’ director James Cameron says that OceanGate’s Titan submersible deaths are ‘impossible to process’ and that passengers were likely warned just before implosion.
“But one thing that’s true of me and the other experts, is none of us were involved in the design, engineering, building, testing or even diving of the subs,” Söhnlein continued. “So it’s impossible for anyone to really speculate from the outside.”
In a separate interview on BBC Radio 4’s “Today,” Söhnlein echoed his defense and mentioned Cameron by name, saying that the film director wasn’t there for the submersible’s construction and “rigorous test program.”
He added, “This was a 14-year technology-developed program, and it was very robust and certainly led to successful scientific expositions to the Titanic in the last few years.”
Söhnlein co-founded OceanGate Expeditions with Stockton Rush, who piloted the failed Titan and died on board. He and Rush led several dives in the early days of the company. Söhnlein served as its CEO before leaving the company in 2013, remaining a minority equity owner, with Rush taking over as chief executive. The company had been using the Titan sub for expeditions with “citizen explorers” to the Titanic since 2021.
The five people aboard a submersible that vanished on a trip to explore the Titanic wreckage have died after a catastrophic implosion, the U.S. Coast Guard says.
“I was involved in the early phases of the overall development program during our predecessor subs to Titan, and I know from firsthand experience that we were extremely committed to safety, and risk mitigation was a key part of the company culture,” he told Times Radio.
During a Thursday-evening interview with CNN, Cameron described the certification process by oversight groups, such as the American Bureau of Shipping or Norway-based DNV, as an essential part of diving safety.
“I think it was unconscionable that this group did not go through that rigorous process,” Cameron said of OceanGate, adding that the incident was preventable.
When pressed by BBC Radio 4’s Martha Kearney on whether he thought greater certification standards and regulations were needed to prevent other underwater tragedies, Söhnlein deferred to policy experts and said it is a common question across the underwater exploration industry, as well as in space tourism.
Bill Price took a voyage with OceanGate to the ruins of the Titanic. He’s reckoning now with the loss of two men he deeply respected.
“It’s a matter of what happens when technology innovation outpaces regulations,” he said. “And oftentimes the people developing the technology innovations are in a better position to understand the risks and figure out ways to best minimize them.”
Representatives for Cameron did not immediately return The Times’ requests for comment, while Söhnlein could not be reached Friday afternoon.
Also in the ABC News interview, Cameron said the diving community had been concerned about OceanGate’s submersible for years, with the community’s top engineering figures writing letters to the company expressing concern.
The Times obtained a 2018 letter, privately written to Rush, stressing the need for a third-party safety review of OceanGate’s submersibles. Also in 2018, David Lochridge, a former OceanGate employee, sued the company for terminating him after he raised safety red flags about the submersible and the company’s alleged refusal to put its hull through certain critical nondestructive testing.
On April 16, 1912, the Los Angeles Times chronicled the sinking of the Titanic. This coverage is republished here in full, with changes only to capitalization and punctuation for ease of readability.
“I’m struck by the similarity of the Titanic disaster itself, where the captain was repeatedly warned about ice ahead of his ship and yet he steamed at full speed into an ice field on a moonless night and many people died as a result,” Cameron continued, referring to the sinking of the Titanic in 1912 in which more than 1,500 died. “For us, it’s a very similar tragedy, where warnings went unheeded. To take place at the same exact site with all the diving that’s going on all around the world, I think it’s just astonishing. It’s really quite surreal.”
Around the time communications were lost, the U.S. Navy had picked up the sound of the submersible imploding. The detected sound was kept secret as the rescue and recover efforts continued over the next four days. The detection wasn’t known to the public until the Wall Street Journal reported the event on Thursday, which was later confirmed by The Times.
But Cameron claimed that he had also known of the detected “loud bang” days before the public. He told Reuters that his sources in the tightknit submersible community had notified him of the sound and had already suspected that the submersible had imploded.
Cameron had begun to email colleagues as early as Monday, writing that “we’ve lost some friends” and “it’s on the bottom in pieces right now.”
While testing is underway to determine the exact cause of the implosion, Cameron has repeatedly homed in on the Titan’s carbon-fiber composite hull as among the likely contributing factors to its demise. “You don’t use composites for vessels that are seeing external pressure,” such as in deep-sea diving, the “Avatar” director said Friday on “Good Morning America.” “They’re great for internal-pressure vessels like scuba tanks, for example, but they’re terrible for external pressure, so this was trying to apply aviation thinking to a deep submergence engineering problem.”
What caused Titanic tourist sub to implode, killing all five aboard? Officials look for clues.
Yet OceanGate co-founder Rush believed that the carbon-fiber material, which is commonly used in the aerospace industry, is what would propel deep-sea research and his company forward. The new material allowed them to design sea vehicles that allowed for more space within the hull, giving scientists more room to operate, or for tourism, to carry more enthusiast passengers.
Rush knew research was expensive and hoped to offset its costs with high-end adventure tourism, such as the Titan’s dives to the Titanic wreck site. He also looked to collaborate with other industries such as oil and gas, mapping the sea floor for dig sites, as well as inspection of bridges or ship hulls.
“The long-term value is in the commercial side,” Rush told Fast Company in 2017. “Adventure tourism is a way to monetize the process of proving the technology.”
Times staff writers Alexandra E. Petri and Noah Goldberg and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
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You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times. | https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/story/2023-06-23/oceangate-founder-response-james-cameron-comments-titan-submersible-guillermo-sohnlein | 2023-06-23 23:25:46 | 0 | https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/story/2023-06-23/oceangate-founder-response-james-cameron-comments-titan-submersible-guillermo-sohnlein |
NEW YORK, April 17, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Lindblad Expeditions Holdings, Inc. (Nasdaq: LIND) ("Lindblad" or the "Issuer") today announced that it intends to offer $275,000,000 aggregate principal amount of senior secured notes due 2028, subject to market and customary conditions. The notes will be senior obligations of the Issuer and will be guaranteed by Lindblad Expeditions, LLC, the Issuer's direct subsidiary ("Expeditions"), and certain of Expeditions' subsidiaries and will be secured, subject to permitted liens and certain other exceptions, by first-priority liens on the stock and substantially all the assets of LEX Endurance Ltd. and Lindblad Bluewater II Limited, subsidiaries of the Issuer that hold two of its vessels: National Geographic Endurance and National Geographic Resolution (the "Mortgaged Vessels").
Lindblad intends to use the net proceeds from the proposed offering to prepay in full all outstanding borrowings under its existing export credit facilities that were incurred to finance the Mortgaged Vessels. The remaining net proceeds will be used to fund the costs of the offering and for working capital and general corporate purposes, which may include strategic growth initiatives.
The notes and the related guarantees have not been, and will not be, registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"), or any applicable state or foreign securities laws, and will be offered only to qualified institutional buyers in reliance on Rule 144A, and to persons outside the United States in compliance with Regulation S under the Securities Act. Unless so registered, the notes and the related guarantees may not be offered or sold in the United States except pursuant to an exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act and applicable state securities laws. This press release will not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any notes or any other securities. The offering is not being made to any person in any jurisdiction in which the offer, solicitation or sale is unlawful.
About Lindblad Expeditions Holdings, Inc.
Lindblad is an expedition travel company that focuses on ship-based voyages through its Lindblad Expeditions brand and on land-based travel through its subsidiaries, Natural Habitat, Inc., Off the Beaten Path LLC, DuVine Cycling + Adventure Co. and Classic Journeys, LLC.
Lindblad works in partnership with National Geographic to inspire people to explore and care about the planet. The organizations work in tandem to produce innovative marine expedition programs and promote conservation and sustainable tourism around the world. The partnership's educationally oriented voyages allow guests to interact with and learn from leading scientists, naturalists and researchers while discovering stunning natural environments, above and below the sea, through state-of-the-art exploration tools.
Forward-Looking Statements
Certain matters discussed in this press release are "forward-looking statements" intended to qualify for the safe harbor from liability established by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements include expectations regarding the use of proceeds of the offering of notes and may also generally be identified as such because the context of such statements will include words such as "anticipate," "believe," "could," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "may," "plan," "potential," "predict," "project," "should," "will," "would" or words of similar import. Similarly, statements that describe Lindblad's financial guidance or future plans, objectives or goals are also forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause results to differ materially from those expected. Many of these risks and uncertainties are currently amplified by, and will continue to be amplified by, or in the future may be amplified by, the COVID-19 outbreak. It is not possible to predict or identify all such risks. There may be additional risks that we consider immaterial or which are unknown. These factors include, but are not limited to, the following: (i) events and conditions around the world, including war and other military actions, such as the current conflict between Russia and Ukraine, inflation, higher fuel prices, higher interest rates and other general concerns about the state of the economy or other events impacting the ability or desire of people to travel; (ii) suspended operations, cancelling or rescheduling of voyages and other potential disruptions to our business and operations related to COVID-19, the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the political unrest in Peru or another unexpected event; (iii) the impacts of inflation, COVID-19 and/or the Russia-Ukraine conflict on our financial condition, liquidity, results of operations, cash flows, employees, plans and growth, fuel prices, changes in fuels consumed and availability of fuel supply in the geographies in which we operate; (iv) the impacts of inflation and negative economic conditions or negative economic outlooks on the demand for future expedition travel; (v) the loss of key employees, our inability to recruit or retain qualified shoreside and shipboard employees and increased labor costs; (vi) unscheduled disruptions in our business due to travel restrictions, weather events, mechanical failures, pandemics or other events; (vii) changes adversely affecting the business in which we are engaged; (viii) management of our growth and our ability to execute on our planned growth; (ix) our business strategy and plans; (x) our ability to maintain our relationship with National Geographic; (xi) compliance with new and existing laws and regulations, including environmental regulations and travel advisories and restrictions; (xii) compliance with the financial and/or operating covenants in our debt arrangements; (xiii) the impact of severe or unusual weather conditions, including climate change, on our business; (xiv) adverse publicity regarding the travel and cruise industry in general; (xv) loss of business due to competition; (xvi) the result of future financing efforts; (xvii) delays and costs overruns with respect to the construction and delivery of newly constructed vessels; (xviii) the inability to meet revenue and Adjusted EBITDA projections; and (xix) those risks described in Lindblad's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"). Stockholders, potential investors and other readers are urged to consider these factors carefully in evaluating the forward-looking statements and are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements made herein are made only as of the date of this press release, and Lindblad undertakes no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. More detailed information about factors that may affect Lindblad's performance may be found in its filings with the SEC, which are available at http://www.sec.gov or at http://www.expeditions.com in the Investor Relations section of Lindblad's website.
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SOURCE Lindblad Expeditions | https://www.kalb.com/prnewswire/2023/04/17/lindblad-expeditions-holdings-inc-announces-proposed-private-offering-senior-secured-notes/ | 2023-04-17 14:19:39 | 1 | https://www.kalb.com/prnewswire/2023/04/17/lindblad-expeditions-holdings-inc-announces-proposed-private-offering-senior-secured-notes/ |
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How to watch WMAR-2 News on streaming devices | https://www.wmar2news.com/mitch-stacy-associated-press | 2023-01-03 15:39:30 | 1 | https://www.wmar2news.com/mitch-stacy-associated-press |
STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:
Good morning. I'm Steve Inskeep with a story of extreme hopscotch. Many kids draw chalk squares and hop through them. A common diagram has 10 numbered squares. But some Colorado kids went beyond that at a state park in Littleton. Their hopscotch course is 4.37 miles long, apparently exceeding a Guinness record of 4.1 miles set by Georgia Tech students. Sadly, the squares are not numbered. It would start getting hard to squeeze in all the digits. It's MORNING EDITION. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR. | https://www.ctpublic.org/2022-09-21/colorado-kids-break-a-record-for-the-longest-hopscotch-course | 2022-09-21 18:49:02 | 1 | https://www.ctpublic.org/2022-09-21/colorado-kids-break-a-record-for-the-longest-hopscotch-course |
A wave of scattered showers will occur early Thursday morning (lows 56-62), followed sunshine, nice north to northwest wind 13-24 mph & highs 74-78.
Rainfall totals tonight will vary from 0 to 0.15"
With mostly clear skies, lows of 49-55 are likely tomorrow night.
Friday & Saturday look great with sunshine & morning lows in the 50s & highs 77-82 Friday & 80-85 Saturday.
Winds will be northwest Friday (15-25 mph) then southwest (10-20 mph) Saturday.
The humidity will be low.
Sunday features some increasing clouds with a couple isolated showers/storms possible late as warm front moves northward.
Highs of 82-86 are expected with a rise in the humidity (but it won't be overly uncomfortable).
With 84-89 Monday with high humidity, some scattered showers & storms will pop (45% coverage).
These look like pulsey storms with lack of substantial organization.
Severe risk currently looks low, but we will monitor.
After that, Tuesday looks very nice with sunshine & 76-81 with lows 50-56.
Wednesday looks nice & comfortable with 76-79 with increasing clouds as warm front moves northward.
Wave of rainfall & a few embedded storms may pass Wednesday night along & north of the warm front.
We then eventually warm back up toward 90 as we approach June 10.
A round of showers & storms still looks possible around June 10.
This is welcome! We will need this moisture in the heat & dryness expected this Summer. The drying will occur as we proceed deeper into Summer
We then tend to heat up significantly in mid-June.
Note the temperatures projected in the middle of the night on June 17! The expanse of intense heat & mugginess is impressive with 70s & 80s all areas east of the Rockies except over the cooler Lake waters, the higher terrain of the Appalachians & areas of New England.
(Highs here should run in the 90s here with heat indices near to well above 100).
Two other things to watch in mid-June:
1. Risk of complex of severe storms or two in the "Ring of Fire" lined up near our area for a time amidst +100 mph upper jet on periphery of expanding hot, dry ridge. This would bring welcome rainfall, but also severe weather.
2. Landfalling tropical system northern Mexico. This moisture wrapping around the back edge of the hot upper ridge may help to boost development of "Ring of Fire" rounds of storms. As the hot ridge expands & contracts, we will likely end up in the path of these rounds of storms.
That is good news to keep up with our topsoil moisture!
So, hot ridge anchors itself for mid to late June & early July in the eastern & Midwestern U.S. with another ridge more toward the Southwest U.S. to Central Plains.
Unusually chilly weather will occur over the Pacific Northwest, Rockies & Northern Plains.
Thoughts are that there will be three distinct pulses of intense heat mid-June to late June to early July.
Key take-a-ways is that will be be gradually moving into hotter, drier times increasing flash drought risk with progression into the heart of Summer.
However, we have some good opportunities for storms here in June that will help mitigate the immediate effects of heat & drying. We will need to watch the derecho risk in such a pattern, however.
It still looks quite possible that late, late June, July, August, September could all end up drier than normal (tropics is the wildcard).
Southeast U.S. should be wetter than normal the entire Summer to Fall.
The East Coast should be very wet late Summer to early Fall. | https://www.wlfi.com/news/june-1-5-30-pm-weather-forecast-update-turning-cooler-less-humid-for-a-bit/article_c6107bfc-e1e5-11ec-bb26-23e2c9d61c1d.html | 2022-06-01 22:01:06 | 0 | https://www.wlfi.com/news/june-1-5-30-pm-weather-forecast-update-turning-cooler-less-humid-for-a-bit/article_c6107bfc-e1e5-11ec-bb26-23e2c9d61c1d.html |
Growing up in the Presbyterian Church, I remember with clarity a simple sermon on honesty. Our minister emphasized the importance of always telling the truth, and he compared telling lies with squeezing out toothpaste. We cannot take back lies once they leave our lips, he explained, just as we cannot force toothpaste back into the tube after we squeeze it out.
The implication of this moral teaching is that there would be real consequences to telling lies and behaving dishonestly, but today our political system seems to tolerate and even reward such behavior. Perhaps that is why a clearly dishonest person like newly elected Congressman George Santos, R-N.Y., who admitted he “embellished” his resume, is likely to remain in his House seat even with angry local party officials and voters petitioning for his removal.
The individual freedoms we enjoy in the United States rely on the integrity of those elected to uphold its democratic values and laws. It seems hypocritical that politicians who claim to represent “family values” are condoning illegal acts and immoral behavior when it is in their collective interest to do so. The jury is out on whether our judicial system can deliver appropriate consequences to the past and current elected officials who have lied, committed fraud, incited violence and violated campaign finance laws.
This past week we celebrated the birthday of Martin Luther King Jr., who had much to say on the topic of the honesty and integrity of our leaders. The quote below was excerpted from the “Desegregation and the Future” address delivered by Dr. King to the annual luncheon of the National Committee for Rural Schools in New York City, Dec. 15, 1956:
“May I stress the need for courageous, intelligent and dedicated leaders. … In this period of transition and growing social change, we will need leaders who are positive and yet calm. Leaders who avoid the extremes of hotheadedness and Uncle Tomism. Leaders who somehow understand the issues. Leaders of sound integrity. Leaders not in love with publicity, but in love with justice. Leaders not in love with money, but in love with humanity. Leaders who can subject their particular egos to the greatness of the cause.”
Although Dr. King was speaking in reference to implementing the May 17, 1954, Supreme Court decision outlawing school segregation, his desire for leaders with integrity seems quite timely today. As the Idaho Legislature proceeds with its work this session, one can hope they will heed his observation on the need for positive leaders who can set aside their egos and work in the public interest. The Idaho Democratic platform, adopted last June before the November elections, reinforces Dr. King’s call for justice and still applies today:
Platform pillar No. 5: “Strengthening Democracy, Fighting Extremism, and Ending Corruption: We recognize that our democracy is under immense pressure and assault at this moment in history. We strongly believe in strengthening our democratic institutions and passing reforms protecting the right to vote, enforcing anti-corruption laws, and defending against extremism and violence.”
Janice Brown is a retired consultant and the state committeewoman for the Bonneville County Democratic Central Committee.
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Tell us your personal accounts and the history behind articles. | https://www.postregister.com/opinion/columns/opinion-a-timely-question-whatever-happened-to-honesty/article_cba3b374-9750-11ed-a48a-7b5a35f7bdd9.html | 2023-01-20 09:42:52 | 1 | https://www.postregister.com/opinion/columns/opinion-a-timely-question-whatever-happened-to-honesty/article_cba3b374-9750-11ed-a48a-7b5a35f7bdd9.html |
Part 1 of the TED Radio Hour episode Friction.
Have you brushed your teeth today? Or gotten a shot recently? As tribologist Jennifer Vail explains, these mundane activities are among the many in our daily lives that are made possible by friction.
About Jennifer Vail
Jennifer Vail is a tribologist, meaning she specializes in the study of friction, combining mechanical engineering and materials science to understand how surfaces interact in relative motion.
She's worked on a wide variety of projects, from aerospace materials to syringes to dog food. She has also studied how friction can be used to reduce energy consumption and produce longer-lasting materials.
Previously, Vail worked at DuPont as a research scientist. She now works for TA Instruments and creates science videos for Khan Academy.
She earned her bachelor's and her doctorate in mechanical engineering from the University of Florida.
This segment of the TED Radio Hour was produced by Fiona Geiran and edited by Sanaz Meshkinpour and Rachel Faulkner. You can follow us on Twitter @TEDRadioHour and email us at TEDRadio@npr.org.
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.nprillinois.org/2022-10-07/jennifer-vail-how-tribology-can-change-the-way-you-view-the-material-world | 2022-10-07 14:08:18 | 0 | https://www.nprillinois.org/2022-10-07/jennifer-vail-how-tribology-can-change-the-way-you-view-the-material-world |
NEW YORK -- A flight attendant who became a best-selling novelist released her second book this week.
T.J. Newman spent a decade working the air which was experience she put to great use for her debut novel, "Falling."
That book landed at the top of the best-seller list and now her second book, "Drowning," came out this week.
Newman's remarkable success is all the more sweet because it came after years of pursuing a dream that didn't pay off, followed by numerous rejections once she focused on writing. Now she is looking to inspire others to follow their dreams.
"The bar was set high with the success of my first book, and that pressure was real, it was very real and for a while it kept me from being able to fill up good pages because I was afraid," Newman said.
But what kept her going was an obligation to readers who bought so many copies of her first novel, which was written at her old job.
Her second was conceived on a night flight from Hawaii to Los Angeles.
"There's nothing out there for miles and hours every direction but water, and so the wheels in my head start turning, the way my brain works, and I start thinking, you know, 'what if something went wrong?'" Newman said.
"Drowning" is about an airliner forced to ditch.
"I just knew in every capacity: story wise, tension wise, emotion wise, heart wise, it had to be bigger," Newman said.
The future novelist was a theater major in college who once hoped to star on Broadway.
"And, you know, since we're not talking about my next Broadway show you can assume how that went," Newman said.
But her years living in Queens were not a total loss.
"You never learn more about yourself than a day spent in New York," she said.
Her dreams may have changed, but not the scale of her determination and she recently wrote a column to encourage her fellow dreamers.
"I wanted to reach them and say, 'look if I can do this, you can do this.'" Newman said. "I didn't have an in in publishing or the film industry, anywhere. I just kept going, and you just gotta keep going."
Movie rights to "Drowning" have already been sold, adding millions more to her bank balance, but Newman still lives in the same condo and drives the same car she had before fame came her way.
Her success may have come up in the air, but she remains very much down to Earth. | https://abc30.com/tj-newman-novel-falling-drowning/13334138/ | 2023-06-02 22:44:53 | 0 | https://abc30.com/tj-newman-novel-falling-drowning/13334138/ |
NEW YORK (AP) — Emergency personnel evacuated nearly 900 passengers from a Staten Island Ferry vessel Thursday evening following a fire in the ship’s engine room.
The New York City Fire Department said units responded to a report of a fire in the mechanical room of a ship in upper New York Bay shortly after 5 p.m., WNBC-TV reported.
Five people were reported injured, three of them requiring hospital treatment, WNBC-TV said.
Deputy Assistant Fire Chief Frank Leeb said during a news conference there were approximately 868 people on the vessel, the Sandy Ground, with an additional 16 crew members.
The U.S. Coast Guard evacuated the passengers, including several wearing life jackets, to the St. George Ferry Terminal on Staten Island. The ferry’s crew members were also taken off the boat. The evacuation took less than an hour, WNBC-TV reported.
The department will wait a minimum of 24 hours and monitor temperatures before entering the engine room to determine whether the fire is completely extinguished, Leeb said.
He credited the ship’s crew with fast action to notify the Coast Guard. “They were also very quick to make sure that they sealed the engine room, evacuated the area and followed the protocol to put the CO2 into that” to remove the room’s oxygen, Leeb said.
The NYC Department of Transportation said the Sandy Ground was temporarily anchored near Bayonne, New Jersey, as passengers were transferred. A spokesperson for NY Waterway said one of its ferries assisted with the evacuation.
The fire department said the fire was contained to the ship’s engine room and stack.
___
Video producer Annika Wolters contributed to this report from Bangkok.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. | https://wtmj.com/national/2022/12/23/passengers-evacuated-after-staten-island-ferry-engine-fire-3/ | 2022-12-23 09:34:37 | 0 | https://wtmj.com/national/2022/12/23/passengers-evacuated-after-staten-island-ferry-engine-fire-3/ |
Coast Guard searching for man who fell from cruise ship off Florida coast
NORFOLK, Va. (AP) — The U.S. Coast Guard said Tuesday that it’s searching for a man who fell from a cruise ship off the coast of Florida.
The 35-year-old passenger fell from the Carnival Magic ship about 185 miles (east of Jacksonville on Monday, the service said in a statement. Aircraft and ships are being used in the search.
The man’s companion reported him missing late Monday afternoon, the statement said. It said security footage on the ship shows that the man “leaned over the railing of his stateroom balcony and dropped into the water” around 4 a.m.
Carnival said the Coast Guard released the ship from search efforts and told the captain to head back to port in Norfolk, Virginia. The ship can hold nearly 4,000 guests and is about 1,000 feet long.
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.kxii.com/2023/05/30/coast-guard-searching-man-who-fell-cruise-ship-off-florida-coast/ | 2023-05-30 15:38:41 | 1 | https://www.kxii.com/2023/05/30/coast-guard-searching-man-who-fell-cruise-ship-off-florida-coast/ |
3 American sailors reported missing off coast of Mexico
LOS ANGELES - The Mexican Navy and the US Coast Guard are searching for three American sailors who reportedly went missing near Mazatlán, Mexico.
The three were last heard from on April 4. According to the US Coast Guard, their sail vessel Ocean Bound, a 44-foot La Fitte, left Mazatlán en route to San Diego. They planned to stop in Cabo San Lucas on April 6 for provisions and to report in before continuing to San Diego. However, the Coast Guard says there was no record of them arriving to Cabo San Lucas or any updated reports on their location.
"Search and rescue coordinators have contacted marinas throughout Baja, Mexico, with negative sightings of the vessel. Urgent marine information broadcasts have been issued over VHF radio requesting all mariners to keep a lookout for the missing persons and vessel," the Coast Guard said in a statement online.
The sailors have been identified as Kerry O’Brien, Frank O’Brien, and William Gross.
Anyone with information on their whereabouts or information on the Ocean Bound vessel are urged to contact the U.S. Coast Guard search and rescue coordination center at 510-437-3701. | https://www.fox13news.com/news/3-american-sailors-reported-missing-off-coast-of-mexico | 2023-04-16 00:14:27 | 0 | https://www.fox13news.com/news/3-american-sailors-reported-missing-off-coast-of-mexico |
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department is reviewing a batch of potentially classified documents found in the Washington office space of President Joe Biden’s former institute, the White House said Monday.
Special counsel to the president Richard Sauber said “a small number of documents with classified markings” were discovered as Biden’s personal attorneys were clearing out the offices of the Penn Biden Center, where the president kept an office after he left the vice presidency in 2017 until shortly before he launched his 2020 presidential campaign in 2019. The documents were found on Nov. 2, 2022, in a “locked closet” in the office, Sauber said.
Sauber said the attorneys immediately alerted the White House Counsel’s office, who notified the National Archives and Records Administration — which took custody of the documents the next day.
“Since that discovery, the President’s personal attorneys have cooperated with the Archives and the Department of Justice in a process to ensure that any Obama-Biden Administration records are appropriately in the possession of the Archives,” Sauber said.
A person who is familiar with the matter but not authorized to discuss it publicly said Attorney General Merrick Garland asked U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois John Lausch to review the matter after the Archives referred the issue to the department. John Lausch was appointed to his post by former President Donald Trump.
The National Archives did not immediately respond to a request for comment Monday. A message seeking comment from the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Chicago wasn’t immediately returned Monday.
CBS was first to report on the discovery of the potentially classified documents.
The Justice Department for months has been investigating the retention of roughly 300 documents that were marked as classified and were recovered from the Florida estate of former President Donald Trump. In that instance, prosecutors say, representatives of Trump resisted requests to give back the full stash of classified documents and failed to fully comply with a subpoena that sought their return.
FBI agents in August served a search warrant at the Mar-a-Lago property, removing 15 boxes of records.
That investigation is being led by special counsel Jack Smith. Prosecutors have interviewed an array of Trump associates and have been using a grand jury to hear evidence.
It is not clear when a decision when will be made on whether Trump, or anyone else, should be charged. | https://www.wivb.com/news/national/doj-reviewing-potentially-classified-docs-at-biden-center/ | 2023-01-10 00:15:56 | 0 | https://www.wivb.com/news/national/doj-reviewing-potentially-classified-docs-at-biden-center/ |
Quarterly results include record Earnings Per Share and a sequential reduction in debt. Capital structure milestones achieved through the retirement of all remaining high-yield debt, completion of the $50 million share repurchase authorization, and an extension and increase of the revolving credit facility. Subsequent to quarter-end, Ryerson increased its dividend and approved a $75 million share repurchase authorization. Ryerson continues to invest in value-added services, as well as new plants, equipment and digital systems across our intelligent service center network to enhance the customer experience.
CHICAGO, Aug. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Ryerson Holding Corporation (NYSE: RYI), a leading value-added processor and distributor of industrial metals, today reported results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2022.
Highlights:
- Record diluted EPS1 of $5.10 and Adjusted diluted EPS1 of $5.31 on $1.74 billion of revenue
- Net Income of $196.4 million and Adjusted EBITDA, excluding LIFO2 of $224.2 million
- Repurchased $186.9 million of 8.50% senior secured notes due 2028 (the "Notes")
- $47.7 million in shares repurchased, completing a $50 million share repurchase authorization fourteen months ahead of expiration
- Increased revolving credit facility to $1.3 billion and extended through June 2027
- Reduced debt to $534 million and net debt3 to $492 million
- Increased book value of equity4 to $851 million up from $706 million at March 31, 2022
- Announced a third quarter 2022 dividend of $0.15 per share, a 20% increase from last quarter
- Approved a $75 million share repurchase authorization, subsequent to the quarter-end
- Retired the final $50 million outstanding balance of the high-yield Notes subsequent to the quarter-end
A reconciliation of non-GAAP financial measures to the comparable GAAP measure is included below in this news release.
Eddie Lehner, Ryerson's President and Chief Executive Officer, said "I want to thank all of my Ryerson teammates for pulling together brilliantly with our valued customers and suppliers amidst the stacking challenges across the business landscape to produce another strong quarter of financial and operational performance. We achieved many important milestones during and subsequent to the quarter. We are no longer a high-yield debt company as we redeemed all of our remaining outstanding notes, significantly reduced our cash interest expense, increased our dividend, completed our initial share repurchase authorization fourteen months ahead of the two year expiration, announced a new two year, $75 million share repurchase authorization, and amended, extended and upsized our credit facility with improved pricing and terms while making important investments in growth across our service center network. All of these actions have placed us on a solid foundation to re-invest, grow and return capital to our shareholders. As we continue our 180-year journey of providing great customer experiences across our intelligent network of value-added service centers, our optimism of a future favoring modern manufacturing with recyclable industrial metals as a core enabler of sustainable growth with good paying jobs remains impassioned and resolute."
Our revenue in the second quarter experienced an average selling price increase of 0.5% offset by a sales volume decrease of 0.8% quarter-over-quarter. This compares to our guidance of average selling price growth of 0% to 2% and sales volume growth of 0% to 2% growth. Driven by faster and sharper-than-anticipated price declines in nickel, aluminum and carbon steel indices during the quarter, we experienced mid-quarter margin compression as spot-replacement cost of inventory fell faster than average-cost of inventory amidst decelerating increases in average selling prices. Our stainless-steel customers pivoted from buying longer positions in inventory as seen in the first quarter to just-in-time buying and destocking as material availability increased, demand moderated and spot-market pricing fell as the quarter played out. This inflection occurred sooner than our prior guidance had contemplated as supply constrained demand, combined with commodity price declines, to lessen customer quoting activity and order rates. Ryerson's second quarter end-market sales volumes decreased sequentially by 0.8%, partially driven by the HVAC and Food Processing, Machinery and Agricultural Equipment sectors, and partially offset by increased sequential sales volumes of 6.6% in Oil & Gas, 4.0% in Commercial Ground Transportation and 1.5% in Metal Fabrication and Machine Shops.
Ryerson generated revenues of $1.74 billion in the second quarter of 2022, a sequential decline of 0.3%, compared to $1.75 billion for the first quarter of 2022. Gross margin expanded sequentially by 320 basis points to 26.7% in the second quarter of 2022, compared to 23.5% in the first quarter of 2022. Second quarter of 2022 cost of goods sold included LIFO income of $73.8 million, compared to LIFO expense of $2.2 million in the first quarter of 2022. Excluding the impact of LIFO, gross margin contracted 110 basis points to 22.5% in the second quarter of 2022, compared to 23.6% in the first quarter of 2022. The Company maintained good expense leverage and management in the second quarter of 2022 as warehousing, delivery, selling, general and administrative expenses as a percent of revenue increased modestly to 10.5%, compared to 10.1% in the first quarter of 2022, driven by notable cost inflation at the producer, wholesaler and retail levels.
Net income attributable to Ryerson Holding Corporation for the second quarter of 2022 was $196.4 million, or $5.10 per diluted share, compared to $163.6 million, or $4.17 per diluted share in the previous quarter. The second quarter of 2022 includes a charge of $14.5 million, compared to a $5.3 million charge in the first quarter of 2022 related to loss on the retirement of debt. Additionally, in the second quarter of 2022 we generated a $3.8 million gain on the sale of assets. Excluding these one-time items and the associated income taxes, adjusted net income attributable to Ryerson Holding Corporation for the second quarter was $204.4 million, or $5.31 per diluted share, compared to $167.5 million, or $4.27 per diluted share, for the first quarter of 2022. Ryerson generated second quarter Adjusted EBITDA, excluding LIFO of $224.2 million in the second quarter of 2022, compared to first quarter 2022 Adjusted EBITDA, excluding LIFO of $250.6 million.
Ryerson generated $85.5 million of operating cash in the second quarter of 2022 driven by strong operating profit. The Company's cash conversion cycle was 78 days in the second quarter of 2022, compared to 77 days in the first quarter of 2022. Ryerson's leverage ratio for the second quarter of 2022 remained flat quarter-over-quarter at 0.5x, a record low since our Initial Public Offering in 2014. The Company ended the second quarter of 2022 with $534 million of debt and $492 million of net debt, a decrease in net debt of $15 million, compared to the first quarter of 2022 driven by strong operating results. The Company's global liquidity, composed of cash and cash equivalents and availability on its revolving credit facilities, increased to $894 million as of June 30, 2022, compared to $760 million as of March 31, 2022.
Bond Repurchase. During the second quarter of 2022, Ryerson repurchased $186.9 million of its Notes through open market purchases and a tender offer. As of June 30, 2022, $50.0 million of Notes remained outstanding, which we subsequently redeemed on July 23, 2022. Related to the Note repurchases and bond tender executed in the second quarter, a loss on retirement of debt of $14.5 million was recognized and is excluded from adjusted net income and adjusted diluted earnings per share.
Credit Facility Refinance. During the second quarter of 2022, Ryerson amended and restated its credit facility extending the maturity by 2 years to 2027 while increasing the borrowing facility from $1.0 billion to $1.3 billion. As a result of the amended terms, the Company expects to be able to lower its borrowing costs by 12.5 basis points and improve its overall credit terms.
Jim Claussen, Chief Financial Officer stated "We are pleased to have effected numerous capital structure improvements which effectively complete Ryerson's balance sheet transformation. During the second quarter of 2022, and subsequent events, Ryerson saw transformational changes including the retirement of our high yield debt, repurchase of approximately 1.6 million shares, increase and extension of our revolving credit facility, 21% sequential growth in our book value and increase in our free float. We now have a capital structure where assets and liabilities are better aligned for growth and through-the-cycle performance."
Dividends. On August 3, 2022, the Board of Directors declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.15 per share of common stock, payable on September 15, 2022 to stockholders of record as of September 1, 2022. During the second quarter of 2022, Ryerson returned approximately $52.4 million to shareholders in the form of dividends and share repurchases. We paid a quarterly dividend in the amount of $0.125 per share, amounting to a cash return of approximately $4.7 million for the second quarter of 2022.
Share Repurchase. On May 13, 2022, Ryerson's principal shareholder, an affiliate of Platinum Equity LLC (Platinum), completed its underwritten secondary public offering of 3.5 million shares of Ryerson's common stock and Ryerson concurrently repurchased approximately 1.6 million shares directly from Platinum for an aggregate purchase price of approximately $47.7 million. Ryerson made these repurchases with cash on hand under its existing share repurchase program, which authorized the Company to acquire up to an aggregate amount of $50.0 million of the Company's common stock through August 4, 2023. The secondary offering and concurrent share repurchase reduced Platinum's ownership from approximately 54% to 43%, and increased Ryerson's free float proportionally by 11 percentage points to 57% of shares outstanding.
Share Repurchase Authorization. On August 3, 2022, the Board of Directors approved a $75 million share repurchase authorization of the Company's common stock after the exhaustion of the previous share repurchase authorization during the second quarter. The new authorization will expire in August 2024.
Ryerson expects counter-cyclical business conditions in the third quarter of 2022. Benchmark carbon, aluminum and nickel prices have all rebased downward by an average of approximately 25% from the second quarter through July 31, 2022, compared to the first quarter of 2022. Despite our diversified commodities mix, at approximately 50% stainless steel and aluminum, lower average selling price movements quarter-over-quarter appear to be broad-based while demand is moderating overall given slowing economies in the U.S., Europe, and China. As such, Ryerson anticipates third quarter 2022 revenues in the range of $1.45 billion to $1.55 billion, with a sequential average selling price decrease of 5% to 8%, and a shipment volume decrease of 4% to 6%. LIFO income in the third quarter of 2022 is expected to be $35 million. We expect adjusted EBITDA, excluding LIFO in the range of $110 million to $120 million and earnings per diluted share in the range of $2.40 to $2.60.
Ryerson will host a conference call to discuss second quarter 2022 financial results for the period ended June 30, 2022, on Thursday, August 4th, at 10 a.m. Eastern Time. The live online broadcast will be available on the Company's investor relations website, ir.ryerson.com. A replay will be available at the same website for 90 days.
Ryerson is a leading value-added processor and distributor of industrial metals, with operations in the United States, Canada, Mexico, and China. Founded in 1842, Ryerson has around 4,000 employees in approximately 100 locations. Visit Ryerson at www.ryerson.com.
1EPS is Earnings per Share
2For EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA excluding LIFO please see Schedule 2
3Net Debt is defined as Long Term Debt plus Short Term Debt less Cash and Cash Equivalents and excludes Restricted Cash
4Book value of Equity is defined as Total Assets less Total Liabilities
The contents herein are provided for general information purposes only and do not constitute an offer to sell or buy, or a solicitation of an offer to buy, any security ("Security") of the Company or its affiliates ("Ryerson") in any jurisdiction. Ryerson does not intend to solicit, and is not soliciting, any action with respect to any Security or any other contractual relationship with the Ryerson. Nothing in this release, individually or taken in the aggregate, constitutes an offer of securities for sale or buy, or a solicitation of an offer to buy, any Security in the United States, or to US persons, or in any other jurisdiction in which such an offer or solicitation is unlawful.
Certain statements made in this presentation and other written or oral statements made by or on behalf of the Company constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the federal securities laws, including statements regarding our future performance, as well as management's expectations, beliefs, intentions, plans, estimates, objectives, or projections relating to the future. Such statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "objectives," "goals," "preliminary," "range," "believes," "expects," "may," "estimates," "will," "should," "plans," or "anticipates" or the negative thereof or other variations thereon or comparable terminology, or by discussions of strategy. The Company cautions that any such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and may involve significant risks and uncertainties, and that actual results may vary materially from those in the forward-looking statements as a result of various factors. Among the factors that significantly impact our business are: the cyclicality of our business; the highly competitive, volatile, and fragmented metals industry in which we operate; the impact of geopolitical events, including Russia's invasion of the Ukraine and global trade sanctions; fluctuating metal prices; our substantial indebtedness and the covenants in instruments governing such indebtedness; the integration of acquired operations; regulatory and other operational risks associated with our operations located inside and outside of the United States; impacts and implications of adverse health events, including the COVID-19 pandemic; work stoppages; obligations under certain employee retirement benefit plans; the ownership of a majority of our equity securities by a single investor group; currency fluctuations; and consolidation in the metals industry. Forward-looking statements should, therefore, be considered in light of various factors, including those set forth above and those set forth under "Risk Factors" in our annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021, and in our other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Moreover, we caution against placing undue reliance on these statements, which speak only as of the date they were made. The Company does not undertake any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements to reflect future events or circumstances, new information or otherwise.
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SOURCE Ryerson Holding Corporation | https://www.wistv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/03/ryerson-reports-second-quarter-2022-results/ | 2022-08-03 23:55:22 | 0 | https://www.wistv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/03/ryerson-reports-second-quarter-2022-results/ |
SANTA CLARA, Calif., July 27, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Achronix Semiconductor Corporation, a leader in high-performance field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) and embedded FPGA (eFPGA) IP, today announced that President and CEO, Robert Blake, will participate at the following upcoming conferences:
- Oppenheimer Technology, Internet & Communications Conference - Tuesday, Aug. 9, 2022. Virtual investor meetings with management will be held throughout the day.
- Jefferies Semiconductors, IT Hardware & Communications Infrastructure Summit – Tuesday, Aug. 30, 2022, at the Magnificent Mile Hotel in Chicago. Management will be available to meet with attending investors throughout the day.
Interested parties attending these events who would like to schedule a meeting with Achronix should contact the respective firm's equity sales representative.
About Achronix Semiconductor Corporation
Achronix Semiconductor Corporation is a fabless semiconductor corporation based in Santa Clara, California, offering high-end FPGA-based data acceleration solutions, designed to address high-performance, compute-intensive and real-time processing applications. Achronix is the only supplier to have both high-performance, high-density standalone FPGAs and licensed eFPGA IP solutions. Achronix Speedster®7t FPGA and SpeedcoreTM eFPGA IP offerings are further enhanced by ready-to-use VectorPathTM accelerator cards targeting AI, machine learning, networking and data center applications. All Achronix products are fully supported by the Achronix Tool Suite which enables customers to quickly develop their own custom applications. Achronix has a global footprint, with sales and design teams across the U.S., Europe and Asia. For more information, please visit www.achronix.com.
For more information, please visit:
Website: www.achronix.com
The Achronix Blog: /blogs/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Achronixcorp
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/57668/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/achronix/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/AchronixCorp
Achronix, Speedster and VectorPath are registered trademarks, and Speedcore and Speedchip are trademarks of Achronix Semiconductor Corporation. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
Contacts
Joel Achramowicz, Managing Director
Shelton Group
T: 415-845-9964
sheltonir@sheltongroup.com
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SOURCE Achronix | https://www.kbtx.com/prnewswire/2022/07/27/achronix-present-upcoming-financial-conferences/ | 2022-07-27 21:25:23 | 1 | https://www.kbtx.com/prnewswire/2022/07/27/achronix-present-upcoming-financial-conferences/ |
COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) — Denmark’s top prosecuting authority said Thursday that it would seek to have a former defense minister's parliamentary immunity lifted so he could be charged with illegally disclosing "highly classified information.”
The office of the director of public prosecutions said it would contact Denmark's parliament, the Folketing, regarding the immunity of Claus Hjort Frederiksen. He served as the country's defense minister from November 2016 to June 2019.
Details of the accusations against Hjort Frederiksen could not be given because of “the special nature of the case” that involves sensitive information, the Danish Ministry of Justice said in a statement.
Hjort Frederiksen, who has been a lawmaker in parliament since 2005 and is a senior member of Denmark's opposition Liberals, faces up to 12 years in prison if convicted of the unauthorized disclosure of highly classified information.
Danish media have speculated the case might be linked to allegations that Denmark’s foreign secret service helped the United States spy on European leaders, including former German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
In a December television interview, Hjort Frederiksen spoke about a secret eavesdropping deal the United States and Denmark made in the late 1990s.
“I must risk a prison sentence. ... I have informed (Danish officials) that this agreement existed,” he said.
The deal gave the Danish intelligence community “a lot of useful information” and the status of “a trusted partner” of the U.S., Hjort Frederiksen said.
Danish broadcaster DR has reported that the Danish Defense Intelligence Service, known in Denmark by its acronym FE, conducted an internal investigation in 2014 into whether the U.S. National Security Agency had used its cooperation with the Danes to spy on Denmark and neighboring countries.
The probe, codenamed Operation Dunhammer, concluded that the NSA eavesdropped on political leaders and officials in Germany, France, Sweden and Norway.
Hjort Frederiksen responded to prosecutors' moves Thursday by lashing out at the Social Democratic government.
“I sincerely hope that the public and all members of the Folketing can now gain insight into what it is that the government believes that I have done that is considered treason,” he told Danish newspaper Ekstra Bladet.
Hjort Frederiksen, 74, was defense minister from November 2016 to June 2019. He also was the chairman of the Danish parliament’s Intelligence Services Committee from 2019 to 2020, and a former minister for finance (2009-2016) and for employment (2001–2009).
Danish media also have speculated that the case could be connected to the December arrest of Denmark’s former foreign intelligence chief. Lars Findsen was held in pre-trial custody on a preliminary charge of “disclosing highly classified information” before an appeals court ordered his release in February.
In Denmark, preliminary charges are one step short of formal charges but allow authorities to keep criminal suspects in custody during an investigation.
Details of the allegations against Findsen, who was suspended in August 2020, also are unknown, and the case has been shrouded in secrecy. | https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Danish-prosecutors-seek-to-charge-former-defense-17167567.php | 2022-05-12 13:07:40 | 1 | https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Danish-prosecutors-seek-to-charge-former-defense-17167567.php |
Michael D. Schmid, Republican
Q: What qualities, training, experiences, and skills would you bring to this office?
A: No response.
Q: What, if anything, would you support to improve reasonable access to health care in Wyoming?
A: No response.
Q: What, if any, specific measures would you propose to generate future state revenue?
A: No response.
Q: Current school funding is adequate.
A: No response.
Q: Please explain your answer on school funding.
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A: No response.
Albert Sommers, Republican (Incumbent)
Q: What qualities, training, experiences, and skills would you bring to this office?
A: No response.
Q: What, if anything, would you support to improve reasonable access to health care in Wyoming?
A: No response.
Q: What, if any, specific measures would you propose to generate future state revenue?
A: No response.
Q: Current school funding is adequate.
A: No response.
Q: Please explain your answer on school funding.
A: No response.
Bill Winney, Republican
Q: What qualities, training, experiences, and skills would you bring to this office?
A: My Navy service and six years duty in Washington, D.C. taught me the inner workings of government. I've been observing our legislature closely for many years and understand its process. Clearly, where the rubber meets the road is in its budget process, yet the legislature has not been able to limit spending. I've worked budgets in my Navy time and will bring that insight to the legislature.
Q: What, if anything, would you support to improve reasonable access to health care in Wyoming?
A: Ensuring that all communities have access to a hospital and supporting facilities should be the goal. Several Wyoming communities do not have such access. I will work to ensure such facilities are provided.
Q: What, if any, specific measures would you propose to generate future state revenue?
A: Wyoming has sufficient revenue. Its issue is how it spends that revenue. I observed the uptick in revenues beginning about 2005. With that went an uptick in spending, yet the legislature was unable to limit itself and control spending.
Q: Current school funding is adequate.
A: Agree.
Q: Please explain your answer on school funding.
A: Our current education funding provides safe and adequate facilities. I believe it spends more than necessary on administration while underspending on teachers. In my experience this leads to frustration within the faculty (such as recently noted in a survey that revealed 65% would depart teaching given an opportunity). I will work to correct that imbalance. | https://trib.com/state-house-district-20/article_a95a0110-03a3-11ed-ba41-cf936d36de22.html | 2022-07-31 20:25:30 | 1 | https://trib.com/state-house-district-20/article_a95a0110-03a3-11ed-ba41-cf936d36de22.html |
Reinstates Share Re-purchase Program
ANDOVER, Mass., Oct. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Byrna Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ: BYRN) ("Byrna", "the Company", "we" or "us") today announced results for its fiscal third quarter ended August 31, 2022.
Third Quarter 2022 Financial Highlights and Updates:
- Revenues were $12.4 million for the third quarter of fiscal year 2022 (Q3FY22), an increase of 43% compared to $8.7 million in the third quarter of fiscal year 2021 (Q3FY2).
- Order backlog as of August 31, 2022, was $1.7 million.
- Gross margin was 55.4% for Q3FY22 bringing year-to-date gross margin to 55.0%.
- Net loss was $(1.5) million for Q3FY22 compared to a net loss of $(1.8) million for Q3FY21.
- Non-GAAP adjusted EBITDA1 was a positive $0.3 million in Q3FY22 compared to a loss of $(0.8) million for Q3FY21.
- Cash on hand declined by $1.4 million to $24.5 million from $25.8 million at the end of Q2FY22.
- Inventory increased by $1.9 million to $15.4 from $13.5 million at the end of Q2FY22.
- Payables and accrued liabilities declined $1.9 million from the prior quarter-end to $6.8 million.
- Shareholders' Equity increased by $1.5 million during the quarter to $47.2 million.
- The Company has no current or long-term debt.
Third Quarter 2022 Business Overview
Revenues increased 43% to $12.4 million in Q3FY22 from $8.7 million in Q3FY21. Revenues were also up $0.8 million from the prior quarter (Q2FY2022), making Q3FY2022 the third consecutive quarter of revenue growth in 2022. We ended the quarter with $1.7 million of unshipped orders, all of which we expect will ship this quarter.
Byrna's net gross profit margin came in at 55.4% after $0.2 million of inventory reserves and another $0.2 million of unfavorable manufacturing variances incurred as a result of moving manufacturing operations and related minor but inevitable production start-up issues at our new greenfield facility in Ft. Wayne Indiana. The new facility is now running smoothly, and we are experiencing higher levels of both efficiency and quality as a result of the larger, more modern facility and the improved layout. Gross margin was also affected by a favorable variance of $0.1 million as a result of receiving our first raw materials shipments by ocean freight.
We expect to see further margin benefits as we transition more of our incoming shipments to ocean freight rather than the far more expensive airfreight shipments. We are now in a position to transition to ocean freight as we have built up adequate inventory levels to allow production and fulfillment to continue even though we will be receiving limited incoming shipments of component inventory for 60 days or more. The increase in levels of both finished goods and raw materials should significantly reduce the risk of any unforeseen supply chain disruptions.
Operating expenses were $8.3 million in Q3FY22, up 24% from $6.7 million for the same period last year but relatively flat in comparison with the past three fiscal quarters.
Financial Position as of August 31, 2022:
Cash at quarter-end Q3FY2022 declined by $1.4 million from quarter-end Q2FY2022 to $24.5 million. As discussed above, this decline can be attributed to the build-up in inventory in anticipation of the traditionally strong fourth quarter and the planned transition to ocean freight shipments. Total assets were also up $1.2 million from quarter-end Q2FY2022 to $58 million. At the same time, total liabilities were down $0.4 million with an increase in shareholders' equity of $1.6 million in comparison to quarter-end Q2FY2022. The Company currently has no current or long-term debt.
Inventory, at the end of Q3FY2022, was $15.4 million, including $7.7 million in raw materials (components) $1.0 million of WIP (work-in-progress), and $6.8 million in finished goods. Of this, $1.7 million was goods in transit. By comparison, at the end of the last fiscal year (Q4FY2021), we had only $6.6 million in total inventory, of which just $377K was in transit. The financing we completed last year has allowed us to substantially increase inventory levels which has in turn allowed us to start employing much less expensive ocean freight shipments. We expect to see a reduction in inventory levels by year-end as a result of the expected surge in seasonal holiday sales during the fourth quarter (Q4FY2022).
Commentary:
Bryan Ganz, CEO of Byrna stated, "By all measures, Q3FY2022, was a very positive quarter as the Company posted its third consecutive quarter of top line growth. Excluding Q2 of last year (Q2FY2021) when Byrna benefitted from an unexpected endorsement by Sean Hannity, which drove approximately $8.0 million in incremental sales, Q3FY2022 set a new sales record at $12.4 million. Moreover, it marked an important inflection point for the Company as Byrna was profitable on an adjusted EBITDA1 basis, benefitting from improved operating leverage with sales growing by 43% year-over-year while operating expenses grew by only 24%."
"Byrna expects to see further improvement in Q4FY2022 and has issued revenue guidance of $16.0 million to $18.0 million for the quarter. This would be a new record for the Company and, compared to the same period one year earlier, would represent 52% top line growth at the midpoint of the range. With operating expenses expected to be in line with the run rate of the last four quarters, we believe that Q4FY2022 should be solidly profitable."
"Despite our expectations for Q4FY2022, the economy is softening. Whether the Fed can engineer a "soft landing" or whether the economy dips into recession in 2023, we expect headwinds that will negatively impact demand for high price consumer products such as the Byrna SD™ launcher. As a result, we expect to see more temperate growth in 2023 with revenues growing by 10% - 30% rather than the 40% - 50% year-over-year growth we've seen in recent quarters.."
"We expect to see continued top line growth in 2023 even in this more difficult economic environment as Byrna continues to benefit from growing brand awareness and an expanded product line. We see evidence of increased consumer awareness in our web traffic numbers. For the first nine months of 2022, Byrna registered 5.7 million web sessions on Byrna.com and another 2.3 million on Amazon.com for a total of 8.0 million web sessions. This compares to 4.2 million total web sessions during the same period last year."
"In particular, in FY2023 we expect to see continued growth in Amazon sales as we are beginning to really gain momentum on the website. We also expect to see significant growth in sales of aerosol products, both Fox Labs and Byrna Bad Guy Repellent (BGR), as we have only had these products for sale during the second half of 2022. Moreover, these price point products may prove to be strong sellers during more difficult economic times. Similarly, we expect sales of the Mission launchers (TCR and M-4) to add to 2023 sales as they also were not available for the full year of 2022. Finally, we plan to introduce the 12-gauge ammunition and the Byrna LE launcher within the next several months and these products should have a material impact on 2023 sales."
"To address expectations of a more difficult economic environment in 2023, Byrna is in the process of trimming operating costs. Our goal is to reduce operating expenses by 5% year-over-year (excluding variable expenses such as credit card fees, Amazon fees and outbound freight which will all increase as sales increase). As part of this process, Byrna will be de-emphasizing less productive areas of the business. This past year, Byrna embarked on a number of initiatives designed to drive growth. Some, like the Fox Labs acquisition and the Mission Less-Lethal acquisition, have been extremely successful resulting in annual sales that will be a multiple of the purchase price with little incremental overhead."
"Others, like the Ballistipax™ acquisition, which formed the basis of our school safety program, have been less successful despite our best efforts and our sincere belief in the project, as high overhead costs and slow sales have resulted in poor ROI. Accordingly, Byrna will be shutting down its School Safety initiative, although we will continue to offer the Byrna Shield™ and Byrna Ballistipac™ online and through our dealer network. This should result in an annual savings of more than $500K. In conjunction with other planned cuts, Byrna intends to reduce its operating expense budget by more than $1.6 million in 2023."
"As we are now cashflow positive, from the perspective of adjusted EBITDA1, and have no acquisitions planned, we should have more than adequate cash on hand to fund operations. We do not believe that the market is valuing Byrna's stock appropriately and accordingly, we plan to continue our previously approved stock buyback program to purchase up to $5 million worth of the Company's outstanding common stock."
"In summary, we are extremely pleased with the progress that we have made this year in terms of both growing the top line and controlling expenses. We believe that we have reached that inflection point in terms of operating leverage where Byrna can be consistently cash flow positive while continuing to show strong year-over-year growth."
Conference Call
Byrna Technologies will host a conference call later this morning at 9:00 am ET to review these results. To listen to the call live, dial (201) 689-8354 or (877) 709-8150 and ask for the Byrna Technologies call. The question-and-answer portion of the call will be open to industry research analysts. To listen to a simultaneous webcast of the call, please visit ir.byrna.com ten minutes prior to the start of the call and click on the Investors section to download and install any necessary audio software. If you are unable to listen live, the conference call webcast will be archived on Byrna Technologies' website for thirty days.
About Byrna Technologies Inc.
Byrna is a technology company, specializing in the development, manufacture, and sale of innovative non-lethal personal security solutions. For more information on the Company, please visit the corporate website here or the Company's investor relations site here. The Company is the manufacturer of the Byrna® SD personal security device, a state-of-the-art handheld CO2 powered launcher designed to provide a non-lethal alternative to a firearm for the consumer, private security, and law enforcement markets. To purchase Byrna products, visit the Company's e-commerce store.
Forward Looking Information
Forward-looking statements in this news release include but are not limited to the Company's statements regarding expected revenue for the fourth fiscal quarter of 2022 and fiscal year 2023, the level of profitability expected for the fourth fiscal quarter of 2022, the timing of shipping for unshipped orders, expected trends in freight costs and methods and any benefits to margins that may result from those trends, expected timing and amounts of component inventory shipments and the expected effect of increased levels of finished goods and raw materials, the expected strength of fourth quarter sales and the resulting impact on inventory levels, expected decreased demand for high priced consumer products, expected sales growth on the Amazon platform, expected sales growth for aerosol products and Mission launchers during fiscal year 2023, the expected timing and outcome of launching 12-gauge ammunition and the Byrna LE launcher and the impact of those introductions on 2023 sales, the amount of expected operating expense reductions for fiscal year 2023, plans to de-emphasize less productive areas of the business, the adequacy of cash on hand to fund operations, and the expected re-institution of the stock buyback program. Forward-looking statements are not, and cannot be, a guarantee of future results or events. Forward-looking statements are based on, among other things, opinions, assumptions, estimates, and analyses that, while considered reasonable by the Company at the date the forward-looking information is provided, inherently are subject to significant risks, uncertainties, contingencies, and other factors that may cause actual results and events to be materially different from those expressed or implied.
Any number of risk factors could affect our actual results and cause them to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements in this news release, including, but not limited to, disappointing market responses to current or future products or services; delays in launching new products; prolonged, new, or exacerbated disruption of our supply chain; reduction in demand for high priced consumer products; the further or prolonged disruption of new product development; production or distribution or delays in entry or penetration of sales channels due to inventory constraints, competitive factors, pandemic-related factors, civil unrest, increased shipping costs or freight interruptions; prototype, parts and material shortages, particularly of parts sourced from limited or sole source providers; reduced air or ocean freight capacity; determinations by third party controlled distribution channels, including Amazon, not to carry or reduce inventory of our products; potential cancellations of existing or future orders including as a result of any fulfillment delays, introduction of competing products, negative publicity, or other factors; product design defects or recalls; litigation, enforcement proceedings or other regulatory or legal developments; changes in consumer or political sentiment affecting product demand; regulatory factors including the impact of commerce and trade laws and regulations; import-export related matters or sanctions or embargos that could affect the Company's supply chain or markets; delays in planned operations related to licensing, registration or permit requirements; and future restrictions on the Company's cash resources, increased costs and other events that could potentially reduce demand for the Company's products or result in order cancellations. The order in which these factors appear should not be construed to indicate their relative importance or priority. We caution that these factors may not be exhaustive; accordingly, any forward-looking statements contained herein should not be relied upon as a prediction of actual results. Investors should carefully consider these and other relevant factors, including those risk factors in Part I, Item 1A, ("Risk Factors") in our most recent Form 10-K, should understand it is impossible to predict or identify all such factors or risks, should not consider the foregoing list, or the risks identified in our SEC filings, to be a complete discussion of all potential risks or uncertainties, and should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. The Company assumes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information, except as required by applicable law.
Non-GAAP Financial Measures
In addition to providing financial measurements based on generally accepted accounting principles in the United States (GAAP), we provide the following additional financial metrics that are not prepared in accordance with GAAP (non-GAAP): adjusted EBITDA, non-GAAP adjusted net loss, and non-GAAP adjusted net loss per share. Management uses these non-GAAP financial measures, in addition to GAAP financial measures, to understand and compare operating results across accounting periods, for financial and operational decision making, for planning and forecasting purposes and to evaluate our financial performance. We believe that these non-GAAP financial measures help us to identify underlying trends in our business that could otherwise be masked by the effect of certain expenses that we exclude in the calculations of the non-GAAP financial measures.
Accordingly, we believe that these non-GAAP financial measures reflect our ongoing business in a manner that allows for meaningful comparisons and analysis of trends in the business and provides useful information to investors and others in understanding and evaluating our operating results, enhancing the overall understanding of our past performance and future prospects.
These non-GAAP financial measures do not replace the presentation of our GAAP financial results and should only be used as a supplement to, not as a substitute for, our financial results presented in accordance with GAAP. There are limitations in the use of non-GAAP measures, because they do not include all the expenses that must be included under GAAP and because they involve the exercise of judgment concerning exclusions of items from the comparable non-GAAP financial measure. In addition, other companies may use other non-GAAP measures to evaluate their performance, or may calculate non-GAAP measures differently, all of which could reduce the usefulness of our non-GAAP financial measures as tools for comparison.
Adjusted EBITDA
Adjusted EBITDA is defined as net (loss) income as reported in our condensed consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive (loss) income excluding the impact of (i) depreciation and amortization; (ii) income tax provision (benefit); (iii) interest income (expense); (iv) stock-based compensation expense; and (v) other expenses. Our Adjusted EBITDA measure eliminates potential differences in performance caused by variations in capital structures (affecting finance costs), tax positions, the cost and age of tangible assets (affecting relative depreciation expense) and the extent to which intangible assets are identifiable (affecting relative amortization expense). We also exclude certain one-time and non-cash costs. Reconciliation of Adjusted EBITDA to net (loss) income, the most directly comparable GAAP measure, is as follows (in thousands):
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Here’s a collection curated by The Associated Press’ entertainment journalists of what’s arriving on TV, streaming services and music platforms this week.
MOVIES
— The gripping documentary “Hold Your Fire,” directed by Stefan Forbes, chronicles a 1973 Brooklyn robbery that became a turning point in hostage negotiation tactics and de-escalation. The scene, vividly depicted in archival and contemporaneous news footage, captures a classic New York much like the one found in Sidney Lumet’s “Dog Day Afternoon.” When four Black men attempted to rob a sporting good store, they were trapped by police and a 47-hour standoff, with hostages and a killed policeman, ensued. “Hold Your Fire,” which is debuting Friday in theaters and on digital rental, captures how one former traffic cop, with a degree in psychology, flipped an often fatal script and used communication, not violence, to settle a crisis and remake policing.
— You could say that the cartoon-live action reboot “Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers” is an unlikely project to gather some top “Saturday Night Live” alums. Yet here is a “Chip ’n Dale” with John Mulaney voicing Chip, Andy Samberg as Dale and Lonely Island auteur Akiva Schaffer directing the new Disney+ release, streaming Friday. In this “Chip ‘n Dale,” the title chipmunks are living in modern-day Los Angeles and long removed from the heyday of their TV series. Chip has resorted to suburban domesticity and Dale is living off his long-gone fame. With KiKi Layne, Will Arnett, Eric Bana and Keegan-Michael Key.
— Fans of the best picture-winning “CODA” may want to check outHulu’s “The Valet,” starring Eugenio Derbez as a valet attendant hired to act as though he’s dating a movie star (Samara Weaving) to square rumors of an affair with a Los Angeles real estate mogul (Max Greenfield). The film, streaming Friday, is a rom-com platform for the versatile Mexican star Derbez, who memorably played the music teacher in “CODA.”
— AP Film Writer Jake Coyle
MUSIC
— Harries, rejoice! Harry Styles’ third studio album, “Harry’s House,” is on the way. The collection, due out Friday, is the follow-up to his fine album “Fine Line” from 2019. Styles is coming off a two-weekend headlining stint at Coachella, where he was joined by Shania Twain and Lizzo. The first single from the new album is “As It Was,” a melancholy ’80s-based low burner that spent three weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100 in April. Styles told BBC Radio One that the song is about “embracing change, losing oneself, finding oneself, a shift in perspective.” Some of the new song titles are “Music For a Sushi Restaurant,” “Late Night Talking,” “Grapejuice,” “Daydreaming,” “Keep Driving,” “Satellite,” “Boyfriends” and “Love of My Life.”
— The Who icon Pete Townshend opens up in a new Audible Original, taking listeners through the period between the 1978 death of band drummer Keith Moon and the 2002 loss of bassist John Entwistle. “Pete Townshend: Somebody Saved Me” mixes his memories and songs like “Let My Love Open the Door,” “Slit Skirts,” “You Better You Bet” and “Eminence Front.” Townshend joins other iconic musicians telling their stories on Audible, including Eddie Vedder, Billie Joe Armstrong, Tom Morello, James Taylor, Sheryl Crow, Yo-Yo Ma and Gary Clark Jr.
— Two vital American musicians met and jammed together in the summer of 2011 when legendary singer Mavis Staples visited her good friend Levon Helm of The Band in Woodstock, New York. Staples and her band spent five or six days with Helm and his band, playing music and telling stories. It was the last time they would meet; Helm died in 2012. A record of their last meeting together is finally being released Friday — “Carry Me Home.” The setlist mixes vintage gospel and soul with timeless folk and blues, including “This Is My Country” by Curtis Mayfield and “The Weight” by Robbie Robertson.
— AP Entertainment Writer Mark Kennedy
TELEVISION
— “Lionel Richie: The Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song” honors the prolific pop star whose hits include “All Night Long,” “Endless Love” and “Lady.” Anthony Anderson hosts the ceremony that was taped in Washington and includes performances by Gloria Estefan, Boyz II Men, Luke Bryan, Andra Day, Yolanda Adams and Chris Stapleton. Estefan, Stevie Wonder and Paul McCartney are among previous recipients of the award. Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden called Richie an inspiring entertainer who helped “strengthen our global connections.” The PBS special airs Tuesday.
— Angelyne didn’t have or need the internet to make her a Los Angeles celebrity — billboards scattered around town starting in the 1980s did the trick. Her seductive image brought her surprisingly enduring fame – and now a show based, sort of, on her story. Peacock’s limited series “Angelyne,” starring Emmy Rossum and debuting Thursday, is billed not as a traditional biography but, as showrunner Allison Miller described it, a “magical story… about becoming the person you were meant to be” and about L.A. and the dreamers it attracts. Martin Freeman, Alex Karpovsky and Hamish Linklater are in the cast.
— Adam Conover, who used comedy to apply the power of critical thinking in “Adam Ruins Everything,” takes a similar approach to the workings of government in “The G Word With Adam Conover,” debuting Thursday on Netflix. In what’s described as a “hybrid comedy-documentary series,” Conover explores how crucial — both for good and not-so-good — government is to our lives, from weather to food to money and more. The show is based on “The Fifth Risk: Undoing Democracy” by Michael Lewis (“The Big Short”) and includes a cameo by former President Barack Obama that cements his comedy chops.
— AP Television Writer Lynn Elber
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Catch up on AP’s entertainment coverage here: https://apnews.com/apf-entertainment. | https://www.cbs42.com/local/new-this-week-harry-styles-angelyne-and-the-valet/ | 2022-05-17 18:46:32 | 0 | https://www.cbs42.com/local/new-this-week-harry-styles-angelyne-and-the-valet/ |
Here’s a collection curated by The Associated Press’ entertainment journalists of what’s arriving on TV, streaming services and music platforms this week.
MOVIES
— Netflix places one of its biggest bets yet on “The Gray Man,” a globe-trotting action thriller starring Ryan Gosling, Chris Evans and Ana de Armas. One of the streamer’s most expensive films, “The Gray Man” is directed by Anthony and Joe Russo, the brothers who presided over one of the biggest box-office smashes ever (“Avengers: Endgame”) before they started churning out blockbusters for Netflix. Their “Extraction,” with Chris Hemsworth, ranks as one of the service’s most-watched films, and “The Gray Man” — a spy vs. spy adventure with some comic flare and major franchise ambitions — is likely to follow suit. It debuts Friday.
— Before Billy Porter was a Broadway star and red-carpet doyen, he was a kid in Pittsburgh. In “Anything’s Possible, ” Porter returns to his hometown to make his directorial debut, a trans coming-of-age comedy. The film, which debuts Friday on Amazon Prime Video, stars Eva Reign as a Black transgender girl in a relationship with a boy (Abubakr Ali) that causes a high school-wide stir. Porter fashioned his film, written by Ximena García Lecuona, as a teen rom-com for Gen Z and a love letter to Pittsburgh.
— AP Film Writer Jake Coyle
MUSIC
— Few details about Beyoncé‘s new album “Renaissance” out Friday are available but the lead single is performing well. Her “Break My Soul” became the first song to debut in the top 10 in 26 years on Billboard’s R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart. Of the 16-track album itself Beyoncé calls it “a beautiful journey of exploration.” Creating it “allowed me a place to dream and to find escape during a scary time for the world,” the superstar wrote on Instagram, next to an image of her on a see-through horse. Back in June, she teased on her social media accounts that “Renaissance” would be “act i,” but it’s unclear how many acts will follow or when they will be released.
— It’s July so that means a promised second 2022 album from the mad professor of rock, Jack White. He follows up the April release of “Fear of the Dawn” with the 11-track “Entering Heaven Alive.” The two albums share the same song — Taking Me Back” — but arranged differently, one heavy, one jazzy. Another song on the new set is titled “Queen of the Bees” and has the silly lyric “I want to hold you like a sloth hugs a tree.” He told EW: ”I was challenging myself to sort of see what I could get away with!”
— ZZ Top — now without Dusty Hill — have a new, 11-track live album, called “Raw,” with several of the band’s hits like “Gimmie All Your Lovin″” and “La Grange.” Recorded at Gruene Hall — “the oldest continually run dance hall in Texas” — in 2019, “Raw” features the band’s original lineup of electric guitar player Billy Gibbons, drummer Frank Beard and the late Hill on bass. Made in connection with the 2019 ZZ Top Netflix documentary, “That Little Ol’ Band From Texas,” the 11-track album was produced by Gibbons, and is dedicated “in righteous memory of Dusty Hill.”
— Ben Harper has never really minced words and that’s clearly the case on his new album, the 11-track “Bloodline Maintenance. “Slavery/We need to talk about it/Black Lives Matter/’Cause history says we don’t,” he sings over a funky guitar on the lead single, “We Need To Talk About It.” The new record sees Harper reflecting on the loss of his father and the personal nature of the subject matter led Ben to perform most of the album himself — playing guitar, bass, drums and percussion, including a plastic toy snare. ”I knew the sounds I was hearing in my head were so unorthodox that I had to do most of it myself,” he says.
— AP Entertainment Writer Mark Kennedy
TELEVISION
— Stephen Curry is the host of the ESPYS sports awards, and more. The NBA championship finals MVP is up for three honors including best male athlete at the ceremony airing Wednesday on ABC. Curry’s rivals for the top award include Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Angels, with Olympic champs Sunisa Lee and Katie Ledecky among those competing for best female athlete. ESPN previously said the ceremony will honor Vitali Klitschko, former heavyweight boxing champion and mayor of Kyiv, Ukraine, with the Arthur Ashe Courage Award. Retired Army Command Sgt. Maj. Gretchen Evans will receive the Pat Tillman Award for Service.
— Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward were acclaimed actors and a long-married couple. They were also “The Last Movie Stars,” according to the six-part documentary of that title out on Thursday on HBO Max. The docuseries, directed by actor Ethan Hawke, promises a definitive account of their “dedication to their art, philanthropy and each other.” Transcriptions of interviews with Newman and intimates — conducted for his autobiography that went uncompleted — are voiced by actors including George Clooney and Laura Linney. Also heard from are several of their children and Martin Scorsese, an executive producer for the film. Woodward, who is 92, was married to Newman from 1958 until his death in 2008 at age 83.
— The summer thrill ride known as Shark Week is back on Discovery Channel for its 34th year, with stars including tiger sharks with a taste for pork and “monster” hammerheads. The Bahamas’ Exuma Islands and Papua New Guinea are among the new spots visited during the extravaganza airing from Sunday, July 24, to Saturday, July 30, with Dwayne Johnson as its first emcee. Marine biologists and institutions contribute insights about shark mating and migration, with findings about a new and undescribed species promised. Among the highlights: “Island of Walking Sharks,” on Wednesday, with a scientist’s investigation of shark evolution.
— AP Television Writer Lynn Elber
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Catch up on AP’s entertainment coverage here: https://apnews.com/apf-entertainment. | https://www.kark.com/entertainment-news/new-this-week-beyonce-shark-week-espys-and-the-gray-man/ | 2022-07-19 00:12:32 | 0 | https://www.kark.com/entertainment-news/new-this-week-beyonce-shark-week-espys-and-the-gray-man/ |
Complementary Technologies, Customer Bases, and Commercial Channels to Strengthen Leadership in High-Growth, Single-Cell Biology
Significant Cost Synergies to Increase Profitability and Accelerate Breakeven Horizon in 2024, Earlier Than Berkeley Lights Expected as a Standalone Entity
Companies to Host Joint Conference Call and Webcast Today at 5:00 p.m. ET
EMERYVILLE, Calif. and BRANFORD, Conn., Dec. 21, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Berkeley Lights (Nasdaq: BLI), a life sciences tools company, and IsoPlexis (Nasdaq: ISO), a company empowering labs to leverage the cells and proteome changing the course of human health, today announced a definitive agreement under which Berkeley Lights will acquire IsoPlexis in an all-stock transaction valued at $57.8 million.
The combined company, which will be named PhenomeX (Nasdaq: CELL), will be a premier functional cell biology company that provides live cell biology research tools which deliver deep insights into cellular function and new perspectives on phenomes. Under the terms of the agreement, which was unanimously approved by the Boards of Directors of both companies, IsoPlexis shareholders will receive 0.612 shares of Berkeley Lights stock for each IsoPlexis share they hold. Following the close of the transaction, Berkeley Lights shareholders will own approximately 75.2 percent of the combined company, and IsoPlexis shareholders will own approximately 24.8 percent of the combined company.
"The combination of Berkeley Lights and IsoPlexis represents an important milestone and fuels our transformation into a growing, profitable, and sustainable life sciences company," said Siddhartha Kadia, Ph.D., chief executive officer of Berkeley Lights. "This transaction accelerates our progress across every core pillar of our strategic plan and creates a path to achieving positive operating cash flow earlier than we expected to as a standalone company. We look forward to joining forces with the IsoPlexis team as we embark on this next chapter and create value for our shareholders, employees, and customers."
Sean Mackay, co-founder and chief executive officer of IsoPlexis, said, "This transaction brings together two companies whose innovative solutions will help establish a technology leader in functional cell biology. The combined company will have a world-class team with complementary cultures and competencies to drive outcomes for customers and shareholders. We look forward to working together with the wonderful team at Berkeley Lights."
As the combination of Berkeley Lights and IsoPlexis, PhenomeX's mission is to empower researchers to leverage the full potential of functional cell biology and shape the next wave of scientific revolution.
This transaction fully supports the five pillars of Berkeley Lights' strategic plan by:
- Building a world-class team with a proven track record in profitably scaling life sciences tools and services companies. The combined company will be led by Berkeley Lights' experienced Board of Directors and a proven management team that leverages the talent within both organizations. Berkeley Lights' management team is highly experienced in company integration and consolidating organizations.
- Prioritizing R&D return on investment through increased focus and rigor on development initiatives. The combined company will unite complementary portfolios that will extend its leadership through the functional cell biology continuum with highly differentiated technology. It will accelerate innovation by:
- Delivering consistent commercial execution through a new sales structure, enhanced product portfolio and pricing strategy. The combination will strengthen commercial execution with an enhanced geographical footprint. This will be done through:
- Creating a platform for further consolidation in high-growth functional cell biology tools by:
- Generating positive operating cash flow by 2024. The combined company anticipates delivering cost synergies of approximately $70 million annualized by 2024, which will increase profitability and accelerate the timeline to breakeven. The new company is expected to generate positive operating cash flow at $150 million in revenue by 2024, which is earlier than Berkeley Lights was expected to achieve positive operating cash flow as a standalone company.
The transaction is expected to close in the first quarter of 2023, subject to approval by shareholders of both Berkeley Lights and IsoPlexis and other customary closing conditions.
Existing shareholders of IsoPlexis representing approximately 68% of the outstanding IsoPlexis shares have agreed to vote their shares in support of the transaction. Dr. Igor Khandros, co-founder of Berkeley Lights, and entities related to him have also agreed to vote their shares representing approximately 13% of the outstanding Berkeley Lights shares in favor of the transaction.
Cowen is acting as financial advisor to Berkeley Lights, and Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP is serving as legal counsel. For IsoPlexis, Evercore is serving as financial advisor, and Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP is serving as legal counsel.
A joint conference call and webcast will be held today at 2:00 p.m. Pacific Time / 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time to discuss this announcement. The live webcast, along with the related presentation, will be available to interested parties via Berkeley Lights' IR website at http://investors.berkeleylights.com and IsoPlexis' IR website at https://investors.isoplexis.com/. The webcast will be archived and available for replay for at least 90 days after the event.
Berkeley Lights is a life sciences tools company focused on enabling and accelerating the rapid development and commercialization of biotherapeutics and other cell-based products for our customers. The Berkeley Lights Platform captures deep phenotypic, functional, and genotypic information for thousands of single cells in parallel and can also deliver the live biology customers desire in the form of the best cells. Our platform is a fully integrated, end-to-end solution, comprising proprietary consumables, including our OptoSelect® chips and reagent kits, advanced automation systems, and application software. We developed the Berkeley Lights Platform to provide the most advanced environment for rapid functional characterization of single cells at scale, the goal of which is to establish an industry standard for our customers throughout their cell-based product value chain.
IsoPlexis is empowering labs to leverage the cells and proteome changing the course of human health. Its platforms provide insights into how multi-functional immune cells communicate and respond, assisting researchers in understanding and predicting disease progression, treatment resistance and therapeutic efficacy.
IsoPlexis has been named Top Innovation or Design by The Scientist Magazine, Fierce, BIG Innovation, Red Dot and multiple others. The IsoPlexis platform is used globally by researchers, including those at the top 15 global pharmaceutical companies by revenue and 78% of leading U.S. comprehensive cancer centers.
Certain statements in this communication regarding the proposed transaction between Berkeley Lights and IsoPlexis, the expected timetable for completing the transaction, benefits and synergies of the transaction, future opportunities for the combined company and products and any other statements regarding Berkeley Lights' and IsoPlexis' future expectations, beliefs, plans, objectives, financial conditions, assumptions or future events or performance that are not historical facts are "forward-looking" statements made within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are often, but not always, made through the use of words or phrases such as "may", "believe," "anticipate," "would," "could", "should," "intend," "seek," "plan," "will," "expect(s)," "estimate(s)," "predict(s)," "project(s)," "target(s)," "forecast(s)", "continue(s)," "contemplate(s)," "positioned," "potential," "strategy," "outlook," "forward," "continuing," "ongoing" and similar expressions. All such forward-looking statements involve estimates and assumptions that are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the results expressed in the statements. Among the key factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements are the following: the risk that the proposed transaction may not be completed in a timely manner or at all; the failure to receive, on a timely basis or otherwise, the required approvals of the proposed transaction by both Berkeley Lights' stockholders and IsoPlexis' stockholders; the possibility that any or all of the various conditions to the consummation of the proposed transaction may not be satisfied or waived, including the failure to receive any required regulatory approvals from any applicable governmental entities (or any conditions, limitations or restrictions placed on such approvals); the occurrence of any event, change or other circumstance that could give rise to the termination of the definitive transaction agreement relating to the proposed transaction, including in circumstances which would require Berkeley Lights or IsoPlexis to pay a termination fee; the effect of the announcement, pendency or completion of the proposed transaction on each of Berkeley Lights' and IsoPlexis' ability to attract, motivate or retain key employees, its ability to maintain relationships with its customers, suppliers, distributors and others with whom it does business, or its operating results and business generally; risks related to the proposed transaction diverting management's attention from each of Berkeley Lights' and IsoPlexis' ongoing business operations; the risk of stockholder litigation in connection with the proposed transaction, including resulting expense or delay; the possibility that the parties may be unable to achieve expected synergies and operating efficiencies in connection with the proposed transaction within the expected timeframes or at all and to successfully integrate IsoPlexis' operations into those of Berkeley Lights; the integration of IsoPlexis' operations into those of Berkeley Lights being more difficult, time-consuming or costly than expected; effects relating to the announcement of the proposed transaction or any further announcements or the consummation of the proposed transaction on the market price of the common stock of each of Berkeley Lights and IsoPlexis; the possibility that each of Berkeley Lights' and IsoPlexis' expectations as to expenses, cash usage and cash needs may prove not to be correct for reasons such as changes in plans or actual events being different than its assumptions; the impacts of changes in general economic and business conditions, including changes in the financial markets; the implementation of each of Berkeley Lights' and IsoPlexis' business model and strategic plans for its products and technologies, and challenges inherent in developing, manufacturing, launching, marketing and selling existing and new products; uncertainties in contractual relationships, including interruptions or delays in the supply of components or materials for, or manufacturing of, products for each of Berkeley Lights and IsoPlexis; the ability of each of Berkeley Lights and IsoPlexis to establish and maintain intellectual property protection for products or avoid or defend claims of infringement; risks relating to competition within the industry in which each of Berkeley Lights and IsoPlexis operate; the impacts of potential product performance and quality issues; changes to and the impact of the laws, rules and regulations that regulate each of Berkeley Lights' and IsoPlexis' operations; and any other risks discussed in each of Berkeley Lights' and IsoPlexis' filings with the SEC, including Berkeley Lights' and IsoPlexis' Annual Reports on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and Current Reports on Form 8‑K. Berkeley Lights and IsoPlexis assume no obligation to update or revise publicly the information in this communication, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as otherwise required by law. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements that speak only as of the date hereof.
Berkeley Lights, IsoPlexis and their respective directors, executive officers and other members of management and employees may be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies in connection with the proposed transaction between Berkeley Lights and IsoPlexis under the rules of the SEC. Information regarding Berkeley Lights' directors and executive officers is set forth in Berkeley Lights' Proxy Statement on Schedule 14A for its 2022 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, which was filed with the SEC on April 15, 2022, and in certain of Berkeley Lights' Current Reports on Form 8-K. To the extent holdings of Berkeley Lights' securities by Berkeley Lights' directors and executive officers have changed since the amounts set forth in such proxy statement, such changes have been or will be reflected on subsequent statements of beneficial ownership filed with the SEC. Information regarding IsoPlexis' directors and executive officers is set forth in IsoPlexis' revised Proxy Statement on Schedule 14A for its 2022 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, which was filed with the SEC on April 29, 2022, and in certain of IsoPlexis' Current Reports on Form 8-K. To the extent holdings of IsoPlexis' securities by IsoPlexis' directors and executive officers have changed since the amounts set forth in such proxy statement, such changes have been or will be reflected on subsequent statements of beneficial ownership filed with the SEC. These documents can be obtained free of charge from the sources indicated below. Additional information regarding the interests of these participants will be set forth in the joint proxy statement/prospectus relating to the proposed transaction when it becomes available.
In connection with the proposed transaction between Berkeley Lights and IsoPlexis, Berkeley Lights and IsoPlexis intend to file relevant materials with the SEC, including a Berkeley Lights registration statement on Form S‑4 that will include a joint proxy statement of Berkeley Lights and IsoPlexis that also constitutes a prospectus of Berkeley Lights. INVESTORS AND SECURITY HOLDERS ARE URGED TO READ THE JOINT PROXY STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS AND ANY OTHER RELEVANT DOCUMENTS FILED WITH THE SEC WHEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE BECAUSE THEY WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT BERKELEY LIGHTS, ISOPLEXIS AND THE PROPOSED TRANSACTION. The joint proxy statement/prospectus and other documents relating to the proposed transaction (when they are available) can be obtained free of charge from the SEC's website at www.sec.gov. These documents (when they are available) can also be obtained free of charge from Berkeley Lights' investor relations website at www.investors.berkeleylights.com or from IsoPlexis' investor relations website at www.investors.isoplexis.com.
This communication is not intended to and shall not constitute an offer to buy or sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy or sell any securities, nor shall there be any offer, solicitation, or sale of securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction. No offer of securities shall be made except by means of a prospectus meeting the requirements of Section 10 of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.
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SOURCE Berkeley Lights, Inc. | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/12/21/berkeley-lights-acquire-isoplexis-creating-premier-functional-cell-biology-company/ | 2022-12-21 23:54:16 | 1 | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/12/21/berkeley-lights-acquire-isoplexis-creating-premier-functional-cell-biology-company/ |
LANCASTER, Texas — Many school districts across North Texas are working hard to recruit and hire the most talented teachers and staff for the 2022-2023 school year.
Several candidates were offered jobs on the spot and signed Letters of Intent, during a Job Fair in Lancaster ISD on Thursday.
“I applied for it, and they gave it to me on the spot. They love Tigers,” said Chakaya Talton.
The Lancaster High School graduate has been working as a substitute teacher. She said navigating the job market in education hasn’t always been easy.
“With the pandemic, and everything that’s been going on, especially in the State of Texas, it’s been kind of disheartening to see some of the things happening. However, as far as the opportunities, they have been endless. So, what better place to come back to, than to the place where I started to give back to the children,” Talton explained.
Nearly 200 candidates pre-registered for the Job Fair in Lancaster ISD. A variety of positions are open.
First-time teacher Lauren Mack was another candidate who found success during her interview.
“I’m going to be a 4th and 5th-grade math teacher,” Mack smiled.
She also spent months applying for teaching positions in several school districts.
“Just finding the right ISD really has been challenging. But, I guess not today,” Mack laughed excitedly.
Lancaster ISD is among school districts in a region often referred to as "The Best Southwest." Neighbors include Desoto ISD, Cedar Hill ISD, and Duncanville ISD. Each school district hosted job fairs this week. Their school boards recently approved increased starting salaries for new teachers, in addition to raises and incentives for staff across the board.
“There’s always competition for the best,” said Dr. Katrise Perera, Superintendent of Lancaster ISD.
The school district’s Board of Trustees approved a $59,050 starting salary for first-time teachers this week, making it the highest starting teacher salary across the Best Southwest region.
“What I know, especially in this arena, in this field, is if you don’t grab good candidates right away, they’re gone the next day,” Dr. Perera explained.
While school administrators believe the new incentives are one-way local school districts are addressing the national teacher shortage, they believe finding passionate candidates who are ready and excited to serve children is the ultimate goal.
“I’m blessed. I’m thankful. I’m grateful to be able to do what I truly love to do. And that’s education,” Talton added.
Candidates interested in working with local school districts, across a variety of open positions, are encouraged to research each school district and apply. | https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/education/competition-is-on-for-teachers-in-school-districts-across-north-texas/287-99f00297-5bc4-4a2c-8e50-0dd28a069222 | 2022-06-30 00:22:59 | 1 | https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/education/competition-is-on-for-teachers-in-school-districts-across-north-texas/287-99f00297-5bc4-4a2c-8e50-0dd28a069222 |
NEW YORK, June 13, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Attention Verrica Pharmaceuticals, Inc. ("Verrica") (NASDAQ: VRCA) shareholders:
The Law Offices of Vincent Wong announce that a class action lawsuit has commenced on behalf of investors who purchased between May 28, 2021 and May 24, 2022.
If you suffered a loss on your investment in Verrica, contact us about potential recovery by using the link below. There is no cost or obligation to you.
ABOUT THE ACTION: The class action against Verrica includes allegations that the Company made materially false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (1) there were manufacturing deficiencies at the facility where Verrica's contract manufacturer produced a bulk solution for the Company's lead product candidate, VP-102; (2) these deficiencies were not remediated when Verrica resubmitted its New Drug Application for VP-12 for molluscum; (3) the foregoing presented significant risks to Verrica obtaining regulatory approval of VP-102 for molluscum; and (4) as a result of the foregoing, defendants' positive statements about the Company's business, operations, and prospects were materially misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis.
DEADLINE: August 5, 2022
Aggrieved Verrica investors only have until August 5, 2022 to request that the Court appoint you as lead plaintiff. You are not required to act as a lead plaintiff in order to share in any recovery.
Vincent Wong, Esq. is an experienced attorney who has represented investors in securities litigations involving financial fraud and violations of shareholder rights. Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.
CONTACT:
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SOURCE The Law Offices of Vincent Wong | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/06/13/class-action-alert-law-offices-vincent-wong-remind-verrica-investors-lead-plaintiff-deadline-august-5-2022/ | 2022-06-13 11:14:53 | 1 | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/06/13/class-action-alert-law-offices-vincent-wong-remind-verrica-investors-lead-plaintiff-deadline-august-5-2022/ |
OMRON Healthcare celebrates Heart Health Month with new education components providing tips for AFib identification, quality sleep, healthy recipes, and lifestyle changes that may help reduce heart attack and stroke risk
HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill., Feb. 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Global heart health leader OMRON Healthcare is celebrating Heart Health Month with new education components in its OMRON Connect mobile app, which syncs with every connected blood pressure monitor from the brand.
The new OMRON Connect education components include quick-read articles on topics like AFib identification, study summaries, infographics, healthy recipes, and tips for lifestyle and behavior change that may help reduce one's heart attack and stroke risk.
"Education is a centerpiece of how we are pursuing our Going for Zero mission to eliminate heart attack and stroke. An educated consumer can take charge of their heart health and can take real steps to live a longer, healthier life," said OMRON Healthcare Senior Product Manager Christian Nikolopoulos.
Nikolopoulos noted the difference even basic education can make with cardiac conditions such as AFib and other irregular heartbeats. "AFib accounts for 1-in-7 strokes and millions of people may be unaware that they are living with this condition. So, our new OMRON Connect education components include quick-read articles to help consumers gain a better understanding of conditions like AFib, how it is identified, and how to talk to your doctor about appropriate treatment," said Nikolopoulos.
Recent studies show detection and management of AFib could reduce stroke risk by two-thirds.[1] Other OMRON Connect education components include tips for a good night's sleep, heart-healthy foods to add to your diet, practical ways to stick to your exercise plan, and guidance for healthy living. All of which, says the American Heart Association, are part of Life's Essential 8™ Health Behaviors and Factors, the key measures for improving and maintaining cardiovascular health.2
OMRON Connect syncs with all of OMRON's connected blood pressure monitors, including Complete by OMRON, the first blood pressure monitor with built-in EKG for detection of irregular heartbeat. All OMRON Connect users can access at least two articles, while premium users will be able to review all quick-read articles.
OMRON Connect was recently selected as a TWICE Picks Awards winner, which recognized the app as an outstanding digital health service that helps users understand their heart health and coach them to behavior change that can reduce their health risk.
OMRON Connect is available as a free download on the Apple App Store and Google Play stores, and boasts a 4.5+-star rating from users of both platforms. It also features a premium paid subscription option that gives users access to data analytics through more detailed health reports.
To learn more about OMRON Healthcare, the company's Going for Zero mission and its innovations, visit OmronHealthcare.com, and follow OMRON Healthcare on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.
About OMRON Healthcare, Inc.
OMRON Healthcare, Inc., is the world's leading manufacturer and distributor of personal heart health products and an innovator in technologies supporting respiratory and pain management care. With 50 years of medical device category leadership, OMRON is passionate about empowering people to take charge of their health at home through precise technology. Its market-leading products include a full-range of home blood pressure monitors, nebulizers, and TENS devices. The company's mission is Going for Zero, the elimination of heart attacks and strokes. With well over 300 million devices sold globally, OMRON provides the world's most recommended blood pressure monitors by healthcare professionals. OMRON Healthcare has always strived to improve lives and contribute to a better society by developing innovations that help people prevent, treat, and manage their medical conditions, and we provide products and services in over 110 countries. For more information, visit OmronHealthcare.com.
1 Get Smart About AFib. (2019). Importance of early diagnosis. Retrieved February 13, 2023 from https://getsmartaboutafib.net/en-EMEA/hcp/diagnose-atrial-fibrillation/importance-of-af-early-diagnosis#:~:text=Early%20detection%20of%20Atrial%20Fibrillation,but%20to%20avoid%20later%20complications.&text=As%20AF%20progresses%2C%20patients%20are,as%20increased%20pain%20and%20discomfort.
2 Life's Essential 8. Retrieved February 17, 2023 from https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/healthy-lifestyle/lifes-essential-8.
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SOURCE OMRON Healthcare, Inc. | https://www.kmvt.com/prnewswire/2023/02/28/new-heart-health-education-components-arrive-omron-connect-mobile-app/ | 2023-02-28 13:41:27 | 1 | https://www.kmvt.com/prnewswire/2023/02/28/new-heart-health-education-components-arrive-omron-connect-mobile-app/ |
In April, Karla Renée got a surprise positive on a pregnancy test. She and her husband Sam had tried unsuccessfully to get pregnant before and had expected they'd need fertility treatments.
"For it to just happen naturally felt like a miracle," she says. "We were ecstatic."
By the time she found a doctor in her insurance network near where she lived outside of Raleigh, N.C., and got in for her first appointment, she was eight weeks pregnant.
"The doctor noted that since I'll be 35 when the baby was due, I should take a screening test for genetic anomalies," she says. "We agreed to do the test and we scheduled our next appointment for a month out."
For those few weeks, they were just "blissfully pregnant," she says.
At the 12-week appointment, the doctor noticed something called increased nuchal translucency in the ultrasound. This happens when extra fluid accumulates behind the neck of a fetus. "We'd never heard [of] that before," says Karla. "She explained that lots of babies have this and they can recover on their own, but it could be an indication of something more serious."
The first genetic screening results, from blood tests, came in — they were negative for several common genetic conditions. That test also told them they were having a girl. "We felt relief and we felt hope, and we started to call her Amber," Karla says.
Their ob-gyn recommended a second, more comprehensive genetic test – amniocentesis – to see if there was a cause for the fluid accumulation she'd observed on the ultrasound. It's often done when there's a family history of certain genetic conditions, or the patient is over 35, or the doctor wants to follow up on an unusual result from a previous test.
That test involved waiting several more weeks until cells could be gathered, cultured and analyzed.
The results, which Karla finally got at week 18 of her pregnancy, showed their fetus had monosomy 18p – a condition in which all or part of the short arm of chromosome 18 is missing. Their doctors told them their daughter would likely have severe intellectual and physical disabilities, and could potentially need medical interventions as soon as she was born.
Karla and Sam were in shock but they didn't have much time to process. They needed to make an enormous decision: whether to continue or terminate their pregnancy.
They received the test results on June 27 – three days after Roe v. Wade was overturned. North Carolina had a 20-week abortion ban on the books that was blocked by the courts. That law was expected to go into effect imminently, so Karla said that hospitals were "taking no chances with legal liability." She was told if she decided to terminate the pregnancy, she needed to get in before 20 weeks, or she would have to travel out of state.
North Carolina also has a 72-hour waiting period for abortions, meaning if they did decide to terminate, they would have to wait at least three days before getting the procedure.
They only had a few days to determine the course of the rest of their lives.
The situation: 18 weeks into her pregnancy, Karla Renée learned the baby she was carrying had a serious genetic anomaly that could lead to severe physical and mental disabilities, miscarriage or stillbirth.
The state law: North Carolina's current law forbids abortion after 20 weeks gestational age. The law was passed in 1973 – it had been blocked by a judge in 2019 because Roe v. Wade protected the right to abortion until viability, which is generally considered to be about 24 weeks gestational age. But on the very day of the Supreme Court ruling in June, the leaders of the state senate and house – both Republicans – sent a letter to the state attorney general requesting that he take steps to put the 20-week ban into effect. Ultimately, the judge lifted his injunction and the law went into effect on Aug. 17 this year.
The only case in which abortion is legal in North Carolina after the 20-week limit is if continuing the pregnancy "would threaten the life or gravely impair the health of the woman." There is no exception for rape and incest, or for fetal anomalies.
North Carolina is one of at least a dozen states that set a gestational limit on abortion earlier than the Roe-era limit of fetal viability. The cutoffs in these laws range from 6 weeks up to 22 weeks. Few states have exceptions for fetal anomalies.
What's at stake: Serious problems with fetal development often aren't identified until around the midpoint of pregnancy, says Dr. Neeta Vora, a professor of maternal-fetal medicine at UNC-Chapel Hill and director of reproductive genetics, who was not involved in Karla Renée's care. In states with gestational age limits, that knowledge can come too late, or arrive extremely close to the legal cut-off, making parents have to rush to decide what they want to do.
A noninvasive screening blood test can find relatively common genetic conditions – including Down syndrome, trisomy 13, and trisomy 18 – as early as 10 weeks into a pregnancy. If there's a reason to suspect a genetic condition – for instance if there's a family history or something noticed on an ultrasound or a patient is older than 35, doctors may use a diagnostic test to create a complete set of chromosomes to diagnose problems that the screening test may miss.
The first diagnostic test available, which is done by sampling the placenta, is called chorionic villus sampling. It's available as early as 10 weeks. However, amniocentesis, the other diagnostic option which samples the amniotic fluid, isn't recommended until after 15 weeks of pregnancy, and the results can take several weeks to come back. That puts many people in the same position as the Renées – finding out around 18 weeks that their fetus has a serious genetic condition, including ones that are fatal.
There are also developmental issues that aren't apparent until even later in pregnancy, Vora explains. An "anatomy scan" ultrasound is usually done around 20 weeks, and can find abnormalities of the heart, spinal cord, brain, and other organs.
She says often patients come to that ultrasound appointment excited, with no idea there's anything wrong. "Unfortunately, we do have to sort of drop bombs on patients who come in – sometimes they just think everything's normal, they think they're going to find out the gender, and then there's an anomaly," Vora says.
It can take time for people to process the information. As much as they can, doctors will try to help patients understand what is wrong and what that means, but often there is imperfect information.
There are conditions where the prognosis can be good – depending on severity of symptoms and the support available to them, patients can thrive, she says. More serious conditions can require extensive medical interventions throughout a person's life, and that care comes with financial and emotional costs to the family.
Then there are "life limiting" conditions – meaning the infant might be stillborn or die within a few hours or days of birth. If parents opt to continue a pregnancy in these cases, Vora tells them about palliative care options to make their newborn's short life as comfortable as possible.
Still others are considered "gray diagnoses," where it's very hard to know the severity or prognosis for each case in utero. Parents who receive any fetal diagnosis face a lot of uncertainty about exactly how the disorder will manifest in their child and what it will mean for the family.
When parents live in a state with a gestational limit on abortion, they may not have much time to decide what to do, Vora says. "Now, artificially, it is becoming a fast process," she says. "That's very difficult for people."
The impact: The days after Sam and Karla Renée received the diagnosis were "a frenzy of research" into monosomy 18p, Karla says.
There is not a lot of information available about this particular disorder – Karla says her ob-gyn had never heard of it. According to the National Organization for Rare Disorders, the condition is characterized by head and face malformations, and other physical and mental disabilities that vary depending on how much of the chromosome is missing. In the most severe cases, the fetus can have brain malformation and die in infancy.
Karla and Sam Renée were told that theirs was a severe case. "She really couldn't have had more of that [chromosomal] arm deleted – they told us they could barely find any of it at all," Karla says. Their doctors and genetic counselors emphasized that the couple should expect severe symptoms, but weren't able to say exactly what they would be.
"We didn't know if she could use her legs – we never felt her kick, not even once," Karla says. "She could have needed surgery on her organs. There [were] indications that she might have needed surgery on her jaw just to be able to eat. We didn't know if she'd be able to speak."
A follow-up ultrasound had also shown the increased nuchal translucency had developed into a cystic hygroma, a type of cyst at the neck that can increase the risk of miscarriage or stillbirth, along with with heart and skeletal problems.
If she did survive, they wondered what kind of life she would have. "I saw some people on YouTube had kind of a similar disorder – something adjacent," Sam says. "I did find one person with a mild case, but it still left so much uncertainty."
They looked into social services in their area but weren't confident they would be able to get what they needed. "If we couldn't even be assured that there were support services for her or for families like ours, what's going to happen when she gets older and when we're gone?" Karla says.
"When you combine all of those physical and mental and emotional pieces together, I couldn't ask my daughter to walk that path – it's too much," she says. "I felt it would be selfish to ask her to stay and to go through all that, just for us to be parents."
Karla recalls "thrashing and flailing in the face of this decision we didn't want to have to make. We wanted to go buy onesies and make a nursery, but instead, we had to think through this."
After several sleepless nights, Karla and Sam decided to end their pregnancy.
Making that decision is "an immense responsibility that I feel is rightfully mine," Karla says. "I'm the one who has to live with this. I'm the one who has to make the call."
Although the North Carolina law banning abortion after 20 weeks was still in legal limbo, the hospital scrambled to get her in — and were able to schedule the abortion at 19 weeks, 6 days.
The policy debate: In North Carolina, the gestational age limit may not be 20 weeks for much longer. The North Carolina legislature is Republican-controlled and the senate leader, Phil Berger, has said he supports a 12- to 15-week ban. The speaker of the house, Tim Moore, has said he supports a ban closer to six weeks. (Neither Moore or Berger granted NPR's request for an interview on abortion limits for this story.)
At the federal level, Lindsey Graham, the senior Republican senator from neighboring South Carolina, has drafted a 15-week national ban. At that stage of pregnancy, some cases of serious fetal anomalies could not be detected yet in testing.
And there are very few exceptions in state abortion laws for fetal anomalies, even lethal ones.
All states that have near-total or six-week abortion bans include an exception for when the pregnant person's life is in danger, according to Elizabeth Nash, a state policy analyst at the Guttmacher Institute. A few states allow exceptions for rape or incest. But "the least common exception" is for fetal anomalies, explains Nash. "If you look back over the past several decades, an exception for [fetal] anomaly has been very uncommon."
In fact, in recent years, some states have moved in the other direction, passing laws banning abortion because of a diagnosis of disability or genetic condition. North Carolina legislators passed such a law last year but it was vetoed by the Democratic governor.
But now? A version of that bill is back in the current legislative session. It states that "human dignity includes the inherent right not to suffer discrimination on the basis of innate characteristics, such as a human being's race, sex, or genetic characteristics, including any genetic abnormalities."
In other words, abortion for these reasons is framed as discrimination against the fetus.
Some disability rights activists push back on framing the issue this way, and support people making their own reproductive decisions, not the state. "In the disability community, we very strongly believe that bodily autonomy is sacred," says Rebecca Cokley, a program officer at the Ford Foundation's Disability Rights program.
"While it may be difficult and heartbreaking for some of us to live with the reality that we have friends or loved ones that may abort a fetus because they're just like us," Cokley says, "at the end of the day, the right to bodily autonomy and the need to preserve that right is of greater importance, because we spend our whole lives being told we don't have rights to our bodies."
She adds that people with disabilities don't like their cause to be used in political arguments. "[Our] lives are not meant to be pieces on a chessboard for the punditry to move around."
The parents' perspective: When Karla woke up after her abortion procedure, she found her feet had been covered with fuzzy gray socks. She felt moved that someone would show that kind of care, while she went through surgery to end her deeply wanted pregnancy.
She kept the socks. She also kept the ultrasound images, putting them and other mementos into a scrapbook. In the woods behind their house, the couple placed a stone marker near a circle of ferns. They can see the memorial from their backdoor.
Karla has found support in an online group for people who've been through the same thing. She and Sam are grateful for the understanding and kindness of colleagues – including the person who dropped off soup at their door. They don't plan to try to get pregnant again anytime soon.
Meanwhile, on the news, people are debating abortion limits at this many weeks or that many weeks in a detached, abstract way. "It's surreal watching people fight about whether I should have had the right," Karla says.
She thinks these conversations about morality and laws and what states should do are important, and she's started to jump into them a bit, including on Reddit.
People who've gone through what's called a "termination for medical reasons" aren't usually part of the conversation, she says. "I don't think it's because we don't want to be considered or included, it's that this is such a deep and private pain, and it's hard to talk about."
She does want to be part of the conversation, and that's why she's sharing her story about what it's really like to receive a serious fetal diagnosis and make the difficult decision to terminate – in a country where many state laws are making that option harder to secure.
Days & Weeks is NPR's series telling personal stories of lives affected by abortion restrictions in the post-Roe era. Do you have story about how your state's abortion laws have changed your life? Share your story.
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.kvpr.org/npr-news/npr-news/2022-10-27/at-18-weeks-pregnant-she-faced-an-immense-decision-with-just-days-to-make-it | 2022-10-27 18:27:05 | 1 | https://www.kvpr.org/npr-news/npr-news/2022-10-27/at-18-weeks-pregnant-she-faced-an-immense-decision-with-just-days-to-make-it |
CA Reno NV Zone Forecast for Sunday, March 26, 2023
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469 FPUS55 KREV 271031
ZFPREV
Western Nevada-Eastern Sierra-Northeast California Zone Forecast
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National Weather Service Reno NV
331 AM PDT Mon Mar 27 2023
This is an automatically generated product that provides averaged
values for large geographic areas and may not be representative
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of a specific area. To get a more specific forecast for your area,
please visit www.nws.noaa.gov/wtf/udaf/area/?site=rev
CAZ072-NVZ002-280300-
Greater Lake Tahoe Area-
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Including the cities of South Lake Tahoe, Tahoe City, Truckee,
Markleeville, Stateline, Glenbrook, and Incline Village
331 AM PDT Mon Mar 27 2023
...WINTER STORM WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 5 AM TUESDAY TO 5 AM PDT
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WEDNESDAY...
.TODAY...Sunny in the morning then becoming partly cloudy. Highs
35 to 45. South winds 10 to 15 mph. Ridge gusts up to 60 mph in
the afternoon.
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.TONIGHT...Mostly cloudy in the evening then becoming partly
cloudy. Lows 21 to 31. Southwest winds 15 to 25 mph with gusts up
to 40 mph. Ridge gusts up to 90 mph.
.TUESDAY...Snow. Snow accumulation of 5 to 11 inches with 8 to
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14 inches above 7000 feet. Highs 33 to 43. South winds 20 to
30 mph with gusts up to 50 mph. Ridge gusts up to 100 mph.
.TUESDAY NIGHT...Heavy snow in the evening, then chance of snow
after midnight. Lows 14 to 24. Southwest winds 10 to 20 mph with
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gusts up to 35 mph. Ridge gusts up to 70 mph decreasing to 50 mph
after midnight.
.WEDNESDAY...Snow showers likely. Highs 30 to 35. Southwest winds
10 to 15 mph. Gusts up to 30 mph in the morning.
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.WEDNESDAY NIGHT...Mostly cloudy with a chance of snow showers.
Lows 12 to 22.
.THURSDAY...Partly cloudy in the morning then becoming mostly
cloudy. Chance of snow showers. Highs 33 to 38.
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.THURSDAY NIGHT AND FRIDAY...Partly cloudy. Lows 14 to 24. Highs
35 to 45.
.FRIDAY NIGHT...Partly cloudy. Slight chance of snow showers
after midnight. Lows 19 to 29.
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.SATURDAY THROUGH SUNDAY...Breezy. Mostly cloudy with a chance of
snow showers. Highs 37 to 47. Lows 22 to 32.
$$
CAZ070-NVZ005-280300-
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Surprise Valley California-Northern Washoe County-
Including the cities of Cedarville, Eagleville, Fort Bidwell,
Empire, and Gerlach
331 AM PDT Mon Mar 27 2023
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.TODAY...Mostly cloudy. Highs 42 to 52. Southeast winds around
10 mph increasing to south 15 to 25 mph with gusts up to 35 mph
in the afternoon.
.TONIGHT...Cloudy. Chance of snow showers in the evening, then
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chance of snow after midnight. Snow accumulation up to 1 inch.
Lows 25 to 35. South winds 15 to 25 mph with gusts up to 45 mph.
.TUESDAY...Snow and rain. Snow accumulation up to 1 inch with
1 to 4 inches above 5000 feet. Highs 44 to 54. South winds 20 to
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30 mph with gusts up to 50 mph.
.TUESDAY NIGHT...Mostly cloudy in the evening then clearing.
Chance of snow. Lows 18 to 28. Southwest winds 10 to 20 mph.
Gusts up to 30 mph in the evening.
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.WEDNESDAY...Partly cloudy in the morning, then mostly cloudy
with a slight chance of snow showers in the afternoon. Highs
39 to 49. Southwest winds 10 to 15 mph.
.WEDNESDAY NIGHT...Partly cloudy. Lows 18 to 28.
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.THURSDAY THROUGH FRIDAY...Partly cloudy. Highs 45 to 55. Lows
22 to 32.
.FRIDAY NIGHT...Mostly cloudy. Slight chance of snow showers
after midnight. Lows 26 to 31.
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.SATURDAY THROUGH SUNDAY...Breezy. Mostly cloudy with a chance of
showers. Highs 48 to 58. Lows 26 to 36.
$$
CAZ071-280300-
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Lassen-Eastern Plumas-Eastern Sierra Counties-
Including the cities of Portola, Susanville, Westwood,
Sierraville, and Loyalton
331 AM PDT Mon Mar 27 2023
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...WINTER STORM WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 11 PM THIS EVENING TO
11 PM PDT TUESDAY...
.TODAY...Mostly cloudy. Highs 39 to 49. Southeast winds 10 to
20 mph with gusts up to 35 mph.
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.TONIGHT...Mostly cloudy with a chance of snow. Snow accumulation
of 1 to 4 inches. Lows 23 to 33. South winds 15 to 25 mph with
gusts up to 45 mph.
.TUESDAY...Heavy snow in the morning, then heavy snow and rain in
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the afternoon. Snow accumulation of 8 to 14 inches west of
highway 395 with 1 to 5 inches east of highway 395. Highs 38 to
48. South winds 20 to 30 mph with gusts up to 50 mph.
.TUESDAY NIGHT...Mostly cloudy with a chance of snow. Lows 15 to
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25. South winds 10 to 20 mph. Gusts up to 30 mph in the evening.
.WEDNESDAY...Mostly cloudy with a chance of snow showers. Highs
37 to 47. South winds 10 to 15 mph.
.WEDNESDAY NIGHT...Mostly cloudy with a slight chance of snow
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showers in the evening, then partly cloudy after midnight. Lows
15 to 25.
.THURSDAY...Partly cloudy. Slight chance of snow showers in the
afternoon. Highs 41 to 51.
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.THURSDAY NIGHT...Partly cloudy. Lows 19 to 29.
.FRIDAY AND FRIDAY NIGHT...Mostly cloudy with a slight chance of
snow showers. Highs 42 to 52. Lows 22 to 32.
.SATURDAY THROUGH SUNDAY...Breezy. Mostly cloudy with a chance of
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showers. Highs 44 to 54. Lows 22 to 32.
$$
CAZ073-280300-
Mono County-
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Including the cities of Bridgeport, Coleville, Lee Vining,
and Mammoth Lakes
331 AM PDT Mon Mar 27 2023
...WINTER STORM WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 8 AM TUESDAY TO 5 AM PDT
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WEDNESDAY...
.TODAY...Sunny. Highs 31 to 41. Southeast winds 10 to 15 mph.
.TONIGHT...Partly cloudy. Lows 13 to 23. South winds 10 to 20 mph
with gusts up to 45 mph. Ridge gusts up to 75 mph.
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.TUESDAY...Mostly cloudy with a chance of snow. Snow accumulation
of 2 to 6 inches. Highs 35 to 45. South winds 20 to 30 mph with
gusts up to 50 mph. Ridge gusts up to 85 mph increasing to
100 mph in the afternoon.
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.TUESDAY NIGHT...Heavy snow and rain in the evening, then heavy
snow likely after midnight. Snow level 6000 feet lowering to the
valley floor. Lows 10 to 20. Southwest winds 15 to 25 mph
decreasing to 10 to 15 mph after midnight. Gusts up to 35 mph.
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Ridge gusts up to 90 mph decreasing to 65 mph after midnight.
.WEDNESDAY...Mostly cloudy with a chance of snow showers. Highs
27 to 37. Southwest winds 10 to 15 mph. Gusts up to 35 mph in the
morning. Ridge gusts up to 60 mph.
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.WEDNESDAY NIGHT...Mostly cloudy with a chance of snow showers.
Lows 6 to 16.
.THURSDAY...Mostly cloudy with a chance of snow showers. Highs
29 to 39.
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.THURSDAY NIGHT AND FRIDAY...Partly cloudy. Lows 6 to 16. Highs
33 to 43.
.FRIDAY NIGHT...Partly cloudy. Lows 12 to 22.
.SATURDAY THROUGH SUNDAY...Partly cloudy with a slight chance of
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snow showers. Highs 37 to 47. Lows 17 to 27.
$$
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Copyright 2023 AccuWeather | https://www.seattlepi.com/weather/article/ca-reno-nv-zone-forecast-17861717.php | 2023-03-27 12:13:35 | 0 | https://www.seattlepi.com/weather/article/ca-reno-nv-zone-forecast-17861717.php |
Daniel Snyder reportedly has reached an agreement in principle to sell the NFL’s Washington Commanders for $6.05 billion to a group led by Philadelphia 76ers and New Jersey Devils owner Josh Harris.
Harris, who also is a minority owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers, has teamed with fellow billionaire Mitchell Rales in a group that also includes NBA legend Magic Johnson to purchase the team.
The $6.05 billion price would be the highest in NFL history, topping the Denver Broncos’ purchase for $4.65 billion by the Walton-Penner group last year.
The Washington agreement was first reported by Sportico.
The deal isn’t finalized or signed. In fact, Canadian billionaire Steve Apostolopoulos is still involved in the process, according to ESPN. But the league’s network reported that “a finalized sale is expected if all goes well.”
Amazon billionaire Jeff Bezos looked into possibly buying the team from Snyder but never officially submitted a bid.
A sale requires the approval of 24 of the NFL’s 32 ownership groups. Owners are scheduled to meet next May 22-24 in Minneapolis at the spring league meeting.
Assuming a bid is submitted to the league prior, that week should mark the official end of Snyder’s tumultuous ownership of a franchise he originally bought for $800 million in 1999.
The NFL will be glad to be rid of Snyder, although the league seemingly has enabled and protected him, too.
Snyder is under investigation by former U.S. attorney Mary Jo White for alleged sexual misconduct and financial wrongdoing. He has refused to be interviewed in the investigation.
It’s incomprehensible that the investigation hasn’t concluded and resulted in Snyder’s outright removal by his peers.
But in March, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and the owners seemed to be hanging the incomplete investigation over Snyder’s head as incentive for him to sell the team to avoid seeing White’s findings released to the public.
Goodell promised that the NFL would “make the findings public,” but Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones made a point of saying publicly that he wanted White’s findings released whether Snyder sold or not “because I know everything in the report.”
Giants co-owner John Mara, asked if a Washington sale would be good for the NFC East that includes the Giants, Cowboys, Eagles and Commanders, cracked: “The NFC East doesn’t need any help. The NFC East is strong enough.”
Indeed, there is no telling how drastically Washington will improve as a franchise and team with competent ownership. It has been a long time.
Washington, which is in desperate need of a franchise quarterback, conceivably could become a suitor for the Baltimore Ravens’ Lamar Jackson if he doesn’t agree to a long-term deal with his current team.
Or Harris might make a different kind of big splash for his roster.
Either way, getting Snyder out of Washington is a good start.
() | https://www.twincities.com/2023/04/13/daniel-snyder-josh-harris-group-reach-agreement-on-6-05-billion-sale-of-washington-commanders-reports-2/ | 2023-04-14 00:39:51 | 1 | https://www.twincities.com/2023/04/13/daniel-snyder-josh-harris-group-reach-agreement-on-6-05-billion-sale-of-washington-commanders-reports-2/ |
CEDARHURST, N.Y., June 29, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The securities litigation law firm of Kuznicki Law PLLC issues this alert to shareholders of Okta, Inc. ("Okta" or the "Company") (NasdaqGS: OKTA), if they purchased the Company's securities between March 5, 2021 and March 22, 2022, inclusive (the "Class Period"). Shareholders have until July 19, 2022 to file lead plaintiff applications in the securities class action lawsuit.
Shareholders are encouraged to contact us at https://kclasslaw.com/cases/securities/okta-inc-nasdaqgs-okta/, by calling toll-free at 1-833-835-1495 or by email (dk@kclasslaw.com).
Kuznicki Law PLLC is committed to ensuring that companies adhere to responsible business practices and engage in good corporate citizenship. The firm seeks recovery on behalf of investors who incurred losses when false and/or misleading statements or the omission of material information by a Company lead to artificial inflation of the Company's stock. Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.
CONTACT:
Kuznicki Law PLLC
Daniel Kuznicki, Esq.
445 Central Avenue, Suite 344
Cedarhurst, NY 11516
Email: dk@kclasslaw.com
Phone: (347) 696-1134
Cell: (347) 690-0692
Fax: (347) 348-0967
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SOURCE Kuznicki Law PLLC | https://www.kfyrtv.com/prnewswire/2022/06/30/filing-deadline-kuznicki-law-pllc-announces-class-action-behalf-shareholders-okta-inc-okta/ | 2022-06-30 03:22:52 | 1 | https://www.kfyrtv.com/prnewswire/2022/06/30/filing-deadline-kuznicki-law-pllc-announces-class-action-behalf-shareholders-okta-inc-okta/ |
California air regulators on Friday approved first-in-the-nation rules to ban the sale of new diesel big rig trucks statewide by 2036.
The rules approved unanimously by the California Air Resources Board also require companies in California with more than 50 trucks to convert their truck fleets to zero-emission vehicles by 2042.
The historic vote to require new trucks to run on electricity or hydrogen fuel cells — sending diesel the way of leaded gasoline — is the latest step in the slow, but steady phase-out of fossil fuels in California, designed to reduce smog and greenhouse gases that are causing climate change. Last year, the air board, most of whose 16 members are appointed by Gov. Gavin Newsom, voted to prohibit the sale of new gasoline-burning passenger vehicles in California in 2035.
“This is an absolutely transformative rule to clean our air and mitigate climate change,” said Liane Randolph, chair of the board.
Industry groups opposed the rules and said they are unreasonably far-reaching.
They noted there are currently only there are only 1,943 zero emission medium and heavy-duty vehicles on the road in California today, according to the California Energy Commission. Of those, 1,369 are school and city buses, 306 are trucks and 268 are delivery trucks.
Batteries take up more weight on a truck, can limit its range, and take 2 to 4 hours to charge, trucking industry leaders said.
“CARB has outright ignored the nation’s leading fleets and has put forth an overly ambitious, unrealistic, and unfeasible proposal,” said Eric Sauer, CEO of the California Trucking Association.
The rules, Sauer added “will guarantee a complete dismantling of our state’s trucking industry and have detrimental effect on goods movement and the entire supply chain.”
Environmental groups praised the rules as critical to reducing air pollutants like diesel soot, which particularly impacts low-income neighborhoods around ports and rail yards in places like Oakland, Los Angeles and Long Beach, and families who live along freeways.
They noted that trucks also are a major source of greenhouse gases, and said that the auto and trucking industry have resisted clean air laws regularly since former Gov. Ronald Reagan established the California Air Resources Board in 1967, only to meet them, and see them adopted later by other states and the federal government.
“I don’t think there’s been a single rule where we haven’t heard the technology isn’t ready the costs are too great, or that it’s not the right time,” said Will Barrett, national senior director of air advocacy for the American Lung Association. “But the urgency of cleaning our air and confronting the climate crisis can’t wait.”
The rule will affect 1.8 million trucks in California — everything from 18-wheel big rigs to delivery vans, garbage trucks, and so-called drayage trucks that move shipping containers at ports.
The 1.8 million trucks represent only 7% of the vehicles on California’s roads. But they emit 80% of the diesel soot and 70% of nitrogen oxides, a key component of smog, from vehicles. Diesel exhaust also contains more than 40 carcinogens.
Supporters of the rule noted that 1.5 million electric vehicles have been sold in California. There were only a few thousand on the roads, mostly owned by hobbyists, when Gov. Jerry Brown set that target in 2012 for 2025. Now electric vehicles make up 21% of the new car purchases in the state and the two top-selling passenger vehicles last year, the Tesla Y and Tesla Model 3, are both electric.
Electric trucks and delivery vans are about a decade behind where electric cars are now. But they are gaining momentum.
In December, the U.S. Postal Service announced it would spend $9.6 billion to buy 60,000 electric mail delivery trucks by 2028, and that it plans to stop buying gas-powered delivery trucks altogether after 2026.
FedEx has said it intends to completely electrify its delivery fleet by 2040. Amazon has ordered 100,000 electric delivery vans. Two weeks ago, PepsiCo rolled out 21 electric Tesla semi-trucks at its facility in Sacramento. It said each can drive 400 miles on a 1-hour charge.
California’s new electric truck rules, however, are expected to be a challenge for smaller companies, and for local governments. They asked for a delay of at least four years.
“Electrifying service yards to support an electrified fleet is a much greater undertaking than a simple electricity panel upgrade or some quick trenching in the parking lot,” wrote the California League of Cities, California State Association of Counties and California Special Districts Association, in a letter to the air board April 6. “Upgrading infrastructure, purchasing vehicles, training workforce, and complying with mandated reports is not something local agencies can easily comply with. Inflation and other cost increases have already stretched budgets to their limits.”
Air board members on Friday noted those concerns and said the rules will be revisited in 2025 and 2028. They noted that the state has $3 billion in incentives from Newsom’s budgets to help with purchases of electric chargers, vehicles and related equipment.
“I know there are a lot of issues we have to resolve here. But I’m an optimist,” said Eric Guerra, a member of the air board. “This is a phased approach. This isn’t happening this week. Some of the legacy trucks are going to be around until 2042.”
Over the past 20 years, as health studies have shown diesel soot to be among the most harmful types of air pollution, with tiny particles that lodge deep into the lungs, exacerbating asthma and emphysema and other respiratory problems, California has steadily cracked down. It has passed rules reducing the sulfur content in diesel fuel by more than 95%. It required cleaner standards for new diesel engines. And it has required trucks to undergo smog checks the same as cars.
In a related note, on Thursday, the air board approved new rules requiring railroads in California to stop using diesel locomotive engines that are more than 23 years old by 2030. | https://www.chicoer.com/2023/04/28/california-bans-sales-of-diesel-big-rig-trucks-starting-in-2036-in-landmark-air-pollution-rule/ | 2023-04-28 22:20:30 | 1 | https://www.chicoer.com/2023/04/28/california-bans-sales-of-diesel-big-rig-trucks-starting-in-2036-in-landmark-air-pollution-rule/ |
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NICHOLAS LEE McCORMICK, 43, of Milton, W.Va., passed away on August 13, 2022, at his residen…
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North Korea conducts 4th round of missile tests in 1 week
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea on Saturday test-fired two short-range ballistic missiles, its neighbors said, the fourth round this week of weapons launches that prompted quick, strong condemnation from its rivals.
In an unusually strong rebuke of North Korea’s weapons programs, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol said North Korea’s “obsession” with nuclear weapons is deepening the suffering of its own people, and warned of an “overwhelming response” from South Korean and U.S. militaries should such weapons be used.
“North Korea hasn’t abandoned its obsession with nukes and missiles despite the persistent international objection in the past 30 years,” Yoon said during an Armed Forces Day ceremony. “The development of nuclear weapons will plunge the lives of North Korean people in further pains.”
“If North Korea attempts to use nukes, it’ll face a resolute, overwhelming response by the South Korea-U.S. alliance and our military,” Yoon said.
Yoon’s comments could enrage North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, who has alleged that Yoon’s government was led by “confrontation maniacs” and “gangsters.” Kim has already rebuffed Yoon’s offers of massive aid and support plans in return for denuclearization.
The North’s testing spree this week is seen as a response to recent naval drills between South Korea and the United States and their other training that involved Japan. North Korea views such military exercises by the allies as an invasion rehearsal and argues they reveal U.S. and South Korean “double standards” because they brand the North’s weapons tests as provocation.
On Saturday, South Korea, Japanese and U.S. militaries said they detected the two North Korean missile launches. South Korea said the liftoffs occurred from North Korea’s capital region.
According to South Korean and Japanese estimates, the missiles flew about 350-400 kilometers (220-250 miles) at a maximum altitude of 30-50 kilometers (20-30 miles) before they landed in the waters between the Korean Peninsula and Japan. Toshiro Ino, Japan’s vice defense minister, the missiles showed “irregular” trajectory.
Some observers say the weapons’ reported low and “irregular” trajectory suggest they were likely nuclear-capable, highly maneuverable missiles modeled after Russia’s Iskander missile. They say North Korea has developed the Iskander-like missiles to defeat South Korean and U.S. missile defenses and strike key targets in South Korea, including U.S. military bases there.
The five other ballistic missiles fired by North Korea on three occasions this week show similar trajectories to the ones detected Saturday.
“The repeated ballistic missile firings by North Korea are a grave provocation that undermines peace and security on the Korean Peninsula and in the international community,” South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement.
Toshiro Ino, Japan’s vice defense minister, called the launches “absolutely impermissible,” adding that four rounds of missile testing by North Korea in a week is “unprecedented.”
The U.S. Indo-Pacific Command said the launches highlight “the destabilizing impact” of North Korea’s unlawful weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile programs.
On Friday, South Korea, Japan and the United States held their first trilateral anti-submarine drills in five years off the Korean Peninsula’s east coast. Earlier this week, South Korean and U.S. warships conducted bilateral exercises in the area for four days. Both military drills this week involved the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan and its battle group.
The North Korean missile tests this week also bookended U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris’ visit Thursday to South Korea, where she reaffirmed the United States’ “ironclad” commitment to the security of its Asian allies.
This year, North Korea has carried out a record number of missile tests in what experts call an attempt to expand its weapons arsenal amid stalled nuclear diplomacy with the United States. The weapons tested this year included nuclear-capable missiles with the ability to reach the U.S. mainland, South Korea and Japan.
North Korea adopted a new law in September authorizing the preemptive use of nuclear weapons in certain situations, a move that shows its escalatory nuclear doctrine.
South Korean and U.S. officials say North Korea has also completed preparations to conduct a nuclear test, which would be its first in five years.
Experts say Kim Jong Un eventually wants to use the enlarged nuclear arsenal to pressure the United States and others accept his country as a legitimate nuclear state, a recognition he views as necessary to win the lifting of international sanctions and other concessions.
Multiple United Nations Security Council resolutions ban North Korea from testing ballistic missiles and nuclear devices. The country’s missile launches this year are seen as exploiting a divide at the U.N. council over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and U.S.-China competitions.
In May, China and Russia vetoed a U.S.-led attempt to toughen sanctions on North Korea over its ballistic missile launches.
“North Korea’s frequent short-range missile tests may strain the isolated state’s resources. But because of deadlock on the U.N. Security Council, they are a low-cost way for the Kim regime to signal its displeasure with Washington and Seoul’s defense exercises while playing the domestic politics of countering an external threat,” said Leif-Eric Easley, a professor at Ewha University in Seoul.
___
Yamaguchi reported from Tokyo.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.valleynewslive.com/2022/10/01/north-korea-conducts-4th-round-missile-tests-1-week/ | 2022-10-01 05:24:23 | 0 | https://www.valleynewslive.com/2022/10/01/north-korea-conducts-4th-round-missile-tests-1-week/ |
ST. LOUIS, March 15, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Panome Bio, a metabolomics and proteomics services company that provides biopharma innovators unparalleled access into the biomolecules closest to phenotype and function, announced the closing of a growth financing round led by Telegraph Hill Partners, a life science venture capital and growth equity firm based in San Francisco, CA. BioGenerator Ventures, a St. Louis-based investment group who helped co-found and provide initial funding for Panome Bio, also participated.
Panome Bio was launched around the Next-Generation Metabolomics™ technology developed by Chief Scientific Officer, Dr. Gary Patti. The Panome Bio platform uses advanced liquid chromatography – mass spectrometry assays and proprietary bioinformatic tools to gain actionable insights to metabolic pathways involved in cancer, aging, drug metabolism, and other areas. Panome Bio works with pharmaceutical and biotech companies and pairs Next-Generation Metabolomics with high-throughput proteomics to further advance research in biomarker discovery and drug development.
Dr. Patti is also the Michael and Tana Powell Professor at Washington University in Saint Louis where his lab is a leader in the field of metabolomics. Dr. Patti is known for many key advancements including developing gold-standard metabolomics analysis software and workflow optimization that allow for global metabolomics screens. "Some of the most exciting and insightful experiments to interrogate metabolism are currently not being used by many researchers who would greatly benefit from them. This is not only due to technological access, but also challenges of data interpretation," said Dr. Patti. "With the investment from Telegraph Hill Partners, Panome Bio hopes to change that. The potential impact for precision medicine and drug discovery is extraordinary."
The financing will be used to develop new technologies and capabilities, expand laboratory facilities, and grow the Panome Bio team to service the increasing interest in metabolomics and proteomics data. "Panome Bio's Next-Generation Metabolomics platform provides researchers with the ability to see a truly global view of the metabolites in their samples, enabling biomarker discovery unlike any other technology available," said Panome Bio CEO Edward Weinstein. "Panome Bio is thrilled to have additional resources to accelerate market adoption."
"Panome Bio's novel technologies can reveal unique insights into biological pathways to aid in better drug discovery and development. We look forward to working with the team to expand Panome Bio's capabilities, reach and impact," said Deval Lashkari, Senior Partner from Telegraph Hill Partners. Deval Lashkari, Rob Capone, and Alex Herzick from Telegraph Hill Partners will join Panome Bio's board of directors. Edward Weinstein, Chief Executive Officer and Co-founder, and David Smoller, Co-founder, will also hold seats on the Panome Bio Board.
About Panome Bio:
Panome Bio is a discovery services contract research organization that helps its clients profile the metabolome and proteome to further their research in disease and drug development. Panome Bio provides a comprehensive workflow including experimental design, sample preparation and analysis, and data processing. For more information, please visit www.panomebio.com, follow us on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/panome-bio, or email at info@panomebio.com.
About Telegraph Hill Partners:
Telegraph Hill Partners, founded in 2001 and based in San Francisco, CA, invests in commercial stage life science, medical technology, and healthcare companies. For more information, please see www.telegraphhillpartners.com.
About BioGenerator Ventures:
BioGenerator Ventures, the investment arm of BioSTL, creates, builds, and invests in companies that are solving important problems in healthcare and agriculture. For additional information, visit www.biogeneratorventures.com.
CONTACT
Tom Cohen | tom.cohen@panomebio.com | (314) 632-6588
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SOURCE Panome Bio | https://www.wlbt.com/prnewswire/2023/03/15/panome-bio-raises-growth-capital-telegraph-hill-partners-expand-next-generation-metabolomics-amp-proteomics-business/ | 2023-03-15 15:03:22 | 1 | https://www.wlbt.com/prnewswire/2023/03/15/panome-bio-raises-growth-capital-telegraph-hill-partners-expand-next-generation-metabolomics-amp-proteomics-business/ |
FUKUOKA, Japan, May 26, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Fukuoka City (Secretariat of Fukuoka Prize Committee) on May 26 announced the laureates for the Fukuoka Prize 2022. The Grand Prize has been awarded to Mr. HAYASHI Eitetsu, a taiko drummer who has been constantly at the forefront of creative interpretations of taiko music. The Academic Prize has been awarded to Professor Timon SCREECH, an art historian specializing in the Edo period. Ms. Shahzia SIKANDER, an artist from Pakistan who represents South Asia, has won the Arts and Culture Prize.
Grand Prize: Mr. HAYASHI Eitetsu (Japan / Taiko Drummer)
https://kyodonewsprwire.jp/prwfile/release/M100886/202205191422/_prw_PI4fl_WXW4Ybyu.jpg
Academic Prize: Prof. Timon SCREECH (U.K. / Art Historian)
https://kyodonewsprwire.jp/prwfile/release/M100886/202205191422/_prw_PI5fl_IJxLs80A.jpg
Arts and Culture Prize: Ms. Shahzia SIKANDER (U.S.A. / Artist)
https://kyodonewsprwire.jp/prwfile/release/M100886/202205191422/_prw_PI6fl_64hCT1ls.jpg
The Award Ceremony will be held and live-streamed on Tuesday, September 27, 2022. An archived recording will be available after the event. Mr. Hayashi Eitetsu and Prof. Timon Screech will give public lectures on Wednesday, September 28, and Ms. Shahzia Sikander's lecture is scheduled for Friday, September 30. These lectures will be held with an audience in attendance, and archived recordings will be available online at a later date. (Available for viewing from abroad.)
About the Fukuoka Prize
The Fukuoka Prize is awarded annually to honor the outstanding achievements of individuals, groups and organizations in the field of research, arts and culture. The prize was established in 1990 by Fukuoka City, which has played a significant role as Japan's gateway for exchanges with the rest of the Asian region since ancient times. The prize aims to foster and increase awareness of the value of Asian cultures, and to establish a foundation from which the people of Asia can learn and share with one another.
The prize has so far been presented to 118 leaders in their respective fields. Past laureates include Professor Muhammad YUNUS from Bangladesh, who also received the Nobel Peace Prize; and Dr. NAKAMURA Tetsu from Japan, who took the lead in medical services, land reclamation and social welfare for the sick and vulnerable in Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Bookings for the official events will be open from Monday, August 1. *Advance bookings are compulsory.
Fukuoka Prize official website: https://fukuoka-prize.org/en/
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SOURCE Fukuoka City (Secretariat of Fukuoka Prize Committee) | https://www.ktre.com/prnewswire/2022/05/26/fukuoka-city-announces-fukuoka-prize-2022-laureates/ | 2022-05-26 07:48:21 | 1 | https://www.ktre.com/prnewswire/2022/05/26/fukuoka-city-announces-fukuoka-prize-2022-laureates/ |
President Joe Biden is starting a four-day trek in the Middle East Wednesday, first meeting with Israeli leaders before heading to the West Bank and Saudi Arabia.
The trip comes after Biden called Saudi Arabia a “pariah” state during the primaries leading to the 2020 presidential election. Biden’s comments as a candidate came nearly a year after Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi was assassinated. Prince Mohammed bin Salman admitted he had some responsibility for Khashoggi’s killing.
Biden has defended going on the trip. He authored an op-ed last week in the Washington Post.
“I know that there are many who disagree with my decision to travel to Saudi Arabia,” he said. “My views on human rights are clear and long-standing, and fundamental freedoms are always on the agenda when I travel abroad, as they will be during this trip, just as they will be in Israel and the West Bank.”
He said he hopes to unite Middle East foes to stabilize the region.
“On Friday, I will also be the first president to fly from Israel to Jiddah, Saudi Arabia,” Biden wrote. “That travel will also be a small symbol of the budding relations and steps toward normalization between Israel and the Arab world, which my administration is working to deepen and expand. In Jiddah, leaders from across the region will gather, pointing to the possibility of a more stable and integrated Middle East, with the United States playing a vital leadership role.”
The trip was announced around the time the average gallon of gas in the U.S. topped $5. Biden said he was not traveling to Saudi Arabia to discuss oil policy. Saudi Arabia is the second-largest oil producer in the world behind the United States. | https://www.kivitv.com/news/national/president-biden-heads-to-middle-east-after-defending-trip | 2022-07-13 12:18:49 | 0 | https://www.kivitv.com/news/national/president-biden-heads-to-middle-east-after-defending-trip |
South Dakota’s House failed Monday to override Gov. Kristi Noem’s recent veto of a bill that would have created government regulations for the use of cryptocurrency in the state.
The bill had passed smoothly throughout the legislature, and Noem’s veto of last week was upheld on a 36-30 vote.
Proponents had argued the bill would have centralized different cryptocurrency systems through one government oversight commission, boosting transparency. But opponents saw the proposed regulations as a tool for potential government surveillance and overreach, saying they wanted more time to see how such legislation fares in other states.
Six other states have passed the Uniform Commercial Code’s update, which requires tangible records of cryptocurrency exchanges so that they can be considered money. National commercial standards aim to regulate digital currency exchanges by adding transaction records, but Noem said such a step would take away from South Dakotans’ market freedoms.
“It would be imprudent to create regulations governing something that does not yet exist. More importantly, South Dakota should not open the door to a potential future overreach by the federal government,” Noem said in a statement last week in vetoing the bill.
As similar bills emerge in other state legislatures, Republican counterparts like Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida and U.S. Rep. Tom Emmer of Minnesota have expressed concerns about possible government surveillance akin to China’s heavy-handed oversight of its markets. The suspicions over regulation of a Central Bank Digital Currency come a year after President Joe Biden’s executive order to explore a federal bank-owned digital currency. Biden’s step triggered a burst of misinformation, including claims it would create a cashless society.
Bill proponents argued that those who believe the government would replace cryptocurrency companies with a federal system are mistaken, and that the bill simply would have bridged federal government and digital currencies, which are not currently recognized as money.
The bill’s sponsor, House Republican Hugh Bartels, said he expects most of the country will pass such code updates amid the rise of various forms of cryptocurrency.
“The misconception is that this bill is authorizing central bank digital currency,” Bartels said. “It’s just setting up a way to do business with it.”
The first most popular cryptocurrency, bitcoin, launched more than a decade ago. While fundamentally digital money, cryptocurrencies are not backed by any government institution. | https://www.binghamtonhomepage.com/news/business/south-dakota-govs-veto-of-cryptocurrency-regulations-upheld-2/ | 2023-03-28 00:09:14 | 1 | https://www.binghamtonhomepage.com/news/business/south-dakota-govs-veto-of-cryptocurrency-regulations-upheld-2/ |
DDN Announces Compatibility with NVIDIA DGX H100 Systems and New Partnership with Lambda to Address the Needs of Enterprises Seeking to Accelerate AI Transformation
CHATSWORTH, Calif., March 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- DDN®, the global leader in artificial intelligence (AI) and multi-cloud data management solutions, today announced compatibility with the next generation of NVIDIA® DGX™ systems, each including eight NVIDIA H100 Tensor Core GPUs. NVIDIA DGX H100 supercomputers are the fourth generation of NVIDIA's purpose-built AI system and designed to handle the most taxing training workloads like natural language processing and deep learning recommender models. These types of workloads require large data models and high-speed throughput to deliver breakthrough results, and pairing NVIDIA DGX systems with DDN's A3I is a proven combination for AI centers of excellence worldwide.
DDN AI400X2 storage appliance compatibility with DGX H100 systems build on DDN's field-proven deployments of DGX A100-based DGX BasePOD reference architectures (RAs) and DGX SuperPOD systems that have been leveraged by customers for a wide range of use cases. Offered as part of DDN's A3I infrastructure solution for AI deployments, customers can scale to support larger workloads with multiple DGX systems. DDN also supports the latest NVIDIA Quantum-2 and Spectrum-4 400Gb/s networking technologies. Validated with NVIDIA QM9700 Quantum-2 InfiniBand and NVIDIA SN4700 Spectrum-4 400GbE switches, the systems are recommended by NVIDIA in the newest DGX BasePOD RA and DGX SuperPOD. With double the IO capabilities of the prior generation, DGX H100 systems further necessitate the use of high performance storage solutions like DDN's AI400X2.
"The demand for scalable AI infrastructure continues to grow, as enterprises realize the power that AI delivers to transform their business," said Dr. James Coomer, senior vice president for products at DDN. "We see more and more organizations that are moving from assessing AI to applying AI to deliver business results. These organizations are looking for proven infrastructure that integrates into their data center in a simple and efficient manner, which is exactly what NVIDIA DGX systems with DDN storage delivers."
In addition to these on-premises deployment options, DDN is also announcing a partnership with Lambda to deliver a scalable data solution based on NVIDIA DGX SuperPOD with over 31 DGX H100 systems. Lambda intends to use the systems to allow customers to reserve between two and 31 DGX instances backed by DDN's parallel storage and the full 3200 Mbps GPU fabric. This hosted offering supplies rapid access to GPU-based computing without a commitment to a large data center deployment along with a simple competitive pricing structure. Lambda chose DDN as the backend storage for this project because of DDN's established track record of successful DGX SuperPOD deployments, as well as the expertise for storage at scale that DDN brings to the table. Lambda will also be selling DGX BasePOD and DGX SuperPOD with DDN A3I storage for customers looking to establish on-site deployments.
"As organizations continue to modernize around AI, they're experiencing explosive demand around performance and data needs," shared David Hall, head of high performance computing, Lambda. "To address that need, Lambda, as a market leader in the deep learning infrastructure space, is bringing NVIDIA DGX systems with DDN A3I storage into our reserved cloud offering. This provides our customers with a full-service experience coupled with industry-leading performance in a matter of weeks rather than months."
Learn more about DDN's new RAs, why efficient high performance parallel storage supplies a significant advantage for AI workflows, and Lambda's GPU cloud by watching DDN's on-demand video, Unleash Lightning-Fast Storage for Unprecedented AI Efficiency and Performance (Presented by DDN) [S52439], at NVIDIA GTC, a global conference on AI and the metaverse, running online through March 23.
DDN is the world's largest private data storage company and the leading provider of intelligent technology and infrastructure solutions for enterprise at scale, AI and analytics, HPC, government, and academia customers. Through its DDN and Tintri divisions, the company delivers AI, data management software and hardware solutions, and unified analytics frameworks to solve complex business challenges for data-intensive, global organizations. DDN provides its enterprise customers with the most flexible, efficient and reliable data storage solutions for on-premises and multi-cloud environments at any scale. Over the last two decades, DDN has established itself as the data management provider of choice for over 11,000 enterprise, government, and public-sector customers, including many of the world's leading financial services firms, life science organizations, manufacturing and energy companies, research facilities, and web and cloud service providers.
Founded and led by deep learning engineers, Lambda provides deep learning infrastructure including a GPU cloud service, on-prem servers, GPU clusters, GPU workstations, and GPU laptops to customers such as Intel, Microsoft, Google, Amazon Research, Tencent, Kaiser Permanente, MIT, Stanford, Harvard, Caltech, and the Department of Defense. Find out more at www.lambdalabs.com.
Contact:
Press Relations at DDN
pr@ddn.com
Walt & Company, on behalf of DDN
Sharon Sumrit
ddn@walt.com
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SOURCE DataDirect Networks (DDN) | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2023/03/21/ddn-takes-next-step-simplify-ai-supercomputing-adoption/ | 2023-03-21 18:34:51 | 1 | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2023/03/21/ddn-takes-next-step-simplify-ai-supercomputing-adoption/ |
Former President Donald Trump will return a set of ancient coins and ceramic oil lamps to Israel’s government after reports last week that Israeli officials were pressing to retrieve them.
The items were not removed from the White House by Trump, like the classified documents that led to his indictment on federal espionage charges. They were not unaccounted for, like the official gifts from foreign leaders that were highlighted earlier this year by Democrats on the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability, who detailed ways in which the Trump White House had failed to follow the law in how it handled gifts.
In fact, the artifacts never made it to the White House at all.
Rather, they have been at Mar-a-Lago, Trump’s home and private club in Palm Beach, Florida, since December 2021. That’s when Saul Fox, a wealthy donor to both Israel and the Republican Party, gave the items to him during a Hanukkah celebration, calling them an expression of Israel’s gratitude to Trump.
Fox, who runs a private equity firm, did not return repeated requests for comment. He told The Wall Street Journal that he had hoped to present the items to Trump at a White House Hanukkah party in 2019 and was given the approval to do so by Israel Hasson, the head of the Israeli Antiquities Authority at the time, but the State Department insisted on inspecting them first.
The delay forced Fox to send a courier to retrieve the ancient items, and then the pandemic set back his hopes of giving them to Trump, he told the Journal. So he kept them at his California home.
He finally got the lamps and coins to Trump at the Hanukkah party at Mar-a-Lago in 2021. Before that visit, Fox wrote in an email reviewed by The New York Times that Hasson said that the new director of the antiquities authority, Eli Eskosido, had “whole-heartedly approved” giving the lamps to Trump for “permanent exhibition.” Eskosido did not respond to a request for comment.
The lamps were displayed at Mar-a-Lago in a case with a brass plaque showing the logo of the Israel Antiquities Authority.
A year and a half later, however, the left-leaning Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported July 18 that the lamps and coins were “stranded at Trump’s Florida estate” and that “senior Israeli figures have unsuccessfully tried to have them returned to Israel.”
In a statement, Steven Cheung, a Trump spokesperson, said the artifacts had been “on loan for permanent exhibition” at the behest of the Israel Antiquities Authority “to honor and celebrate American-Jewish heritage” and Trump’s close friendship with Israel.
“As the items were displayed as originally intended, the office will be expediting their return to the organization’s representative,” Cheung said.
The antiquities authority, for its part, said in a statement that it had “no claims against Mr. Donald Trump” and that Israeli and U.S. officials were “working together to return the objects to their proper home.” | https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/trump-to-return-ancient-coins-and-lamps-to-israels-antiquities-agency/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_world | 2023-07-25 20:09:55 | 1 | https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/trump-to-return-ancient-coins-and-lamps-to-israels-antiquities-agency/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_world |
CROSS COUNTRY: Sandia’s West named Gatorade state runner of the year
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Sandia’s Steven West is the Gatorade Boys Cross Country Runner of the Year.
He’s a two time state champ with a 4.45 GPA. He also won a national title at the Garmin Running Lane Championships in Alabama back in December.
West is the first boys athlete from Sandia to be Gatorade Player of the Year.
Watch the video above for more. | https://www.kob.com/sports-stories/new-mexico-sports/cross-country-sandias-west-named-gatorade-state-runner-of-the-year/ | 2023-01-31 02:53:54 | 0 | https://www.kob.com/sports-stories/new-mexico-sports/cross-country-sandias-west-named-gatorade-state-runner-of-the-year/ |
Florida woman’s lawsuit says Equifax error made loan pricier
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — A Florida woman has sued Equifax claiming she was denied a car loan because of a 130-point mistake in her credit report that she says was part of a larger group of credit score errors the ratings agency made this spring due to a coding problem.
The class action lawsuit was filed in federal court in Atlanta on behalf of Nydia Jenkins and potentially millions of others who applied for credit during a three-week period earlier this year. The Jacksonville, Florida woman was forced to accept another, less favorable loan that was $150 per month more than the one she was turned down for because of the error, according to the lawsuit.
Credit scores provide lenders with a picture of how big a risk a borrower is, and they typically range from 300 to 850 points, with a higher score usually resulting in better terms for people applying for mortgages, auto loans or mortgages. The lawsuit says the errors violated federal law that governs credit reporting agencies.
“In the modern economy, millions of Americans rely on credit to make the most important purchases of their lives, from homes to cars to appliances and everything in between,” John Morgan and John Yanchunis, the attorneys representing Jenkins, said in a statement. “We believe that many of the people impacted – some of whom may still be unaware of what happened – suffered severe financial consequences.”
The errors occurred over three weeks from mid-March to early April. An analysis Equifax conducted shows that there was no shift in a majority of credit scores, and for those who did experience a change, only a small number would have received a different credit decision, Equifax said in an emailed statement on Thursday.
“While the score may have shifted, a score shift does not necessarily mean that a consumer’s credit decision was negatively impacted,” the Equifax statement said.
Equifax said in another statement earlier this week that the problems stemmed from a coding issue that “resulted in the potential miscalculation of certain attributes used in model calculations.” In that statement, the firm said less than 300,000 consumers had a score shift of 25 points or more.
“Again, we do not take this issue lightly,” Equifax said.
Besides seeking an undisclosed amount of damages “to the fullest extent allowable by law,” the lawsuit is asking for an audit to identify which customers’ credit scores were affected; money for credit repair services; and the establishment of a fund to reimburse customers for any out-of-pocket expenses they incurred from the errors.
In 2017, hackers broke into Equifax in a breach that exposed the financial information of 147 million Americans. A federal court in 2020 approved a $380 million settlement of class actions lawsuits, with no finding or judgment of wrongdoing made. The settlement required Equifax to invest a minimum $1 billion over five years on data security.
___
Follow Mike Schneider on Twitter at https://twitter.com/MikeSchneiderAP
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.kxii.com/2022/08/04/florida-womans-lawsuit-says-equifax-error-made-loan-pricier/ | 2022-08-04 17:09:45 | 0 | https://www.kxii.com/2022/08/04/florida-womans-lawsuit-says-equifax-error-made-loan-pricier/ |
NEW YORK, Aug. 2, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Fast Company today named Jayna Kothary, MRM's Global Chief Technology Officer, as the Most Innovative Leader of the Year in its fourth annual Best Workplaces for Innovators list.
Fast Company wrote: "The first woman to serve as global CTO at marketing agency MRM, Kothary opened the company's innovation hub, Lab13, to make its tools accessible to all employees; and launched a new innovation-as-a-service offering that allows clients to access MRM's multidisciplinary expertise on a subscription basis, leading to new work with such brands as Nestlé, Coca-Cola, and Amazon." The magazine also named four runners-up to Kothary from across the world of business.
The Innovators issue honors organizations and businesses that demonstrate a steadfast commitment to encouraging innovation at all levels. Since joining MRM in August of 2020, Kothary has helped transform MRM into an innovation powerhouse that creates total human experiences, taking innovations from ideas to action.
Kothary has never fit in a box. Learning to adapt and innovate in any environment is her true superpower. Shortly after joining MRM from ad agency network WPP, she quickly democratized innovation, opening up the agency's T-shaped talent, skills and most importantly knowledge to everyone in the organization. In 2021 she formally launched T-Shaped, a business transformation and experiences consultancy that supports MRM and McCann Worldgroup's top global 25 accounts.
To further codify MRM's culture of innovation, Kothary led the launch of MRM's Innovation as a Service (IAAS) offering, which allows clients to collaborate on an ongoing basis to deliver innovation across their business. They engage MRM on a subscription basis to gain access to thought leadership, prominent strategic insights and trends, a range of talent from a 4,000-person strong organization with multi-disciplinary skills, and white space hunting and growth hacking to find novel opportunities to grow their business. The IAAS offering brings together MRM's T-Shaped, leading global martech capability, Innovation Lab (Lab13), and MRM Commerce offerings, all of which are under the leadership of Kothary.
Says Kothary, "I am thrilled to receive this honor. It is sentiment not only to me, but to MRM's mantra of innovation being a team sport. We are inherently problem solvers to help our clients excel at their core and seek new areas of growth in an ever-changing economic, social, consumer and sustainability landscape. We do that by bringing together creativity, technology, data, and commerce at every level in our organization. Innovation is an imperative to this… not an option. It is in our DNA."
Developed in collaboration with Accenture, the 2022 Best Workplaces for Innovators ranks 100 winners from a variety of industries, including computer science, biotech, consumer packaged goods, nonprofit, education, financial services, cybersecurity, engineering, diversity, sustainability, B2B, and consumer products and services. Fast Company editors and Accenture researchers worked together to score nearly 1,500 applications, and a panel of eight eminent judges reviewed and endorsed the top 100 companies. The 2022 awards feature workplaces from around the world.
"This year's list of the Best Workplaces for Innovators recognizes organizations that have demonstrated a deep commitment to cultivating creativity across the board," says Brendan Vaughan, editor-in-chief of Fast Company. "In the face of powerful headwinds, these leaders and teams continue to spur innovation."
Read more at: https://www.fastcompany.com/90773345/best-workplaces-for-innovators-2022-innovative-leader-of-the-year
Fast Company's Best Workplaces for Innovators issue (September 2022) is available online now, and the print issue will be on newsstands beginning August 16, 2022. Join the Best Workplaces for Innovators conversation using #FCBestWorkplaces.
About Fast Company
Fast Company is the only media brand fully dedicated to the vital intersection of business, innovation, and design, engaging the most influential leaders, companies, and thinkers on the future of business. Headquartered in New York City, Fast Company is published by Mansueto Ventures LLC, along with our sister publication Inc., and can be found online at www.fastcompany.com.
About Accenture
Accenture is a global professional services company with leading capabilities in digital, cloud and security. Combining unmatched experience and specialized skills across more than 40 industries, we offer Strategy and Consulting, Technology and Operations services and Accenture Song — all powered by the world's largest network of Advanced Technology and Intelligent Operations centers. Our 710,000 people deliver on the promise of technology and human ingenuity every day, serving clients in more than 120 countries. We embrace the power of change to create value and shared success for our clients, people, shareholders, partners and communities. Visit us at accenture.com.
About MRM
MRM creatively engineers total human experiences. Through purposeful, dynamic intersections between consulting, creative, technology, data sciences and commerce, MRM operates in a borderless, integrated way, to allow for greater collaboration, connections and velocity — all to the service of helping businesses grow meaningful relationships with people. MRM is part of McCann Worldgroup and the Interpublic Group of companies (NYSE: IPG) and spans 35 offices across North America, Latin America, Europe, the Middle East and Asia Pacific. For more information, please visit www.mrm.com.
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SOURCE MRM | https://www.1011now.com/prnewswire/2022/08/02/mrm-global-chief-technology-officer-jayna-kothary-named-most-innovative-leader-2022-fast-companys-fourth-annual-list-100-best-workplaces-innovators/ | 2022-08-02 17:42:43 | 0 | https://www.1011now.com/prnewswire/2022/08/02/mrm-global-chief-technology-officer-jayna-kothary-named-most-innovative-leader-2022-fast-companys-fourth-annual-list-100-best-workplaces-innovators/ |
Greenidge Restructures ~$76 Million of Secured Debt with NYDIG, Reducing Obligations to ~$17 Million, With Potential for Additional $10 Million Reduction
Greenidge Restructures B. Riley $11 Million Promissory Note, Reducing Cash Obligations to ~$9 Million
Enters into Hosting Agreements with NYDIG Affiliates With Gross Profit-Sharing Component to Allow Greenidge to Participate in Potential Bitcoin Price Appreciation
Continues to Own ~10,000 Miners with a Capacity of ~1.1 EH/s
Completes Sale of a Portion of Support.com for ~$3.0 Million
Announces Selected Preliminary Fourth Quarter Financial Results
FAIRFIELD, Conn., Jan. 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Greenidge Generation Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: GREE) ("Greenidge" or the "Company"), a vertically integrated cryptocurrency datacenter and power generation company, today provided an update on the restructuring of its secured debt agreements with NYDIG ABL LLC ("NYDIG") and B. Riley Commercial Capital, LLC ("B. Riley"), as well as the execution of hosting agreements with NYDIG affiliates and also announced selected preliminary financial and operating results for the fourth quarter of 2022.
"The debt restructuring we've announced today significantly improves our balance sheet and provides us with a clear path forward as we enter 2023," said Dave Anderson, Chief Executive Officer of Greenidge. "We appreciate the steadfast partnership of our secured lenders, NYDIG and B. Riley, who have collaborated with us to offer mutually beneficial solutions. These agreements have effectively reduced our secured debt balances with these lenders from approximately $87 million to approximately $26 million and have the strong potential to allow us to further reduce our debt. "We are actively working to secure and develop a new mining site, in partnership with NYDIG, which will reduce our debt by an additional $10 million. We are also actively pursuing the sale of excess real estate at our site in Spartanburg, South Carolina, which is expected to reduce our debt with B. Riley by an additional $6 to $7 million."
"The completion of this debt restructuring, coupled with the execution of the new hosting agreements, has significantly improved our immediate liquidity and allows us to continue participating in the future upside potential of bitcoin," Anderson added.
"The steps being announced today represent tangible progress in solidifying Greenidge's liquidity position while, at the same time, demonstrating the confidence of our lenders in our ability to execute in the future," said Tim Fazio, Chairman of the Board of Greenidge. "We appreciate the strong work of our Leadership Team and the partnership of NYDIG and B. Riley."
"I want to congratulate the management team and Atlas for successfully restructuring the balance sheet and operations of Greenidge to benefit all stakeholders. We believe the company is well positioned to opportunistically take advantage of disruptions in the crypto industry," said Bryant Riley, Chairman and Co-Chief Executive Officer of B. Riley Financial, Inc.
KEY DETAILS
Debt Restructuring
- Greenidge has restructured the secured debt with NYDIG of approximately $76 million, including accrued interest, reducing it to approximately $17 million, with the potential to reduce it to approximately $7 million, as follows:
- Entered into an amendment to the amended and restated bridge promissory note in favor of B. Riley ("Promissory Note") regarding approximately $11 million of debt, including accrued interest, which included the following terms:
Hosting Agreements
- Greenidge entered into certain five-year hosting agreements with NYDIG affiliates to host the miners transferred to NYDIG
- Includes a profit-sharing component allowing Greenidge to participate in the upside as bitcoin prices rise, but reduces Greenidge's downside risk of bitcoin price deterioration and cost increases related to natural gas
- Covers all of Greenidge's current mining capacity at the New York and South Carolina facilities, and may also cover capacity at a potential third site pursuant to satisfaction of certain post-closing covenants
- Greenidge's liquidity is improved by NYDIG's prepayment of certain amounts
Mining Operations
- Greenidge will continue to own approximately 10,000 miners with a capacity of approximately 1.1 EH/s
NYDIG Agreements
On January 30, 2023, Greenidge entered into a number of agreements associated with its secured debt with NYDIG, including a Membership Interest and Asset Purchase Agreement, a Senior Secured Loan Agreement and a Debt Settlement Agreement regarding its 2021 and 2022 Master Equipment Finance Agreements with NYDIG. The effect of these agreements was to transfer ownership of bitcoin mining equipment and certain credits and coupons that had accrued to Greenidge for previous purchases of mining equipment with a bitcoin miner manufacturer. The transfer of these assets reduced the principal and accrued interest balance of the secured debt with NYDIG from approximately $76 million to approximately $17 million, for an aggregate debt reduction of approximately $59 million. The Senior Secured Loan Agreement allows for a voluntary prepayment of the loan in kind of approximately $10 million by transferring ownership of certain mining infrastructure assets if NYDIG enters into a binding agreement, facilitated by Greenidge, securing rights to a site for a future mining facility within the next three months (the "Post-Closing Covenant"), which may further reduce the principal balance of the debt to approximately $7 million.
The restructuring of the NYDIG debt will significantly improve Greenidge's liquidity during 2023 as annual interest payments on the remaining approximately $17 million principal balance would be approximately $2.6 million and may be reduced to approximately $1.1 million annually if the Post-Closing Covenant is satisfied. This reduced debt service is substantially lower than the $62.7 million of principal and interest payments which would have been required in 2023 pursuant to the 2021 and 2022 Master Equipment Finance Agreements, both of which have now been refinanced.
Greenidge provided additional collateral on its remaining mining-related assets, infrastructure assets, equity of its subsidiaries and certain cash balances to secure the remaining debt balance with NYDIG. The loan agreement contains certain affirmative, negative and financial covenants, including the maintenance of a minimum cash balance of $10 million, early amortization events, and events of default.
Greenidge and NYDIG affiliates have concurrently entered into certain five-year hosting agreements, whereby Greenidge agreed to host, power and provide technical support services, and other related services, to NYDIG Affiliates' mining equipment at certain Greenidge facilities. The terms of such arrangements requires NYDIG affiliates to pay a hosting fee that covers the cost of power and direct costs associated with management of the mining facilities, as well as a gross profit-sharing arrangement.
B. Riley Amendment
On January 30, 2023, Greenidge entered into an amendment (the "Amendment") to its amended and restated bridge promissory note in favor of B. Riley (the "Promissory Note") regarding approximately $11 million of principal and accrued interest. The Amendment modifies the payment dates and principal and interest payment amounts, requiring no principal or interest payments until June 2023 and monthly payments thereafter through November 2023. Under the Amendment, Greenidge's mandatory monthly debt repayments from proceeds of sales under the ATM Agreement or the equity purchase agreement have been reduced to 15% of the net proceeds, which significantly improves the Company's ability to raise additional liquidity. In addition, Greenidge would potentially reduce its monthly principal amortization payments from approximately $1.5 million to $400,000 per month, if it were to pay at least $6 million of principal debt prior to June 20, 2023. Greenidge agreed to pay a $1 million dollar amendment fee to B. Riley payable in Greenidge's class A common stock valued at $0.75 per share.
Under the terms of the Amendment, it was agreed that each of B. Riley and an affiliate of Atlas Holding LLC would purchase $1 million of Greenidge's class A common stock under the ATM Agreement. B. Riley will purchase stock on a principal basis at a price of $0.75 per share pursuant to the ATM Agreement and an affiliate of Atlas Holdings LLC will purchase shares at market prices through B. Riley acting in its capacity as sales agent under the ATM Agreement. Greenidge would be required to make a $1.9 million partial payment of the Promissory Note, reducing the principal balance due under the Promissory Note to approximately $9 million. Additionally, Greenidge is actively pursuing the sale of excess real estate that is not needed for the mining operations at its South Carolina property. Under the terms of the Promissory Note, if all or a portion of the South Carolina property is sold, the net proceeds from the sale are required to be used to repay the Promissory Note. The Company estimates that it would repay approximately $6 to $7 million of the Promissory Note if it were to complete a sale of the excess real estate.
Support.com Asset Sale
On January 17, 2023, Greenidge completed the sale of an end-user software that its subsidiary, Support.com, marketed as a malware protection and removal software product for net proceeds of approximately $2.6 million.
Select Preliminary Financial Results for the Fourth Quarter of 2022
For the three months ended December 31, 2022, Greenidge expects to report revenue of approximately $15 million, net loss from continuing operations in a range of approximately $(120) million to approximately $(130) million and Adjusted EBITDA (loss) from continuing operations in a range of approximately $(6) million to approximately $(4) million. The GAAP net loss from continuing operations includes an expected noncash charge for the impairment of long-lived assets in the range of $93 million to $100 million and an approximate noncash charge of $4 million for the remeasurement of environmental liabilities. Cryptocurrency datacenter revenue is expected to be approximately $12 million and Power and capacity revenue is expected to be approximately $3 million for the fourth quarter of 2022. Greenidge produced approximately 683 bitcoin during the fourth quarter of 2022.
Greenidge ended the quarter with approximately $16 million of cash and fair value of crypto currency holdings, of which less than $1 million was cryptocurrency holdings, and approximately $152 million of debt, net of debt issue costs.
As previously disclosed, Greenidge is considering various alternatives in connection with its wholly owned subsidiary, Support.com, including the disposition of assets and other transactions. For investors who may want to consider the effects of the above noted changes in advance of the announcement of 2022 year-end results, Greenidge is furnishing certain unaudited summarized financial information in the tables below. Greenidge will report the results of Support.com as discontinued operations in its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022. Presentation as discontinued operations requires prior periods to be restated to be comparable. See the tables below for the Consolidated Statement of Operations restated to present Support.com as discontinued operations for the year ended December 31, 2021 and for the three month periods ended March 31, 2022, June 30, 2022, and September 30, 2022. During January 2023, Greenidge sold certain assets of the Support.com business for net proceeds of approximately $2.6 million and continues to assess various alternatives in connection with the remainder of that business.
This information does not restate Greenidge's previously reported consolidated financial statements for any period. It does not change Greenidge's previously reported consolidated total assets, liabilities or stockholders' equity or its reported consolidated net income or earnings per share, nor does it reflect any subsequent information or events, other than as required to reflect the disclosure of discontinued operations as described above. The updated information should be read in conjunction with our previously filed reports on Form 10-K and Form 10-Q.
Preliminary Financial and Operating Results
The preliminary financial and operating results set forth above for the three months ended December 31, 2022, reflect preliminary estimates with respect to such results based solely on currently available information, which is subject to change. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such preliminary results which are unaudited and constitute forward-looking statements. Greenidge has not completed its standard closing process, including the completion of all of its controls procedures, which could identify adjustments causing the actual results to be different from the expectations presented in this release. These estimates should not be viewed as a substitute for Greenidge's full quarterly financial statements for the three months ended December 31, 2022, which will be prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP.
About Greenidge Generation Holdings Inc.
Greenidge Generation Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: GREE) is a vertically integrated cryptocurrency datacenter and power generation company.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release includes certain statements that may constitute "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. All statements other than statements of historical fact are forward-looking statements for purposes of federal and state securities laws. These forward-looking statements involve uncertainties that could significantly affect Greenidge's financial or operating results. These forward-looking statements may be identified by terms such as "anticipate," "believe," "continue," "foresee," "expect," "intend," "plan," "may," "will," "would," "could," and "should," and the negative of these terms or other similar expressions. Forward-looking statements are based on current beliefs and assumptions that are subject to risks and uncertainties and are not guarantees of future performance. Forward-looking statements in this press release include, among other things, statements regarding the business plan, business strategy and operations of Greenidge in the future. In addition, all statements that address operating performance and future performance, events or developments that are expected or anticipated to occur in the future, such as statements concerning (i) potential reductions in debt balances under the Senior Secured Loan Agreement dated as of January 30, 2023 with NYDIG, (ii) potential reductions in debt balances under the Promissory Note, (iii) ability to secure rights to a mining site to satisfactorily meet the requirements of the Post-Closing Covenant, and (iv) ability to sell excess real estate in South Carolina at an adequate amount prior to June 20, 2023, are forward looking statements. Forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties and assumptions. Matters and factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in such forward-looking statements include but are not limited to the matters and factors described in Part I, Item 1A. "Risk Factors" of Greenidge's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021, in Part II, Item 1A. "Risk Factors" of Greenidge's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the period ended September 30, 2022, and its other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, as well as statements about or relating to or otherwise affected by the completion of management's final review of the financial results and Greenidge's other closing procedures. Consequently, all of the forward-looking statements made in this press release are qualified by the information contained under this caption. No assurance can be given that these are all of the factors that could cause actual results to vary materially from the forward-looking statements in this press release. You should not put undue reliance on forward-looking statements. No assurances can be given that any of the events anticipated by the forward-looking statements will transpire or occur, or if any of them do occur, the actual results, performance, or achievements of Greenidge could differ materially from the results expressed in, or implied by, any forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this press release and Greenidge does not assume any duty to update or revise any forward-looking statements included in this press release, whether as a result of new information, the occurrence of future events, uncertainties or otherwise, after the date of this press release.
Use of Non-GAAP Information
To provide investors and others with additional information regarding Greenidge's financial results, Greenidge has disclosed in this Press Release certain non-GAAP operating performance measures of Adjusted EBITDA (loss) from continuing operations. Adjusted EBITDA (loss) from continuing operations is defined as earnings from continuing operations before interest, taxes and depreciation and amortization, which is then adjusted for stock-based compensation and other special items determined by management, including, but not limited to costs associated with the merger with Support.com, costs of becoming a public company (which included the costs of a corporate reorganization from an LLC, public registration of shares and associated costs), business expansion costs, impairments of goodwill and long-lived assets, gains or losses from the sales of long-lived assets and remeasurement of environmental liabilities. These non-GAAP financial measures are a supplement to and not a substitute for or superior to, Greenidge's results presented in accordance with U.S. GAAP. The non-GAAP financial measures presented by Greenidge may be different from non-GAAP financial measures presented by other companies. Specifically, Greenidge believes the non-GAAP information provides useful measures to investors regarding Greenidge's financial performance by excluding certain costs and expenses that Greenidge believes are not indicative of its core operating results. The presentation of these non-GAAP financial measures is not meant to be considered in isolation or as a substitute for results or guidance prepared and presented in accordance with U.S. GAAP. A reconciliation of the non-GAAP financial measures to U.S. GAAP results is included herein.
Because of these limitations, EBITDA from continuing operations and Adjusted EBITDA from continuing operations should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for performance measures calculated in accordance with GAAP. Greenidge compensates for these limitations by relying primarily on its GAAP results and using EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA on a supplemental basis. You should review the reconciliation of net loss from continuing operations to EBITDA (loss) from continuing operations and Adjusted EBITDA (loss) from continuing operations below and not rely on any single financial measure to evaluate Greenidge's business.
The following table reconciles the expected ranges of net loss from continuing operations to the expected ranges of EBITDA from continuing operations and Adjusted EBITDA from continuing operations for the three months ended December 31, 2022 (in millions, unaudited):
The following table provides the Consolidated Balance Sheets restated to present Support.com as discontinued operations as of September 30, 2022 and December 31, 2021.
The following table provides the Consolidated Statements of Operations restated to present Support.com as discontinued operations for the year ended December 31, 2021 and for the three month periods ended March 31, 2022, June 30, 2022, and September 301, 2022.
For further information, please contact:
Investor Relations
investorrelations@greenidge.com
Media Inquiries
media@greenidge.com
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SOURCE Greenidge Generation Holdings Inc. | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2023/01/31/greenidge-generation-restructures-significantly-reduces-secured-debt/ | 2023-01-31 12:44:43 | 1 | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2023/01/31/greenidge-generation-restructures-significantly-reduces-secured-debt/ |
NEW YORK, June 20, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- New York Life Investments today announced a name change for MainStay CBRE Global Infrastructure Megatrends Fund (the "Fund") (NYSE: MEGI) to MainStay CBRE Global Infrastructure Megatrends Term Fund.
This name change is being made to better align the Fund's name with its existing limited term structure, and to increase awareness to the fact that there will be a liquidity event at net asset value for shareholders, either at the Termination Date (as indicated below) or in connection with an Eligible Tender Offer (as discussed below). The name change will be effective on or around June 30, 2023. There are no changes to the Fund's investment policy or strategy in conjunction with the name change.
About New York Life Investments
With over $670 billion in Assets Under Management* as of March 31, 2023, New York Life Investments is comprised of the affiliated global asset management businesses of its parent company, New York Life Insurance Company, and offers clients access to specialized, independent investment teams through its family of affiliated boutiques. New York Life Investments remains committed to clients through a combination of the diverse perspectives of its boutiques and a long-lasting focus on sustainable relationships.
*Assets under management (AUM) includes assets of the investment advisers affiliated with New York Life Insurance Company, other than Kartesia Management, and Tristan Capital Partners, as of 12/31/2022. As of 12/31/2022 New York Life Investments changed its AUM calculation methodology, and AUM now includes certain assets, such as non-discretionary AUM, external fund selection, and overlay services, including ESG screening services, advisory consulting services, white labeling investment management services, and model portfolio delivery services, that do not qualify as Regulatory Assets Under Management, as defined in the SEC's Form ADV. AUM is reported in USD. AUM not denominated in USD is converted at the spot rate as of 12/31/2022. This total AUM figure is less than the sum of the AUM of each affiliated investment adviser in the group because it does not count AUM where the same assets can be counted by more than one affiliated investment adviser
"New York Life Investments" is both a service mark, and the common trade name, of certain investment advisors affiliated with New York Life Insurance Company.
About CBRE Investment Management
CBRE Investment Management Listed Real Assets LLC is the listed real assets arm of CBRE Investment Management, a leading global real assets investment management firm, with $148.9 billion in assets under management* as of March 31, 2023, operating in more than 30 offices and 20 countries around the world. Through its investor-operator culture, the firm seeks to deliver sustainable investment solutions across real assets categories, geographies, risk profiles and execution formats so that its clients, people and communities thrive.
CBRE Investment Management is an independently operated affiliate of CBRE Group, Inc. (NYSE:CBRE), the world's largest commercial real estate services and investment firm (based on 2022 revenue). CBRE has approximately 115,000 employees (excluding Turner & Townsend employees) serving clients in more than 100 countries. CBRE Investment Management harnesses CBRE's data and market insights, investment sourcing and other resources for the benefit of its clients. For more information, please visit www.cbreim.com.
*Assets under management (AUM) refers to the fair market value of real assets-related investments with respect to which CBRE Investment Management provides, on a global basis, oversight, investment management services and other advice and which generally consist of investments in real assets; equity in funds and joint ventures; securities portfolios; operating companies and real assets-related loans. This AUM is intended principally to reflect the extent of CBRE Investment Management's presence in the global real assets market, and its calculation of AUM may differ from the calculations of other asset managers and from its calculation of regulatory assets under management for purposes of certain regulatory filings.
This press release is not an offer to sell securities and is not a solicitation of an offer to buy securities, nor will there be any sales of securities in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted.
New York Life Investment Management LLC engages the services of SEC-registered advisors. CBRE Investment Management Listed Real Assets (CBRE Investment Management) is unaffiliated with New York Life Investments. The MainStay Funds® are managed by New York Life Investment Management LLC and distributed by NYLIFE Distributors LLC, 30 Hudson Street, Jersey City, NJ 07302, a wholly owned subsidiary of New York Life Insurance Company. NYLIFE Distributors LLC is a Member FINRA/SIPC.
Media Contacts:
New York Life Investments:
Sara Guenoun
Sara_J_Guenoun@newyorklife.com
CBRE Investment Management
Pam Barnett
pam.barnett@cbreim.com
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SOURCE New York Life Investments | https://www.dakotanewsnow.com/prnewswire/2023/06/20/new-york-life-investments-announces-name-change-mainstay-cbre-global-infrastructure-megatrends-fund/ | 2023-06-20 13:30:27 | 1 | https://www.dakotanewsnow.com/prnewswire/2023/06/20/new-york-life-investments-announces-name-change-mainstay-cbre-global-infrastructure-megatrends-fund/ |
Leon edges out Groveton in district opener
The Leon Cougars defeat the Groveton Indians in close game, 18-14.
JEWETT, Texas (KBTX) - It was low scoring game tonight as the Cougars hosted Groveton. The first of five scores would come by way of a goal line touchdown from Groveton’s Phoenix Bowman. The Indians lead 7-0 halfway through the first quarter.
Leon will respond with just under a minute left before halftime with a quarterback keeper by Cooper Stevens at the goal line. After a missed extra point attempt, the Cougars trail 6-7.
On the first play in the third quarter, Groveton scores big with a 55 yard rushing touchdown from Darius McQueen. This widens Groveton’s lead to 14-6, but it will be the last time they score for the night.
Cooper Stevens, with a repeat performance, will score again later in the third quarter for the Cougars with another goal line rushing touchdown.
Leon will host Corrigan-Camden next Friday.
Copyright 2022 KBTX. All rights reserved. | https://www.kbtx.com/2022/10/08/leon-edges-out-groveton-district-opener/ | 2022-10-08 04:55:33 | 0 | https://www.kbtx.com/2022/10/08/leon-edges-out-groveton-district-opener/ |
SANTA BARBARA, Calif., June 14, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- It was recently revealed that Tesla's Full Self-Driving and Autopilot software has been involved in 736 crashes since 2019, according to analysis of National Highway Traffic Safety Administration data, far exceeding the number of crashes in previous reported statistics.
A crash involving a Tesla Model Y on North Carolina Highway 561 and seventeen-year-old Tillman Mitchell in March 2023 is one of the crashes revealed in the new analysis, highlighting a concerning array of safety defects in Tesla's self-driving software. Tesla's self-driving software failed to stop for the school bus with its stop sign extended and lights flashing which Mitchell was disembarking, leaving Mitchell hospitalised. This follows public safety group The Dawn Project publishing a full-page advertisement in The New York Times in November 2022 highlighting the dangers of Tesla Full Self-Driving after safety tests revealed that it will drive around a stopped school bus with its stop sign extended and lights flashing, failing to obey school zone speed limits.
Dan O'Dowd, Founder of The Dawn Project commented: "Seven months ago, I took out a full-page ad in the New York Times pointing out to Tesla that it could kill a child getting on or off a school bus. But Elon did nothing and now Tillman Mitchell is badly injured and hospitalised. I also showed them tests where Full Self-Driving would run over a child crossing the road. I offered them any assistance they needed to reproduce our tests.
According to a June 10, 2023, Washington Post article, on March 15, 2023, a Tesla running FSD ran down a child getting off a school bus whose lights were flashing and whose stop sign was extended.
It's very simple. If Tesla cannot teach its Full Self-Driving car to stop for a school bus with its light flashing and stop sign extended, along with fixing many other safety critical safety defects that The Dawn Project has identified, it should not be allowed to sell it to the public."
Dan O'Dowd is an entrepreneur and CEO with over 40 years' experience in designing and writing secure, safety-critical software. Dan has built operating systems for the U.S. military's fighter jets and some of the world's most trusted organizations such as NASA, Boeing, and Airbus.
In 2021 Dan O'Dowd founded The Dawn Project, which campaigns to ensure all software in safety-critical infrastructure is secure and to make computers safe for humanity. The first danger The Dawn Project is tackling is Elon Musk's reckless deployment of unsafe Full Self-Driving cars on our roads.
To view The Dawn Project's recent Super Bowl ad highlighting the dangers of Full Self-Driving, please click here. The ad was broadcast during Super Bowl LVII on Sunday 12 February 2023 across California, Texas, Georgia, New York, Florida and Washington D.C.
For a full report of The Dawn Project's safety tests of Tesla Full Self-Driving, please see here.
To view The Dawn Project's full-page ad in The New York Times highlighting the dangers of Tesla Full Self-Driving after safety tests revealed that it will drive around a stopped school bus with its stop sign extended and lights flashing, and fails to obey school zone speed limits, please see here. The ad was published in The New York Times on Sunday 20 November 2022.
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SOURCE The Dawn Project | https://www.kold.com/prnewswire/2023/06/14/dawn-project-founder-dan-odowd-shares-concerning-new-figures-over-tesla-full-self-driving-safety-record/ | 2023-06-14 17:24:47 | 0 | https://www.kold.com/prnewswire/2023/06/14/dawn-project-founder-dan-odowd-shares-concerning-new-figures-over-tesla-full-self-driving-safety-record/ |
A weak upper-level disturbance is expected to roam the skies for later tonight, and scattered showers and t-showers are expected into Wednesday morning. Read here for details!
Showers and a few t-storms
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Don't have an account? Sign Up Today | https://www.wxow.com/weather/showers-and-a-few-t-storms/article_c203f3bc-2b28-11ee-afa5-ef002f2a48e4.html | 2023-07-25 21:11:18 | 0 | https://www.wxow.com/weather/showers-and-a-few-t-storms/article_c203f3bc-2b28-11ee-afa5-ef002f2a48e4.html |
Women inventors have helped shape the modern world in many ways. Notable innovators like Ada Lovelace, who is considered the world’s first programmer, have paved the way for today’s technologies. Others, like Stephanie Kwoleck, have improved safety with inventions like Kevlar, which is five times stronger than steel and used to make bulletproof vests and combat helmets. And some female inventors have made life a little bit sweeter — you can thank Ruth Wakefield for coming up with chocolate chip cookies.
But despite so many notable accomplishments, women haven’t always gotten due credit for their inventions. While the Patent Act of 1790 allowed both men and women to protect their inventions with patents, women in many states couldn’t legally own property independent of their husbands.
Many women inventors thus registered patents in their husbands’ names or didn’t bother with patents at all. In 1809, Mary Kies became the first woman to receive a U.S. patent. It was for her method of weaving straw with silk, a technique she used for making hats.
In honor of Women’s History Month, here’s a look at 10 inventions you may not have known were pioneered by women.
The Monopoly Board Game
The earliest version of Monopoly was invented by Elizabeth Magie, who patented “The Landlord’s Game” in 1903. At the time, Magie — a stenographer and secretary who also performed comedic routines on stage — was among the 1% of patent holders who were women. However, a man named Charles Darrow encountered the board game, then pitched a version of the concept to Parker Brothers three decades later while he was unemployed during the Great Depression. The game turned him into a millionaire, but in recent years media coverage in NPR and The New York Times have set the record straight.
Life Raft Improvements
Before serial inventor Maria Beasley came along, life rafts were simply made of flat, wooden panels. Beasley, an American entrepreneur, secured 15 patents from the late 1870s to the 1890s, including one for improvements to a life raft that was designed with guard rails and that could be easily stored in case of an emergency. Some say her life rafts were the ones that helped hundreds of passengers when the Titanic sank in the Atlantic Ocean, although it remains unclear if this is true. Regardless, her design has paved the way for modern-day life rafts. Additionally, Beasley was a prolific inventor whose portfolio also included foot warmers, barrel-hooping machines and a device to stop trains from derailing.
Coffee Filters
If you’re a coffee lover, you can thank Melitta Bentz for keeping those bitter grounds out of your morning cup of joe. From her kitchen in Dresden, Germany, Bentz invented coffee filters using a piece of blotting paper from her son’s notebook and punching holes in a brass pot. Then she put the pot over a cup, which allowed filtered coffee to drip into it. She received the coffee filter patent in 1908 and Melitta coffee filters are still sold today.
Wi-Fi, GPS And Bluetooth Technologies
Considered “the mother of Wi-Fi,” Hedy Lamarr was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame posthumously for the development of her frequency-hopping technology that could guide torpedoes without being detected. This technology led to wireless communications like Wi-Fi, GPS, Bluetooth and cell phones. Lamarr was also a World War II film star believed to have inspired the looks of Disney’s Snow White and the original DC Comics Catwoman.
Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ruth Wakefield, who ran the Toll House Inn in Massachusetts in 1930, used an ice pick to break up a semi-sweet chocolate bar into morsels. She then mixed the morsels into a brown-sugar dough — and this became the beloved chocolate chip cookie. The recipe was popularized after she sold it to Nestle in 1939, which reprinted it on its packages of chocolate chips. The company also hired her to write recipes. Here’s how to make the original chocolate chip cookie.
Windshield Wipers
Noticing that streetcar drivers had to open their windows in order to see during inclement weather, sometimes even stopping to manually clear their windshields, inventor Mary Anderson came up with the idea for windshield wipers. Her idea, which she patented in 1903, consisted of a lever inside the vehicle that controlled a spring-loaded arm with a rubber blade. The windshield wiper was eventually adapted for cars as personal vehicles became more popular.
Home Security Systems
Often coming home late from her job as a nurse in Queens, New York, African American inventor Marie Van Brittan Brown came up with the idea for the modern-day home security system. Along with her husband Albert Brown, who was an electronics technician, Van Brittan Brown invented a security system that had peepholes, a sliding camera, television monitors and two-way microphones. The device also had a remote that would allow her to unlock the door and an emergency button that could send an alarm to police or security. The couple received the patent for the home security system in 1969 and the closed-circuit television system that arose from her invention is still used today.
Electric Refrigerators
Florence Parpart improved refrigerator design with a patented refrigerator attachment in 1914. Prior to her invention, people used iceboxes, usually made of wood and lined with metal to store an ice block that kept food cold. Parpart’s attachment used an electric system to circulate water throughout the appliances to keep them cold, turning her into one of many women who have made significant contributions to our homes and how they operate. Before she revolutionized refrigerators, she got a patent for a street sweeper to automate the process of cleaning city streets.
Telecommunication Devices
In 1973, Shirley Ann Jackson became the first Black woman to earn a doctorate from Massachusetts Institute of Technology. While working at Bell Laboratories, she tapped her deep knowledge of theoretical physics to foster breakthroughs in telecommunications, which led to inventions like the touch-tone telephone, solar cells, fiber optic cables and caller ID. And that’s just one small part of her career; she has also chaired the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, co-chaired the President’s Intelligence Advisory Board (Under President Barack Obama), served on the boards of IBM and FedEx, and was president of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute for over two decades. She is now a board member of The Nature Conservancy.
True Word Processors
An expert in logic design and data transmission, Evelyn Berezin designed one of the earliest computer reservation systems for airlines. Exasperated with the limits placed on women in tech, she co-founded Redactron in 1969. The company produced the “Data Secretary,” which became the first electronic word processor for business use and was aimed at simplifying secretarial work. The device was based on an IBM Selectric Typewriter and had programmable logic and 13 semiconductor chips, some of which Berezin designed.
This story originally appeared on Simplemost. Check out Simplemost for additional stories. | https://www.lex18.com/10-things-you-didnt-know-were-invented-by-women | 2023-03-24 13:13:32 | 1 | https://www.lex18.com/10-things-you-didnt-know-were-invented-by-women |
Highlights Launch of New Visual Brand
NEW YORK, June 1, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Paine Schwartz Partners ("Paine Schwartz"), a global leader in sustainable food chain investing, today announced the publication of its sixth annual Sustainability and Social Responsibility Report, which provides transparency on the firm's Environmental, Social and Governance ("ESG") and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion ("DE&I") priorities and progress. The report can be viewed and downloaded on Paine Schwartz's website.
Kevin Schwartz, Chief Executive Officer of Paine Schwartz, said, "For more than two decades, sustainability has been at the center of everything we do at Paine Schwartz. We understand that responsible stewardship goes hand-in-hand with value creation, and our 2023 Sustainability and Social Responsibility Report highlights the actions we are taking to integrate ESG and DE&I practices across our firm and our portfolio companies. We look forward to further solidifying our position as the leader in sustainable food chain investing and enhancing our reporting and influence in this area even further."
Highlights from the report include:
- A detailed review of progress across the Paine Schwartz portfolio with case studies outlining individual portfolio company United Nations Sustainable Development Goals ("SDGs") contributions, ESG- and DE&I-related highlights and 2023 sustainability and DE&I goals, which are linked to CEO compensation.
- Quantified real world impact for each Paine Schwartz portfolio company by leveraging the Impact Management Project's ("IMP") five dimensions of impact (What, Who, How Much, Contribution and Risk).
- Inclusion of robust year-over-year time-series data to track progress against sustainability and DE&I KPIs across the portfolio.
- Joined the ESG Data Convergence Initiative ("EDCI") in support of an industry effort to standardize ESG metrics and mechanisms for comparative reporting in the private equity industry.
- Signed the Women's Awareness Initiative endorsed by the Institutional Limited Partners Association ("ILPA"), underscoring Paine Schwartz's commitment to advancing gender diversity in the asset management industry.
- Advanced commitment to developing a more diverse employee base, reporting that 68% of new hires in 2022 were women and 100% of Investment Associates hired in 2022 were women or from underrepresented groups.
- Hosted the first annual No Obstacles: Race for the Warriors event to benefit Hope for the Warriors®, a nonprofit group providing comprehensive support programs for service members, veterans and military families, raising more than $500,000, the organization's largest fundraising event in its history.
- Introducing an LP Sustainability Council with Paine Schwartz's Limited Partners as a discussion forum around ESG and DE&I best practices, leveraging the experience and advice of a global investor base to lead the industry in these areas.
New Visual Brand Launch
Paine Schwartz has also launched its new visual brand, which reflects the firm's identity as the leading global sustainable food chain investor. The new design was created with purpose and intentionality to reinforce the inherent connection between Paine Schwartz's investments and nature, as well as the firm's continued growth as an organization as it moves its headquarters to Soho, New York this summer. To view the new brand, please visit https://paineschwartz.com/.
About Paine Schwartz Partners
A global leader in sustainable food chain investing, Paine Schwartz Partners is a private equity firm focused exclusively on investment opportunities in the fast-growing, dynamic global food and agribusiness sectors. The firm's investment, operations and finance professionals invest throughout cycles across the food and agribusiness value chain, and bring a collaborative and active management approach to portfolio companies. For further information, please see www.paineschwartz.com.
Contacts:
Andy Brimmer / Aaron Palash
Joele Frank, Wilkinson Brimmer Katcher
+1 212-355-4449
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SOURCE Paine Schwartz Partners | https://www.cleveland19.com/prnewswire/2023/06/01/paine-schwartz-partners-releases-sixth-annual-sustainability-social-responsibility-report/ | 2023-06-01 13:29:34 | 1 | https://www.cleveland19.com/prnewswire/2023/06/01/paine-schwartz-partners-releases-sixth-annual-sustainability-social-responsibility-report/ |
The Fast Track designation accelerates tirzepatide's path to U.S. FDA submission for the treatment of adults with obesity, or overweight with weight-related comorbidities
INDIANAPOLIS, Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE: LLY) announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted Fast Track designation for the investigation of tirzepatide for the treatment of adults with obesity, or overweight with weight-related comorbidities. The FDA grants Fast Track designation to facilitate the development and expedite the review of medicines to treat serious conditions and fill an unmet medical need. Fast Track designation is intended to bring promising medicines to patients sooner.
Based on discussions with the FDA, Lilly plans to initiate a rolling submission of a new drug application (NDA) for tirzepatide in adults with obesity or overweight this year, which when complete, will be based primarily on results from two Phase 3 clinical trials: SURMOUNT-1, which is complete, and SURMOUNT-2, which is expected to complete by the end of April 2023. The rolling submission allows Lilly to submit completed sections of an application for review by FDA, rather than wait until all sections are completed.
Assuming positive SURMOUNT-2 results, Lilly aims to complete the submission shortly after SURMOUNT-2 data is available. The Fast Track designation, along with a rolling submission, accelerates tirzepatide's path to FDA submission.
"We are pleased with the FDA's decision to grant Fast Track designation for tirzepatide, and we look forward to completing our rolling submission next year," said Mike Mason, president, Lilly Diabetes. "Obesity is a chronic disease that impacts the health of nearly 100 million Americans and is a significant driver of healthcare costs. While diet and exercise are important steps, most patients don't achieve their desired treatment goals with only diet and exercise. We are dedicated to helping people living with obesity through our research and development of innovative treatments like tirzepatide, which produced significant weight reductions in patients taking tirzepatide for type 2 diabetes in SURPASS. Tirzepatide also helped nearly two-thirds of participants on the highest dose reduce their body weight by at least 20 percent in SURMOUNT-1."
About SURMOUNT-1, SURMOUNT-2 and the SURMOUNT clinical trial program1,2
SURMOUNT-1 (NCT04184622) is a multi-center, randomized, double-blind, parallel, placebo-controlled trial, which compared the efficacy and safety of tirzepatide 5 mg, 10 mg and 15 mg to placebo as an adjunct to a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity in adults without type 2 diabetes who have obesity, or overweight with at least one of the following comorbidities: hypertension, dyslipidemia, obstructive sleep apnea or cardiovascular disease. The trial randomized 2,539 participants across the U.S., Argentina, Brazil, China, India, Japan, Mexico, Russia and Taiwan in a 1:1:1:1 ratio to receive either tirzepatide 5 mg, 10 mg or 15 mg or placebo. The co-primary objectives of the study were to demonstrate that tirzepatide 10 mg and/or 15 mg was superior in percentage of body weight reductions from baseline and percentage of participants achieving ≥5% body weight reduction at 72 weeks compared to placebo. Participants who had pre-diabetes at study commencement will remain enrolled in SURMOUNT-1 for an additional 104 weeks of treatment following the initial 72-week completion date to evaluate the impact on body weight and potential differences in progression to type 2 diabetes at three years of treatment with tirzepatide compared to placebo.
All participants in the tirzepatide treatment arms started the study at a dose of tirzepatide 2.5 mg once-weekly and then increased the dose in a step-wise approach at four-week intervals to their final randomized maintenance dose of 5 mg (via a 2.5 mg step), 10 mg (via steps at 2.5 mg, 5 mg and 7.5 mg) or 15 mg (via steps at 2.5 mg, 5 mg, 7.5 mg, 10 mg and 12.5 mg).
SURMOUNT-2 (NCT04657003) is a multi-center, randomized, double-blind, parallel, placebo-controlled trial comparing the efficacy and safety of tirzepatide 10 mg and 15 mg to placebo as an adjunct to a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity in adults with type 2 diabetes who have obesity or overweight. The trial randomized 938 participants across the U.S., Argentina, Brazil, India, Japan, Puerto Rico, Russia and Taiwan in a 1:1:1 ratio to receive either tirzepatide 10 mg or 15 mg or placebo. The co-primary objectives of the study are to demonstrate that tirzepatide 10 mg and/or 15 mg is superior in percentage of body weight change from baseline and percentage of participants achieving ≥5% body weight reduction at 72 weeks compared to placebo.
The SURMOUNT Phase 3 global clinical development program for tirzepatide began in late 2019 and has enrolled more than 5,000 people with obesity or overweight across six clinical trials, four of which are global studies. Results from SURMOUNT-2, -3 and -4 are anticipated in 2023.
About tirzepatide
Tirzepatide is a once-weekly GIP (glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide) receptor and GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide-1) receptor agonist. Tirzepatide is a single novel molecule that activates the body's receptors for GIP and GLP-1, which are natural incretin hormones. GIP is a hormone that may complement the effects of GLP-1 receptor agonism. GIP has been shown to decrease food intake while blunting the metabolic adaptive responses that usually occur with calorie restriction resulting in weight reductions, and when combined with GLP-1 receptor agonism, may result in greater effects on markers of metabolic dysregulation such as body weight, glucose and lipids. Tirzepatide is in Phase 3 development for adults with obesity, or overweight with weight-related comorbidity. It is also being studied as a potential treatment for heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Studies of tirzepatide in chronic kidney disease and in morbidity/mortality in obesity are planned as well.
Tirzepatide was approved as Mounjaro® (tirzepatide) by the FDA on May 13, 2022. Mounjaro is a glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) receptor and glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist indicated as an adjunct to diet and exercise to improve glycemic control in adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus.
INDICATION AND SAFETY SUMMARY WITH WARNINGS
Mounjaro® (mown-JAHR-OH) is an injectable medicine for adults with type 2 diabetes used along with diet and exercise to improve blood sugar (glucose).
Warnings - Mounjaro may cause tumors in the thyroid, including thyroid cancer. Watch for possible symptoms, such as a lump or swelling in the neck, hoarseness, trouble swallowing, or shortness of breath. If you have any of these symptoms, tell your healthcare provider.
- Do not use Mounjaro if you or any of your family have ever had a type of thyroid cancer called medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC).
- Do not use Mounjaro if you have Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia syndrome type 2 (MEN 2).
- Do not use Mounjaro if you are allergic to it or any of the ingredients in Mounjaro.
Mounjaro may cause serious side effects, including:
Inflammation of the pancreas (pancreatitis). Stop using Mounjaro and call your healthcare provider right away if you have severe pain in your stomach area (abdomen) that will not go away, with or without vomiting. You may feel the pain from your abdomen to your back.
Low blood sugar (hypoglycemia). Your risk for getting low blood sugar may be higher if you use Mounjaro with another medicine that can cause low blood sugar, such as a sulfonylurea or insulin.
Signs and symptoms of low blood sugar may include dizziness or light-headedness, sweating, confusion or drowsiness, headache, blurred vision, slurred speech, shakiness, fast heartbeat, anxiety, irritability, or mood changes, hunger, weakness and feeling jittery.
Serious allergic reactions. Stop using Mounjaro and get medical help right away if you have any symptoms of a serious allergic reaction, including swelling of your face, lips, tongue or throat, problems breathing or swallowing, severe rash or itching, fainting or feeling dizzy, and very rapid heartbeat.
Kidney problems (kidney failure). In people who have kidney problems, diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting may cause a loss of fluids (dehydration), which may cause kidney problems to get worse. It is important for you to drink fluids to help reduce your chance of dehydration.
Severe stomach problems. Stomach problems, sometimes severe, have been reported in people who use Mounjaro. Tell your healthcare provider if you have stomach problems that are severe or will not go away.
Changes in vision. Tell your healthcare provider if you have changes in vision during treatment with Mounjaro.
Gallbladder problems. Gallbladder problems have happened in some people who use Mounjaro. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you get symptoms of gallbladder problems, which may include pain in your upper stomach (abdomen), fever, yellowing of skin or eyes (jaundice), and clay-colored stools.
Common side effects
The most common side effects of Mounjaro include nausea, diarrhea, decreased appetite, vomiting, constipation, indigestion, and stomach (abdominal) pain. These are not all the possible side effects of Mounjaro. Talk to your healthcare provider about any side effect that bothers you or doesn't go away.
Tell your healthcare provider if you have any side effects. You can report side effects at 1-800-FDA-1088 or www.fda.gov/medwatch.
Before using Mounjaro
- Your healthcare provider should show you how to use Mounjaro before you use it for the first time.
- Talk to your healthcare provider about low blood sugar and how to manage it.
- If you take birth control pills by mouth, talk to your healthcare provider before you use Mounjaro. Birth control pills may not work as well while using Mounjaro. Your healthcare provider may recommend another type of birth control for 4 weeks after you start Mounjaro and for 4 weeks after each increase in your dose of Mounjaro.
Review these questions with your healthcare provider:
❑ Do you have other medical conditions, including problems with your pancreas or kidneys, or severe problems with your stomach, such as slowed emptying of your stomach (gastroparesis) or problems digesting food?
❑ Do you take other diabetes medicines, such as insulin or sulfonylureas?
❑ Do you have a history of diabetic retinopathy?
❑ Are you pregnant, plan to become pregnant, breastfeeding, or plan to breastfeed? It is not known if Mounjaro will harm your unborn baby or pass into your breast milk.
❑ Do you take any other prescription medicines or over-the-counter drugs, vitamins, or herbal supplements?
How to take
- Read the Instructions for Use that come with Mounjaro.
- Use Mounjaro exactly as your healthcare provider says.
- Mounjaro is injected under the skin (subcutaneously) of your stomach (abdomen), thigh, or upper arm.
- Use Mounjaro 1 time each week, at any time of the day.
- Do not mix insulin and Mounjaro together in the same injection.
- You may give an injection of Mounjaro and insulin in the same body area (such as your stomach area), but not right next to each other.
- Change (rotate) your injection site with each weekly injection. Do not use the same site for each injection.
- If you take too much Mounjaro, call your healthcare provider or seek medical advice promptly.
Learn more
Mounjaro is a prescription medicine. For more information, call 1-833-807-MJRO (833-807-6576) or go to www.mounjaro.com.
This summary provides basic information about Mounjaro but does not include all information known about this medicine. Read the information that comes with your prescription each time your prescription is filled. This information does not take the place of talking with your healthcare provider. Be sure to talk to your healthcare provider about Mounjaro and how to take it. Your healthcare provider is the best person to help you decide if Mounjaro is right for you.
TR CON CBS 14SEP2022
Mounjaro® and its delivery device base are registered trademarks owned or licensed by Eli Lilly and Company, its subsidiaries, or affiliates.
About Lilly
Lilly unites caring with discovery to create medicines that make life better for people around the world. We've been pioneering life-changing discoveries for nearly 150 years, and today our medicines help more than 47 million people across the globe. Harnessing the power of biotechnology, chemistry and genetic medicine, our scientists are urgently advancing new discoveries to solve some of the world's most significant health challenges, redefining diabetes care, treating obesity and curtailing its most devastating long-term effects, advancing the fight against Alzheimer's disease, providing solutions to some of the most debilitating immune system disorders, and transforming the most difficult-to-treat cancers into manageable diseases. With each step toward a healthier world, we're motivated by one thing: making life better for millions more people. That includes delivering innovative clinical trials that reflect the diversity of our world and working to ensure our medicines are accessible and affordable. To learn more, visit Lilly.com and Lilly.com/newsroom or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn. P-LLY
Lilly Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements (as that term is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995) about tirzepatide as a potential treatment for adults with obesity or overweight and the timeline for regulatory submissions and actions, future readouts, presentations and other milestones relating to tirzepatide and its clinical trials, and reflects Lilly's current beliefs and expectations. However, as with any pharmaceutical product, there are substantial risks and uncertainties in the process of research development and commercialization. Among other things, there can be no guarantee that planned or ongoing studies will be completed as planned, that future study results will be consistent with the results to date, that tirzepatide will receive additional regulatory approvals, or that tirzepatide will be commercially successful. For further discussion of these and other risks and uncertainties, see Lilly's most recent Form 10-K and Form 10-Q filings with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission. Except as required by law, Lilly undertakes no duty to update forward-looking statements to reflect events after the date of this release.
References
- Jastreboff, A., Arrone, J., Ahmad, N. et al. Tirzepatide Once Weekly for the Treatment of Obesity. N Engl J Med 2022; 387:205-216 DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa2206038
- le Roux, C. Zhang, S., Aronne, L. et. al. Tirzepatide for the Treatment of Obesity: Rationale and Design of the SURMOUNT Clinical Development Program 2022 Obesity doi: 10.1002/oby.23612
©Lilly USA, LLC 2022. All rights reserved.
Refer to:
Anne Gill; anne.gill@lilly.com; 317-999-7402 (Media)
Joe Fletcher; jfletcher@lilly.com; 317-296-2884 (Investors)
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SOURCE Eli Lilly and Company | https://www.wbtv.com/prnewswire/2022/10/06/lilly-receives-us-fda-fast-track-designation-tirzepatide-treatment-adults-with-obesity-or-overweight-with-weight-related-comorbidities/ | 2022-10-06 11:29:01 | 0 | https://www.wbtv.com/prnewswire/2022/10/06/lilly-receives-us-fda-fast-track-designation-tirzepatide-treatment-adults-with-obesity-or-overweight-with-weight-related-comorbidities/ |
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AL KHOR, Qatar (AP) — French President Emmanuel Macron traveled to Qatar on Wednesday to attend the World Cup semifinal match between France and Morocco, a politically charged encounter between the north African country and its former colonizer.
Macron was standing beside FIFA president Gianni Infantino in the stands at Al Bayt Stadium after the national anthems for both countries were played before kickoff.
He earlier visited a bazaar in Doha, the Qatari capital. Macron walked through a crowd at Souq Waqif wearing a scarf with the colors of the Qatari flag before getting into a car amid heavy security for the 50-kilometer (30-mile) trip from Doha to Al Khor for the match.
“France will win," Macron said when asked for a prediction.
Morocco was ruled by France from 1912-56. Wednesday’s match has political and emotional resonance for both nations. It dredges up everything that’s complex about the relationship in which France still wields considerable economic, political and cultural influence.
Macron skipped a summit of European Union and southeast Asian leaders in Brussels to attend the match. The winner will play Argentina in the final on Sunday.
___
AP World Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/world-cup and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | https://www.expressnews.com/news/article/Macron-attends-France-Morocco-semifinal-match-at-17654248.php | 2022-12-14 19:52:08 | 1 | https://www.expressnews.com/news/article/Macron-attends-France-Morocco-semifinal-match-at-17654248.php |
Lubbock community to host celebrations throughout week for Juneteenth holiday
Several events will be hosted around Lubbock to help celebrate and commemorate Juneteenth throughout the week through music, fellowship and fun.
Juneteenth, which is now a federal holiday on June 19, marks the emancipation of slaves after the Civil War.
Though former President Abraham Lincoln declared the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, it wasn’t until two years later in Galveston that many individuals learned about their freedom.
Texas has marked Juneteenth as a state holiday since 1980, but it wasn’t until 2021 that President Joe Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act into law, making it a federal holiday.
Here is the list of the events:
Thursday, June 15
Lubbock youth will be competing in the Mr. and Miss Juneteenth pageant at 6:30 p.m. at the Grand Central Venue, 1219 Ave. J.
Tickets are $40 for adults and $25 for children aged 3 to 12 and tickets include dinner.
Tickets can only be purchased in advance through lubbockjuneteenthpageant@gmail.com.
Saturday, June 17
- Senior Breakfast — From 8 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. seniors age 62 and older can receive a free breakfast from My Brothers and Sisters Keepers at the Mae Simmons Adult Activity Center, 2004 Oak Ave.
- United Supermarkets Juneteenth Parade — Traveling from Avenue E down Broadway and into Mckenzie Park, the parade starts at 10 a.m. and is free to attend. If individuals would like a be part of the parade, the fee is $30 and can contact Lubbockjuneteenthparade@gmail.com.
- Freedom Fest — Following the parade until 4:30 p.m., eventgoers can participate in various activities, giveaways, vendors and food trucks.
Sunday, June 18
Down at Moonlight Musicals Amphitheatre, 413 E. Broadway, will be Gospel Fest. The 7 p.m. concert is free for everyone and will feature national gospel recording artist — Chester D. T. Baldwin as well as Lubbock Juneteenth Mass Choir.
Food vendors and children's activities will be available as well.
Monday, June 19
In Mackenzie Main City Park at 6 p.m. will be the Freedom Celebration with headliner Grammy Award-nominated artist — Don Diego.
Other activities will include live music, food vendors and children and teen activities with the night be concluded by the H-E-B Firework Show. | https://www.lubbockonline.com/story/news/local/2023/06/14/lubbock-community-to-host-celebrations-throughout-week-for-juneteenth/70319051007/ | 2023-06-15 00:18:05 | 1 | https://www.lubbockonline.com/story/news/local/2023/06/14/lubbock-community-to-host-celebrations-throughout-week-for-juneteenth/70319051007/ |
The official trailer for Netflix's anticipated Addams Family series, Wednesday, is here -- and there were plenty of surprises!
During Saturday's New York Comic Con panel, the streaming service debuted the two-and-a-half-minute trailer touting the upcoming dark comedy, which stars Jenna Ortega as the iconic titular character, and introduced a nearly unrecognizable Fred Armisen as Uncle Fester. It also featured the franchise return of Christina Ricci, who played Wednesday in the '90s movies, playing a new character, Miss Thornhill.
The jam-packed trailer sets up the nutty world viewers will enter into when the series drops next month, revealing Uncle Fester's arrival in a dramatic showdown with Wednesday, as the duo ride off together.
Ricci's appearance comes at the tail-end of the trailer as she introduces herself to Wednesday at Nevermore.
In the eight-episode drama, Wednesday attempts to master her emerging psychic ability, thwart a monstrous killing spree that has terrorized the local town and solve the supernatural mystery that embroiled her parents 25 years ago -- all while navigating her new and very tangled relationships at Nevermore.
"I act as if I don't care that people dislike me," Wednesday says in the trailer. "Deep down, I actually enjoy it."
Snap, snap!
Watch the official Wednesday trailer below.
Wednesday drops Wednesday, Nov. 23 on Netflix.
RELATED CONTENT: | https://www.ktvb.com/article/entertainment/entertainment-tonight/wednesday-official-trailer-reveals-christina-riccis-return-to-the-franchise-watch/603-32cb7062-fd1c-4873-bfd5-734a8fe88280 | 2022-10-09 18:06:32 | 0 | https://www.ktvb.com/article/entertainment/entertainment-tonight/wednesday-official-trailer-reveals-christina-riccis-return-to-the-franchise-watch/603-32cb7062-fd1c-4873-bfd5-734a8fe88280 |
BEIJING, April 4, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Cloopen Group Holding Limited (NYSE: RAAS) ("Cloopen" or the "Company") today announced that, based on a notification letter the Company received from the New York Stock Exchange (the "NYSE") on April 3, 2023, the Company has regained compliance with the NYSE's continued listing standard for minimum share price.
On October 5, 2022, the NYSE notified the Company that it was not in compliance with the NYSE's continued listing standards because, as of October 4, 2022, the average closing price of the Company's American depositary shares (the "ADSs") was less than US$1.00 per ADS over a consecutive 30 trading-day period. In order to regain compliance with the minimum share price requirement, the Company changed the ratio of its ADSs to its Class A ordinary shares (the "ADS Ratio"), par value US$0.0001 per share, from the previous ADS Ratio of one (1) ADS representing two (2) Class A ordinary shares to the current ADS Ratio of one (1) ADS representing six (6) Class A ordinary shares, effective March 15, 2023.
On April 3, 2023, the Company received a confirmation from the NYSE that a calculation of the Company's average ADS price for the 30-trading days ended March 31, 2023 indicated that the Company's ADS price was above the NYSE's minimum requirement of US$1.00 based on a 30-trading day average. Accordingly, the Company is no longer considered below the US$1.00 continued listing criterion. As a result, the Company has regained compliance within the prescribed time, and the ADSs will continue to be traded on the NYSE, subject to the Company's continued compliance with all applicable continued listing standards.
About Cloopen Group Holding Limited
Cloopen Group Holding Limited is a leading multi-capability cloud-based communications solution provider in China offering a full suite of cloud-based communications solutions, covering communications platform as a service (CPaaS), cloud-based contact centers (cloud-based CC), and cloud-based unified communications and collaborations (cloud-based UC&C). Cloopen's mission is to enhance the daily communication experience and operational productivity for enterprises. Cloopen aspires to drive the transformation of enterprise communications industry by offering innovative marketing and operational tactics and SaaS-based tools.
For more information, please visit https://ir.yuntongxun.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements made under the "safe harbor" provisions of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as "will," "expects," "anticipates," "future," "intends," "plans," "believes," "estimates," "confident" and similar statements. Cloopen may also make written or oral forward-looking statements in its reports filed with or furnished to the SEC, in its annual report to shareholders, in press releases and other written materials and in oral statements made by its officers, directors or employees to third parties. Any statements that are not historical facts, including statements about Cloopen's beliefs and expectations as well as its financial outlook, are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based on Cloopen's current expectations and involve factors, risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Further information regarding these and other risks, uncertainties or factors is included in Cloopen's filings with the SEC. All information provided in this press release is current as of the date of the press release, and Cloopen does not undertake any obligation to update such information, except as required under applicable law. All forward-looking statements are qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement, and you are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements.
For investor and media inquiries, please contact:
Cloopen Group Holding Limited
Investor Relations
Email: ir@yuntongxun.com
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SOURCE Cloopen Group Holding Limited | https://www.wagmtv.com/prnewswire/2023/04/04/cloopen-regains-compliance-with-nyse-minimum-price-requirement/ | 2023-04-04 12:26:35 | 0 | https://www.wagmtv.com/prnewswire/2023/04/04/cloopen-regains-compliance-with-nyse-minimum-price-requirement/ |
MADISON, Wis. (AP) _ The winning numbers in Friday afternoon's drawing of the Wisconsin Lottery's "Pick 3 Midday" game were:
1-5-3
(one, five, three)
MADISON, Wis. (AP) _ The winning numbers in Friday afternoon's drawing of the Wisconsin Lottery's "Pick 3 Midday" game were:
1-5-3
(one, five, three) | https://www.sfgate.com/lottery/article/Winning-numbers-drawn-in-Pick-3-Midday-game-17577976.php | 2022-11-11 21:06:29 | 0 | https://www.sfgate.com/lottery/article/Winning-numbers-drawn-in-Pick-3-Midday-game-17577976.php |
SNOQUALMIE, Wash. — Four of the seven teens who escaped Echo Glen Children's Center in Snoqualmie the night of May 27 were charged with multiple felonies as adults on Friday, June 2.
Jessy James Lee Krikorian, Jr., 16, Timothy G. Hernandez-Ebanks, 17, Jaiquan J. Burnett, 16, and Ramon Pedro Chavez Jr., 16, were charged in adult court due to their age and conviction history. All four were charged with first-degree robbery, escape in the first degree and theft of a motor vehicle. Hernandez-Ebanks and Burnett were also charged with unlawful imprisonment.
The other three were charged in juvenile court - two did not have the criminal history to be eligible for adult court and the other was too young. All three were charged with the crimes listed above.
Echo Glen is a medium-maximum security facility run by the Department of Children, Youth and Families.
Prior to their escape on May 27, the teens are seen in surveillance video "clearly interacting with each other" as they planned their escape, according to probable cause documents. Recordings "make it apparent" that the inmates "successfully manipulated" two staff members, who are seen "casually interacting with the inmates," which included hugging several of them.
Around 11 p.m., the remaining staff member, a 36-year-old security guard, in the facility can be seen walking down a hallway where three cells and a bathroom are located. Burnett and another teen are hiding inside the bathroom. The staff member is not seen wearing her radio or distress beacon, according to probable cause documents. As the staff member reaches the end of the hallway, Burnett and the other teen assault her.
Burnett then interacts with the cell release computer.
Burnett and three of the teens eventually drag the staff member into one of the cells, forcing her inside and locking it, according to probable cause documents.
The teens take the staff member's car keys and cellphone and leave.
The staff member was locked inside of the cell for more than an hour until another member found her during a building check.
Three of the teens who escaped were apprehended in Burien May 28.
Law enforcement took the other four into custody on May 29 in Clark County.
According to a statement from the Department of Children, Youth and Families, an outside facility management team is conducting a review of the incident. | https://www.king5.com/article/news/crime/teens-echo-glen-childrens-center-escape-charged/281-32edfb4a-0fab-4114-9eab-f9030945e025 | 2023-06-02 23:28:40 | 1 | https://www.king5.com/article/news/crime/teens-echo-glen-childrens-center-escape-charged/281-32edfb4a-0fab-4114-9eab-f9030945e025 |
Biden zeroes in on economic message as campaign winds down
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden is zeroing in on a largely economic-focused message amid raging inflation and recession risks as he takes his closing argument for the November midterm elections to a hotly contested congressional battleground on Thursday and tries to reassure restive voters around the country.
Biden’s travels to Syracuse, New York, on Thursday and to Philadelphia on Friday are part of a strategic two-step crafted for a persistently unpopular president: Promote his administration’s accomplishments at official White House events while saving the overt campaigning for states where his political power can directly bolster Democratic candidates.
The White House of late has paid outsize attention to Pennsylvania, where Democrats are aggressively contesting a Republican-held Senate seat to help offset potential losses in other marquee Senate races.
Publicly, the White House and senior Democratic leaders express optimism that they’ll defy traditional midterm headwinds and retain control of Congress. But in private, there is angst that the House will be lost to Republicans and that control of the Senate is a coin flip.
It’s a position that Democrats point out is far more favorable than earlier in the election cycle — particularly before the Supreme Court’s decision overturning Roe v. Wade ended constitutional protections for abortion and upended the political landscape — yet many in the party are nonetheless bracing for the loss of at least one chamber.
“I will say, as the president has said, that we are quite confident that we’ll continue to have a Democratic House and a Democratic Senate as we move forward,” Jen O’Malley Dillon, a White House deputy chief of staff, told MSNBC on Tuesday night.
Biden has had a steady uptick in travel in recent weeks, although he has avoided states such as Nevada and Arizona in which Democratic candidates prefer not to be tagged with the national party brand. He has appeared with a smattering of vulnerable House Democrats at official White House events in California and New York and raised campaign cash for candidates in Pennsylvania, Michigan and Oregon, as well as millions of dollars for the Democratic National Committee at fundraisers in Washington and elsewhere. He held a trio of virtual fundraisers Wednesday night for congressional candidates in Iowa, Nevada and Pennsylvania.
A reception scheduled for Friday in Philadelphia with the state Democratic Party, which Vice President Kamala Harris will also attend, will mark Biden’s 15th visit to Pennsylvania during his presidency. Plans for a joint appearance in the state with former President Barack Obama are in the works for next week.
Also next week, Biden is scheduled to headline a political rally Tuesday in Florida. Democratic gubernatorial candidate Charlie Crist has been publicly encouraging the president to campaign with him in a state that has increasingly trended toward Republicans in recent election cycles.
In Syracuse on Thursday afternoon, Biden will showcase a significant investment by the U.S.-based company Micron, one of the largest microchip manufacturers in the world. The company has credited a new law boosting domestic production of semiconductors for its new, so-called megafab in the area that will create 50,000 new jobs, which will pay an average of $100,000 a year.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., privately encouraged the White House to deploy Biden to Syracuse for a Micron-specific event, according to a person familiar with the conversations. Democrats believe that will help voters to draw a direct connection to the party’s achievements and job growth. The person insisted on anonymity to detail private conversations.
White House officials said Biden would use the Micron event to hammer home a closing message aimed at framing the contrast between the two parties’ economic agendas — an argument that the president began sketching out at a Democratic National Committee event earlier this week.
“Everybody wants to make it a referendum, but it’s a choice between two vastly different visions for America,” Biden said of the midterms. “Democrats are building a better America for everyone with an economy that grows from the bottom up and the middle out, where everyone does well. Republicans are doubling down on their mega MAGA trickle-down economics that benefits the very wealthy.”
He continued: “It failed their country before and will fail it again if they win.”
In recent weeks, Biden has used the presidential bully pulpit considerably to promote Democratic accomplishments, from boasting about his infrastructure law while standing next to a rebuilt bridge in Pittsburgh to reassuring seniors in Portland, Oregon, that they will soon see the costs of prescription drugs capped.
Still, there’s some concern among Democrats that voters are not connecting economic growth in their communities often enough to what a Democratic-controlled government has completed during the first two years of Biden’s presidency.
“I think we have to be far more aggressive,” said Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif. “We’re actually bringing jobs back, but we’re not going out enough and acknowledging people’s anger and fear and say, ‘Here’s what we’re doing.’”
The Syracuse area is home to a House race for a seat being vacated by moderate Republican Rep. John Katko, a critical pickup opportunity for Democrats in a district that Biden won by more than 7 percentage points in 2020. Biden’s visit could also give a boost to New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, whose reelection contest against Republican Lee Zeldin has tightened in recent weeks. Schumer, Hochul, Katko and Democratic Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand will all be at the event, according to a White House official.
Cabinet officials are fanning out nationwide to promote the administration’s economic message. For instance, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen will travel to Cleveland on Thursday to talk about Biden’s manufacturing agenda with Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio. The retirement of his Republican colleague, Sen. Rob Portman, has led to another critical Senate race, this one between Republican J.D. Vance and Democrat Tim Ryan.
___
Follow the AP’s coverage of the 2022 midterm elections at https://apnews.com/hub/2022-midterm-elections. And check out https://apnews.com/hub/explaining-the-elections to learn more about the issues and factors at play in the midterms.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.wflx.com/2022/10/27/biden-zeroes-economic-message-campaign-winds-down/ | 2022-10-27 12:31:09 | 0 | https://www.wflx.com/2022/10/27/biden-zeroes-economic-message-campaign-winds-down/ |
NEW YORK (AP) — Throngs of spectators lined the streets of New York on Thursday as colorful, high-flying balloons helped usher in the holiday season during the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.
The annual tradition, which dates back nearly a century, packed streets as a procession of giant inflatables and floats streamed for more than 40 blocks from Central Park to Herald Square.
Children balanced atop metal barricades and hung from scaffolding to watch the balloons amid mostly sunny skies and a slight breeze.
“Blue, Blue. There's Blue,” yelled Divyam Kumar, 6, as his father helped balance him and his 4-year-old brother Aanu Aryan on a metal rail.
The youngster was referring to the star of the animated show “Blue's Clues" — not to be confused with the international cartoon sensation Bluey, an Australian cattle pup making her parade debut.
Bluey's balloon towered as tall as a four-story building and stretched as wide as seven taxi cabs.
Stuart, the one-eyed Minion, was also there to thrill the crowd.
But it was Snoopy that especially caught the eye of Brenner Chenenko, 8, even more so than the more contemporary pups.
“It's one of the classics,” said the youngster from Rochester, New York, who lined the parade route with his father Nate and grandfather John Wopperer.
It was the first time the father and son had seen the parade in person. Wopperer last saw a parade live three years ago, before the pandemic sidelined the event for a year.
Snoopy, dressed as an astronaut, was followed by another old-time favorite, Papa Smurf.
This year's parade featured 16 giant balloons, 28 floats, 40 novelty and heritage inflatables, 12 marching bands, 10 performance groups, 700 clowns and one Santa Claus.
The procession of characters were joined by singer Paula Abdul, in her first parade appearance; indie pop band Fitz and the Tantrums; boy band Big Time Rush; “Blue’s Clues & You!” host Josh Dela Cruz; singer Gloria Estefan; gospel singer Kirk Franklin; actor Mario Lopez; reggae star Ziggy Marley; and Miss America 2022 Emma Broyles.
Singers Joss Stone, Jordin Sparks and Betty Who were also part of the festivities, as were the stars of Peacock’s “Pitch Perfect: Bumper in Berlin” — Adam Devine, Sarah Hyland and Flula Borg. Jimmy Fallon & The Roots were on a float celebrating Central Park.
President Biden and Jill Biden called into the parade, as he did last year. Biden thanked firefighters, police officers and first responders, saying, “They never take a break.”
They thanked the troops and Biden said he would be reaching out to speak to some today.
Asked about their plans for the day in Nantucket, Massachusetts, the Bidens said it would involve family, and some time spent locally, thanking first responders.
In Plymouth, Massachusetts, the English settlement founded by the Pilgrims who arrived on the Mayflower, two annual events were being held to embrace “all aspects” of the holiday, town officials said.
Costumed participants were re-enacting their annual Thanksgiving Day “Pilgrim Progress” procession, representing the 51 survivors of that first brutal winter of 1621 — although Thursday’s crew had better conditions, with sunny skies and temperatures in the 40s.
There also was a “National Day of Mourning” honoring indigenous ancestors and protesting against racism and oppression. “We are not vanquishing, We are not conquered, We are as strong as ever,” a sign behind the speakers read. | https://www.wmar2news.com/news/national/high-flying-balloon-characters-star-in-thanksgiving-parade | 2022-11-25 14:28:32 | 1 | https://www.wmar2news.com/news/national/high-flying-balloon-characters-star-in-thanksgiving-parade |
DJI upgrades the Air series with the release of the Air 3 drone. Available at B&H, the Air 3 is the first Air drone to feature dual cameras, in addition to upgrades to flight time, video transmission range, and Waypoint flight planning.
NEW YORK, July 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- B&H is pleased to announce the release of the DJI Air 3 Drone. As the successor to the Air 2S, the Air 3 brings the Air series closer to the more advanced Mavic, while still being accessible to beginner pilots and professionals alike. Equipped with many firsts for the Air series, the Air 3 offers a dual camera system, with wide-angle and 3x telephoto cameras, as well as a longer 12.4-mile range O4 transmission system, longer 46-minute flight time, smoother APAS 5.0 obstacle avoidance, and the incorporation of the Waypoint feature for custom flight planning.
The dual camera system incorporates larger 1/1.3" CMOS sensors, 48MP still image capture, and video recording at various resolutions. Videographers can choose from a maximum of 4K at 100 fps, 4K at 60 fps with the utilization of HDR, or 2.7K vertically oriented videos. The vertical option makes the Air 3 ideal for social media content creators who want to save on cropping. Speaking of post-processing, 10-bit D-Log M and 10-bit HLG can help speed editing and eliminate the need for color grading.
DJI Air 3 Drone Fly More Combo
Product Highlights:
- Dual Wide-Angle & 3x Telephoto Cameras
- 4K/100, 4K/60 HDR or 2.7K Vertical Video
- 1/1.3" CMOS Sensors & up to 48MP Stills
- 10-bit D-Log M & 10-bit HLG Color Modes
- Up to 46 Minutes of Flight Time
- Omnidirectional APAS 5.0 Avoidance
- O4 1080p/60 12.4-Mile Transmission
- Multiple Pre-Programmed Flight Modes
- Plan Routes in Advance with Waypoint
- Smart RTH with Obstacle Avoidance
Ease of use is a hallmark of the Air series and Air 3 is no exception. The foldable design makes the drone compact, letting pilots take the DJI Air 3 almost anywhere, and deploy at a moment's notice. Various flight modes, such as FocusTrack, QuickShots, MasterShots, and Hyperlapse deliver pre-programmed creative flight maneuvers and tracking for professional results that are more easily achievable. Part of Hyperlapse is the Waypoint feature, which is new to the Air 3. This allows pilots to plot flight routes and camera actions, save them, and repeat them―a capability that opens up long-duration time lapse and even more complex aerial shots.
As with other Air releases, the Air 3 comes in different configurations along with a host of accessories that are available at launch for individual purchase. The configurations include a standard version with RC-N2 remote, a Fly More Combo with that same remote, and another Fly More Combo with an upgraded RC 2 remote, which features a built-in 5.5" display. The accessories in each Fly More Combo include additional intelligent flight batteries, propellers, a battery charging hub, and a shoulder bag. The individual accessories include some of the Fly More Combo items and more, such as a wide-angle lens, gimbal protector, set of ND filters, propeller guard, and drone holder. In any format, the Air 3 represents a significant leap forward in capabilities, while staying accessible to all skill levels.
Learn all about the DJI Air 3 Drone at B&H Explora
About B&H Photo Video
As the world's largest source of photography, video, and audio equipment, as well as computers, drones, and home and portable entertainment, B&H is known worldwide for its attentive, knowledgeable sales force and excellent customer service, including fast, reliable shipping. B&H has been satisfying customers worldwide for 50 years.
From B&H's humble beginnings in 1973 as a mom-and-pop photo shop near New York's City Hall, to five decades later, the company has grown into the leading online and physical retailer supporting the creative community.
With 50 years of unwavering commitment to quality, innovation, and customer service, B&H has become the trusted, go-to place for photo, video, audio, and other creative gear for professionals and enthusiasts alike. Learn more at the Bild Expo website Bild Expo 2023 and register for free admission. For information about B&H, visit B&H Photo.
When you're in Manhattan, take a tour of the B&H Photo SuperStore, located at 420 Ninth Avenue. The techno-carousel spins all year round at the counters and kiosks at B&H. With hundreds of products on display, the B&H Photo SuperStore is the place to test-drive and compare all the latest gear.
Contact Information
Henry Posner
B&H Photo Video
212-615-8820
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/
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SOURCE B&H Photo | https://www.wistv.com/prnewswire/2023/07/25/dji-announces-air-3-drone-the-first-air-drone-feature-dual-cameras-first-look-youtube-video-bamph/ | 2023-07-25 13:30:24 | 0 | https://www.wistv.com/prnewswire/2023/07/25/dji-announces-air-3-drone-the-first-air-drone-feature-dual-cameras-first-look-youtube-video-bamph/ |
Led by Jessica Bejarano and Latin artists, the musical event will celebrate a fusion of classic
and contemporary music by blending hip hop, regional Mexican and dancehall sounds for an
unforgettable live experience
WHITE PLAINS, N.Y., Sept. 27, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- HEINEKEN USA and its TECATE ® ALTA™ brand has joined forces with the San Francisco Philharmonic to create ALTA Sinfónica, a live concert experience that blends hip hop, regional Mexican and dancehall sounds and uses music as the vehicle to highlight the rich culture that is synonymous with the Hispanic community.
Taking place on October 1st in San Francisco's Herbst Theater, ALTA Sinfónica will be led by Mexican-American conductor and founder of the San Francisco Philharmonic, Jessica Bejarano, and feature collaborations with some of today's hottest Latin artists including Snow Tha Product, Oscar Cortez and Los Rakas. Music doesn't judge, it connects cultures and welcomes listeners from all backgrounds. ALTA Sinfónica is highlighting the bonding power of music and making the live event accessible to all. Tickets are priced at $25 and can be purchased HERE. 100% of proceeds from ticket sales will benefit the San Francisco Philharmonic community programs.
ALTA Sinfónica is a reimagined approach to classical music and will unite audiences with the blending of cultural boundaries through music. The event will celebrate a fusion of classic and contemporary sounds.
Artists forming as part of the ALTA Sinfónica experience and collaborating on exclusive musical pieces include:
- Jessica Bejarano, a Mexican-American conductor from East Los Angeles and founder and music director of the San Francisco Philharmonic who has guest conducted in Russia, Italy, Romania, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Spain, Venezuela and throughout the United States. She has also held motivational speaker engagements for numerous companies, schools and arts organizations.
- Snow Tha Product from San Jose, California, proudly represents being Mexican-American in her music. Before becoming a Latin Grammy-nominated rapper, Snow sang mariachi music and then found her voice through freestyle rap and hip-hop.
- Oscar Cortez a native of Los Angeles, California, is known for his signature "callejero" style blending regional Mexican corridos with urban sounds, enriching both genres with his unique vista.
- Los Rakas are an Afro-Latino, Grammy-nominated duo comprised of cousins Raka Rich and Raka Dun who are Panamanians by way of the Bay Area who create Latin-urban music blending hip-hop, plena, reggae and dancehall sounds.
"As with any other cultural expression, we believe music has no borders. To demonstrate the beauty of cross-cultural convergence, the San Francisco Philharmonic will merge with urban artists to create a whole new musical expression. ALTA Sinfónica showcases the beauty and power of what is possible when different ideas and identities come together to bring their all," said Tecate® Sr. Brand Director, Oscar Martinez. "Tecate® ALTA™ is all about blurring lines, welcoming unique perspectives and embracing what makes us different."
Fans unable to attend the live event can immerse themselves in the behind-the-scenes of ALTA Sinfónica via a special docuseries that will be posted to official Tecate social media channels weeks after the live in-person event on October 1st. Find the latest news on Facebook @CervezaTecateUS, Instagram @Tecate, Twitter @Tecate and YouTube www.youtube.com/user/USATecate and use the hashtag #ALTASinfonica.
Enjoy TECATE Alta® Responsibly. ©2021 TECATE Alta®. Product of Mexico. Imported by Cervezas Mexicanas, White Plains, NY.
ABOUT TECATE
Born in the bicultural borderland of Baja California, Mexico, TECATE® embodies the unapologetic energy of Mexican-Americans in the USA. We are still proudly brewed using the same high-quality recipe since 1944. TECATE® is imported by Cervezas Mexicanas, White Plains, N.Y. For news and updates, follow Tecate on Twitter & Instagram @Tecate, or visit TecateBeerUSA.com.
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SOURCE HEINEKEN USA Inc. | https://www.wkyt.com/prnewswire/2022/09/27/tecate-alta-san-francisco-philharmonic-present-alta-sinfnica-one-night-concert-experience-live-october-1st/ | 2022-09-27 18:22:51 | 0 | https://www.wkyt.com/prnewswire/2022/09/27/tecate-alta-san-francisco-philharmonic-present-alta-sinfnica-one-night-concert-experience-live-october-1st/ |
MACAO, Sept. 29, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The 13th International Infrastructure Investment and Construction Forum ("IIICF", "the Forum"), co-organized by China International Contractors Association and Macao Trade and Investment Promotion Institute, opened in Macao on September 28. As the largest and most influential such forum in the world, the opening of this year's IIICF drew many major figures from the international infrastructure investment and construction community. Present at the opening ceremony were Ho Iat Seng, Chief Executive of the Macao Special Administrative Region (Macao SAR); Zheng Xincong, Director of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Macao SAR; Liu Xianfa, Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China in the Macao SAR; Wong Sio Chak, Secretary for Security of the Macao SAR; as well as heads of international contractors and financial institutions.
With the theme "Building High-standard, Sustainable and People-centered Infrastructure", the forum attracted more than 1,300 guests from over 600 institutions, including senior executives of 20 financial institutions, top leaders of more than 70 enterprises among ENR's Top 250 International Contractors, as well as decision makers from major industrial enterprises and suppliers from across the globe. With a focus on the opportunities and challenges facing international infrastructure cooperation in the post-pandemic era, the forum will look to build a broad consensus, and consolidate international cooperation for the facilitation of green infrastructure projects around the world.
As one of the event's highlights, The Belt and Road Infrastructure Development Index (2022) and the Belt and Road Infrastructure Development Index Report (2022) was launched at the forum and presented how the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has played an important role in international infrastructure investment and construction projects.
During the forum, the China International Contractors Association (CHINCA) launched the "Mechanism for International Sustainable Infrastructure Promotion" in association with the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ) and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), in a joint bid to promote the diversified, inclusive, green, low-carbon and climate-resilient development of sustainable infrastructure.
"In the post-pandemic era, countries will face unique challenges, and stressed the importance of the international community to come together to invest in infrastructure and construction, in order to fuel economic growth and development, and improve people's livelihoods," said Fang Qiuchen, Chairman of CHINCA.
For more information about the Forum, please visit: http://en.iiicf.org/.
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SOURCE China International Contractors Association | https://www.kold.com/prnewswire/2022/09/29/13th-iiicf-macao-shined-spotlight-bris-vital-role-international-infrastructure/ | 2022-09-29 23:34:18 | 1 | https://www.kold.com/prnewswire/2022/09/29/13th-iiicf-macao-shined-spotlight-bris-vital-role-international-infrastructure/ |
It was early May in 2021 when patients flooded the emergency room at the University of California San Diego Health Center.
"We were bringing in backup staff, our wait times had gone haywire, the whole system was overloaded," said Dr. Christopher Longhurst, UC San Diego's chief medical officer and digital officer. "We felt it."
But the crunch wasn't the result of a massive accident or the latest wave of patients infected by a new coronavirus variant. The influx was the direct result of a ransomware attack, a costly and unfortunately now common form of cybercrime in which hackers lock down their victims' files and demand a ransom, often millions of dollars, to unlock them.
In reality, UC San Diego wasn't the target. Their systems were intact. Instead, hackers had breached the hospital down the street, Scripps Health. The culprits not only took over the hospital's digital records system and its entire computer network, but stole millions of patients' confidential data. Scripps struggled for weeks to get back online, and is still dealing with the aftermath, having paid $3.5 million in a legal settlement earlier this year with patients whose data was exposed.
Cyberattacks on hospitals 'should be considered a regional disaster,' a study finds
Previously, there's been very little concrete data or analysis breaking down the direct impacts of a cyberattack on a hospital, let alone an entire region of healthcare providers. Most evidence of harm, including deaths, remains anecdotal and has been the subject of lawsuits, including one case in Alabama in 2019 where a family sued the hospital when their baby died during a ransomware attack.
There are reasons for the dearth of data. There are liability concerns, privacy laws, fear for reputational damage and technical challenges. The Scripps attack was highly publicized, and the CEO Chris Van Gorder came forward to write an op-ed about lessons learned from the attack in the San Diego Tribune several months later. However, there are still limitations on how much Scripps can share. And victims of major ransomware attacks, hospitals and other entities are still extremely hesitant to come forward.
That's where UC San Diego comes in.
In 2019, UC San Diego appointed the first medical director of cybersecurity, Dr. Christian Dameff. Dameff, who is also an emergency department doctor, joined a team of physicians and cybersecurity experts to study the impact of a ransomware attack on a neighboring hospital, using their experience in 2021. (The paper's authors don't identify Scripps Hospital as the victim of the nearby ransomware attack, in order to keep attention on their results, though contextual clues like the time period and location make it clear.) They published the results of their research in the peer-reviewed Journal of the American Medical Association in May.
The team of researchers at UC San Diego documented a massive influx of patients to the emergency room in the weeks following the breach. Compared to the weeks prior to the attack, there were over 600 additional patients waiting in the emergency room, while the number of patients leaving without being seen by a doctor more than doubled. There were more than double the number of confirmed strokes during the same time period, as well as nearby double the number of emergency stroke code activations, according to the paper.
The authors concluded that their findings proved that hospitals within close proximity to a victim of a ransomware attack experience serious resource constraints, "affecting time-sensitive care for conditions such as an acute stroke."
Cyberattacks on hospitals "should be considered a regional disaster," the authors wrote.
When asked whether the results were surprising, Longhurst, UC San Diego's chief medical officer and digital officer, said the data actually confirmed what his team experienced during that time period. "We lived through it," he said.
'Ripples in the pond after the stone falls'
It's not just about directly linking deaths with ransomware attacks. Those cases have been well-covered in the news, and there's power in painting a personal portrait of the individual consequences of these attacks, said Longhurst. But having additional metrics that illustrate the other kinds of negative outcomes associated with even a nearby cyberattack is valuable. The data points to where resources might get constrained and how patients might suffer in the short and long-term.
"In some ways what we're looking for are the ripples in the pond after the stone falls," said Dr. Jeff Tully, another co-author of the study.
Tully explained that part of the reason there isn't more granular data on individual patients who are impacted by a ransomware attack at a hospital is because the systems used to track patient care themselves can be damaged or disrupted by the attack.
"A lot of times we just have to focus on the best kind of surrogate or second-hand metrics that we have," he said. For example, there is well documented research demonstrating that stroke patients who don't receive immediate care are at higher risk for bad outcomes like loss of speech, Tully said. "We're trying to identify areas in which it looks like our normal patient care workflows don't process as efficiently as possible."
The Department of Homeland Security's Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency in September 2021 published one of the only other papers partially focused on trying to quantify the impacts of a cyberattack in a healthcare setting. That study was aimed at documenting the challenges faced by the healthcare system during the coronavirus pandemic.
Two of the paper's authors were Josh Corman and Beau Woods, who have worked in healthcare cybersecurity for decades. Both were recruited to serve on a U.S. government COVID-19 vaccine cybersecurity task force.
"We watched the nation's ability to provide medical care suffer," explained Corman in an interview.
While they weren't able to directly correlate the cyberattack with an increase in deaths, the impact was clear, according to the paper.
Some of the metrics they studied included cancelled or delayed surgeries and cancer treatments, lack of COVID testing center availability, loss of communication between hospitals, and more.
"Beyond the obvious consequences of disruptions to diagnostic, testing and treatment equipment, even minor reductions in efficiency caused by cyber incidents compound to increase staff workload and degrade the system's ability to provide medical care," wrote the authors.
Tully of UC San Diego said the goal of the paper was to get more data out there, to inspire future similar research to corroborate results and to kickstart conversations within regions about how to develop emergency response protocols, treating cyberattacks like natural disasters.
Particularly in a scientific field, providing data to demonstrate the extent of a problem is an important way to convince higher-ups to put resources towards correcting the problem, experts said during interviews. That's also important in policy conversations. There are ongoing discussions in Washington, D.C., about the value of banning ransomware payments in an effort to discourage cybercriminals. But in an emergency at a hospital, losing access to patient data and medical technology even for a short period of time could be catastrophic.
There's also a hope that there's more openness going forward.
According to Tully, some organizations have already been very forthright about their experiences with similar attacks, including the University of Vermont Medical Center. But there are dozens of others that have completely locked down from public view.
Sharing information is especially important at a time when ransomware attacks against hospitals are on the rise again.
No more guardrails
According to Allan Liska, a ransomware expert at the cybersecurity firm Recorded Future, the numbers of attacks against hospitals dipped slightly in 2022, but are so far on track to increase in 2023. Part of the reason for that, Liska explained, is that the ransomware ecosystem is changing. For years, small-time cybercriminals were paying ransomware gangs to access their attack methods and malware. Ransomware gangs have professionalized over the years, and had some measure of control over their affiliates. But now, many of those groups' hacking tools have been stolen and are easily accessible online. "Those guardrails, such as they were, are no longer in place," said Liska.
Stakeholders in the field are already pointing to areas where the type of research UC San Diego conducted could be expanded.
"Looking at the way some other units are affected, like how radiology systems ... if people get delays in diagnosis because they're not able to get a CT scan ... is your chemotherapy or your radiation being delayed? So I think if you look at different departments across a hospital, there might be similar numbers," said Penny Chase, a cybersecurity expert at MITRE during an interview with NPR.
MITRE is a nonprofit that conducts a lot of research for the U.S. government. Within MITRE, there is a lot of research being done on how critical infrastructure systems are connected, to better understand if a single point of failure could lead to a crippling regional disaster like in San Diego.
That includes entirely different sectors, like the water sector, one of the most vulnerable, per Chase.
"The work in the lab and other kinds of exercises we've been involved in are really trying to look at these across critical infrastructure sectors and see what the interdependencies are and what the upstream and downstream impacts are," she continued.
Talking to patients about cyber risks
One important thing to remember, however, is keeping patients included in the discussion. Andrea Downing, a breast cancer advocate and technical expert, founded an organization called the Light Collective. After major leaks of private data including the 2019 Cambridge Analytica scandal, Downing felt compelled to found an organization that would specifically advocate for secure technology that meets patients' needs.
Downing has met with Woods, Corman and others at the annual CyberMed Summit, most recently held this spring in Washington, D.C. The summit is designed to get all relevant stakeholders in a room discuss the most urgent needs in healthcare cybersecurity, from vulnerabilities in medical devices to privacy needs. One of the more memorable moments was a simulation in which Downing played the role of a patient who was getting a cardiac device implanted. She said it drove home the idea that physicians need to be talking to patients about informed consent and potential cyber risks immediately, rather than after disaster strikes.
Ransomware is a major fear within the patient advocacy groups Downing works with, she said. They're scared they won't have access to the care they need when they need it, but also that cyber criminals might steal and leak their private, sensitive medical data. Knowing there's a plan in place to respond when disaster inevitably strikes would be a step in the right direction.
"If we have an emergency or an acute event, we have to get into the ER. Time can really equal lives," said Downing.
Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.apr.org/science-health/2023-06-25/cyberattacks-on-hospitals-should-be-considered-a-regional-disaster-researchers-find | 2023-06-28 12:18:05 | 1 | https://www.apr.org/science-health/2023-06-25/cyberattacks-on-hospitals-should-be-considered-a-regional-disaster-researchers-find |
The new lineup of six deliciously satisfying Smoothie Bowls is available now
DALLAS, April 4, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Smoothie King, the inventor of the smoothie, becomes the country's largest Smoothie Bowl destination today with the launch of six Smoothie Bowls at its more than 1,100 locations nationwide. The launch also debuts Smoothie King's new red spoon, complementing the brand's signature red straws.
"At Smoothie King, we're proud to offer innovative menu items that meet the needs of our guests and fit naturally into their active lifestyles," said Smoothie King Chief Marketing Officer Marianne Radley. "Over the last 50 years, we've honed our craft as the king of delicious and nutritious smoothies. Now we are introducing these incredibly fresh, satisfying smoothie bowls as a new offering that we know our guests will love."
Smoothie King's new Smoothie Bowls offer delicious combinations of premium ingredients to help guests achieve an active and balanced lifestyle. Each bowl starts with a base of açaí or pitaya, commonly known as dragon fruit. Both açaí and pitaya are nutrient-dense superfoods, rich in antioxidants and vitamins.
As part of Smoothie King's Clean Blends promise, the six new Smoothie Bowls feature wholesome ingredients such as whole, non-GMO fruits and contain no artificial colors, flavors or preservatives.
The Açaí Bowls include:
- PB Swizzle - açaí blend, Purely Elizabeth® granola, sliced banana, diced strawberries, whole blueberries and peanut butter drizzle
- Berry Goji Getaway - açaí blend, diced mango, diced strawberries, shredded coconut, dried goji berries and honey drizzle
- Go-Go Goji Crunch - açaí blend, Purely Elizabeth® granola, diced strawberries, whole blueberries, dried goji berries and honey drizzle
The Pitaya Bowls include:
- Bee Berry Sting - pitaya blend, Purely Elizabeth® granola, diced strawberries, diced mango, whole blueberries and honey drizzle
- High Five - pitaya blend, sliced banana, diced mango, shredded coconut, dried goji berries and honey drizzle
- PB Delight - pitaya blend, Purely Elizabeth® granola, sliced banana, whole blueberries, dried goji berries and peanut butter drizzle
All six made-to-order Smoothie Bowls contain a daily serving of whole fruits, have up to 11 grams of protein, and range from 450-610 calories, making them a healthier meal alternative to many fast-food options or a convenient on-the-go snack. Four Smoothie Bowls in the product lineup are topped with Purely Elizabeth® granola, which is certified gluten-free, made with organic, innovative and nutritious ingredients to add delicious flavor and texture.
On April 4, guests can enjoy early access to Smoothie Bowls by downloading and ordering through the Smoothie King app. Smoothie Bowls will be available to all consumers nationwide on April 6 in-store, through the drive-through or on the Smoothie King app.
For more information and store locations, visit smoothieking.com.
About Smoothie King Franchises, Inc.
Smoothie King Franchises, Inc., the original U.S. smoothie franchise, is a privately held, Dallas-based franchise company with more than 1400 units worldwide. It was founded in 1973 with the mission to help others achieve better health in a delicious way through smoothies. Today, it continues its mission to inspire a healthy and active lifestyle through its Clean Blends initiative, which focuses on great-tasting smoothies with more whole fruits and vegetables while removing artificial flavors, colors and preservatives and added sugars in many of its blends. To learn more about Smoothie King, visit our website or check us out on Facebook and Instagram.
Agency Contact: Maggie Tulipana
MTulipana@barkleyus.com
618-334-7891
Corporate Contact: Avery Bash
Avery.Bash@smoothieking.com
214-502-5007
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SOURCE Smoothie King | https://www.wbay.com/prnewswire/2023/04/04/smoothie-king-debuts-new-smoothie-bowls-become-countrys-largest-smoothie-bowl-destination/ | 2023-04-04 11:09:43 | 1 | https://www.wbay.com/prnewswire/2023/04/04/smoothie-king-debuts-new-smoothie-bowls-become-countrys-largest-smoothie-bowl-destination/ |
Egypt: Central Bank hikes interest rates to limit inflation
CAIRO (AP) — The Central Bank of Egypt has raised interest rates as the country continues to battle double-digit inflation amid a sharp currency devaluation. The bank’s monetary policy committee announced Thursday that the most basic lending rate, the overnight deposit rate, was increased from 13.25% to 16.25%. Egypt’s economy has been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic,years of government austerity measures, and fallout from the war in Ukraine. Egypt is the world’s largest wheat importer, and most of its imports come from Russia and Ukraine. | https://localnews8.com/news/ap-national/2022/12/22/egypt-central-bank-hikes-interest-rates-to-limit-inflation/ | 2022-12-23 00:17:46 | 1 | https://localnews8.com/news/ap-national/2022/12/22/egypt-central-bank-hikes-interest-rates-to-limit-inflation/ |
U.S. Marshals offer reward for fugitive wanted for crimes in Summit, Cuyahoga Counties
CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) - The Northern Ohio Violet Fugitive Task Force is offering a reward for information leading to the arrest of Arbe Beane.
According to the U.S. Marshals, Beeane, 42, is wanted by Summit County Sheriff deputies for felonious assault for shooting a victim after an argument.
He is also wanted by Cuyahoga County Sheriff deputies for receiving stolen property and Garfield Heights police for burglary.
Beane is described as a Black man, standing 5 feet 10 inches tall and weighing approximately 150 pounds.
Beane is known to frequent the Cleveland and Summit County areas, said the U.S. Marshals.
If you have any information in reference to Arbe Beane, please contact the Northern Ohio Violent Fugitive Task Force at 1-866-4WANTED.
Copyright 2023 WOIO. All rights reserved. | https://www.cleveland19.com/2023/05/22/us-marshals-offer-reward-fugitive-wanted-crimes-summit-cuyahoga-counties/ | 2023-05-22 14:18:33 | 1 | https://www.cleveland19.com/2023/05/22/us-marshals-offer-reward-fugitive-wanted-crimes-summit-cuyahoga-counties/ |
Rivian has deployed around 3,000 last-mile electric vans to Amazon in cities across the US, the company said in the statement. It had initially agreed to deliver 10,000 vans to Amazon by the end of last year, a target it missed.
Irvine, California-based Rivian is a leader in the large pack of American EV startups chasing Tesla Inc. In addition to its delivery vans, it makes two consumer vehicles — the R1T battery-electric pick-up and R1S sport utility vehicle — at its sole production facility in Normal, Illinois.
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It will export the Electric Delivery Vans, or EDVs, from its Illinois plant to Europe, the company said. In December, Rivian had previously shelved a plan to jointly build electric vans locally in Europe with Mercedes-Benz Group AG.
The company has turned a corner on production after a stop-start 2022 that saw its shares plummet. Amazon, along with backers like T. Rowe Price Group Inc., propelled Rivian’s 2021 listing to be the sixth-biggest in US history. On Monday, Rivian reported production for the second quarter that beat expectations.
Not a subscriber? We have options that meet your needs. | https://www.chicagobusiness.com/manufacturing/rivian-expand-amazon-ev-deliveries-eu-germany | 2023-07-04 01:21:14 | 0 | https://www.chicagobusiness.com/manufacturing/rivian-expand-amazon-ev-deliveries-eu-germany |
The fragmentation of the world economy into rival blocs led by the United States and China threatens to destabilize global commerce, increase inflation and weaken growth, Christine Lagarde, the president of the European Central Bank, warned Monday.
Speaking to the Council on Foreign Relations in New York, Lagarde said that economic data dating to 1900 shows that “geopolitical risks led invariably to higher inflation.”
Costs tend to mount, she said, as countries stop or reduce trading with rivals and seek supplies at home or from allied countries. She added that it can be difficult to sever ties: Europe, for example, relies on China for 98% of its rare earth minerals, which are used in cellphones and computer hard drives, among other products.
If world supply chains were to split along geopolitical lines, Lagarde warned, consumer prices could rise 5% in the near term and 1% in the long run.
Lagarde also said the United States could not take for granted the U.S. dollar’s continued role as the go-to currency for world trade, though for now it remains unchallenged. China, Russia and other countries are seeking to wean themselves off dependence on the United States, which has sought to use its dominance to impose sanctions, most notably on Russia after its invasion of Ukraine last year.
A more splintered and less efficient world economy, Lagarde said, will make it harder for central banks to contain inflation. They will need help from government policymakers, who must find ways to control costs by improving the efficiency of supply chains and by conserving energy.
Lagarde, who began leading the ECB in 2019 after eight years as head of the International Monetary Fund, held out hope that this goal can be accomplished. She pointed to the challenge Europe had faced after Moscow cut off natural gas supplies after it invaded Europe.
Aided by an unusually warm winter, Europe succeeded in saving energy, finding alternative energy supplies and opening liquefied natural gas terminals that permitted access to sea-bound imports from the United States and other countries much faster than expected.
To combat inflation exacerbated by the Ukraine war’s disruption of energy and food markets, the E CB has aggressively raised interest rates.
“It is beginning to work,’’ Lagarde said.
She credited an easing of supply chain backlogs and lower energy prices, along with the ECB’s tighter monetary policy.
Inflation in the 20 countries that share the euro currency slowed in March to 6.9%, the lowest level in a year, down from a peak of 10.6% in October. | https://www.cbs42.com/news/business/lagarde-us-china-split-may-weaken-growth-and-fuel-inflation/ | 2023-04-18 15:08:11 | 0 | https://www.cbs42.com/news/business/lagarde-us-china-split-may-weaken-growth-and-fuel-inflation/ |
NEW YORK, July 19, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Virtus InfraCap U.S. Preferred Stock ETF (NYSE Arca: PFFA) (the "Fund") has declared a monthly distribution of $0.1625 per share ($1.95 per share on an annualized basis). The distribution will be paid July 28, 2022 to shareholders of record as of the close of business July 21, 2022.
PFFA Cash Distribution:
- Ex-Date: Wednesday, July 20, 2022
- Record Date: Thursday, July 21, 2022
- Payable Date: Thursday, July 28, 2022
Infrastructure Capital Advisors expects to declare future distributions on a monthly basis. Distributions are planned, but not guaranteed, for every month. The next distribution is scheduled to occur in August 2022.
For more information about PFFA's distribution policy, its 2022 distribution calendar, or tax information, please visit the Fund's website at www.virtusetfs.com.
About Virtus ETF Advisers
Virtus ETF Advisers is a New York-based, multi-manager ETF sponsor and affiliate of Virtus Investment Partners. With actively managed and index-based investment capabilities across multiple asset classes, Virtus offers a range of complementary exchange-traded-funds subadvised by select investment managers.
About Infrastructure Capital Advisors, LLC
Infrastructure Capital Advisors, LLC (ICA) is an SEC-registered investment advisor that manages exchange traded funds and a series of hedge funds. The firm was formed in 2012 and is based in New York City. ICA seeks total-return opportunities in key infrastructure sectors, including energy, real estate, transportation, industrials and utilities. It often identifies opportunities in entities that are not taxed at the entity level, such as master limited partnerships ("MLPs") and real estate investment trusts ("REITs"). It also looks for opportunities in credit and related securities, such as preferred stocks. Current income is a primary objective in most, but not all, of the company's investing activities. The focus is generally on asset-intensive companies that generate and distribute substantial streams of free cash flow. For more information, please visit www.infracapfunds.com.
DISCLOSURE
Fund Risks
Exchange Traded Funds: The value of an ETF may be more volatile than the underlying portfolio of securities the ETF is designed to track. The costs of owning the ETF may exceed the cost of investing directly in the underlying securities. Preferred Stock: Preferred stocks may decline in price, fail to pay dividends, or be illiquid. Non-Diversified: The Fund is non-diversified and may be more susceptible to factors negatively impacting its holdings to the extent that each security represents a larger portion of the Fund's assets. Short Sales: The Fund may engage in short sales, and may experience a loss if the price of a borrowed security increases before the date on which the Fund replaces the security. Leverage: When a Fund leverages its portfolio, the value of its shares may be more volatile and all other risks may be compounded. Derivatives: Investments in derivatives such as futures, options, forwards, and swaps may increase volatility or cause a loss greater than the principal investment. No Guarantee: There is no guarantee that the portfolio will meet its objective. Prospectus: For additional information on risks, please see the Fund's prospectus.
You should consider the Fund's investment objectives, risks, and charges and expenses carefully before investing. Contact VP Distributors LLC at 1-888-383-4184 or visit www.virtusetfs.com to obtain a prospectus which contains this and other information about the Fund. The prospectus should be read carefully before investing.
Virtus ETF Advisers, LLC serves as the investment advisor and Infrastructure Capital Advisors, LLC serves as the subadviser to the Fund.
The Fund is distributed by VP Distributors, LLC, member FINRA and subsidiary of Virtus Investment Partners, Inc.
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SOURCE Virtus InfraCap U.S. Preferred Stock ETF | https://www.wistv.com/prnewswire/2022/07/19/virtus-infracap-us-preferred-stock-etf-nyse-arca-pffa-declares-monthly-distribution/ | 2022-07-19 21:18:15 | 0 | https://www.wistv.com/prnewswire/2022/07/19/virtus-infracap-us-preferred-stock-etf-nyse-arca-pffa-declares-monthly-distribution/ |
Embattled UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson agrees to resign
LONDON (AP) - British Prime Minister Boris Johnson agreed to resign Thursday after days of defections crippled the controversial leader and left him unable to govern.
Johnson finally agreed to step down after one of his closest allies, Treasury Chief Nadhim Zahawi, told the prime minister to resign for the good of the country. It was not immediately clear whether Johnson will stay in office while the Conservative Party chooses a new leader, who will automatically become prime minister as well. A formal announcement is expected later Thursday.
“Prime Minister: this is not sustainable and it will only get worse: for you, for the Conservative Party and most importantly of all the country,” Zahawi said in a letter to Johnson. “You must do the right thing and go now.”
Zahawi’s intervention came after two more members of Johnson’s Cabinet resigned, along with three junior officials, pushing the number of those who have left the government this week past 50.
Johnson on Wednesday rejected calls to resign, arguing that he had a mandate from the voters to remain in office. But by Thursday morning the man who has built a reputation for wriggling out of political controversies was forced to admit the reality of his situation.
Bernard Jenkin, a senior Conservative Party lawmaker, said he met with Johnson on Wednesday and advised him to stand down.
“I just said to him, ‘Look, it’s just when you go now, and it’s how you go. You can go with some dignity or you can be forced out like Donald Trump, clinging to power and pretending he’s won the election when he’s lost,’’ Jenkin told the BBC before Johnson agreed to resign.
Johnson, 58, managed to remain in power for almost three years, despite allegations that he was too close to party donors, that he protected supporters from bullying and corruption allegations, and that he misled Parliament and was dishonest to the public about government office parties that broke pandemic lockdown rules.
But recent disclosures that Johnson knew about sexual misconduct allegations against Chris Pincher, a Conservative lawmaker, before he promoted Pincher to a senior position turned out to be the last straw.
Last week, Pincher resigned as deputy chief whip after complaints he groped two men at a private club. That triggered a series of reports about past allegations leveled against Pincher — and shifting explanations from the government about what Johnson knew when he tapped him for a senior job enforcing party discipline.
Health Secretary Sajid Javid and Treasury chief Rishi Sunak resigned within minutes of each other Wednesday over the scandal. The two Cabinet heavyweights were responsible for tackling two of the biggest issues facing Britain — the cost-of-living crisis and COVID-19.
Javid captured the mood of many lawmakers when he said Johnson’s actions threatened to undermine the integrity of the Conservative Party and the British government.
“At some point we have to conclude that enough is enough,” he told fellow lawmakers Wednesday. “I believe that point is now.”
Welsh Secretary Simon Hart resigned on Wednesday, and Northern Ireland Secretary Brandon Lewis followed suite early Thursday, telling Johnson in his resignation letter that “we are ... past the point of no return. I cannot sacrifice my personal integrity to defend things as they stand now.” He was later followed by Education Secretary Michelle Donelan, who was only appointed to her post on Tuesday to replace Zahawi.
Johnson had attempted to defy the mathematics of parliamentary government and the traditions of British politics. It is rare for a prime minister to cling to power in the face of this much pressure from his Cabinet colleagues.
The closest parallel may be Margaret Thatcher, the long-time Conservative prime minister who in 1990 sought to remain in office after her authority was undermined by disagreements over Britain’s relationship with what is now known as the European Union. But even she decided to resign after a number of Cabinet ministers told her it would be better for the party if she stepped aside.
Johnson may try to remain in office until the Conservative Party chooses a new leader, a process likely to take place over the summer. But some Conservatives said he should leave 10 Downing St. immediately to end the chaos engulfing the government.
George Freeman, who quit as science minister on Thursday, tweeted that “Boris Johnson needs to hand in the seals of office, apologise to Her Majesty (Queen Elizabeth II) and advise her to call for a caretaker prime minister. To take over today so that ministers can get back to work and we can choose a new Conservative leader to try and repair the damage and rebuild trust.”
___
Follow all of AP’s coverage of Prime Minister Boris Johnson at https://apnews.com/hub/boris-johnson
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.wibw.com/2022/07/07/uk-media-prime-minister-boris-johnson-agrees-step-down/ | 2022-07-07 09:26:09 | 0 | https://www.wibw.com/2022/07/07/uk-media-prime-minister-boris-johnson-agrees-step-down/ |
Judge: Walgreens contributed to San Francisco opioid crisis
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A federal judge ruled Wednesday that Walgreens can be held responsible for contributing to San Francisco’s opioid crisis for over-dispensing highly addictive drugs for years without proper oversight and failing to identify and report suspicious orders as required by law.
San Francisco City Attorney David Chiu said the pharmacy chain “continually violated what they were required to do under the federal Controlled Substances Act,” failing to track opioid prescriptions, preventing pharmacists from vetting prescriptions and “nor did they see the many red flags of physicians and others who were dramatically over-prescribing.”
“Pharmacists were pressured to fill, fill, fill,” he said, “and as a result, Walgreens filled our streets with opioids.”
U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer ruled that for 15 years, Walgreens dispensed hundreds of thousands of pills, eventually contributing to the city’s hospitals being overwhelmed with opioid patients, libraries being forced to close because of syringe-clogged toilets, and syringes littering children’s playgrounds in San Francisco.
A Walgreens spokesman said the chain is disappointed in the outcome, which he said is not supported by the facts and the law.
“As we have said throughout this process, we never manufactured or marketed opioids, nor did we distribute them to the ‘pill mills’ and internet pharmacies that fueled this crisis,” spokesman Fraser Engerman said in a statement. “The plaintiff’s attempt to resolve the opioid crisis with an unprecedented expansion of public nuisance law is misguided and unsustainable. We look forward to the opportunity to address these issues on appeal.”
San Francisco in 2018 sued Walgreens and drug manufacturers and distributors over the city’s worsening opioid epidemic, saying they created a “public nuisance” by flooding the city with prescription opioids. All the other defendants previously settled with the city for a total of $114 million, including $54 million that opioid makers Allergan and Teva agreed to pay on the eve of closing arguments in the trial, leaving Walgreens as the sole defendant.
Wednesday’s ruling did not include a ruling on monetary damages, which will be determined in a future trial.
The opioid epidemic has been linked to more than 500,000 deaths in the U.S. over the past two decades, counting those from prescription painkillers such as OxyContin and generic oxycodone as well as illicit drugs such as heroin and illegally produced fentanyl.
The surge in deaths has led to more than 3,000 lawsuits filed by state and local governments, Native American tribes, unions, hospitals and other entities in state and federal courts over the toll of opioids. In San Francisco, Mayor London Breed declared a state of emergency last year in the Tenderloin neighborhood, saying something had to be done about the high concentration of drug dealers and people consuming drugs in public.
The city attorney’s office says San Francisco saw a nearly 500% increase in opioid-related overdose deaths between 2015 and 2020 and that on a typical day, roughly a quarter of visits at the Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital Emergency Department are opioid-related.
In 2020, 712 people died of drug overdoses, compared with 257 people who died of COVID-19, according to the city health department.
A high percentage of an estimated 7,800 homeless people in San Francisco — many of whom pitch tents in the Tenderloin — are struggling with chronic addiction or severe mental illness, often both. Some people rant in the streets, nude and in need of medical help.
Pharmacy chains have been sued less often than opioid makers or wholesalers that distribute pharmaceuticals more broadly. In one groundbreaking case, a federal jury in Ohio last year found CVS, Walgreens and Walmart recklessly distributed massive amounts of pain pills in two Ohio counties.
In May, Walgreens reached a $683 million settlement with the state of Florida in a lawsuit accusing the company of improperly dispensing millions of painkillers that contributed to the opioid crisis. Walgreens did not admit wrongdoing in its agreement with Florida and will make payments to the state over 18 years.
The company also faces litigation in Alabama, Michigan and New Mexico, among other states.
Deerfield, Illinois-based Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc. runs a network of around 9,000 drugstores in the United States. Walgreens and other prescription drug distributors have faced a slew of lawsuits over the opioid crisis.
___
Associated Press writer Tom Murphy in Indianapolis contributed to this report.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.wagmtv.com/2022/08/10/judge-walgreens-contributed-san-francisco-opioid-crisis/ | 2022-08-10 22:11:47 | 1 | https://www.wagmtv.com/2022/08/10/judge-walgreens-contributed-san-francisco-opioid-crisis/ |
SE Louisiana vs. Lamar Women's Basketball Predictions & Picks - Southland Tournament Championship
Published: Mar. 9, 2023 at 11:40 AM EST|Updated: 2 hours ago
Thursday's game features the SE Louisiana Lions (20-9) and the Lamar Cardinals (20-11) clashing at The Legacy Center in what is expected to be a competitive matchup, with a projected 62-59 victory for SE Louisiana according to our computer prediction. Tipoff is at 5:00 PM ET on March 9.
The Lions are coming off of a 60-58 win over Texas A&M-Commerce in their most recent outing on Wednesday.
SE Louisiana vs. Lamar Game Info
- When: Thursday, March 9, 2023 at 5:00 PM ET
- Where: The Legacy Center in Lake Charles, Louisiana
Use this link to get a free trial of fuboTV, where you can watch college hoops and other live sports without cable!
SE Louisiana vs. Lamar Score Prediction
- Prediction: SE Louisiana 62, Lamar 59
SE Louisiana Schedule Analysis
- The Lions defeated the No. 167-ranked (according to our computer rankings) Texas A&M-CC Islanders, 59-51, on February 4, which goes down as their signature victory of the season.
- SE Louisiana has tied for the 12th-most Quadrant 4 victories in the country (17).
SE Louisiana 2022-23 Best Wins
- 59-51 at home over Texas A&M-CC (No. 167) on February 4
- 53-46 on the road over Texas A&M-CC (No. 167) on January 12
- 46-42 at home over Texas A&M-Commerce (No. 257) on January 21
- 60-58 over Texas A&M-Commerce (No. 257) on March 8
- 66-55 on the road over Texas A&M-Commerce (No. 257) on February 18
Lamar Schedule Analysis
- The Cardinals' signature win this season came in a 66-54 victory against the SE Louisiana Lions on February 23.
- Lamar has tied for the 47th-most Quadrant 4 wins in the nation (13).
Lamar 2022-23 Best Wins
- 66-54 at home over SE Louisiana (No. 141) on February 23
- 57-47 on the road over SE Louisiana (No. 141) on January 7
- 65-53 over Texas A&M-CC (No. 167) on March 8
- 73-68 on the road over Texas A&M-CC (No. 167) on February 11
- 65-50 at home over Louisiana (No. 195) on December 17
Watch college hoops all season on all your devices without cable with a seven-day free trial on fuboTV!
SE Louisiana Performance Insights
- The Lions outscore opponents by 8.2 points per game (scoring 62.6 points per game to rank 233rd in college basketball while giving up 54.4 per contest to rank 13th in college basketball) and have a +237 scoring differential overall.
- With 61.1 points per game in Southland tilts, SE Louisiana is scoring 1.5 fewer points per game in conference games compared to its overall average (62.6 PPG).
- The Lions are scoring 68.6 points per game in home games. Away from home, they are averaging 58.3 points per contest.
- In home games, SE Louisiana is surrendering 10.8 fewer points per game (48.1) than when playing on the road (58.9).
- The Lions have been putting up 67.1 points per game in their last 10 times on the court, an average that's a little higher than the 62.6 they've scored over the course of the 2022-23 campaign.
Lamar Performance Insights
- The Cardinals have a +141 scoring differential, topping opponents by 4.6 points per game. They're putting up 64.7 points per game, 189th in college basketball, and are giving up 60.1 per outing to rank 73rd in college basketball.
- In 2022-23, Lamar has scored 65.8 points per game in Southland play, and 64.7 overall.
- In 2022-23 the Cardinals are averaging 10.5 more points per game at home (68.6) than away (58.1).
- Lamar is allowing fewer points at home (58.4 per game) than away (62.1).
- Over their last 10 games, the Cardinals are posting 69 points per game, 4.3 more than their season average (64.7).
© 2023 Data Skrive. All rights reserved. | https://www.wnem.com/sports/betting/2023/03/09/se-louisiana-lamar-womens-college-basketball-picks-southland-tournament/ | 2023-03-09 18:13:49 | 0 | https://www.wnem.com/sports/betting/2023/03/09/se-louisiana-lamar-womens-college-basketball-picks-southland-tournament/ |
An East Baton Rouge Sheriff's deputy has been arrested and fired, accused of hitting an inmate in parish prison with a chair, the sheriff's office said Sunday.
Aaron Johnson was booked on counts of malfeasance in office and aggravated second degree battery, according to a news release.
During a fight involving another deputy, Johnson hit the inmate with the chair, and was hospitalized with multiple facial fractures, the release said.
Johnson had been employed as a prison deputy since April 2022. | https://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/news/crime_police/sheriffs-deputy-arrested-fired-accused-of-hitting-inmate/article_d2c516a0-cc3b-11ed-b5be-a3183e73ac3f.html | 2023-03-27 01:47:06 | 1 | https://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/news/crime_police/sheriffs-deputy-arrested-fired-accused-of-hitting-inmate/article_d2c516a0-cc3b-11ed-b5be-a3183e73ac3f.html |
Devin Carter’s 22 points helped Providence defeat DePaul 74-59 on Sunday.
Carter also contributed five steals and four blocks for the Friars (12-3, 4-0 Big East Conference). Jared Bynum scored 18 points, going 5 of 12 from the floor, including 3 for 5 from distance, and 5 for 6 from the line. Bryce Hopkins shot 5 of 9 from the field and 2 for 6 from the line to finish with 12 points, while adding eight rebounds. The Friars prolonged their winning streak to seven games.
Da’Sean Nelson led the way for the Blue Demons (7-8) with 17 points, seven rebounds and two steals. Javan Johnson added 11 points for DePaul. Umoja Gibson also had 10 points.
Providence took the lead with 18:59 left in the first half and did not relinquish it. Carter led in scoring with 11 points in the first half to lead 38-23 at the break. Providence extended its lead to 70-45 during the second half, fueled by an 8-0 scoring run. Bynum scored a team-high 12 points in the second half as his team closed out the win.
NEXT UP
Both teams next play Wednesday. Providence hosts UConn while DePaul visits Butler.
—
The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar. | https://www.kxnet.com/scoreboard/carter-scores-22-providence-beats-depaul-74-59/ | 2023-01-02 18:38:05 | 1 | https://www.kxnet.com/scoreboard/carter-scores-22-providence-beats-depaul-74-59/ |
CHICAGO, Aug. 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Blueprint Healthcare Real Estate Advisors ("Blueprint") announced today it is launching a Behavioral Healthcare advisory group to join its existing offerings of Seniors Housing and Care, Medical Office, and Capital Markets. Industry veteran Andrew Sfreddo will serve as Head of Behavioral Healthcare, and fellow behavioral healthcare real estate veteran, Shane Harmon , will serve as Senior Director.
In 2020, behavioral healthcare accounted for $90.5B of U.S. market value and is on track to reach $132.4B by 2027 – a 5.3% compound annual growth rate. Blueprint attributes the rapid growth to increased state and federal funding and legislative efforts for mental healthcare services in the U.S.
"We are at a pivotal moment where we're seeing a culmination of factors rapidly increase the need for behavioral healthcare facilities and operations throughout the U.S." said Andrew Sfreddo, Head of Behavioral Healthcare. "Our expansion will support government efforts and provide patients and providers access to high-quality behavioral healthcare centers across the country."
Blueprint's model of delivering best-in-class services has earned them recognition as the most active advisor in the seniors housing and care space for five consecutive years. Together, Sfreddo and Harmon, add a combined 40+ years of healthcare real estate and private equity experience, with 10+ years of dedicated behavioral healthcare experience.
"It's an exciting and humbling opportunity to play a part in modernizing and expanding mental healthcare services nationwide. With Sfreddo's leadership and Blueprint's proven track record, we are in an excellent position to serve our existing clients and forge new and impactful relationships throughout the space," said Steven Thomes , Executive Managing Director and Head of Business Development.
Shane Harmon, Behavioral Healthcare Senior Director added, "Our unparalleled access to healthcare capital and facility inventory will allow providers to attract growth capital and mobilize new facilities without any of the hurdles seen before."
Blueprint is available for interviews upon request. For more information, please contact: dnaylor@blueprinthcre.com.
About Blueprint
Chicago-based Blueprint was founded in 2013 with a mission to elevate healthcare real estate brokerage through collaboration and data. They have since become the most active advisor in the seniors housing and healthcare space, with a proven track record of more than 530 transactions valued at over $8.7 billion. The company's proven model intersects broad market coverage with unrivaled analytics. In addition to its expansion into Behavioral Healthcare, Blueprint has comprehensive industry expertise in skilled nursing, seniors housing medical office, and capital markets.
Media Contact:
Diana Naylor
312-300-4185
dnaylor@blueprinthcre.com
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SOURCE Blueprint Healthcare Real Estate Advisors | https://www.wbtv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/01/blueprint-healthcare-real-estate-advisors-launches-behavioral-healthcare-group/ | 2022-08-01 13:48:55 | 1 | https://www.wbtv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/01/blueprint-healthcare-real-estate-advisors-launches-behavioral-healthcare-group/ |
DETROIT — Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has tested positive for COVID-19, her office announced.
In a statement, the governor said she tested positive Monday and is experiencing mild symptoms.
She said she would notify those she had close contact with on Monday.
Whitmer says she'll follow guidance from doctors and maintain a remote work schedule.
She is fully vaccinated and has received two booster shots.
“I am grateful for the support of my family, my staff, and the vaccine for offering me robust protection against the virus. I look forward to getting back to work in person, meeting with constituents, and keeping Michigan on the move," Whitmer said.
Whitmer is encouraging Michigan residents to get vaccinated and boosted. | https://www.kxlf.com/news/national/michigan-gov-whitmer-tests-positive-for-covid-19 | 2022-08-09 20:09:45 | 1 | https://www.kxlf.com/news/national/michigan-gov-whitmer-tests-positive-for-covid-19 |
LYNCHBURG, Va. – Liberty University has hired an executive search firm that will lead a nationwide search to find the university’s next president.
CarterBaldwin, an Atlanta-based company known as a leading provider of executive search services, has been repeatedly listed among America’s top 40 executive search firms, according to a release from the university.
Search committee chairman Gilbert “Bud” Tinney says the move will help them optimize outside resources and find a president that is best suited for the university.
“During this season of institutional transition, Liberty University has benefited tremendously from a combination of stabilizing leaders with vast institutional experience and some of the nation’s best outside experts,” says Tinney. “The selection of CarterBaldwin demonstrates clearly Liberty’s ongoing commitment to excellence and its determination to work with the absolute best advisors to find the right individual to lead Liberty University into its next 50 years.”
The university’s current and interim President, Jerry Prevo, was hired in Aug. 2020 after the university announced that former President Jerry Falwell Jr. would be taking an indefinite leave of absence.
In the press release, the university praised Prevo for his uncompromising commitment to supporting the university’s Christian mission and for his ability to lead with excellence.
Before serving as the university president, Prevo chaired the Board of Trustees of Liberty University for several years as well.
“President Prevo has been a gift from God and exactly what Liberty needed over these transitional years. He has positioned Liberty well for the future,” said Board Chairman Tim Lee who also led the selection of the Board’s search committee members. “Liberty University will always be indebted to President Prevo for stepping out of retirement for these three years to serve Liberty tirelessly and sacrificially. His exceptional work will ensure a good start for our next leader and his own contribution to Liberty University will be remembered, and celebrated, for generations.”
The university said it plans to release a full position profile in mid-September as it starts the official process of reviewing potential candidates.
The search committee of the Board of Trustees hopes to have a new university president selected before the 2023-24 academic year. | https://www.wsls.com/news/local/2022/08/10/liberty-university-hires-executive-search-firm-to-find-next-president/ | 2022-08-11 00:54:40 | 1 | https://www.wsls.com/news/local/2022/08/10/liberty-university-hires-executive-search-firm-to-find-next-president/ |
The Bloomberg Gender Reporting Framework Facilitates Voluntary Disclosure of Companies' Commitments To Gender Equality
NEW YORK, May 23, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Bloomberg announced that, as of today, companies can submit their gender-related data to the Bloomberg Gender Reporting Framework. Participating companies will be considered for inclusion in the 2023 Bloomberg Gender Equality Index (GEI). The GEI is a reference index that reflects the financial performance of public companies that have demonstrated their commitment to gender equality in the workplace. The GEI helps meet the increasing demand for transparency, standardization and performance among key ESG factors.
The Bloomberg Gender Reporting Framework enables companies to disclose their active initiatives toward gender equality according to five key pillars: leadership and talent pipeline, equal pay and gender pay parity, inclusive culture, anti-sexual harassment policies and external brand. Companies answer questions relating to key themes such as pipeline management, company benefits and pay gap metrics. Over 550 companies participated in 2022.
Each year, the framework evolves to track social impacts on companies' priorities for diversity and inclusion. In the 2023 framework, additional exploratory questions were added to capture more data on intersectionality factors such as race, ethnicity and sexual orientation.
"This simple idea that we all deserve to belong, and on our own terms — is core to who we are as a company and how we make decisions," says Sonia Syngal, CEO of Gap Inc. "For us, inclusion isn't optional, it's a business imperative."
Companies value the GEI as a resource for stakeholders and investors to view their past performance, as well as benchmarking the case for further corporate investments in inclusiveness. All participating companies receive a comprehensive scorecard to appraise their progress.
"We participated in the Bloomberg Gender Equality Index not only as an avenue for transparency to our stakeholders, but also as a tool to further look into our organization and how we create spaces that are genuinely inclusive for all genders." – Robina Gokongwei Pe, President & CEO, Robinsons Retail Holdings Inc.
"Investors are demanding that companies make real progress towards a more equitable and fair approach to their operations and workforce," says Patricia Torres, Global Head of Sustainable Finance Solutions at Bloomberg. "Every year we have more companies adopting our GEI reporting framework, as it provides them with a clear way to document and demonstrate their improvements in diversity and inclusion."
The deadline for submissions for inclusion in the 2023 GEI is September 30th, 2022. There is no cost to participate.
For more information, please visit www.bloomberg.com/gei or reach out to our Bloomberg data analysts at GEI@bloomberg.net to learn more about how to submit your company-specific gender data.
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SOURCE Bloomberg | https://www.kold.com/prnewswire/2022/05/23/bloomberg-opens-data-submission-period-2023-gender-equality-index/ | 2022-05-23 12:53:25 | 1 | https://www.kold.com/prnewswire/2022/05/23/bloomberg-opens-data-submission-period-2023-gender-equality-index/ |
Police find large cache of illegal weapons, drugs from cartel in federal bust
YAKIMA, Wash. (Gray News) - Authorities in Washington say they seized multiple illegal weapons and drugs from a cartel in Mexico in a recent bust.
The Yakima Police Department teamed up with the U.S. Homeland Security Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives in serving federal search warrants on Sept. 9.
Authorities said while serving a search warrant, they found a large cache of weapons and seized 27 high-powered rifles, nine handguns, and two shotguns.
Special agents said they also found cash, methamphetamine and fentanyl during the operation with search warrants tied to an investigation into the Jalisco New Generation Cartel.
Police said the cartel is attempting to operate in Yakama and stealing high-end late model vehicles for use in smuggling drugs throughout the U.S.
Copyright 2022 Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.ktre.com/2022/09/16/police-find-large-cache-illegal-weapons-drugs-cartel-federal-bust/ | 2022-09-16 03:40:55 | 0 | https://www.ktre.com/2022/09/16/police-find-large-cache-illegal-weapons-drugs-cartel-federal-bust/ |
Today in History
Today is Tuesday, May 23, the 143rd day of 2023. There are 222 days left in the year.
Today’s Highlight in History:
On May 23, 1984, Surgeon General C. Everett Koop issued a report saying there was “very solid” evidence linking cigarette smoke to lung disease in non-smokers.
On this date:
In 1430, Joan of Arc was captured by the Burgundians, who sold her to the English.
In 1533, the marriage of England’s King Henry VIII to Catherine of Aragon was declared null and void by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas Cranmer.
In 1915, Italy declared war on Austria-Hungary during World War I.
In 1934, bank robbers Clyde Barrow and Bonnie Parker were shot to death in a police ambush in Bienville Parish, Louisiana.
In 1937, industrialist and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller, founder of the Standard Oil Co. and the Rockefeller Foundation, died in Ormond Beach, Florida, at age 97.
In 1939, the Navy submarine USS Squalus sank during a test dive off the New England coast. Thirty-two crew members and one civilian were rescued, but 26 others died; the sub was salvaged and recommissioned the USS Sailfish.
In 1944, during World War II, Allied forces bogged down in Anzio began a major breakout offensive.
In 1945, Nazi official Heinrich Himmler committed suicide by biting into a cyanide capsule while in British custody in Luneburg, Germany.
In 1967, Egypt closed the Straits of Tiran to Israeli shipping, an action that helped precipitate war between Israel and its Arab neighbors the following month.
In 1975, comedian Jackie “Moms” Mabley, 81, died in White Plains, New York.
In 2007, President George W. Bush, speaking at the U.S. Coast Guard commencement, portrayed the Iraq war as a battle between the U.S. and al-Qaida and said Osama bin Laden was setting up a terrorist cell in Iraq to strike targets in America.
In 2016, Prosecutors failed for the second time in their bid to hold Baltimore police accountable for the arrest and death of Freddie Gray, as an officer was acquitted in the racially charged case that triggered riots a year earlier.
Ten years ago: President Barack Obama, in a speech to the National Defense University, defended America’s controversial drone attacks as legal, effective and a necessary linchpin in an evolving U.S. counterterrorism policy, but acknowledged the targeted strikes were no “cure-all” and said he was haunted by the civilians who were unintentionally killed. The Boy Scouts of America threw open its ranks to gay Scouts but not to gay Scout leaders. LeBron James was a unanimous pick for the All-NBA team and Kobe Bryant earned his record-tying 11th first-team selection.
Five years ago: NFL owners approved a new policy allowing players to protest during the national anthem by staying in the locker room, but forbidding players from sitting or taking a knee if they’re on the field. A federal judge ruled that President Donald Trump violates the First Amendment when he blocks critics on Twitter because of their political views. For the first time in the 36 seasons of TV’s “Survivor,” the season finale ended in a deadlock, and a tiebreaker was needed to crown Wendell Holland as the champ.
One year ago: President Joe Biden said the U.S. would intervene militarily if China were to invade Taiwan. It was one of the most forceful presidential statements in support of Taiwan’s self-governing in decades. Biden also launched a trade deal with 12 Indo-Pacific nations aimed at strengthening their economies as he warned Americans worried about high inflation that it is “going to be a haul” before they feel relief. A Russian soldier who pleaded guilty to killing a civilian was sentenced by a Ukrainian court to life in prison. A Kremlin diplomat resigned, saying he had never been “so ashamed of my country.”
Today’s Birthdays: Actor Barbara Barrie is 92. Actor Joan Collins is 90. International Tennis Hall of Famer John Newcombe is 79. Actor Lauren Chapin is 78. Country singer Judy Rodman is 72. Chess grandmaster Anatoly Karpov is 72. Singer Luka Bloom is 68. New York Mets manager Buck Showalter is 67. Actor-comedian-game show host Drew Carey is 65. Actor Lea DeLaria is 65. Country singer Shelly West is 65. Author Mitch Albom is 65. Actor Linden Ashby is 63. Actor-model Karen Duffy is 62. Actor Melissa McBride is 58. Rock musician Phil Selway (Radiohead) is 56. Actor Laurel Holloman is 55. Rock musician Matt Flynn (Maroon 5) is 53. Country singer Brian McComas is 51. Actor John Pollono is 51. Singer Maxwell is 50. Singer Jewel is 49. “Jeopardy!” contestant and host Ken Jennings is 49. Actor LaMonica Garrett is 48. Actor D.J. Cotrona is 43. Actor Lane Garrison is 43. Actor-comedian Tim Robinson is 42. Actor Adam Wylie is 39. Movie writer-director Ryan Coogler is 37. Golfer Morgan Pressel is 35. Actor Alberto Frezza is 34. Folk/pop singer/songwriter Sarah Jarosz (juh-ROHZ’) is 32. | https://www.sfchronicle.com/news/article/today-in-history-may-23-bonnie-and-clyde-shot-18099992.php | 2023-05-15 16:45:33 | 0 | https://www.sfchronicle.com/news/article/today-in-history-may-23-bonnie-and-clyde-shot-18099992.php |
Border Patrol arrests suspected illegal immigrants wearing ghillie suits to blend into desert
The number of migrant encounters at the US-Mexico border has jumped significantly to around 2 million this fiscal year, officials said this week.
Three migrants attempting to sneak into the United States from Mexico took a page from a covert military handbook when they were recently found trying to blend in with the surrounding terrain to avoid detection.
Border Patrol agents in the agency's El Paso Sector arrested the three migrants, who were wearing ghillie suits as they allegedly snuck through the desert in southern New Mexico.
The gillie suit is a type of camouflage material used to blend into various natural environments such as the desert, snow and other types of terrain. They are mostly worn by military personnel, police and hunters.
Fox News has reached out to U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
SANCTUARY CITY POLICIES COME BACK TO HAUNT DC. NYC
Migrant encounters have become more common as the crisis at the southern border continues.
On Monday, the CBP announced there were 199,976 migrant encounters in July, making the total so far this fiscal year to 1.946 million encounters. However, sources told Fox News that the encounters have not surpassed 2 million.
At the end of 2020, migrant encounters were around 72,000 per month. By March 2021, after President Biden took office, that figure jumped to around 173,000 each month.
The Biden administration has noted that the number of encounters is inflated by recidivism due to Title 42 expulsions, whereby migrants who are quickly expelled under the order often make multiple crossing attempts. The administration has sought to end the order, implemented due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but has so far been blocked by a court order. There were 162,792 unique encounters in July.
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The number of migrants has prompted border states like Texas and Arizona to move migrants to Washington D.C., and New York City as a form of protest against the federal government.
Fox News' Adam Shaw and Griff Jenkins contributed to this report. | https://www.foxnews.com/us/border-patrol-arrests-suspected-illegal-immigrants-wearing-ghillie-suits-blend-desert | 2022-08-19 20:45:51 | 0 | https://www.foxnews.com/us/border-patrol-arrests-suspected-illegal-immigrants-wearing-ghillie-suits-blend-desert |
What in the name of Zapruder was happening at the Miami Dolphins practice in Cincinnati on Wednesday with someone sending video of a few plays on social media?
And does it matter?
First, someone with the Twitter handle JFolkUHC shot video of a handful of Dolphins walk-through plays on Wednesday, and the league is looking into it, according to a league source. That’s not the type of thing the league wants teams to have to fight.
Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel threw a curve at those watching the plays. Twelve players lined up on offense – typically an extra receiver, if you look (NFL Networks’ Tom Pelissero first reported the 12-men lineup). What does it all mean? Well, prime news was that Tua Tagovailoa was at quarterback. That would suggest he’s going to play Thursday night despite injury issues from last Sunday, as has been expected as this week went on.
There were a couple simple pass formations, a run, a punt — but you don’t rarely, if ever, see video of teams at such practices. Then again, due to Hurricane Ian, the Dolphins left South Florida early Wednesday and practiced at the University of Cincinnati.
If that gets you riled up a little, relax.
Another picture shows a group of people watching the Dolphins practice. In other words, they knew people were watching and, in today’s world, a video could get out. So it wasn’t the best-case scenario, obviously, a team practicing on a short week in a new site with people around. Nor was it Don Shula moving their practices before Super Bowl VII out of concern George Allen would be spying on them at the designated site (cue to “Still Perfect,” my book on the ‘72 Dolphins that’s out with the 50th anniversary edition.)
It’s not a perfect world in a short week with a hurricane altering travel plans. But nor is it anything that will tilt Thursday’s game.
Let’s get into the weekly five ways the Dolphins can win Thursday’s game:
1. Offense takes control. This looks to be a game the Dolphins offense will be asked to bear more of the load. Why? Because the defense was on the field for 90 plays Sunday — about a game-and-a-half by normal measure — and has to be feeling those effects on a short week. The offense, meanwhile, played closer to half a game with 39 plays. Cincinnati has a good defense, as they rank eighth in yards (310.7 a game) and ninth in points (18.3). A couple injury questions play dramatically into the game. One is whether Tua plays, which is expected at this point. The other is Cincinnati defensive tackle D.J. Reader being out with a knee issue. The 340-pound tackle is labeled by Cincinnati media as the MVP of the defense.
2. Josh Boyer vs. Joe Burrow. The Bengals are susceptible to a rush and Dolphins defensive coordinator Boyer has had great success again this season with blitzing. Safety Brandon Jones strip-sack caused a touchdown against New England, and safety Jevon Holland’s strip-sack led to a touchdown against Buffalo. The Bengals have given up 15 sacks, tied for most allowed in the league. They rebuild their offensive line this year in hopes of keeping Burrow upright. They only gave up two sacks last week to the Jets so maybe their problems are improving.
2. Terron Armstead vs. Trey Hendrickson. First, the issue is if Armstead plays with a toe issue. He hasn’t practiced this week and is listed as “questionable,” although media reports Thursday morning said he would play. He neutralized Buffalo’s Von Miller on Sunday and is the foundational piece of this line. Hendrickson, the former Florida Atlantic player, was named the AFC Defensive Player of the Week after 2.5 sacks, two quarterback more quarterback hits and two forced fumbles against the Jets. He has 13.5 and 14 sacks the past two seasons. He has 20 sacks in 23 games with Cincinnati.
3. Can the Dolphins run the ball — or should they just air it out again? This would seem a good week to flash an effective running game with Reader out and this Dolphins defense needing help. The Dolphins have run for 65, 86 and 41 yards the first three weeks. Chase Edmonds (3.4 yards a carry) and Raheem Mostert (3.3) could use a big game. Then again, the strength of the Dolphins is Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle making big plays. The Bengals have faced the arms of Mitch Trubisky, Cooper Rush and Joe Flacco thus far, so it’s hard to measure just what their 15th-ranked pass defense can do.
4. Tagovailoa vs. Burrow. The draft-class partners will always be measured against each other in some form. The backstory has Dolphins owner Steve Ross’ “joking” $100,000 offer to coach Brian Flores to lose games — Flores didn’t think he was joking, as his lawsuit says. But in the 2019 Burrow Bowl the Bengals came back from a 35-12 deficit in the second half through onside kicks, Hail Marys, two defensive touchdowns — and the Dolphins had the No. 1 pick in their sights as a tie game went to overtime. They won in overtime, then beat New England in the season finale to get the fifth pick. Now the prizes of that draft meet.
5. How well did Cincinnati study the Zapruder films?
Prediction: Cincinnati 27, Miami 24. There’s just a lot working against the Dolphins this week starting with that exhausting Buffalo win in Sunday’s heat. Going 3-1 are this tough first month of schedule is an achievement. Of course, going 4-0 is in their sights. Actually, only one Sun Sentinel reporter is picking the Dolphins.
()
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AURORA, Colo. (KMGH) — A janitor keeps everything at Coyote Hills Elementary in Aurora, Colorado, fresh, including his rhymes.
Elias Garcia spends every lunch period rapping and singing for the kids.
It started after this year's Super Bowl Halftime Show when a student asked him if he could rap like Snoop Dogg and Kendrick Lamar. What the boy didn't know was that Garcia has been rapping since he was a kid growing up in Aurora.
“He was like, ‘Mr. Eli, can you rap?’ I just spit a couple bars from him. He was like, “What?” Elias Garcia said.
Now, he gets requests every day and has even inspired other students to perform for the school as well.
“We have kids now that sign up to sing during lunch that have a passion for singing. The last one was about how great Mr. Eli is.” said principal Hillary Pohlmann.
Garcia enjoys being a bigger part of the students' day. It's something he didn't expect would happen as a janitor.
“It makes me speechless. I can’t even put it into words because, you know, I never, I never expected to be so noticed," he said.
This story was originally reported by Danny New on denver7.com. | https://www.wptv.com/news/national/rapping-janitor-entertains-and-inspires-students-in-colorado | 2022-11-17 21:13:21 | 1 | https://www.wptv.com/news/national/rapping-janitor-entertains-and-inspires-students-in-colorado |
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — A loss of oxygen is a leading theory for why an unresponsive business jet flew over the nation’s capital Sunday before it crashed in rural Virginia. But federal investigators are just beginning to look for answers, and an expert cautioned against jumping to conclusions.
The Cessna Citation took off from Elizabethton, Tennessee, headed for Long Island’s MacArthur Airport. Once over Long Island, it turned around and headed south, flying a straight path over Washington, D.C. before crashing in Virginia, k illing the pilot and three passengers.
The Sunday crash wasn’t the first time a flight ended up far from its destination under mysterious circumstances.
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WHAT IS HYPOXIA?:
Hypoxia is the condition that occurs when someone’s brain is deprived of adequate oxygen. If untreated, it can be fatal.
In aviation, hypoxia can happen if a non-pressurized plane flies above 10,000 feet without supplemental oxygen or if there is a rapid decompression during a flight, or a malfunction of the oxygen or pressurization systems, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.
Oxygen pressure decreases as altitude increases. It’s the reason planes are pressurized and why mountaineers carry supplemental oxygen on high-altitude climbs. It’s also the reason flight attendants explain to passengers how to use oxygen masks in the unlikely event that cabin pressure is lost during a commercial flight.
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THE EFFECTS OF HYPOXIA
“It’s something that happens slowly. It’s almost like you’re getting groggy, and you just can’t, you can’t piece things together. And eventually you lose consciousness,” said Anthony Brickhouse, a former member of the National Transportation Safety Board who is now an associate professor and director of the Aerospace Forensic Lab at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.
Brickhouse said that aircraft are often set to fly on autopilot “so if the pilot goes hypoxic or loses consciousness, that aircraft is just going to fly whatever route it was programmed to fly,” he said.
Brickhouse said it’s unclear why the plane suddenly turned around in New York and headed south again. He said it’s possible the pilot was disoriented and may have “tried to reprogram a flight computer or something like that.”
“That’s definitely something that investigators will be looking into,” Brickhouse said.
Brickhouse said it’s important not to jump to conclusions about what caused the sudden flight turnaround and the crash.
___
OTHER CRASHES INVOLVING HYPOXIA:
— One of the most well-known crashes involving hypoxia was the 1999 crash of a Learjet that lost cabin pressure and flew halfway across the country on autopilot before running out of gas and crashing in a South Dakota pasture, killing professional golfer Payne Stewart and five others.
— Among multiple theories in the 2014 disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 carrying 239 passengers and crew was a slow or sudden decompression, causing a loss of oxygen, that could have killed everyone on board. If oxygen levels dropped, a loud, automated warning would have alerted the pilots to put on their oxygen masks and immediately descend below 10,000 feet, where there is enough oxygen to breathe without aid. But aviation experts said in that case the plane should have kept flying automatically toward Beijing and been visible on radar.
— Greek investigators said pilots on a Cypriot airliner did not realize an automatic pressurization system was set to “manual” when a loss of cabin pressure and oxygen led to hypoxia and the plane’s crash in Greece in 2005, killing all 121 people on board.
— In January 2018, Dr. Bill Kinsinger, of Edmond, Oklahoma, had been flying his Cirrus SR22T to Georgetown, Texas, to collect a disabled dog that was destined for a foster home in Oklahoma. But he never landed at the suburban Austin airport and overshot his destination by hundreds of miles. Authorities believe he may have lost consciousness due to hypoxia.
____
Finley contributed from Norfolk, Virginia. | https://www.wivb.com/news/u-s-headlines/loss-of-oxygen-in-cabin-may-have-led-to-virginia-plane-crash-expert-says/ | 2023-06-05 20:10:03 | 0 | https://www.wivb.com/news/u-s-headlines/loss-of-oxygen-in-cabin-may-have-led-to-virginia-plane-crash-expert-says/ |
RALEIGH, N.C., Jan. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- 10 Federal is pleased to announce that its 2nd self storage offering, 10 Federal Self Storage Acquisition Company 2, LLC ('10FSSAC2') sold 4 more self storage assets in December 2022 for a combined sale price of $8,100,000. To date, the 10FSSAC2 offering has sold 27 out of 28 self storage assets in the portfolio bringing 10FSSAC2 offering's overall company IRR to 41% during its roughly 3.5 year hold. The 10FSSAC2 portfolio equity multiple now surpasses 2.46x.
On December 15th, 2022, 10 Federal officially launched its 4th self storage offering, 10 Federal Self Storage Acquisition Company 4, LLC ("10FSSAC4") and successfully raised $10.9 million in equity for the new venture. 10FSSAC4 seeks to raise $100,000,000 in equity and represents the 4th iteration of 10 Federal's proprietary business plan of leveraging technology to automate and elevate the operations of self storage assets to increase value. Following the initial investor equity closing, 10FSSAC4 acquired 2 self storage facilities in the Houston, TX MSA and another storage asset in North Carolina. 10FSSAC4 currently has 5 additional storage assets in the acquisition pipeline.
The goal of 10FSSAC2, 10FSSAC3 and 10FSSAC4 is to acquire, renovate and convert self storage properties to 10 Federal's unmanned, automated platform. Once converted, 10 Federal can efficiently operate the storage facilities using technology and remote support to elevate the storage customer's experience while driving returns for the participating stakeholders in the storage portfolios.
For more information on the 10FSSAC4 investment opportunity, please visit this link.
View original content:
SOURCE 10 Federal | https://www.wbrc.com/prnewswire/2023/01/25/10-federals-2nd-self-storage-offering-sells-4-more-self-storage-assets-achieving-excess-41-portfolio-irr-launches-new-4th-self-storage-offering-raises-109-million-first-investor-closing/ | 2023-01-25 11:30:55 | 1 | https://www.wbrc.com/prnewswire/2023/01/25/10-federals-2nd-self-storage-offering-sells-4-more-self-storage-assets-achieving-excess-41-portfolio-irr-launches-new-4th-self-storage-offering-raises-109-million-first-investor-closing/ |
SEATTLE (AP) — New York Yankees designated hitter Matt Carpenter broke his left foot Monday night when he fouled off a pitch against the Seattle Mariners and will be out indefinitely.
Carpenter, wearing a protective boot in the Yankees’ clubhouse after their 9-4 win, said he’s hopeful he might only miss a month. But a timeline won’t be determined until he sees a foot specialist.
“I don’t want to say a number because I just don’t know, but I’m holding out hope that it’ll be a situation where I could come back in the middle of September and can contribute towards a stretch run,” Carpenter said. “So we’ll see. I mean, that’s my mindset is that I’ll be back.”
Carpenter fouled a slider from starter Logan Gilbert off the foot in the first inning. The left-handed hitter was briefly checked by manager Aaron Boone, but finished the at-bat and struck out swinging on the next pitch.
“I knew something was wrong when I did it, but I thought that I could finish the at-bat, get that run in,” Carpenter said. “But then when I went to swing on the next pitch, I mean as soon as I started to plant and rotate on that back foot, my lower body gave out and I wasn’t able to.”
Boone said he was immediately aware something was wrong and he knew a change was needed when he checked on Carpenter in the clubhouse between innings. Tim Locastro replaced Carpenter in the third.
“I knew he got it good. That’s why I went out there initially,” Boone said. “And I was just like, the way he was moving, I’m like, this isn’t good.”
The three-time All-Star was one of the feel-good stories in baseball this year while enjoying a comeback season at age 36. Carpenter was toiling at Triple-A when the Texas Rangers released him in May. He signed with the Yankees and became a big surprise, earning regular playing time in a powerful lineup.
Carpenter began the night hitting .307 with 15 home runs and 37 RBIs in just 127 at-bats. He batted below .200 in each of the previous two seasons with St. Louis.
“He’s definitely going to be missed for however long it’s going to be, but we’re hoping that we get some good news and that it’s not going to be season ending,” Yankees third baseman Josh Donaldson said.
It was the latest significant injury for the Yankees, who snapped a season-worst five-game losing streak Monday night. All-Star slugger Giancarlo Stanton and pitchers Luis Severino, Michael King and Miguel Castro all went down last month and haven’t returned yet.
King will miss the rest of the season with a broken right elbow, while Severino (right lat strain) and Castro (right shoulder strain) are also on the 60-day injured list. Stanton is on the 10-day IL, retroactive to July 24, with left Achilles tendinitis.
New York has the best record in the American League at 71-39 and leads the AL East by 10 1/2 games.
___
More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | https://pix11.com/sports/ap-sports/yankees-carpenter-fractures-left-foot-on-foul-ball/ | 2022-08-09 16:43:53 | 1 | https://pix11.com/sports/ap-sports/yankees-carpenter-fractures-left-foot-on-foul-ball/ |
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis signed into law a bill approved by the Republican-dominated Florida Legislature to ban abortions after six weeks of pregnancy.
The governor’s office said in a statement late Thursday that he had signed the legislation. The ban gives DeSantis a key political victory among Republican primary voters as he prepares to launch an expected presidential candidacy built on his national brand as a conservative standard bearer.
The six-week ban will take effect only if the state’s current 15-week ban is upheld in an ongoing legal challenge that is before the state Supreme Court, which is controlled by conservatives.
The policy would have wider implications for abortion access throughout the South in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision last year overturning Roe v. Wade and leaving decisions about abortion access to states. Alabama, Louisiana and Mississippi have banned abortion at all stages of pregnancy, while Georgia forbids the procedure after cardiac activity can be detected, which is around six weeks.
“We have the opportunity to lead the national debate about the importance of protecting life and giving every child the opportunity to be born and find his or her purpose,” said Republican Rep. Jenna Persons-Mulicka, who carried the bill in the House.
Democrats and abortion-rights groups have criticized Florida’s proposal as extreme.
“This ban would prevent four million Florida women of reproductive age from accessing abortion care after six weeks — before many women even know they’re pregnant,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement issued after Thursday’s vote. “This ban would also impact the nearly 15 million women of reproductive age who live in abortion-banning states throughout the South, many of whom have previously relied on travel to Florida as an option to access care.”
The law contains some exceptions, including to save the woman’s life. Abortions for pregnancies involving rape or incest would be allowed until 15 weeks of pregnancy, provided a woman has documentation such as a restraining order or police report. DeSantis has called the rape and incest provisions sensible.
Drugs used in medication-induced abortions — which make up the majority of those provided nationally — could be dispensed only in person or by a physician under the Florida law. Separately, nationwide access to the abortion pill mifepristone is being challenged in court.
“I can’t think of any bill that’s going to provide more protections to more people who are more vulnerable than this piece of legislation,” said Republican Rep. Mike Beltran, who said the bill’s exceptions and six-week timeframe represented a compromise.
Abortion bans are popular among some religious conservatives who are part of the GOP voting base, but the issue has motivated many others to vote for Democrats. Republicans in recent weeks and months have suffered defeats in elections centered on abortion access in states such as Kentucky, Michigan and Wisconsin.
“Have we learned nothing?” House Democratic Minority Leader Fentrice Driskell said of recent elections in other states. “Do we not listen to our constituents and to the people of Florida and what they are asking for?”
DeSantis, who often places himself on the front lines of culture war issues, had said he backs the six-week ban but had appeared uncharacteristically tepid on the bill. He has often said, “We welcome pro-life legislation,” when asked about the policy.
DeSantis is expected to announce his presidential candidacy after the session ends in May, with his potential White House run in part buoyed by the conservative policies approved by the Republican supermajority in the Statehouse this year.
Democrats, without power at any level of state government, had mostly turned to stall tactics and protests to oppose the bill, which easily passed both chambers on largely party-line votes. The Senate approved it last week, and the House did so Thursday.
A Democratic senator and chairwoman of the Florida Democratic Party were arrested and charged with trespassing during a protest in Tallahassee against the six-week ban. In a last ditch move to delay the bill’s passage in the House on Thursday, Democrats filed dozens of amendments to the proposal, all of which were rejected by Republicans.
“Women’s health and their personal right to choose is being stolen,” said Democratic Rep. Felicia Simone Robinson. “So I ask: Is Florida truly a free state?” | https://cbs4indy.com/news/national-world/ap-us-news/florida-gop-passes-6-week-abortion-ban-desantis-supports/ | 2023-04-15 02:53:54 | 1 | https://cbs4indy.com/news/national-world/ap-us-news/florida-gop-passes-6-week-abortion-ban-desantis-supports/ |
Joyce Jean Freeman
Services for Joyce Jean Freeman, 76, will be held Saturday, June 17, 2023 at 1:00 pm at Brummitt-McKenzie Funeral Home with Brother Jimmy Fowler officiating. Interment will follow at Mt. Olivet Cemetery. The family will receive friends on Friday, June 16, 2023 from 5:00 pm until 7:00 pm and Saturday, June 17, 2023 from 11:00 am until service time. Mrs. Freeman, a Florist, died Tuesday, June 13, 2023 at her residence. She was born on May 27, 1947 in McKenzie, Tennessee to Willie D. Black and Charlotte Jean McCord. She was a life member of VFW Auxiliary. She was preceded in death by her parents.
Survivors include her husband of 43 years Harry Freeman of McKenzie, her daughter Cindy Jarrett of McKenzie, her sons Stacey Duke and Jason Freeman of McKenzie, her sisters Margie Ann Smith and Paula Chesser of Paris, a brother Mike (Shannon) Black of McKenzie, six grandchildren, and six great grandchildren.
Pallbearers who are serving Stacey Duke, Jason Freeman, Brent Bradberry, Jerry Jarrett, Chad Brown, E.J. Mann, and as Honorary pallbearers Bruce Wright, David Barksdale, Skyler Freeman.
Brummitt-McKenzie Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements. For more information please call (731) 352-4848 or visit www. | https://www.wbbjtv.com/2023/06/15/joyce-jean-freeman/ | 2023-06-15 14:52:46 | 1 | https://www.wbbjtv.com/2023/06/15/joyce-jean-freeman/ |
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