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TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — Some of the most loyal of Disney enthusiasts say one specific thing is keeping them from visiting Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando more often — they even say it’s causing “the Happiest Place on Earth” to completely lose its magic.
It’s the cost.
A family vacation to Walt Disney World Resort is more expensive than ever and fans are noticing, according to a new poll. The gambling website time2play recently released a study based on data from 1,927 “self-described Disney World enthusiasts” about the rising costs to visit the park.
According to the study, 92.6% of those surveyed believed the cost of a Disney World vacation is out of reach for an average family. Additionally, 68.3% of people said increases made it feel like the theme park has lost all its magic.
As of Tuesday, the cost for a standard one-park day ticket on Friday, Sept. 16 is $134, though prices of tickets vary by date. Standard Walt Disney World tickets range between $139 and $154 through October, according to Disney World’s website.
Almost 50% of respondents said they postponed a Disney World trip in recent years due to price increases.
According to a study by “Koala“, a company based in Brooklyn that connects vacationers with timeshare owners online, a single-day ticket Walt Disney World could cost $253.20 in just nine years.
When Walt Disney World Resort opened in 1971, a ticket cost only $3.50. Adjusting for inflation, that would be $22.61 today. According to Koala calculations, there has been an average price increase of 7.4% each year since the park opened.
Meanwhile, the cost for standard one-park day tickets at Disneyland, Disney’s California park, cost about $149 for Sept. 16. Standard Disneyland tickets range between $135 and $165 through the month of October, per Disneyland’s website.
Disney enthusiasts polled by time2play also said by a large majority (66.9%) that they felt they wouldn’t get a true Disney World experience if they didn’t pay for upgrades like the Genie+ service, which offers “Lighting Lanes” — which lets users wait in shorter lines for rides. Genie+ service is an extra $15 per person each day (though prices may vary), in addition to admission cost. Genie service doesn’t come complete with all Lightning Lanes, however. Guests must purchase even more lanes within the Genie app for full lane skipping. | https://cw33.com/news/nexstar-media-wire/68-of-disney-world-fans-say-the-parks-lost-its-magic-poll/ | 2022-09-17T22:55:50Z |
BEIJING, June 30, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The 2022 World Canal Cities Forum (WCCF), which was themed around heritage protection and sustainable development of canal cities, was held in Yangzhou, the canal capital of the world located in east China's Jiangsu Province on June 27.
Yang Jiechi, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the CPC Central Committee, said canals are great projects created by humankind and the forum would inject new impetus into prosperity and development of canal cities globally and enhance people-to-people exchanges and sustainable development.
Yangzhou, a leading city in joint application for world heritage for China's Grand Canal and related heritage protection, was awarded as the model canal city for implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development of the United Nations on the forum.
A report of the same theme titled Yangzhou sustainable development report for 2021 was released on the 2022 WCCF by Beate Trankmann, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) resident representative for China, in an effort to provide a Yangzhou-based sustainable development sample for canal cities around the world.
Previously in 2021, the UNDP China established together with the World Historic and Cultural Canal Cities Cooperation Organization (WCCO) a set of sustainable development indicators centered upon 56 gauges derived from prospects of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and available for quantifiable assessment to appraise sustainable development performance of canal cities.
By the end of 2020, Yangzhou had completed 92.2 percent of the sustainable development indicators and over a half of local indicators had reached the ultimate goals.
In the future, Yangzhou will cherish its honor as the model city and join hands with canal cities at home and abroad to jointly promote canal cultural heritage protection and sustainable development of canal cities, said Zhang Baojuan, Party chief of Yangzhou.
Co-hosted by China's Ministry of Culture and Tourism and Jiangsu Provincial People's Government, the forum also witnessed birth of the "Yangzhou Initiative" dedicated to enhancing world canal cities heritage protection and sustainable development via enhancing planning, adhering to joint construction and sharing, attaching importance to innovation and integration and fostering win-win cooperation.
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SOURCE Xinhua Silk Road | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/06/30/xinhua-silk-road-2022-world-canal-cities-forum-held-yangzhou-east-china/ | 2022-06-30T09:54:30Z |
Radio transmission shows what first responders knew as gunman opened fire at Buffalo supermarket
By Emma Tucker and Sabrina Shulman, CNN
Recorded emergency radio transmissions of first responders in Buffalo on Saturday afternoon reveal what they were dealing with in the chaotic first moments of reports of an active shooter at the Tops Friendly Markets store.
Authorities now believe 18-year-old Payton Gendron allegedly wrote a White supremacist manifesto before traveling from hours away to a predominantly Black neighborhood in Buffalo, killing 10 people and wounding three.
Gendron pleaded not guilty to the first degree murder charge brought against him in court Saturday night, Buffalo City Court Chief Judge Craig Hannah told CNN.
Police and fire department radio traffic from the shooting obtained and reviewed by CNN showed how the shooting unfolded, as responders asked the dispatcher to “send out as many cars as you possibly can” after reporting “two people down” at the location.
A civilian reported a police officer was shot north of Jefferson Street, where the supermarket is located, the recording indicated.
The officer was later identified as Aaron Salter, a former Buffalo police lieutenant working as a security guard at the market. He died from his injuries, according to Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown. The security guard “fired multiple shots at the suspect,” but the suspect’s tactical gear protected him from the officer’s shots, according to Buffalo Police Commissioner Joseph Gramaglia.
Authorities respond in force
Authorities say when the suspect arrived at the store around 2:30 p.m., he was heavily armed, wearing a helmet, and had a camera livestreaming his actions. Erie County District Attorney John J. Flynn said the suspect, who was using an assault weapon, shot four people outside of the grocery store, three fatally. When he entered the store, he exchanged fire with the armed security guard and began shooting at customers in the store, Gramaglia said.
Six trucks were already at the scene before three people were reported “down on the ground,” in the recording. The responders informed the dispatcher the suspect “might be an individual in body armor” who was being “cornered” by police officers.
The dispatcher is heard in the recording asking for additional equipment to the Tops market for an “active shooter mass casualty incident” with multiple possible victims.
Inside the store, nine people were shot before the suspect was apprehended by police, with the guard and six others dying from their wounds, according to Flynn’s statement.
“I just informed 911… what was going on. Officers on the way, officers over here on scene… I notified 911 to contact homicide. We have bodies down here,” one rescue worker told a dispatcher.
One emergency responder asked for more officers inside the supermarket “because we have numerous bodies” and expended shells, adding “we need to keep the evidence secure.”
Suspect arrested, investigation begins
Within 20 minutes of the gunman opening fire inside the store, police had a suspect in custody. Shortly afterward, officers reported three people down inside and two casualties outside, the radio traffic recording showed.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said an AR-15 used in the shooting was purchased legally in a gun store in New York state, but was illegally modified with a high-capacity magazine.
Emergency responders later reported “a lot of family members here looking for the other family members,” in the recording.
Gramaglia said Sunday family notifications have occurred after the shooting, “so that they can begin the grieving process.”
They also told the dispatcher to “make sure that when the ambulance comes inside, uh, that they don’t disturb the scene, anybody that’s already deceased, we need to leave them there until homicide comes to the same place. We have to maintain the integrity of this thing,” the recording indicated.
Of those shot in the attack, 11 were Black and two were White, officials said. Two people remain hospitalized in stable condition, a spokesperson for Erie County Medical Center told CNN.
The US Department of Justice is investigating the mass shooting “as a hate crime and an act of racially-motivated violent extremism,” according to a statement from US Attorney General Merrick Garland.
Investigators are reviewing a 180-page purported manifesto posted online in connection with the shooting, two federal law enforcement sources told CNN. The author of the document, who claims to be Payton Gendron, confesses to the attack and describes himself as a fascist, a White supremacist and an anti-Semite.
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™ & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved.
CNN’s Shimon Prokupecz, Artemis Moshtaghian and Christina Maxouris contributed to this report. | https://localnews8.com/news/national-world/cnn-national/2022/05/15/radio-transmission-shows-what-first-responders-knew-as-gunman-opened-fire-at-buffalo-supermarket/ | 2022-05-15T23:08:03Z |
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — A first-of-its-kind proposal in the California Legislature aimed at holding social media companies responsible for harming children who have become addicted to their products would no longer let parents sue popular platforms like Instagram and TikTok.
The revised proposal would still make social media companies liable for damages of up to $250,000 per violation for using features they know can cause children to become addicted. But it would only let prosecutors, not parents, file the lawsuits against social media companies. The legislation was amended last month, CalMatters reported Thursday.
The bill’s author, Republican Assemblymember Jordan Cunningham, said he made the change to make sure the bill had enough votes to pass in the state Senate, where he said a number of lawmakers were “nervous about creating new types of lawsuits.”
“They get afraid it will open the floodgates to frivolous claims,” Cunningham said. “They seem to be more comfortable letting this be handled by the public prosecutors, who already end up taking the lead on this kind of consumer protection type stuff.”
While the revised bill might win more votes in the state Legislature, it hasn’t won over social media companies, many of which are based in California and remain opposed. TechNet, a group of technology CEOs and senior executives, says it is nearly impossible to separate social media content — words, photos and videos uploaded by people — from the features companies use to deliver that content, including things like push notifications, newsfeed and the ability to scroll endlessly through posts.
“I think that violates our First Amendment rights and the editorial discretion that we have,” said Dylan Hoffman, TechNet’s executive director for California and the Southwest. “It doesn’t make sense to identify the feature when it’s the content underlying it that may cause the problem.”
Hoffman said social media companies have introduced lots of new features to address what he called the “a really difficult and complex issue” of children’s use of social media. Many platforms let parents set time limits for their children or disable certain features.
“There is a lot of innovation in this space to make sure that parents and kids are able to better control their social media usage,” Hoffman said.
The bill would exempt social media companies from these lawsuits if they conduct quarterly audits of their features and remove any harmful products within 30 days of learning they cause children to become addicted.
Hoffman says that would offer companies little protection because advocates claim nearly everything about a social media app or website is addictive, including the newsfeed and algorithms suggesting content.
He said companies would have to dismantle their entire websites within 30 days to avoid liability — something Hoffman said would be “impossible.”
Cunningham scoffs at that argument, saying the legislation would give social media companies an incentive to police themselves to avoid penalties. He said most other products are covered under consumer protection laws that allow people to sue companies for selling products they know to be dangerous.
“We just haven’t extended it to social media platforms yet because they are new, and we didn’t really know that they were conducting this social experiment on the brains of our kids,” Cunningham said. “They don’t have any incentive to change.”
The bill is one of several proposals in the Legislature this year targeting social media companies.
A bill by Democratic Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel would require social media companies to publicly disclose their policies for removing problem content and give detailed accounts for how and when they removed it.
A bill by Sen. Tom Umberg would let Californians who were targeted in a violent social media post seek a court order to have the post removed.
And a bill by Assemblymember Buffy Wicks would require companies to meet certain standards when marketing to children online. | https://cw33.com/technology/ap-technology/california-social-media-addiction-bill-drops-parent-lawsuits/ | 2022-07-15T19:07:11Z |
New USPS election division will oversee mail-in ballots
WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States Postal Service is creating a division to handle election mail issues as part of an effort to ensure swift and secure delivery of ballots for the 2022 midterm election, officials said Wednesday.
The idea behind the creation of the Election and Government Mail Services is to have a permanent division dedicated to dealing with election matters, instead of handling issues one at a time as in the past.
Adrienne Marshall, executive director of the division, said Wednesday that the services will oversee “election mail strike teams” in every local and district community to address any problems that might arise.
“We are fully committed to the secure and timely delivery of the nation’s election mail,” she said.
The Postal Service was dogged by backlogs and questions ahead of the 2020 presidential election, in which more than 135 million ballots were delivered to and from voters.
Despite the pandemic, the Postal Service said it delivered 97.9% of ballots from voters to election officials within three days, and 99.89% of ballots were delivered within seven days, in the 2020 election.
The Postal Service is sending guidance letters to election officials in each state and territory this week.
Postal workers are already hard at work delivering ballots this year. So far, nearly 40 million ballots have been mailed to and from voters during primary elections, officials said.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.wibw.com/2022/07/28/new-usps-election-division-will-oversee-mail-in-ballots/ | 2022-07-28T23:16:17Z |
Not all that long ago, people owned one generic pair of gym shoes, which they used for all sports and activities. Those days are long gone. Athletic footwear is a $16 billion business in the United States today. That figure is expected to grow rapidly over the next few years, as Americans buy multiple pairs of athletic shoes designed for different activities. But is it really necessary to have a closetful of sneakers, or is this all just marketing hype?
"All activities and sports require care in choosing specific shoes," said Dr. Bradley Schaeffer, a podiatrist and foot and ankle surgeon at New York City's Sole Podiatry. "You have to provide proper support to avoid creating or exacerbating conditions such as bunions, hammertoes, plantar fasciitis and ingrown toenails."
Working out in appropriate footwear also helps avoid overuse injuries, said Dr. Nelya Lobkova, a surgical podiatrist with Step Up Footcare in New York City. "It's especially important for the beginner or average participant, who is more prone to improper form."
Athletic shoes may enhance your athletic performance, too, as they are designed to provide the appropriate support and stability for a particular activity — like running. Since running involves a repetitive forward motion, a good running shoe will be light with a flexible outsole, which helps keep the foot moving while absorbing the impact of the foot striking the ground.
Hiking shoes, in contrast, have deeper tread patterns than running shoes to increase traction on uneven and natural surfaces, and they often come with higher uppers to provide ankle stability. Volleyball shoes, like many court shoes, provide support for movement in all directions, plus cushioning for the jumping that often occurs.
But don't toss out your gym shoes just yet. You only need to purchase sport-specific shoes if you're participating in a given activity more than twice per week, according to the American Podiatric Medical Association. And lacing up a pair of cross-trainers may work just fine if your weekly workout regimen involves several different activities, says the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.
Finding the right shoe
Running, basketball, volleyball, hiking and tennis are some of the activities for which it's essential to have a sport-specific shoe, especially if you're a more serious athlete who wants to maximize your performance, said Dr. Damian Roussel, a podiatrist and foot and ankle surgeon with The Centers for Advanced Orthopaedics in Frederick, Maryland.
But with so many brands on the market, how do you know which is the best shoe for you? Generally, it's the one that fits your uniquely shaped foot the best. Unfortunately, most of us aren't so great at determining proper fit.
Between 63% and 72% of people are walking around in incorrectly sized footwear, especially older folks and people with diabetes, according to a 2018 meta-analysis published in the Journal of Foot and Ankle Research. The study review also found evidence that poorly fitted shoes can cause foot pain and disorders such as corns, calluses and deformities.
Since athletic footwear can't fulfill its purpose unless it fits well, it's crucial to determine the proper fit for your feet. To do so, experts from the AAOS recommend shopping at a store that specializes in your sport, and asking for help from a trained employee. It's also important to shop after a workout or at the end of the day, when your feet are a little swollen.
Make sure you try on both the right and left shoe, wearing the socks you typically use for this sport. The heel counter should hold your heel in place so there's no slippage, and there should be at least a half-inch (1.27 centimeters) of space between your longest toe and the tip of the shoe. You should also be able to easily wiggle your toes in the toe box; they should never feel constricted.
"Proper toe-box room, ill-fitting shoes and constricting shoes cause a lot of the problems I see in my practice," Schaeffer said.
Whatever you do, don't buy a not-quite-right pair of shoes, thinking you can break them in over time. You can't.
Once you've identified the right pair of shoes for your feet and brought them home, watch for signs of wear and tear over time. For if you use athletic shoes past their prime, that can also cause injuries.
"Any cracks or tears in the shoe construction demonstrate significant wear and breakdown," said Karena Wu, owner and clinical director of ActiveCare Physical Therapy in New York City. "If you lose that cushiony feeling, or you notice your performance being altered, that is also definitely a sign you need to replace your shoes."
But sometimes shoes look and feel fine, even when they are worn out. So another way to keep tabs on them is mileage and time. Running and walking shoes should be replaced after 300 to 500 miles of use (485 to 805 kilometers), Roussel said, and basketball shoes after 45 to 50 hours of play.
"For aerobic dance or tennis, replace shoes when they show signs of unevenness on a flat surface, or when they display noticeable creasing," he added.
Plan to replace other athletic shoes every six months if you're using them most days, say the experts with the American Council on Exercise. If you only exercise a few times a week, however, you might be able to keep them for a year.
Finally, don't wear your athletic shoes around town. They are not meant for that purpose, and casual usage will simply wear them out sooner.
"The feet are our foundation," Schaeffer said. "We must protect and support them to keep activity a regular part of our lives."
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved. | https://www.albanyherald.com/features/health/do-you-really-need-a-specific-athletic-shoe-for-every-sport-experts-weigh-in/article_732788f8-94e2-5d1f-af92-675f551ed010.html | 2022-06-17T16:07:09Z |
Italy opens Sicilian port to nearly 300 rescued migrants
ROME (AP) — The Ocean Viking rescue ship has brought 294 migrants rescued in the central Mediterranean to a port in Sicily. The arrivals of the migrants on Monday comes the number of migrant arrivals ticks up over last year. The SOS Mediterranee charity criticized Italy for the long wait for a port, since the migrants have been rescued over the last 10 days. It noted that many migrants were showing signs of trauma from the perilous journey and were in need of immediate assistance. Those rescued at sea included 49 children, with some as young as 3 years old. | https://localnews8.com/news/2022/05/30/italy-opens-sicilian-port-to-nearly-300-rescued-migrants/ | 2022-05-30T16:08:07Z |
Hundreds of dogs compete at McKinley Kennel Club dog show in Canton
CANTON — Gideon, a 2-year-old smooth-coat collie from Nimishillen Township, exuded confidence that he had won.
He easily aced the test where a judge he did not know held his leash to see how he would respond to being near a stranger.
Gideon stayed still and calm for the required minute during the farm dog competition at the Stark County Fairgrounds on Saturday morning.
"He's a show dog," said his co-owner Brianna Stevens of Louisville, adding that she hopes to eventually train the farm dog to herd sheep. "He's used to being handed off. ... He has an A form."
More:Gone to the dogs? McKinley Kennel Club's annual show taking place at the fairgrounds
But every farm dog entrant had to exhibit confidence on different surfaces commonly found on a farm and keep their cool around farm animals and other dogs.
"He did good except he peed on the hay bale," Stevens said, adding that this didn't cost Gideon in the pass/fail farm dog competition.
Gideon was one of roughly 670 dogs who competed in a variety of categories at the McKinley Kennel Club dog show at the county fairgrounds Saturday. The club was set to hold a separate dog show with about 660 dogs on Sunday.
Judges from around the country evaluated dogs for appearance, structure, movement, obedience by breed, at times by age and across many types of competition. The show was to culminate in the selection of a best of show dog by late Saturday afternoon.
Chester, a 3-year-old brown German shepherd pointer, passed the farm dog tests including being able to handle being around ducks and a goat.
His owner, Linda Lombardy of New Franklin, said Chester had some fear of the ducks and goat and stayed away from them.
Dog contest has more entrants this year
In the confirmation competition a couple of buildings away, well-dressed dog handlers were moving with the dogs by leash in rings as judges observed how well the dogs moved.
Diana Garcia, the McKinley Kennel Club's chair, said the dog show this year has roughly 100 more dogs than last year after not taking place in 2020 due to the pandemic.
"All breeds should be well-behaved at dog shows. They are supposed to be friendly, approachable by strangers," Garcia said. "These dogs are brought up in home environments. They get good socialization. Good training. They're good representations of their breed. ... Purebred dogs. We want people to know that well-bred purebred dogs are a joy to own. You just have to know which breed suits you."
At the south end of the confirmation competition building, a large number of poodles, toy poodles and small dogs were leashed to grooming stations as they awaited their turn to compete in the ring. Judge Karen McFarlane then examined them carefully and watched the handlers lead them on a leash around the ring.
In the papillon competition in Ring 5, Keegan, a 14-month-old white papillon, won the round, garnering him a point toward the 15 points he needs to become an American Kennel Club champion. Keegan did not advance toward a best of group or best of show contention.
His owner, Jack Sirkoch, said getting the point was well-worth the drive from Butler, Pennsylvania.
He said his dog's results depend entirely on a judge's subjective judgment. Some judges weigh movement over appearance and for others, it's the opposite.
Obedience competition among challenges for dogs
Jeff Liddicoat of Ypsilanti Township, Michigan, said his 6-month old white husky-like Samoyed dog, Oroblanco Storm, placed fourth in her puppy competition.
"It's just that judge's opinion," he said. "If she judged them tomorrow, she might place differently."
During the obedience competition in an adjoining building, Dev Milo of Mentor was happy that her poodle, Indi Tsu, had through her third-place showing advanced to open status. One of the tests was to stay still standing and lying down for a minute at a time.
"She loves to play," said Milo. "She can stay still longer than that."
Reach Robert at robert.wang@cantonrep.com. Twitter: @rwangREP. | https://www.cantonrep.com/story/news/2022/06/11/mckinley-kennel-club-holds-2022-dog-show-stark-county-fairgrounds/7570452001/ | 2022-06-11T20:58:54Z |
NOVI, Mich., Aug. 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Stoneridge, Inc. (NYSE: SRI) today announced that Jon DeGaynor, president and chief executive officer, and Matt Horvath, chief financial officer, will present at the J.P. Morgan Auto Conference in New York City on Tuesday, August 9, 2022. The presentation will begin at 11:50 a.m. ET. Details on how to join the presentation via webcast will be posted to the "Investors/Webcasts & Presentations" section of the Company's website (www.stoneridge.com) prior to the presentation.
Stoneridge, Inc., headquartered in Novi, Michigan, is a global designer and manufacturer of highly engineered electrical and electronic components, modules and systems for the automotive, commercial, off-highway and agricultural vehicle markets. Additional information about Stoneridge can be found at www.stoneridge.com.
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SOURCE Stoneridge, Inc. | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/08/01/stoneridge-present-jp-morgan-auto-conference/ | 2022-08-01T22:28:13Z |
NEWTON, Mass., Aug. 2, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Karyopharm Therapeutics Inc. (Nasdaq: KPTI), a commercial-stage pharmaceutical company pioneering novel cancer therapies, today announced that the Company's senior management team will participate in a fireside chat at the 2022 Wedbush Pacgrow Healthcare Conference. The conference is being conducted in a virtual format and the fireside chat will take place on Tuesday, August 9, 2022 at 4:05 p.m. ET.
A live webcast of the fireside chat can be accessed under "Events & Presentations" in the Investor section of the Company's website, http://investors.karyopharm.com/events-presentations, and will be available for replay for 90 days following the event.
About Karyopharm Therapeutics
Karyopharm Therapeutics Inc. (Nasdaq: KPTI) is a commercial-stage pharmaceutical company pioneering novel cancer therapies. Since its founding, Karyopharm has been the industry leader in oral Selective Inhibitor of Nuclear Export (SINE) compound technology, which was developed to address a fundamental mechanism of oncogenesis: nuclear export dysregulation. Karyopharm's lead SINE compound and first-in-class, oral exportin 1 (XPO1) inhibitor, XPOVIO® (selinexor), is approved in the U.S. and marketed by the Company in three oncology indications and has received regulatory approvals in various indications in a growing number of ex-U.S. territories and countries, including Europe and the United Kingdom (as NEXPOVIO®), China and Singapore. Karyopharm has a focused pipeline targeting multiple high unmet need cancer indications, including in multiple myeloma, endometrial cancer, myelodysplastic syndromes and myelofibrosis. For more information about our people, science and pipeline, please visit www.karyopharm.com, and follow us on Twitter at @Karyopharm and LinkedIn.
XPOVIO® and NEXPOVIO® are registered trademarks of Karyopharm Therapeutics Inc. Any other trademarks referred to in this release are the property of their respective owners.
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SOURCE Karyopharm Therapeutics Inc. | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/08/02/karyopharm-participate-2022-wedbush-pacgrow-healthcare-conference/ | 2022-08-02T12:24:55Z |
- More than 170,000 pounds of high-quality concrete are used to create 'Duke Energy/CCA Florida Reef'
ORLANDO, Fla., May 4, 2022 /PRNewswire/ --
(Coastal Conservation Association Florida issued the following news release this week.)
Coastal Conservation Association Florida (CCA Florida) – the state's leading organization dedicated to marine fisheries conservation, education and advocacy – this week joined Duke Energy Florida, in partnership with the Mexico Beach Artificial Reef Association (MBARA), to deploy four 38,000-pound and four 5,000-pound high-quality concrete reef modules off the coast of Mexico Beach, Fla., to create the artificial "Duke Energy/CCA Florida Reef."
The eight reef modules were deployed by Walter Marine at the pre-permitted Sherman Site – an area known for attracting red and gray snappers, amberjack, king mackerel, Spanish mackerel, gag grouper, and cobia.
These specific reef structures, ranging in height from 8 to 25 feet, provide greater habitat diversity, while attracting vast species of fish and appealing to recreational anglers.
The reef site is located offshore 11 miles west of Mexico Beach at approximately 29º 55.384, -85º 40.765.
"Improving and creating sustainable fisheries, coastal habitats and waterways is CCA Florida's purpose," CCA Florida Executive Director Brian Gorski said. "Today's reef deployment is an extension of that commitment and also of our partnership with Duke Energy – signifying our mutual dedication to protecting Florida's marine habitat for today and generations to come."
Artificial reefs initiate the development of natural, thriving habitats for various species of fish, invertebrates, and other marine life, such as smaller organisms that are vital food sources for other marine species, with the overall goal to create an ever-evolving ecosystem while enhancing fisheries and improving water quality.
"Duke Energy Florida recognizes the importance of environmental stewardship and the economic benefit it provides to the communities we serve," Melissa Seixas, Duke Energy Florida state president said. "We are proud to invest in CCA Florida's work with the Mexico Beach Artificial Reef Association to bring this new artificial reef to Mexico Beach – a 'win' for marine life, local anglers and outdoor enthusiasts along Florida's West Coast."
Since 2018, CCA Florida and Duke Energy have released more than 110,000 redfish along Florida's Gulf Coast in effort to relieve the declining population.
The Duke Energy/CCA Florida Reef deployment is an expansion of that collaboration and underscores their continued dedication to enhancing Florida's marine habitat and expanding fishing opportunities for local anglers.
The Coastal Conservation Association (CCA) was founded in 1977 after drastic commercial overfishing along the Texas coast decimated redfish and speckled trout populations.
One of 19 state chapters, CCA Florida became the fifth state chapter in 1985. A 501(c)3 non-profit organization, the purpose of CCA is to advise and educate the public on conservation of marine resources.
Through habitat restoration projects, water quality initiatives and fisheries advocacy, CCA Florida works with its over 18,000 members, including recreational anglers and outdoor enthusiasts, to conserve and enhance marine resources and coastal environments.
Join the conversation on Facebook or learn more at ccaflorida.org.
Duke Energy Florida, a subsidiary of Duke Energy, owns 10,300 megawatts of energy capacity, supplying electricity to 1.9 million residential, commercial and industrial customers across a 13,000-square-mile service area in Florida.
Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK), a Fortune 150 company headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., is one of America's largest energy holding companies. Its electric utilities serve 8.2 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky, and collectively own 50,000 megawatts of energy capacity. Its natural gas unit serves 1.6 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Ohio and Kentucky. The company employs 28,000 people.
Duke Energy is executing an aggressive clean energy transition to achieve its goals of net-zero methane emissions from its natural gas business and at least a 50% carbon reduction from electric generation by 2030 and net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. The 2050 net-zero goals also include Scope 2 and certain Scope 3 emissions. In addition, the company is investing in major electric grid enhancements and energy storage, and exploring zero-emission power generation technologies such as hydrogen and advanced nuclear.
Duke Energy was named to Fortune's 2022 "World's Most Admired Companies" list and Forbes' "America's Best Employers" list. More information is available at duke-energy.com. The Duke Energy News Center contains news releases, fact sheets, photos and videos. Duke Energy's illumination features stories about people, innovations, community topics and environmental issues. Follow Duke Energy on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook.
Media contacts:
Duke Energy Florida – Audrey Stasko
Cell: 315.877.3031
Media line: 800.559.3853
Email: audrey.stasko@duke-energy.com
Coastal Conservation Association Florida – Mary Hillyer Peelen Walther
Phone: 407.617.0604
Email: mhpwalther@ccaflorida.org
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SOURCE Duke Energy | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/05/04/duke-energy-florida-coastal-conservation-association-florida-deploy-artificial-reef-off-states-gulf-coast/ | 2022-05-04T17:07:23Z |
- First pictures: Special model in red with black ornamentation
- Timeless pattern: Modern interpretation of Corsa A tartan seat trim
- From 0001 to 1982: Each car has its own label in the interior
- Six generations of success: 14 million units of Corsa produced in 40 years
RÜSSELSHEIM, Germany, June 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- As the first Opel Corsa rolled off the assembly line in 1982, it opened the first chapter of an ongoing success story. Today, 40 years and six model generations later, more than 14 million units have left the plants; demand for the bestselling small car is as high as ever, especially for the all-electric Corsa-e. Opel will celebrate the jubilee with the "Corsa 40 Years" special model, which will go on sale in the coming weeks in selected markets in Europe. The German carmaker released the first pictures today.
The limited edition – Opel will produce only 1,982 units – comes with a new colour for the bodywork called "Rekord Red" that is highly reminiscent of the red used on the original Corsa A. Contrast is provided by the black roof and black coloured décor such as the Opel Blitz emblem, the tailgate opener and the centrally located Corsa nameplate. Seventeen-inch light alloy wheels in glossy black with inserts in matt grey underline the dynamic appearance.
Inside, the "Corsa 40 Years" is not only nostalgic but also highly modern. The interior is unconventionally stylish, just like the first generation, especially the modern interpretation of the original tartan seat trim. Buyers will also be able to display the timeless pattern themselves – at no extra charge – with limited edition tartan socks in today's design as well as that of the original.
The limited edition badge is equally unique. Each "Corsa 40 Years" will possess its own label numbered from 0001 to 1982, located on the black décor of the passenger-side instrument panel. In addition, like every Corsa, the special model offers numerous comfort and safety features as standard. The list ranges from the Multimedia Radio (compatible with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto) and LED headlamps to electronic driver assistance systems such as front collision alert with automatic emergency braking and pedestrian detection.
The Opel Corsa is the bestselling small car on the German market. In addition, the Corsa-e also topped sales of all battery-electric cars in Germany in May.
About Opel
Opel is one of the largest European car manufacturers and a leader in the reduction of CO2 emissions thanks to its extensive electrification offensive. The company was founded by Adam Opel in Rüsselsheim, Germany, in 1862 and started building automobiles in 1899. Opel is part of Stellantis NV, a global leader created for the new era of sustainable mobility as a result of the merger between Groupe PSA and FCA Group in January 2021. Together with its British sister brand Vauxhall, the company is represented in more than 60 countries around the globe, continuing to enter new international markets. Opel is currently consistently implementing its electrification strategy to secure sustainable success and ensure that the future mobility demands of customers are met. By 2024, an electrified variant of each Opel model will be available. As of 2028, Opel will focus entirely on electric vehicles in Europe.
Visit https://int-media.opel.com
- Picture is available at AP Images (http://www.apimages.com) -
Contact:
Colin Yong: +49 (0) 6142-6922084; colin.yong@opel-vauxhall.com
Natalia Pagano: +49 (0) 172-7957210; natalia.pagano@opel-vauxhall.com
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SOURCE Opel Automobile GmbH | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/06/20/opel-celebrates-corsa-jubilee-with-limited-edition-40-years/ | 2022-06-20T13:33:16Z |
BLOOMFIELD, Conn., July 13, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Cigna's (NYSE:CI) International Markets' eighth edition of the Cigna 360 Global Well-Being Survey, Burned Out Overseas – The State of Expat Life 2022 reveals a dynamic and changing expat landscape that presents a challenge for employers filling overseas assignments and supporting employees working abroad. Most notably, 90% of expats surveyed report that they are stressed and 98% say they have experienced symptoms of burnout, likely from feeling unable to switch off from work.
The Cigna 360 Global Well-being Survey has tracked health and well-being perceptions including physical, family, social, financial, and work indices since 2015. The survey has evolved over time to include additional geographies and more fully capture the perceptions of the global population as we collectively navigate a changing health and well-being landscape, including the global COVID-19 pandemic.
Expat burnout prevalent with money worries increasing
The 2022 survey results show that almost all expats have experienced symptoms of burnout compared with 77% of those living in their home countries. Rising financial concerns are contributing to this feeling, with only 38% of respondents indicating confidence about their current financial situation, and just 33% reporting sufficient savings for retirement. An additional cause of burnout for those living abroad is a feeling of isolation, with nearly 9 in 10 expats saying they feel helpless, defeated and alone.
These findings underscore the need for employer-provided holistic health care. "It is important that expats have access to whole person health care, including mental health support, to help them manage the challenges of living and working abroad, and to thrive in their assignments," says Dr. Stella George, Chief Medical Officer, Cigna International Markets. "While many of the stressors causing burnout were always around, the pandemic accelerated them. It is critical, especially now, that expats have robust behavioral health support to be resilient no matter where they are in the world."
A younger generation of expats motivated by lifestyle
Survey data indicates a demographic shift in those interested in moving abroad from mid- and senior-level workers to those more junior in their careers. In a shift from traditional expat demographics, more than a third, 37% of those respondents aged 18-24 years and 34% aged 25-34 years are interested in making the move abroad, while only 13% of those over 50 years shared the same sentiment. With the shift to earlier in career employees going abroad, employers need to adjust their expat support to reflect this new demographic, by offering services such as scholastic benefits as well as behavioral and physical health.
In another example of how the pandemic has altered the ways we live and work, more than 7 in 10 of current expats surveyed have been re-evaluating their priorities since the start of the pandemic. Among this group, regardless of age, the desire to live closer to family is now an overarching priority, placing above financial gain. For those who have been working and living abroad for more than five years, proximity to family is the number one consideration in assessing an expat assignment, with 26% of respondents expressing a desire to live near their family.
A change in desired destinations
The list of preferred locations for those living abroad has evolved from years past. The top three most desired locations cited by current expats are now Canada, the United States and Australia. For those planning to pursue a future expat assignment, the U.S. and United Kingdom take the top spot with 16% of respondents expressing a desire to live in these locations. Meanwhile, only 1% of those surveyed and seeking to live abroad for the first time are interested in relocating to Mainland China or Saudi Arabia.
Looking forward to employer action
"The pandemic highlighted the critical importance of employers offering globally accessible and relevant health care - and the peace of mind that it can bring especially to those living outside of their home countries," said Ann Asbaty, CEO of Cigna Global, Americas. More than 1 in 5 of current expats surveyed said it is critical that their employer offer an enhanced health care plan extending beyond traditional medical coverage. Those individuals currently living abroad want to ensure that their whole health needs and those of their families are being met, regardless of where they are living.
The Cigna study results highlight the unique challenges the expat population is currently facing and offers employers actionable insights. By providing whole person health care services, employers have an opportunity to better the experience of their expat employee populations while ensuring a more successful assignment. These employer-provided services can help create a positive work and personal life for expats, which may reduce expat turnover. With more than half of current expats undecided as to whether they would remain abroad over the next two years, ensuring that expats feel supported is more critical than ever.
About the Cigna 360 Well-Being Survey
The eighth edition of the Cigna 360 Well-Being Survey was conducted by Cigna International Markets, in partnership with Kantar, a leading data, insights, and consulting company. More than 11,900 people from Australia, Belgium, Mainland China, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Kenya, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Spain, Switzerland, The Netherlands, UAE, UK and USA were surveyed for the research in May this year. It examined five key components - family, financial, physical, social, and work - to uncover the latest trends and challenges for the health and well-being of expats.
Online sampling used respondents recruited from panels that undergo rigorous quality control and the panel composition is representative of the adult population in each of the surveyed markets.
About Cigna
Cigna Corporation is a global health service company dedicated to improving the health, well-being and peace of mind of those we serve. Cigna delivers choice, predictability, affordability and access to quality care through integrated capabilities and connected, personalized solutions that advance whole person health. All products and services are provided exclusively by or through operating subsidiaries of Cigna Corporation, Evernorth companies or their affiliates, and Express Scripts companies or their affiliates. Such products and services include an integrated suite of health services, such as medical, dental, behavioral health, pharmacy, vision, supplemental benefits, and other related products. Cigna maintains sales capability in over 30 countries and jurisdictions and has more than 175 million customer relationships throughout the world. To learn more about Cigna®, including links to follow us on Facebook or Twitter, visit www.cigna.com
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SOURCE Cigna | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/07/13/cigna-survey-finds-evolving-expat-landscape-that-presents-challenges-employers/ | 2022-07-13T14:33:44Z |
GREENVILLE, S.C., July 12, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- TPM, Inc., a leading technology solutions provider focused on partnering with Architectural, Engineering, Construction, and Manufacturing firms, has expanded its robust hardware and software solutions portfolio by creating a strategic partnership with Leica Geosystems, part of Hexagon, to bring industry-leading 3D Laser Scanning solutions to market.
Alongside TPM's professional services portfolio, Autodesk, SolidWorks, and Bluebeam suite of software products, the addition of Leica Geosystems laser scanning solutions will provide TPM's customers with enhanced Scan to BIM and Reality Capture capabilities. Architects, Engineers, and Construction (AEC) professionals can combine Leica Geosystem's portfolio with products like Autodesk Revit to capture entire structures or building sites, and develop interactive models of the scans. Further, the models and scans can easily be converted to Building Information Models (BIM), allowing AEC professionals to view digital representations of the physical and functional characteristics of the scanned location.
"We are very excited about our expanded partnership with Leica Geosystems, bringing another world-class technology solution to our customers across the Southeast and greater United States. Adding Leica Geosystems scanning technology to our suite of solutions further enhances the digital transformation vision that we have for the AEC industry," says Chris Fay, President of TPM, Inc.
"At Leica Geosystems, we value collaboration and continuously evaluate synergetic partnership opportunities with expert players that provide local presence in target markets. TPM's core focus on the building construction and manufacturing industries, its physical locations in key regions across the Southeast and core competency in synergistic Autodesk and SOLIDWORKS solutions makes them a fitting partner. We look forward to working with TPM and jointly providing customers with customised solutions and high-quality support," says Jason Hood, Vice President of Building Construction for Leica Geosystems, US/Canada.
To learn more about TPM's offerings of Leica Geosystems laser scanning solutions, Autodesk, or training and other services, visit their website at tpm.com.
TPM, Inc.'s headquarters is in Greenville, SC, with offices across the Southeast. TPM focuses on Improving Designs, Delivering More Work, and Winning More Business for Architecture, Engineering, Construction, and Manufacturing customers across the region. TPM serves more than 3,500 customers annually with technology solutions, assessments, consulting, implementation, training, and support. For more information about how TPM's talented team is leading the way in an ever-changing market, visit their website at https://www.tpm.com/.
Leica Geosystems – when it has to be right
With more than 200 years of history, Leica Geosystems, part of Hexagon, is the trusted supplier of premium sensors, software and services. Delivering value every day to professionals in surveying, construction, infrastructure, mining, mapping and other geospatial content-dependent industries, Leica Geosystems leads the industry with innovative solutions to empower our autonomous future.
Hexagon is a global leader in sensor, software and autonomous solutions. We are putting data to work to boost efficiency, productivity, and quality across industrial, manufacturing, infrastructure, safety, and mobility applications.
Our technologies are shaping urban and production ecosystems to become increasingly connected and autonomous — ensuring a scalable, sustainable future.
Hexagon's Geosystems division provides a comprehensive portfolio of digital solutions that capture, measure, and visualise the physical world and enable data-driven transformation across industry ecosystems.
Hexagon (Nasdaq Stockholm: HEXA B) has approximately 22,000 employees in 50 countries and net sales of approximately 4.3bn EUR. Learn more at hexagon.com and follow us @HexagonAB.
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SOURCE TPM | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/07/12/tpm-expands-its-aec-product-offerings-with-leica-geosystems-laser-scanning-solutions/ | 2022-07-12T13:44:01Z |
Good Samaritan who pulls man off tracks surprised with new car
CHICAGO (WLS) – A man is being hailed a hero after jumping into action to save someone who fell off a platform onto transit train tracks in Chicago.
Anthony Perry rescued a man who was nearly unconscious on the electrified rail.
“I was hoping I could just grab him and not feel nothing but I felt a little shock,” Perry said.
With the help of another commuter, Perry administered CPR, saving the man’s life.
The man who was shocked by the electrified rail was taken to the hospital and is expected to survive.
Perry’s reaction was priceless when he was rewarded with a car for his heroic actions.
Philanthropist and businessman Early Walker first pranked the 20-year-old by giving him a gift card for gas, knowing the young man didn’t have reliable transportation before revealing the real surprise of a vehicle he purchased for him.
Perry usually takes a 90-minute commute to his job, but it just got easier with the unexpected gift of a 2008 Audi A6.
The car was delivered to him just a few blocks from where he lives, as members of the community and officers from the Chicago Police Department’s third district looked on in support.
“This is just a prime example of how a young man took it upon himself to jump in and do the right thing,” said Lt. Yolanda Irving.
Copyright 2022 WLS via CNN Newsource. All rights reserved. | https://www.kxii.com/2022/06/09/good-samaritan-who-pulls-man-off-tracks-surprised-with-new-car/ | 2022-06-09T18:22:53Z |
STOCKHOLM , Aug. 30, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Cell Impact AB (Nasdaq First North GM: CI) will set up a Cell Impact Forming™ flow plate demonstration line in Japan in collaboration with leading Japanese auto parts supplier F.C.C. Co., Ltd.
For several years, Cell Impact has carried out customer development projects for flow plates in Japan, a significant market for fuel cells and electrolysis equipment. The Japanese market is also one of the world's most demandingmarkets, requiring a long-term perspective and systematic work to be successful. Against this backdrop, Cell Impact Japan Inc. was established in early 2021 to better align with market requirements and strengthen the company's marketing capabilities.
In collaboration with F.C.C., a leading global automotive parts supplier, Cell Impact is pleased to announce that a Cell Impact Forming flow plate forming line will be installed at F.C.C.'s premises in Hamamatsu, Japan.
Over an extended period of time, this initiative will demonstrate Cell Impact's scalable, green and cost-efficient flow plate forming and production technology to existing and prospective customers.
"F.C.C. has found that Cell Impact Forming is a unique and cost-efficient way of producing flow plates. This is why we're so pleased to have created a joint team with Cell Impact to run production demonstration activities here in Japan so the fuel cell industry can learn more about this promising technology," says says Yoshifumi Fuchigami, Operating Officer at F.C.C.
"We are delighted to have established a relationship with F.C.C., a truly professional company with cutting-edge manufacturing technologies and know-how, and to have the opportunity to demonstrate the benefits of Cell Impact's forming technology with them in Japan," says Shigeru Nakagawa, Managing Director of Cell Impact Japan Inc.
"F.C.C. has a keen interest in this industry and with their assistance, I am sure we will carry out the demonstration activities in an excellent way," Pär Teike, CEO of Cell Impact, concludes.
The Cell Impact Forming line at F.C.C. is expected to be put into operation this fall.
About Cell Impact
Cell Impact AB (publ) is a global supplier of advanced flow plates to fuel cell and electrolysis manufacturers. The company has developed and patented a unique method for high-velocity forming, Cell Impact Forming™, which is significantly more scalable and cost-efficient compared to conventional forming methods. Cell Impact Forming is an environmentally friendly forming technology that consumes no water and very little electrical power.
The Cell Impact share is listed on Nasdaq First North Growth Market and FNCA Sweden AB is the company's Certified Advisor (CA). Contact info: +46 8-528 00 399 or info@fnca.se.
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SOURCE Cell Impact AB | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/08/30/cell-impact-forming-demonstration-line-be-installed-japan/ | 2022-08-30T19:24:27Z |
(NEXSTAR) – You probably weighed health, retirement and other benefits before taking your last job, but what about the cost of the commute?
Since many businesses are ushering employees back to the office while the price of gas is hitting all-time highs, just the cost of driving to work may add up quickly, depending on where you live.
A study from Autoinsurance.org ranked U.S. cities by the cost of the average commute and found that employees on the East and West coasts have it the worst when it comes to salary dollars lost on the way to work.
California dominated the list of the most expensive commutes, taking five of the top 10 spots:
If you’re looking for a cheap commute, you may want to consider Texas. Four of the top 10 cheapest commutes can be found in the Lone Star State, the survey says.
The cheapest commute in the country is in Lubbock, Texas ($2,874 annually), followed by Laredo, Texas; Tulsa, Oklahoma; Wichita, Kansas; Corpus Christi, Texas; Norfolk, Virginia; El Paso, Texas; Memphis, Tennessee; Tucson, Arizona; and Cleveland, Ohio – all with an annual cost under $4,000.
Not surprisingly, Lubbock’s average travel time to work was also the shortest, at just over 16 minutes.
The study’s authors used data from the 2019 U.S. Census American Community Survey to determine average commute times, median earnings and average hours worked. See autoinsurance.org for more information on the methodology and additional findings.
Hafsa Batool, who works with digital marketing and e-commerce agency Skill Dollars, points out that the impact of cost isn’t felt equally when it comes to commuting.
“The higher your pay grade is, the less likely you are to notice the cost of commuting,” Batool said. “For someone who earns $100,000 per year, commuting will likely be less than $10,000, making it a relatively minor expense. But if you’re earning $30,000 per year (or even just $50,000), that same expense can make up to 25% or more of your income.”
The cost of the commute is not just a consideration for employees, but also employers after more than 4 million workers quit their jobs in February in the so-called “Great Resignation.”
A March 2022 Pew Research Center survey found that 63 percent of those who quit their jobs said that low pay was a factor in their decision.
For many employers, mandating a return to work without adding the right incentives may end up being a tough sell when it comes to making new hires.
“Remote work is not going away as the pandemic turns endemic,” said Patrick Denver, owner of CouponNinja.com. “Companies that refuse to offer hybrid models and force employees to return full time to the office will have difficulty keeping employees. Many employees realized that the freedom of the work from home model just couldn’t be beaten. Returning to an office building will be challenging.”
For anyone trying to save money on their commutes, AutoInsurance.org suggests tracking your budget and exploring other modes of transport that include carpooling, sharing a car, riding a bike, using public transportation or walking. Experts also suggest staggering travel time to avoid traffic and pre-plan where you are going to park at your destination, whenever possible. | https://cw33.com/news/nexstar-media-wire/study-these-10-cities-have-the-most-expensive-commutes/ | 2022-05-19T11:09:48Z |
WASHINGTON, June 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- As Americans take to the beaches, leave school and turn on their air conditioners this summer, current events, such as inflation, are on their minds, and nearly half of Americans feel pressure to lose weight or otherwise change their body.
This is according to the American Psychiatric Association's Healthy Minds Monthly Poll*, which was conducted by Morning Consult between May 27 and 29, 2022, among a sample of 2,210 adults.
Americans say they are anxious about current events, with 79% indicating they are very or somewhat anxious about inflation, 68% about gun violence, and 63% about the Russia-Ukraine War. They also said they were anxious about climate change (52%), COVID-19 (49%), the future of reproductive rights (48%), the midterm elections (47%), and the future of LGBTQ+ rights (31%), although responses varied by demographic group.
"It's not surprising that Americans find the news anxiety-inducing, given everything we are facing as a country at the moment," said APA President Rebecca Brendel, M.D., J.D. "It's obviously important to stay informed, but from time to time you need to take a break, particularly if you find yourself overwhelmed. Watching repeated scenes of violence in a 24/7 news cycle doesn't help and can even make symptoms worse."
On the positive side, about three-quarters of American adults say their mental health is excellent or good (72%), compared to 26% who rate their mental health as fair or poor, down two percentage points from last month. They said that many aspects of the summer would have a positive impact on their mental health, such as spending time outdoors (71%), taking a vacation (67%), longer amounts of daylight (66%), and attending social gatherings (60%).
A quarter of Americans said hot weather (28%) and wearing clothes that show more of their body (24%) have a negative impact on their mental health. Adults are split (45% to 53%) on whether they feel pressure to lose weight or otherwise change their body during the summer.
"It's good to see some Americans taking positive emotions from summer traditions, during a time when we really need them," said APA CEO and Medical Director Saul Levin, M.D., M.P.A. "But it stands out that half want to change their bodies. For some, that may come from being exposed to images of unattainable ideals on traditional and social media. It's important to monitor your feelings and actions around these issues and if necessary, seek help."
Many differences in age, gender, race and ethnicity, and sexual orientation emerged in the full results of the poll, which are available by contacting press@psych.org.
*APA's Healthy Minds Monthly tracks timely mental health issues throughout the year. APA also releases its annual Healthy Minds Poll each May in conjunction with Mental Health Awareness Month. Learn more at psychiatry.org.
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SOURCE American Psychiatric Association | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/06/15/americans-anxious-over-current-events-losing-weight-this-summer-says-new-apa-poll/ | 2022-06-15T16:12:29Z |
CUMMING, Ga., June 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Renewable Properties and United Renewable Energy LLC (URE) have commenced construction on three North Carolina projects totaling 20MW. Renewable Properties will finance and own the projects and has selected United Renewable Energy to complete the engineering, procurement, and construction.
The projects, which span the state, were acquired from Cypress Creek Renewables, who completed their initial development. Two are in Columbus County and one in Rockingham County. Cypress Creek will continue involvement in these projects by providing operations and maintenance services through its top-ranked O&M division. All three projects are expected to be completed and delivering energy by the fall.
Renewable Properties and URE have had to be creative to keep the projects within budget and on schedule despite historical inflation and rising prices on materials, fuel, and every aspect of project construction. "Our partners rely on us, and our team takes tremendous pride in working collaboratively with the project owners to ensure that we maintain the project budgets." Said Keith Herbs, Executive Vice President of URE.
"With the solar market full of uncertainty around rising construction costs and potential tariffs, it's great to work with EPC partners like URE who are willing to go the extra mile to get the job done." said Aaron Halimi, Founder and President of Renewable Properties.
This portfolio of projects will add to Renewable Properties' operating fleet in the Carolinas with additional plans to announce more North Carolina projects soon, as well as additions to their ever-growing pipeline of projects throughout the United States.
"Cypress Creek Renewables has developed hundreds of solar projects in the state of North Carolina and is proud to have a home base in the state," Sarah Slusser, CEO of Cypress Creek Renewables said. "We are deeply invested in the continued success of projects that work toward a more sustainable future in North Carolina and beyond. It was great working with Renewable Properties and their team to help get these projects across the finish line."
Founded in 2017, Renewable Properties specializes in developing and investing in small-scale utility and community solar energy projects throughout the U.S. Led by experienced renewable energy professionals with development and investment experience, Renewable Properties works closely with communities, developers, landowners, utilities and financial institutions looking to invest in large solar energy systems. For more information about Renewable Properties, visit www.renewprop.com.
United Renewable Energy LLC (URE) develops, designs, builds solar photovoltaic and energy storage systems for utilities, industrial and commercial companies, Independent Power Producers, and Electrical Membership Co-operatives. www.u-renew.com
Cypress Creek Renewables (CCR) is a leading renewables IPP. CCR develops, finances, owns and operates utility-scale and distributed solar and energy storage projects across the United States. Their mission is to power a sustainable future, one project at a time. Since inception, CCR has developed more than 11GW of solar projects. Today CCR owns 1.7GW of solar, and through its O&M services business, operates 4GW of solar projects. For more information about Cypress Creek, please visit www.ccrenew.com.
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SOURCE United Renewable Energy LLC | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/06/01/renewable-properties-united-renewable-energy-break-ground-20mw-north-carolina-portfolio/ | 2022-06-01T13:48:51Z |
Second quarter 2022 cash dividend of $0.165 per share
TEMPE, Ariz., June 21, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Benchmark Electronics, Inc. (NYSE: BHE) today announced that its Board of Directors declared a quarterly dividend of $0.165 per share, payable on July 14, 2022 to shareholders of record at the close of business on June 30, 2022.
Benchmark provides comprehensive solutions across the entire product life cycle by leading through its innovative technology and engineering design services, leveraging its optimized global supply chain and delivering world-class manufacturing services in the following industries: commercial aerospace, defense, advanced computing, next generation telecommunications, complex industrials, medical, and semiconductor capital equipment. Benchmark's global operations include facilities in seven countries and its common shares trade on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol BHE.
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SOURCE Benchmark Electronics, Inc. | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/06/21/benchmark-electronics-announces-quarterly-cash-dividend/ | 2022-06-21T20:56:48Z |
Ex-NYPD Detective Explains How to Avoid Being a Victim—and a Perpetrator
NEW YORK, April 11, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Road-rage shootings in the US have doubled compared to pre-pandemic levels, according to a report in the Wall Street Journal. Citing data from a gun safety group, the paper said road-rage shootings averaged 44 per month in 2021, compared to 22 per month in 2019.
According to former NYPD Detective Mike Sapraicone, founder and president of Squad Security, Inc., it is quite likely a variety of factors are contributing to the increase. These include stress associated with COVID, high prices due to inflation, and a laxer criminal justice system, whereby many criminals believe there will be little or no consequences for their actions.
Sapraicone says the first step in avoiding road-rage begins before you even get in your in your car. "If some things in life haven't been going well and you're under some degree of stress, recognize it could affect your driving," said Sapraicone. "Take a deep breath and remind yourself you want to get from point A to point B in the most uneventful way possible. Turn on some music that will help you stay calm.
"If you encounter an aggressive driver on the road, let it go and don't engage," adds Sapraicone. "Avoid confrontations in common trouble spots, such as where lanes merge. If someone violates the 'alternate feed' credo, just let them in and back off. Responding with your own aggressive act will only escalate the situation."
Sapraicone says riding in left lanes on highways could anger someone who wants to pass you and go faster. "Remember you're not the highway patrol," he says. "Just move to the right and let the vehicle behind you pass."
It is important to have access to your phone in case you need to call authorities, so keep it on and make sure its voice commands are activated. Know where the nearest police station and hospital is in the event you're being followed by another driver, especially one who has displayed or fired a gun.
While the report centers on incidents where guns were fired, Sapraicone says it's reasonable to conclude overall occurrences of road-rage have risen significantly. These include situations where vehicles are damaged and noses are bloodied. He adds that road-rage incidents are often easily avoidable. "In many cases, it takes two to tango. Swallow your pride and move on."
About Squad Security, Inc. (squadsecurity.com)
Established in 1992, Squad Security, Inc. began operating in New York and expanded operations opening full-service offices in Los Angeles, Chicago, Toronto, and London. Since its inception the company has developed into a progressive, well-structured organization, offering a wide range of security and investigative solutions to multinational clients. Based in Uniondale, NY, the agency was founded by Michael D. Sapraicone, a retired first-grade NYPD detective and frequent commentator on security issues for major news media outlets. He also hosts "Street Smart" on Long Island News Radio.
Media Contact:
Joe Carella
Joseph J. Carella Associates Inc.
Public Relations—212-262-8800
mail@jjcpr.com
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SOURCE Squad Security, Inc. | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/04/11/road-rage-shootings-have-doubled-during-pandemic/ | 2022-04-11T12:02:23Z |
Amazon among companies cited for offering products that are not FDA-approved
SILVER SPRING, Md., Aug. 9, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced it issued three warning letters to companies for introducing mole and skin tag removal products into interstate commerce that are unapproved new drugs, in violation of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FD&C Act). There are no FDA-approved over-the-counter drug products for the removal of moles and skin tags.
"It is the FDA's duty to protect public health from harmful products not approved for the U.S. marketplace" said Donald D. Ashley, J.D., director of the Office of Compliance in the FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. "The agency's rigorous surveillance works to identify threats to public health and stop these products from reaching our communities. This includes where online retailers like Amazon are involved in the interstate sale of unapproved drug products. We will continue to work diligently to ensure that online retailers do not sell products that violate federal law."
Moles should be evaluated by a health care practitioner. Self-diagnosis and treatment of moles could lead to delayed cancer diagnosis and treatment, and even cancer progression. The FDA has issued a consumer warning noting that products marketed for removing moles and other skin lesions can cause injuries and scarring. The sale of these products risks public health and may jeopardize consumers' health when used without consulting a health care professional.
The FDA issued the warning letters to:
The mole and skin tag removal products sold by these firms have not been evaluated by the FDA for safety, effectiveness or quality and require FDA approval. The introduction or delivery for introduction of these products into interstate commerce without an approved application is an additional violation of the FD&C Act.
Today's warning letters alert the companies that failure to adequately address the violations cited by the FDA may result in legal action including seizure and/or injunction. The companies have 15 days from receipt of the warning letter to respond to the agency with actions they have taken to address any violations. The FDA will continue to use all tools available to protect public health and remove fraudulent or unproven drug products from the U.S. marketplace. Warning letters are not meant to be final agency action.
The FDA encourages consumers and health care professionals to report any adverse events to the agency's MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting program so the agency can take action to protect the public from any unsafe products. The FDA works to protect consumers by informing about the risks and how to buy online safely.
Additional resources:
Media Contact: Audra Harrison, 301-908-6101
Consumer Inquiries: 888-INFO-FDA
The FDA, an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, protects the public health by assuring the safety, effectiveness, and security of human and veterinary drugs, vaccines and other biological products for human use, and medical devices. The agency also is responsible for the safety and security of our nation's food supply, cosmetics, dietary supplements, products that give off electronic radiation, and for regulating tobacco products.
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SOURCE U.S. Food and Drug Administration | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/08/09/fda-issues-warning-letters-three-companies-selling-unapproved-new-drugs-mole-skin-tag-removal/ | 2022-08-09T16:01:54Z |
WASHINGTON, June 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Iris® Powered by Generali ("Iris") today announced that Integreon has selected their OnWatch® platform to provide identity and credit monitoring to their legal and corporate client base. Partnering with Iris® expands Integreon's capabilities and rounds out their competitive cyber incident response (CIR) solution.
Paige Schaffer, CEO of Iris, commented on the news, "From the first meeting with Integreon, we knew this was a partnership with tight synergies between our teams. Integreon's services dovetail nicely with the capabilities of our Iris OnWatch® platform. Companies, like Integreon, are looking for differentiating services like our ScamAssist® protection offering in addition to our best-in-class monitoring and resolution services to give their clients peace of mind – and Iris does just that."
Integreon will be offering four levels of Iris services to their client base. The services vary from a basic package that has Iris' leading Identity Theft Resolution and ScamAssist® services to a more comprehensive identity and credit monitoring offering. These four packages were crafted to give Integreon's customers the flexibility to choose services tailored to the specific needs of their business and employees.
Integreon's extensive experience handling protected personal data has yielded a highly efficient cyber incident response-specific process that enables them to accurately estimate the cost and timeframe for completion—from data mining through to breach notification and now, ongoing credit monitoring. Their approach reflects thousands of successfully completed projects across an array of industries, including healthcare, technology, retail, finance, and telecom, to name a few.
"Our team of experts and tech-enabled cyber incident response process are second to none," commented Jamie Berry, EVP and Business Head, Cyber and Litigation Services. "Putting this last piece of the CIR puzzle in place with a partner that also has a client-first culture and commitment to quality is game changing. We look forward to working with Iris and continuing to be the change agents in the market."
Ms. Schaffer concluded, "An often-unsaid part of what makes Iris an ideal partner is our ability to offer flexible and customizable solutions that are uniquely aligned with the strategies and objectives of our clients. Our services can be incorporated into a new client's ecosystem quickly and efficiently – allowing them to get ahead of fraudsters and scammers looking to steal their users' identities. As an example, the custom gating solution we built for Integreon accommodated seven unique requests that helped them achieve their goals for enhancing their customer activation and client reporting processes."
Integreon will begin offering Iris services to its customers this month and their users can learn more about the offerings by visiting: https://bit.ly/3MTUHyw
About Iris® Powered by Generali
Iris® is a B2B2C global identity and cyber protection company owned by the 190-year-old multinational insurance company, Generali, offering always-available identity resolution experts (real people available 24/7/365) and tech-forward solutions that uncomplicate the protection process. Today, understanding that victimization has no geographical boundaries, we've got a solution no matter your customers' coordinates.
To learn more about Iris' offerings, please visit https://www.irisidentityprotection.com/.
Connect with Iris on: Twitter | LinkedIn | Facebook
About Integreon
Integreon is the trusted, global provider of legal and business outsourced services to corporations and law firms seeking to expand their capabilities and transform their performance. The company's 3,500+ professionals provide expert support across a range of managed services—from legal and regulatory to creative design, content delivery and administrative support. With global delivery centers on three continents, Integreon delivers round-the-clock service in 50+ languages and is deeply committed to client success, consistently delivering innovative, tech-enabled solutions that improve agility and efficiency to drive business performance. Integreon is owned by EagleTree Capital, a leading New York-based private equity firm that has invested approximately $2.7 billion of equity capital since inception.
For more information about Integreon's range of services, email info@integreon.com, visit www.integreon.com and follow Integreon at LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook.
Iris Media Contact
Jay A. Morakis
M Group Strategic Communications
+1 646.859.5951
IrisPR@mgroupsc.com
Integreon Media Contact
Christy Burke
Burke & Company PR
+1 212.620.7711
cburke@burke-company.com
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SOURCE Iris powered by Generali | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/06/01/legal-amp-business-outsourcing-leader-integreon-selects-iris-powered-by-generali-expand-its-cyber-incident-response-services/ | 2022-06-01T12:50:38Z |
A viral video, with more than 220,000 likes on Twitter, shows the faceoff between actors from the show and anti-LGBTQ protesters at Saturday's London Pride parade. British actors Kit Connor, Joe Locke, and Sebastian Croft dance and sing along to Houston's "I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)" in the video.
In his own Tweet, Connor gave credit to Locke and Croft for leading the dance party.
"it was @joelocke03 and @SebastianCroft front and centre," wrote Connor. "Please give them the credit for doing something so powerful."
Locke also retweeted a video of himself dancing and apparently giving the middle finger to protesters, writing "Had to do my job properly."
The popular show features a love story between two British teenagers, played by Locke and Connor. Locke places Charlie Spring, a recently outed schoolboy who falls in love with popular rugby player Nick Nelson, played by Connor. The show has been lauded for its complex portrayal of queer characters and has a rare 100% approval rating on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes.
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Now extending to Mexico, competition expands to more design and architecture students than ever before, inviting them to share interpretations of maximalism in furniture designs
CINCINNATI, Sept. 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Formica Corporation today announced the opening of the 2023 FORM Student Innovation Competition. This annual competition invites architecture and interior design students in the U.S., Canada and, new this year, Mexico, to showcase their creativity through original furniture designs that feature Formica® Brand products.
This year's challenge asks students to submit a color rendering and project statement for a furniture design that interprets the student's concept of maximalism. The "new maximalism" revolves around maximum color, painterly print and rich textures. It allows a space for expressing individuality and unique perspectives. Students are asked to use their creativity when defining what maximalism means to them, which could be furniture with multiple patterns, unique architectural shapes or bold, saturated colors that draw the eye.
Student submissions must include three or more Formica® or FENIX® Brand products, including at least one from the SurfaceSet® 2022 collection by Formica Corporation. They will have the chance to win cash prizes and national recognition and have their work showcased at NeoCon 2023. The competition is open from Sept. 1, 2022, through March 6, 2023, with winners announced in April 2023. A distinguished panel of industry and design professionals will judge the student submissions.
"Each year, we continue to be impressed by the unparalleled originality and inventiveness students bring to this competition," said Renee Hytry Derrington, managing principal of North American design at Formica Corporation. "We are incredibly excited to announce the expansion of the competition into Mexico, growing its international presence and celebrating innovative designs from the next generation across more of North America."
The grand prizewinner will receive a $2,000 cash award and their design will be fabricated and displayed during NeoCon 2023 in Chicago. The second-place winner will be awarded $1,000 and the third-place winner will receive $500. The top three winners also will be invited to attend NeoCon as guests of Formica Corporation for the opportunity to network with industry professionals and get a taste of the design community.
The FORM Student Innovation Competition is inspired by the original iteration of this challenge held in 2008, when the company invited 10 world-renowned designers and architects—including Jaime Velez, Zaha Hadid, Michael Graves, Bernard Tschumi and Massimo Vignelli, among others—to create works of art from Formica® Brand products. Their designs, which ranged from domestic pieces to conceptual sculptures, were then exhibited at the Contemporary Arts Center in Cincinnati.
In the spirit of the original challenge, the 2023 FORM Student Innovation Competition invites the next generation of designers to express their creativity in these original furniture designs, showing attention to detail, inventive design and a unique point of view.
Competition submissions can be emailed to designcontest@formica.com. For more information, including complete competition details, resources and rules, visit http://www.formica.com/studentcompetition
Founded in 1913, Formica Corporation, part of the Broadview Holding family of companies, is a global leader in the design, manufacture and distribution of innovative surfacing products for commercial and residential applications. For more information about Formica Corporation, its products, special programs and promotions, visit www.formica.com or call 1-800-FORMICA™.
Based in 's-Hertogenbosch, the Netherlands, Broadview is a holding company that pursues long-term growth and value creation through active support of its operating companies. Broadview's family of businesses covers two industry clusters: Energy and Material Technology. Broadview's Material Technology businesses include Arpa, Trespa, Formica Group, Westag, Homapal and Direct Online Services. With combined sales of EUR 1.2 billion and 6,000 employees, this cluster has a global leading position in the market for surface materials.
Formica®, SurfaceSet® and the Formica® Anvil Logo are registered trademarks of The Diller Corporation. 1-800-FORMICA™ is a trademark of The Diller Corporation. All rights reserved. ©2022 The Diller
Contact:
Owen Serey
Formica Corporation
513-786-3121
Owen.Serey@formica.com
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SOURCE Formica Corporation | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/09/01/call-entries-sixth-annual-form-student-innovation-competition-by-formica-corporation/ | 2022-09-01T15:37:30Z |
Validation Institute's review of WithMe Health confirms significant savings, from both improved pricing and impacting utilization, for plan sponsors switching from traditional PBMs
SAN MATEO, Calif., Sept. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- WithMe Health (or "WithMe"), a digital health company offering pharmacy benefits management (PBM) and medication guidance services, today announced that it has achieved Validation for Savings by the Validation Institute. This is a significant third-party validation of WithMe's ability to lower the per member per month (PMPM) pharmacy costs by 29% for self-insured clients switching from traditional "spread" PBMs to WithMe's transparent, pass-through model and personalized medication guidance service. This represents one more critical step in WithMe's mission to disrupt the PBM industry.
The Validation Institute is known for its work in verifying claims made by healthcare companies, with a special focus on disease-specific interventions as well as pharmacy drug spend. The Institute's mission is to help the industry and its clients substantiate which solutions in the space are having a real impact. "We conducted a rigorous analysis of WithMe data in order to validate WithMe's claims of client savings. We found that WithMe Health delivers $27.10 lower per member per month costs for pharmacy benefits than traditional Pharmacy Benefit Managers," said Benny DiCecca, Validation Institute CEO & President.
WithMe Health's savings is driven by significant utilization impact, not only better network rates and rebates. Clients achieve 4.5x-6x ROI, depending on the client-specific all-inclusive admin fee. Moreover, with a unique focus on member experience, WithMe has an 85 Net Promoter Score, representing a meaningful improvement compared to typical PBM scores. WithMe's purpose-built operational CRM, the "Guide App," enables member behavior change through proactive alerts and interventions, with the support of their pharmacist-led Medication Guide Team.
WithMe Health was founded in 2018, with investment from Oak HC/FT, OMERS Ventures, and Cox Enterprises. The company has since been a leading innovator in reconstructing the PBM business and delivery model to better serve their clients' needs through eliminating conflicts of interest.
"We're proud to be recognized for our business model and our impact," said WithMe Health CEO Joe Murad. "Pharmacy is a complicated space into which the Validation Institute is helping to bring increased clarity. We hope that this validation will make it easier for our clients and partners to understand the significant savings we can achieve for them."
Shane Giuliani, WithMe Health's Vice President, said, "We talk a lot about the need for a new, better PBM business model. We've built that with discipline and without taking shortcuts. We're aligning incentives with clients, improving the member experience, and driving significant savings. Our team at WithMe Health is proud to prove that this is possible, further substantiated by this Validation Institute study."
The Validation Institute's report on WithMe Health's savings can be found here.
WithMe Health's mission is to change the PBM industry and medication guidance for the better. Our business model is designed to fully align our objectives with those of our clients, removing the many conflicts of interest that often exist in a PBM-plan sponsor relationship. Our signature innovation is our Personalized Medication Guidance program, a human-led, tech-enabled clinical team whose focus is on utilization management. Through proactive engagement, we are able to drive savings and improve both outcomes and member satisfaction.
Validation Institute is a professional community that advocates for organizations and approaches that deliver better health value - stronger health outcomes at lower cost. We connect, train, and certify health care purchasers, and we validate and connect providers delivering superior results.
Founded in 2014, the mission of the organization has consistently been to help provide transparency to buyers of healthcare. To strengthen our offering and provide additional credibility around our service, the Validation Institute recently announced a "Credibility Guarantee" that offers customers of validated solution providers up to a $25,000 guarantee. This guarantee confirms that a validated solution provider will achieve what the validation language on a marketing claim says it will achieve.
For more information visit www.withmehealth.com. Follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn.
Related Links
http://www.withmehealth.com
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SOURCE WithMe Health LLC | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/09/06/switching-withme-healths-pbm-achieves-29-pharmacy-savings-confirms-validation-institute/ | 2022-09-06T17:37:09Z |
BOSTON, July 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Federal Home Loan Bank of Boston announced its preliminary, unaudited second quarter financial results for 2022, reporting net income of $41.0 million for the quarter. The Bank expects to file its quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ending June 30, 2022, with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission next month.
The Bank's board of directors has declared a dividend equal to an annual yield of 3.72%, the daily average of the Secured Overnight Financing Rate for the second quarter of 2022 plus 300 basis points. The dividend, based on average stock outstanding for the second quarter of 2022, will be paid on August 2, 2022. As always, dividends remain at the discretion of the board.
"Advances activity increased in the second quarter as demand for wholesale funding by our members picked up significantly. The Bank experienced year-over-year gains in net income, net interest income, and net interest spread," said FHLBank Boston President and CEO Timothy J. Barrett. "The Bank's balance sheet remains strong, and we continue to maintain our focus of providing liquidity and funding to our members and supporting affordable housing and economic development."
Second Quarter 2022 Operating Highlights
The Bank's overall results of operations are influenced by the economy, financial markets and, in particular, by members' demand for advances. During the second quarter of 2022, the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) raised the target range for the federal funds rate to between 150 and 175 basis points. Additionally, the Bank experienced a sharp increase in demand for advances from our members during the quarter ended June 30, 2022.
Net income for the quarter ending June 30, 2022, was $41.0 million, compared with net income of $6.2 million for the same period in 2021, the result of a $26.3 million increase in net interest income after provision for credit losses and a decrease of $14.3 million in net unrealized losses on trading securities. These results led to a $4.6 million statutory contribution to the Bank's Affordable Housing Program for the quarter. In addition, the Bank made a voluntary contribution of $5.5 million to the Affordable Housing Program for the quarter ending June 30, 2022.
Net interest income after provision for credit losses for the three months ended June 30, 2022, was $69.4 million, compared with $43.1 million for the same period in 2021. The $26.3 million increase in net interest income after provision for credit losses was driven by growth in our advances and investments portfolios, as well as an increase in yields in the quarter ended June 30, 2022. As a result, net interest spread was 0.52% for the quarter ended June 30, 2022, an increase of 8 basis points from the same period in 2021, and net interest margin was 0.60%, an increase of 12 basis points from the same period in 2021.
June 30, 2022 Balance-Sheet Highlights
Total assets increased $29.5 billion, or 90.7%, to $62.1 billion at June 30, 2022, up from $32.5 billion at year-end 2021. During the six months ended June 30, 2022, advances increased $18.0 billion, or 145.7%, to $30.3 billion, compared with $12.3 billion at year-end 2021. The significant increase in advances was concentrated in variable-rate advances and short-term fixed-rate advances, reflecting rising demand for wholesale funding at member institutions.
Total investments were $28.3 billion at June 30, 2022, up from $16.4 billion at December 31, 2021, with most of the increase concentrated in short term investments that support liquidity needs resulting from higher demand for advances. Investments in mortgage loans totaled $2.9 billion at June 30, 2022, a decrease of $222.8 million from year-end 2021 as paydowns continued to outpace new purchases in a challenging mortgage refinance market.
GAAP capital at June 30, 2022, was $2.9 billion, an increase of $417.0 million from $2.5 billion at year-end 2021. During the first half of 2022, capital stock increased by $603.6 million, primarily attributable to the increase in advances. Total retained earnings grew to $1.6 billion at June 30, 2022, an increase of $58.8 million, or 3.8%, from December 31, 2021. Of this amount, restricted retained earnings(1) totaled $376.6 million at June 30, 2022. Due to the increase in the average balance of consolidated obligations during the quarter ended June 30, 2022, we contributed $8.2 million of second quarter 2022 net income to restricted retained earnings. Accumulated other comprehensive loss totaled $216.4 million at June 30, 2022, a decrease of $245.4 million, from accumulated other comprehensive income of $29.0 million at December 31, 2021, mainly attributable to valuation losses from investment securities as interest rates rose sharply during the first half of 2022.
The Bank was in compliance with all regulatory capital ratios at June 30, 2022, and in the most recent information available was classified "adequately capitalized" by its regulator, the Federal Housing Finance Agency, based on the Bank's financial information at March 31, 2022.(2)
About the Bank
The Federal Home Loan Bank of Boston is a cooperatively owned wholesale bank for housing finance in the six New England states. Its mission is to provide highly reliable wholesale funding and liquidity to its member financial institutions in New England. The Bank also develops and delivers competitively priced financial products, services, and expertise that support housing finance, community development, and economic growth, including programs targeted to lower-income households.
Contact:
Adam Coldwell
617-292-9774
adam.coldwell@fhlbboston.com
****************************
Safe Harbor Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995
This release, including the unaudited balance sheet highlights and income statement highlights, uses forward-looking statements within the meaning of the "safe harbor" provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, which include statements with respect to the Bank's plans, objectives, projections, estimates, or predictions. These statements are based on the Bank's expectations as of the date hereof. The words "preliminary," "will," "continue," and similar statements and their plural and negative forms are used in this notification to identify some, but not all, of such forward-looking statements. For example, statements about future declarations of dividends and expectations for advances balances, mortgage-loan investments, and net income are forward-looking statements, among other forward-looking statements herein.
The Bank cautions that, by their nature, forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, including, but not limited to, the application of accounting standards relating to, among other things, the amortization and accretion of premiums and discounts on financial assets, financial liabilities, and certain fair value gains and losses; hedge accounting of derivatives and underlying financial instruments; the fair values of financial instruments, including investment securities and derivatives; the allowance for credit losses on investment securities and mortgage loans; instability in the credit and debt markets; economic conditions (including effects on, among other things, mortgage-backed securities); changes in demand for advances or consolidated obligations of the Bank or the Federal Home Loan Bank system; changes in interest rates; volatility of market prices, rates, and indices that could affect the value of financial instruments; the expected discontinuance of LIBOR and the adverse consequences it could have for market participants, including the Bank; the effects of COVID-19 and the emerging variants of the virus that causes COVID-19 on regulatory developments, economic conditions and markets; the Bank's ability to execute its business model and pay future dividends; and prepayment speeds on mortgage assets. In addition, the Bank reserves the right to change its plans for any programs for any reason, including but not limited to, legislative or regulatory changes, changes in membership, or changes at the discretion of the board of directors. Accordingly, the Bank cautions that actual results could differ materially from those expressed or implied in these forward-looking statements or could impact the extent to which a particular plan, objective, projection, estimate or prediction is realized, and you are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such statements. The Bank does not undertake to update any forward-looking statement herein or that may be made from time to time on behalf of the Bank.
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SOURCE Federal Home Loan Bank of Boston | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/07/22/federal-home-loan-bank-boston-announces-2022-second-quarter-results-declares-dividend/ | 2022-07-22T17:49:56Z |
Sheriff: Mother, daughter arrested after assaulting ‘bullying’ students at school
DALZELL, S.C. (WIS/Gray News) - Authorities in South Carolina are investigating a case involving two family members and an assault at a middle school.
The Sumter County Sheriff’s Office reports Mamie Smith and Whitley Smith entered Ebenezer Middle School on Wednesday and confronted a student in a hallway.
Authorities said the mother and daughter pushed the student against a wall and hit the juvenile in the head and face. Two other students were also pushed and hit in the incident, as reported by WIS.
One of the students was taken for medical treatment by their parents, with the other two released to their families.
The sheriff’s office said Mamie Smith and Whitley Smith were later arrested on charges that include assault and disturbing schools.
Sumter County Sheriff Anthony Dennis released the following statement regarding the incident:
“This type of behavior is criminal and should never be considered as the appropriate way to deal with matters. It is my understanding that these two subjects were responding to the school because they believed their family member was being bullied. Our investigation showed that the students who were viciously attacked were not even the students who these subjects believed had bullied their family members.
We work very hard to protect all students in our schools. The fact is, the students who were reported as bullying these subjects’ family member was actually in the office being dealt with when this attack took place.”
Copyright 2022 WIS via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.kxii.com/2022/05/19/sheriff-mother-daughter-arrested-after-assaulting-bullying-students-school/ | 2022-05-19T21:42:43Z |
The Columbus Zoo has welcomed a long-legged, endangered new addition: a baby Masai giraffe.
The unnamed newborn was born to 12-year-old mother Zuri on August 31, according to a news release from the zoo.
The Columbus Zoo has welcomed a long-legged, endangered new addition: a baby Masai giraffe.
The unnamed newborn was born to 12-year-old mother Zuri on August 31, according to a news release from the zoo.
"Not only is the calf fiercely cute, but his birth is especially significant as it marks an important achievement for the future of this endangered species," said the zoo.
After a few failed attempts, the baby boy was able to stand up, take a few steps, and nurse shortly after birth, says the zoo.
The day after his birth, zoo staff conducted a wellness exam and confirmed the calf is healthy.
Masai giraffes are listed as endangered by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature. There are around 35,000 of the subspecies left in Tanzania and Kenya, but their population is on the decline due to illegal hunting and the destruction of their habitat, says the organization.
The baby's parents, Zuri and Enzi, were paired through the Species Survival Plan, a program coordinated by the Association of Zoos & Aquariums to ensure endangered species maintain genetic diversity. The calf's father was euthanized in 2021 due to chronic health issues, says the zoo.
The newborn has been a longtime coming: Giraffes gestate for 15 months, says the zoo.
The "miracle baby" is the 23rd giraffe born at the Columbus Zoo, said the statement.
"We were heartbroken to lose Enzi, and this calf is such an amazing gift to us and to the future of all Masai giraffes," Shannon Borders, curator of the Columbus Zoo's Heart of Africa region, said in the zoo's statement. "This little one is truly our miracle baby, and it warms our hearts that Enzi's legacy continues to live on to have such a positive impact."
The calf's birth is just one part of the zoo's efforts to improve the Masai giraffe population, said the statement.
"From our successful giraffe breeding program, contributions to field conservation projects, and leadership in Animal Health initiatives benefiting giraffes, we are fully committed to making a difference for Masai giraffes and other species that rely on their place in nature," said Columbus Zoo President and CEO Tom Schmid in the statement.
Guests won't be able to see the mother and baby just yet, but the rest of the giraffe herd are still on display, the zoo added.
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A receipt was sent to your email. | https://www.albanyherald.com/news/miracle-baby-giraffe-born-at-columbus-zoo/article_5831648f-3d09-5bcb-a2e8-92b0dc49e5ac.html | 2022-09-11T06:47:45Z |
New releases enable continuous modernization of core business systems
SANTA CLARA, Calif., July 13, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Micro Focus (LSE: MCRO; NYSE: MFGP) today announced the general availability of Visual COBOL 8.0 and Enterprise Suite 8.0, building on four decades of providing flexible application, process and infrastructure modernization solutions for core business and mission-critical applications. These enhanced solutions enable IT teams to modernize COBOL and mainframe applications for deployment to the cloud at a time when organizations are seeking new and cost-effective ways to deliver on IT strategies through continuous modernization and digital transformation initiatives.
Micro Focus Visual COBOL 8.0 and Enterprise Suite 8.0 deliver a proven avenue for expanding the value of your existing applications and increasing your competitive differentiation by leveraging the capabilities of cloud, mainframe or distributed platforms. "Over the past four decades, Micro Focus has been a leader in modernizing COBOL and mainframe systems with its patented, innovative technology, efficiency and expertise, and Visual COBOL 8.0 and Enterprise Suite 8.0 continue that pedigree," said Neil Fowler, General Manager and VP of the Application Modernization and Connectivity business at Micro Focus. "These new releases of our proven solutions provide many options for organizations to modernize their long-standing core business systems for the cloud and ensure their continued value for many years to come."
For organizations working with COBOL applications deployed on distributed platforms, Visual COBOL 8.0 delivers:
- Industry leading COBOL and mainframe application development tools integrated into Microsoft Visual Studio 2022, Visual Studio Code and Eclipse including new support for Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) based development.
- Modernization of COBOL applications using .NET 6.0 and deployment to Windows and Linux environments.
- New data modernization tools enabling COBOL and mainframe applications to rapidly adopt modern relational database access and move to scalable cloud architectures with low effort and risk.
- Cloud trials available through the most popular cloud vendor marketplaces -- Azure, AWS and the Google Cloud.
For organizations working with Mainframe-based applications, Enterprise Suite 8.0 builds on functionality delivered with Visual COBOL 8.0 to also provide:
- A Linux based version of Enterprise Developer for Eclipse that enables development and deployment pipelines on all supported x86 Linux distributions.
- New Host Compatibility options for PostgreSQL to support faster deployment of Db2 data onto PostgreSQL and AWS Aurora giving additional choices of target database platforms.
- An embedded Host Access for the Cloud TN3270 emulator delivered with Enterprise Developer and Server products to provide a secured, browser-based, zero footprint client.
Whichever path is chosen, both product releases offer unique capabilities for COBOL and mainframe modernization, including enhanced customer support for application deployment to containers and the cloud. "Containerization isn't a concept that a lot of mainframe developers have dealt with in the past, but it's an extremely powerful one and Micro Focus Enterprise Server is designed for containerizing mainframe workloads for our clients on COBOL," said Rob Anderson, VP of Marketing and Product for Application Modernization, Advanced.
These latest releases also deliver Micro Focus customers the ability to stay current with modern technology trends while protecting valued intellectual property within core business systems. CGI is a Micro Focus customer and Independent Software Vendor (ISV) that is experiencing the benefits of COBOL modernization. "By upgrading to Visual COBOL, we feel we extended the horizon of our business applications by many years to come," said Carl Gerhardsson Development Manager at CGI.
Today's release of Visual COBOL 8.0 and Enterprise Suite 8.0 builds on the recent general availability announcement of the AWS Mainframe Modernization service, confirming Micro Focus' commitment to customers and their modernization journey. The recent Micro Focus COBOL Survey research shows the market's COBOL application footprint continues to grow, and the Cloud remains the number one digital driver for those working with COBOL based systems. In addition, to support that strategy, with modernization being the preferred path forward by 72 percent of respondents, and the majority of the survey's respondents stated that they intend to modernize their applications and support cloud by the end of the year.
As more companies embrace the cloud as their future application platform, Micro Focus continues to enhance its modernization toolset to support that customer journey. One Micro Focus customer, Jury System Incorporated, is already experiencing success in the cloud. "Choosing COBOL all those years ago has really paid dividends for us. In fact, without it we wouldn't have a web or cloud-hosted version. I question whether we would even have a business," said Mark Schienbein, Jury System President and CEO.
Successful core business system modernization demands a flexible and adaptive strategy aimed at improving results and accelerating time to value. Through the Micro Focus Modernization Maturity Model, IT leaders can quickly map their current IT estate to their future business strategy, including cloud—all while finding the right balance between cost, risk and speed.
Watch the following webinars live or on demand:
- Detailed information about Visual COBOL 8.0 is available here
- Detailed information about Enterprise Suite 8.0 is available here
Visit the Visual COBOL 8.0 resources page.
Visit the Enterprise Suite 8.0 resources page.
Join Micro Focus on LinkedIn and follow @MicroFocus on Twitter.
Micro Focus is one of the world's largest enterprise software providers, focused on solving the IT dilemma—how to balance today's needs with tomorrow's opportunities. We deliver mission-critical technology that helps tens of thousands of customers worldwide manage core IT elements of their business. Strengthened by our strategic services and support organizations, and an extensive partner network, our broad set of technologies for security, IT operations, application delivery, governance, modernization, and analytics provides the innovative solutions organizations need to run and transform— at the same time.
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SOURCE Micro Focus | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/07/13/micro-focus-accelerates-cloud-modernization-strategies-with-visual-cobol-80-enterprise-suite-80/ | 2022-07-13T14:06:32Z |
Extra picks give Packers’ Gutekunst plenty of trade options
By STEVE MEGARGEE
AP Sports Writer
GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Green Bay Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst has a history of making deals early in drafts and has more trade options than usual this year with four of the top 59 overall picks. The Packers already were picking 28th and 59th before they acquired the 22nd and 53rd overall selections in the trade that sent All-Pro receiver Davante Adams to the Las Vegas Raiders. That gives them two picks in each of the first two rounds of the draft that runs Thursday through Saturday. Gutekunst isn’t tipping his hand on whether these extra picks might make him more likely to make trades. | https://localnews8.com/sports/ap-national-sports/2022/04/25/extra-picks-give-packers-gutekunst-plenty-of-trade-options/ | 2022-04-26T02:19:04Z |
Sandy Hook parents: Alex Jones claims created nightmare
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — The parents of a 6-year-old killed in the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting described being put through a “living hell” of death threats, harassment and ongoing trauma over the past decade as they confronted conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, who has used his media platforms to push claims that it was all a hoax.
The parents led a day of charged testimony Tuesday that included the judge scolding the bombastic Jones for not being truthful with some of what he said under oath.
Neil Heslin and Scarlett Lewis, whose son Jesse was killed at the school in Newtown, Connecticut, took the witness stand Tuesday on the final day of testimony in the two-week defamation damages trial against Jones and his media company Free Speech Systems. They are seeking at least $150 million damages.
In a gripping exchange, Lewis spoke directly to Jones, who was sitting about 10 feet away. Earlier that day, Jones was on his broadcast program telling his audience that Heslin is “slow” and being manipulated by bad people.
“I am a mother first and foremost and I know you are a father. My son existed,” Lewis said to Jones. “I am not deep state ... I know you know that ... And yet you’re going to leave this courthouse and say it again on your show.”
At one point, Lewis asked Jones: “Do you think I’m an actor?”
“No, I don’t think you’re an actor,” Jones responded before the judge admonished him to be quiet until called to testify.
Lewis continued trying to impress on Jones that the Sandy Hook shooting and trauma inflicted in the decade since then was real.
“It seems so incredible to me that we have to do this — that we have to implore you, to punish you — to get you to stop lying,” Lewis said. “I am so glad this day is here. I’m actually relieved. And grateful ... that I got to say all this to you.”
Jones visibly shook his head several times while Scarlett Lewis was addressing him.
Heslin and Lewis are among several Sandy Hook families who have filed several lawsuits alleging that Sandy Hook hoax claims pushed by Jones have led to years of abuse by Jones and his followers.
Heslin and Lewis both said they fear for their lives and have been confronted by strangers at home and on the street. Heslin said his home and car have been shot at. The jury heard a death threat sent via telephone message to another Sandy Hook family.
“I can’t even describe the last nine and a half years, the living hell that I and others have had to endure because of the recklessness and negligence of Alex Jones,” Heslin said.
Scarlett Lewis also described threatening emails that seemed to have uncovered deep details of her personal life.
“It’s fear for your life,” Scarlett Lewis said. “You don’t know what they were going to do.”
Heslin said he didn’t know if the Sandy Hook hoax conspiracy theory originated with Jones, but it was Jones who “lit the match and started the fire” with an online platform and broadcast that reached millions worldwide.
“What was said about me and Sandy Hook itself resonates around the world,” Heslin said. “As time went on, I truly realized how dangerous it was.”
Jones skipped Heslin’s morning testimony while he was on his show — a move Heslin dismissed as “cowardly” — but arrived in the courtroom for part of Scarlett Lewis’ testimony. He was accompanied by several private security guards.
“Today is very important to me and it’s been a long time coming ... to face Alex Jones for what he said and did to me. To restore the honor and legacy of my son,” Heslin said when Jones wasn’t there.
Heslin told the jury about holding his son with a bullet hole through his head, even describing the extent of the damage to his son’s body. A key segment of the case is a 2017 Infowars broadcast that said Heslin didn’t hold his son.
The jury was shown a school picture of a smiling Jesse taken two weeks before he was killed. The parents didn’t receive the photo until after the shooting. They described how Jesse was known for telling classmates to “run!” which likely saved lives.
An apology from Jones wouldn’t be good enough, the parents said.
“Alex started this fight,” Heslin said, “and I’ll finish this fight.”
Jones later took the stand himself, initially being combative with the judge, who had asked him to answer his own attorney’s question. Jones testified he had long wanted to apologize to the plaintiffs.
“I never intentionally tried to hurt you. I never said your name until this came to court,” Jones said. “The internet had questions; I had questions.”
Later, the judge sent the jury out of the room and strongly scolded Jones for telling the jury he complied with pretrial evidence gathering even though he didn’t, and that he is bankrupt, which has not been determined. Plaintiff’s attorneys were furious about Jones mentioning he is bankrupt, which they worry will taint a jury decision about damages.
“This is not your show,” Judge Maya Guerra Gamble told Jones. “Your beliefs do not make something true. You are under oath.”
Last September, Guerra admonished Jones in her default judgment over his failure to turn over documents requested by the Sandy Hook families. A court in Connecticut issued a similar default judgment against Jones for the same reasons in a separate lawsuit brought by other Sandy Hook parents.
Heslin and Lewis suffer from a form of post-traumatic stress disorder that comes from constant trauma, similar to that endured by soldiers in war zones or child abuse victims, a forensic psychologist who studied their cases and met with them testified Monday.
Closing arguments were expected Wednesday after more testimony from Jones, who has portrayed the lawsuit against him as an attack on his First Amendment rights.
At stake in the trial is how much Jones will pay. The parents have asked the jury to award $150 million in compensation for defamation and intentional infliction of emotional distress. The jury will then consider whether Jones and his company will pay punitive damages.
The trial is just one of several Jones faces.
Courts in Texas and Connecticut have already found Jones liable for defamation for his portrayal of the Sandy Hook massacre as a hoax. In both states, judges issued default judgments against Jones without trials because he failed to respond to court orders and turn over documents.
Jones has already tried to protect Free Speech Systems financially. The company filed for federal bankruptcy protection last week. Sandy Hook families have separately sued Jones over his financial claims, arguing that the company is trying to protect millions owned by Jones and his family through shell entities.
___
Associated Press writer Paul J. Weber contributed to this report.
___
For more of the AP’s coverage of school shootings: https://apnews.com/hub/school-shootings
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.kxii.com/2022/08/03/sandy-hook-parents-alex-jones-claims-created-nightmare/ | 2022-08-03T12:09:28Z |
Beaumont attorney recognized for excellence in insurance law, insurance litigation
BEAUMONT, Texas , Aug. 18, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Brasher Law Firm founding partner Clint Brasher has been named to the 2023 edition of The Best Lawyers in America, his second consecutive year to earn a place on the exclusive list.
Selection by Best Lawyers is considered one of the top honors in the legal industry. Honorees are chosen in a rigorous peer-review process by other elite lawyers for excellence in particular practice areas. For the 2023 edition, Mr. Brasher is recognized for his work in insurance law and in the litigation – insurance category.
Mr. Brasher focuses his practice on first-party insurance, bad-faith insurance, and personal injury litigation. His work has resulted in record verdicts and settlements for clients over the course of his two decades in the legal profession.
"Being picked for the list again this year is just a great honor, and I'm thankful to my peers in the legal community for making it possible," said Mr. Brasher. "But for me, it is what we at Brasher Law Firm do for our clients that makes me the proudest, so this is a testament to the team around me."
Mr. Brasher, firm partner Nishi Kothari and attorney Joseph Muckleroy were recently named among the Lawdragon 500 Leading Plaintiff Consumer Lawyers for 2022. Mr. Brasher himself is no stranger to professional accolades. He has been recognized by peers as a Texas Super Lawyer every year since 2018 and has been rated AV Preeminent by Martindale Hubbell – that group's highest rating – each year since 2013. He is also a member of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum for his work obtaining sizable compensation for his clients.
Since launching in 1983, The Best Lawyers in America has become a definitive guide to legal excellence and the top legal talent in the country. Attorneys are not permitted to pay any fee to participate in or be included on its lists. For more information about Best Lawyer's methodology or for a complete list of this year's honorees, visit http://www.bestlawyers.com/.
Texas-based Brasher Law Firm is dedicated to fighting for the rights and interests of its clients using its unique and passionate approach to litigation. Brasher represents individuals throughout Texas, Louisiana and Oklahoma in cases involving personal injury claims, insurance claims, employment law and maritime law. For more information, visit https://brasherattorney.com/.
Contact:
April Arias
april@androvett.com
800-559-4534
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SOURCE Brasher Law Firm, PLLC | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/08/18/clint-brasher-earns-another-selection-best-lawyers-america/ | 2022-08-18T14:10:11Z |
NEW YORK, Aug. 23, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Klein Law Firm announces that a class action complaint has been filed on behalf of shareholders of Carvana Co. (NYSE: CVNA) alleging that the Company violated federal securities laws.
Class Period: May 6, 2020 to June 24, 2022
Lead Plaintiff Deadline: October 3, 2022
No obligation or cost to you.
Learn more about your recoverable losses in CVNA:
https://www.kleinstocklaw.com/pslra-1/carvana-lawsuit-loss-submission-form?id=31046&from=4
Carvana Co. NEWS - CVNA NEWS
CLASS ACTION CASE DETAILS: The filed complaint alleges that Carvana Co. made materially false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (1) Carvana faced serious, ongoing issues with documentation, registration, and title with many of its vehicles; (2) as a result, Carvana was issuing unusually frequent temporary plates; (3) as a result of the foregoing, Carvana was violating laws and regulations in many existing markets; (4) as a result of the foregoing, Carvana risked its ability to continue business and/or expand its business in existing markets; (5) as a result of the foregoing, Carvana was at an increased risk of governmental investigation and action; (6) Carvana was in discussion with state and local authorities regarding the above-stated business tactics and issues; (7) Carvana was facing imminent and ongoing regulatory actions including license suspensions, business cessation, and probation in several states and counties including in Arizona, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Michigan, and North Carolina; and (8) as a result, Defendants' statements about Carvana's business, operations, and prospects, were materially false and misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis at all relevant times.
WHAT THIS MEANS TO YOU AS A SHAREHOLDER: If you have suffered a loss in Carvana you have until October 3, 2022 to petition the court for lead plaintiff status. Your ability to share in any recovery doesn't require that you serve as a lead plaintiff.
NO COST TO YOU: If you purchased Carvana securities during the relevant period, you may be entitled to compensation without payment of any out-of-pocket fees.
HOW TO PROTECT YOUR FINANCIAL INTERESTS: For additional information about the CVNA lawsuit, please contact J. Klein, Esq. by telephone at 212-616-4899 or click this link: https://www.kleinstocklaw.com/pslra-1/carvana-lawsuit-loss-submission-form?id=31046&from=4.
ABOUT KLEIN LAW FIRM
J. Klein, Esq. represents investors and participates in securities litigations involving financial fraud throughout the nation. The Klein Law Firm is a boutique litigation firm with experience in a wide range of areas including securities law, corporate finance and commercial litigation. Since 2011, our experienced attorneys have achieved superior results for our clients with a personalized focus. Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.
J. Klein, Esq.
Empire State Building
350 Fifth Avenue
59th Floor
New York, NY 10118
jk@kleinstocklaw.com
Telephone: (212) 616-4899
www.kleinstocklaw.com
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SOURCE The Klein Law Firm | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/08/23/cvna-alert-klein-law-firm-announces-lead-plaintiff-deadline-october-3-2022-class-action-filed-behalf-carvana-co-shareholders/ | 2022-08-23T10:30:33Z |
Experience as a remote employee helped an executive transition to remote manager
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., July 27, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Being a good manager is not substantially different when your employees are working from home than when they're in the office, says Shomari Hearn, managing vice president at Palisades Hudson Financial Group LLC.
In a recent article (https://www.palisadeshudson.com/2022/06/managing-remote-workers-is-nothing-new/), Hearn shared his own experience as first a hybrid, and then a fully remote employee, at a time when such arrangements were uncommon. The arrival of COVID-19 left many companies and managers with less experience struggling to adjust to a safer, more distant arrangement. As it becomes clear that hybrid and remote work is here to stay, Hearn advises supervisors not to panic.
"A good manager sets clear goals and priorities, whether workers are remote or not," Hearn says. He adds that "if you are used to managing staff in person, the shift to remote work may have led you to examine how you set goals and the way that you measure them."
Managers should prioritize clear communication and transparent goals, Hearn suggests. He also notes that remote employees need special attention during the onboarding process. Intangible factors like building co-worker relationships or transmitting company culture may have happened naturally when a team was working together in person. Managers should consider alternatives for employees who remain fully or partially remote.
Hearn also urges managers to think about digital security when laying out work-from-home policies.
"Adjusting to managing remote workers can mean rethinking certain habits and adopting new tools," Hearn writes. "But being transparent, proactive and attentive will ensure that your employees thrive in their roles."
As managing vice president – the first in the firm's history – Hearn holds executive responsibility for Palisades Hudson's operations across its offices nationwide. Though based in the firm's Fort Lauderdale headquarters, he regularly meets with clients across the U.S. and abroad. Hearn holds the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ and IRS Enrolled Agent credentials, and his advice has appeared in The Wall Street Journal, Forbes Magazine, Barron's, and many other publications. In addition to contributing to the firm's newsletter, Hearn authored chapters in Palisades Hudson's two books, "The High Achiever's Guide to Wealth" and "Looking Ahead: Life, Family, Wealth and Business After 55," both of which are available on Amazon.
Contact: Amy Laburda, amy@palisadeshudson.com
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SOURCE Palisades Hudson Financial Group LLC | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/07/27/advice-managing-your-remote-workforce/ | 2022-07-27T18:40:18Z |
Esteemed oncologist to advise on imaging efforts
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., Sept. 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Imaging Endpoints (IE) announced today that Dr. Antonio Fojo was chosen to join their Scientific Advisory Board, a global group of leading medical professionals appointed to provide strategic insight and imaging-related expertise for optimizing the opportunity to demonstrate efficacy in clinical trials.
Dr. Fojo is currently a professor of medicine at Columbia University Irving Medical Center and the co-director of the Carling Adrenal Surgery Center, the world's largest endocrine surgery center. Known for his research toward reversing cancer chemotherapy resistance, Dr. Fojo's work in tumor growth kinetics (TGK) has been instrumental in advancing the field. His work has shown how a drug's anticancer properties are better demonstrated by tumor growth rate and fraction of tumor killed (as compared to indirect measures such as response rate or progression-free survival).
Dr. Fojo's expertise in adrenocortical cancer, thyroid cancer, and neuroendocrine malignancies — coupled with his involvement in the design, management, and interpretation of clinical trials — makes him particularly passionate about developing additional therapies and expanding treatment options for patients with these cancers.
Dr. Fojo is also particularly interested in the molecular basis of drug resistance and has been integral to several important discoveries in the matter, including the identification of molecular events shown to be influential in the treatment of ovarian cancer. Additionally, as a Principal Investigator for the Medicine Branch of the National Cancer Institute, he established a successful translational clinical program to develop therapeutic treatments for endocrine and neuroendocrine cancers.
Dr. Fojo's new board colleagues are an acclaimed group of clinical experts, including Daniel Von Hoff, M.D., F.A.C.P.; David Sidransky, M.D.; Elliot Fishman, M.D.; Bruce Cheson, M.D., F.A.C.P., F.A.A.S.; Manuel Hidalgo, M.D., PhD.; and Axel Hanauske, M.D., Ph.D., MBA. The Scientific Advisory Board leverages their expertise to advise Imaging Endpoints on the imaging design for global clinical trials wherein IE is providing its Imaging CRO services.
For more information on the Imaging Endpoints Scientific Advisory Board, visit https://imagingendpoints.com/meet-our-team/scientific-advisory-board/
IE team will be in Paris for ESMO 2022! Schedule a time to meet us at ESMO from Sept. 9th-12th.
Imaging Endpoints (IE) is one of the largest iCROs globally, and the largest focused in oncology. IE is passionately dedicated to its vision to Connect Imaging to the Cure. Every day, IE teams are advancing imaging science, technology, and services to bring curative technologies to humankind.
Having supported many of the most impactful new drug approvals in oncology, IE's experience spans the customization of imaging to facilitate regulatory approval in hundreds of trials across all phases of development. IE also provides additional data to support trial efficacy by integrating advanced imaging technologies such as CD8 imaging, tumor growth kinetics, radiomics, and artificial intelligence — areas in which over fifty peer-reviewed publications have established the company as the industry leader.
Imaging Endpoints is headquartered in Scottsdale, AZ, with offices in Cambridge, MA; London, UK; Leiden, Netherlands; Basel, Switzerland; Hyderabad, India and Shanghai, China. IE is an affiliate of HonorHealth, one of the largest healthcare systems nationally, and an affiliate of Southwest Medical Imaging, Ltd. (SMIL/RadPartners), part of the largest private radiology group in the U.S.
Sam Lofland - slofland@imagingendpoints.com.
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SOURCE Imaging Endpoints | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/09/07/dr-antonio-fojo-joins-imaging-endpoints-scientific-advisory-board/ | 2022-09-07T13:22:04Z |
JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — Indonesia’s President Joko Widodo on Sunday denied that his administration was attempting to delay the 2024 presidential elections after senior politicians including his close ally supported the idea of extending his stay in office beyond the two-term legal mandate.
His statement came a day before students planned to stage a massive protest in the capital, Jakarta, and several other cities to oppose the alleged plan they say could threaten democracy. Student protests in Indonesia often turn violent.
During a Cabinet meeting to discuss the preparations for the 2024 elections, Widodo ordered his ministers to publicly explain that all stages and schedules for the polls had been determined.
“This needs to be explained so that there are no rumors circulating among people that the government is trying to postpone the election or speculation about the extension of the president’s tenure or a related third term,” Widodo said in comments released by his office on its official YouTube channel. “Because clearly we have agreed that the election will be held on February 14, 2024.”
Powerful figures including Cabinet ministers Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan and Airlangga Hartarto, who is also the chair of the Golkar party in the ruling coalition, have suggested that the elections should be deferred.
Pandjaitan, who is Widodo’s close ally, recently claimed that data shows 110 million Indonesians support a delay of elections. It wasn’t clear what data he was citing.
Recent reports by Kompas, Indonesia’s reputable pollster, indicate Widodo is hugely popular in the archipelago nation of more than 270 million people with over 70% public trust rating. However, a poll by the Saiful Mujani Research and Consulting showed that more than 70% reject any plan to extend his stay in office.
The two-term presidential limit was a centerpiece of the first amendment to the Indonesian Constitution in 1999, a year after dictator Suharto was toppled by massive pro-democracy protests.
Suharto ruled Indonesia for more than three decades through an authoritarian, often violent regime. Under his rule, corruption and rights abuses became rampant as the elite plundered the economy. His downfall ushered in a democracy in Indonesia and term limits are meant to prevent a repeat of its authoritarian past.
Last Wednesday, Widodo also told his ministers to address the nation’s rising inflation instead of stirring controversy around the 2024 election.
“Nobody bring up a (presidential) term extension or election delay anymore. No more!” Widodo said.
In June last year, he said in a news conference that he plans to adhere to the constitution when his supporters began to roll out the idea suggesting his term could be legally extended through a constitutional amendment or election delay.
Supporters argued it was necessary to give Widodo more time to deal with the recovery of the economy that slumped during the two-year pandemic, and allow him to complete his agenda, including the $35 billion capital relocation project to the island of Borneo.
Despite denials, doubts about his intentions have persisted.
“People are still skeptical about Jokowi’s indecision regarding the third term,” said Ujang Komarudin, a political analyst from Al-Azhar Indonesia University, using Widodo’s popular nickname. “The alleged plans have deviated far from the constitution and would be a major blow for Indonesia’s democratic reform,” he said, adding that it may not stop students from taking to the streets.
Widodo was sworn in for his second and final five-year term in October 2019 with pledges to champion democracy and take bolder action against poverty and entrenched corruption in the world’s most populous Muslim-majority nation.
Known for his down-to-earth style, Widodo is also the first president from outside the country’s super rich and often corrupt, political, business and military elite. He grew up in a rented bamboo shack on the banks of a flood-prone river in Solo city on Java island, and often presents himself as a man of the people.
His popular appeal helped him win previous elections for mayor of Solo and governor of Jakarta. | https://cw33.com/news/international/ap-international/indonesian-leader-denies-delay-of-2024-polls-to-extend-term/ | 2022-04-11T06:46:52Z |
Partnership Adds Millions of Engagement Opportunities for Patients and HCPs
NEW YORK, May 23, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Populus Media, the pioneer in marketing and patient acquisition solutions leveraging telehealth and virtual care, today announced the expansion of its Virtual Care Media Network through a partnership with CureMD.
CureMD is an award-winning provider of innovative health information systems and services that transform the administrative and clinical operations of healthcare organizations of all sizes. CureMD's SMART Cloud platform deliver Specialty EHR, Practice Management, Patient Engagement and Medical Billing Services to tens of thousands of providers serve over thirty million patients across the nation.
The partnership allows Populus Media to extend the reach of their Virtual Care Media Network to CureMD's physicians as well as patients for a verity of outreach and engagement programs. The partnership also extends to reaching over thousands of HCPs with over a Million engagement opportunities.
Bilal Hashmat, Co-founder and CEO at CureMD said, "The rise of healthcare consumerism is becoming a movement to make healthcare service delivery more efficient and cost-effective. To make better decisions, patients are increasingly expecting – and demanding – trustworthy and relevant information with more transparency. This partnership will enable our patients to be more involved in their healthcare decisions, having more choices for their healthcare spend, leading to better outcomes and satisfaction – which is at the heart of everything we do.
Ray Rotolo, Chief Growth Officer of Populus Media said, "We're excited to welcome CureMD to the Populus family. This partnership will dramatically expand our reach to millions of patients and thousands of HCPs across the nation."
About Populus Media
Populus Media, Inc. was formed in 2019 and is based in New York City. Populus is positioned as the first media and virtual patient acquisition platform leveraging the telehealth and virtual care industry. Populus curates a deep archive of condition-specific content for timely delivery to patients before and after their virtual care visit. Content is sponsored by major healthcare brands.
About CureMD
The CureMD EHR, PM, Patient Engagement, Medical Billing and Telemedicine platform is designed to meet the information needs of modern healthcare organizations. Our certified Cloud technology and integrated approach to service delivery enables seamless exchange of information across multiple platforms, systems and organizations - driving greater collaboration, productivity and patient safety.
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SOURCE Populus Media | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/05/23/populus-media-curemd-join-hands-expands-virtual-care-network/ | 2022-05-23T14:02:32Z |
New ACE hubs to help revitalize American manufacturing
KNOXVILLE, Tenn., July 19, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Institute for Advanced Composites Manufacturing InnovationÒ (IACMI) announced today two new partnerships with the Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station (TEES) in College Station, Texas and Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia. These partnerships aim to revitalize U.S. manufacturing with a focus on the machine tool industry. Machine tools are a foundational element of America's advanced manufacturing capabilities, which are essential to the country's national security and continued economic vitality.
The new partnerships will advance America's Cutting Edge (ACE), a joint Department of Defense (DoD) and Department of Energy (DOE) initiative launched in 2020 to reestablish American leadership in the machine tool industry through transformative thinking, technology innovation, and workforce development. Expanding the number of training centers is a key part of ACENet, an emerging national network of regional machine tools innovation and workforce development hubs. Adding ACE hubs in these two areas will benefit the residents and manufacturing ecosystem of Texas, West Virginia, Ohio, and Kentucky.
"TEES is proud to collaborate with the DoD and IACMI to bring this program to Texas," said Scott Terry, Director of Community and Small Business Initiatives for the SecureAmerica Institute, powered by TEES. "ACE provides a unique workforce opportunity that can truly make a valuable impact for people and industry. We have already had a great deal of interest from high schools, secondary education institutions, trade schools and manufacturers, and we look forward to working with many more partners throughout the state."
"Marshall University is excited to partner in this national initiative to revitalize American manufacturing," said President Brad D. Smith. "Marshall's Robert C. Byrd Institute (RCBI) – West Virginia's Advanced Manufacturing Technology Center – has assisted manufacturers across our state and region for more than 30 years and delivered machinist training to thousands of individuals. We engage manufacturers daily, so we're keenly aware of their workforce needs and have a history of developing innovative solutions to meet those needs. This partnership with IACMI will greatly expand our efforts to prepare individuals in West Virginia, Ohio and Kentucky for in-demand manufacturing jobs right here at home."
IACMI, through an agreement with DoD's Industrial Base Analysis and Sustainment (IBAS) program, is leading an ACE industrial skills training program to scale workforce pipelines with a focus on machine tooling and advanced machining. "We have a critical workforce skills gap in this country when it comes to machine tool resources," IACMI Workforce Director Ms. Joannie Harmon said. "The training component of ACE is intended to help our nation recover, advance, and sustain technical and manufacturing positions – all to enable a strong, resilient and responsive U.S. industrial base."
Ms. Adele Ratcliff, IBAS Program Director, said, "Many people like to talk about innovators and entrepreneurship, but the real knowhow of something is embedded in the making process. Most everything that's made at scale uses a machine tool. If you know how to make it, then you know how to innovate on it faster. We want to restore the innovation within the U.S. machine tool sector."
With that goal, DoD and DOE's Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), along with IACMI, created ACE, a public-private partnership designed to help close the skills gap and restore American dominance in machine tool technology and innovation. Through ACE, DoD established a national CNC machining training program developed by University of Tennessee, Knoxville, professor Tony Schmitz. The program brings together the scientific expertise of ORNL's Manufacturing Demonstration Facility and the proven workforce development capabilities of IACMI. The first hub beyond Knoxville was announced in April 2022 in Greensboro, NC at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University (N.C. A&T).
Using advanced computing, robotics, and material design capabilities, ACE is rapidly developing innovative machine tool technologies that dramatically improve precision, efficiency and productivity, all key to restoring America's global competitiveness in the machine tool sector and, by extension, in advanced manufacturing. The ACE approach puts manufacturers at the center of its strategy. ACE focuses on training new experts, improving cost effectiveness especially for small and medium manufacturers and machine shops, researching and developing productivity innovations, and developing partnerships to commercialize advancements.
ACE is already transferring resulting technologies to U.S. machine tool manufacturers. One ACE-developed tool has saved small and medium U.S. machine tool shops more than 55,000 machine hours and $5 million in costs—with potential savings for the broader U.S. industry reaching into the billions across the roughly 30,000 machine shops in the U.S.
ACE uses free online and in-person, hands-on training to connect top national experts with students and incumbent industrial workers from all backgrounds, levels of education, and work experience to catalyze awareness and interest in all facets of machining, including software development, metrology, design, operation, and entrepreneurship. To date, ACE has delivered online courses in Computer Numerical Control (CNC) machining to more than 2,500 students from all 50 states and in-person bootcamp style training to more than 100 students, all at no cost to participants.
"People love to make things, and when they do, they feel good about themselves," added Ms. Ratcliff. "The ACE curriculum allows people to experience machining often for the first time. By expanding those opportunities for more people to go through hands-on training, we're hoping to inspire the next generation of manufacturers in this country."
As an engineering research agency of Texas, the Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station (TEES) performs quality research driven by world problems; strengthens and expands the state's workforce through educational partnerships and training; and develops and transfers technology to industry. TEES partners with academic institutions, governmental agencies, industries and communities to solve problems to help improve the quality of life, promote economic development and enhance educational systems.
For more than 30 years, the Robert C. Byrd Institute (RCBI) at Marshall University has served as a one-stop resource for manufacturers, entrepreneurs and makers of all sizes and ages. RCBI's Advanced Manufacturing Technology Centers provide leading-edge equipment, innovative skills training and comprehensive industrial expertise so entrepreneurs and existing businesses can innovate, create jobs and thrive. Encouraging the future industrial workforce is a key element of RCBI's outreach through its hands-on STEM camps that introduce students to engineering, 3D printing, computer-aided design, robotics as they explore all facets of manufacturing.
IACMI – The Composites Institute is a 130-plus member community of industry, universities, national laboratories, and federal, state, and local government agencies working together to accelerate advanced composites design, manufacturing, technical innovation, and workforce solutions to enable a cleaner and more sustainable, more secure, and more competitive U.S. economy. IACMI is managed by the Collaborative Composite Solutions Corporation (CCS), a not-for-profit organization established by The University of Tennessee Research Foundation. A Manufacturing USA institute, IACMI is supported by the U.S. Department of Energy's Advanced Manufacturing Office, as well as key state and industry partners.
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SOURCE IACMI - The Composites Institute | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/07/19/iacmi-announces-key-partnerships-with-texas-aampm-engineering-experiment-station-marshall-university-establish-machine-tools-workforce-training-centers/ | 2022-07-19T13:34:52Z |
Judge resets trial to Oct. 24 for 2 ex-cops in Floyd killing
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A judge on Tuesday rescheduled the state trial for two former Minneapolis police officers in George Floyd’s killing to Oct. 24 to resolve dueling requests for a new trial date after the state sought to start it as soon as this summer while a defense lawyer asked to delay it to next spring.
Tou Thao and J. Alexander Kueng are charged with aiding and abetting both second-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter in the May 2020 killing of Floyd. Their trial was supposed to start this month, but Judge Peter Cahill earlier this month postponed it until Jan. 5, saying that would improve prospects for a fair trial. He settled on the October date during a brief hearing Tuesday.
State prosecutor Matthew Frank on Friday had requested a speedy trial on behalf of Floyd’s family, which under Minnesota law could have meant mid-August. Kueng’s defense attorney, Tom Plunkett, followed with a request Sunday for a longer delay — until April — because of a scheduling conflict.
Attorneys for all sides told Cahill they agreed to the Oct. 24 start date for jury selection. The judge also scheduled a hearing on pretrial motions for Sept. 26-27.
Frank told the court that it would have been “traumatic” for the Floyd family to push the trial date out farther. Not only was their loved one killed by police officers, he said, they’ve had to watch the video of his dying minutes “time and time again in the media and throughout the trial process.”
Thao and Kueng have already been convicted of federal counts of violating Floyd’s rights. Their former colleague, Thomas Lane, was also convicted on a federal count and pleaded guilty in May to a state charge of aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter. All three are free pending their federal sentencing hearings, which have not been set.
Cahill also presided over last year’s trial of former Officer Derek Chauvin, who was convicted of second-degree murder and sentenced to 22 1/2 years for kneeling on Floyd’s neck as the Black man said he couldn’t breathe. Chauvin, who is white, has been in prison since that conviction. He also pleaded guilty to a federal civil rights charge.
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Find AP’s full coverage of the death of George Floyd at: https://apnews.com/hub/death-of-george-floyd
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.wibw.com/2022/06/21/judge-resets-trial-oct-24-2-ex-cops-floyd-killing/ | 2022-06-21T15:06:42Z |
(The Hill) – The Biden administration on Thursday officially declared monkeypox a public health emergency, a move that’s aimed at freeing up emergency funding and improving distribution of vaccines and treatments.
“We are prepared to take our response to the next level in addressing this virus, and we urge every American to take monkeypox seriously and to take responsibility to help us tackle this virus,” Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra said during a briefing.
The announcement comes amid intense criticism that the Biden administration failed to recognize the severity of the outbreak, leading to shortages of vaccine doses and diagnostic tests even as demand has soared.
Some public health experts fear the U.S. lost its opportunity to contain and even eliminate the virus.
The administration has been under pressure to declare a public health emergency from health advocates and congressional Democrats who represent some of the hardest hit states.
A public health emergency won’t ease the shortages of vaccines, but it could expedite the approval process for new treatments and provide more flexibility for federal agencies to respond to the outbreak.Judge rejects federal plans for fossil fuel mining in Powder River BasinService member charged in connection with explosion at Syria base
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, known monkeypox infections top 6,600, nearly all among men who have sex with men. New York state is the epicenter of the outbreak with almost a third of all cases, followed by California.
The administration’s announcement comes after New York, Illinois and California all declared their own public health emergencies.
The World Health Organization declared a global health emergency over the outbreak on July 23. | https://cw33.com/news/nexstar-media-wire/us-to-declare-health-emergency-over-monkeypox-outbreak/ | 2022-08-04T19:09:59Z |
Investors include GSR Ventures, Iporanga, and Parallax Ventures. The funds will be used for technology, data processing and the creation of new products
SÃO PAULO, Aug. 12, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Klavi — a leading SaaS platform in data aggregation, analytics, and API services, who aims to empower companies with its Open Finance solutions , has just received an investment of USD 15 million. The Series A investment round included investors like GSR Ventures and two Brazilian companies, Iporanga Ventures and Parallax Ventures. Klavi also received investments from CIP SA and Vivo Ventures (Vivo's CVC). For both companies, this is the first operation of its kind. The financing includes an additional closing of up to 90 days, which will bring in more investors.
With the goal of becoming an Open Finance solutions leader in mind, Klavi aims to use the funds to bolster its technology sector, data processing, and the creation of new products focusing on B2B. "This is an important moment and the investment will foster and create solutions so that our clients can generate value from Open Finance", explained Bruno Chan, CEO of Klavi.
The startup, founded in 2020 by Bruno Chan and Stone Zheng, attracted investors because of its pioneering technology in generating insights from Open Finance data and potential growth, offering products to businesses of any size. Klavi hopes to grow its base to over 100 assets by the end of 2022, and to reach 500 by December 2023. Its current clients include BV, Telefônica, Mepoupe, CIP S.A., Gorila, Jeitto, Supersim, Simplic, Portocred and Zippi, among others.
"With the maturation of Open Finance, we're seeing a huge gap between the data received by companies, and their use thereof. With this investment, we will conquer more space and continue to grow, reinforcing our leadership as a solution provider for the industry", said Chan.
With its classification operations of over 90% accuracy, the platform has already processed over 450 million transactions and made more than 4 million connections with financial institutions, bureaus, fintechs, and startups. In 2021, it received a seed investment of USD 1.25 million, led by Iporanga Ventures, along with participation from Parallax Ventures.
For more information:
Ana Paula Vieira - 55 11 95711-9588 – ana.vieira@fsb.com.br
Vanessa Costa - 55 51 98274-4949 - vanessa.costa@fsb.com.br
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SOURCE Klavi | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/08/12/klavi-an-saas-platform-that-provides-open-finance-solutions-receives-usd-15-million-investment/ | 2022-08-12T14:22:01Z |
KU fans welcome back the national champions at Memorial Stadium
TOPEKA, Kan. (WIBW) -Fans took to the stands of Memorial Stadium to congratulate the 2022 NCAA National Champions.
“We are just here to celebrate our boys, and congratulate them for all the hard work they gave, we are just proud of them and they achieved their goals, they helped us look good, helped Kansas look good,” said student Josepha Camseu.
While fans say the players put the University of Kansas on the map, the players would say the fans are as large a part of the success as they are.
“I just want to say thank you all again, it’s been a tough journey and lots of ups and downs but everyone stuck together and this is what Jayhawk basketball is all about,” said Remy Martin.
“You have shown us love no matter what is going on, you all support us night in and night out, you are the best fans in the world. This means a lot to us but it means more bringing it back or for you,” said Jalen Wilson.
” I appreciate you guys from the bottom of my heart,” said Ochai Agbaji.
In the crowd, a group held a sign saying “KU basketball has taught them to never give up” and Bill Self says that is a perfect example of what KU basketball stands for.
“I would say this team has been pretty resilient, we say the same thing in a way, the two greatest comebacks in the history of the NCAA finals was provided by the Kansas Jayhawks. This is why you go to a school like Kansas, there is no guarantee these things will happen but there is always a chance and we have had numerous chances and to punch the ticket twice is pretty special,” he said.
Copyright 2022 WIBW. All rights reserved. | https://www.wibw.com/2022/04/06/ku-fans-welcome-back-national-champions-memorial-stadium/ | 2022-04-06T03:22:02Z |
BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Commission will launch proceedings to suspend support payments to Hungary for breaching the 27-nation bloc’s rule-of-law standards, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Tuesday.
It will be the first time that the new conditionality mechanism allowing the EU to take measures to protect its budget will be used after the European Union’s highest court ruled in February that it had been adopted on sound legal basis.
Von der Leyen’s announcement at the European Parliament came two days after Hungary’s nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orban declared victory in Sunday’s election, claiming a mandate for a fourth term.
Hungary, a large recipient of EU funds, has come under increasing criticism over the past few years for veering away from democratic norms with policies such as exerting excessive control over the judiciary, stifling media freedom and denying the rights of LGBT people.
Von der Leyen said her team was not convinced by Hungary’s responses to questions relating to the rule of law.
“Our conclusion is we have to move on the next step,” she said, adding that a letter of formal notification will soon be sent to Hungarian authorities.
The rule, seen as the EU’s most potent weapon to prevent a democratic rift from deepening within the bloc, was approved more than a year ago, but the European Commission waited until it received legal reassurances before applying it. | https://cw33.com/news/international/ap-international/eu-starts-process-to-cut-funding-to-hungary-over-rule-of-law/ | 2022-04-05T18:49:48Z |
WASHINGTON — Members of a U.S. House Education and Labor Committee panel questioned experts and leaders of youth rehabilitation programs about how the federal government could invest in programs to prevent kids from becoming incarcerated.
“Although the juvenile justice system is intended to rehabilitate — not punish — young offenders, data show that the more a young person interacts with the juvenile justice system, the more likely they are to re-enter the system and struggle throughout life,” the panel’s chair, Rep. Suzanne Bonamici, D-Oregon, said in her opening statement.
Republicans on the panel, the Civil Rights and Human Services Subcommittee, argued that state and local organizations are best equipped to prevent young people from being incarcerated — not the federal government.
The top Republican on the panel, Rep. Russ Fulcher of Idaho, said in his opening statement that state and local leaders “must do a better job utilizing public-private partnerships, local educators, social workers, faith-based providers and community leaders” to reduce the number of youths involved in the criminal justice system.
He argued that those programs should be leading that effort, “not Washington bureaucrats.”
One of the witnesses, Stephanie Hawkins of North Carolina, said lawmakers could prevent violence by ensuring stable housing for kids to create a safety net. She said research has shown that access to safe and healthy housing “is a wise investment in juvenile justice prevention.”
Hawkins is the vice president and founding director of the Transformative Research Unit for Equity at RTI International, an independent, “nonprofit research institute dedicated to improving the human condition.” She has also led national research studies about girls’ involvement in the juvenile justice system, as well as about boys and men of color and their experiences with community violence, among other topics.
She said that lawmakers should “think about all of the other supports that are needed in terms of vocational education, public services that are secure and working well.”
“So those are some of the ways that the structural components really need to work together to really create those opportunities for young people,” Hawkins said.
Another witness, Father Steven Boes, the executive director of Nebraska’s Boys Town, said his organization focuses on research-based approaches to “intervene before problems reach a level where anyone is unsafe and maximize student success by reducing disruptive behaviors and creating a healthy school culture.”
Boes said the program has a multitiered intervention strategy that involves a social skills curriculum for students to help them to make better decisions. It includes School Teams, a “referral process that values teaching over punishing,” and Students, Schools, Families, Faith, and Community Partners, a proactive, faith-based approach to managing behavior in children.
Boes has been a strong proponent of rehabilitation. In a 2019 opinion piece published in USA Today, Boes wrote that the state of Wisconsin was wrong to charge a 10-year-old girl as an adult in the death of an infant.
“These are horribly tragic events, but our government systems should not compound that tragedy by throwing a child in need of rehabilitation into an adult system that is often focused only on punishment,” he wrote.
Fulcher asked Boes how he uses a faith-based approach in his prevention work to stay within the guidelines of the law.
Boes said that although he is a Catholic priest, Boys Town itself is multidenominational, “so we support kids in whatever religious faith they have, and even no faith at all.”
Boes added that a big factor in the success of a program is the participation of schools and administrators.
“Their commitment of resources, staff development time and ongoing consultation is what makes it work,” he said. “So principals who show up physically for the training and make it a school priority are the ones who lift together are the most successful, but parental leadership is just as important.”
One Republican, Rep. Virginia Foxx of North Carolina, who is also the top GOP lawmaker on the full committee, said the root cause of children ending up in detention centers is single mothers and the breakdown of “family values.”
“The real problem is how many children are being born to single mothers, and if you’re talking about a structure that’s needed for children, the best structure in the world is a two-parent family,” she said. “I don’t think we’ve ever found anything to replace that.”
Bonamici said that the most effective ways to keep children out of the juvenile system are prevention and intervention, and she raised concerns that primarily black, brown and LGBTQ children have high rates of incarceration.
One of the witnesses, Naomi Smoot Evans, the executive director of the Coalition for Juvenile Justice, said that while “we as a society have clung to the belief that incarceration results in community safety and reduces crime,” research has shown that there is little correlation between “increasing prison populations and reducing crimes in communities.”
Evans pointed to several programs that are proven to work that Congress should continue to fully fund, such as Title II of the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act, which she said the House is set to increase in Fiscal 2023 by $5 million from its current $70 million. The program provides after-school programs for kids to have access to mentoring and tutoring, among other educational services.
She added that another program that was once robust and needs to be fully funded is the Juvenile Accountability Block Grant program, which provided nearly $250 million for intervention programs, but now is defunded.
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accounts, the history behind an article. | https://www.albanyherald.com/features/congressional-panel-debates-federal-role-in-preventing-youth-incarceration/article_36feed90-310e-11ed-b768-9fc0dd745146.html | 2022-09-10T15:13:51Z |
Promotions around frames for every style and price at the award-winning online eyewear are running throughout the entire month
LOS ANGELES, Sept. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Eyebuydirect, the leading online retailer for prescription eyewear, is offering huge savings for shoppers during the month of September, offering exciting deals on their 3,000+ affordable and quality frames.
Consumers looking for new designer frames, blue light filtering eyewear, sunglasses, or readers should take advantage of a slew of promotions throughout the month. This month's sales are the perfect time to stock up on all your favorite frames at super low prices and, with thousands of glasses to choose from, Eyebuydirect is the one-stop shop for all your eyewear needs.
The series of sales is a special event that will allow shoppers to capitalize on competitive pricing for best-selling styles like:
- Botanist ($35 USD): The timeless and understated shape of Botanist is stylish in itself, but the blend of finished found on this frame are what really make it shine. This black frame is complemented by its warmly shaded marble temples. The two come together to create a sleek, modern set of eyeglasses.
- Amity ($29 USD): A new limited-edition color is calling your name. A modern mixed-material frame, featuring a translucent plastic face front in a friendly orange hue. The exposed metal arms and round lenses exude femininity for a look that's fit for any face, regardles of shape or size.
- Cortez ($29 USD): A frame with exceptional class, from its sophisticated black color, bold rectangular lenses, and large stud accents. It's easy to tell that this is a style perfect for any activity.
Eyebuydirect is on a mission to deliver quality eyewear at affordable prices. With frames that start at just $6, shoppers get the best bang for their buck with Eyebuydirect's September sales.
For additional information about Eyebuydirect or to shop the September sales, please visit: https://www.eyebuydirect.com/.
About Eyebuydirect
Established in 2006, Eyebuydirect is the leading online destination for prescription eyewear that delivers on style, convenience, and accessibility. With over 3,000 frames starting at $6 USD/$9 CAD, Eyebuydirect is committed to helping everyone celebrate their individuality with the perfect frames to fit their personality. We offer Virtual Try-On technology and 2-day delivery on thousands of frames to make shopping for eyewear efficient and easy. Through our Buy 1 Give 1 Program, a pair of glasses is donated to the most underserved communities worldwide for every order placed. Eyebuydirect is a subsidiary of EssilorLuxottica, the world's largest provider of eyecare products and services.
To learn more, please visit us at www.eyebuydirect.com or on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and TikTok.
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SOURCE EyeBuyDirect | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/09/06/eyebuydirect-announces-september-sales-promotions/ | 2022-09-06T14:30:04Z |
Movie theater removes warning sign for lesbian kiss in ‘Lightyear’
KINGFISHER, Okla. (KOCO) – A movie theater in Oklahoma turned heads with a warning sign about Pixar’s new film “Lightyear.”
The sign said that the theater would fast-forward through a scene that briefly shows a female character kissing her female partner.
The sign read, “WARNING. Attention parents: The management of the theater discovered after booking ‘Lightyear’ that there is a same-sex kissing scene within the first 30 minutes of the Pixar movie. We will do all we can to fast-forward through that scene, but it might not be exact. We apologize for any inconvenience this late discovery of this scene causes.”
The owner of the 89′er Theater later reversed that decision, taking down the sign and saying the film would be played uninterrupted.
Parents at the theater said they had no problem with the scene. Jill Stuever, who brought her two sons to see the movie, said the kiss was not a problem in her eyes.
“Watching it, it was no big deal,” Stuever said. “It was like two seconds. Maybe like one second if you were really paying attention.”
Lilly Jiles, who brought her 5-year-old to see the movie, agrees.
“I thought it was fine,” Jiles said. “I’m fine with all kinds of different families.”
However, Jiles said she can see why the theater put up the warning sign in the first place, saying the theater probably just wanted to be transparent with audiences about the film’s content.
“I think they just wanted to be honest with people,” Jiles said.
“Lightyear” was released in theaters Friday.
Copyright 2022 KOCO via CNN Newsource. All rights reserved. | https://www.mysuncoast.com/2022/06/22/movie-theater-removes-warning-sign-lesbian-kiss-lightyear/ | 2022-06-22T17:59:55Z |
Building a sound financial future by constantly evolving
FRISCO, Texas, July 11, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Evolve Mortgage Services, a top provider of outsourced mortgage solutions and eMortgage technology solutions, announced today it has added an elite industry legend and luminary, Mark Calabria as a member of its advisory board.
Members will serve on the Evolve advisory board for a one-year term from July 1, 2022, to June 30, 2023.
The charter of the advisory board is to add value by exposing the management team to new innovations, broadening horizons, improve understanding of Evolve's market position, company risks, future drivers of growth, and challenging assumptions. Its mission and vision are to embrace, drive change and propel the company, and industry forward.
Specific areas of the board's primary focus include:
- Promoting the organization in the community
- Expanding an organization's network through strategic planning
- Guiding the organization's leadership in specific subject matters
- Connecting the organization to new audiences
We welcome our esteemed new advisory board member, Mark Calabria! Calabria is currently serving as a senior advisor for Cato Institute, he has more than 25 years of financial regulations experience and was the former Director, of the Federal Housing Finance Agency "FHFA," where he was appointed by President Trump. As FHFA Director, Calabria led the agency's response to COVID, bringing stability and support to the mortgage market, while also laying the groundwork for a removal of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac from conservatorship. Prior to FHFA, Calabria was Chief Economist to the Vice President at the White House.
"Mark has impressed us with his business acumen, caliber of achievements and invaluable expertise," said Paul Anselmo, Founder/CEO of Evolve. "The vast array of talent and knowledge Calabria brings will help accelerate our growth and expand our digital footprint as we continue to evolve our solutions to change the way loans are bought and sold in the marketplace."
"I am excited to join Evolve's advisory board," said Calabria, "Looking forward to collaborating with the team to help pioneer new emerging digital trends and create innovative technology solutions that provide not only the tools, data and document quality, but all the controls and compliance requirements needed from mortgage origination to the secondary marketing delivery process. Paul and his team are true innovators, and I know will bring much needed change to the mortgage market."
Evolve Mortgage Services is a top provider of outsourced mortgage solutions and eMortgage technology solutions. Evolve enables companies to eliminate roadblocks and focus their valuable resources on growth. The company's services empower mortgage lenders, servicers, and investors to reduce inefficiencies in their mortgage loan process and dramatically improve profitability. Founded and run by a team of industry veterans, Evolve provides seamless component or end-to-end loan services and creates custom strategies for each client. The firm has extensive experience in origination and post-closing services; institutional, whole loan, and servicing acquisition due diligence; collateral recovery HMDA and forensic compliance reviews; whole loan sales; agency deliveries; and TPR securitizations. Evolve is based in Frisco, Texas. For more information, visit www.evolvemortgageservices.com
SOURCE: Evolve Mortgage Services
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SOURCE Evolve Mortgage Services | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/07/11/evolve-mortgage-services-appoints-industry-legend-mark-calabria-join-advisory-board/ | 2022-07-11T13:52:32Z |
NEW YORK, July 29, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Jakubowitz Law announces that a securities fraud class action lawsuit has commenced on behalf of shareholders of Unity Software Inc. (NYSE: U).
To receive updates on the lawsuit, fill out the form:
https://claimyourloss.com/securities/unity-software-inc-loss-submission-form/?id=30350&from=4
The lawsuit seeks to recover losses for shareholders who purchased Unity between March 5, 2021 and May 10, 2022.
Shareholders interested in acting as a lead plaintiff representing the class of wronged shareholders have until September 6, 2022 to petition the court. Your ability to share in any recovery doesn't require that you serve as a lead plaintiff.
According to a filed complaint, Unity Software Inc. issued materially false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (i) deficiencies in Unity's product platform reduced the accuracy of the Company's machine learning technology; (ii) the foregoing was likely to have a material negative impact on the Company's revenues; (iii) accordingly, Unity had overstated the Company's commercial and/or financial prospects for 2022; (iv) as a result, the Company was likely to have to reduce its fiscal 2022 guidance; and (v) as a result, the Company's public statements were materially false and misleading at all relevant times.
Jakubowitz Law is vigorous in pursuit of justice for shareholders who have been the victim of securities fraud. Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.
CONTACT:
JAKUBOWITZ LAW
1140 Avenue of the Americas
9th Floor
New York, New York 10036
T: (212) 867-4490
F: (212) 537-5887
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SOURCE Jakubowitz Law | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/07/29/u-shareholder-alert-jakubowitz-law-reminds-unity-shareholders-lead-plaintiff-deadline-september-6-2022/ | 2022-07-29T11:26:47Z |
DALLAS (KDAF) — Ice cream doesn’t always need to be extravagant, there’s not always a need for the outrageous, a couple of scoops and a topping or two, and boom you’ve got a winner. But today, we go all in.
If you don’t know, now you know, that it’s National Banana Split Day on Thursday, August 25 and that means we are pushing all of the chips forward when it comes to diving in on the delicious extravagance that is the banana split.
Before we get to the best spots for banana splits in Dallas, here’s NationalToday with a tidbit about the history of this ice cream specialty, “Surprisingly, the original banana split wasn’t created in an ice cream parlor but in a pharmacy in 1904. Banana splits were the brainchild of David Evans Strickler, a pharmacist’s apprentice who enjoyed experimenting with new soda fountain sundaes in his free time. They were so popular with the college crowd that students willingly paid 10 cents, double the price of a normal sundae.”
We checked out Yelp’s list of the best spots banana splits around town:
- Baldo’s Ice Cream & Coffee
- Andy’s Frozen Custard – Lake Highlands
- Howdy Homemade Ice Cream – North Dallas
- Bruster’s Real Ice Cream
- Pure Milk and Honey – Upper Greenville
- Hypnotic Emporium – Lakewood
- Henry’s Homemade Ice Cream
- Cream and Crepes Cafe
- Braum’s Ice Cream & Dairy Store
- Botolino Gelato Artigianale – Lower Greenville | https://cw33.com/lifestyle/food-and-drink/heres-where-you-can-find-the-best-banana-splits-in-dallas-to-satisfy-your-sweet-tooth/ | 2022-08-25T19:43:50Z |
The iconic parade is back with local dignitaries and celebrity guests celebrating the start of the 2022-2023 school year
CHICAGO, July 26, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Chicago Defender Charities ® Inc. is thrilled to present the 93rd Annual Bud Billiken® Parade! This legendary back to school event will take place Saturday, August 13 in Chicago's Washington Park, featuring Chicago's finest marching bands, dance groups, drill teams, celebrities. Chicago's very own hometown hero, internationally recognized, award-winning, Grammy-nominated R&B singer and producer, Jeremih, who will serve as the Grand Marshal for this year's parade and festival.
ABC7's CherylBurton, Jim Rose, and Hosea Sanders will serve as hosts, along with fellow colleagues, Karen Jordan and Terrell Brown, covering the parade grounds. This year's theme is the Power of Bud Billiken 365, highlighting and celebrating organizational, year-round programming for youths.
Known as Jeremy Felton during his days as a student at Morgan Park High School, Jeremih is a CPS alumni and humanitarian. The Chicago native will donate hundreds of book bags and school supplies at the Bud Billiken.
FOR MEDIA INQUIRIES:
Catrice Armstrong
catricearmstrong@pr-werks.com
Chicago Defender Charities
773-536-3710
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SOURCE Chicago Defender Charities | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/07/26/grammy-award-nominated-rampb-singer-jeremih-will-serve-grand-marshal-93rd-annual-bud-billiken-parade/ | 2022-07-26T13:23:15Z |
Justice Dept. to appeal order voiding travel mask mandate
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department is filing an appeal seeking to overturn a judge’s order that voided the federal mask mandate on planes and trains and in travel hubs, officials said Wednesday.
The notice came minutes after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention asked the Justice Department to appeal the decision handed down by a federal judge in Florida earlier this week.
A notice of appeal was filed in federal court in Tampa.
The CDC said in a statement Wednesday that it is its “continuing assessment that at this time an order requiring masking in the indoor transportation corridor remains necessary for the public health.”
It remained unclear whether the Biden administration would ask the appeals court to grant an emergency stay to immediately reimpose the mask mandate on public transit. An emergency stay of the lower court’s ruling would be a whiplash moment for travelers and transit workers. Most airlines and airports, many public transit systems and even ride-sharing company Uber lifted their mask-wearing requirements in the hours following Monday’s ruling.
A federal judge in Florida had struck down the national mask mandate for mass transit on Monday, leading airlines and airports to swiftly repeal their requirements that passengers wear face coverings. The Transportation Security Administration said Monday that it would it will no longer enforce the mask requirement.
The CDC had recently extended the mask mandate, which was set to expire Monday, until May 3 to allow more time to study the BA.2 omicron subvariant, which is now responsible for the vast majority of U.S. cases. But the court ruling Monday had put that decision on hold.
The CDC said it will continue to monitor public health conditions to determine if a mandate would remain necessary. It said it believes the mandate is “a lawful order, well within CDC’s legal authority to protect public health.”
Justice Department spokesman Anthony Coley said Wednesday night that the department was filing the appeal “in light of today’s assessment by the CDC that an order requiring masking in the transportation corridor remains necessary to protect the public health.”
Biden’s administration has offered mixed messages in the wake of the Monday ruling. While officials said Americans should heed the CDC’s guidance even if it was no longer a requirement, Biden himself suggested they had more flexibility on masking-up during transit.
“That’s up to them,” Biden declared during a Tuesday visit to Portsmouth, New Hampshire. The White House nonetheless continues to require face coverings for those traveling with him on Air Force One, citing guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Wednesday that Biden still is encouraging Americans to wear masks when traveling and that he had been “answering the question quite literally” a day before.
“People are not legally bound to wear masks,” she said, after the court order. “So, it is a point in time where it is up to people — it is their choice, in that regard.
After a winter surge fueled by the omicron variant that prompted record hospitalizations, the U.S. has seen a significant drop in virus spread in recent months, leading most states and cities to drop mask mandates.
But several Northeast cities have seen a rise in hospitalizations in recent weeks, leading Philadelphia to bring back its mask mandate.
The appeal drew criticism from the U.S. Travel Association, which along with other industry groups had been pressuring the Biden administration for months to end the mask mandate for travel.
“Masks were critically important during the height of the pandemic,” said Tori Emerson Barnes, the group’s executive vice president of public affairs and policy, “but with low hospitalization rates and multiple effective health tools now widely available, from boosters to therapies to high-quality air ventilation aboard aircraft, required masking on public transportation is simply out of step with the current public health landscape.”
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.kxii.com/2022/04/20/justice-dept-appeal-order-voiding-travel-mask-mandate/ | 2022-04-22T22:34:53Z |
WASHINGTON, June 27, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- EVERFI, Inc., a leading social impact education innovator, today announced that it has awarded a total of $483,000 in college scholarships to K-12 students throughout the United States in the 2021-2022 school year. Scholarships were distributed to 279 students to be used by families to contribute to a 529 College Savings Plan for their children.
Students compete for EVERFI scholarships by submitting original essays, artwork, and projects to contests related to EVERFI's critical skills curriculum. The contests are hosted by EVERFI and its strategic partners. In the 2021-2022 school year, the contests encouraged students to share ideas and reflect on critical topics such as career aspirations, financial literacy, and Black history.
"Students are more likely to attend college within three years of high school if they believe their families can afford it and providing these students with scholarships can make higher education more financially feasible," said Ray Martinez, president and co-founder, EVERFI. "It's our goal to not only help students build critical skills like financial literacy but to provide them with access to scholarship funds and savings accounts. This year, we received more than 13,000 scholarship submissions on a variety of topics. We are proud to host so many scholarship opportunities to help students achieve their dreams and we plan to continue this effort in the upcoming school year."
Scholarship campaigns create an opportunity for students to earn funds for college that do not need to be repaid, learn more about options for financing higher education, and participate in conversations about important real-world issues. In particular, scholarships for 529 savings plans, as opposed to checks or cash prizes, carry several key benefits for students: students are able to receive the full prize amount and families can gain more awareness of 529 plans and ways to plan for college financially.
To learn more about EVERFI scholarship opportunities and how the company is giving back to students across the country, visit https://everfi.com/k-12/scholarships-contests/.
EVERFI, a Blackbaud (NASDAQ: BLKB) company, is an international technology company driving social impact through education to address the most challenging issues affecting society ranging from financial wellness to mental health to workplace conduct and other critical topics. Founded in 2008, EVERFI's Impact-as-a-ServiceTM solution and digital educational content have reached more than 45 million learners globally. In 2020, the company was recognized as one of the World's Most Innovative Companies by Fast Company and was featured on Fortune Magazine's Impact 20 List. The company was also named to the 2021 GSV EdTech 150, a list of the most transformative growth companies in digital learning. Blackbaud, the world's leading cloud software company powering social good, acquired EVERFI in December of 2021. To learn more about EVERFI please visit everfi.com or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, or Twitter @EVERFI.
Except for historical information, all of the statements, expectations, and assumptions contained in this news release are forward-looking statements that involve a number of risks and uncertainties, including statements regarding expected benefits of products and product features. Although Blackbaud attempts to be accurate in making these forward-looking statements, it is possible that future circumstances might differ from the assumptions on which such statements are based. In addition, other important factors that could cause results to differ materially include the following: general economic risks and the other risk factors occasionally set forth in the SEC filings for Blackbaud, of which free copies are available at www.sec.gov or upon request from Blackbaud's investor relations department. All Blackbaud product names appearing herein are trademarks or registered trademarks of Blackbaud, Inc.
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SOURCE EVERFI, Inc. | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/06/27/everfi-awards-nearly-half-million-dollars-college-scholarships-k-12-students-2021-2022-school-year/ | 2022-06-27T13:06:20Z |
- Hundreds of Aspen Dental offices to open doors for annual Day of Service, honoring veterans
- Veterans and their families can call 1-844-277-3646 to schedule an appointment
CHICAGO, May 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- On Saturday, June 11, participating Aspen Dental locations nationwide will open their doors to provide free care to military veterans across the country. Now in its 8th year, the Aspen Dental Day of Service provides much-needed dental care for veterans and their families at no cost to honor their service and break down barriers to health care.
Appointments are still available for veterans in Georgia, at the following Aspen Dental locations:
- Atlanta, Georgia (Cumberland)
- Cartersville, Georgia
- Cumming, Georgia
- Dalton, Georgia
- Douglasville, Georgia
- Dunwoody, Georgia
- Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia
- Gainesville, Georgia
- Griffin, Georgia
- Hinesville, Georgia
- Loganville, Georgia
- Newnan, Georgia
- Pooler, Georgia
- Rincon, Georgia
- Rome, Georgia
- Snellville, Georgia
- Statesboro, Georgia
- Valdosta, Georgia
- Warner Robins, Georgia
Veterans and their families can call 1-844-277-3646 (1-844-ASPENHMM) to find a participating Aspen Dental office in their community and schedule an appointment. Advance appointments are required. During the Day of Service, Aspen Dental doctors and their teams focus on treating the most urgent dental needs for veterans and their families - with a focus on getting them out of pain, from fillings and extractions to dental hygiene and basic denture repairs.
Millions of Americans struggle to access dental care every year, and veterans are no exception. In fact, U.S. veterans are ineligible for dental benefits through the Veterans Administration unless they're 100% disabled, have a service-related mouth injury, or were a prisoner of war.
Visit www.HealthyMouthMovement.com to learn more.
Aspen Dental was founded in 1998 in New York by Bob Fontana with a simple goal in mind: to break down the barriers that doctors and patients face when it comes to dental care. Today, more than 20 years later, with nearly 1,000 Aspen Dental locations nationwide, the mission of the company remains the same – to bring better care to more people. Aspen Dental is the largest group of branded dental offices in the world. For more information, visit aspendental.com, and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
TAG – The Aspen Group was built on the simple idea of bringing better health care to more people. TAG and the independent health care practices it supports operate more than 1,100 locations in 45 states through its four health care support companies: Aspen Dental®, ClearChoice Dental Implant Centers®, WellNow Urgent Care® and Chapter Aesthetic StudioSM. Combined, the companies serve more than 35,000 patients a day and more than 8 million patients each year. TAG is headquartered at 800 W. Fulton Market in Chicago. For more information, visit teamtag.com, and follow us on LinkedIn and
Twitter.
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SOURCE Aspen Dental | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/05/28/free-dental-care-military-veterans-their-families-saturday-june-11-with-appointments-still-available-georgia/ | 2022-05-28T12:29:56Z |
FREDERICKSBURG, Va., July 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- ESG.org, an organization focused on environmental, social and governance (ESG) professionals, will host its second ESG Roundtable Event on July 26th in New York City from 8:00 - 10:00AM.
This event follows the inaugural event held on May 17th in London's Canary Wharf. At this breakfast, the ESG.org team will discuss our innovative, practitioner focused approach to managing this evolving landscape. Come join the ESG.org team to discuss over breakfast. Networking time will be allotted to foster community growth. We are a new group designed to ensure that practitioners maintain a constant voice in the emerging ESG market.
We believe that the practitioners are responsible for providing clarity and support in these times of uncertainty. With significant experience, diversity and broad geographical representation, this group endeavors to bridge the gap between theory and application.
To register, contact events@esg.org
About ESG.org
Founded in 2018, ESG.org taps into the vast experience of the world's best environmental, risk and governance professionals and companies. The organization's goal is to help ESG practitioners define a future that is achievable and measurable.
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SOURCE ESG.org | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/07/08/esgorg-hosting-second-roundtable-event-july-26th/ | 2022-07-08T14:46:36Z |
PITTSBURGH, May 30, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- "We thought there should be a safe way to experience a shopping mall or large concert venue from home," said one of two inventors, from Elk Grove, Calif., "so we invented the MONEY & CONCERT VIRTUAL REALITY. Our design would enhance fun and socialization while reducing the spread of the corona virus."
The patent-pending invention provides a virtual and immersive way to enjoy shopping malls and concerts. In doing so, it eliminates the need to travel and attend a crowded public space. As a result, it enhances safety and convenience and it provides added protection and peace of mind. The invention features a user-friendly design that is easy to use so it is ideal for the general population, individuals with mobility limitations or medial conditions, etc. Additionally, it is producible in design variations.
The original design was submitted to the Sacramento sales office of InventHelp. It is currently available for licensing or sale to manufacturers or marketers. For more information, write Dept. 20-SCO-174, InventHelp, 217 Ninth Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15222, or call (412) 288-1300 ext. 1368. Learn more about InventHelp's Invention Submission Services at http://www.InventHelp.com.
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SOURCE InventHelp | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/05/30/inventhelp-inventors-develop-virtual-shopping-amp-concert-experience-sco-174/ | 2022-05-30T16:14:48Z |
1st image of supermassive black hole at the center of Milky Way galaxy revealed
By Ashley Strickland, CNN
For the first time, astronomers have captured an image of the supermassive black hole at the center of our galaxy.
It’s the first direct observation confirming the presence of the black hole, known as Sagittarius A*, as the beating heart of the Milky Way.
Black holes don’t emit light, but the image shows the shadow of the black hole surrounded by a bright ring, which is light bent by the gravity of the black hole. Astronomers said the black hole is 4 million times more massive than our sun.
“For decades, astronomers have wondered what lies at the heart of our galaxy, pulling stars into tight orbits through its immense gravity,” Michael Johnson, astrophysicist at the Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian, said in a statement.
“With the (Event Horizon Telescope or EHT) image, we have zoomed in a thousand times closer than these orbits, where the gravity grows a million times stronger. At this close range, the black hole accelerates matter to close to the speed of light and bends the paths of photons in the warped (space-time).”
The black hole is about 27,000 light-years away from Earth. Our solar system is located in one of the spiral arms of the Milky Way galaxy, which is why we’re so distant from the galactic center. If we could see this in our night sky, the black hole would appear to be the same size as a doughnut sitting on the moon.
“We were stunned by how well the size of the ring agreed with predictions from Einstein’s Theory of General Relativity,” said EHT project scientist Geoffrey Bower from the Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Academia Sinica, Taipei, in a statement.
“These unprecedented observations have greatly improved our understanding of what happens at the very (center) of our galaxy, and offer new insights on how these giant black holes interact with their surroundings.”
The results of this groundbreaking discovery were published Thursday in a special issue of The Astrophysical Journal Letters.
Searching for the black hole
It has taken five years for astronomers to capture and confirm this image and discovery. Previously, scientists observed stars orbiting some invisible, massive object at the galactic center.
The 2020 Nobel Prize in physics was awarded to scientists Roger Penrose, Reinhard Genzel and Andrea Ghez for their discoveries about black holes, including evidence shared by Ghez and Genzel about the mass of the object at the center of the Milky Way.
“We now see that the black hole is swallowing the nearby gas and light, pulling them into a bottomless pit,” Ramesh Narayan, a theoretical astrophysicist at the Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian, said in a statement. “This image confirms decades of theoretical work to understand how black holes eat.”
The discovery was made possible by more than 300 researchers from 80 institutions working with a network of eight different radio telescopes around the globe that make up the Event Horizon Telescope.
The telescope is named after the “event horizon,” the point at which no light can escape from a black hole. This global telescope network essentially forms a single “Earth-size” virtual telescope when all eight are linked and observing in tandem.
It’s the second image ever captured of a black hole, with the first being the EHT’s achievement of imaging M87* at the heart of the distant Messier 87 galaxy, located 55 million light-years away, in 2019.
While the two images look similar, Sagittarius A* is more than 1,000 times smaller than M87*.
“We have two completely different types of galaxies and two very different black hole masses, but close to the edge of these black holes they look amazingly similar,” said Sera Markoff, cochair of the EHT Science Council and a professor of theoretical astrophysics at the University of Amsterdam, in a statement.
“This tells us that (Einstein’s theory of) General Relativity governs these objects up close, and any differences we see further away must be due to differences in the material that surrounds the black holes.”
Capturing an impossible image
Although the Milky Way’s black hole is closer to Earth, it was much harder to image.
“The gas in the vicinity of the black holes moves at the same speed — nearly as fast as light — around both Sgr A* and M87*,” EHT scientist Chi-kwan Chan at the Steward Observatory and Department of Astronomy and the Data Science Institute of the University of Arizona, said in a statement.
“But where gas takes days to weeks to orbit the larger M87*, in the much smaller Sgr A* it completes an orbit in mere minutes. This means the brightness and pattern of the gas around Sgr A* was changing rapidly as the EHT Collaboration was observing it — a bit like trying to take a clear picture of a puppy quickly chasing its tail.”
The global network of astronomers had to develop new tools to allow for the quick movement of gas around Sagittarius A*. The resulting image is an average of different ones taken by the team. Taking the Sagittarius A* image was like capturing a photo of a grain of salt in New York City using a camera in Los Angeles, according to California Institute of Technology researchers.
“This image from the Event Horizon Telescope required more than just snapping a picture from telescopes on high mountaintops. It is the product of both technically challenging telescope observations and innovative computational algorithms,” Katherine Bouman, Rosenberg scholar and assistant professor of computing and mathematical sciences, electrical engineering and astronomy at the Caltech, said during a press conference.
Bouman also worked on capturing the M87* image shared in 2019. Despite the fact that the Sagittarius A* image may seem blurry, “it’s one of the sharpest images ever made,” Bouman said.
Each telescope was pushed to its limit, which is called a diffraction limit, or the maximum fine features that it can see.
“And that’s basically the level that we’re seeing here,” Johnson said at the press conference. “It’s fuzzy because to make a sharper image, we need to move our telescopes further apart or go into higher frequencies.”
On the horizon
Having images of two very different black holes will allow astronomers to determine their similarities and differences and better understand how gas behaves around supermassive black holes, which could contribute to the formation and evolution of galaxies. It is believed that black holes exist at the center of most galaxies, acting like an engine that powers them.
Meanwhile, the EHT team is working to expand the telescope network and conduct upgrades that could lead to even more stunning images, and even movies, of black holes in the future.
Capturing a black hole in motion can show how it changes over time and what the gas does as it swirls around a black hole. Bouman and EHT member Antonio Fuentes, who will join Caltech as a postdoctoral researcher in October, are developing methods that will allow them to stitch images of the black hole together to reflect this motion.
This “first direct image of the gentle giant in the center of our galaxy” is just the beginning, said Feryal Özel, member of the EHT Science Council and a professor of astronomy and physics and associate dean for research at the University of Arizona, during the press conference.
“This image is a testament to what we can accomplish, when as a global research community, we bring our brightest minds together to make the seemingly impossible, possible,” National Science Foundation Director Sethuraman Panchanathan said in a statement. “Language, continents and even the galaxy can’t stand in the way of what humanity can accomplish when we come together for the greater good of all.”
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved. | https://localnews8.com/news/national-world/2022/05/12/1st-image-of-supermassive-black-hole-at-the-center-of-milky-way-galaxy-revealed/ | 2022-05-12T19:41:40Z |
Crist wins: DeSantis rival emerges from high-stakes Florida primary
MIAMI (AP) — U.S. Rep. Charlie Crist won the Democratic nomination for governor in Florida on Tuesday, putting him in position to challenge Gov. Ron DeSantis this fall in a campaign that the Republican incumbent is eyeing as the first step toward a potential White House run.
U.S. Rep. Val Demings seized the Democratic nomination to challenge Republican Sen. Marco Rubio this fall. Demings, a former police chief and a prodigious political fundraiser, has a chance to become Florida’s first Black female senator.
In selecting Crist in the race for governor, Florida Democrats sided with a candidate backed by many in the party’s establishment who viewed him as the safest choice. The 66-year-old has already served one term as governor, running as a Republican at the time before gravitating toward Democrats. His moderate stances could appeal to voters in Florida’s teeming suburbs as Democrats seek to reverse a losing pattern in a state that was once seen as a perennial political battleground.
Crist defeated Nikki Fried, the state agriculture commissioner. She staked out a more progressive campaign and was particularly vocal in defending abortion and LGBTQ rights. The 44-year-old hoped to compete to become Florida’s first female governor. In a sign of the party’s meager standing in Florida, she’s currently the only Democrat holding statewide office.
But the race ultimately centered on the political future of DeSantis, who emerged from a narrow victory four years ago to become one of the most prominent figures in GOP politics. His hands-off approach to the pandemic and eagerness to lean into divides over race, gender and LGBTQ rights have resonated with many Republican voters who see DeSantis as a natural heir to former President Donald Trump.
DeSantis’ reelection effort is widely assumed to be a precursor to a presidential run in 2024, adding to a sense of urgency among Democrats to blunt his rise now.
The Florida contest concludes the busiest stretch of primaries this year. During the nomination process, Republicans from Pennsylvania to Alaska have supported contenders who embraced Trump’s lies that the 2020 election was stolen, an assertion roundly rejected by elections officials, the former president’s attorney general and judges he appointed.
And for the most part, Democrats have avoided brutal primary fights — with some exceptions. Voters in New York Tuesday night decided congressional primaries that featured two powerful Democratic committee chairs, Carolyn Maloney and Jerry Nadler, competing for the same seat and other incumbents fending off challenges from the left.
Democrats are entering the final weeks ahead of the midterms with a sense of cautious optimism, hoping the Supreme Court’s decision overturning a woman’s constitutional right to an abortion will energize the party’s base. But Democrats still face tremendous headwinds, including economic uncertainty and the historic reality that most parties lose seats in the first midterm after they’ve won the White House.
The dynamics are especially challenging for Democrats in Florida, one of the most politically divided states in the U.S. Its last three races for governor were decided by 1 percentage point or less. But the state has steadily become more favorable to Republicans in recent years.
For the first time in modern history, Florida has more registered Republicans — nearly 5.2 million — than Democrats, who have nearly 5 million registered voters. Fried serves as the only Democrat in statewide office. And Republicans have no primary competition for four of those five positions – governor, U.S. Senate, attorney general and chief financial officer — which are all held by GOP incumbents.
Democrats hope that Demings, who defeated a little-known candidate in her Senate primary Tuesday, can unseat the state’s senior U.S. senator, Republican Marco Rubio, this fall. But for now, the party’s national leadership is prioritizing competitive Senate contests in other states, including neighboring Georgia, Arizona and Pennsylvania.
In Florida’s governor’s race, the Supreme Court’s abortion decision animated the final weeks of the Democratic primary.
Fried promoted herself as the only true abortion-rights supporter in the race, seizing on Crist’s appointment of two conservative Supreme Court justices while he was governor.
The conservative-leaning court will soon decide whether the Republican-backed state legislature’s law to ban abortions after 15 weeks is constitutional. Florida’s new abortion law is in effect, with exceptions if the procedure is necessary to save the pregnant woman’s life, to prevent serious injury or if the fetus has a fatal abnormality. It does not allow exemptions in cases of rape, incest or human trafficking.
Crist insisted he is “pro-choice” and highlighted a bill he vetoed as governor in 2010 that would have required women seeking a first-trimester abortion to get and pay for an ultrasound exam.
“It is a woman’s right to choose,” Crist told the AP. “My record is crystal clear. And for my opponent to try to muddy that up is unconscionable, unfair and unwise.”
DeSantis and Fried spent several hours together Tuesday morning during a Cabinet meeting at the Tallahassee statehouse. They kept things cordial during the hourslong event, which placed Fried seats away from the governor as they heard reports from agency heads on state finances, contracting and other matters.
DeSantis shook Fried’s hand as the meeting concluded and told her “good luck” before criticizing her campaign and predicting her loss in brief remarks to reporters.
“I think that you know she had an opportunity as being the only Democrat elected statewide to exercise some leadership and maybe get some things done and instead she’s used her time to try and smear me on a daily basis, that’s all she does,” DeSantis said of Fried.
After the meeting, Fried told reporters she thought the governor had scheduled the meeting as a way to sideline her during her final day of campaigning.
“Of course it’s not a coincidence,” she said of the meeting’s timing. “I think that he is scared of me winning tonight so he’s doing everything in his power to keep me off the campaign trail today.”
Copyright 2022 WWSB. All rights reserved. | https://www.mysuncoast.com/2022/08/24/crist-wins-desantis-rival-emerges-high-stakes-florida-primary-2/ | 2022-08-24T02:44:02Z |
Submissions now open for Favor's Chief Taco Officer, offering $10,000 to discover the best tacos across Texas
AUSTIN, Texas , April 21, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Favor Delivery, the Texas-based on-demand delivery service, today announced it is hiring its first-ever Chief Taco Officer. The company will pay one energetic, hungry, and social savvy Texan $10,000 to track down the best tacos across the state this summer.
As part of the Chief Taco Officer position, Favor will pay one dedicated Texan $10,000 to travel across Texas, taste-test tacos, and document their experience. Favor will also provide the food, accommodations, and transportation in each city, including wellness activities, like massages and yoga classes, as well as custom Favor swag and free Favor delivery for a year.
"Tacos are one of the top favored foods across all of the cities we serve throughout Texas," said Jag Bath, Favor CEO. "The history and culture behind one of the most iconic foods in the Lone Star State vary from city to city, and we're excited for our new Chief Taco Officer to discover some of the best and most authentic tacos out there."
All Texas residents over 21 years old are eligible to apply. To apply to be Favor's Chief Taco Officer, applicants must create and share a short video on why they should be Favor's Chief Taco Officer and submit a short form on Favor's Chief Taco Officer application page. The deadline to apply is Thursday, May 12, 11:59PM CT.
About Favor
Favor is the easiest way to get anything delivered in under an hour. Whether it's lunch at the office, a household shopping list or those errands you just don't have time for — your personal assistant (we call them Runners) can deliver it in just a few taps. Founded in 2013, in Austin, Texas, Favor currently operates in more than 200 cities across Texas with over 100,000 Runners, who have delivered more than 55 million Favors to-date. For more information, visit favordelivery.com and follow Favor on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and TikTok.
MEDIA CONTACT: press@favordelivery.com
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SOURCE Favor | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/04/21/favor-seeking-first-ever-chief-taco-officer/ | 2022-04-21T17:30:01Z |
Lawsuit alleges CIA got phone contents from Assange visitors
NEW YORK (AP) — Two lawyers and two journalists are suing the CIA, saying the agency violated their constitutional rights when it obtained copies of the contents of their electronic devices and helped enable the recording of their meetings with WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange during the latter part of his seven-year stay at the Ecuadorian Embassy in London.
The plaintiffs seek compensatory and punitive damages in a lawsuit filed Monday in Manhattan federal court.
New York lawyers Margaret Ratner Kunstler and Deborah Hrbek, along with journalists John Goetz, who lives in Germany, and Charles Glass, who lives in England, alleged that the CIA got the information through a deal with UC Global, a private security company that was based in Spain and provided security at the embassy.
The lawsuit said they suffered considerable emotional distress and anxiety from the uncertainty and concerns about how their personal and privileged information was being used.
They said the illegal spying may have violated the rights of over 100 Americans who visited Assange at the embassy.
The CIA declined to comment.
Two years ago, two anonymous witnesses who worked for the Spanish firm that provided the embassy’s security testified at a London court that Assange faced an intensifying bugging operation from 2017 onwards after Donald Trump became U.S. president.
Assange, 51, lived in the embassy beginning in 2012 after seeking refuge there while fearing his potential extradition to the U.S. He was evicted in April 2019 and has been in a London prison since.
U.S. prosecutors have indicted Assange on 17 espionage charges and one charge of computer misuse over WikiLeaks’ publication of secret American military documents a decade ago. The charges carry a maximum sentence of 175 years in prison.
Assange’s lawyers say he is protected by the First Amendment for the publication of leaked documents that exposed U.S. military wrongdoing in Iraq and Afghanistan. They also have said he suffers from wide-ranging mental health issues, including suicidal tendencies.
In June, the British government ordered Assange’s extradition to the U.S. He has appealed that ruling.
Assange’s lawyers have asked President Joe Biden to drop the charges against him.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.wibw.com/2022/08/16/lawsuit-alleges-cia-got-phone-contents-assange-visitors/ | 2022-08-16T22:14:47Z |
SHENZHEN, China, Sept. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Shenzhen-Hong Kong cooperation mechanism has introduced a new policy. On September 2, "Shenzhen Qianhai Shenzhen-Hong Kong Modern Service Industry Cooperation Zone Administration - Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau on the 18 Measures to support Qianhai Shenzhen-Hong Kong Venture Capital Joint Development" (hereinafter referred to as "18 Measures") was released in Shenzhen and Hong Kong, according to the Authority of Qianhai Shenzhen-Hong Kong Modern Service Industry Cooperation Zone.
In response to the Hong Kong financial industry's call for broader cooperation channel between Shenzhen and Hong Kong private equity funds, the "18 Measures" clearly stipulates that a one-time reward of 2 million yuan will be given to the Qianhai venture capital institutions listed on the Hong Kong Exchange. The Qianhai venture capital institutions and their wholly owned subsidiaries in Hong Kong will be granted a one-time reward of 1 million yuan for sponsoring a Special Purpose Acquisition Company and getting it listed on the Hong Kong Exchange. For a Qianhai high-quality infrastructure project listed on the Hong Kong Exchange in the form of REIT, a one-time incentive of 1 million yuan will be given to the project's equity owner. Analysts believe that this move will further facilitate the two-way cross-border investment cooperation between Shenzhen and Hong Kong.
The policy is an important attempt for deepening cooperation between Shenzhen and Hong Kong in Qianhai. Cooperation mechanism innovation, the building of cluster economy, the incentives for closed loop are highlights that sparked industrial attention.
The industry insiders believe that the "18 Measures" is a solution to the challenges of the private equity industry in Shenzhen and Hong Kong. Taking into account the demands of the Hong Kong industry, it will optimize the pilots in the Qianhai qualified foreign limited partners (QFLP), qualified domestic investment enterprises (QDIE) and wholly foreign-owned enterprise private fund management (WFOE PFM); at the same time, Qianhai QDIE management enterprises are encouraged to invest in Hong Kong's technological innovation, with a reward of 2% of the actual investment, or a maximum of 500,000 yuan for single input and annual accumulative sum of up to 2 million yuan for each enterprise.
According to the "18 Measures", a Shenzhen-Hong Kong international venture capital cluster will be established in Qianhai. The cluster is located in Qianhai Shenzhen-Hong Kong International Financial City, with an area of about 800,000 square meters. It will host large funds, international capital management institutions, leading venture capital institutions as well as private equity investment institutions.
Thanks to the in-depth development of financial cooperation between Shenzhen and Hong Kong, a number of Hong Kong-funded equity investment enterprises with special advantages and benchmark effects had already set up business in Shenzhen. Statistics show that of all the foreign-invested equity investment management enterprises in Shenzhen, those with Hong Kong funds account for nearly 70%. Likewise, among the two types of QFLP pilot enterprises, those involving Hong Kong funds account for about 80% of the total.
Observers said that the "18 Measures" provides all-round support for venture capital institutions, while promoting private equity secondary market funds (S funds). It covers fund-raising, investment, management and withdrawal, the whole process of venture capital industry. The wide range of benefits make the policy a new breakthrough, which is of great significance to deepening Shenzhen-Hong Kong financial cooperation on practical innovation.
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SOURCE Authority of Qianhai Shenzhen-Hong Kong Modern Service Industry Cooperation Zone | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/09/05/shenzhen-hong-kong-cooperation-mechanism-innovation-18-measures-qianhai-shenzhen-hong-kong-venture-capital-joint-development-released/ | 2022-09-05T10:53:06Z |
Elementary school teacher, her 2 children found shot to death, police say
HORRY COUNTY, S.C. (WMBF/Gray News) - A woman who taught at an elementary school and her two children are dead after a shooting in a South Carolina neighborhood.
WMBF reports the Horry County Police Department responded to a home Wednesday afternoon near Centennial Circle and Carolina Forest Boulevard for a welfare check when they discovered three bodies inside the house.
The coroner’s office identified the bodies as 42-year-old Laura Moberley, 11-year-old Eric Moberley and 8-year-old Emily Moberley. They died from gunshot wounds.
An incident report showed that police tried to contact the people reportedly inside the home, but there was no answer. Officers then forced entry into the house through the front door, and the bodies were found.
“Our community is hurting today, and that is undeniable,” the Horry County Police Department said in a statement. “We ask that you be kind to one another - you may not know who has been impacted by this tragedy.”
Horry County Schools confirmed that Laura Moberley was working at the Carolina Forest Elementary School as a teacher and helping students improve their learning skills.
The school district added that Emily was a third-grade student at the elementary school and Eric was in the 11th grade at Ten Oaks Middle School.
On Thursday, the school district released the following statement:
“We are at a loss for words after learning of the tragic incident that affected an entire family with ties to Horry County Schools. We lift our strongest prayers for the Moberley family and for everyone who knew them. We encourage our community to keep our students and staff in their thoughts and prayers during this incredibly difficult time.
Our district has a team of counselors made up of professionals trained to help with the needs of students, parents, and school personnel at difficult times such as this. Our counselors are available at the affected schools for any student or employee who may need or want assistance surrounding this tragedy.”
Horry County police said the incident remains under investigation.
Copyright 2022 WMBF via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.wibw.com/2022/09/01/elementary-school-teacher-her-2-children-found-shot-death-police-say/ | 2022-09-01T19:44:02Z |
DETROIT (AP) — Clogged oil ports, electrical shorts and leaks of brake fluid are only some of the safety problems that have caused multiple fires and forced Hyundai and Kia to recall millions of vehicles in the past seven years.
Now, Hyundai, the larger of the two affiliated Korean automakers, has promoted its North American safety chief to global status — an implicit acknowledgment by the company that it needs to address safety in a more robust way.
The executive, Brian Latouf, who joined Hyundai in 2019 after 27 years at General Motors, says he will focus on data analysis and testing to detect problems earlier and fix them.
As part of the company’s intensified focus on safety, Hyundai is building a $51.6 million laboratory near Ann Arbor, Michigan, with an electronic scanner to examine parts for problems. On the site, the company will test vehicle maneuvers, including steering and braking, and evaluate electric vehicle batteries. An outdoor track will allow vehicles to accelerate to roadway speeds so testers can detect problems.
The laboratory is scheduled to be completed in the fall of next year.
Besides elevating Latouf to global safety chief, Hyundai has anointed a new vice president for safety to try to ensure that safety is taken more fully into account in the design of new vehicles. Latouf, a mechanical engineer by training, said the company wants to detect problems fast and take action.
“You have to have a real good emerging-issues data analytics office, investigate quickly and address them,” Latouf, 58, said in an interview with The Associated Press. “If you let them linger, risk grows, the safety hazard grows.”
Latouf now has in place a safety team at the corporate headquarters in Seoul. And the safety group in North America has grown from 12 employees, when he started at the company, to 40 now.
The job is huge. The Center for Auto Safety, a nonprofit group that successfully petitioned U.S. regulators to seek Hyundai and Kia recalls, says the automakers have recalled 8.4 million vehicles for fires and engine problems since 2015. More than two dozen of the recalls involved more than 20 models from the 2006 through 2021 model years.
In addition, the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is investigating 3 million vehicles made by the automakers from the 2011 through 2016 model years. NHTSA says it’s received 161 complaints of engine fires, some of which occurred in vehicles that had already been recalled.
The agency, which began an engineering analysis late last year, has said it will evaluate whether previous recalls covered enough vehicles. It also will monitor the effectiveness of recalls, “as well as the long-term viability of related programs and non-safety field actions being conducted by Hyundai and Kia.”
In June 2018, NHTSA said it had received owner complaints of more than 3,100 fires, 103 injuries and one death. Hyundai and Kia were fined by NHTSA in 2020 for moving too slowly to recall vehicles that were prone to engine failures.
One critic, Michael Brooks, acting executive director of the Center for Auto Safety, noted that Hyundai’s upgraded safety programs are focused on future vehicles, which Brooks said won’t help owners of the company’s existing autos.
The center, Brooks said, continues to receive complaints of engine failures that Hyundai and Kia won’t fix because owners didn’t sign up in time for a company-issued knock sensor to detect engine problems.
“There’s still a consumer issue that’s ongoing that needs to be resolved,” Brooks said.
Hyundai says that owners can go online to report problems, which it will address.
In the meantime, recalls have continued for Hyundai and Kia, with some as recent as May of this year. Latouf said Hyundai’s recent engines have dramatically lower fire rates, and the knock sensors are detecting problems so they can be repaired before failures happen.
Like Hyundai, Kia was compelled to establish a U.S. safety office in its settlement with the government. Kia says it settled the case to avoid a protracted legal fight. The automaker, which did not comment for this story, said it intends to improve its recall management process to make things right for customers.
At General Motors, Latouf had been put in charge of safety after a series of recalls for faulty ignition switches that could turn engines off and disable air bags in a crash. At least 124 people were killed in a series of crashes.
Latouf said he learned from helping to rebuild the auto giant’s safety department and has adopted some of those practices at Hyundai. One is a “Speak Up For Safety” program that urges employees to report issues as they drive and test vehicles. The reports go directly to Latouf’s office.
“We’re getting hundreds of these in, and some of them have actually led to recalls,” he said.
With their thousands of components and millions of lines of software code, cars are notoriously complex, Latouf said, and all automakers experience safety issues and recalls. He said he expects Hyundai’s new safety programs to provide early enough warnings to limit the size of recalls and bolster consumer perceptions of the brand.
“We try to keep their faith, to make sure that if there’s an issue we’ll react to it,” he said. “We’re not just about sales and numbers and growth and technology. We’re about the customer as well.” | https://cw33.com/business/ap-business/hyundai-exec-vows-to-improve-companys-safety-track-record/ | 2022-07-22T21:17:32Z |
CAIRO (AP) — Suspected al-Qaida militants on Tuesday attacked a security post in southern Yemen, sparking clashes that killed at least 21 troops and six militants, military officials said.
The early morning attack in Ahwar, in the province of Abyan, targeted a post manned by troops from the Security Belt, a security force loyal to the secessionist Southern Transitional Council.
The separatist council is backed by the United Arab Emirates and controls much of Yemen’s south. It is at odds with the internationally recognized government.
The officials said at least 21 troops were killed in the attack and the clashes that ensures for hours. Four more troops were also wounded, they said.
The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief media.
Among the dead troops was Yasser Nasser Shaea, a senior commander in the force fighting terror groups in Yemen, the Security Belt said in a statement.
It said six militants were killed and others were detained. It posted images showing bodies it said were the dead militants.
No group claimed responsibility for the ambush. But it bore the hallmarks of al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula, or AQAP.
AQAP has long been considered the global network’s most dangerous branch, and has attempted to carry out attacks on the U.S. mainland.
AQAP, along with an affiliate of the Islamic State group, are active in several regions of Yemen and have taken advantage of the yearslong civil war to make inroads.
Yemen’s war pits Iran-backed Houthi rebels against the internationally recognized government, which is aided by a Saudi-led coalition. The UAE is part of the coalition. | https://cw33.com/news/international/ap-international/ap-official-militants-ambush-security-post-in-yemen-14-killed/ | 2022-09-07T01:28:20Z |
The new Questis interface offers a fresh look and incorporates new features for users to better manage their financial lives.
CHARLESTON, S.C., July 13, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, financial empowerment company Questis announces the launch of a next-generation user interface (UI) to their financial empowerment platform. The update provides the same force and security with a new intuitive, mobile-first focus allowing for the integration of new features and functionalities to help users reach and exceed their financial goals.
Some highlights include:
- Modern Aesthetics: Questis restyled pages across the platform with a more contemporary look to improve engagement and usability.
- Increased Intelligence: Enhanced AI allows for the platform to better suggest personalized money moves.
- Human-Centered: Users can now schedule coaching sessions directly from their dashboard with fewer clicks than before.
- Sliding Dashboard Module: Users are now presented with a rotating module on their dashboard that promotes upcoming events, new features, and highlighted resources.
- Searchability: The ability to search for resources and articles allows access to relevant content on-demand.
"At Questis, our core purpose is to provide the tools and resources necessary to empower employees financially. To do so, these tools need to be current, useful, and effective," said John Tabb, Co-Founder and CEO. "As Questis grows, so does our responsibility to provide a better, more holistic user experience. The new UI and its continual updates were built with our end-users in mind to improve the way they visualize their finances."
The upgraded design and new features are the product of valuable feedback from Questis users, corporate partners, as well as testing and analyses by Questis developers.
"The modern look and upgraded capabilities make it easier than ever for users to find content, connect with their coaches, and take personalized next steps directly from their dashboard," said MH Burwell, Head of Marketing. "The new UI was designed to increase the level of personalization and support new and exciting features as they become available in the future."
For more information about the improved user interface, visit: questis.co/how-questis-works/
About Questis
Questis' mission is to replace feel-good Financial Wellness programs with proven solutions based on solid behavioral science, real-person coaching, personalized and predictive planning, and cutting-edge technology. Their proprietary platform and relationship-driven approach are purpose-built to make Financial Empowerment affordable and effective at workforce scale.
Visit questis.co to learn more.
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SOURCE Questis | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/07/13/questis-gets-new-look-improved-financial-empowerment-user-interface/ | 2022-07-13T14:08:06Z |
The iAero Thrust ETC is the first and only testing facility in South Florida for the CFM56 engine line
MIAMI, April 25, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- iAero Thrust (http://www.iaerothrust.com), a leading engine maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) and engine testing provider focused on the CFM56 engine line and one of the companies within the iAero Group (https://iaerogroup.com) aviation investment platform, has developed, built, and opened a new state-of-the-art engine test cell facility in Medley, FL.
The ETC provides comprehensive engine testing and hospital visit services for the CFM56 engine line. It will test all engines serviced through the iAero Thrust MRO in Miami, FL as well as engines from third party MROs, lessors, and other engine operators. The ETC was designed and commissioned by Safran Test Cells and correlated by GE Aviation.
The ETC is now FAA certified to perform acceptance testing on the CFM56-3 engines in addition to the CFM56-7B engine.
"We are incredibly proud of our team for their resilience and hard work over the past two years to build, calibrate, and certify this new facility, and we are very excited to offer this new capability to our customers." said Tommy Mitchell, President iAero Thrust. "Our state-of-the-art Engine Test Center is just another way we are scaling our integrated full-service engine MRO to serve the growing maintenance and testing demand for the all-time best-selling commercial aircraft engine in the world."
About iAero Thrust
iAero Thrust (http://www.iaerothrust.com), based in Miami, FL, is the only integrated full-service aviation engine MRO dedicated to the CFM56 engine line. Originally founded in 1946, the company has a proven legacy of evolving and executing, having serviced over 9,000 engines. The company operated as AeroThrust Holdings until it was acquired by privately held iAero Group in 2018, and then rebranded iAero Thrust in 2019. iAero Thrust is an FAA certified Part 145 repair station.
About iAero Group
iAero Group (https://iaerogroup.com) is a purpose-driven, privately held company that was founded in 2018 to create the leading investment platform to transform and scale high-growth potential companies in the aviation industry. To date, iAero Group has acquired three companies: engine MRO AeroThrust Holdings (Miami, FL) in 2018, airframe MRO Miami Tech Aircraft Maintenance (Miami, FL) in 2018, and the largest charter airline in the US, Swift Air (Greensboro, NC), in 2019. iAero Group partnered with The Blackstone Group to finance these transactions. Since then, these operating companies have been rebranded to iAero Thrust, iAero Tech, and iAero Airways.
Media Contact:
Juliana Martinez
commercial@iaerothrust.com
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SOURCE iAero Group | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/04/25/iaero-thrusts-engine-test-center-etc-adds-cfm56-3-capability/ | 2022-04-25T13:31:58Z |
NEW YORK, July 13, 2022 /PRNewswire/ --
WHY: Rosen Law Firm, a global investor rights law firm, reminds purchasers of the securities of Spero Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: SPRO) between October 28, 2021 and May 2, 2022, both dates inclusive (the "Class Period"), of the important than July 25, 2022 lead plaintiff deadline.
SO WHAT: If you purchased Spero Therapeutics securities during the Class Period you may be entitled to compensation without payment of any out of pocket fees or costs through a contingency fee arrangement.
WHAT TO DO NEXT: To join the Spero Therapeutics class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=6561 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email pkim@rosenlegal.com or cases@rosenlegal.com for information on the class action. A class action lawsuit has already been filed. If you wish to serve as lead plaintiff, you must move the Court no later than July 25, 2022. A lead plaintiff is a representative party acting on behalf of other class members in directing the litigation.
WHY ROSEN LAW: We encourage investors to select qualified counsel with a track record of success in leadership roles. Often, firms issuing notices do not have comparable experience, resources or any meaningful peer recognition. Many of these firms do not actually handle securities class actions, but are merely middlemen that refer clients or partner with law firms that actually litigate the cases. Be wise in selecting counsel. The Rosen Law Firm represents investors throughout the globe, concentrating its practice in securities class actions and shareholder derivative litigation. Rosen Law Firm has achieved the largest ever securities class action settlement against a Chinese Company. Rosen Law Firm was Ranked No. 1 by ISS Securities Class Action Services for number of securities class action settlements in 2017. The firm has been ranked in the top 4 each year since 2013 and has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for investors. In 2019 alone the firm secured over $438 million for investors. In 2020, founding partner Laurence Rosen was named by law360 as a Titan of Plaintiffs' Bar. Many of the firm's attorneys have been recognized by Lawdragon and Super Lawyers.
DETAILS OF THE CASE: According to the lawsuit, defendants throughout the Class Period made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (1) the data submitted in support of the New Drug Application ("NDA") of Tebipenem HBr, an oral carbapenem-class antibiotic to treat complicated urinary tract infections, including pyelonephritis for adults, were insufficient to obtain U.S. Food and Drug Administration ("FDA") approval; (2) accordingly, it was unlikely that the FDA would approve the Tebipenem HBr NDA in its current form; (3) the foregoing would necessitate a significant workforce reduction and restructuring of Spero Therapeutics's operations; and (4) as a result, defendants' public statements were materially false and misleading at all relevant times. When the true details entered the market, the lawsuit claims that investors suffered damages.
To join the Spero Therapeutics class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=6561 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email pkim@rosenlegal.com or cases@rosenlegal.com for information on the class action.
No Class Has Been Certified. Until a class is certified, you are not represented by counsel unless you retain one. You may select counsel of your choice. You may also remain an absent class member and do nothing at this point. An investor's ability to share in any potential future recovery is not dependent upon serving as lead plaintiff.
Follow us for updates on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-rosen-law-firm, on Twitter: https://twitter.com/rosen_firm or on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rosenlawfirm/.
Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
Contact Information:
Laurence Rosen, Esq.
Phillip Kim, Esq.
The Rosen Law Firm, P.A.
275 Madison Avenue, 40th Floor
New York, NY 10016
Tel: (212) 686-1060
Toll Free: (866) 767-3653
Fax: (212) 202-3827
lrosen@rosenlegal.com
pkim@rosenlegal.com
cases@rosenlegal.com
www.rosenlegal.com
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SOURCE Rosen Law Firm, P.A. | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/07/13/rosen-skilled-investor-counsel-encourages-spero-therapeutics-inc-investors-secure-counsel-before-important-deadline-securities-class-action-spro/ | 2022-07-14T01:52:42Z |
GUANGZHOU, China, Aug. 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- MINISO Group Holding Limited (NYSE: MNSO; HKEx: 9896) ("MINISO", "MINISO Group" or the "Company"), a global retailer offering a variety of design-led lifestyle products, today announced a special cash dividend.
MINISO's board of directors has approved a special cash dividend in the amount of US$0.172 per ADS or US$0.043 per ordinary share, payable as of the close of business on September 9, 2022 to the holders of ADS and ordinary shares of record as of the close of business on August 31, 2022, New York Time and Beijing/Hong Kong Time, respectively. The ex-dividend date will be August 30, 2022. The aggregate amount of cash dividends to be paid is approximately US$53.5 million (RMB360.8 million), which will be funded by surplus cash on the Company's balance sheet.
For holders of ordinary shares, in order to qualify for the dividend, all valid documents for the transfer of shares accompanied by the relevant share certificates must be lodged for registration with the Company's Hong Kong branch share registrar, Computershare Hong Kong Investor Services Limited, at Shops 1712-1716, 17th Floor, Hopewell Centre, 183 Queen's Road East, Wanchai, Hong Kong no later than 4:30 p.m. on August 31, 2022 (Beijing/ Hong Kong Time).
MINISO paid a cash dividend of US$0.156 per ADS or US$0.039 per ordinary share in September 2021. Under the Company's current dividend policy, the determination to make dividend distributions and the amount of such distribution will be made at the discretion of its board of directors and will be based upon the Company's operations and earnings, cash flow, financial condition and other relevant factors.
MINISO's net cash flows from operating activities were RMB1,038.5 million, RMB826.5 million and RMB916.3 million in the fiscal years of 2019, 2020 and 2021, and RMB918.8 million and RMB1,048.2 million in the nine months ended March 31, 2021 and 2022.
About MINISO Group
MINISO is a global retailer offering a variety of design-led lifestyle products. The Company serves consumers primarily through its large network of MINISO stores, and promotes a relaxing, treasure-hunting and engaging shopping experience full of delightful surprises that appeals to all demographics. Aesthetically pleasing design, quality and affordability are at the core of every product in MINISO's wide product portfolio, and the Company continually and frequently rolls out products with these qualities. Since the opening of its first store in China in 2013, the Company has built its flagship brand "MINISO" as a globally recognized retail brand and established a massive store network worldwide. For more information, please visit https://ir.miniso.com/.
Safe Harbor Statement
This announcement contains forward-looking statements. These statements are made under the "safe harbor" provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements can be identified by words or phrases such as "may," "will," "expect," "anticipate," "aim," "estimate," "intend," "plan," "believe," "is/are likely to," "potential," "continue" or other similar expressions. MINISO may also make written or oral forward-looking statements in its periodic reports to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (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. Statements that are not historical facts, including statements about MINISO's beliefs and expectations, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties. A number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement, including but not limited to the following: MINISO's mission, goals and strategies; future business development, financial conditions and results of operations; the expected growth of the retail market and the market of branded variety retail of lifestyle products in China and globally; expectations regarding demand for and market acceptance of MINISO's products; expectations regarding MINISO's relationships with consumers, suppliers, MINISO Retail Partners, local distributors, and other business partners; competition in the industry; proposed use of proceeds; and relevant government policies and regulations relating to MINISO's business and the industry. Further information regarding these and other risks is included in MINISO's filings with the SEC. All information provided in this press release and in the attachments is as of the date of this press release, and MINISO undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement, except as required under applicable law.
Exchange Rate
The conversion of Renminbi (RMB) into US$ in this press release is based on the exchange rate set forth in the H.10 statistical release of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System as of August 12, 2022, which was RMB6.7425 to US$1.0000.
Investor Relations Contact:
Raine Hu
MINISO Group Holding Limited
Email: ir@miniso.com
Phone: +86 (20) 36228788 Ext.8039
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SOURCE MINISO Group Holding Limited | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/08/17/miniso-group-announces-special-cash-dividend/ | 2022-08-17T04:29:57Z |
Financial reports highlight expenditures for “Vote No,” “Vote Yes” campaigns
TOPEKA, Kan. (WIBW) - Some updated reports outlining the campaign finance reports of the Kansas primary election reveal how much money both sides of the “Value Them Both” Amendment contributed to their respective campaigns.
13 NEWS reported Tuesday, August 23, that the “Value Them Both Association” spent more than $7 million between January 1 and August 17. During that same period, the pro-life group ‘Kansans for Life’ spent $1.6 million for the campaign.
The main group pushing the “no” vote was the “Kansans for constitutional freedom” organization. The group reported about $10.7 million spent since the first of the year.
Each report can be found at the Kansas Governmental Ethics Commission website.
The “Value Them Both “amendment that was up for election on the August 2 primary ballot, stated that the Kansas constitution does not guarantee the right to an abortion, but the vote failed by about 165,000 votes.
Copyright 2022 WIBW. All rights reserved. | https://www.wibw.com/2022/08/24/financial-reports-highlight-expenditures-vote-no-vote-yes-campaigns/ | 2022-08-24T23:57:56Z |
STAMFORD, Conn., Aug. 18, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Aircastle Limited ("Aircastle") announced the release of its 2021 Environmental, Social and Governance ("ESG") Report providing indicators for sustainability topics following the Global Reporting Initiative metrics. The report is available for review under the ESG section of Aircastle's website (www.aircastle.com).
Mike Inglese, Aircastle's CEO, commented, "We're pleased to affirm our commitment to environmentally sustainable aviation solutions and communicate our high standards for compliance, governance and maintaining a transparent business environment. This baseline report provides metrics on the issues that matter most to our stakeholders, and we look forward to reporting on future performance annually in the spirit of continuous improvement."
Aircastle Limited acquires, leases and sells commercial jet aircraft to airlines throughout the world. As of May 31, 2022, Aircastle owned and managed on behalf of its joint ventures 250 aircraft leased to 74 customers located in 44 countries.
Aircastle Advisor LLC
Jim Connelly, SVP ESG & Corporate Communications
Tel: +1-203-504-1871
jconnelly@aircastle.com
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SOURCE Aircastle Limited | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/08/18/aircastle-releases-first-esg-report/ | 2022-08-18T20:06:40Z |
Highlights of the Digital Finance Forum of the Global Digital Economy Conference 2022
BEIJING, July 19, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Global Digital Economy Conference (hereinafter referred to as GDEC) 2022, focusing on the new trends and hot issues of digital economy, will be held on July 28-30, 2022. It is hosted by People's Government of Beijing Municipality, National Development and Reform Commission, Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, Ministry of Commerce, Cyberspace Administration of China and China Association for Science and Technology.
As an important part of the thematic forums of this GDEC, the Digital Finance Forum, to be held on July 30, will be organized by the Shijingshan District People's Government of Beijing Municipality and Asia Digital Group. The forum will focus on how to drive financial innovation and digital strategic upgrade, promote the connection and cooperation between fintech and digital currency, and build a bridge for communication between financial industries in and out of China.
Profound changes are taking place in the way societies and economies operate today. The digital economy has become a new economic feature following the agricultural economy and the industrial economy. It has been deeply integrated into various fields of the national economy, and has become a strategic choice to grasp the scientific and technological revolution chances and new opportunities for industrial transformation. How to integrate "finance + technology" into the real economy has become a high-profile key issue of the financial industry.
Set deep conception and high standard from a global perspective
At the beginning of 2022, the magazine Qiushi published an important article, Building up the Strength, Quality, and Size of China's Digital Economy. According to this article, the speed of the digital economy's development, the extent of its reach, and the level of its impact are unprecedented; and it is fast becoming a critical force that is reordering global production factors, reshaping global economic structures, and transforming global competition. Many subjects on new economy and new finance need in-depth exploration and continuous research.
In the face of such opportunities and challenges, this Digital Finance Forum, themed as "Digital-Led and Innovation-Driven", will invite 20+ heavyweight guests, well-known experts and scholars, and representatives of international financial organizations from over ten countries. Brainstorming from a global perspective will be conducted on important issues such as how to seize the opportunities brought by the increment from the deep integration of "finance + technology" and drive financial innovation and digital strategic upgrade under the new dual-cycle pattern. Guests from all over the world will share, in forms of keynote speeches and roundtable discussions, the latest achievements at all levels, ranging from the development of digital finance to financial policy interpretation, cutting-edge financial technologies, and financial management experience so as to explore replicable and scalable development models and paths for deepening the reform and innovation of inclusive digital finance and serving the real economy.
Home field empowers the innovation and integration of "finance + technology"
Digital finance is a process of digitalization of the financial industry with a new generation of information technology as the core, which will promote the digital transformation and development of various fields. The new application of digital finance will become a tipping point in the tech industry, which will bring structural opportunities for the transformation and development of the financial industry, and further strengthen the deep integration of financial services and the real economy so as to make the business formats of digital finance flourish.
This forum will be held in the Beijing Banking & Insurance Business Park, a national-level financial innovation demonstration zone jointly initiated and constructed by the China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission and the People's Government of Beijing Municipality. With strong capacity and remarkable construction achievements in fintech, Beijing has been a top-tier innovative municipality for many consecutive years. Taking the national financial industry demonstration zone as a model, the forum will give full play to the home field advantage to highlight the industrial ecological charm of the gathering of fintech institutions, demonstrate the construction achievements of Beijing in building a global benchmark city for the digital economy, and set up a service platform for fintech and digital finance.
Be it macroeconomic policy orientation or technology implementation in micro level, transformation of the financial industry, or current product strategies of companies, cutting-edge technologies, advanced concepts, and practical needs will be integrated here, where efforts of many parties will be combined to find more development paths for the innovative integration of "finance + technology".
Diversified services enrich industry docking
This forum centers on new trends in the development of the global financial industry and aims to promote the integration of finance and digital economy. Meanwhile, it will provide one-stop service from docking to results transformation for all participants via the combination of offline conferences and cloud exhibitions. In order to realize the orderly docking and development of "digital finance + related industries" through multiple services, a new synergy of fintech and a new format of the fintech industry will be formed through the high-level display and exchange platform for projects in financial innovation, which can also provide authoritative endorsement for the release of high-quality results.
In the cloud exhibition of achievements in digital finance, the audience can experience the positive results of the financial industry in Shijingshan District, understand the innovative ideas of financial policies for the construction of "two zones", and get to know many landed projects and enterprises in finance with technological innovation. In addition, they can learn about goals and future planning of green finance, fintech services and financial security achievements. The display in a detailed and multi-dimensional manner will reduce the communication cost of all parties and effectively promote the docking and transformation of various industries.
In addition to holding a closed-door meeting of high-end think tanks in the field of digital finance and the signing ceremony of key projects in Shijingshan, the forum will witness the establishment of the Shijingshan District Digital Finance Think Tank, and the presentation of the letter of appointment for the Senior Advisor in Digital Finance for Shijingshan District People's Government, all for building a high-end carrier for exchanges between governments and enterprises and cooperation between China and other countries.
As evidenced by the upcoming sharing of cutting-edge academic achievements around the world as well as the docking of fintech projects and the transformation of achievements, the Digital Finance Forum of the GDEC 2022 will provide a comprehensive service platform with deep integration of enterprises, universities, research institutes and end-users to facilitate the vigorous development of a new digital finance ecosystem.
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SOURCE Asia Digital Group | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/07/19/digital-led-innovation-driven-digital-finance-forum-global-digital-economy-conference-2022-be-held-july-30/ | 2022-07-19T10:25:17Z |
NEW YORK, Aug. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Below are experts from the ProfNet network who are available to discuss timely issues in your coverage area.
EXPERT ALERTS
- Surgical Technology
- Patient/Provider Relationships in Healthcare
- Supply Chain Resiliency
MEDIA JOBS
- Dow Jones: Mid-U.S. Bureau Chief (IL)
- Dow Jones: East Coast Bureau Chief (DC)
OTHER NEWS & RESOURCES
- August Events for Journalists: Boost Your Skills in the Newsroom
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Surgical Technology
Alejandro Gandsas
Surgeon and surgery residency program director
Luminis Health Anne Arundel Medical Center
"Virtual reality offers surgical residents a 360-degree, real-time view of the surgery, with the view of the laparoscope superimposed in front of the video, without actually having to be in the operating room," said Dr. Gandsas.
Luminis Health Anne Arundel Medical Center in Annapolis, Maryland is using a new virtual reality system as a teaching tool.
Website:
Media contact: Justin McLeod, jmcleod@luminishealth.org
Patient/Provider Relationships in Healthcare
Dr Eshan Natour
Heart Surgeon
Stilgezet
"When you talk with someone you get to know each other, and this may lead to a better diagnosis. The more relaxed patients are, the better they feel, and the more trust they have in their medical environment, the greater are their chances of healing."
Dr Natour is passionate about improving the relationship between healthcare professionals and their patients. He can speak to anything related to Stenless Valve Surgery, Complex Aoritic Pathology, Surgery, Medical Education, Healthcare, Clinical Trials, Critical Care, Clinical Research, Medical Devices, Cardiology, Emergency Medicine, Aortic Surgery, Stentless Valve Surgery, Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery. topics. He can speak to overall wellness and the benefits of sustainable change in the healthcare system. He is an expert on crisis recovery and what to expect to: Prepare to adapt to a new normal, embracing life now, and accepting help.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ehsan-natour-103a41a2/
Website: https://stilgezet.nl/en/
Media contact: Sherrie Wilkolaski, authordrnatour@luxebeatmedia.com
Supply Chain Resiliency
Daniel Swan
Senior Partner
McKinsey & Company
Risks to supply chain have always been an inherent part of the industry and disruptions will continue to happen with more frequency and potentially larger magnitudes; The current supply chain crisis has reduced global GDP by 1 per cent. Global supply chains therefore must be reengineered to afford sustainability and strength – the question is, how? Should railway systems and trucking be more regulated? How can retailers and middlemen who have abused pitfalls to raise prices be held accountable? These are among the questions that need to be addressed to make the supply chain industry more resilient.
Global retailers are already bracing for a busy shipping season and a volatile supply chain ahead of the holidays full of long lines at ports, delayed deliveries, and price increases. The ongoing pandemic has turned what was once a well-tuned machine into a backfiring, glitchy mess that is fueling some of the worst inflation in decades. Unpredictable demand, particularly among the most cash-strapped consumers, is only part of the challenge, however. Companies fearing a repeat of the supply chain delays that burnt them last holiday season, are working to untangle the knots and bring things back under control as we go into the holiday season.
https://www.mckinsey.com/our-people/daniel-swan
Website: https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/operations/our-insights
Media contact: Jodi Einhorn, jodi.einhorn@havas.com
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OTHER NEWS & RESOURCES:
Following are links to other news and resources we think you might find useful. If you have an item you think other reporters would be interested in and would like us to include in a future alert, please drop us a line at profnetalerts@cision.com
AUGUST EVENTS FOR JOURNALISTS: BOOST YOUR SKILLS IN THE NEWSROOM. Choose from a variety of events for journalists and bloggers in August, covering everything from environmental journalism to podcasting and finance content.
5 ROAD TRIP BLOGS TO INSPIRE YOUR NEXT ADVENTURE. Ready to hit the road this summer? Check out these road trip blogs for destination and route inspiration.
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To contact ProfNet: profnet@profnet.com
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SOURCE ProfNet | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/08/05/profnet-expert-alerts-august-05-2022/ | 2022-08-05T19:05:07Z |
NEW YORK, June 9, 2022 /PRNewswire/ --
WHY: Rosen Law Firm, a global investor rights law firm, announces the filing of a class action lawsuit on behalf of purchasers of the securities of Apyx Medical Corporation (NASDAQ: APYX) between May 12, 2021 and March 11, 2022, both dates inclusive (the "Class Period"). If you wish to serve as lead plaintiff, you must move the Court no later than August 5, 2022.
SO WHAT: If you purchased Apyx securities during the Class Period you may be entitled to compensation without payment of any out of pocket fees or costs through a contingency fee arrangement.
WHAT TO DO NEXT: To join the Apyx class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=6835 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email pkim@rosenlegal.com or cases@rosenlegal.com for information on the class action. A class action lawsuit has already been filed. If you wish to serve as lead plaintiff, you must move the Court no later than August 5, 2022. A lead plaintiff is a representative party acting on behalf of other class members in directing the litigation.
WHY ROSEN LAW: We encourage investors to select qualified counsel with a track record of success in leadership roles. Often, firms issuing notices do not have comparable experience, resources or any meaningful peer recognition. Be wise in selecting counsel. The Rosen Law Firm represents investors throughout the globe, concentrating its practice in securities class actions and shareholder derivative litigation. Rosen Law Firm has achieved the largest ever securities class action settlement against a Chinese Company. Rosen Law Firm was Ranked No. 1 by ISS Securities Class Action Services for number of securities class action settlements in 2017. The firm has been ranked in the top 4 each year since 2013 and has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for investors. In 2019 alone the firm secured over $438 million for investors. In 2020, founding partner Laurence Rosen was named by law360 as a Titan of Plaintiffs' Bar. Many of the firm's attorneys have been recognized by Lawdragon and Super Lawyers.
DETAILS OF THE CASE: According to the lawsuit, defendants throughout the Class Period made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (1) a significant number of Apyx's Advanced Energy products were used for off-label indications; (2) such off-label uses led to an increase in the number of medical device reports filed by Apyx reporting serious adverse events; (3) as a result, the Company was reasonably likely to incur regulatory scrutiny; (4) as a result of the foregoing, the Company's financial results would be adversely impacted; and (5) 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. When the true details entered the market, the lawsuit claims that investors suffered damages.
To join the Apyx class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=6835 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email pkim@rosenlegal.com or cases@rosenlegal.com for information on the class action.
No Class Has Been Certified. Until a class is certified, you are not represented by counsel unless you retain one. You may select counsel of your choice. You may also remain an absent class member and do nothing at this point. An investor's ability to share in any potential future recovery is not dependent upon serving as lead plaintiff.
Follow us for updates on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-rosen-law-firm, on Twitter: https://twitter.com/rosen_firm or on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rosenlawfirm/.
Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
Contact Information:
Laurence Rosen, Esq.
Phillip Kim, Esq.
The Rosen Law Firm, P.A.
275 Madison Avenue, 40th Floor
New York, NY 10016
Tel: (212) 686-1060
Toll Free: (866) 767-3653
Fax: (212) 202-3827
lrosen@rosenlegal.com
pkim@rosenlegal.com
cases@rosenlegal.com
www.rosenlegal.com
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SOURCE Rosen Law Firm, P.A. | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/06/09/top-ranked-rosen-law-firm-encourages-apyx-medical-corporation-investors-with-losses-secure-counsel-before-important-deadline-securities-class-action-apyx/ | 2022-06-09T20:05:10Z |
9,700 new students bring total enrollment to 25,000 connected to Phoenix campus
PHOENIX, Aug. 30, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Amidst a national environment in which nearly 7% fewer high school graduates are enrolling in college, Grand Canyon University continues to set enrollment records.
The private Christian university will welcome its largest incoming class ever of approximately 9,700 expected new students for the 2022-23 academic year, bringing the total campus-based enrollment to roughly 25,000. The previous largest incoming class was nearly 9,000 last year, when total enrollment was 23,500.
"That's a reflection of the quality and relevancy of our academic programs, low class sizes, affordable campus tuition rates that have been frozen for 14 straight years, a campus that is rated in the top 20 in the country, and the vibrant Christian community atmosphere that we are known for," said GCU President Brian Mueller. "Even with three additional residence halls on campus this year, which we thought might provide some cushion for on-campus housing, we will be completely full due to the number of students wanting to be part of the campus environment."
Following a week of spirited Welcome Week activities to help students acclimate to the GCU campus, classes for the fall semester begin Sept. 6.
According to the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center (NSCRC), the percentage of 2020 high school graduates who immediately enrolled in college dropped by 6.8% in fall 2020 – a rate four times greater than the 1.5% decrease for college-going graduates in 2019. Those decreases disproportionately impact graduates of low-income, high poverty and high minority high schools. For example, the NSCRC study found the decline in immediate college enrollment from graduates at high-poverty schools (-11.4%) was far worse than those from low-poverty schools (-2.9%). And the decline at high-minority schools (-9.4%) was nearly twice than that at low-minority schools (-4.8%).
"We're not seeing that," Mueller said. "By keeping tuition affordable, we're ensuring that higher education is attainable for all socioeconomic classes. Of our 9,700 new students this year, more than 2,800 of those will be first-generation college students. That's significant and is a very positive part of the GCU story."
When students return to campus for the 2022-23 academic year, they will find two new six-story apartment-style residence halls (Turquoise and Oak Creek), a third residence hall (Cypress) that had previously been used for visits by prospective students, a new dine-in Havocs House restaurant coming to GCU Arena and additional social gathering areas for students.
The new residence halls feature suites with four single-occupancy bedrooms that share a common living area, kitchen and two bathrooms. That brings the total number of residence halls on campus to 29 and the total number of beds to approximately 17,500. GCU's residence halls are rated No. 5 out of 1,371 schools in the country by niche.com based on student surveys, affordability and safety.
The 2022-23 academic year will also mark the one-year anniversary of GCU's CityServe operation that provides household goods to families in need. To date, GCU has partnered with 90 churches and nonprofit agencies that serve as Points of Distribution (PODs) that have provided more than $2.7 million in goods from GCU's warehouse to more than 6,500 families throughout Arizona. The warehouse stores excess household goods such as beds, furniture, diapers, heaters, fans, etc., from major retailers such as Costco, Home Depot, Lowe's and Amazon as well as items from Phoenix-area stores to assist families.
GCU At A Glance
Campus Enrollment: 25,000 (up from less than 1,000 traditional-age students in 2008)
2022-23 Incoming Class: Approximately 9,700 new students
Students Living on Campus: 17,500 in 29 residence halls
2022-23 Average Incoming GPA: Nearly 3.6 for fully admissible students
Honors College Average Incoming GPA: 4.1 (Honors College now has 3,000 students)
Tuition Freeze: 14 straight years on ground campus, with only nominal increases in online tuition during that time
Best College Campuses in America: No. 17 out of 1,396 in niche.com rankings
Best College Dorms in America: No. 5 out of 1,371 in niche.com rankings
Average Class Size: Just over 27 students in Fall 2021
Academic Offerings: 312 degrees, emphases and certificates are offered in nine different colleges
Online Enrollment: Approximately 90,000 with roughly half of those studying at the graduate level
About Grand Canyon University: Grand Canyon University was founded in 1949 and is Arizona's premier private Christian university. GCU is regionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and offers 312 academic programs, emphases and certificates for both traditional undergraduate students and working professionals. The University's curriculum emphasizes interaction with classmates, both in-person and online, and individual attention from instructors while fusing academic rigor with Christian values to help students find their purpose and become skilled, caring professionals. For more information, visit gcu.edu.
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SOURCE Grand Canyon University | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/08/30/grand-canyon-university-bucks-national-trend-with-largest-incoming-class-students-its-history/ | 2022-08-30T20:27:20Z |
HILVERSUM, The Netherlands, Sept. 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Universal Music Group N.V. (EURONEXT: UMG) announced today that its Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Sir Lucian Grainge, will participate in a question-and-answer session at the Goldman Sachs Communacopia + Technology Conference on Monday, September 12, 2022 at 7:45pm CEST (10:45am PST).
To listen to the webcast, please visit investors.universalmusic.com.
About Universal Music Group
At Universal Music Group, we exist to shape culture through the power of artistry. UMG is the world leader in music-based entertainment, with a broad array of businesses engaged in recorded music, music publishing, merchandising, and audiovisual content. Featuring the most comprehensive catalogue of recordings and songs across every musical genre, UMG identifies and develops artists and produces and distributes the most critically acclaimed and commercially successful music in the world. Committed to artistry, innovation, and entrepreneurship, UMG fosters the development of services, platforms, and business models in order to broaden artistic and commercial opportunities for our artists and create new experiences for fans. For more information, visit www.universalmusic.com.
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SOURCE Universal Music Group N.V. | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/09/08/universal-music-group-nv-participate-2022-goldman-sachs-communacopia-technology-conference/ | 2022-09-08T19:49:31Z |
Lightning watch party held tonight at Amalie Arena
Published: Jun. 15, 2022 at 10:42 AM EDT|Updated: 40 minutes ago
TAMPA, Fla. (WWSB) - As the Tampa Bay Lightning prepares to face the Colorado Avalanche in Denver, Amalie Arena is hosting a watch party so that fans can cheer on the Bolts.
The party will be held inside the arena and will feature appearances from ThunderBug and other Lightning personalities, giveaways, concession specials, and more!
Tickets are available for $10 with the proceeds going to the Lightning Foundation. Arena doors will open one hour before puck drop at 7 p.m. The game starts at 8 p.m.
To buy tickets, click here.
Copyright 2022 WWSB. All rights reserved. | https://www.mysuncoast.com/2022/06/15/lightning-watch-party-held-tonight-amalie-arena/ | 2022-06-15T15:23:20Z |
BEIJING, May 18, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Cloopen Group Holding Limited (NYSE: RAAS) ("Cloopen" or the "Company") today announced changes in independent directors of the Company.
The Company received a letter of resignation dated May 18, 2022 from Mr. Ching Chiu and a letter of resignation dated May 18, 2022 from Mr. Yunhao Liu, both notifying the Company of his resignation as an independent director of the Company and all his positions in the board of directors of the Company (the "Board") and its relevant committees for personal reasons not resulting from any disagreement with the Company on any matter relating to the Company's operations, policies or practice, effective from May 18, 2022.
Mr. Adam J. Zhao agreed to be and was appointed as a new independent director to serve on the Board, effective May 18, 2022. Mr. Adam J. Zhao was also appointed to serve as the chairman and a member of the audit committee of the Board, a member of the compensation committee of the Board, a member of the nominating and corporate governance committee of the Board and the chairman and a member of the special committee of the Board.
Mr. Tim Yimin Liu agreed to be and was appointed as a successor independent director to serve on the Board, effective May 18, 2022. Mr. Tim Yimin Liu was also appointed to serve as a member of the audit committee of the Board, a member of the nominating and corporate governance committee of the Board and a member of the special committee of the Board.
Biographical information relating to Mr. Adam J. Zhao and Mr. Tim Yimin Liu is set out as follows.
Mr. Adam J. Zhao served as the chief financial officer and board secretary of PapayaMobile from January 2015 to February 2021. Prior to joining PapayaMobile, Mr. Zhao served as the chief financial officer and board secretary of Country Style Cooking Restaurant Chain Co., Ltd., a prior NYSE-listed company, from January 2012 to November 2014. Prior to that, Mr. Zhao served as a vice president of Ninetowns Internet Technology Group Company Limited, a prior Nasdaq-listed company, from August 2007 to December 2011. From 2004 to 2007, Mr. Zhao was the chief financial officer of Digital Media Group, which was acquired by VisionChina Media Inc., a prior Nasdaq-listed company. Mr. Zhao's earlier experiences included portfolio management positions at New Hope Capital and serving as an investment director at a Hong Kong investment company. Mr. Zhao also served as an independent director of Jumei International Holding Limited, a prior NYSE-listed company, from 2015 to 2020, and an independent director of eLong, Inc, a prior Nasdaq-listed company, from 2015 to 2018. Mr. Zhao received his bachelor's degree in economics from Beijing International Studies University in 1989 and his MBA from University of Illinois at Chicago in 2003.
Mr. Tim Yimin Liu has served as a partner at Global Law Office since July 2020. Before joining Global Law Office, Mr. Liu served as a partner of Beijing DHH Law Firm from May 2018 to June 2020. From September 2013 to May 2018, Mr. Liu served as an in-house legal counsel of the China subsidiary of Accenture plc (NYSE: ACN). Mr. Liu worked with Morrison & Foerster, Clifford Chance, Nixon Peabody and Mori Hamada & Matsumoto in his early years of legal practice. Mr. Liu received his bachelor's degree in English Language and Literature from Sichuan International Studies University in 1999. Mr. Liu received his LL.B. degree in Chinese laws from Tsinghua University in 2002, his LL.M. degree in corporate laws from New York University School of Law in 2007. Mr. Liu went to Cheung Kong Graduate School of Business for MBA in Finance program in 2011.
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). The Company's mission is to enhance the daily communication experience and operational productivity for enterprises. The Company 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 U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, 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 the Company's current expectations and involve factors, risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Such factors, risks and uncertainties include, but not limited to the following: Cloopen's goals and strategies; its expectations regarding demand for and market acceptance of its brand and services; its ability to attract new customers or retain existing ones; its ability to continue developing solutions and the markets its solutions target; its ability to maintain collaborations with mobile network operators; its ability to enhance or upgrade its existing solutions and introduce new ones in a timely and cost-effective manner; its ability to maintain the compatibility of its solutions across devices, business systems and applications and physical infrastructure; relevant government policies and regulations relating to Cloopen's corporate structure, business and industry, as well as the industries in which its customers operate; and general economic and business condition in China. Further information regarding these and other risks, uncertainties or factors is included in Cloopen's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. 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.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/05/18/cloopen-announces-changes-independent-directors/ | 2022-05-18T12:10:57Z |
COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) — Russia will cut off natural gas to Finland after the Nordic country that applied for NATO membership this week refused President Vladimir Putin’s demand to pay in rubles, the Finnish state-owned energy company said Friday, the latest escalation over European energy amid the war in Ukraine.
Finland is the latest country to lose the energy supply, which is used to generate electricity and power industry, after rejecting Russia’s decree. Poland and Bulgaria were cut off late last month but, along with Finland, were relatively minor customers who had prepared to move away from Russian natural gas.
Putin has declared that “unfriendly foreign buyers” open two accounts in state-owned Gazprombank, one to pay in euros and dollars as specified in contracts and another in rubles. Italian energy company Eni said this week that it was “starting procedures” to open a euro and a ruble account.
The European Commission, the European Union’s executive arm, has said the system does not violate EU sanctions if countries make a payment in the currency listed in their contracts and then formally signal that the payment process is concluded. But it says opening a second account in rubles would breach sanctions.
That has left countries scrambling to decide what to do next. Analysts say the EU stance is ambiguous enough to allow the Kremlin to keep trying to undermine unity among the 27 member countries — but losing major European customers like Italy and Germany would cost Russia heavily. It comes as Europe tries to reduce its dependency on Russian oil and gas to avoid pouring hundreds of millions into Putin’s war chest each day but build enough reserves before winter from scarce worldwide supplies.
Finland refused the new payment system, with energy company Gasum saying its supply from Russia would be halted Saturday.
CEO Mika Wiljanen called the cutoff “highly regrettable.”
But “provided that there will be no disruptions in the gas transmission network, we will be able to supply all our customers with gas in the coming months,” Wiljanen said.
Natural gas accounted for just 6% of Finland’s total energy consumption in 2020, Finnish broadcaster YLE said. Almost all of that gas came from Russia. That pales in comparison to big importers like Italy and Germany, which get 40% and 35% of their gas from Russia, respectively.
According to Finland’s Gasum, Russian state-owned energy giant Gazprom said in April that future payments in its supply contract must be made in rubles instead of euros.
The cutoff was announced the same week that Finland, along with Sweden, applied to join the NATO military organization, marking one of the biggest geopolitical ramifications of the war that could rewrite Europe’s security map.
The gas cutoff “has more to do with the sanctions and the fact that they want to be paid in rubles” than Finland’s application to NATO, said Charly Salonius-Pasternak, an analyst with the Finnish Institute of International Affairs in Helsinki.
“Russia uses its energy as a weapon as part of its geopolitical thinking,” he said. “It will have little impact on Finland, which has been diversifying its energy (sources) in recent years.”
The government in Helsinki said Friday that it had signed a 10-year lease for a floating liquefied natural gas terminal in the Gulf of Finland and that necessary port structures will be built along the coasts of the Nordic country and Estonia, Economy Minister Mika Lintila said in a statement.
It “will play a major role in securing gas supplies for Finland’s industry,” Lintila said. The vessel should be ready to operate by next winter.
Finland and Estonia have been cooperating on renting the LNG terminal ship, which will provide enough storage and supply capacity to allow Russian gas to be abandoned in the neighboring countries, said Gasgrid Finland, the transmission network company. A gas pipeline between the neighbors will make it possible to import gas from the Baltic states instead of Russia.
Meanwhile, Italian company Eni said Tuesday that it was moving to follow Putin’s decree “in view of the imminent payment due in the coming days” but did not agree with the changes.
___
AP writer Colleen Barry contributed from Milan. | https://cw33.com/business/ap-business/finland-says-russia-suspending-natural-gas-supplies/ | 2022-05-20T17:04:15Z |
Biden approval dips to lowest of presidency: AP-NORC poll
(AP) - President Joe Biden’s approval rating dipped to the lowest point of his presidency in May, a new poll shows, with deepening pessimism emerging among members of his own Democratic Party.
Only 39% of U.S. adults approve of Biden’s performance as president, according to the poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Research, dipping from already negative ratings a month earlier.
Overall, only about 2 in 10 adults say the U.S. is heading in the right direction or the economy is good, both down from about 3 in 10 a month earlier. Those drops were concentrated among Democrats, with just 33% within the president’s party saying the country is headed in the right direction, down from 49% in April.
Of particular concern for Biden ahead of the midterm elections, his approval among Democrats stands at 73%, a substantial drop since earlier in his presidency. In AP-NORC polls conducted in 2021, Biden’s approval rating among Democrats never dropped below 82%.
The findings reflect a widespread sense of exasperation in a country facing a cascade of challenges ranging from inflation, gun violence, and a sudden shortage of baby formula to a persistent pandemic.
“I don’t know how much worse it can get,” said Milan Ramsey, a 29-year-old high school counselor and Democrat in Santa Monica, California, who with her husband had to move into her parents’ house to raise their infant son.
Ramsey thinks the economic dysfunction that’s led to her being unable to afford the place where she grew up isn’t Biden’s fault. But she’s alarmed he hasn’t implemented ambitious plans for fighting climate change or fixing health care.
“He hasn’t delivered on any of the promises. I feel like the stimulus checks came out and that was the last win of his administration,” Ramsey said of Biden. “I think he’s tired — and I don’t blame him, I’d be tired too at his age with the career he’s had.”
Republicans have not been warm to Biden for a while. Less than 1 in 10 approve of the president or his handling of the economy, but that’s no different from last month.
Gerry Toranzo, a nurse and a Republican in Chicago, blames Biden for being forced to pinch pennies by taking steps like driving slower to conserve gas after prices have skyrocketed during his administration.
“His policies are destroying the economy,” Toranzo, 46, said of Biden, blaming him for stopping the Keystone XL fuel pipeline to Canada and hamstringing domestic energy production. “It’s a vicious cycle of price increases.”
Overall, two-thirds of Americans disapprove of Biden’s handling of the economy. That rating is largely unchanged over the last few months, though elevated slightly since the first two months of the year.
But there are signs that the dissatisfaction with Biden on the economy has deepened. Just 18% of Americans say Biden’s policies have done more to help than hurt the economy, down slightly from 24% in March. Fifty-one percent say they’ve done more to hurt than help, while 30% say they haven’t made much difference either way.
The percentage of Democrats who say Biden’s policies have done more to help dipped from 45% to 37%, though just 18% say they’ve done more to hurt; 44% say they’ve made no difference.
Some Democrats blame other forces for inflation.
Manuel Morales, an internet service technician in Moline, Illinois, thinks the pandemic and war in Ukraine have had a far bigger impact than Biden’s decisions. But the 58-year-old Democrat is now questioning the benefits of Biden’s biggest legislative achievement, the American Rescue Plan, and its stimulus checks.
“It helped a lot of people, but,” Morales said, “people did not want to go back to work.”
Morales faults Biden on another area of persistent vulnerability to the president — immigration.
Only 38% back Biden on immigration, and Morales is disappointed at the scenes of migrants continuing to cross the southern border. Though he himself is a Mexican immigrant, Morales thinks the U.S. needs to more stringently control its border to have a hope of legalizing deserving migrants who are in the country illegally.
Also, Morales said, there have to be limits. “It’s impossible to bring the whole of Central America and Mexico into this country,” he said.
Another area where Morales faults Biden, albeit mildly, is the war with Ukraine. “We are spending a lot of money going to the Ukraine and all that is going to the deficit,” Morales said.
Overall, 45% of Americans approve of Biden’s handling of the U.S. relationship with Russia, while 54% disapprove. That’s held steady each month since the war in Ukraine began. Seventy-three percent of Democrats and 15% of Republicans approve.
The new poll shows just 21% of Americans say they have “a great deal of confidence” in Biden’s ability to handle the situation in Ukraine; 39% say they have some confidence and 39% say they have hardly any.
Charles Penn, a retired factory worker in Huntington, Indiana, is satisfied with Biden’s performance on Ukraine.
“I think he’s done alright,” Penn, 68, said of the president.
But overall Penn, an independent who leans Republican, is disappointed with Biden, and blames him for rising prices that have squeezed him in his retirement.
“The Democrats in the long run have screwed up things by pushing for higher wages, like going from $7 an hour to $15 an hour,” Penn said, citing the push for a sharp increase in the federal minimum wage that Biden has embraced. “The other side of it is that if you had Republicans, they’d cut my Social Security.”
Still, Penn thinks Biden should pay the political price.
“He’s captain of the ship, so he’s responsible,” Penn said of the president.
___
The AP-NORC poll of 1,172 adults was conducted May 12-16 using a sample drawn from NORC’s probability-based AmeriSpeak Panel, which is designed to be representative of the U.S. population. The margin of sampling error for all respondents is plus or minus 4.0 percentage points.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.kxii.com/2022/05/20/biden-approval-dips-lowest-presidency-ap-norc-poll/ | 2022-05-20T12:57:23Z |
LONDON, July 29, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Tetragon has released its Monthly Factsheet for June 2022.
- Net Asset Value: $2,674m
- Fully Diluted NAV Per Share: $28.59
- Share Price (TFG NA): $10.40
- Monthly NAV per share total return: -1.5%
- Monthly Return on Equity: -1.2%
- Most recent quarterly dividend: $0.11
- Dividend yield: 4.1%
Please refer to important disclosures on page 3 of the Monthly Factsheet.
Please click below to access the Monthly Factsheet.
About Tetragon:
Tetragon is a closed-ended investment company that invests in a broad range of assets, including public and private equities and credit (including distressed securities and structured credit), convertible bonds, real estate, venture capital, infrastructure, bank loans and TFG Asset Management, a diversified alternative asset management business. Where appropriate, through TFG Asset Management, Tetragon seeks to own all, or a portion, of asset management companies with which it invests in order to enhance the returns achieved on its capital. Tetragon's investment objective is to generate distributable income and capital appreciation. It aims to provide stable returns to investors across various credit, equity, interest rate, inflation and real estate cycles. The company's non-voting shares are traded on Euronext in Amsterdam, a regulated market of Euronext Amsterdam N.V., and on the Specialist Fund Segment of the main market of the London Stock Exchange. For more information please visit the company's website at www.tetragoninv.com.
This release does not contain or constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to purchase securities in the United States or any other jurisdiction. The securities of Tetragon have not been and will not be registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933 and may not be offered or sold in the United States or to U.S. persons unless they are registered under applicable law or exempt from registration. Tetragon does not intend to register any portion of its securities in the United States or to conduct a public offer of securities in the United States. In addition, Tetragon has not been and will not be registered under the U.S. Investment Company Act of 1940, and investors will not be entitled to the benefits of such Act. Tetragon is registered in the public register of the Netherlands Authority for the Financial Markets under Section 1:107 of the Financial Markets Supervision Act as a collective investment scheme from a designated country.
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SOURCE Tetragon Financial Group Limited | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/07/29/tetragon-financial-group-limited-june-2022-monthly-factsheet/ | 2022-07-29T06:49:41Z |
The Exhibition, which celebrates Disney 100 Years of Wonder, launches a World Tour at Philadelphia's Franklin Institute on February 18, 2023, with next stops announced, including Chicago, IL, Kansas City, MO, and Munich, Germany
PHILADELPHIA, Sept. 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Today at D23 Expo: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event in Anaheim, CA, exciting new details and stops were announced for the upcoming world premiere of Disney100: The Exhibition. Created for the 100-year celebration of The Walt Disney Company, the exhibition will immerse guests in the beloved stories that have been dazzling guests since 1923, when Walt Disney set his company on a path that would revolutionize the entertainment industry. The world premiere of the exhibit opens on February 18, 2023, at The Franklin Institute in Philadelphia, PA, with Chicago, IL, and Kansas City, MO, set as the next two stops on the North American tour. The international unit of the exhibit will open on April 18, 2023, in Munich, Germany, with more cities to be announced in the coming months.
The official exhibition poster and trailer were also revealed today.
Disney100: The Exhibition Poster
Disney100: The Exhibition Trailer
"As we prepare to kick off Disney 100 Years of Wonder, we are incredibly excited to bring this fantastic exhibition to life," said Becky Cline, director, Walt Disney Archives. "We can't wait for guests to experience their favorite Disney stories, characters, and attractions in new and immersive ways as we celebrate all the wonderful worlds of Disney."
President and CEO of The Franklin Institute Larry Dubinski added, "The Franklin Institute is thrilled to host Disney100: The Exhibition, the first major event to mark the global celebration of Disney's 100 years, allowing fans throughout the Philadelphia region and beyond the very first opportunity to see these crown jewels come to life in beautifully crafted galleries reflecting the creative empire synonymous with imaginative storytelling, innovation, discovery, and wonder."
Over the past 100 years, Disney has brought its iconic stories and characters to life in new and innovative ways, becoming part of the global culture and creating generations of memories for billions. Disney100: The Exhibition invites guests to step into their favorite stories using innovation and immersive technology throughout ten galleries in the 15,000-square-foot exhibit.
The Walt Disney Archives opens its vault of treasures, showcasing hundreds of extraordinary objects, including many of Disney's "Crown Jewels" - more than 250 rarely seen original artworks and artifacts, costumes and props, and other memorabilia. Disney has curated special behind-the-scenes glimpses into the creation of the most popular characters, films, shows, and attractions – from Disneyland to Walt Disney World® Resort and beyond. The ten magnificent and imaginatively themed galleries, with moving stories, unique interactive installations, and exciting background information, will take visitors on a journey through 100 years of The Walt Disney Company, celebrating the classics from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs to Strange World, as well as the latest members of the Disney family – Pixar, Star Wars, Marvel, and National Geographic.
Disney100: The Exhibition Facts:
-Ten large, themed galleries with numerous cutting-edge interactive installations covering 15,000 square feet
-February 18, 2023: World Premiere at The Franklin Institute in Philadelphia, launching the U.S. tour
-April 18, 2023: European Premiere in Munich
-Created and curated by the Walt Disney Archives and Semmel Exhibitions
The Franklin Institute is proud to present and play host to the world premiere of Disney100: The Exhibition in the Nicholas and Athena Karabots Pavilion and the Mandell Center. PECO, the premier corporate partner of The Franklin Institute, is the Local Presenting Sponsor of the exhibition.
About The Franklin Institute
Located in the heart of Philadelphia, The Franklin Institute is a renowned and innovative leader in science and technology learning and a dynamic center of activity. As Pennsylvania's most visited museum, it is dedicated to creating a passion for learning about science by offering access to hands-on science education. For more information, visit www.fi.edu.
About the Walt Disney Archives
For more than 50 years, the Walt Disney Archives has carefully safeguarded the most treasured items from The Walt Disney Company's history, including original scripts, movie props and costumes, Walt Disney's correspondence and script notes, theme park artifacts, merchandise, millions of archival photographs, and many of Walt's personal effects. Founded by Disney Legend Dave Smith in 1970, the Walt Disney Archives is a vital resource for every part of Disney, as well as an important research center for Disney scholars, researchers, and writers. The Archives also shares its countless pieces with Disney fans everywhere through its exhibitions and close association with D23: The Official Disney Fan Club.
For the Walt Disney Archives:
Jeffrey R. Epstein
The Walt Disney Company
Jeffrey.R.Epstein@Disney.com
About Semmel Exhibitions
Semmel Exhibitions creates exhibitions, which travel worldwide, and hosts international exhibitions in Germany, Austria, and German-speaking Switzerland. Semmel Exhibitions is a division of Semmel Concerts Entertainment, the large German live entertainment producer. Since Semmel Exhibitions started touring its exhibitions TUTANKHAMUN – HIS TOMB AND HIS TREASURES; THE DISCOVERY OF KING TUT; and most recently MARVEL: UNIVERSE OF SUPER HEROES and SPIDER-MAN: BEYOND AMAZING – THE EXHIBITION, they have reached an audience of more than seven million people worldwide, and built a strong international network within museums, science centers, cultural venues and the creative industries. More information at semmel-exhibitions.com.
Media Contact:
Stefanie Santo
The Franklin Institute
ssanto@fi.edu 215.448.1152
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SOURCE The Franklin Institute | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/09/10/disney100-exhibition-immerse-guests-worldwide-magic-disney/ | 2022-09-10T19:31:15Z |
Grizzlies center Steven Adams clears protocols before Game 3
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Memphis center Steven Adams has cleared the health and safety protocols and should be available for Game 3 of the Grizzlies’ Western Conference semifinal with the Golden State Warriors on Saturday. Coach Taylor Jenkins didn’t say Adams will play Saturday night in San Francisco. Jenkins said they will make a decision after seeing how Adams handles Friday. The 6-foot-11 big man from New Zealand practiced Thursday after missing the first round series finale against Minnesota and the first two games against the Warriors. The Warriors won the opener 117-116 and Memphis took Game 2 106-101. | https://localnews8.com/sports/ap-national-sports/2022/05/05/grizzlies-center-steven-adams-clears-protocols-before-game-3/ | 2022-05-06T00:01:32Z |
Drone footage shows how Russians destroyed one Ukrainian town in savage battle
By Tim Lister and Paul P. Murphy, CNN
A 22-minute video shot by a surveillance drone over the Ukrainian town of Popasna has illustrated the stunning destruction being inflicted on settlements across the eastern regions of Luhansk and Donetsk.
It’s also another insight into the importance of drones in modern warfare, as well as the Russian approach to combat and the last-ditch resistance of Ukrainian units.
The drone video shows that every property in the middle of the town is destroyed or damaged. Most appear to have been hit by Russian artillery or rocket fire.
“The Russians are not just destroying Popasna. They are removing it from the map of Luhansk region,” according to the head of the Luhansk Regional Military Administration Serhiy Hayday.
The drone video was originally posted by a pro-Russian Telegram channel and appears to have been taken by a Russian military drone.
The drone appears to have been used to assist Russian infantry in hunting down the last Ukrainian defenders of the area. Ultimately, it hovers over the location where the Ukrainians are cornered and surrender.
CNN has geolocated and verified the authenticity of the video. It’s unclear exactly when the video was taken, but intense fighting has taken place in Popasna in recent days, as the Russian advance has clashed with Ukrainian defenses in the town.
The video begins with artillery strikes landing close to a trench just north of Popasna’s center. At least one Ukrainian soldier is seen leaving the trench and taking refuge in what appears to be a nearby shed.
At least four Russian soldiers move towards the shed. A number of explosions are seen, including two from grenades thrown by a Ukrainian soldier inside the shed.
The drone video shows a Russian soldier throwing at least four grenades into or near the shed in which Ukrainian forces are sheltering. It’s unclear whether any Ukrainian soldiers are killed or injured by the explosions.
A later segment shows a number of Ukrainian soldiers lying on their stomachs outside. Again the drone is employed to survey the immediate vicinity, apparently to look for any movement or additional Ukrainian soldiers.
Then, it shows at least six Ukrainian soldiers being escorted away, hands on their heads, and into Russian custody.
Some pro-Russian social media accounts say the Russian soldiers are actually private military contractors with the Wagner Group — a private military contractor with ties to the Kremlin that has sent operatives to Syria, Libya and several African countries — which has been involved in the Donbas conflict since 2014. CNN cannot verify that, but Western intelligence agencies have said that Russian forces are employing private contractors or mercenaries in the conflict.
The video also provides a glimpse into the Russian way of warfare, which holds that ground offensives should be preceded by massive “indirect fire” from artillery and rocket systems. Russian forces have a vast superiority over the Ukrainians in such systems, and Ukraine does not have enough air power to put a serious dent in them.
In addition, Russian combat helicopters have been geolocated in the area in the last few days.
As a recent study by the US defense think tank RAND noted, Russian battle groups are top-heavy with artillery. “The main effort of a major Russian offensive operation likely would have maneuver units supported by an equal or greater number of artillery units. They will use large quantities of cluster munitions and artillery-delivered mines,” the report predicted.
Some analysts believe Russia has more than 50 battalion tactical groups, each of which would have about 1,000 soldiers, in the arc from Popasna to Izium further north. It’s an enormous concentration of power.
Despite weeks of shelling and rocket attacks, Ukrainian forces have refused to cede ground to the Russians in several towns in Luhansk and Donetsk. Only when they have nothing left to defend do they make a tactical retreat to prevent being captured.
That’s what happened in the town of Kremmina in April.
“In Kremmina, we understood that if we just held on to the land, the boys would die, and there would be no harm to the enemy, so we regrouped and left,” Hayday said.
But for at least a handful of Ukrainian soldiers in Popasna, escape was no longer an option.
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved. | https://localnews8.com/news/2022/05/04/drone-footage-shows-how-russians-destroyed-one-ukrainian-town-in-savage-battle/ | 2022-05-04T20:28:26Z |
Taco Bell’s Mexican Pizza is coming back for good
Published: Aug. 3, 2022 at 10:49 AM EDT|Updated: 10 minutes ago
(CNN) - Taco Bell fans, mark your calendars!
Mexican Pizza is permanently returning to the menu Sept. 15.
After a three-month absence, the chain said the fan-favorite item is coming back permanently.
Mexican Pizza made an appearance earlier this year in May, but the demand was so high that Taco Bell ran out of its necessary ingredients just a couple weeks after its launch.
The company said it has worked out the supply chain issues, and Mexican Pizza is here to stay.
Copyright 2022 CNN Newsource. All rights reserved. | https://www.mysuncoast.com/2022/08/03/taco-bells-mexican-pizza-is-coming-back-good/ | 2022-08-03T15:02:04Z |
The bloody cell phone of a woman missing in Houston since April 15 has been found
By Rebekah Riess and Andy Rose, CNN
The family of a 24-year-old woman last seen in Houston on April 15, is pleading for help in finding her after her bloody cell phone was discovered near a park in West Houston following her disappearance.
According to community activist Quanell X, who is the leader of the New Black Panther Nation in Houston, Felicia Marie Johnson traveled to Houston from California, hoping to gain employment at the Cover Girls Night Club. Johnson reportedly called an Uber after leaving the club, but when the Uber was taking too long to get there, a man at the club offered to give her a ride to where she needed to go, Quanell X said.
“Felicia has not been seen since. No cell phone activity, no credit card activity, no social media activity. She has absolutely just vanished off the face of the earth,” Quanell X said at a press conference on Wednesday in Houston.
Quanell X said his organization has been looking into the disappearance, along with a private investigator hired by the family.
The Houston Police Department (HPD) says Johnson’s disappearance is considered a missing persons case, though they couldn’t say whether foul play is suspected. Police did not comment on the details about Johnson’s disappearance provided by Quanell, but said they have been in touch with Johnson’s family, and anyone with information about her disappearance is asked to contact HPD’s missing persons unit.
According to Quanell X, the private investigator hired by the family found Johnson’s cell phone covered in blood and discarded on the side of the road at Bear Creek Park in West Houston. He said Moore’s personal belongings were found in her hotel room, and his group has turned over what they found to HPD.
“We believe that she is the victim of foul play. We believe that she’s being held against her will,” Quanell X said. “But we want whoever is holding her to know that we will not rest. We will not stop looking. We will continue looking for her. We will continue hunting you. No matter what takes place. We will continue hunting you and we will not forget Felicia.”
“I’m trying to hold myself together and stand strong for the family and for you,” Johnson’s father, Kevin Johnson, said addressing his daughter at the press conference. “And I won’t rest for a day in my life until I have you back. It’s a tragedy that you’ve been caught up in this.”
Quanell X called for HPD to treat cases of missing Black women with the same urgency as missing White women. “Because it seems like when young Black females go missing in the city — it’s not a priority,” he said.
HPD told CNN they are taking the case seriously and are conducting a thorough investigation.
Texas EquuSearch, a mounted search and recovery team that provides volunteer horses for lost and missing persons, has also joined in the search for Johnson, Quanell X said. “We’ve been following several tips, but none of them have panned out,” he added.
CNN has attempted to reach the Cover Girls Night Club for comment but has been unable to speak with anyone.
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved. | https://localnews8.com/news/national-world/cnn-national/2022/04/22/the-bloody-cell-phone-of-a-woman-missing-in-houston-since-april-15-has-been-found/ | 2022-04-22T16:39:33Z |
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina, June 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ --
Pampa Energía S.A.
Offer to Exchange, Any and All of its Outstanding
7.375% Notes due 2023
(CUSIP Nos. 71647X AA5 and P7873P AE6 ISIN Nos. US71647XAA54 and USP7873PAE62)
Pampa Energía S.A. ("Pampa" or the "Company") hereby announces the commencement of its offer to exchange (the "Exchange Offer") any and all of the outstanding 7.375% Notes due 2023 (the "Old Notes") for newly issued 9.000% Notes due December 8, 2026 (the "New Notes") and cash consideration, as applicable, each upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in the offering memorandum (the "Exchange Offer Memorandum"), dated June 16, 2022, the related eligibility letter (the "Eligibility Letter"), and, where applicable, the related Letter of Transmittal, as defined below (together the "Exchange Offer Documents").
Only holders who have returned a duly completed Eligibility Letter certifying that they are (1) "qualified institutional buyers" ("QIBs") as defined in Rule 144A under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"), (2) holders of Old Notes other than "U.S. persons" (as defined in Rule 902 under the Securities Act) who are located outside of the United States, who are qualified offerees in other jurisdictions and who are not Argentine Entity Offerees (as defined in the Eligibility Letter) or Non-Cooperating Jurisdiction Offerees (as defined in the Eligibility Letter), (3) "non-U.S. persons" who are Argentine Entity Offerees, (4) "non-U.S. persons" who are Non-Cooperating Jurisdictions Offerees, or (5) "non-U.S. persons" who are Eligible Canadian Holders (as defined in the Eligibility Letter), are authorized to receive the Exchange Offer Memorandum and to participate in the Exchange Offer (such holders, "Eligible Holders"); provided that Argentine Entity Offerees and Non-Cooperating Jurisdiction Offerees may not participate in the Exchange Offer unless they also complete, sign and submit the Letter of Transmittal to the Information and Exchange Agent.
Argentine Entity Offerees and Non-Cooperating Jurisdiction Offerees are subject to certain tax withholdings in respect of interest collected on, and gains or losses resulting from the tendering of the Old Notes. See "Taxation—Certain Argentine Tax Considerations" in the Exchange Offer Memorandum.
Upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in the Exchange Offer Documents, Eligible Holders who validly tender Old Notes, and whose Old Notes are accepted for exchange by us may choose between two, mutually exclusive, consideration options, detailed in the table below, in the columns under the headings "Option A" and "Option B."
Eligible Holders whose Old Notes are accepted for exchange in the Exchange Offer will also receive accrued and unpaid interest in respect of such exchanged Old Notes from the last interest payment date to, but not including, the Settlement Date (as defined below) (such payment, the "Accrued Interest Payment").
Upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in the Exchange Offer Documents, tenders of Old Notes submitted under Option A at or prior to the Early Participation Date (as defined below) will receive a combination of the Early A Pro-Rata Cash Consideration (as defined below) and the applicable Early A New Notes Consideration (as defined below) (together, the "Early A Consideration"), or solely the Early A Pro-Rata Cash Consideration depending on the amount of Old Notes tendered pursuant to Option A at or prior to the Early Participation Date. Tenders of Old Notes submitted under Option A after the Early Participation Date but at or prior to the Expiration Date (as defined below) will receive U.S.$1,000 principal amount of New Notes per U.S.$1,000 principal amount of Old Notes validly tendered and accepted for exchange (the "Late Exchange Consideration"). For the avoidance of doubt, Eligible Holders submitting tenders after the Early Participation Date will not receive any cash consideration.
The Early A Consideration and the Early B Consideration (as defined below) together are referred to as the "Early Exchange Consideration." The Early Exchange Consideration and the Late Exchange Consideration together are referred to as the "Exchange Consideration."
The Aggregate Early A Cash Consideration is an aggregate amount equivalent to the lesser of (x) 30% of the aggregate principal amount of Old Notes that are validly tendered and accepted for exchange in the Exchange Offer (such 30% of the aggregate principal amount, the "Total Cash Consideration"), and (y) the principal amount of the Old Notes accepted for exchange under Option A at or prior to the Early Participation Date (the "Aggregate Early A Cash Consideration"). The Early A Pro-Rata Cash Consideration is the Aggregate Early A Cash Consideration, payable on a pro rata basis to Eligible Holders of Old Notes, validly submitting tender orders in exchange for Early A Consideration (the "Early A Pro-Rata Cash Consideration").
The Early A New Notes Consideration for each Eligible Holder whose Old Notes are accepted for exchange under Option A at or prior to the Early Participation Date will be New Notes in a principal amount equal to the difference between US$1,000 and the Early A Pro-Rata Cash Consideration received by each such Eligible Holder (the "Early A New Notes Consideration").
At the Expiration Date, the Early A Pro-Rata Cash Consideration and Early A New Notes Consideration will be determined based on the principal amount of Old Notes validly tendered and accepted in the Exchange Offer. Accordingly, the actual amounts of Early A New Notes Consideration and Early A Pro-Rata Cash Consideration comprising the Early A Consideration to be received by each Eligible Holder whose Old Notes are accepted in the Exchange Offer under Option A at or prior to the Early Participation Date (and, in the event that less than all of the Total Cash Consideration is paid out pursuant to Option A, the actual amount of Early B Pro-Rata Cash Consideration (as defined below), if any, to be received by Eligible Holders whose Old Notes are accepted in the Exchange Offer under Option B at or prior to the Early Participation Date), will depend on the actual participation by Eligible Holders in the Exchange Offer and their selection between Option A and Option B.
Upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in the Exchange Offer Documents, tenders of Old Notes submitted under Option B at or prior to the Early Participation Date will receive U.S.$1,010 principal amount of New Notes per U.S.$1,000 principal amount of Old Notes validly tendered and accepted for exchange. The consideration received by holders of Old Notes under this paragraph is referred to as "Early B Consideration."
Upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in the Exchange Offer Documents, tenders of Old Notes submitted under Option B after the Early Participation Date but at or prior to the Expiration Date will receive the Late Exchange Consideration, which is U.S.$1,000 principal amount of New Notes per U.S.$1,000 principal amount of Old Notes validly tendered and accepted for exchange. Consideration for Old Notes, either under Option A or Option B, submitted after the Early Participation Date but at or prior to the Expiration Date, is the same.
In the event that less than the Total Cash Consideration is tendered under Option A, the difference between the Total Cash Consideration and the Aggregate Early A Cash Consideration (such difference, the "Aggregate Early B Cash Consideration") will be paid to Eligible Holders whose Old Notes are accepted for exchange under Option B at or prior to the Early Participation Date, pro rata to the principal amount of their Old Notes accepted for exchange under Option B at or prior to the Early Participation Date (the "Early B Pro-Rata Cash Consideration"), and ratably reducing the principal amount of New Notes that comprise the Early B Consideration. Eligible Holders tendering Old Notes under Option B at or prior to the Early Participation Date will only receive cash as part of the Early B Consideration if the Total Cash Consideration is greater than the Aggregate Early A Cash Consideration.
The following table sets forth certain material terms of the Exchange Offer:
The Exchange Offer will expire at 11:59 p.m. (New York City time) on July 20, 2022 (such date and time with respect to the Exchange Offer, as the same may be extended with respect to such Exchange Offer, the "Expiration Date"). In order to be eligible to receive the Early Exchange Consideration, eligible holders of Old Notes must validly tender and not validly withdraw their Old Notes, on or prior to 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on July 6, 2022, unless extended (such date and time, as the same may be extended, the "Early Participation Date"). Eligible Holders of Old Notes who validly tender their Old Notes after the Early Participation Date, but on or prior to the Expiration Date, will be eligible to receive only the Late Exchange Consideration. Old Notes validly tendered may be validly withdrawn at any time prior to 5:00 p.m., New York City time on July 6, 2022, unless extended by the Company in its sole discretion (such date and time, as the same may be extended, the "Withdrawal Date"), but not thereafter. Unless the Exchange Offer is extended, the Settlement Date for the Exchange Offer is expected to be on August 8, 2022, in compliance with the approval received from the Argentine Central Bank to access the foreign exchange market starting on August 1, 2022, for purposes of obtaining the U.S. dollars required to pay the Total Cash Consideration.
The consummation of the Exchange Offer is conditioned upon, among other conditions, the valid tender of U.S.$350,000,000 or more of the aggregate principal amount outstanding of Old Notes in the Exchange Offer (the "Minimum Participation Condition"), and other customary conditions, including (1) having obtained all governmental approvals that we, in our reasonable judgment, consider necessary for the completion of the Exchange Offer, and all such approvals shall remain in effect, including the approval we received by the Central Bank to access the foreign exchange market for payment of the Total Cash Consideration, (2) that Pampa will not be obligated to consummate the Exchange Offer upon the occurrence of an event or events or the likely occurrence of an event or events that would or might reasonably be expected to prohibit, restrict or delay the consummation of the Exchange Offer or materially impair the contemplated benefits to Pampa of the Exchange Offer, and (3) in the case of Old Notes tendered by Argentine Entity Offerees and Non-Cooperating Jurisdiction Offerees, such holder's delivery of the Letter of Transmittal. Subject to applicable law and limitations described in the Exchange Offer Memorandum, Pampa may waive any of these conditions in its sole discretion. See "Description of the Exchange Offer—Conditions to the Exchange Offer" in the Exchange Offer Memorandum.
The purpose of the Exchange Offer is to exchange the Old Notes for cash and the New Notes, as applicable, which will extend the maturity of the debt obligations associated with the Old Notes.
D.F. King & Co., Inc. will act as the Information and Exchange Agent for the Exchange Offer. Questions or requests for assistance related to the Exchange Offer or for additional copies of the Exchange Offer Documents may be directed to D.F. King & Co., Inc. at (877) 732-3617 (toll free) or (212) 269-5550 (bankers and brokers). You may also contact your broker, dealer, commercial bank, trust company or other nominee for assistance concerning the Exchange Offer. The Exchange Offer are available for Eligible Holders at the following web address: www.dfking.com/pampa
Citigroup Global Markets Inc. and Santander Investment Securities are acting as the Joint Global Coordinators and Lead Dealer Managers (the "Joint Global Coordinators and Lead Dealer Managers") for the Exchange Offer. BNP Paribas Securities Corp., HSBC Securities (USA) Inc. and J.P. Morgan Securities LLC are acting as the Joint Dealer Managers (the "Joint Dealer Managers" and, together with the Joint Global Coordinators and Lead Dealer Managers, the "Dealer Managers") for the Exchange Offer. Banco de Galicia y Buenos Aires S.A.U., Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (Argentina) S.A.U and Banco Santander Argentina S.A are acting as local placement agents.
Subject to applicable law, the Exchange Offer may be amended in any respect, extended or, upon failure of a condition to be satisfied or waived prior to the Expiration Date or Settlement Date, as the case may be, terminated, at any time and for any reason. Although we have no present plans or arrangements to do so, we reserve the right to amend, at any time, the terms of the Exchange Offer (including, without limitation, the conditions thereto) in accordance with applicable law. We will give Eligible Holders notice of any amendments and will extend the Expiration Date if required by applicable law.
Eligible Holders of Old Notes are advised to check with any bank, securities broker or other intermediary through which they hold Old Notes as to when such intermediary would need to receive instructions from an Eligible Holder in order for that Eligible Holder to be able to participate in, or withdraw their instruction to participate in, the Exchange Offer before the deadlines specified in the Exchange Offer Documents. The deadlines set by any such intermediary for the submission of instructions will be earlier than the relevant deadlines specified above.
This announcement is not an offer of securities for sale in the United States, and none of the New Notes (as defined in the Exchange Offer Memorandum) has been or will be registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act") or any state securities law. They may not be offered or sold within the United States or to, or for the account or benefit of, U.S. persons except pursuant to an exemption from, or in a transaction not subject to the registration requirements of the Securities Act. This press release does not constitute an offer of the New Notes for sale, or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities, in any state or other jurisdiction in which any offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful. Any person considering making an investment decision relating to any securities must inform itself independently based solely on an offering memorandum to be provided to eligible investors in the future in connection with any such securities before taking any such investment decision.
This announcement is directed only to holders of Old Notes who are (A) "qualified institutional buyers" as defined in Rule 144A under the Securities Act or (B) (x) outside the United States as defined in Regulation S under the Securities Act, (y) if located within a Member State of the European Economic Area ("EEA") or in the United Kingdom, "qualified investors" as defined in Regulation (EU) 2017/1129 (the "Prospectus Regulation") and (z) if outside the EEA or the UK, are eligible to receive this offer under the laws of its jurisdiction (each an "Eligible Holder"). No offer of any kind is being made to any beneficial owner of Eligible Bonds who does not meet the above criteria or any other beneficial owner located in a jurisdiction where the Exchange Offer Solicitation is not permitted by law.
The distribution of materials relating to the Exchange Offer may be restricted by law in certain jurisdictions. The Exchange Offer is void in all jurisdictions where it is prohibited. If materials relating to the Exchange Offer come into your possession, you are required by the Company to inform yourself of and to observe all of these restrictions. The materials relating to the Exchange Offer, including this communication, do not constitute, and may not be used in connection with, an offer or solicitation in any place where offers or solicitations are not permitted by law. If a jurisdiction requires that the Exchange Offer be made by a licensed broker or dealer and a dealer manager or any affiliate of a dealer manager is a licensed broker or dealer in that jurisdiction, the Exchange Offer shall be deemed to be made by the dealer manager or such affiliate on behalf of the Company in that jurisdiction.
All statements in this press release, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements. These statements are based on expectations and assumptions on the date of this press release and are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements. Risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, market conditions, and factors over which the Company has no control. The Company assumes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements, and does not intend to do so, unless otherwise required by law.
The New Notes are not intended to be offered, sold or otherwise made available to and should not be offered, sold or otherwise made available to any retail investor in the European Economic Area ("EEA"). For these purposes, (a) a retail investor means a person who is one (or more) of: (i) a retail client as defined in point (11) of Article 4(1) of Directive 2014/65/EU (as amended, "MiFID II"); or (ii) a customer within the meaning of Directive (EU) 2016/97 (the "Insurance Distribution Directive"), where that customer would not qualify as a professional client as defined in point (10) of Article 4(1) of MiFID II; or (iii) not a qualified investor as defined in Regulation (EU) 2017/1129 (the "Prospectus Regulation"); and (b) the expression "offer" includes the communication in any form and by any means of sufficient information on the terms of the offer and the New Notes to be offered so as to enable an investor to decide to subscribe for the New Notes. Consequently, no key information document required by Regulation (EU) 1286/2014 (as amended, the "PRIIPs Regulation") for offering or selling the New Notes or otherwise making them available to retail investors in the EEA has been prepared and therefore otherwise offering or selling the New Notes or otherwise making them available to any retail investor in the EEA may be unlawful under the PRIIPs Regulation.
The New Notes are not intended to be offered, sold or otherwise made available to and should not be offered, sold or otherwise made available to any retail investor in the United Kingdom. For these purposes: (a) the expression retail investor means a person who is one (or more) of the following: (i) a retail client, as defined in point (8) of Article 2 of Regulation (EU) No 2017/565 as it forms part of domestic law by virtue of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 (EUWA); or (ii) a customer within the meaning of the provisions of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (as amended, the "FSMA") and any rules or regulations made under the FSMA to implement Directive (EU) 2016/97, where that customer would not qualify as a professional client, as defined in point (8) of Article 2(1) of Regulation (EU) No 600/2014 as it forms part of domestic law by virtue of the EUWA and (iii) not a qualified investor as defined in Article 2 of Regulation (EU) 2017/1129 as it forms part of domestic law by virtue of the EUWA; and (b) the expression an offer includes the communication in any form and by any means of sufficient information on the terms of the offer and the Notes to be offered so as to enable an investor to decide to subscribe for the New Notes. Consequently no key information document required by Regulation (EU) No 1286/2014 as it forms part of domestic law by virtue of the EUWA (the "UK PRIIPs Regulation") for offering or selling the New Notes or otherwise making them available to retail investors in the UK has been prepared and therefore offering or selling the Notes or otherwise making them available to any retail investor in the UK may be unlawful under the UK PRIIPs Regulation.
The Information and Exchange Agent for the Exchange Offer Solicitation is:
D.F. King & Co., Inc.
48 Wall Street
New York, NY 10005
Banks and Brokers call: (212) 269-5550
Toll free: (877) 732-3617
Confirmation: (212) 232-3233
Email: pampa@dfking.com
Website: www.dfking.com/pampa
By Mail, by Overnight Courier, or by Hand: By Facsimile Transmission:
48 Wall Street (for Eligible Institutions only)
New York, NY 10005 (212) 709-3328
Any question regarding the terms of the Exchange Offer should be directed to the Dealer Managers.
The Joint Global Coordinators and Lead Dealer Managers for the Exchange Offer are:
Citigroup Santander
The Dealer Managers for the Exchange Offer are:
BNP PARIBAS HSBC J.P. Morgan
The Exchange Offer shall be available online at www.dfking.com/pampa until the consummation or termination of the Exchange Offer.
Media Contact:
(212) 269-5550
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SOURCE Pampa Energía S.A. | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/06/16/pampa-energa-sa-announces-commencement-exchange-offer-relating-its-7375-notes-due-2023/ | 2022-06-16T19:40:59Z |
Former MLB star Mark Teixeira earns Georgia Tech degree
By PAUL NEWBERRY
AP Sports Writer
ATLANTA (AP) — Mark Teixeira earned plenty of accolades over his long tenure in Major League Baseball. Gold Glove awards. Silver Slugger trophies. A World Series ring. Made a lot of money, too. Still, Teixeira felt something was missing. That hole will be filled Saturday when he graduates from Georgia Tech with a degree in business administration. He will graduate more than two decades after he left campus to pursue a professional baseball career. Teixeira calls it one of his proudest accomplishments. He says his new degree will earn a prominent place in his home office, alongside all his baseball awards. | https://localnews8.com/news/2022/05/05/former-mlb-star-mark-teixeira-earns-georgia-tech-degree/ | 2022-05-05T18:15:25Z |
DALLAS, June 9, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- ARMM Inc. (OTCQB: ARMM) (the "Company" or "ARMM") a firearms lifestyle platform focused on Self-Reliance, is pleased to announce that it has added the American Tactical Defense ("ATD") Active Shooter School Training, sponsored by MAGLITE®, to its ARMM Academy.
The events that have recently occurred in Buffalo, New York, followed by the tragic school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, and Tulsa, Oklahoma have cast the national spotlight back on firearms. Armm's leadership strongly believes in empowering citizens with education, confidence and real-world solutions to defend themselves and others in the event of an active shooter scenario. The Company is partnering with American Tactical Defense LLC, the most current, proven, active shooter training for schools.
The training content will be hosted with the Discipline section of the platform and app. The ATD, MAGLITE® Sponsored Practical Defense Video Series includes the following modules:
In the coming weeks, ARMM and American Tactical Defense will be hosting an Active Shooter School Training Live Webinar, at the Maglite Campus in Ontario, California. The Company will also be distributing a link to participate in the Webinar.
Teachers that participate in the Webinar will receive a free copy of the Teachers Pocket Guide to Active Shooter Response, and School Administrators will receive the School Threat Assessment Checklist.
"Now more than ever, given our mission of self reliance, firearms education and training, situational awareness has become paramount. We will not wait for political solutions, and are excited to share ATD's invaluable skill set and content in order to empower citizens, teachers and administrators at this time," said Mark Lawson, CEO of Armm Inc.
About American Tactical Defense
American Tactical Defense is certified under the Schools A.C.T.™ (Active-Shooter Counter Training). This program is the most advanced training currently provided to schools. Bryan McKenrick, the COO, is a Federal Law Enforcement Instructor who supervises, instructs, trains, and develops all training for over 1,000 Federal Officers four times per year. He wrote the book on Federal active shooter response and training and currently keeps it up to date. Bryan has an extensive history, background and experience in Federal Law Enforcement for the past 24 years. Bryan has always realized his calling in helping people, providing protection and serving our great country, the United States of America. He served in an Operational capacity for 8 years in the U.S. Coast Guard and 15 years for a Federal Law Enforcement Agency. https://www.ustacdefense.com/
ABOUT ARMM
ARMM is a firearms lifestyle platform focused on SELF RELIANCE and is disrupting the $51 Billion consumer firearms and rugged outdoor recreational market. The platform includes an app in which users can take safety & training course via the ARMM Academy, access firearms insurance products, firearms related apparel and accessories, and engage with like minded outdoor enthusiasts while gaining exposure to your favorite brands.
Web: https://armmlife.com/investors/
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SOURCE ARMM Inc. | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/06/09/armm-offers-teachers-american-tactical-defense-maglite-sponsored-active-shooter-school-training/ | 2022-06-09T12:26:30Z |
XUZHOU, China, May 30, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- XCMG (SHE:000425) has hosted its fourth International Customers Festival (the "Festival") starting from May 20 online, with 16 online sessions and offline venues across five continents livestreaming globally and interacting with the main session set in Xuzhou, China, lasting 10 days to May 30.
Through the lens that overcomes the limitation of time and space, XCMG has introduced its latest intelligent technology and unmanned control technology to construction equipment rental companies, developers and contractors for mines and infrastructures, as well as emphasizing its commitment to green, low-carbon development of new energy and electric products. At the Festival, XCMG reached the global strategic partnership with Shell to partner strategically in promoting high quality development.
"2022 marks the 17th anniversary of OCR and XCMG's cooperation, we've witnessed how XCMG became a leading brand with wide influence in Thailand. We've invited veteran staff who's been with the company for 17 years to join the Festival, as well as highlighted the first XCMG equipment that has been in service for 17 years," said Sirapop Tantitham, GM of O.C.R. Company Limited. "We've highlighted three product categories as a branch session host in Thailand, including the electric loaders that created a stir in Thailand's construction machinery industry, witnessing XCMG's electric products have been reported by multiple media in Thailand."
Hanson Liu, vice president of XCMG and general manager of XCMG Import & Export, noted that XCMG's export has maintained high growth rate with the export market map of 187 countries and regions, in the first quarter, the export of China's construction machinery industry increased by 48 percent year-on-year, and XCMG's export has increased by 143 percent year-on-year.
"The export volume of cranes, excavators, loaders and road machinery has taken lead across the industry with continuous growth of market share, XCMG's overall export market share has increased by 9 percent year-on-year," said Liu. "We are seeing changes in export trend as well, with significant growth in the high-end markets in Europe, North America and Australia. In first quarter, the sales volume of product exported to Europe has increased by over 100 percent."
"We hosted the XCMG International Customers Festival for the first time in Germany and presented over 200 products from 35 lines covering four categories, including excavators, aerial work platforms, road rollers and more, among which, the small excavators from XCMG is now the most popular Chinese brand in Europe and a star model of our promotion at the Festival," said Xuan Du, Deputy GM of XCMG European Sales and Services GmbH.
The annual Festival further consolidates XCMG's international development strategy. The world's largest countries are introducing stimulus policies for infrastructure in the post-pandemic period, and the demand for construction machinery has been high.
In addition, energy transition and transformation have increased the demand for green energy commodities such as copper, cobalt and lithium, which has stimulated mining operations worldwide. XCMG, as a leading mining solution provider capable of offering integrated mining equipment sets, is also embracing greater market opportunities.
"XCMG will live up to the expectations and fight side by side with our global partners to push forward our digital, green and international strategies, contributing to the world with more dynamic, high-quality development and a globally competitive XCMG," said Wang Min, chairman and CEO of XCMG.
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SOURCE XCMG | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/05/31/xcmg-hosts-fourth-international-customers-festival-highlighting-intelligent-unmanned-technologies-new-energy-electric-products/ | 2022-05-31T02:20:40Z |
BERKELEY, Calif., Aug. 23, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The California Legends Collective announces the launch of CAlegends.com, a NIL platform that empowers UC Berkeley student-athletes to secure name, image, and likeness income opportunities. This platform, created in partnership with Beastmode Marketing, will allow Cal fans, alums, supporters, and brands to peruse its site loaded exclusively with Cal athletes to book players and teams for various services. Utilizing proprietary PlayBooked.com technology, the fully customized and secure online platform also allows the California Legends Collective to manage all aspects of its collective needs in one place.
"We've been working hard to create something we could all be proud of," said Kevin Kennedy, president, founding sponsor, and co-executive director of the California Legends Collective. "It was important to us that this be done the Cal way—in full compliance with NCAA regulations and empowering all our student-athletes to take full advantage of the vast opportunities presented by attending the world's No. 1 ranked university. We decided the best university in the world deserved the best Collective, and that's what we've created."
By partnering with Beastmode Marketing, the California Legends Collective has engaged with former Cal running back, NFL star turned entrepreneur Marshawn Lynch. Marshawn Lynch stated, "I'm always open to finding ways to help current and future Bears, and this is a really special opportunity that I had to push play on. This partnership is gonna be hella fun, and it's not just about NIL money. Our focus is also on education and sharing our experiences to help Cal athletes with financial literacy, staying healthy, brand building, being a pro, and staying connected with your community."
Kevin Kennedy said, "To have this kind of exclusive connection to a Cal legend and one who is currently running a major sports and lifestyle brand, and marketing company is amazing and something no other school will be able to replicate. And Marshawn's industry-leading role in ensuring athletes make smart investment decisions and maximize their personal brands makes him an ideal person to spearhead our efforts. We are so grateful to have him as our partner."
But Marshawn Lynch isn't the only Cal great involved with the California Legends Collective. The Collective's founding advisory board members include football star DeSean Jackson; Layshia Clarendon, a WNBA all-star and Cal's 4th all-time leading scorer; and Val Arioto, Cal's greatest women's softball player ever. "They are all true legends, and we are so fortunate to have them," said Stephanie Rivera, co-executive director and one of the Collective's founding sponsors.
"There isn't a Cal fan, or an NFL fan, who doesn't know who DeSean Jackson is and doesn't remember his play for Cal. So to have his involvement and his unique tie-in to the Southern California football community is incredible."
Using CAlegends.com, fans can purchase California Legends Collective merchandise, book a live chat or video shout-out with a student-athlete, subscribe to support various teams, or make financial contributions. The site also empowers businesses and charities that want to hire a Cal student-athlete for marketing campaigns or to promote an event can now easily do so. "We wanted to create maximum flexibility for our student-athletes and fans," said Kevin Kennedy. "Fans can go onto CAlegends.com and choose which Cal team, position group, or individual player they want to support financially. They can do this in various ways, by subscribing to that team, group, or player at various dollar levels and receiving unique benefits depending on the subscription amount. Do you want to attend a Cal football game with Marshawn Lynch? Well, we can make that happen for you. Fans just log on and select how they want to participate."
The California Legends Collective's mission is always to place the student-athlete interests first. Stephanie Rivera stated, "My husband Ron and I were both student-athletes at Cal, so we know what a platform like this will mean for the students. Being a student-athlete at a school like Cal is itself a full-time job. These students don't have the time to hold part-time jobs, and with the new NIL regulations, they can now realize the full benefits of their association with Cal. It was essential for our Collective to allow all of Cal's student-athletes, no matter their sport, to have these opportunities. At Cal, inclusivity and diversity are some of our core values, and we wanted our Collective to reflect that."
About the California Legends Collective
Founded by a dedicated group of UC Berkeley alumni and fans, the California Legends Collective is an independent NIL collective. The CAlegends.com digital platform connects fans, supporters, businesses, and charitable organizations with the University of California student-athletes while empowering each athlete to monetize their name, image, and likeness. We are not formally associated with or sponsored by the University of California at Berkeley. To learn more, go to CAlegends.com.
About Beastmode Marketing
Beastmode Marketing, based in Oakland, CA, is a marketing management agency founded by Marshawn Lynch, Bryon Sheng, and Kevin Parker. Beast Mode Marketing currently represents the marketing efforts for Lynch, Josh Johnson, Marcus Peters, and Najee Harris. Beast Mode is rooted in building brands through authenticity and creativity at the direction of its athletes. For more information, please visit BeastModeMktg.com or follow us on Instagram and Twitter at @BeastModeMktg.
CONTACT: info@calegends.com
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SOURCE PlayBooked; California Legends Collective | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/08/23/california-legends-collective-beastmode-marketing-launch-nil-platform-uc-berkeley-student-athletes/ | 2022-08-23T16:08:21Z |
FREMONT, Calif., June 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Society for Clinical Trials (SCT) 43rd Annual Meeting was held last month in San Diego. At the meeting, the SWOG Cancer Research Network (SWOG) poster "A More Efficient Approach to Clinical Trial Data Collection: The SWOG-nCartes Pilot Collaboration" was presented by Chris Cook, applications development director at Cancer Research And Biostatistics (CRAB). The Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center and CRAB host SWOG's Statistics and Data Management Center (SDMC). CRAB is dedicated to providing statistics and data management operations and leadership support for the SWOG SDMC. SWOG is a global cancer research community that designs and conducts publicly funded clinical trials, with 39 open trials across 1,315 members sites in the U.S. and internationally.
The poster session summarized the results to date of the SWOG-nCartes Pilot Collaboration. SWOG partnered with cloud clinical research software company nCoup to pilot and deploy the company's nCartes platform at SWOG sites to help advance data collection. With nCartes, research sites pull data available in the electronic medical record (EMR), such as labs and medications, and automatically transfer the data directly into the research sponsor's electronic data capture (EDC) system.
In late-phase pilot testing, the results of data entry using the nCartes platform were compared to the current practice of manual data entry. To measure data entry time, an experienced study coordinator was timed entering 43 forms using nCartes. It took 100 minutes to complete all forms, or 2 minutes and 20 seconds per form – a sizable time savings compared to current standard practice. Data quality also improved. To see the complete SWOG SCT poster, click here: https://www.crab.org/documents/posters/2022-SCT-Cook.pdf.
"SWOG and the SWOG-nCartes pilot sites have been exceptional partners," says John S. McIlwain, CEO of nCoup, the cloud software company that developed and supports nCartes. "We are very pleased with these strong results and look forward to now making nCartes available to the broader SWOG community and many other sites and sponsors likely to realize significant time and cost benefits from nCartes."
SWOG and nCoup gratefully acknowledge the leadership and teams at the following three SWOG-nCartes Pilot Collaboration sites, without whom this material progress would not have been possible:
- UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center
- University of Kansas Cancer Center, which also led a previous industry-sponsored nCartes pilot
- University of Rochester Wilmot Cancer Institute
SWOG Cancer Research Network is part of the National Cancer Institute's National Clinical Trials Network and the NCI Community Oncology Research Program and is part of the oldest and largest publicly funded cancer research network in the nation. SWOG has nearly 12,000 members in 47 states and nine foreign countries who design and conduct clinical trials to improve the lives of people with cancer. SWOG trials have led to the approval of 14 cancer drugs, changed more than 100 standards of cancer care, and saved more than 3 million years of human life. Learn more at swog.org, and follow us on Twitter at @SWOG.
The SWOG Statistics and Data Management Center (SDMC) is co-located at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center and at Cancer Research And Biostatistics in Seattle, Washington. Under SWOG group statistician and director of the SDMC, Michael LeBlanc, PhD, SDMC staff provide state-of-the-art statistics and data management expertise for the effective design, conduct and reporting of clinical trials. Research conducted at the SWOG SDMC leads to new standards with respect to statistics design, reproducible research tools and efficient, scalable data management methodologies. Learn more at www.swogstat.org.
nCoup provides innovative cloud solutions that address specialized operational needs of organizations conducting clinical research. nCoup, Inc. is privately held with headquarters in Fremont, California. For more information, visit www.ncoup.com.
CONTACT: info@ncoup.com
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SOURCE nCoup, Inc. | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/06/22/ncoup-inc-swog-ncartes-pilot-collaboration-shows-significant-expected-time-savings-study-data-entry-sct-annual-meeting/ | 2022-06-22T18:34:18Z |
Locked in since January, path to Cup through East isn’t easy
By STEPHEN WHYNO
AP Hockey Writer
The eight playoff teams in the Eastern Conference have been set since before the All-Star break. They jockeyed for position the past several months with Florida and Carolina emerging as division winners. The Presidents’ Trophy-winning Panthers are favored to come out of the East and win the Stanley Cup. But that’s not going to be an easy task with Washington up first and either Tampa Bay or Toronto up in the second round for the winner of the Capitals-Panthers series. The Hurricanes face the Boston Bruins for the right to go up against the winner of the series between the New York Rangers and Pittsburgh Penguins. | https://localnews8.com/sports/ap-national-sports/2022/05/01/locked-in-since-january-path-to-cup-through-east-isnt-easy/ | 2022-05-02T02:23:17Z |
Wisconsin woman in Slender Man attack drops release request
Published: Aug. 10, 2022 at 2:14 PM CDT|Updated: 2 hours ago
WAUKESHA, Wis. (AP) — One of two Wisconsin women who were sent to a state mental health facility after a 2014 stabbing attack on a sixth-grade classmate that they claimed was to appease the horror character Slender Man has withdrawn her petition for release.
In June, 20-year-old Morgan Geyser asked a Waukesha County judge to order her release as he did last year for her co-defendant, Anissa Weier.
The judge appointed three doctors to evaluate Geyser’s mental state.
After receiving one doctor’s report, Geyser and her attorney sent a letter to the judge Tuesday asking that the petition be withdrawn.
The victim, Payton Leutner, survived after suffering 19 stab wounds.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.wibw.com/2022/08/10/wisconsin-woman-slender-man-attack-drops-release-request/ | 2022-08-10T20:51:50Z |
End users get access to multiple auto-generated insights such as footprint, roof conditions, defensible space information and more
CENTENNIAL, Colo., July 11, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Vexcel Data Program announced today a new product that will provide automatic insights and learning across hundreds of millions of residential properties in 25+ countries around the world. Introducing Elements: Building Attributes, a reliable, more informative way to improve understanding of as-built structures in seconds.
"Advanced classification on our high-resolution aerial imagery is needed more than ever before," stated Erik Jorgensen, CEO of Vexcel Group. "We've been growing our aerial imagery coverage globally and are now applying machine learning to our already highly accurate imagery to analyze buildings and deliver information on a whole new level and scale. This helps our customers make better decisions with greater confidence, whether it's an insurer using these details to underwrite a policy or property assessors performing more accurate desktop assessment, there's endless opportunity for enhancing workflows and decision-making. We strongly believe in the value of detailed information that can be derived from the highest quality imagery; Elements: Building Attributes makes this turnkey for our customers."
Building Attributes is the latest addition to Vexcel's Elements product line which includes Property Attributes and Damage Assessment. The data provided is created and derived from Vexcel's urban area collection program (25+ countries) and wide area collection program, which also includes rural areas (20+ countries). Vexcel's award-winning UltraCam sensors are calibrated to collect the highest accuracy of imagery quality and positioning in the market, resulting in highly detailed building outlines and attributes for improved visualization and analysis. The building and roof attributes are automatically calculated and available to users via Vexcel's API and web-based application, Viewer.
Starting with location coordinates, a user can request building attribute information for the closest building or structure. Users have immediate access to a building's footprint area, ground elevation, roof condition, roof shape, roof material, defensible space metrics, and many other useful pieces of data.
Examples of how multiple industries could benefit from this information include:
- Smart Cities – project planners can use the building geometry to create more accurate 3D models
- Telecom – network designers can map clean lines-of-sight to reduce signal interference between transmitters
- Insurance - risk analysts can perform better wildfire risk reviews using defensible space information
- Real Estate – realtors can validate building features and benefits when listing a property
- Property Assessment – tax assessors can remotely evaluate buildings and track changes or improvements to homes for updating tax rolls
- HD maps – map engineers can verify building locations to map expanding neighborhoods, validate UAV delivery service coordinates, and support more accurate autonomous vehicle mapping
To learn more about this product and see the full list of building attributes available, visit vexceldata.com/elements.
Vexcel collects the largest aerial program on the planet, delivering data at a resolution, clarity, and accuracy that's never been delivered on a global scale. Its robust library of geospatial data helps a variety of industries, such as Government, Telecom, Utilities, Insurance, AEC, Energy and more.
For 30 years, Vexcel has been the industry leader in the photogrammetric and remote sensing space, providing a comprehensive library of cloud-based geospatial data. Vexcel's unique technology stack results in unrivaled image quality, helping customers streamline remote assessment, innovate common workflows, and enhance decision-making with confidence. Vexcel captures aerial imagery and geospatial data in 25+ countries, including US, UK, Canada, Australia, Japan, and across Western Europe. More at vexceldata.com.
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SOURCE Vexcel Data Program | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/07/11/vexcel-provide-building-attribute-information-millions-residential-properties-25-countries/ | 2022-07-11T13:11:04Z |
Italy’s Bastianini moves late to take Texas win in MotoGP
By JIM VERTUNO
AP Sports Writer
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Enea Bastianini of Italy passed Australia’s Jack Miller for the lead with five laps to go and pulled away to win the MotoGP Grand Prix of the Americas on Sunday for his second victory of the season. Bastianini and Miller dueled at the front on their Ducatis over several laps before Bastianini pulled ahead when braking out of the end of the long straight at the Circuit of the Americas. Alex Rins of Spain passed Miller late to take second. Bastianini also won the season opener in Qatar. He now leads the season championship. Seven-time Texas race win Marc Marquez was sixth. | https://localnews8.com/sports/ap-national-sports/2022/04/10/italys-bastianini-moves-late-to-take-texas-win-in-motogp/ | 2022-04-10T19:59:34Z |
Embrace changes that lead to freedom and peace of mind. Don’t limit what you can do or listen to negative input from people who don’t see your vision or understand your passion. Be who you want to be and do what makes you happy. Live in the moment and practice what you preach.
ARIES (March 21-April 19) — The work you put in will pay off. Don’t give up on something or someone you love. Look at situations from the inside out, and you’ll find a way to get things done. Go with the flow.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20) — You know how to play the game. The rules are in place and the outcome is clear. Place your feet firmly on the ground and proceed with strength and courage. You are in control.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20) — Attending a reunion or reaching out to someone from your past will cause mixed feelings. Size up situations honestly. Giving someone the wrong impression or making an assumption will lead to regret.
CANCER (June 21-July 22) — Take things up a notch. Be creative and demonstrate your passion for excellence. An energetic schedule will prompt you to look and feel your best. Romance is on the rise.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) — Think before you make a move. Don’t try to keep up with others or copy them. Pay more attention to learning, helping others and living a moderate and peaceful lifestyle. Do what makes you happy.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) — The voice of reason will help you make the right decision. A change will give you something to think about. Get out and socialize or network, and it will lead to personal growth.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) — Prioritize money, health and contracts. Organize documents and ease your mind. Talk to an expert if something perplexes you. Think about how you handle your money and make changes if needed.
SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) — Re-evaluate relationships and gravitate toward people who share your sentiments. Distance yourself from negativity and obstacles. Use your imagination. Romance is featured.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) — Don’t let what others do or say upset you. Look inward and focus on yourself, your needs and how you want to move forward. You can’t change others, but you can change yourself.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) — Put your energy where it counts and you will be happy with the results. Make changes that will get others engaged in ideas that will benefit everyone at home and in your community.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) — Show discipline and don’t give in to someone’s whims. You’ll feel much better about yourself if you finish what you start. Put together a to-do list, and forge ahead until everything is squared away.
PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) — Step up and take charge. Your energy and capacity to see things as they are will help you get things done. A change will improve your life and encourage loved ones to support your efforts. | https://www.albanyherald.com/entertainment/saturday-horoscope/article_9f057366-c735-11ec-92a3-c72f08df44aa.html | 2022-04-28T22:34:04Z |
Letter to the editor: It's time for new leadership in Washington
The Repository
The story of the Texas Little Leaguer consoling the distraught pitcher who hit him in the head is bringing me around to the belief this country might be better off governed by 12-year-olds.
The inability (or unwillingness) of elected officials to even consider meaningful compromise on serious national issues like universal health care, social equity, climate change, etc., is a dereliction of duty.
It's time for Neanderthals like Nancy Pelosi and Mitch McConnell to exit the national stage. Congressional term limits and mandatory retirement at 70 would be a good start.
James P. Holl, North Canton | https://www.cantonrep.com/story/opinion/letters/2022/09/01/letter-to-the-editor-its-time-for-new-leadership-in-washington/65462753007/ | 2022-09-01T11:09:50Z |
The top-level construction team is a service-disabled veteran-owned small business based in Tallahassee, Florida
TALLAHASSEE, Fla., June 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- ADVON Corporation, a Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB), was recently honored with the U.S. Small Business Administration's (SBA) 2022 Southeast Region Small Business Federal Contractor of the Year award. This prestigious award recognizes exemplary small businesses that have achieved significant success in the federal contracting arena.
ADVON is a top-level construction team based in Tallahassee, Florida, that is deployed first to coordinate efforts in the field. They specialize in industrial, institutional, and commercial projects. Their customers include the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the Veterans Administration (VA), the Department of Defense (DOD), and other public and private institutions.
"As a contractor who is fortunate to have worked with governmental institutions such as NASA and the VA, being recognized for our diligent work by the SBA is a great honor. It speaks to the culture at ADVON and the hard-working people who make up our team," said Bill Graham, President and Founder of ADVON Corporation.
Each year during National Small Business Week, the U.S. Small Business Administration shines a spotlight on the outstanding achievements of small businesses and entrepreneurs from across the country. This year's event focused on celebrating the accomplishments of those who have helped to grow small businesses, create jobs, drive innovation, and increase America's global competitiveness. In addition, given the changing demographics of our nation, the SBA's National Small Business Week awards also recognized individuals and businesses that reflect the diverse faces of America. The US Small Business Administration believes that by honoring the achievements of all those who contribute to the success of small businesses, they can continue to create an environment that supports entrepreneurship and spurs economic growth.
Bibi Hidalco, Associate Administrator of the Office of Government Contracts, who issued the award letter to ADVON, said, "Your hard work, innovative ideas, and dedication to your community embody the spirit of excellence that has always defined our nation's small businesses, and because of these outstanding entrepreneurial achievements, the SBA is pleased to recognize your role in driving our country and economy forward."
ADVON has a team of experts with the knowledge and experience to complete any project on time and within budget while exceeding client expectations. "We understand that every project is unique, so we work closely with clients to ensure that all needs are met," said Vice President Scott Brooks.
ADVON offers services including general contracting and design-build capabilities. Their commitment to safety and service are unmatched in the industry.
For more information, visit advonconstruction.com
Media Contact: info@advonconstruction.com
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SOURCE Advon Corporation | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/06/22/advon-corporation-wins-sbas-2022-southeast-region-small-business-federal-contractor-year-award/ | 2022-06-22T16:55:53Z |
Transaction Further Advances Stanley Black & Decker's Portfolio Transformation and Strategic Focus on Core Businesses
NEW BRITAIN, Conn., June 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Stanley Black & Decker (NYSE: SWK) today announced it has signed a definitive agreement for the sale of its STANLEY Oil & Gas business to Pipeline Technique Limited, a leading provider of solutions to the energy industry. The pending sale of STANLEY Oil & Gas encompasses pipeline services and equipment businesses including CRC-Evans Pipeline International, Pipeline Induction Heat Ltd. and STANLEY Inspection, which generated combined revenues of approximately $140 million in 2021.
Don Allan, Stanley Black & Decker's President & CFO, stated, "The sale of our oil and gas business builds on our strategic commitment to streamlining our company to focus on our core Tools & Outdoor and Industrial businesses. The portfolio simplification is designed to leverage our leadership positions to drive innovation, organic growth and margin expansion, as well as generate significant long-term value for our shareholders. On behalf of the entire Stanley Black & Decker organization, I want to thank our STANLEY Oil & Gas team members for their valuable contributions over the years."
Stanley Black & Decker expects to incur a pre-tax, non-cash charge of approximately $125 to $200 million related to the write-down of the Oil & Gas net assets, which will be excluded from adjusted earnings. The results of the Oil & Gas business will remain in continuing operations and will not be reclassified as discontinued operations. The transaction is subject to regulatory approval and other customary closing conditions.
About STANLEY Oil & Gas
STANLEY Oil & Gas provides world-class pipeline services and equipment in more than 100 countries, offshore and onshore, working under the most extreme conditions and over the most difficult terrains. The business delivers the infrastructure and resources needed to serve pipeline contractors anywhere on earth — ensuring higher quality welds and lower downtime from start to finish. To learn more visit CRC-Evans Pipeline International, a STANLEY Oil & Gas company, at www.crc-evans.com.
About Stanley Black & Decker
Headquartered in the USA, Stanley Black & Decker (NYSE: SWK) is the world's largest tool company operating nearly 50 manufacturing facilities across America and more than 100 worldwide. Guided by its purpose – for those who make the world – the company's more than 60,000 diverse and high-performing employees produce innovative, award-winning power tools, hand tools, storage, digital tool solutions, lifestyle products, outdoor products, engineered fasteners and other industrial equipment to support the world's makers, creators, tradespeople and builders. The Company's iconic brands include DEWALT, BLACK+DECKER, CRAFTSMAN, STANLEY, Cub Cadet, Hustler and Troy-Bilt. Recognized for its leadership in environmental, social and governance (ESG), Stanley Black & Decker strives to be a force for good in support of its communities, employees, customers and other stakeholders. To learn more visit: www.stanleyblackanddecker.com.
Investor Contacts:
Dennis Lange
Vice President, Investor Relations
dennis.lange@sbdinc.com
(860) 827-3833
Cort Kaufman
Senior Director, Investor Relations
cort.kaufman@sbdinc.com
(860) 515-2741
Media Contacts:
Debora Raymond
Vice President, Public Relations
debora.raymond@sbdinc.com
(203) 640-8054
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements Stanley Black & Decker makes forward-looking statements in this press release which represent its expectations or beliefs about future events and financial performance. Forward-looking statements are identifiable by words such as "believe," "anticipate," "expect," "intend," "plan," "will," "may" and other similar expressions. In addition, any statements that refer to expectations, projections or other characterizations of future events or circumstances are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements made in this press release, include, but are not limited to, statements concerning: consummation of the STANLEY Oil & Gas sale transaction; streamlining the Company to focus on core Tools & Outdoor and Industrial businesses; leveraging the Company's leadership positions to drive innovation, organic growth and margin expansion; and generating significant long-term value for our shareholders.
You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future events and involve risks, uncertainties and other known and unknown factors that may cause actual results and performance to be materially different from any future results or performance expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to: the failure to consummate, or a delay in the consummation of, the STANLEY Oil & Gas sale transaction for various reasons (including but not limited to failure to receive, or delay in receiving, required regulatory approvals and meet customary closing conditions); the completion of the STANLEY Oil & Gas sale transaction failing to result in the intended benefits for streamlining the Company and generating value for shareholders.
Forward-looking statements made herein are also subject to risks and uncertainties, described in: Stanley Black & Decker's 2021 Annual Report on Form 10-K, its subsequently filed Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q; and other filings Stanley Black & Decker makes with the Securities and Exchange Commission. In addition, actual results could differ materially from those suggested by the forward-looking statements, and therefore you should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements. Stanley Black & Decker makes no commitment to revise or update any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances occurring or existing after the date of any forward-looking statement.
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SOURCE Stanley Black & Decker | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/06/28/stanley-black-amp-decker-reaches-agreement-sell-its-oil-amp-gas-business/ | 2022-06-28T11:21:16Z |
Republican voters in Georgia on Tuesday showed there are limits to how seriously the party will entertain former President Donald Trump's grievances.
Election deniers endorsed by Trump were trounced in a series of primaries against Republican officials who had rejected the former President lies about the 2020 election being stolen -- but had otherwise enacted conservative policies popular with GOP voters.
Tuesday's primaries in Georgia, Alabama and Arkansas and primary runoffs in Texas were overshadowed by the deadly shooting at an elementary school in Texas.
But the results could have implications across the Republican Party -- forcing Trump to recalculate his involvement in intra-party contests, giving candidates who aren't endorsed by the former President a roadmap to winning without his support, and offering, if only briefly, a glimpse at a party in which Trump's fights aren't the only things that matter.
Here are six takeaways from Tuesday's elections:
Georgia Republicans reject Trump's bids for vengeance
Trump spent more than a year vowing payback and promising to recruit and support primary challengers, after Georgia Republican state officials rejected his lies about fraud costing him the 2020 election there.
On Tuesday, those Republicans targeted by the former President didn't just win -- they crushed their Trump-backed opponents.
Gov. Brian Kemp beat his challenger, former Sen. David Perdue, by 50 percentage points. Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger fended off a stronger challenge from Rep. Jody Hice. And Attorney General Chris Carr easily dispatched attorney John Gordon.
It was the most embarrassing primary showing for Trump yet, and demonstrated that while Trump remains the GOP's dominant figure, capable of steering outcomes in some open-seat races, there are limits to his influence -- and many Republican voters are willing to ignore the former President's wishes.
"Conservatives across our state didn't listen to the noise," Kemp said at his victory party at the College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta on Tuesday night. "They didn't get distracted. They knew our record of fighting and winning for hard-working Georgians."
Georgia to be the center of the political universe once again
A hotly contested gubernatorial rematch and a star-studded Senate showdown: Tuesday's primaries made clear that, much like in 2020, Georgia will be the center of the political universe in 2022.
Kemp is set for a rematch against Stacey Abrams, the former state legislative leader who rose to national prominence during and after her near-miss against Kemp in the 2018 governor's race.
The pressure is on Abrams, who now must prove that her strong showing in 2018, in a favorable year for Democrats, was not the high-water mark of her political career. She surprised some with her strength four years ago -- something that won't happen this November after four years on the national scene -- but her political operation is more developed, too.
Meanwhile, now that former football star Herschel Walker is officially the Republican Senate nominee in Georgia, he'll square off against Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock, whose election in an early 2021 runoff helped give Democrats their thinnest of Senate majorities.
The race will be expensive -- Warnock has turned into a fundraising powerhouse and Republicans have shown they are willing to spend millions on Walker -- but will go a long way to determining which party controls the Senate for the next two years.
Down to the wire in South Texas
The runoff between Rep. Henry Cuellar, the lone remaining anti-abortion rights Democrat in the House, and progressive challenger Jessica Cisneros is neck-and-neck as the final votes trickle in.
No matter who ultimately prevails, their close contest offers a preview of intra-party Democratic fights to come -- especially over whether support of abortion rights should be a litmus test for candidates, and the influence of outside money on the party's primaries.
Victory for Cuellar would also underscore the continued divide between moderate House leadership and younger progressive Democrats in their ranks.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Majority Leader Steny Hoyer and South Carolina Rep. James Clyburn, who traveled to Texas to campaign for Cuellar, all stood with the congressman despite frustration from pro-abortion rights voters and -- as crystallized in a series of tweets late Tuesday night -- progressive lawmakers like New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
"On the day of a mass shooting and weeks after news of Roe, Democratic Party leadership rallied for a pro-NRA, anti-choice incumbent under investigation in a close primary. Robocalls, fundraisers, all of it," Ocasio-Cortez wrote, calling their support for Cuellar "an utter failure of leadership."
The Bush dynasty falls to Trumpist Texans
Two-term Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, buoyed by an endorsement from Trump after leading a lawsuit that sought to overturn the 2020 election, made short work of Texas Land Commissioner George P. Bush in their Republican primary runoff.
The result, though unsurprising, still registers as a definitive blow against the Bush family political dynasty.
George P. Bush, the son of former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, nephew of former President George W. Bush and grandson of the later former President George H.W. Bush eked his way into the runoff -- then lost to an incumbent who is under indictment for alleged securities fraud and was accused by his own staff of abusing his power.
But Paxton, who addressed the pro-Trump crowd in Washington on January 6, 2021, before the storming of the US Capitol, never seemed like he was losing what had initially been a four-way race.
Alabama Senate race advances to runoff
The Alabama Senate candidate that Trump backed away from is advancing to a runoff.
In the Republican primary to replace retiring Sen. Richard Shelby, former Shelby chief of staff and Alabama Business Council chief executive Katie Britt led the pack, but fell short of the 50% required to avoid a runoff.
In second place, and set to square off with Britt in the runoff, is Rep. Mo Brooks -- the staunch conservative congressman whom Trump had previously endorsed. But when Brooks dropped in the polls months before the primary, Trump rescinded his endorsement.
Trump claimed he had withdrawn his support for Brooks because he had gone "woke" by suggesting Republicans should look forward to 2022 and 2024, rather than focusing on Trump's grievances about the 2020 election. However, anti-abortion rights organizations and other Republicans, including Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul, stuck with the Alabama congressman.
The winner of the June 21 runoff is all but certain to win in November in the deep-red state.
Sanders one step closer to Arkansas governor's mansion
Former Trump White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders is one step closer to becoming part of the first father-daughter combo to lead the same state -- albeit years apart -- and to returning to the governor's mansion she grew up in.
CNN projected on Tuesday that Sanders, the daughter of former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, would win the Republican primary for the Natural State's governor. The win was expected after Sanders largely cleared the field, forcing Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge and Arkansas Lt. Gov. Tim Griffin to end their campaigns.
Sanders' victory is a win for Trump, who backed his former press secretary, and positions her for near certain victory in November: Although Arkansas has voted for Democrats in the past -- see: former Gov. Bill Clinton -- the state has moved much further to the right in recent decades.
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved. | https://www.albanyherald.com/news/6-takeaways-from-primaries-in-georgia-alabama-arkansas-and-texas/article_b0b85d81-0e06-5d93-be0e-08b25cee17ad.html | 2022-05-25T16:47:44Z |
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